Ah, well. If I could have waited until 2:30 to start viewing, I could have watched THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS on Blu-ray and postponed SALO, but since nothing else was here at 1:30, I watched it. Glad to have that part of the review copy behind me.
It's ugly stuff (surprisingly amid such absolutely beautiful teen boys and girls), and I found it VERY difficult to watch. Such scenes of grotesque evil and maliciousness just isn't a film to be enjoyed (at least by me). Now, I understood what he was doing, and while I lamented his excesses to make his symbolic points, I can certainly see how others not put off by the nastiness of the story and characters could find it almost hypnotic.
But, I'm more of a MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS kind of guy.