Say it ain't so, Jello! Torture porn pioneer Eli Roth cites the Dead Kennedys as one of his main influences

As a big fan and defender of the Dead Kennedys (I have to keep telling people that Jello Biafra's voice is actually perfect for the songs and not annoying), it pains me to realize that the Dead Kennedys were a key reason behind the torture porn horror film phenomen. Reprehensible director Eli Roth, the man behind the Hostel films as well as a contributor to Grindhouse, told Spinner.com that old school punk was one of his main influences:

In fact, Roth finds a lot of similarities between the two genres. "I always felt like horror movies were the equivalent of punk rock," he says. "I saw a real correlation between films like 'Dawn of the Dead' and 'Last House on the Left,' and the punk rock music. They had the same energy and attitude, and that's what I try to do in my films."

Goddamnit, Eli, now I won't be able to listen to the Dead Kennedys again without thinking of people's limbs getting cut off, people getting raped and killed in front of their significant others, and mangled bodies. As opposed to normally thinking of poor people being neutron bombed and country club residents being killed by chemical WMDs.

If there's any solace in this, it's that the torture porn phenomenon is on its way out, as evidenced by Hostel Part II's paltry box office performance this summer. This weekend's release of Saw IV will probably be torture porn's last stand, as I don't think most people will be feeling the Halloween love until the middle of the week. Then I can listen to my Fresh Fruit in peace.

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