Kicking you own ass... for the camera?
August 8, 2006 7:08 AM Subscribe
Besides Fight Club, in which films (comedy, drama, television, or whatever) does a character physically (not metaphorically) beat up himself/herself?
"Do you mind? I'm kicking my own ass!"
posted by canine epigram at 7:13 AM on August 8, 2006
posted by canine epigram at 7:13 AM on August 8, 2006
Superman in Superman III. (It's Superman vs Clark Kent technically)
posted by Hartster at 7:15 AM on August 8, 2006
posted by Hartster at 7:15 AM on August 8, 2006
Doesn't this happen in that Steve Martin/Lily Tomlin movie All of Me?
posted by Prospero at 7:16 AM on August 8, 2006
posted by Prospero at 7:16 AM on August 8, 2006
Doesn't Bruce Campbell's hand go bad in Army of Darkness, and when it attacks and tries to murder him, he has to cut it off? That's how I remember it, anyhow.
posted by hot soup girl at 7:20 AM on August 8, 2006
posted by hot soup girl at 7:20 AM on August 8, 2006
Apocalypse Now (Sheen punches a mirror version of himself and cuts his hand)
Idle Hands (dumb teen movie with a posessed hand)
posted by cowbellemoo at 7:23 AM on August 8, 2006
Idle Hands (dumb teen movie with a posessed hand)
posted by cowbellemoo at 7:23 AM on August 8, 2006
That's Evil Dead 2. Army of Darkness is when the mirror shatters and he has to fight Lilliputian versions of himself.
posted by blueshammer at 7:25 AM on August 8, 2006
posted by blueshammer at 7:25 AM on August 8, 2006
Probably doesn't count since it's not a character fighting himself, but in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country you have Shatner (playing Kirk) vs. Shatner (playing Martia-who-has-taken-the-form-of-Kirk).
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 7:35 AM on August 8, 2006
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 7:35 AM on August 8, 2006
In the movie The Cheap Detective, Peter Falk orders Paul Williams (IIRC—it's been a long time) to slap himself around, which he does.
In Marathon Man, Dustin Hoffman orders Lawrence Olivier to eat diamonds, which he does. Not exactly beating yourself up, but hard on the dentition and digestion.
posted by adamrice at 7:41 AM on August 8, 2006
In Marathon Man, Dustin Hoffman orders Lawrence Olivier to eat diamonds, which he does. Not exactly beating yourself up, but hard on the dentition and digestion.
posted by adamrice at 7:41 AM on August 8, 2006
Paul Bettany plays a monk who self-flagellates in (shudder) The Da Vinci Code.
Much more tame: Annette Benning slaps herself in American Beauty.
posted by CiaoMela at 7:45 AM on August 8, 2006
Much more tame: Annette Benning slaps herself in American Beauty.
posted by CiaoMela at 7:45 AM on August 8, 2006
While he doesn't beat himself up, in Blazing Saddles Cleavon Little holds a gun to his head and holds himself hostage.
posted by Robot Johnny at 8:18 AM on August 8, 2006
posted by Robot Johnny at 8:18 AM on August 8, 2006
Response by poster: I can't remember; any physical self-violence in Being John Malkovich?
posted by glibhamdreck at 8:21 AM on August 8, 2006
posted by glibhamdreck at 8:21 AM on August 8, 2006
Response by poster: I also seem to vaguely remember several scenes in which a character has to hurt himself in order to trick other characters he was harmed by someone else. Any ideas there?
posted by glibhamdreck at 8:23 AM on August 8, 2006
posted by glibhamdreck at 8:23 AM on August 8, 2006
Ooh, I just remembered the scene in Cast Away where Tom Hanks removes a rotten tooth with an ice skate and a rock.
::shudder::
I also seem to vaguely remember several scenes in which a character has to hurt himself in order to trick other characters he was harmed by someone else. Any ideas there?
Fatal Vision
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 8:31 AM on August 8, 2006
::shudder::
I also seem to vaguely remember several scenes in which a character has to hurt himself in order to trick other characters he was harmed by someone else. Any ideas there?
Fatal Vision
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 8:31 AM on August 8, 2006
In the episode of the Simpsons called "My Sister, My Sitter" Bart beats himself up to get Lisa in trouble. It mostly happens off-screen, though.
posted by headlessagnew at 8:46 AM on August 8, 2006
posted by headlessagnew at 8:46 AM on August 8, 2006
Doesn't a character in Platoon shoot himself to hide his cowardice?
posted by cosmicbandito at 9:01 AM on August 8, 2006
posted by cosmicbandito at 9:01 AM on August 8, 2006
There's that scene in East of Eden where James Dean smashes his head through the train-car window. And if you want to see a band of medieval Flagellants try Bergman's Seventh Seal.
posted by Rash at 9:08 AM on August 8, 2006
posted by Rash at 9:08 AM on August 8, 2006
The guy in Platoon (played by Corey Glover from Living Colour) stabbed himself in the thigh.
posted by kirkaracha at 9:12 AM on August 8, 2006
posted by kirkaracha at 9:12 AM on August 8, 2006
A Map of the World, starring Sigourney Weaver and Julianne Moore.
*spoiler*
When Sigs is stuck in county lockup, she engages in an act of unconscious self-attack that shocks her cellmates, knocking herself out on the edge of a table.
posted by hermitosis at 9:26 AM on August 8, 2006
*spoiler*
When Sigs is stuck in county lockup, she engages in an act of unconscious self-attack that shocks her cellmates, knocking herself out on the edge of a table.
posted by hermitosis at 9:26 AM on August 8, 2006
Are we including scenes of simple self-abuse?
"Ichi The Killer" has a scene - I hope this doesn't constitute a spoiler - wherein a guy cuts off the end of his own tongue. Or how about the documentary "Sick", wherein Bob Flanagan nails his own penis to a board? Then there's "Naked Blood", wherein a character pulls her own eyeball out and eats it with a fork, while another character fries her hand in a grease fryer and eats it!
Oh boy, I could go on and on - but I'm kinda peckish and it's lunchtime.
posted by stinkycheese at 9:32 AM on August 8, 2006
"Ichi The Killer" has a scene - I hope this doesn't constitute a spoiler - wherein a guy cuts off the end of his own tongue. Or how about the documentary "Sick", wherein Bob Flanagan nails his own penis to a board? Then there's "Naked Blood", wherein a character pulls her own eyeball out and eats it with a fork, while another character fries her hand in a grease fryer and eats it!
Oh boy, I could go on and on - but I'm kinda peckish and it's lunchtime.
posted by stinkycheese at 9:32 AM on August 8, 2006
Liar, Liar was the first one that came to my mind, but Gene Wilder plunges a scalpel into his own thigh in Young Frankenstein. And if self-flagellation counts, there's always the wandering monks from Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "Pie Jesu Domine... *wham!* donna eis requiem... *wham!*"
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:48 AM on August 8, 2006
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:48 AM on August 8, 2006
*Lost Spoilers Below*
Michael shoots himself in the arm in a recent episode of Lost. He did it in order to fool his friends into thinking that Henry Gale (a member of the Others that was captured) overpowered him and escaped, while in fact he let Henry go in a misguided attempt to be reunited with his kidnapped son.
posted by jtfowl0 at 9:54 AM on August 8, 2006
Michael shoots himself in the arm in a recent episode of Lost. He did it in order to fool his friends into thinking that Henry Gale (a member of the Others that was captured) overpowered him and escaped, while in fact he let Henry go in a misguided attempt to be reunited with his kidnapped son.
posted by jtfowl0 at 9:54 AM on August 8, 2006
And the five WWI soldiers who shot their hands to get out of the war at the beginning of "A Very Long Engagement."
posted by Rash at 10:00 AM on August 8, 2006
posted by Rash at 10:00 AM on August 8, 2006
In raging Bull Jake Lamotta bangs his head against a wall repeatedly.
posted by Gungho at 10:14 AM on August 8, 2006
posted by Gungho at 10:14 AM on August 8, 2006
*Secretary spoiler ahead*
Maggie Gyllenhal is a self-cutter in Secretary. Then James Spader convinces her that it's much more healthy to let him give her pain than to do it herself.
posted by witchstone at 10:17 AM on August 8, 2006
Maggie Gyllenhal is a self-cutter in Secretary. Then James Spader convinces her that it's much more healthy to let him give her pain than to do it herself.
posted by witchstone at 10:17 AM on August 8, 2006
In Class of 84, Tim Van Patten smashes his head into a mirror, drawing blood, to make it look as if one of his teachers has beaten him up.
In Victory, one of the members of the prisoner soccer team has another member break his leg, so that someone else can be substituted in for him. Not sure if that counts (self-inflicted by proxy?).
stinkycheese: if that's your idea of simple self-abuse, I'd hate to find out what you consider elaborate self-abuse.
posted by adamrice at 10:25 AM on August 8, 2006
In Victory, one of the members of the prisoner soccer team has another member break his leg, so that someone else can be substituted in for him. Not sure if that counts (self-inflicted by proxy?).
stinkycheese: if that's your idea of simple self-abuse, I'd hate to find out what you consider elaborate self-abuse.
posted by adamrice at 10:25 AM on August 8, 2006
Best answer: Exempting cases of out-and-out suicide (of which film provides us with innumerable memorable onscreen examples), cinematic self-harm can be a powerful indicator of self-disgust (cutting), internal conflict (beating yourself up), honour (Yakuza finger-removal ritual), or even heroism (cutting off your leg to get out from under a flaming car, say). And that’s only when you’re talking about “realistic” depictions.
When you include the fantastic (my arm has a will of its own; my second head is attacking me; my penis is possessed by a demon), then the possibilities really are endless. The more I thought about the question, the more examples I thought of - until after about two dozen or so, I just gave up. Anyways, it’s a neat subject.
posted by stinkycheese at 11:05 AM on August 8, 2006
When you include the fantastic (my arm has a will of its own; my second head is attacking me; my penis is possessed by a demon), then the possibilities really are endless. The more I thought about the question, the more examples I thought of - until after about two dozen or so, I just gave up. Anyways, it’s a neat subject.
posted by stinkycheese at 11:05 AM on August 8, 2006
I can't believe no one's mentioned Oliver Stone's The Hand. It climaxes with a brutal deathmatch between Michael Caine and... Michael Caine's hand. For man on hand violence, I doubt it will ever be surpassed.
posted by maryh at 11:41 AM on August 8, 2006
posted by maryh at 11:41 AM on August 8, 2006
Response by poster: Exempting cases of out-and-out suicide (of which film provides us with innumerable memorable onscreen examples), cinematic self-harm can be a powerful indicator of self-disgust (cutting), internal conflict (beating yourself up), honour (Yakuza finger-removal ritual), or even heroism (cutting off your leg to get out from under a flaming car, say).
I'm most interested in the internal conflict (American Beauty is a great example) and possession/psychosis in the broadest possible definition. Thanks everyone -- great answers.
posted by glibhamdreck at 11:51 AM on August 8, 2006
I'm most interested in the internal conflict (American Beauty is a great example) and possession/psychosis in the broadest possible definition. Thanks everyone -- great answers.
posted by glibhamdreck at 11:51 AM on August 8, 2006
Response by poster: Are we the Jackass generation?
posted by glibhamdreck at 11:52 AM on August 8, 2006
posted by glibhamdreck at 11:52 AM on August 8, 2006
There's Colonel Flagg in at least one episode of M*A*S*H, beating himself up to cover an escape. (I may not be remembering the purpose exactly right.)
posted by yamel at 12:01 PM on August 8, 2006
posted by yamel at 12:01 PM on August 8, 2006
There was a scene in an episode of House where a patient said he had hit himself to try to cure his hiccups, so House asks him to show him how hard.
posted by RobotHero at 12:15 PM on August 8, 2006
posted by RobotHero at 12:15 PM on August 8, 2006
Will Ferrell stabs himself in the thigh with a knife in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
posted by kirkaracha at 12:56 PM on August 8, 2006
posted by kirkaracha at 12:56 PM on August 8, 2006
I also seem to vaguely remember several scenes in which a character has to hurt himself in order to trick other characters he was harmed by someone else.
Actually, Dirty Harry was first.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 1:24 PM on August 8, 2006
Actually, Dirty Harry was first.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 1:24 PM on August 8, 2006
Barbara Hershey's character in A Dangerous Woman repeatedly sticks a kitchen knife into her forearm: chunk, chunk, chunk. The sound effect is grotesque and disturbing. (And I don't remember the whole Gyllenhaal family being in this movie at all, but I remember Gabriel Byrne, David Strathairn, and Debra Winger, all right. Yes.)
posted by cgc373 at 1:31 PM on August 8, 2006
posted by cgc373 at 1:31 PM on August 8, 2006
Didn't Zaphod punch himself a bit in Hitchiker's Guide to teh Galaxy?
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 1:34 PM on August 8, 2006
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 1:34 PM on August 8, 2006
In More American Graffiti, the Charles Martin Smith character tries to shoot himself to get sent home from Vietnam. I can't remember whether or not he succeeds.
There's not a film version, but in the play Filthy Rich, Detective Stackhouse roughs himself up as a pretext to arrest the main character for assaulting an officer.
posted by EarBucket at 2:01 PM on August 8, 2006
There's not a film version, but in the play Filthy Rich, Detective Stackhouse roughs himself up as a pretext to arrest the main character for assaulting an officer.
posted by EarBucket at 2:01 PM on August 8, 2006
The guy in Dirty Harry hires somebody to beat him up, he doesn't do it himself.
posted by kirkaracha at 6:39 PM on August 8, 2006
posted by kirkaracha at 6:39 PM on August 8, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by knave at 7:11 AM on August 8, 2006