DVD Review: Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide (2010)
Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide (2010)
Distributor: Nucleus Films
DVD Release Date: October 11, 2010
Review by: Ben Bussey
The Video Nasties era arguably changed the horror genre forever, at least as far as the UK is concerned. Begin with some lurid, provocative VHS sleeves and video trailers which threaten to shock the viewer to the core; add some holier-than-thou moralists and headline-hungry tabloid journalists who bought the marketing angle hook line and sinker; then factor in a Conservative government anxious to gain public approval in a general election year. It all added up to a spectacle of government-imposed censorship that was as shocking as it was idiotic. And yet, such was the level of subterfuge and confusion surrounding the nasties that to this day there are misconceptions, even among knoweledgeable horror fans, as to just which films were banned and why. (Clockwork Orange, Exorcist, Texas Chain Saw Massacre? Never blacklisted by the Department of Public Prosecutions.) Plus, there’s a whole new generation of movie buffs who did not grow up in the shadow of the moral panic who are unaware of the whole situation.
Enter this three-disc volume from Nucleus Films. Much as the title suggests, this set gives you pretty much all the essentials on the video nasties, the jewel in its crown being Jake West’s documentary Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship and Videotape, which I was fortunate enough to see in its premiere at Frightfest 2010 and reviewed here. As I’m fairly sure my review makes clear, it absolutely blew me away, and as such I wouldn’t hasten to declare Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide an essential purchase based on the presence of the documentary alone. Happily, for the horror buff who’s thirsty for knowledge, this set has even more to recommend it.
Producer Marc Morris having already provided an extensive insight into the era with his book The Art of Nasty – compiling the sleeve art that was arguably more responsible for the panic than the actual content of the films – it was only a logical progression to compile all the trailers for the films as well. This is what the first two discs of the set are comprised of, disc one covering the final 39 films that were officially blacklisted by the DPP (including Cannibal Holocaust, I Spit On Your Grave, and Last House on the Left), whilst disc two covers the 33 that were ultimately dropped from the list (such as The Beyond, The Evil Dead, and The Funhouse). But not content to stop there, each trailer also boasts an extensive introduction summarising the merits of the film, why it was deemed objectionable, and in many cases how much an original, pre-certification VHS copy can change hands for these days (often in the region of £500).
Most of these introductions come from the same contributors to the documentary, including amongst others such journalists as Kim Newman, Alan Jones, and Alan Bryce, and academics Julian Petley, Xavier Mendik, and Patrica McCormack. The appraisals are informative, respectful (where appropriate!), and tend to offer a bit of personal perspective, which is always nice. Watching them back to back, one cannot help but note how often the words “why this made the list I don’t know” are used; ultimately it seems any film with ‘cannibal’ in the title was immediately in trouble, as was any title that began with the word ‘Don’t!’ (Naturally, Edgar Wright’s Grindhouse trailer is mentioned more than once.) It’s also notable that many films on the list were those which were associated with, or sounded similar to, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre – such as Tobe Hooper’s subsequent films Death Trap and Funhouse, and the likes of Axe and The Toolbox Murders – despite the fact that Chain Saw itself never was! It all serves to bring into even greater focus just how absurd and inconsistent the DPP were, and of course also serves to illustrate the diversity of the extreme cinema that was around in the early 80′s. Even so, not unlike the films themselves the intros do vary in interest and quality, with a few glaring instances in which it is apparent that each word is being recited from a piece of paper off-camera; yes, Ms Booth, I’m looking your direction…
With the trailers, the intros, and the documentary adding up to well over seven hours of content, Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide might not be something the more casual fan would be interested in, but for the hardcore horror buff it’s Christmas coming early. It’s also worth pointing out that it’s a region-free edition, so those outside the UK can order with confidence, and get an insight into just how deranged the British can be in the face of something that challenges our supposedly genteel sensibilities. For us Brits, meanwhile, this must serve as a reminder to stay alert and not let those people who want to control our lives get away with this sort of nonsense again. Buy it, watch it, feel informed and anarchic all at once. Everyone’s a winner.
