I think the problem that I, and the rest of the people, have with this thread is that the question keeps changing to fit the answer.
For example, the question you posed is TOTALLY different than the OP and the range of answers is much, much smaller. What other movies are deeply embedded into pop culture? Die Hard? Rocky? Indiana Jones? Batman?
Obviously, the OP is looking for people to respond “Rambo”, so when an answer challenges the question, the question is reworded to exclude the answers given. It’s kind of a silly conversation.
Actually, if you read the thread, you’ll see that you misunderstand. I’ve clarified my wobbly use of the word “mainstream,” and even shared my thought process that led to the question. The question “keeps changing” only in that my unclear statement of it, and thus people’s initial understanding of it, have been acknowledged and corrected. But my intended question has never changed: Basically—
*What are the most graphically violent non-slasher/horror/gore films? And of that list, is *Rambo at the top?
That’s the only question I’ve ever asked, and have never changed it; only restated it in various ways for clarity.
I came in to say this, that if it isn’t Number 1 it is in the team picture, and say that RoboCop deserves extra points because, tho it was Rated R, with a wink and a nod it was clearly and obviously partially aimed at (heh) kids in its marketing.
With a gun to my head (heheh) I would say Kill Bill would be Number 1.
I have to watch Kill Bill again. I remember the violence being so stylized as to be utterly undisturbing. It made me giggle, not gasp. Still, that’s where subjectivity raises its ugly head. In either case, I agree that KB belongs on any such list.
Starship Troopers was awfully silly, though. Violence carries a lot more oomph when it’s serious and carries a certain sense of consequence; ST contained too much buffoonery to have a lot of impact.
“Schindler’s List” felt more violent to me, simply because the violence felt serious; it was meant to sicken you.
“Natural Born Killers,” while over the top, was more visceral and less cartoony than ST as well; its violence actually bothered me, and that takes a lot.