Recently I did a list of the Scariest Movie Scenes Of All Time. But what about the Grossest movie scenes? They deserve their own classification. Gore can either be terrifying, used for dark comedic effect, or simply be a showcase for revulsion.
With that in mind, here are the The 15 Grossest Horror Movie Scenes Of All TIme, from the morbidly effective to the excessively ridiculous.
If you’d like to own any of these films, click on the movie image to buy from DVD/Blu-ray from Amazon.
*SPOILER ALERT! Since the scenes mentioned are usually the climax to the film, expect spoilers from time to time. And if you don’t have a strong stomach avoid the YouTube clips.
15. ‘The Devil’s Rain’ (1975)-The Melting scene
This ‘Satanic Panic’ film sucks, including the climactic scene where a Satanic cult melts. It’s tame enough that I saw it on afternoon TV as a kid, but it’s disgusting because the melting flesh looks like boiling snot and/or expired milk and always leaves me queasy.
14. ‘The Shining’ (1980)-Nasty Old Lady
Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) thinks he’s getting lucky in the Overlook hotel when a beautiful woman lures him into her hotel bathroom. They kiss…during which she transforms into a rotting, laughing, nympho Grandma. Blecchhhhh.
13. “Bloodsucking Freaks” (1976)- The brain sucking scene
This controversial film is about a theater that shows graphic depictions of torture, thought to be staged, but that are in fact real.
The grossest scene has to be where a demented bastard sucks out brain tissue with a straw the same way kids do to jello.This film is so vile you’ll want to take a shower afterwards.
12. “Creepshow” (1982)-The Roach Infested Corpse Scene
The last segment of ‘Creepshow‘ (“They’re Creeping Up on You!”) is truly revolting; a germophobe tries in vain to rid his apt of the resilient nasties, only to wind up being internally consumed, by them, until they eventually explode through his body.
11. “Society” (1992)-The ‘Shunting’ Scene
This film has the rich literally feeding off the poor (talk about class warfare). It’s so perversely grotesque that it was shelved for years.
The film’s sickest scene shows the upper class engaging in ‘shunting‘, where they transform into an amorphous, liquified mass, and suck the nutrients out of their victim. Check it out if you dare. NSFW.
10. “Maniac” (1980) –The Disco Boy Scene
This serial killer flick is yuck from top to bottom, but most noteworthy is when the maniac blows off a guy’s head with a shotgun. (The victim is played by FX master Tom Savini). Oddly enough, the movie inspired the lyrics to the 80’s pop song ‘Maniac’.
9. “The Evil Dead” (1981)-The Pencil Scene
I never thought a pencil could be terrifying, but that changed after seeing one jabbing into an unsuspecting victim’s ankle. Talk about lead poisoning! Wah wah wah…
8. “Prometheus” (2011)-The Self Surgery Scene
This film sharply divided audiences (read my review), but one scene that is undeniably effective is when Naomi Rapace’s character uses a self-surgery machine to perform an emergency C-section to remove her alien fetus before it kills her from the inside. It’s so unsettling that someone fainted at the IMAX theater where I saw the midnight showing.
7. “The Fly” (1986)-Footlose scene
How to pick the grossest scene from a David Cronenberg movie, a director whose filmography focuses on the most grotesque aspects of bodily functions? But ‘The Fly‘ remains one of the sickest, especially the scene where the half human-half insect creature dissolves a man’s foot with his acidic saliva.
6. “The Human Centipede: First Sequence” (2010)-Bathroom Break
Available on Netflix Streaming.
3 people are sewn together ass to mouth by a mad scientist. When the ‘head’ has to relieve himself, the poor woman sewn to his rear has no choice but to devour his waste. At least he apologizes. I’m still waiting for one from the writer/director for this irredeemable yuckfest.
5.“The Beyond” (1981)-Eye Gouging
Lucio Fulci is another director so synonymous with gory films that picking a singular moment is difficult, but the eye gouging scene from ‘The Beyond’ sticks out…get it?
And check out the WTF moment in Fulci’s ‘Zombi‘, where a zombie fights a shark!
4.“The Exorcist” (1973)-The Crucifix Scene
Few scenes are as disturbing as when the young possessed Regan mutilates herself while masturbating with a crucifix…in front of her Mom….and then wipes the blood on her Mother’s face. Yeesh.
3. “Antichrist” (2009)-The junk destruction scenes
Lars Von Trier’s ‘Antichrist‘ features graphic images of genital mutilation, which is why I’ve avoided seeing it. But my good friend Dave Dierksen has, and said it deserves inclusion. Here’s his descriptive summary:
“If you were to pick the scene where Willem Dafoe stumbles upon a fox eating itself, only to have the fox turn to him and bellow “CHAOS REIGNS,” you’d be wrong. That may be the funniest scene in any movie ever. No, for my money, grossest scene goes to either (1): Charlotte Gainsbourg smashes Dafoe’s junk with a large board and then jerks him off until he ********** blood; or (2): Gainsbourg cuts off her **** with a pair of dirty scissors, in EXTREME close-up. So it’s your basic rom-com, but with a twist!”
2. “Make Them Die Slowly” aka “Cannibal Ferox” (1981)-The junk cutting scene
If you want to have a genital torture double feature, watch this and ‘Antichrist‘ together (but why would you, you sick bastard?).
My good friend (and film critic) Jack Sommersby has assaulted my senses by exposing me to several of the films I’ve listed, but making me watch “Make Them Die Slowly” was the coup de gross. It’s also one of the first “found footage” horror films (speaking of, check out my review of the new film “V/H/S”).
The Italian film, about some bad people getting their comeuppance by cannibals is so extreme, it’s been banned by several countries and the film starts with a warning:
“The following feature is one of the most violent films ever made. There are at least two dozen scenes of barbaric torture and sadistic cruelty graphically shown. If the presentation of disgusting and repulsive subject matter upsets you, please do not view this film.”
And they ain’t kidding; boobs on meathooks and partial decapitated brain eatings are par for the course here. But the scene that gives every guy phantom pains is when the tribe chops off a guy’s manhood and eat it. Traumatic!
It maybe called ‘Make Them Die Slowly‘, but it’ll make you puke quickly.
1. “BrainDead” aka “Dead Alive” (1992)-The Custard Scene
Peter Jackson’s movie is one of the grossest, but done so over the top that it makes you laugh while you stifle your urge to vomit.
Lionel is a son whose mother is turning into a zombie, and he can’t bear to put her down. Unexpectedly they’re greeted by a couple who are old friends of the Mother. Lionel tries to distract them from her condition by offering them custard. Right before the husband eats it, bloody pus shoots out of the mother’s wound and in the bowl…and the man slurps it up unknowingly.
After which the Mother eats her own ear when it falls into her custard bowl. It’s the gold standard of gross-out horror:
Honorable mention: “Dead Snow” (2009)-The Outhouse Scene
I have to mention this Nazi Zombie movie, even though the most disgusting scene doesn’t involve Zombies.
A fat guy goes into an outhouse to take a dump. Unexpectedly, in walks in a gorgeous woman who has sex…with said fat guy….while he’s taking a dump. The gore that follows can’t match this shit scene.
So that wraps up The 15 Grossest Horror Movie Scenes Of All TIme! Agree? Feel I have some glaring omissions? Give me your list below.
And be sure to check out my lists of Scariest Film Scenes, Great But Forgotten Horror Movies, Best Halloween Party Music Playlist and Best Worst Movies.