Book review
Written by Calum Waddell
Telos paperback
Release date Out now

An analysis of some of cinema’s most controversial and daring movies, accompanied by interviews with those involved…

There are some bona fide masterpieces analysed within the pages of Taboo Breakers, including such familiar cult classics as Night of the Living Dead, Oldboy and Halloween. But this isn’t a book concerned purely with movie greats – few people (though there are no doubt one or two out there) are likely to class Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS or Nightmares in a Damaged Brain amongst their all time favourites. What these movies have in common is that they all challenged social norms or broke boundaries in some way – and not always in a positive sense, as highlighted by the notorious real life animal slaughter in Cannibal Holocaust.

Each chapter examines a different “taboo breaker”, with Waddell first outlining the legacy of the title and then subjecting it to an in-depth analysis (generally from a liberal perspective with the focus often on issues like inherent misogyny and animal welfare).

The analysis is followed by interviews with the filmmakers and stars involved in each title, who offer some fascinating behind-the-scenes stories. Many of these individuals make for highly engaging company, whether it’s a politically-minded Ralph Bakshi on Fritz the Cat (“I didn’t care if there was an audience out there for it or not”), Romano Scavolini on his slasher Nightmare on a Damaged Brain (who rather modestly declares it to be “the best movie of its genre”) or Rob Zombie on House of 1000 Corpses (“as a kid, surrounded by all these freaks, you learn a few things” he says on his childhood in a travelling circus).

The material on the likes of Halloween and The Evil Dead is great stuff, but where this book really scores is on its focus on such rarely talked-about oddities as hardcore porno-art Behind the Green Door and blaxploitation comedy Candy Tangerine Man. There is also something fitting in the way that many of the movies here share a common bond: we hear how Sam Raimi was inspired by Night of the Living Dead, while Rob Zombie’s Grindhouse trailer Werewolf Women of the SS was clearly inspired by Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS.

Of course, these are very much personal choices as ‘taboo breakers’ and there were plenty of other indie movies that broke boundaries too (Pink Flamingos, Kids, David Cronenberg’s Crash to name but a few). And the analysis itself comes from a very personal perspective – not everyone will agree that Lars Von Triers’s The Idiots is “vastly overrated” or that Wolf Creek is “dull”. Yet that’s not really meant as a criticism, as the individual perspective (along with the personal views of the interviewees) makes this a lively and readable tome as well as an informative one. For lovers of shock cinema, this is an essential read. James Skipp

VERDICT: 8/10
A fascinating look at some of the craziest and sickest movies to have graced our screens.