"Dead-Alive"

The "Video Nasties" were part of a list compiled by the United Kingdom government, containing films which were considered to be of questionable material; be it excessive violence, or sexuality, or simply inappropriate subject matter. these films were pulled from rental shelves, and in some instances, the production companies were tried. Of the 74 films appearing on the list, 39 were successfully tried as being 'obscene.' The following is an excerpt of the guidelines set by the Crown Prosecution Service regarding obsenities within the specific media of the 'Horror Film':

"When a video of this type is considered it should be remembered that it is not just what is depicted but how it is treated that is important.

Material depicting the violent mutilation, torture, death and cannibalism of those involved has been found to have a tendency to deprave and corrupt.

Such scenes that are explicit and/or lingering can indicate to the viewer approval or encouragement of the behaviour involved thereby normalising the depraving or corrupting behaviours.

Early contact with MPS is advised where this type of material is being considered.

You should examine each violent episode in relation to the work as a whole, and in particular consider the following:

Any doubt about the obscenity of a horror video should only be resolved by way of prosecution, preferably involving the distributors, and not by way of forfeiture."

"Deprave and Corrupt" - There are few instances in which harm has been dealt from one human being to another, where it has been proven that either involved had been corrupted by a film. There are, however, numerous accounts in which corruption by film has been blamed, perhaps unjustly, for violent incidents (usually involving children). In order to prevent the moral corruption of the populace, films which were deemed capable of damaging our collective psyche were made legally unavailable. Anyone suspected of possessing any of these films, were often victims of police raids - their videos seized, and the offender left to await legal action. Included below is the entire list - 74 titles - originally appearing on the "Video Nasties" list. the films are each dealt with briefly, yet you can expect more in depth reviews in the future. Now - enjoy a little moral corruption.

"Absurd"

Sadly, “Absurd” has never seen the light of day in an uncut format. This is Joe D'Amato's follow-up to “Anthropophagus,” and while not as notorious as the former, it still holds many of the same gruesome traits. Joe D'Amato is more well-known for soft-core pornography in the seventies, and even though he may have switched his genre, his lack of tact and class is still prevalent. His gore scenes are a little more polished than in “Anthropophagus,” but in a movie where camp should reign, there is little to laugh at (aside from a scene where our villain needlessly impales himself on a fence while being chased by a Priest). I would have to assume that the reason is more lack of interest, than it is excessive gore, why “Absurd” has not been re-released in its full form. D'Amato was sadly not that gifted a filmmaker, and his lack of class is on full display with “Absurd.”

"Anthropophagus"

There are few films contained on this list that I truly believe deserve their inclusion. Joe D'Amato's “Anthropophagus” is one film that, at the time of its release, deserved the title ‘Video Nasty.' – A group of kids stop on a Greek island, and soon find themselves being stalked by a towering cannibal. There are a number of repulsively violent scenes throughout the course of the film, not the least of which involves the removal of a fetus from a pregnant mother's belly, and its subsequent devouring. Needless to say, this is one film gorehounds need to seek out. It's slow paced, but not without some merit as an occasionally effective, and surprisingly violent horror film. Originally shorn of all violence and released on home video as “The Grim Reaper.” Avoid that title at all costs. Find Shriek Show's unrated DVD, instead.

"Axe"

A trait shared by many exploitation films produced in the 70's is that sort of raw, gritty appearance which is a direct result of the films low budget. It seems in many instances to increase the overall effect of the picture as it seems to almost create a more believable reality within the film that could not be achieved through the more polished manner of big-budget film production. Axe shares this trait with similar titles, such as "Last House on the Left", and other rape-revenge stories. While everything certainly feels amateurish enough, there is something that lifts the film above other, similar films. The violence is certainly unrealistic enough, but watching Lisa dispatch the group of thugs that have terrorized her and her grandfather, is a nasty experience that, at the time of its release certainly would have incited some protest, as it is suitably unnerving and very similar in concept to two other entries on the list, Wes Craven's "Last House on the Left", and Meir Zarchi's "I Spit on Your Grave."

"Bay of Blood"

Mario Bava's “Bay of Blood” is perhaps best known as a precursor to Steve Miner's “Friday the 13th , Part 2”. A number of kills from that film were lifted directly from Bava's film, as well as a number of underlying story elements. It can certainly be accepted as one of the earlier entries in the slasher genre, and, due simply to the year of its release as well as its direct influence on the most successful slasher series ever created, can also be considered one of the most influential. Wrapped in the guise of a whodunit thriller, and shot on a shoestring budget, Bava's film has a single purpose- make the murders as entertaining as possible. They are both violent and comical, and sometimes even a bizarre combination of both. With no less than 13 kills, there's enough going on here to satiate even the most sceptical horror fanatic. Keep in mind this movie was originally released in 1971...

"The Beast in Heat"

Also known by its uncut American video release as “S.S. Hell Camp,” “The Beast in Heat” is an exercise in distaste. Director Luigi Batzella is out for nothing more than to offend. It is part of a series of films made in the seventies that were in seeming competition with each other to make the most offensive Nazi porn horror gore flick. Better known as “Nazisploitation.” While Batzella may not have fully accomplished his attempt at making it the most offensive, it is the easiest to enjoy. Lots of naked women, gruesome brutality (including my favorite: self-inflicted fingernail violence), and ridiculous stock footage, it is never boring and always a good time. This movie is truly an atrocity.

*STILL BANNED IN THE UK

"The Beyond"

Lucio Fulci's “The Beyond” stands as my personal favorite of the Video Nasty collection. The plot is complete nonsense, the translation is silly beyond belief, but the key to “The Beyond's” greatness is in its violence. While most films on this list are renowned for their gory scenes (and “The Beyond” does not compare with some of them), Fulci's film's violence is almost giddy fun. Occasionally they may look like cheesy effects (at times it obvious that it is merely makeup that is being ripped apart), but that is merely part of what makes “The Beyond” such a great time. It doesn't matter who is the victim of the carnage, it is always fitting and never uncomfortable. This is one of the few Fulci efforts where he seems to truly understand what it takes to entertain his audience. Other efforts have been mundane (albeit ambitious) at best. “The Beyond” is as much pure fun as “From Dusk ‘Til Dawn.”

"Blood Feast"

There's certainly nothing obscene about Herschell Gordon Lewis' “Blood Feast”. Released in 1963, and considered one of the original gore movies, certainly doesn't hold up well by today's standards. A crazed madman collects the body parts of his female victims in the name of an Egyptian goddess. While tame by today's standards, you have to respect Lewis's desire to create something so different from the norm in 1963; something that contained such an extreme level of violence at the time, that the majority of people who watched it, purely and simply, could not stomach the level of violence. There are probably episodes of “Care Bears” that have a more believable display of violence, but at the time of its release, it was undoubtedly beyond anything seen at that time, and is certainly worth viewing for historical purposes.

"Blood Rites"

“Blood Rites” is the epitome of classically bad filmmaking. Directed with hilarious ineptitude by Andrew Milligan, its features include not only crazy-bad gore effects (Milligan somehow makes intestinal torture lame and curiously sans gore), but also numerous glaring mistakes. At times you can actually hear Milligan shouting directions at his cast, and during intense camera movement, the crew is unintentionally visible. The costume and set design are all laughable; “Blood Rites” is just plain bad. Say what you will about Ed Wood, but Andy Milligan is easily the worst filmmaker of all time. That he managed to make so many films in his career is a wonder beyond my comprehension. Milligan's films should all be labeled “Video Nasty,” and banned from public eyes. It would make the world a better place. Also known in its American video release as “The Ghastly Ones.”

*STILL BANNED IN THE UK

"Bloody Moon"

Not much to say about this gem. It is bad, ultra-low budget, and full of terrible dialogue. Jesus Franco had a lengthy career in filmmaking, and made semi-successful efforts such as “Necronomicon” (1967), “The Blood of Fu Manchu” (1968), and “Venus in Furs” (1969), but it is “Bloody Moon” that takes his place in the annum's of the Video Nasties. There is nothing new to report with it; just a lot of naked women and violence against said women, both average and done with low production values. Why the Department of Public Prosecutions decided to pick on this little movie with no real significance is beyond this reviewer.

"The Bogey Man"

An evil spirit trapped in a mirror is released when said mirror is shattered. Many people die shortly afterward. Pretty simple. The film is as unoriginal as it gets, borrowing heavily from a number of other films from around the same time. Former Fassbinder associate Ulli Lommel's "The Bogey Man" is essentially a slasher film with some supernatural elements. The plot really makes very little sense, the acting is terrible, and the effects are not handled particularly well. There are a number of interesting set pieces, but nothing to get too excited about. Certainly not worth the fuss. Did I mention the film really has nothing to do with "The Boogey/Bogey Man"?

"The Burning"

Tom Savini's excellent effects are the main reason why “The Burning” has been only scarcely available for so long. Savini piled on the gore for some memorable horror set pieces, and is largely responsible for the cult following “The Burning” has achieved. The cast is also quite outstanding, with a young Jason Alexander and Holly Hunter taking part in the occurrences. Also notable as being one of the only outings Harvey Weinstein would make as a screenwriter. “The Burning” holds an incredible amount of historical significance in the evolution of the horror film, as it is both incredibly clichéd, with enough original touches to make it more memorable than most slasher films of the era. The fact that it is still unavailable in an uncut form in North America is a crime. “The Burning” is an incredible example of the impact censorship can have on the effect of a horror film. By excising the most graphic sequences, the films tone changes entirely, from uniquely unsettling in its uncut form, to almost laughable in its truncated release.

"Cannibal Apocalypse"

Starring John Saxon and Tony King (both as cannibals), “Cannibal Apocalypse” is one of the rarer breed of cannibal movies. While films like “Cannibal Ferox” and “Cannibal Holocaust” take place in the jungles, where natives are the practitioners, “Apocalypse” takes place in the streets of Atlanta , with regular old Vietnam war veterans as the culprits. There are a lot of personal syndromes that came out of that war, but somehow I don't think that raving contagious cannibalism was one of them. And the film realizes this, and is happy to camp it up. It is a common fallacy with most of the movies on the “Video Nasty” list to take their subject material too seriously, and it makes those movies borderline boring. “Cannibal Apocalypse” is as fun as its title implies. One fun fact would be that the major reason that this film was black-listed was because of a scene in the sewers where rats were blasted with napalm weaponry, and was seen as cruelty to animals (no real rats were injured). It is nothing compared to the genuine animal brutality displayed in “Cannibal Ferox.”

"Cannibal Ferox"

Umberto Lenzi's “Cannibal Ferox" is generally considered one of, if not the single most violent film ever made, and claims to have, at one point or another, been banned in 31 countries. While this may or may not be true, the film is certainly shocking in its display of both cannibal violence, and the very real animal cruelty which is on display throughout the film. Anyone willing to sit through the entire duration of “Cannibal Ferox,” will be witness to all sort of depraved acts, from castration to everything else you'd expect from a cannibal film, including a woman being hung from her breasts by a pair of metal hooks. This is only a fraction of what you can expect from what may be the most violent film ever made. As violent as it is however, it is primarily the violence depicted toward animals that is most unsettling, as much of it is real.

"Cannibal Holocaust"

While I personally believe “Cannibal Holocaust” to be the most effective of all cannibal films, it is also easily dismissed as nothing more than a sensationalistic film, with no objective other than to shock it's audience. This may be true, but if you look beyond the animal violence, and terribly violent sequences of cannibalism, you will find a film which has relevance and influence within the realm of horror films. From its approach involving the lost footage of a group of documentary filmmakers, being found after their disappearance, to the boom of cannibal films which followed the films release, its impact on the modern horror film is evident in many ways. Not to mention the film was banned in as many countries as any film prior, and has spawned enough controversy during its lifetime to solidify it as a classic of unrelenting violence, and nihilism.

"Cannibal Man"

This is one of the rare exploitation films of the seventies that truly attempted to achieve some kind of social commentary in its bleak violence. Director Eloy de la Igelsia tries to use the social repression of his protagonist (slaughterhouse worker Marcos, played by Vincente Parra), as an excuse for the violence that Marcos induces. It is not as effective as something like Fassbinder's “Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?” as it is slow for an exploitation feature, and the satire is spread on a little too thick to be truly enjoyable. But one has to admire the filmmaker who wishes to use his medium to its utmost advantage to create something half ways intelligent. I think that “The Cannibal Man” is banned for reasons of its underlying homo-eroticism as much as its violence. There is a sexual tension between two of the main male characters, and this fact combined with some quick bursts of brutal violence form something rather distasteful for film censors.