By Dr.LoveGore
Hello again! It's time to get down to the wire and examine some Horror movie scenes that involve one of the movie's characters being stuck on the wrong end of some form of wire. And I mean forms of wires that can be used in a barbaric fashion.
Let's dive into this motha fucka.
13 WICKED WIRE SCENES IN HORROR
Spoilers are ahead
Note: I wasn't going to at first, but I've decided to rank these.
13. Suspiria (1977) - Barbed Wire
When thinking of a list of certain types of death scenes, one probably wouldn't think an Argento pick would be the least violent.
In 1977's SUSPIRIA, there's some harsh killing going on at the beginning of the film, and by the time we get to the barbed wire scene, it seems a little tame compared to what gruesomeness Argento dared to show us with bright color in the opening. If the effects of that no mercy-opening haven't worn off by the time the barbed wire bit shows up, then maybe it'll pack a fiercer punch for you than it did for me. Even though I find the scene to have some of the weaker gore visuals in SUSPIRIA, it's still effective enough to be in this list at number 12.
12. The Human Centipede 2 [Full Sequence] (2011) - Barbed Wire
The HUMAN CENTIPEDE trilogy isn't the greatest trilogy going, but I do like the second one a lot. Not just because it's on this list, I really think Tom Six made some interesting choices with this film; the black-and-white look, the dialog-free main villain, and some wise use of the camera. Add that up and it makes this fuckin' foul piece of cinema the best within the three films. It's a soiled story, but it was made rather well. This scene that involves a barbed wired cock is not my favorite in the film, but it ultimately does seem to have its place on this list.
11. Saw (2004) - Razor Wire
SAW has more wincing traps than this razor wire one. It's just the idea of the victim going through a maze of the stuff, ripping his skin tissue along the way until he bleeds out that makes it so unsettling. Furthermore, we hear detectives go over the circumstances of the trap, mentioning the victim's stomach acid being found at the scene due to him being cut so deep. This is a SAW trap that didn't need to be too grisly with the visuals, the descriptive dialogue detailing what happened is enough to disgust (in a good way).
10. Audition (1999) - Piano Wire
If you've seen this film, you probably thought I was going to use a different part from this movie, but this aggressive twist-off of this man's head by the film's antagonist gets overlooked when AUDITION is talked about, at least in conversations I've had. The victim seems to smile in this flashback scene, but I'm positive no one would be cheesin' while piano wire is being used to squeeze the life out of them. That unnatural reaction definitely helps make this scene more disturbing.
9. Wishmaster (1997) - Piano Wire
Director Robert Kurtzman is also a Special FX guy, and he gave himself a superb death during one of the massacre scenes in his brilliant movie WISHMASTER. To begin with, It looks really uncomfortable, as he has piano wire wrapped around his face and then, well... his head and body go their separate ways. Every scene in WISHMASTER is entertaining. And the cameos just make this Horror treat so much sweeter… and bloodier.
8. You're Next (2011) - Piano Wire? Regular steel wire? IDK
This scene's build-up is quite nice. The slow-mo running works and it's obvious something fucked up is going to happen. The victim gets all the way to the door before a visual reward is given to all the gorehounds watching. I'm 50/50 with this movie, but I do appreciate the red stuff it offers its audience.
7. Final Destination 2 (2003) - Barbed Wire
Back in 2000, the original FINAL DESTINATION slipped by me somehow. It wasn't until 2003 when a friend of mine told me his parents couldn't stop talking about a movie called FINAL DESTINATION 2 and all of its "amazing death scenes". I swiftly sought out part 1, so by the time the sequel came out on DVD, I was ready. I still remember the day I got out of work, went and bought FD2, then went home and had a fun fuckin time. This barbed wire scene is movie magic at its finest. The DVD's bonus features show how this stunt was pulled off, and it's even more impressive than the death itself. I love the FD franchise as a whole, but FINAL DESTINATION 2 has a special place in my heart.
6. Wrong Turn (2003) - Barbed Wire
The movie that led to Joe Lynch's gore-iffic sequel, was very brutal itself. My infamous friend I've talked about who dislikes Horror movies didn't fall in love with the first two WRONG TURN movies, but he didn't mind them either. The extreme gore effects done by the late, great Stan Wintson were as close to perfect as Special FX can be. We've seen movies show us the aftermath of a victim later on in a film after their off-screen death, but WRONG TURN gives us gorehounds the actual barbed wire death, AND a grisly after-the-fact gore effect for an extra dash of shock. This is dinner served right!
5. High Tension (2003) - Barbed Wire
This movie has one of my favorite death scenes ever, PERIOD! I won't spoil it (at least not in this article) but watch this movie if you've never seen it. It's a French slasher movie with a twist that may or may not have been needed; audiences seem to be divided on the big twist. Anyhow, way before Negan cracked skulls with his barbed wire baseball bat, HIGH TENSION had a character with a very similar weapon. This whole movie has a brutal tone, but this particular scene has goosebump appeal.
4. 13 SINS (2014) - Steel Wire
(Steel Wire) Thanks to Alex our kind host of the Beyond The Void Podcast, this beautiful, audacious remake of the Thai film, 13 BELOVED has made it on this list. 13 SINS is fantastic. The story itself is fresh and unpredictable. Also, Ron Perlman has a part in this movie and is awesome as always. This scene here is kind of like the one from YOU'RE NEXT, but on a heavy dose of cocaine and steroids. Heads roll, and I fuckin love it!!!
3. Ghost Ship (2002) - Spool/Steel Wire
I have to give GHOST SHIP another whirl, because I only remember enjoying the opening of the movie. That was way back in 2002. I think it's fair to say this movie deserves another shot with me. Regardless of when I get around to watching it, I have watched the opening again and it's actually better than I remember it being. The gore is astounding and there's even a couple of twitching/crawling torsos involved (how'd I not remember that?). They really went all out with this scene. It could have been an eerie short film by itself if the filmmakers had decided on it.
2. Deathwatch (2002) - Barbed Wire
We've got another 2002-er: DEATHWATCH, and it’s a gem. We have a story that takes place in the War/Horror category. This subgenre is still being made today, just look at OVERLORD (2018). I'm happy to say DEATHWATCH is brutal. It almost feels like a Neil Marshall film. I'm assuming there's only so much you can do with a War/Horror movie, but this one has some original ideas. If I had to further describe this, I'd say… it's sort of a mixture of DOG SOLDIERS and THE RUINS. Plus, it’s aged well, it has intense acting, directing, and some motha fuckin gore that’ll make a Horror fan do cartwheels out of excitement! Ok, maybe not everybody will do cartwheels, but you get my point. This movie will surprise you in splendid ways.
1. Silent Hill (2006) - Barbed Wire
Well, put this movie on the list of films I haven't seen since its release. That was back in 2006, and much like with GHOST SHIP, I remember really liking the gore but not much more. I never saw the SILENT HILL sequel, so a back-to-back viewing needs to be done some day. But, fuck that noise for now, let's get into this magnificent and gorgeous barded wire scene. As far as I can remember, this is the best of the best on a visual and bloody level. It's a death scene that looks so painful, but yet so fascinating to watch because you know it could never happen (I hope). But this really is a fabulous visual to happily gawk at. Its blends of special and visual FX are mesmerizing. This scene was done correct!
Honorable Mentions
The Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 1 - 2016
Barbed Wire Baseball Bat
Saw 6 - 2009
Barbed Wire Nooses
Honorable Non-Horror Mention
A History Of Violence - 2005
(Dialogue only)
“Ask Tom how he tried to rip my eye out with barbed wire.” - Carl Fogarty
I never saw the movie 'Barb Wire' with Pamela Anderson, does it actually have any violent barbed wire scenes?
Razor Wire Fact
SOURCE: Wikipedia
1. Razor wire is much sharper than the standard barbed wire; it is named after its appearance, but is not razor sharp. The points are very sharp and made to rip and snag clothing and flesh.
Piano Wire Fact
SOURCE: Wisegeek.com
Used as a garrote to choke a victim to death silently, piano wire first debuted in this role in the public eye in the James Bond film From Russia With Love, used by the villain Red Grant, and hidden in a normal wristwatch.
Steel (Wire) Fact
SOURCE: kaempfandharris.com
Steel is roughly 1,000 times stronger than iron in its purest form, and it can be recycled without loss of strength.
Barbed Wire Fact
SOURCE: Encyclopedia.com
Barbed wire is often used for security, but agriculture still accounts for 90% of its use. Many people collect antique barbed wire, with some rare specimens selling for hundreds of dollars. Hundreds of collectors attend the annual Barbed Wire Festival in La Crosse, Kansas, home of the Barbed Wire Museum.
I’m Dr.LoveGore signing off and wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. And we here at Beyond The Void thank you for another year of Horror Love! Hope you all have a safe New Year!
Dr.LoveGore is all about the gore, and quality in anything related to Horror. Movies, soundtracks, comic books, novels, you name it, he loves it!
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