The Incredible Torture Show (1976)

User Rating:

4.0/10   

Director:

Joel M. Reed

Writer:

Joel M. Reed (written by)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Join The Fun!... Human Dart Boards... "Home Style Brain Surgery"... Dental Hijinks!

Plot:

Sardu runs the theatre of the macabre. Sardu is into S&M. Sardu likes to kill people in public and make them think it's fake.

Plot Keywords:

S&M | Macabre | Sick | Stage | Torture

Cast

Seamus O'Brien	...	Master Sardu
Viju Krem	...	Natasha D'Natalie
Niles McMaster	...	Tom Maverick
Dan Fauci	...	Sergeant John Tucci
Alan Dellay	...	Creasy Silo
Ernie Pysher	...	The Doctor
Luis De Jesus	...	Ralphus
Helen Thompson	...	Master's Assistant
Saiyanidi	...	Master's Assistant
Alphonso DeNoble	...	White Slave Dealer (as Alphonso)
Carol Mara
Linda Small
Illa Howe
Lynette Sheldon
Jenny Baxter		(as Janis Beaver)
Karen Fraser
Michelle Craig
Crystal Sync		(as Erica Wolfe)
Gail Renay
Rita Montone
Judy Best
Carol Henry
Athena Anderson
Joann Friedman
Sharani Gomez
Juliet Graham
Suzanne Wall
Arlana Blue	...	Naked Cannibal Woman
Evalyna Wade
George Davalos	...	Shipping Van Guy
Robert Kirsh	...	Shipping Van Guy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jennifer Stock	...	Girl Torn in Half by Rack (uncredited)

Directed by
Joel M. Reed

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Joel M. Reed		written by

Produced by
Alan C. Margolin	....	producer
Joel M. Reed	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Sahl

Cinematography by
Ron Dorfman		(as Gerry Toll)

Film Editing by
Joel R. Herson
Victor Kanefsky

Casting by
Dorothy Palmer

Makeup Department
Bob O'Bradovich	....	makeup artist

Sound Department
Michael Becker	....	sound mixer
Emil Neroda	....	sound re-recordist
Freddie Rottnest	....	sound

Special Effects by
Bob O'Bradovich	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
John Coleone	....	assistant camera
Stephen DeVita	....	gaffer
Ben Jennings	....	grip
Richard Louis	....	grip
Gale B. McCarty	....	still photographer

Music Department
Michael Lobel	....	music recordist
Cleve Polar	....	musician: percussion

Other crew
Gyles Fontaine	....	choreographer
Mayo Gray	....	continuity
Dan Tieger	....	production assistant

Distributors

• American Film Distributing Corporation (AFDC) (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Troma Entertainment (1981) (USA) (theatrical) (retitled re-release)
• Palace Academy Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
• Astro Distribution (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
• Haxan Films (France)
• Magnum Entertainment (USA) (VHS) (as The Heritage Of Caligula - An Orgy of Sick Minds)
• Rochelle Films
• Stomp Visual (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Vestron Video (1984) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Blood Sucking Freaks (USA) (reissue title)
Bloodsucking Freaks (USA) (promotional title)
Heritage of Caligula
Sardu (USA) (informal alternative title)
Sardu, Master of the Screaming Virgins (USA) (original script title)
The Heritage of Caligula: An Orgy of Sick Minds (USA) (video title)
The House of the Screaming Virgins
Akuma no shitatari (Japan) (DVD title) [ja]
Bloodsucking Freaks (Argentina) [es]
Bloodsucking Freaks (Italy) (original subtitled version) [it]
Incredible Torture Show (France) (video box title) [fr]
Sardú, el teatro del miedo (Argentina) [es]

Runtime:

91 min | Australia:89 min (uncut version) | France:88 min | USA:88 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:18 | Canada:(Banned) (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Manitoba) (re-rating) | Finland:K-18 | Germany:(Banned) | New Zealand:R18 | USA:Open (rating surrendered) (1984) | USA:R (re-rating) (1981) | USA:X (original rating) | Australia:R

Trivia:

This film was effectively "banned" (not rated by MPAA at all) in the U.S. following protest by Women Against Pornography.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Ralfus begins sawing the girl's hand off in the 'dismemberment' scene, the saw is to the inside of the shackle. When the camera view changes, the saw is to the outside of the shackle.

Quotes:

[torturing a girl on the rack]
Master Sardu: This will go far beyond every STRETCH of the imagination.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Rate It X (1986)

Would be really offensive if it weren't so boring and stupid.

A crazed magician tortures and brutalizes naked women in front of astonished audiences. Is it real or faked? Do you care?

This infamous low budget rip off of H.G. Lewis's THE WIZARD OF GORE purports to be a black comedy, but is really the lowest form of sleazy, misogynistic exploitation. Had the filmmakers had the guts to stay true to their own sadistic fantasies, as opposed to excusing themselves by claiming it's all just a joke, this might have been some really strong stuff, a la GUINEA PIG. As it is, it's far more boring and stupid than offensive, with lousy photography, editing and performances only adding to the banality.

One little known fact is that the title was originally THE INCREDIBLE TORTURE SHOW, and theater owners were instructed to use larger or different colored letters for the first letter of each word, thus creating the abbreviation T.I.T.S. Get it? There's that sophisticated humor.

If you do bother to watch underground film company Troma's special edition DVD, be sure to check out the unintentionally hilarious commentary (by some effects guy who had nothing to do with the movie), in which all sorts of social and political satire are read into the movie. Did you know the caning/guillotine scene is a comment on fascism? Right.