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There are not many 'torture porn' movies, and this journalist-coined category has only been singled out in the first place to help people deal with the resurgence of hardcore exploitation.
This time around the acting is better, the special effects are better, the stories are less ridiculous, and perhaps some might say the themes are reflective of our increasingly cruel and casually violent societies.
I fail to see any need for apathy just because characters are in overtly violent movies. Wolf Creek, Saw, Hostel, Turistas, Captivity et al are all well made and thrilling films - they are about spectacle, but they are also about the people (tortured in the end or not).
Lack of interest in characters is better directed to 80s gore/slashers, which were far less refined and intense.
Though it is interesting to hear that contemporary exploitative violence might be breeding robotic and unsympathetic reactions from some of today's cinema audiences, which if not down to the 'pander to me or else' factor, could be indicative of a general decline in attitudes within young society.
So... do we give them more, or less 'torture porn' to try and fix the problem?
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