German underground horrorFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThis articledoes notciteanyreferences or sources.Please helpimprove this articlebyadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(June 2008)

German underground horroris a subgenre of thehorror film, which has achieved cult popularity since first appearing in the mid-1980s.Horror films produced by the German underground scene are usually trademarked by their intensity, taking on topics that are culturally taboo such asrape,necrophilia, andextreme violence. Films that glorify violence are not technicallyillegalinGermany, but certain titles are banned by the government andZollkriminalamt. Distribution, import, or creation of specific films can constitute steep fines.History of German underground horror[edit]In an attempt to shed its violent image, horror films were very rarely made in Germany after the fall of theThird Reich. Movies such asEin Toter hing im Netz/Horrors of Spider Island,Schlangengrube und das Pendel, andThe Headwere filmed and released in the decades followingWorld War II, but to very little success.In 1987, filmmakerJrg Buttgereitwrote and directedNekromantik. Two years later, amateur filmmakerAndreas Schnaasmade the movieViolent Shitfor a reported $2000. Released as Germany's firstdirect-to-videofilm, it was a modest hit amongst fans of independent horror. Both films were banned by theGerman government, but their popularity influenced other filmmakers such asOlaf Ittenbachto bring Germany's underground horror film scene further into the media spotlight.Since then, many other filmmakers have emerged from the German underground horror scene, includingUwe BollandTimo Rose. Uwe Boll is notable as the only underground German director who has gone on to a career in big budget cinema.Ratings' effect on German underground horror[edit]Once a film has been rated by theGerman ratings board, that is its rating for both cinema and video releases. It is legal to have two versions of a film. Often, there is a cut "FSK 16" version (equivalent to theR-ratingby theMPAA) released in cinemas and an uncut "FSK 18" version (equivalent to anNC-17rating) on video. Films rated "FSK 18" are not stocked by all video shops, which affects rentals of violent German horror.In Germany, there is also a category above "FSK 18" entitled "indiziert" or "on the index". "Indizierte" films are treated the same way as pornography. Distribution companies, cinemas, and video shops cannot advertise these films, nor can they be openly on displayunless a shop is open to "adults only". However, it is legal to sell and buy such material. Many video rental stores have back rooms or basements for such merchandise.Examples of "indizierte" films includeCannibal Ferox,Cannibal Holocaust,Last House on the Left,From Dusk Till Dawn, andDario Argento'sProfondo Rosso. Several of these films were released uncut in Germany, but were subject to the limitations listed. Others were edited and then released as "indiziert".Some movies, e.g.Braindead, are completely banned in Germany (mostly for glamorizing violence), as it is illegal even to sell them to adults. These movies are "indiziert" as well as "beschlagnahmt" ("judicially confiscated"). While selling these kinds of media is strictly prohibited, it is legal to buy or own such movies.