6. Shocksploitation - NEKRomantik (1987)
People frequently associate exploitation movies with violence and there surely is that element. But the subgenre Shocksploitation goes one step further than other types of exploitation. Shocksploitation deals with taboo, gut churning, highly revolting films that are deeply transgressive. Such films may dabble in for example, incest, necrophilia, coprophagy, bestiality and every other revolting subject you can think of. Teutonic Master of the grotesque, Jorg Buttgereit, delighted the world in 1987 when he released self proclaimed "Corpse F**king Art" film NEKRomantik - which you might be able to infer from the title deals in the delicate subject matter of necrophilia. It follows the exploits of confirmed necrophiliacs Rob and Betty who manage to get their hands on a corpse to play with. They treat the corpse as if it were animated - talking to it non stop and 'having breakfast' with it. Rob gets sacked from his job as he is a slobby mess. Betty meanwhile reads a story to the corpse and then, to put it bluntly, sits on its face. When she finds out Rob has been fired, Betty gives him a mighty dressing down and then vanishes with the corpse. Absolutely raging, Rob takes his anger out on a poor cat - killing it and bathing in his entrails. Rob later attempts suicide which ends up in a freaky dream sequence of Him and a woman in white throwing a dead person's decapitated head between them. Upon waking up, Rob hires a prostitute and strangles her at the cemetery, having sex with her body when she is dead. An old man disturbs him and Rob takes the geezer's spade and decapitates him. The film ending with Rob stabbing himself at point of masturbatory orgasm. This film is such an extreme example of Shocksploitation, it is banned in virtually half the countries in the world! It is notoriously difficult to find a copy because our Moral Guardians do not want us to see people having sex with corpses. This is viewed as obscene and unwholesome. Im not into necro nookie myself, but the film tries to present a romantic view of the practice and what an ultimate putdown it delivers to poor Rob. To be dumped for a corpse! Some people love it and other people absolutely hate it. It depends on your sick movie toleration factor. Mind you, if there is one film to push you to your limits it is NEKRomantik. The gore effects are excellent but the film looks like it has been shot on the shoddiest film stock ever. But looking beyond the shock factor of watching people frolic with corpses, the best thing about NEKRomantik is the title of its sequel - NEKRomantik 2: Return of the Loving Dead. That tickled me pink!