A few hundred years ago it was common for a death penalty to include grotesque tortures before the guilty party was actually dead, all lapped up by public crowd

A few hundred years ago it was common for a death penalty to include grotesque tortures before the guilty party was actually dead, all lapped up by public crowds. We should be glad to some extent that we are shielded from this today, but it is not new. Many movies today show ghastly injuries and death. Not sure whether the knowledge it is fictional makes it ok.