[Editorial] Penis Severing in Horror

Those who have followed me on Instagram for a while will be aware of one of my favourite parts of movies, the penis severing. This form of bodily mutilation can be done in a variety of ways and delivered in two completely opposite moods as well.

Some examples of penis severing in movies can be done in a quite comical way, adding an uncanny laugh out loud moment to a movie which may be considered as a horror comedy. Yet others are done in the most brutal way possible, and these are often shown in movies with a rape revenge aspect to them, or they fall into the more extreme genre. This duality of the act is what appeals to me and makes these scenes so enjoyable in different ways. If I go into watching a movie without knowing that this type of act may happen it is always a delight to come across another take on this form of bodily harm which may be done by another or by oneself, and I promptly add the movie to my letterboxd list “my bloody penis list” so I can make note of all the movies I come across with these types of scenes in them. So, with that in mind I present to you my top eight penis severing scenes in movies in the hope that you can get a kick out of this bloody brutal or funny form of mutilation as well. 

I Spit on Your Grave (1978)

I Spit on Your Grave is a classic rape revenge movie which shows how Jennifer collects herself and lurks in the background ready to invoke revenge on those who so foully harmed her and raped her. She approaches the group of men in a variety of ways making sure that they are no longer able to harm  anyone else with each act of revenge being more intense than the previous. The scene where she seduces Johnny into a bathtub only to dismember him is easily one of the highlights. Taking away his penis which he used to inflict abuse on her (and potentially others) is a powerful act, and it is satisfying to see him bleeding to death without the part of himself which he used in such a corrupt way.


Visceral: Between the Ropes of Madness (2012)

Visceral is a movie which explores the brutal murders done by a failed boxer who seems to be tormented by something other worldly. He kidnaps and tortures his victims in a variety of ways, the use of shibari rope tying adding something unique to the mix. One of the victims decides to turn what the boxer thinks is a sexual opportunity into an opportunity to harm him and one thing leads to another. It is a very visceral scene which made me cringe a little as it is quite realistic, yet it also did make me think good for her too!

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American Guinea Pig Sacrifice (2017)

The fourth instalment in the American Guinea Pig series sees Daniel in a state of despair where he performs various acts of self-harm on himself with the intent of self-enlightenment and attempting to embrace the Goddess Ishtar to assist him with self-illumination.  Daniel appears to have a history of self-harm behaviour as scars are seen on his body, yet one act he does to himself could be fatal as it won’t be as easy to heal. Castration is an act which he commits in order to go further into enlightenment and to show his dedication. It is one of the more intense scenes of the movie, which is mostly Daniel seen in a candlelit bathroom making it somewhat of a slow burn. Yet this scene really delivers on that visceral/ gore level and heightens the mood somewhat as you witness him dealing with the consequences of his actions, wondering if he will live or not. 

Hostel Part II (2007)

The second part of the Hostel trilogy sees the empire of Elite Hunting Club visited once again, this time focusing on a group of women who visit the hostel as they are exploring the country as part of a university art trip abroad. It is shown that Beth comes from a wealthy background which is something which she uses for her advantage to get out of her predicament as a victim for torture. As the male who bided on her torments her and tries to sexually assault her Beth fight’s back and when she literally has him by the balls with one of the tools on hand it is so great to see that he is now the one who could be harmed. Once she is told that it is the rules that for a person to leave alive they must take a life she doesn’t take much thought to using the tool to cut into his penis leaving him to bleed to death. 

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Maskhead (2009)

Maskhead is shown in the POV of people being filmed with a handheld camera, it follows two women who are involved in the porn industry. It doesn’t take long though for the viewer to become aware that their endeavours have a torture porn/ snuff movie touch to them too. Various forms of torture occur once they have their willing participants who awake tied up in a chair surprised by their circumstances. It must be quite strange to wake up in such a state when you thought you were going to be lying on your back moaning most of the time for your movie debut though. One person is tortured by having his penis cut and we see the gushing blood in such a realistic manner. This is quite unsettling but also as the movie has a dark humour to it and the ladies are seen laughing it all seems quite silly in a surreal way too. Making this scene sit in between brutal and comical. 

DEATHGASAM (2015)

DEATHGASM is one of my favourite movies! It is a perfect horror comedy in my opinion. There is enough bloody gore for it to satisfy those who look out for spluttery special effects and one scene in particular is the epitome of a perfect penis severing to me. Though the above examples of penis severing are equally as enjoyable to watch for the gore and rape revenge aspects of them, I find it hard to put into words just how funny I find this scene. Watching Brody choose to fight off the undead man who is coming after him by using a chainsaw to take off his penis making blood splatter about around them both and making this man stop in his tracks is hilarious and adds something a little extra. It was a perfect moment which showed just how well the humour is mixed in with the gory special effects. 


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Street Trash (1987)

Street Trash is a classic melt movie which has a grotty feel to it as it focuses on the homeless population in a part of America, where the car dump has become home for many. Surrounded by filth and deterioration, the colourful melt scenes add a pop of colour. And in what is a quite dry movie humour wise the scene where resident car dump ringleader  gets angry at a man and decides to show just how angry he is by ripping off his penis with his bare hands adds in a touch of what the fuck just happened kind of humour  as the penis is flung in the air and the man is seen running to chase it and attempt to get into a taxi to get to a hospital one would assume.  This scene is one of my favourites of the movie as it is just so silly and over the top and shows just how intense this guy can get too.

Red Room (1999)

Red Room is a Japanese movie which shows a group of people in a mysterious setting going through various scenarios in the attempt to win a large amount of money. They play a card game which chooses who will pick what the other players will do with each other or to each other. Examples being a woman being told to pin a man’s nose shut with a clothes peg while she uses a hairdryer in his mouth to fill him with painful hot air, and a woman being tied to a chair and spun around as fast as she can with the intention of not puking so she may win this round. Things become quite violent in the player's desperation and blood flows freely as they attempt to be the only one left to win. As one player decides to get especially violent so they may win the others are shown being harmed physically and the male player's penis is shown protruding blood while he wails on the ground in shock. Though it sounds quite grim it is done in a way where it feels comical in that horror comedy way as well. 


I hope you have enjoyed reading about my top eight penis severing scenes and if there are some movies here that you haven’t seen yet that I’ve given you some to add to your watchlist. These movies range from horror comedy to extreme horror, so I feel there is something for everyone here to enjoy.

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