Cutting Moments (1996) User Reviews

A very realistic short

[As_Cold_As_Ice · 7/10 · 30 January 2007]

This film is extremely hard to review and to give a score for, but I'll try.

This is a short which clocks in at 24 minutes, and boy does it use every one of those minutes to full effect. The actor who played the wife was incredible in my mind, as she portray volumes her of character through simple gestures. Nothing much can be said about the other two actors, except the husband pulls one of the most horrid faces in the ending part of the film.

The gore isn't too intense, but two scenes towards the end will definitely stick out in your mind long after the viewing. They WILL make you flinch, and cry out in disgust, you can be assured off that.

So, I would recommend a watch. It certainly doesn't break any barriers, but it does give an unflinching portrayal of what tedious suburban living can possibly lead to.

The Gruelling Effect of Cutting Moments

[205043569 · 7/10 · 7 June 2005]

The final segment of the short story collection must be the most psychologically destructive short film I have ever witnessed...I still shudder thinking about it, and it has been 3 weeks since I pushed the DVD into the machine...This is definitely NOT for the faint-of-heart, nor should a child have the unpleasant opportunity of seeing it... The rest of the collection is dreary and unoriginal, and one wonders why they would place such a disturbing masterpiece amongst a pile of wasted junk...But, excluding those, the main event, aptly entitled Cutting Moments, should be witnessed by all afficionados of the horror genre and seems to have been lost in the worldwide DVD/VHS market...I discovered this work of genius in the thriller division of the local Look & Listen megastore, selling at a cheap price....

Sick

[herbert-cj · 5/10 · 21 March 2006]

This compilation DVD was the most mixed batch of shorts possible. From the dull(Principles of Karma), to the obscure (Bowl of Oatmeal) and the random (Don't Nag me). There are only two out of the five shorts worth watching, for two entirely different reasons. Starting with 'CRACK DOG', the first short on the DVD, this has a running time of just over five minutes, but is pure genius. We were left in stitches, and hopefully this was the intent. Not essentially horror, it's just bizarre, and worth seeing for the poodle alone.

As for 'CUTTING MOMENTS', the title short, but last on the disc, it's the most disturbing thing I have ever seen. Not for the faint of heart. My girlfriend had to leave the room, and my friend and I were screaming at the television. You won't just flinch, you'll be holding your knees up to your chest and covering your eyes(amongst other things). It's pure and simple, SICK!

A lip-smackingly good horror short.

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 19 November 2008]

A woman resorts to extreme methods to win back the attention of her bored husband: she uses a brush to scour her mouth and cuts off her lips with a pair of scissors. This seems to do the trick, and it's not long before the couple are together in the sack having fun with a shiny pair of garden shears!

The title of this 20 minute shocker, 'Cutting Moments', was used as the collective name for five disparate short films released together on DVD. On its own, Douglas Buck's bloody tale of desperation and self-mutilation would still be considered a worthwhile effort for purveyors of cinematic excess; however, when lumped together with four much weaker and less memorable stories, this sick little feature appears all the more impressive: the shining light in an otherwise rather dull and disappointing compilation (although 'Crack Dog's titular drug-addled mutt deserves an honorary mention).

With messy DIY facial surgery and a non-graphic-but-still-winceworthy penis removal, those who likes their horror to push the boundaries should enjoy this twisted little piece of nastiness.

The most shocking thing about Cutting Moments is the acting.

[gunshysunshine · 1/10 · 19 November 2013]

Cutting Moments is a short film of just over 20 minutes about a married couple who have grown distant from one another due to the husband's growing sexual urges towards their son (this is hinted at, but obvious nevertheless).

Although the result of the wife's desperate attempt to win back the attention of her husband is pretty damn nasty, this film is overrated in relation to how disturbing it is, in my humble opinion. It was simply unremarkable, and that's about all I can think to say about it. It's one of those films that you really have to watch and judge for yourself, because people's opinions seem to be fairly divided on it.

Terrifying experience requires strong stomach

[ehamartens · 6/10 · 27 December 1998]

I have seen the short film "Cutting Moments" on the Brussels 1997 International Festival of Fantastic Film. The film has some visual content you will remember for the rest of your life.

I was surprised that such a film was shown during a free afternoon screening open to everyone.

I would not recommend this film to sensitive people or children who can experience a very emotional reaction watching this film. Required are strong nerves and a strong stomach.

In summary I think this film could represent a once-in-a-lifetime viewing experience.

Unbelievably Overrated...

[bavery-4 · 2/10 · 21 January 2011]

I'm almost at the point where I'm going to start ignoring "The Most Disturbing Movie Ever Made!" lists. For every gem like "Irreversible" and "Salo", there are twenty turds like "Men Behind the Sun", "Aftermath", and, disappointingly, "Cutting Moments". What do these all have in common? Abysmal acting that totally undercuts any feelings you might have about the plot. The "actors" in this film are horrible, to the point that I think they were recruited by grabbing Kentucky Fried Chicken customers on the afternoon of filming. I don't care how gory something is... if it happens to a cardboard character, it does nothing for me. By the way, the "crazy gore" that everyone raves about is laughable... how is Tom Savini attached to this? I guess he ran out of crack that week and decided, "Sure, I'll put my name in the credits for $500!" With one small exception, there is nothing here that couldn't be done by your local cosmetologist; the "effects" are done by showing a body part in closeup, cutting to blood splattering on the floor, then cutting back to the body part, which now has lots of fake blood smeared on it.

The only reason I'm not giving it one star is that there is a brief period, about ten seconds long, that is kind of cool. But it doesn't make up for the fact that the rest of the movie is sub-"First Year of Film School" bad.

Excellent Micro-Budget Anthology

[MaaadMatt · 8/10 · 5 July 2005]

Five strange little horror films that, thanks to the inventiveness of the filmmakers, manage to rise above their obviously limited budgets. I received this from a friend on a double-sided DVD that also includes the movie Buried Alive. I watched this first, expecting it to be the lesser of the two, but hopeful, considering the Tom Savini quote emblazoned on the box art, that it might surprise me. It certainly did, and for a freebie, there is no cause for complaint. The acting - all seemingly from 'semi-professionals' - is uniformly awful, the effects cheap and nasty, but the ideas more than make up for that. Other posters have gone into the plots in detail, so I won't bother, but I agree that the Bowl Of Oatmeal is the least enjoyable segment. Interesting, but not as much fun as a crack-smoking mutt or a nagging old biddy driving her murdering husband nuts! The final titular short is thoroughly nasty, and even I, a David Cronenberg fan, had to watch it through my fingers! If you don't find the sight of a woman cutting off her own lips with a pair of scissors disturbing, I fear for your sanity...

My only question would be the year of production. There are next to no credits on the end of the Region 2 DVD, and although IMDb claims this was made in the late nineties, the cinematography would suggest it was all made on the cheap - perhaps as student films - in the 80s. In fact two of the films have clear 80s references; the old couple's gravestones say they died in 1987, and the teen-movie short has repeated references to Breakfast Club star Molly Ringwald. Have they tacked on four 80s flicks to the recently successful Cutting Moments short to make a feature? (If that's the case, what has happened to these filmmakers, who show a lot of promise in this collection?) Or are they all from the nineties and the two films I mentioned are 'period pieces' - Principles of Karma being a parody of the 80s teen-movie, for example? I hope someone else can update IMDb to ease my curiosity...

But anyway, if you can forgive the poor production values and you like macabre tales, you're in for a short, sweet treat!

Great, diversified madness!

[one4now4 · 21 October 2003]

First thing's first. All of the stories in this classic anthology look like separate short films. Somebody put these together, and, knowing Douglas Buck's title segment was the most shocking, they saved the most effective one for last. I dig the whole anthology. "Crack Dog" is surreal, gory, and downright hilarious. "Don't Nag Me" is less outrageous, but no less clever and darkly funny. "Bowl of Oatmeal" is downright bizarre filmmaking, and (while I consider it the lesser of this collection) I enjoyed it also. "Principles of Karma" was really, really good. It has some good things to say about how unfair things can become for some truly good people when oppression spawns extremists who ruin their own revolution by paving another road to hell with good intentions. "Cutting Moments", the title segment itself, simply blew me away. I have never seen things this grotesque that were as powerfully dramatic as those on display in Douglas Buck's highly effective short film. The sadomasochistic gore and self-mutilation scenes have an inexplicable force behind them so strong that even the sickest scenes take on a feeling of harsh drama. "Cutting Moments" as an anthology is definitely a favorite of mine, a diverse collection of the perverse and, more often than not, hilarious. Still, BE PREPARED for the title segment. If it doesn't make you puke or totally depress the hell out of you (or both), something might be really wrong with you.

A Remarkable Anthology

[JHC3 · 7/10 · 9 November 1999]

I recently rented "Cutting Moments" and didn't have high hopes. What instead I discovered was a well made, entertaining, and engaging film. However, the information that is currently provided on "Cutting Moments" on this site indicates that it is a short film. The VHS edition I rented (and for which the cover box image is provided on this site) has five segments of which "Cutting Moments" is the last. For those who are interested, here is a brief description of each. If it seems that these descriptions lack much substance, it is simply that each is too short to provide detailed information without giving away key plot points.

Segment One is "Crack Dog." It is a brief, darkly humorous film about a killer and his crack-smoking dog.

Segment Two is entitled "Don't Nag Me" and is the story of a disturbed World War II veteran who murders his nagging wife and secretly buries her in a cemetery. The man begins to have visions of his wife who continues to hound him despite the fact that she is dead.

Segment Three, "Principles of Karma," is a strange and gruesome look at a very disturbed man with an imaginary companion.

Segment Four is "Bowl of Oatmeal." It follows a Generation X slacker type with inattentive parents. His life is unrewarding and he is unmotivated to make any real changes. Things really get weird, though, when he is confronted by a group of masked gunmen claiming to be the Youth Liberation Front. The initial scene in the Pale Horse Cable Systems van is particularly entertaining.

Segment Five is "Cutting Moments" and has been described well by other IMDb members.

The runtime for the current VHS edition of "Cutting Moments" (meaning the entire anthology rather than only the fifth segment) is 82 minutes.

No-Budget HG Lewis wanna-be baby vomit

[kdkpranks · 2/10 · 4 September 2010]

This incredibly over-rated film gained notoriety due to it's awful HG Lewis-caliber effects. What it rots down to is someone who commits self-mutilation in some of the lamest effects seen since the late 60's. This film is so impossibly over-rated that I think every positive review it has comes from it's inept 'special' effect crew. The plot is non-existent, the gore is 60's caliber dime-store dummy material and the whole film is an exercise in tedium. Who knew that such a short film could be so boring and tedious, but these hacks provided compacted boredom. Even the sound is muted and boring. The colors pale and boring. The direction is meandering and boring. Even the hack actors seem bored by their source material. This is the most over-rated pile of garbage I may have ever seen, and I am a HUGE horror fan.

Gut-Wrenching

[Duzniak38 · 9/10 · 3 August 2006]

Cutting Moments looks at how a suburban family is falling apart. Wife Sarah and husband Patrick have drifted apart and Patrick has been found guilty of abusing and raping young boys. We can see that he has absolutely no interest in or love for his wife Sarah, and that this family has completely fallen apart. Their young boy, Joey, seems to feel completely guilty and ashamed of what his father has become, but it is Patrick's wife Sarah who is emotionally outraged that she has let her husband become this monstrous paedophile by her unappealing, unsatisfactory sex life she provided him with. We see that Sarah completely blames herself for what Patrick has become and this makes us deeply sympathise for her. She goes through extreme lengths to try and make Patrick and the family happy; she tries to make conversation and tries to make everybody feel happy. She does everything a loving wife and mother should do, yet Patrick completely ignores her and doesn't appreciate this. In a last attempt to arouse her husband, Sarah dresses up in a beautiful red dress with matching lipstick. However, her attempt was unsuccessful as her husband doesn't notice her at all. Upset and outraged at herself, Sarah goes back to the bathroom and begins to rub the lipstick off of her lips. She rubs harder and harder, but she still can't get the shameful stuff off of her lips. It is still there in her mind. In a desperate attempt to clean herself, she picks up the nearby scouring pad and vigorously rubs and rubs at her lips as they start to scratch and bleed, frantically trying to remove this empty gesture. Then, in a final act, Sarah snips off her lips with a pair of scissors because she is so ashamed of herself. Afterwards she returns back to the lounge, where her husband finally recognises his wife's devotion to him; he finally recognises just how deeply she feels for him to do something like this. The then mutilate each others bodies in the bedroom, in a sadistic love scene. Cutting Moments uses shocking violence and gore to portray just how hellish family life can become and how painful a broken family can become. It uses cringe-worthy techniques to emphasise just how painful rejection and ignorance can make a person feel.

Painful, but recommended viewing.

[damnphilistines · 7/10 · 14 June 2007]

I came across this title as it was mentioned in a "top 10 sickest movies of all time" list. Having seen 7 of the others I needed to see this title to progress through the list.

Some people have mentioned the graphic self-mutilation scenes as being hard to stomach. Well, I've seen far more repulsive images in plenty of other films. The thing that was the most painful to watch was the complete destruction and breakdown of the family unit. Many people would find the first 18 minutes boring but I think this emphasises the later scenes. You really feel for the mother as she is at her wits' end. And the look in the father's eyes when he sees what his wife has been reduced to is unforgettable.

wat

[amazing_sincodek · 4/10 · 4 January 2014]

Starting a short film is always bittersweet; while excited about the contents, one also anticipates that it will be over too soon.

In this case, I was more surprised than usual when the credits started rolling prematurely. There's about 5 minutes worth of content stretched over a 25 minute running time, and when it ended, I couldn't believe that 25 minutes had passed without any substance. The heavy-handed statement that "SUBURBIA IS A LIE AND YOU SHOULD FEEL BAD" is presented most elegantly in the opening sequence, but then it is repeated a few more times as a series of clumsy clichés, and then the film ends. There's an uncomfortably silent and distant dinner scene, there's a bit of overheard child abuse that appears to be drawn directly from the filmmaker's extrapolation of the "don't let anyone touch your private parts" snippets from Sonic the Hedgehog cartoons, and the big punchline is, quite literally, an episode of cutting oneself for attention.

It's all poignant, mind you. I did find the cutting-oneself-for- attention to hit close to home, and I will acknowledge that the film accurately recreates many snippets of dysphoric nightmares I've had over the years. The value of the film, if any, is in the (inconsistent) emotional resonance.

But it's too abrupt when the credits start rolling. wat? Was that it? Paradoxically, I did, indeed, find that it was over too soon. I had expected a 25 minute runtime to be long enough for a hint of development. Instead, the statement made in the first 30 seconds was all the film had to say.

For the type of film it is, it seems shallow to discuss the gore factor, but I am a horror fan, and most of you have been drawn to this film after hearing that it is exceptionally disturbing. Regarding the gore factor: there is next to none. If any gore happened on screen, I've already forgotten it. The camera cuts back and forth to show the aftermath of the injuries, but it won't have much impact on the contemporary horror fan.

I won't discourage you from watching it, because it really is over so quickly that you don't feel like you've wasted much time.

Don't Believe the Hype

[cocolingus · 9 February 2004]

I had been seeking this movie for over a year and once I finally got it - I was sorely disappointed. The infamous 'Cutting Moments' part is hardly anything to write home about. The gore is minimal and the effects are sub par. I was expecting to have images stuck in my head for days - but what I got/saw was forgotten minutes after I watched this movie, The movie as a whole looks as if it had been filmed by 1st year movie students.

Don't make the same mistake I did - Watch it only if there is nothing else on

Sadness...

[El_Ingeniero · 7/10 · 13 October 2013]

... is the main feeling that steams off this film, and it succeeds at it.

I have read reviews of people "disappointed" by the gore. I do not think that the intention of the film maker was to show off gore scenes or create a before-its-time torture porn.

The true value of the film is the never-told story and the good work of the actors. Again, many reviewers complain about them. I thought they did a good job, especially the wife. I felt myself feeling extremely sorry and sad for her.

The gory scenes made me flinch and cover my eyes; not so much because of the actual gore (anybody who's seen a Saw film has seen worse stuff than this) but because I did get attached to the characters and it felt real and sad.

To be honest, I would have liked to see less gore; everything else was good enough to stand on its own and there was no need to show a couple of things that (IMO) detracted the attention off the main story.

I hated it!

[brixie · 1/10 · 31 March 2005]

I went to see this movie (actually I went to see Family Portraits, which contains Cutting Moments + 2 other short films by Douglas Buck) at the Mar del Plata festival (Argentina)... I just couldn't watch it! I had to cover my eyes after the 1st half of Cutting Moments and take a peek every once in a while. By the time it was over, my stomach was upside down and I felt light headed. I just HAD to leave the cinema a few minutes after the 2nd short begun (BTW, of course I was not the only one who left the room). It was WAAAAY too violent and disgusting for me! I am impressed by the many brave people who actually loved it. I just don't get how you can love that kind of movies! The shocking and bloody and horrible images I saw got really stuck in my head for like two days!! I also try to analyze the story (my boyfriend did see the whole thing and told me about it) and I just don't think it makes any sense. I mean, that amount of violence and stuff, makes no other sense than to try to shock people. And that's not a good enough reason, I think. There's absolutely nothing in this movie that I can say "Well, at least 'x' thing about it was good". But well, I guess I will never understand that kind of films.

Depressing, Haunting & Revolting

[afrodome · 7/10 · 18 September 2017]

How do you successfully make film with a length of 30 minutes or less but will leave you sickened for the next 2 days? Well Douglas Buck certainly got the formula down in Cutting Moments.

A simple premise: very ho-hum family of 3 living in bleak suburbia. The shot with the wife slowly trembling and walking into the living room is definitely the freakiest thing I've seen on film. I had a lot of trouble sleeping that night.

Another thing that makes this film special (is that an appropriate word this movie?) is that it feels so overwhelmingly hopeless and sad; as if you're being teleported to this world of complete hopelessness. Gore movies can be shocking and nauseating, but throw in this deliberate sense of complete hopelessness and you're not gonna feel right for a few days.

I wouldn't recommend watching this unless you want to feel like shxx for a little while.

Just gimme the blood, Lord.

[Horst_In_Translation · 2/10 · 30 July 2015]

This Daniel Plainview quote was probably what director Douglas Buck was thinking almost 20 years ago when he directed this 25-minute short movie. I see he is still making films today, but I really hope he stepped thing up since then. The lead actor is also still working in film, the mother and the child actor have pursued other career paths. But for everybody, it is the most known project of their careers until now. This does not say it is a good film though. Not at all. The first 15 minutes are really boring. I wonder if the director got bored too, so he started including random over-the-top scenes for the end. Yes it does happen that people turn into sociopaths from one moment to the next, but really both of them? The woman cuts off her lips in front off a mirror after her husband finds the sports broadcast in television more interesting than her. And then they move to the bedroom and have an orgy of blood and other body fluids, before finally the man cuts off his... yep. So random and complete nonsense I dare say. I would say that there is not much dialogue in this movie, so you can watch it if you do not speak or understand English, but honestly you really shouldn't as this is not a good film at all. It's funny how it takes itself so seriously early on as a character study of a bored husband and marriage that only exists on paper still. If you want to see something similar that is actually good, I suggest Rainer Werner Fassbinder's "Warum läuft Herr R. Amok?". But don't watch "Cutting Moments" because it is a weak film and complete waste of your time.

this is the one...

[hxc0148 · 10/10 · 7 October 2005]

yep, this ones amazing. A lot of films try to convey a certain feeling of nausea and hopelessness. A lot of "exploitation" films try to shock and disgust, give you that certain resonating "icky" feeling. A lot of films have had success in this endeavor, but Douglas buck's "cutting moments" by far takes the cake. In less than 30 minutes you're completely devastated but some of the most horrific imagery and gut wrenching subject matter ever captured on film. Ihad read a lot about this film, so i shelled out the cash for buck's trilogy of short films (the other two are also good, but nowhere near the caliber of "cutting moments"). I sat down to watch with two of my cinephile friends who are equally as desensitized as me, by the end i just felt gross, i wished i had never seen this film, honestly this is the only film i've ever seen that truly disturbed me, my friends also felt the same way. The film is NOT exploitation by any means, it's very well done, extremely moody, and just exudes a certain power over your emotions. This one stuck with me for a long time. bottom line: this film is REALLY, REALLY, good. Disturbing cinema is some of my favorite but this is on a wholly different level than most disturbing cinema out there. Just because you're a fan of miike, or korine, or because you enjoyed "salo" or "cannibal Holocaust" DOESEN'T mean you can handle this one. Recommended only to those with very thick skin who are interested in being moved a certain way. But, truth be told....any film that can resonate with me as much as this one did is worthy of my praise and admiration. Buck really created something great with this one. 10/10

Makes Cannibal Holocaust look like a Disney movie

[GasmaskAvenger · 7/10 · 22 June 2006]

Cutting Moments, the first of Douglas Buck's Family Portraits, is by far, the most disturbing film i've ever seen, and it's only a short. It's about family repression, dullness, and the suppression of thoughts & love between a couple. The wife can't seem to turn on her husband, so she indulges into self-mutilation, which, in fact, turns him on, resulting in a really disturbing act of sexual mutilation, which loses it's horror and becomes almost excessively ridiculous when the mentally repressed husband snaps off his wiener. It ain't for everyone, but I recommend checking it out, if you dare. It's out now on DVD along with the other two shorts "Home", and "Prolouge". I found out about it in Fangoria, then rented it at Hollywood Videos. See it, but like I say, I did warn you.

Worth a watch but not great

[mattbarber-04860 · 4/10 · 18 March 2018]

I picked this up from a used DVD store for £0.50 after seeing it on a "disturbing movies" list. I decided to give it a watch. The pacing didn't fit the style of this short very well. The writing was decent but some parts felt a bit too "bulked up". The makeup was very well done for a low budget short film and the gore made me feel uneasy which isn't something that usually happens. Personally, I feel that the sex scene was unnecessary. Ending with the husband caressing his wife after her extreme self harm would have been stronger.

Short but sweet !

[crazylegscain · 8/10 · 22 September 2012]

A great short film. Like many others on here I am fairly desensitised to "shock" films after watching absurd tripe like: August Underground Mordum, A Serbian Film (uncut version), Salo e.t.c and plenty of graphic footage off the internet.

This film is great on so many levels and is not overestimated like some morons on here would have you believe. They moan about it being low budget and crappy special effects and bad actors! Well surprise idiots! It is a low budget and very short film......Duh

The point I am trying to make is that even with the cheapo special effects this film still gets across its message hard and that just the thought of what she was doing was graphic enough for me. Another analogy I have is that a good game does not need good graphics for it to succeed or be enjoyed, the game play is what matters.

It starts off slow and boring for a reason and if you don't get why you really are a lost cause and should go back to watching your run of the mill "shock" films. The lack of dialogue just adds to the suspense and intensiveness of the build up.

All in all a great short film that I rate up there with the best "Horrors". It is funny that the most shocking gut wrenching films that I have ever seen are not horror or shock films but about real events that have happened. No film has ever moved me so emotionally or shocked me or disgusted me than "The Stoning of Soroya M" this is no horror film but the most "Horrific" film I have ever seen.

Some Sick Sh*t

[Funboy1615 · 7/10 · 20 March 2003]

Wow! Ive seen all the Faces Of Deaths-all the Death Files-a bunch of Japanese "real death" tapes-Aftermath-tons of Italian gore films-Japanese gore films-the entire Guines Pig series-some "snuff" films that seemed to be legit to me and so on. The last short on Cutting Moments still made me shiver.....and I am so not squeamish. The first few films are easily forgetable and seem like some of the lamer films youd expect on Atom or I Film or Hypnotic but the last short Cutting Moments is sick. Some of the most realistic and brutal gore Ive ever seen. This is one of those films you pop in and just tell someone to watch then watch their reaction. I so sont wanna give anything away but this is a must see. I believe Suncoast and other movie stores should have it or be able to order it. It can also be ordered direct from Alternative Cinema at www.AlternativeCinema.com.

'Deranged Moments'

[breepittro · 1/10 · 25 February 2019]

Anyone who finds this above 1 Star (would give zero if I could) is sick- plain and simple. Dare you watch this, the images will be burned into your memory for weeks after. Take my advice and avoid at all costs.