Absurd is a 1981 Italy horror by Joe D'Amato (as Peter Newton). Starring George Eastman, Annie Belle and Charles Borromel.
BBFC cuts were
required for an 18 rated 1983 cinema release. Later banned as a video nasty in 1983. The BBFC waived their cuts for an uncut 18 rated home video release in 2017. Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US. There also exists an extended version in Belgium with
additional dialogue and an extended scene.
Summary Review: Halloween-esque
The anthropophagous beast goes on a killing and cannibalism spree including power tool murders, a hatchet job and baking
someone's head in an oven. In return the beast suffers his guts unravelling on railings, blinding by compasses and an axe in the head.
Monster Hunter is the Halloween -esque 'sequel' to 1981's insomniac's
dream Anthropophagous . This time around D'Amato brings to us a sense of pace, making Monster Hunter much more enjoyable.
The added gore (including an ultra-torturous scene involving
an oven) and cool electronic music score is a nice bonus.
The story brings back George Eastman as our favorite cannibal, this time somewhere in the US being hunted by a priest.
A bit boring
at times but Eastman's presence is over powering and the end involving a 'vegetable' overcoming her disabilities to face the beast is fairly ironic.
Availability
The first VHS was released uncut in 1982 by
Medusa.
Soon after the cinema release the video distributors withdrew the uncut video and released the same cut as the cinema version. The video was
added to the list of banned video nasties in November 1983 anyway. It stayed on the list throughout the panic and so became one of the collectable DPP39s.
Current UK status: Passed 18 uncut.
UK: Passed 18 uncut
for strong gore, violence after previous BBFC cuts waived for:
Flesh for Frankenstein is a 1973 Italian/French horror by Paul Morrissey. With Joe Dallesandro and Udo Kier.
Includes the f amous scene where the Baron has an orgasmic grope amongst his
creations innards and proclaims that You don't know life till you've fucked death in the gall bladder.
Summary Revie w: Perverse
A very good film from the Warhol/Morrissey partnership. It features a decent stab at the Frankenstein legend featuring a fair few intentional laughs
Udo Kier is astounding as the mad
Baron Frankenstein, Arno Juerging is great as his idiot assistant Otto, and Monique Van Vooren holds her own as Frankenstein's wife-sister, whose insatiable sexual appetite is fed by hunky Joe Dallesandro.
The quality
productions values add to the package and it justifiably gets rated as one of the best campy horrors of the time.
Availability
The BBFC cut the 1975 cinema version by about 8 minutes.
Video Gems released an
uncut VHS in September 1981.
The BBFC cut the 1982 cinema re-release by 2:08s.
VIPCO released the 1982 cut cinema version on video in
November 1982 . There is famous scene where the Baron has an orgasmic grope amongst his creations innards and proclaims that To know life you must fuck death in the gall bladder . (or vice versa). This contributed to the wind up of
the frenzied press and the video got added to the video nasties list in March 1984. It stayed on the list throughout the panic and so became one of the collectable DPP 39s
The BBFC cut
56s from the 1996 First Independent VHS.
BBFC c uts were finally waived when resubmitted for a Tartan DVD in 2006.
Current UK Status: Passed 18 uncut
UK: Passed 18 uncut for strong
bloody violence with previous BBFC cuts waived for:
The Anthropophagous Beast is a 1980 Italian horror by Joe D'Amato. With Tisa Farrow, Saverio Vallone and Serena Grandi.
Famously banned
in the UK as a video nasty. The US R rated version is heavily cut and was also distributed in the UK. Released uncut in the UK on DVD and then Blu-ray in 2015. The Unrated Version in the US is uncut.
Summary Review: Cult Classic
Gruesome killing & cannibalism including stomping on the bellies of pregnant women so as to snack on their fetuses. As a finale, the beast dies after eating his own intestines.
A group of
tourists become stranded on an uninhabited island where they are stalked by an insane, violent, and grotesque killer that slaughtered the town's former residents.
A cult film rated as a 'must have' for collectors of the genre. It
is famous for a fetus eating scene that was cut for the US R Rated version.
A good scary movie with good atmosphere, decent acting and plenty of gore.
Availability
An uncut VHS was released by Video Film Promotions in February 1983. It was listed as a video nasty in November 1983 and stayed listed
throughout the scare, so became one of the collectable DPP39s.
A cut VHS version was then released on the Videoshack label to try and exploit the video nasty status, but it didn't sell well. However this did make it a rarity and therefore a challenge
for collectors.
Axe is a 1977 US horror by Frederick R Friedel. With Leslie Lee, Jack Canon and Ray Green.
Murderous gangsters on the run descend on isolated farm inhabited by girl & her
paralysed father. The girl rejects amorous advances with the assistance of an axe and a razor.
Summary Review: Classic of its kind
A gang of three murderers escape the
police, terrorize a salesgirl in a roadside grocery store, then proceed to hide-out in a seemingly deserted farmhouse. They soon discover that a young girl, Lisa, and her paralyzed grandfather live there. The gang attempt some sleazy deeds, but Lisa
shows how she can work an axe in self defence.
Even though this movie is EXTREMELY low-budget and is only around 60 minutes long, it is still another example of how a low-budget can help a movie. The acting isn't always the best, but Leslie Lee
is considerably creepy as Lisa the axe murderess.
The movie doesn't really go anywhere, but it is a classic of its kind.
Availability
The X rated cinema release was cut
back in 1982 under the title of California Axe Massacre
The uncut video was released as Axe by Video Releasing
Organisation in 1982. It was listed as a video nasty in September 1984 and stayed on the list throughout the panic and so became one of the collectable DPP39s
The Beast in Heat is a 1977 Italian Naziploitation by Luigi Batzella With Macha Magall, Gino Turini and Edilio Kim.
Banned as a video nasty in 1983. Not released in the UK since. Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US.
Summary Review: The Good Old Days
A beautiful, nefarious senior female SS officer/doctor (Magall) creates a genetic, mutant human Beast (half man/half beast). The Beast is a rapacious, squat,
mongoloid sex fiend which she uses to torture and molest female prisoners while the Nazis watch. The vertically challenged beast is kept on a diet of mega-aphrodisiacs. There is plenty of sadistic titillations, gore and nudity in this Nazi sub-genre
exploitation flick.
Ahhh, the good old days when absolutely nothing was safe or sacred to the exploitation movie merchants.... Here we have, in my opinion, probably the most tasteless example of the Naziploitation
picture, a genre that more or less died shortly after this "movie".
Anyway, about the movie. For the uninitiated, start with Ilsa - She Wolf of the SS . If you can "enjoy" that bit of nastiness, then perhaps consider
taking on this "unique" take on a forgotten film genre. Just don't watch it with your mom or girlfriend or aunt or grandma etc...
Availability
Released uncut on VHS in June 1982 by JVI
Banned in October 1983 when it was added to the official video nasty list. It r emained on the DPP list throughout the scare and
so became one of the (rarest) collectable DPP39s
The Beyond is a 1981 Italian horror film by Lucio Fulci With Catriona MacColl and David Warbeck.
Fifty years after a fatal witch/warlock hunt in a hotel, inhabitants start to meet gruesome deaths including eye gouging, face eating by spiders & acid attacks.
Summary Review: Fulci Lives
The Beyond is one of Fulci's best films. The film takes place in modern day Louisiana as a woman oversees the the renovation of an hotel that she inherits. Strange and gory things start to happen and poof the hotel just happens to
be over one of the 7 doors to hell.
Very bloody with a slightly incoherent plot the film is a lot of fun and I suspect that no Fulci fan should be without their copy. Visually I think this is Fulci's best film (that I've
seen) and the acting is what you'd expect.
Vampix released the cut cinema version on video
in March 1982. This was b anned as a video nasty in November 1983 but was later dropped from the list in April 1985
The cut cinema version was passed without further cuts for Elephant Video in 1987 and the same version was
reissued by Vipco 1992
Finally passed 18 uncut for the 2002 Protected/Vipco DVD
A Bay of Blood is a 1971 Italian horror by Mario Bava. With Claudine Auger, Luigi Pistilli and Claudio Camaso.
A perverse reworking of La Ronde involving 11 graphic murders.
Summary Review : Granddaddy of all slasher movies
Bay of Blood is often called the "Granddaddy of
all slasher movies". After watching Bay of Blood you can definitely see where Friday the 13th (made in 1980) got a lot of it's ideas. Saying that, Bay of Blood does not possess the single element that defined the slasher film,
the indestructible, omnipresent killer.
The movie succeeds almost entirely thanks to Mario Bavo, who serves as both director and cinematographer, with his typical stylish flare which heavily influenced the great Dario Argento, his eye appealing
use of color and interesting editing techniques, which include a lot of blurry dissolves give Bay of Blood an almost dream-like, surrealistic feel.
Availability
The BBFC refused this a cinema certificate
in 1972.
The uncut version was released on the Hokushin label in February 1983. It was listed as a video nasty in March 1984. It stayed on
the list throughout so became one of the collectable DPP39s
Re-released after 43s of BBFC cuts as Bay of Blood (Redemption, 1994)
The BBFC waived their cuts for the 18
rated 2010 Arrow DVD/Blu-ray
Current UK status: Passed 18 uncut.
UK: Passed 18 with BBFC cuts waived for:
2011 Arrow/ArrowDrome R2 DVD at UK Amazon for release on 3rd October 2011
Blood Bath is a 1976 US horror by Joel M Reed. With Harve Presnell, Jack Somack and Curt Dawson.
Not an official video nasty.
The tongue in cheek horror film sort of made the video nasty list due to
its shared name with the real video nasty, Mario Bava's Blood Bath. The list didn't specify details beyond the title so this unlikely video was also removed from UK video shop shelves
Summary Review: B-movie horror
The cast
of a horror film go out for dinner with their director one night and they all exchange horror stories.
This a very enjoyable low budget anthology, more in keeping with the Creepshow series than the Amicus efforts. The second and
third story are played for laughs for the most part, although both have agreeably twisted denouements.
Its hard to believe that the director of this film was also responsible for Bloodsucking Freaks as this is quite a
restrained effort. This is a very worthy addition to the Anthology horror genre, and there's plenty of gore and laughs to be had.
Availability
Released in 1982 by Rank. Wasn't listed as a video nasty but was yanked from the shelves
as it shared its name with the real video nasty, Mario Bava's Blood Bath
Blood Feast is a 1963 US horror by Herschell Gordon Lewis. With William Kerwin, Mal Arnold and Connie Mason.
Banned as a video nasty in 1983. Cut by the BBFC for 2001 DVD and uncut since 2005 DVD. Uncut and
unrated in the US
Summary Review : Pretty Damn Cool
Crazed Egyptian attempts to invoke the goddess Ishtar by building the perfect woman out of body parts from
victims not yet ready to donate them.
An u tterly barebones production, flatly pathetic acting, stilted and pointless dialogue, and lots and lots of ultra-phony gore.
Of course, this is pretty undisputedly the first real gore film, so horror fans pretty much have to see this. And, even if it weren't so important historically it would be worth seeing anyway, cause it's pretty damn cool
either way.
You get flaying, leg severing, heart extracting, tongue ripping, brain snatching etc. And, while the gore effects are incredibly dated, they aren't quite as cheap and old as I would have imagined. The blood itself actually holds up
fairly well, and looks better than much of the stage blood you'd see over the next 20 years or so. It's actually red!
Availability
Astra released the video in May 1982. it was an early casualty of the video nasty scare and was banned in July 1983. It stayed on the list
throughout the panic and so is one of the collectable DPP39s
Blood Rites is a 1969 US horror horror by Andy Milligan . With Veronica Radburn, Maggie Rogers and Hal Borske.
Mysterious killer retard stalks family will reading.
Summary Review
: Eating Live Rabbits
Three married couples are forced to spend the night in a Victorian-era house where they start getting killed off by a deranged psycho who's bent on claiming an inheritence
they are all entitled to.
The Ghastly Ones (aka. Blood Rites ), Andy Milligan's first horror film, is a 1968 film shot in cranium-cleaving color at his Victorian mansion on Staten Island. After a prologue in
which a couple with a really large umbrella are hacked up by some guy, this movie has three daughters and their husbands at a reading of their late father's will. It is his wish that the couples spend three days in the family mansion in sexual
harmony, and then they will find out who gets what from the old man. But once there the handyman is eating live rabbits, the couples start fighting, and then people start dying and showing up as the main course at dinner.
Very
slow staring, but if you are loose for a high content of cheese with your blood and gore, you will not be disappointed.
Availability
Released on video by Scorpio in March 1983. Banned as a video nasty in August 1984. It stayed on the list throughout the panic and so became
one of the collectable DPP39s
Current UK status: No UK Release since ban
US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for:
2015 Bayview Entertainment/Widowmaker Andy Milligan Grindhouse Experience Triple Feature R1 DVD
at US Amazon
Bloody Moon is a 1981 Spanish/German slasher by Jess Franco. With Olivia Pascal, Christoph Moosbrugger and Nadja Gerganoff.
Cut by the BBFC for 1972 cinema release. The same version was released on pre-cert video along
with the uncut version. These were then banned as video nasties. Later cut by the BBFC for 1993 VHS. The BBFC cuts were waived for 2008 DVD. Uncut in the US.
Summary Review: Dumb Victims
This movie is basically the infamous Jess Franco having a go at the American-style slasher films that were big in the early 80's, and what's most remarkable about it is how unremarkable it is. It's pretty violent, but except for one nasty knife exit wound there's nothing here that hasn't been done in hundreds of American slasher movies.
It's set at an adult Spanish-language school which seems to cater exclusively to incredibly dumb and slutty German and Scandinavian women.
The girls are being stalked by two of the reddest
herrings imaginable. One is a burnt youth in a Mickey Mouse mask. The other is a gardener who is always laughing maniacally and coincidentally wielding the exact same implement that has just been used to kill the latest victim.
The best thing I can say about this movie it is it is so over-the-top with its dumb victims, obvious red herrings, and ridiculously gory murders that it might have actually meant to be a parody of the slasher film.
Availability
Cut by 1:38s when submitted for a cinema release in 1982
Inter-Light released 2 versions of
the video in 1992, ie cut and uncut. The cut version was the same as the cinema release. The video was banned as a video nasty in July 1983 and stayed on the list throughout the panic, so is one the the collectable DPP 39s
The Boogey Man is a 1980 US horror by Ulli Lommel With Suzanna Love, John Carradine and Ron James.
Various killings precipitated by domestic objects aided by the power of the occult.
Summery Review: One of the better nasties
Through the reflection in the mirror, a
girl witnesses her mother's boyfriend's murder.
I was surprised that this movie got such a low rating, to me it's one of the better horror films I've seen in some time. Ulli Lommel allows the horror in this story to
gradually build until it erupts in very frightening and disturbing and occasionally blackly comic ways.
The boogeyman's appearances in the film are effectively kept very brief, he doesn't become a silly charactor
of the Freddy/Jason mould. Ulli lommel keeps the location barren and banal and uses them in inventive ways. The scenes in which the disturbed deaf brother paints over every mirror in the house is brilliant and foreshadows a lot of scenes in clean-shaven.
Availability
The 1980 cinema release was uncut.
Released on video in November 1981 by Vipco. The video was listed as video nasty in October 1983 but was dropped from the list in July 1985
The Burning is a 1981 US/Canada slasher by Tony Maylam With Brian Matthews and Leah Ayres.
Cut
by the BBFC for an X rated 1981 cinema release. Released uncut on pre-cert video but this then got banned as a video nasty. BBFC required further cuts for 18 rated 1992 VHS. Later uncut for DVD and Blu-ray. In the US the Unrated Version is uncut but the
R rated version is cut.
Summary Review : Must Have
Camp caretaker gets horribly burnt as a result of a prank. Five years later he exacts revenge at a summer camp
with the help of a pair of shears. Heads and fingers roll.
A former summer camp caretaker, horribly burned from a prank gone wrong, lurks around an upstate New York summer camp bent on killing the teenagers responsible for
his disfigurement.
I personally love the killer in the woods slashers the best and this is the perfect premise. This film starts as a flashback "of course"... The kids at a summer camp play a trick that goes terribly
wrong on Cropsy the mean spirited grounds keeper and he is burned beyond recognition,
Flash back to the woods "summer camp " Cropsy returns to the scene of the crime to wreak havoc and spill PLENTY of blood. This is a MUST HAVE for
slasher fans.
Availability
Passed X (18) after 10s of BBFC cuts for 1981 cinema release
Thorn EMI
initially released the video uncut. They then tried to replace rental videos with the BBFC cut version but most shops stuck with the uncut version. The uncut version of the video was banned as a video nasty in October 1983. It remained on the list
throughout the scare
Cannibal Apocalypse is a 1980 Italian/Spanish horror by Anthony M Dawson. With John Saxon, Elizabeth Turner and Giovanni Lombardo Radice.
Banned as a video nasty in 1982. Passed 18 after animal cruelty cuts for UK DVD. There is a cut US MPAA R rated version and an uncut MPAA Unrated version.
Summary Review: Horror and action
Cannibalism has become a disease brought back to the US by soldiers returning from Vietnam. French kissing becomes inadvisable
as the plague spreads.
Interesting and disgusting mix of horror and action from the director of Castle of Blood Antonio Margheriti. What makes it work is that there is some nasty gore scenes like the infamous
shotgun wound scene and eating chunks out of human flesh, a cool if cheesy funk soundtrack with a war theme that almost sounds like the theme to "G.I. Joe", a grisly twist in the end and the film is also a metaphore on how the horrors of
vietnam can affect a soldier and this is one of Quentin Taratino's personal faves.
Availability
The
uncut video was released by Replay in July 1982. It was an early casualty of the press panic and was added to the DPP list of banned videos in July 1983. It remained on the list until the end of the scare so became one of the collectible DPP 39s
Cannibal Ferox is a 1981 Italian adventure by Umberto Lenzi. With Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Lorraine De Selle and Danilo Mattei.
Released cut and uncut on pre-cert videos that were destined to become video nasties. Extensively
cut by the BBFC for 2001 DVD. The cuts for violence were waived for 2018 home video, but cuts for animal cruelty have persisted. Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US.
Summary Review: Delivers the Goods
Three friends out to disprove cannibalism meet two men on the run who tortured and enslaved a cannibal tribe to find emeralds, and now the tribe is out for revenge.
Not a patch on Deodato's excellent Cannibal Holocaust , which is just as gory and a hell of a lot more realistic, with believable actors and an intelligent script. In comparison, Ferox seems like just an exploitative
rip-off. But taken in its own terms, Cannibal Ferox does deliver the goods (I'm talking gore-wise) with hard-to-watch sexual violence accompanying genuine animal deaths. The music is cheesy, and again not up to the standards of Holocaust, but it
grows on you.
Availability
Replay first released an uncut version in August 1982. In September 1982 the BBFC
unofficially approved an 18 video version cut by 6:51s . It was listed as a video nasty in July 1983 and both the cut and uncut versions were successfully prosecuted. The uncut version stayed listed
throughout the panic so became a one of the collectable DPP 39's. However the cut version was eventually removed from the list.
This 18 version pre-cut by 6:51s was submitted to the BBFC in 2000 who insisted on
another 6s of cuts for animal cruelty.
Current UK status: Passed 18 with 1:55s of cuts to animal cruelty
UK: Passed 18 for strong bloody violence, gore
after some previous cuts waived but still with 1:55s of BBFC compulsory animal cruelty cuts for:
Cannibal Holocaust is a 1979 Italian adventure by Ruggero Deodato. With Robert Kerman, Francesca Ciardi and Perry Pirkanen.
Famously banned in the UK as a Video Nasty in 1983. Unbanned for the heavily cut 2001 DVD. The
cuts were reduced to animal violence only for 2011 DVD. Deodato produced a new edit in 2011 to more tidily remove the animal violence. Uncut in the US and Italy
Summary Review: Very well written plot
Film crew sent into the jungle captures some pretty gruesome local customs and then go on to indulge in a little raping and killing themselves. The natives strike back and the film crew are beaten,
castrated, stripped down to their skeletons and eaten.
Cannibal Holocaust was, first and foremost, a disgusting movie with more violence than I have ever seen. Despite this, it is also one of my favorite movies. It gives a
feeling of Blair Witch done right, even though there are some very obviously contrived scenes in which nobody is holding the camera, but despite some small cosmetic problems this is the best horror movie I have ever seen.
Cover art
Garish video magazine adverts featuring the iconic VHS cover art for Cannibal Holocaust have been attributed as causing the video nasty moral panic. The other 2 films cited are SS Experiment Camp and Driller Killer.
Snuff movie
This film suffered repeated outrageous claims of being a snuff movie by the ever-ludicrous gutter press. This can only be a testament to the quality of the film as the TV film crew's demise is presented
solely from news footage that they have supposedly shot.
Ten days after its premiere in Milan, the film was seized by the Italian courts, and director Ruggero Deodato was arrested and charged with
obscenity. He was later charged with murdering several actors on camera, and faced life in prison. The cast had signed contracts requiring them to disappear for a year after shooting, to maintain the illusion that they'd died. Deodato contacted Luca
Barbareschi and told him to contact the three other actors who played the missing film team. When the actors appeared in court, alive and well, the murder charges were dropped.
Availability
Go Video pre-cut their February 1982 release. It was quickly labelled as a video nasty in July 1983. It stayed on the list throughout the panic
so is one of the collectable DPP39s
Passed 18 after 15s of BBFC cuts for 2011 Shameless video with all violence restored along
with most of the animal violence The pre-cut Ruggero Deodato's New Edit was passed 18 without further BBFC cuts 2011 Shameless video. This version restores all human violence but was edited by the director to reduce the animal violence
Current UK status: Passed 18 after 15s of BBFC cuts
The Cannibal Man is a 1972 Spanish thriller by Eloy de la Iglesia. With Vicente Parra, Emma Cohen and Eusebio Poncela.
Banned as a video nasty in 2003. Cut by the BBFC for 1983 18 rated VHS. The Spanish Version is uncut and has also been released in Germany and the US. There is also an extended integral version assembled from unique footage from several other versions, such as the German Cinema Version.
Summary Review: Pseudo-sleazy
Alienated slaughter house worker kills cabby on Monday, fiancée on Tuesday, brother on Wednesday, brother's wife on Thursday,
Father on Friday and then takes Saturday off.
Real slaughterhouse footage and scenes of dirty urban slums set the tone for this stark and obsessive Spanish thriller.
A slaughterhouse employee named
Marcos gets attacked by a cabdriver who takes objection when he and his girlfriend are making out in the back seat, and Marcos kills him. This sets in motion a week of killing, first to cover up the cabdriver's death, and afterward to keep the bodies
piling up in his bedroom a secret.
Weird, pseudo-sleazy film that works even though it doesn't even attempt to live up to its title - there's *no cannibalism*.
The dubbing is pretty bad and there's not much gore
(most of the nastiness happens off-screen), but there's plenty of atmosphere and a sense of desperation builds in Marco's apartment.
Availability
Released by Intervision uncut in November 1981. It was banned as a video nasty in July 1983. It stayed on the list throughout the panic and
became one of the collectable DPP39s. The cover was a flimsy slip case that didn't last long so adding to the rarity of a mint condition cover.
Cannibal Terror is a 1981 Spain/France adventure horror by Allan W Steeve. With Silvia Solar, Gérard Lemaire and Pamela Stanford.
Criminals kidnap rich kid and unfortunately hole up in a cannibal infested jungle. The kid is adopted by the cannibals but the kidnappers donate their intestines for a tug-of-war match.
Summary Review: Fails Miserably
After botching a kidnapping, two criminals hide with their victim in a friends house in the jungle. After one of them rapes the friend's wife,
they're left to be eaten by a nearby cannibal tribe.
Cannibal Terror fails miserably on all accounts. Cannibal films aren't known for great plots this film literally has no plot. Some lowlife criminals kidnap a girl and run into
Cannibals in a jungle. Almost the entire film is filler with pointless, boring dialogue. There is only two gore scenes but nothing viewers haven't seen in this genre before and better. The worst aspect of the film is the cannibal tribe itself as they
don't even look like jungle tribal members. It's a bunch of extras from all different races and hairdos. Some of the tribal members are fat, middle aged white men and there is even one tribal member with 70's style sideburns!
Availability
Released on video by Modern Films in October 1981. Banned as a video nasty in July 1983, probably down to the title. Removed from the DPP list in September 1985
C ontamination is a 1980 Italian horror by Luigi Cozzi With Ian McCulloch, Louise Marleau and Marino Masé.
Exploding alien pods ripen and burst, any unfortunate humans in the vicinity
join a chain reaction of a slow motion offal explosion.
Summary Review : Odd and cheesy
A former astronaut helps a government agent and a police detective track the
source of mysterious alien pod spores, filled with lethal flesh-dissolving acid, to a South American coffee plantation controlled by alien pod clones.
This was a very odd and cheesy Italian gore flick, it was a mix of horror and
science fiction and it was directed by Luigi Cozzi.
While Contamination was a decent film I just didn't think it was that good, the first half was very promising as we get to see some impressive gore scenes with the exploding stomachs
but then the second half kind of loses steam and becomes slightly boring. The green alien eggs were a knock off from Alien and you could tell that this film was trying to cash in on its success which was typical of Italian horror films at the time, some
of these films were of course great cause you can't take them too seriously and they were usually gorier than the original films.
Contamination has some pretty bad acting and the direction from Luigi Cozzi was rather low-key with some
scenes looking a bit too dark, the pacing was a bit uneven despite having a great opening sequence which had some great suspense and the film also has a weak plot, but if your a gore hound then you won't mind since there were plenty of great gore scenes.
Availability
A short version was released after 2:40s of unofficial BBFC cuts on 1982 ViP VHS and 1985 European Creative Films VHS. The video was banned as a video nasty in October 1983. It was dropped from the list in January 1985 though.
Dead and Buried is a 1981 US horror by Gary A Sherman. With James Farentino, Melody Anderson and Jack Albertson.
Main stream horror film with Melody Anderson in which yokels set a photographer
alight. He survives long enough to get a hypodermic in the eye and anyone investigating too closely ends up dead.
Summary review: Bravo
In the sea of forgettable Friday the 13th
sequels and clones came this little creative and disturbing gem from the early 80's wave of gruesome horror.
Several people passing through the quaint and picturesque town of Potter's Bluff die terrible, violent deaths only to turn up as
upstanding members of the community days later.
Availability
The X rated cinema release of 1981 was uncut
The subsequent uncut Thorn EMI video was listed as a video nasty in November 1983 but was dropped in
January 1985
Death Trap is a 1976 US horror by Tobe Hooper. With Neville Brand, Mel Ferrer and Carolyn Jones.
Cut by the BBFC for an X rated 1978 cinema release. Banned as a video nasty in 1983. Cut by the BBFC for 1992 VHS but uncut for DVD since 2001. Uncut and MPAA R rated in the US.
Summary Review: Messed Up
Deranged motel proprietor feeds people to his pet crocodile. The crocodile eventually ensures justice by eating its master.
Delirious, surreal, and savage, Tobe Hooper's follow-up to his
landmark debut Texas Chainsaw Massacre, is one of a kind while bearing the same signature stamp he left with his predecessor.
A sheer unrelenting onslaught of pure madness, macabre and dark humor. Although not as entirely
successful as Chainsaw, Eaten Alive is one messed up little drive in flick with good performances particularly by Brand as the psycho Inn keeper of "Starlight Hotel". Mumbling incoherently through most of his screen time and sputtering
gibberish when audible, Neville Brand is eerily convincing.
The beginning of this picture owes to Psycho in that you meet a character that you are led to believe is the (no pun intended) titular heroine but is
quickly dispatched and we are left with the equally sleazy and\or oddball residents of the locale like ole' country boy Buck (Englund, who's a hoot) or that oddball couple who's dog gets chomped by the gator that lives in the swamp behind the hotel. It's
that kind of movie folks so be aware what you're getting into. Creepy, oddball fun.
Availability
The 1978 cinema release was cut by the BBFC
The first pre-cert video rental release was in 1980 on the VCL label
and featured the cut cinema version.
Then Vipco released an uncut version in July 1982. This got listed as a video nasty in July 1983. But after several unsuccessful prosecutions it was dropped from the list in December 1985
The
first BBFC certified video version from Vipco in 1992 fell foul of the the post Video Nasties scare and suffered 25s of cuts for an 18 certificate.
Passed 18 uncut in 2000 for a 2001 Vipco VHS
and a 2003 Vipco DVD
Current UK Status: Passed 18 uncut
UK: Passed 18 uncut for:
2015 Arrow Video RAB Blu-ray/R12 DVD Combo at UK Amazon
Deep River Savages is a 1972 Italy horror romance by Umberto Lenzi. With Ivan Rassimov, Me Me Lai and Prasitsak Singhara.
Banned by the BBFC for 1975 cinema release. Banned as a video nasty in 1984. Passed 18 after extensive animal
cruelty cuts for 2003 DVD. Slightly fewer cuts for 2016 DVD & Blu-ray. Uncut in the US
Summary Notes: Not much gore
Forerunner of Cannibal Ferox set in South East Asian cannibal infested
jungles. Tongue amputations are the order of the day after snacking on traditionally served monkey brains.
A photographer on assignment in the rain forest is ambushed and held slave by a primitive tribe, until the chief's daughter
chooses him as her groom. After being initiated by various tortures, he becomes a part of the tribe and helps them against modern dangers and a cannibal tribe they're at war with.
I liked this one strictly for its
exoticness. Me Me Lay looks great dressed or naked. She has a great face. I have the Prism edition video. That one is missing a brief cannibal scene that later showed up in Lenzi's Eaten Alive by the Cannibals . The cinematography was well done
and I may catch some heat for this but I actually liked the music.
The love scene in the river came very close to XXX. A well placed bush (no pun intended) kept it soft-core. Not much gore, so jungle flick fans
should like it. I know I did.
Availability
UK Censorship History
Rejected for a cinema release in 1975 as The Man from Deep River
Derann released the uncut version on video in
November 1982. It was listed as a video nasty in March 1984 but it was dropped from the list in September 1985
Delirium is a 1979 USA thriller by Peter Maris. Starring Turk Cekovsky, Debi Chaney and Terry TenBroek.
A kangaroo court of right wing nuts hires Vietnam veteran to clean the scum off the streets. The vet turns
out to be an impotent psycho who summarily executes nubile girls who remind him of his deficiency.
Summary Notes
An ex-soldier is hired by local right-wingers as a vigilante to clean up criminals and
street people. However, he freaks out and starts killing off everybody.
This is one of the strangest and definitely one of the most atypical titles to be found in the whole list of infamous Video Nasties. The concept has
potential but ends up being confusing and dull.
The first slasher half is rather exciting, with a couple of truly nasty murder sequences and the most laughably inept police investigation ever, but the second half is
painfully tedious and derivative of much better films.
Availability
The video was released in July 1982 by Video Tape Centre (VTC).
The video was added to the DPP list of nasties in November 1983 but was later
dropped in May 1985
The BBFC passed the 1987 Global Sales video 18 after cuts. This release was titled Psycho Puppet .
Devil Hunter is a 1980 Spain / France / West Germany horror adventure thriller by Jesús Franco (as Clifford Brown). Starring Ursula Buchfellner, Al Cliver and Antonio Mayans.
A short version was banned as a video nasty in 1984. The BBFC later passed the complete film 18 uncut on 2008 DVD.
Summary Review: Plods Along
A Vietnam veteran heads to an island inhabited by cannibals to save a kidnapped model not only from her kidnappers, but also from the cannibals' lurking Devil god.
Devil Hunter gained notoriety for the fact that it's on the DPP 'Video Nasty' list, but it really needn't have been. There isn't a lot here that warrants banning...which is a shame because I never would have sat through it where it
not for the fact that it's on 'the shopping list'.
The plot actually gives the film a decent base - or at least more of a decent base than most cannibal films - and it follows an actress who is kidnapped and dragged off into the
Amazon jungle. A hunter is then hired to find her, but along the way he has to brave the natives, lead by a man who calls himself The Devil (hence the title).
The film basically just plods along and there really aren't many
scenes of interest. It's a real shame that Jess Franco ended up making films like this because the man clearly has talent; but unfortunately his good films are just gems amongst heaps of crap and Devil Hunter is very much a part of the crap.
Availability
A pre-cut short version was released on the Cinehollywood label in November 1981
Added to the Video
Nasties list in August 1984. It remained on the list throughout and so became one of the collectable DPP39s. A rare one at that
The BBFC passed the full length 2008 Severin DVD 18 uncut under the title El Canibal but it got released as The Devil
Hunter
Current UK Status: Passed 18 uncut
UK: The Complete Spanish Version was passed 18 uncut for:strong nudity, sex and sexual violence:
Don't Go in the House is a 1979 US horror film by Joseph Ellison. With Dan Grimaldi, Robert Osth and Ruth Dardick.
Cut by the BBFC for 1980 cinema. Banned as a video nasty 1983. Cut by the BBFC for 1987 VHS. Uncut on DVD since 2012. An extended version with additional plot was released on US Blu-ray.
Summary Review : A Bit Lacklustre
A slasher film about a victim of child abuse (Dan Grimaldi) who grows up to become a maniacal construction worker. He stalks women at discos,
takes them home, then hangs them upside-down in a special steel-walled room and sets them on fire.
Don't Go in the House gets off to a fairly good start, but after the first murder scene things begin to slowly fall a apart and it goes from
a good movie to an average movie that never is able to get off the ground.
The screenplay written by Joseph Ellison, Ellen Hammill and Joseph R. Masefield starts off well enough with some good insight into the mind of the villain, but there comes
a point to where the story never moves forward and in a sense it feels like the same scene is playing out over and over again.
Don't Go in the House isn't a terrible film, but it's just a bit lackluster, while it does have it's moments it
just never reaches its full potential.
Availability
The BBFC cut the 1980 cinema release
Arcade released the video in May 1982, cut as per the BBFC approved cinema release. Arcade then released the uncut version on
video. The video then got listed as a nasty in July 1983 but was dropped in March 1984 after promises that only the BBFC approved version would be sold
Don't Go in the Woods is a 1981 USA horror by James Bryan. Starring Jack McClelland, Mary Gail Artz and James P Hayden.
Victims are garrotted, stabbed, impaled and have various limbs lopped off
Summary Notes
Four young campers, Craig, Peter, Ingrid and Joanie, back-pack through the mountains for a supposedly relaxing weekend in the wilderness.
I f you're into comedy, this movie had deadpan
acting, no storyline at ALL (a maniac roaming around, killing people for no reason, which may not be THAT bad), and a stupid looking killer.
The gore was supplemental and I always recommend this movie
for a laugh
Availability
Released uncut on the Video Releasing Organisation label in March 1982
Banned as a video nasty in October 1983. It stayed on the list throughout the panic so became one of the collectable DPP39s
Passed 15 uncut in February 2007
Current UK Status: Passed 15 uncut
UK: Passed 15 uncut for strong bloody violence for:
Don't Go Near the Park is a 1979 USA horror by Lawrence David Foldes. With Aldo Ray, Meeno Peluce and Tamara Taylor.
Vampire cavemen sentenced to eternal life for blood drinking, incest & cannibalism are
rejuvenated in the modern day.
Summary Review: Wonderfully Bad
Two members of a superhuman and pre-historic tribe abuse the treasured secret of eternal youth. They are cursed to an eternity of old age with
no chance to ever die. Now, in present day Los Angeles, their only hope to recapture eternal youth is the ritualistic sacrifice of a 16-year-old female virgin. Their existence is discovered by an investigative reporter and a young runaway child and this
leads to an unexplained and terrifying confrontation.
Everything about this film goes way beyond amateur, from the 'old person' make up, to the Persian rug cavemen clothes, to the dissolve shot ageing FX. The lighting is abysmal;
spot lights are shone straight into the set giving each shot an early silent film style ring of shadow around the edge of the shot. The acting is appalling, especially from the grimacing Crackers Phinn. The plot progresses at bizarre speeds, some scenes
dragging on for way too long and other plot points zooming past at top speed.
Despite all of the above (or perhaps because of it) I love this movie. I really could bang on about it for days but I won't. If you ever find a copy (which isn't easy)
you have to see it. I defy you to find anything worse in such a truly wonderful way.
Availability
Released by Home Video Productions in 1983. Listed as a video nasty in November 1983 but was later dropped in July 1985.
Passed 18 uncut when submitted for an Anchor Bay DVD in 2006.
Broadcast on the Horror Channel in 2004. Missing some footage of entrails being removed, but the stomachs were still ripped open with gusto.
Don't Look in the Basement is a 1973 US horror video by SF Brownrigg. With Bill McGhee, Jessie Lee Fulton and Robert Dracup.
Cut by the BBFC for 1977 cinema release. Banned on VHS as a video nasty. Passed 15 uncut on DVD in
2005. Uncut and MPAA R rated in the US.
Summary Review: A must-see for B horror fans
A young psychiatric nurse goes to work at a lonesome asylum following a murder. There, she experiences varying
degrees of torment from the patients.
Take an ensemble cast of good B grade actors, give them a good script, a somewhat original premise, and unobtrusive directing, and you may end up with a film that over-achieves as much as Don't Look in the Basement
did.
The film takes place in a large house which is home to several psychotic individuals. The film starts with the head of the hospital being chopped up with an axe. The rest of the film builds tension and successfully develops the
individual psychoses of the in-mates. After a while it becomes very unclear who is a patient and who is a doctor.
In the end, Don't Look in the Basement is a cleverly plotted film which benefits from generally good acting and directing and
not-overly-ambitious camera work.
Availability
The BBFC cut the 1977 cinema release
Derann released an even shorter version of the film on its Crystal video label in February 1983. It is thought that this may have
been a TV version.
It was listed as a video nasty in August 1984 but was dropped from the list in December 1985
The BBFC waived its film cut for the 2005 Stax DVD which it passed 15 uncut
Current UK Status: Passed 15 Uncut
UK: Passed 15 uncut with previous BBFC cuts waived for:
The Driller Killer is a 1979 USA crime horror by Abel Ferrara. With Abel Ferrara, Carolyn Marz and Baybi Day.
Shortened for 1982 pre-cert VHS which was then famously banned as a video nasty. A pre-cut version
was released on 1999 18 rated VHS. Uncut and 18 rated since 2002. Unrated and uncut in the US.
Summary Review: Dour but Good
Power tools only make a brief appearance in the film but
the cover picture of a power drill boring into a guys forehead probably started the press baying for blood in the video nasties panic.
An artist slowly goes insane while struggling to pay his bills, work on his paintings,
and care for his two female roommates, which leads him taking to the streets of New York after dark and randomly killing derelicts with a power drill.
It has been said of Abel Ferrara that you will either be turned on by his
artistic vision, or be left cold by it. This one fits firmly in the 'like' side of the equation.
The story follows an artist, who, through the pressures of his work and various things going on around him, is slowly driven insane. His insanity is
brought about by lack of money and a punk rock band that has moved in upstairs. We are able to see the frustrations of our 'hero' increase throughout the movie, especially when the plot thickens and several other things in his life go awry.
The Driller Killer was originally banned as a "video nasty" because of the notoriety it gained for it's cover art, as opposed to it's content. This can be seen clearly by the fact that The Driller Killer isn't actually that
gory. The horror doesn't come as a result of the huge amounts of gore spurting from the wounds, but rather from the noise that the drill makes while being used, and the insanity of the main character.
Overall, the Driller Killer is a creative and
inventive insight into insanity.
Cover Art
The lurid and iconic cover for Driller Killer. along with Cannibal Holocaust and SS Experiment Camp, has been attributed to the kicking off of the video nasty
moral panic. It seemed to be promotions based on these covers that first alerted the press and politicians to high street video shops being awash with films that would never have been passed by the British censors. Maybe these claims would have not
gained much traction if they had been based only on the actual content of the films.
Availability
A
shortened version missing a non violent scene was released by Vipco in February 1982. It was one of the iconic early batch of video nasties banned in July 1983. It stayed on the list
throughout the panic so is one of the collectable DPP 39s.
It rema ined banned in UK until 1999 when it was passed 18 with 54s of pre-cuts .
It has been passed 18 uncut
ever since the ILC Prime DVD of 2002.
Current UK Status: Passed 18 uncut
UK: Passed 18 uncut for strong bloody violence for:
2016 Arrow Limited Edition Steelbook (RB) Blu-ray/R2 DVD Combo at UK Amazon
2016
Arrow Special Edition (RB) Blu-ray/R2 DVD Combo at UK Amazon
The Evil Dead is a 1981 USA horror by Sam Raimi. With Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss and Richard DeManincor.
Cut by the BBFC for cinema release. This cut cinema version was then banned as one of the iconic
video nasties. Further cut for a BBFC approved VHS release in 1990. Passed uncut for DVD in 2001. Uncut in the US
Summary Review: Raimi is already a legend
Raimi is already a legend, because he
created 'The Evil Dead', without a doubt one of the greatest horror movies of all time. Made on a shoe string budget as a labour of love, it still remains Raimi's best movie. He has subsequently worked on bigger projects with bigger names but it is
arguable whether he has ever surpassed the invention, thrills, energy and sheer fun of this. And why Bruce Campbell never became a genuine movie star after his debut here, and not just a much loved cult figure, is a complete mystery to me.
'The Evil Dead' is a modern horror classic and absolutely ESSENTIAL viewing for any self-respecting movie buff! It doesn't get much better than this!
This cut cinema version was transferred to video by Palace. It was banned as a video nasty in October 1983, but was dropped from the banned list in September 1985.
Video re-released after further 1:06s of BBFC cuts, now totalling 1:55s, in 1990
Passed uncut for the Anchor Bay DVD of 2001
Current UK Status: Passed 18 uncut
UK: Passed 18 uncut with all previous BBFC cuts waived for:
Evilspeak is a 1981 USA horror by Eric Weston. With Clint Howard, RG Armstrong and Joe Cortese.
Fun starts when an ancient tome is unearthed and used to summon up a pack of man eating pigs into an
unfortunates girls bedroom. Decapitation, disembowelments and open heart surgery with a sword follow. The climax involves a nail launched from a crucifix flying into the baddies head.
Summary Review: Stands up well
A military cadet who happens to be a social outcast taps into a way to summon demons and cast spells on his tormentors through his computer.
It's strange when you see a film for the first time in twenty
years, you expect it to have the same impact as it did when you first saw it as a gore-hungry teenager. And of course it can't, but it does stand up remarkably well.
Stuart disagrees: I love cheesy B movie horror, but
this was an overlong borefest. There are 2 death scenes during the film that are minimal in gore, then by the time the final act comes, you really don't care about the cheesy quick cut gore.
Availability
Released uncut on video (Videospace) in August 1983. The distributor later replaced this with a pre-cut version
Banned as a video nasty in March 1984 (both cut & uncut versions). It stayed listed throughout the panic so became one of the
collectable DPP 39s
Exposé is a 1976 UK horror thriller by James Kenelm Clarke. With Udo Kier, Linda Hayden, Fiona Richmond.
Cut by the BBFC for 1975 cinema release. Released uncut on pre-cert VHS but was later banned as a video nasty reaching DPP39 status as it stayed banned throughout the moral panic. Cut by the BBFC for releases from 1997. Released uncut in the US in 2013.
Summary Review: Sleazy and Gruesome
Writer Paul Martin has scored a massive hit with his first novel and has retreated to a remote cottage in the heart of the English countryside to concentrate
on his follow up. He's accompanied by his new secretary, Linda, a housekeeper and occasionally his lover Suzanne. However there is something strange about Linda and soon the bodies begin to pile up.
Udo Kier is decent as a
highly unlikeable writer and Linda Hayden is excellent as his secretary. She openly masturbates few times and has a great lesbian encounter with Fiona Richmond.
The violence is quite tame except for the bathroom murder
scene which is pretty nasty. The direction is lifeless, the characters are unpleasant and the film is slightly dull. Still I enjoyed it and you should too, if you like exploitation cinema.
Availability
Passed X
for a cinema release with approximately 3 minutes of cuts in 1975
The uncut Intervision
video was banned as a video nasty in March 1984. It then stayed on the list throughout the panic and therefore became one of the collectable DPP39s
It was also notable in that this was the only UK video that achieved the DPP39 status.
Faces of Death is a 1981 US documentary video by Conan Le Cilaire. With Michael Carr, Samuel Berkowitz and Mary Ellen Brighton.
A heavily cut version was banned as a vide nasty in 1982. It was passed 18 by the BBFC in 2003 with cuts for animal cruelty. It is uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US and there is an extended version on Dutch VHS.
Summary
Review : Quite a reputation
Mixed bag of death scenes, badly acted surgical and autopsy scenes, monkey brain eating, phony video footage of death by alligator and bear, political assassinations
etc.
Faces of Death has quite a reputation. Needless to say, there's no way the film will live up to its own hype. The narration is predictable, all the scenes involving human death are faked, and the final twenty minutes are
basically newsreel footage, which we've all seen elsewhere. The film runs around 105 minutes, which is way too long for something of this nature.
However, the film is now a cultural icon and it's most definitely worth
seeing, provided you're a fan of horror movies, exploitation films, or bizarre fringe relics.
The only real death you see is in the beginning where we see all sorts of animals slaughtered. It's not as bad as it sounds
though. The animals weren't killed for the film, but rather as part of the routine slaughtering that happens everyday.
Versions
Extended Version
run:
105m
pal:
101m
Netherlands
Netherlands: An Extended Version is available on VHS
US: The Extended Version is uncut and MPAA Unrated for:
15m 42s. A shot of a man holding a long knife is longer (at the end of a reel).
20m 33s. Two extra shots of streets in the Middle East
32m 28s. An extra medium close up of a man (at the end of a reel).
101m 14s. A complete
extra 2m 6s sequence involving a psychic
However the Extended Version is missing a gas chamber execution scene that has appeared on a German release (albeit only in VHS quality)
cut
cut:
2:19s
run:
103:26s
pal:
99:18s
UK: Passed 18 after 2:19s of BBFC cuts for:
2003 International Trading/Screen Entertainment R2 DVD
The BBFC commented:
Compulsory cuts required to sight of fighting dogs and monkey being cruelly beaten to death.
The BBFC have also clarified
exactly which part of the monkey eating scene has been cut.
The part of the scene that shows the brains being eaten (out of an obviously fake rubber head) has NOT been cut. What we HAVE cut is the
material leading up to that in which a clearly real and clearly terrified monkey ("goaded to fear and fury" as the Animals Act puts it) is brought to the table in a special 'monkey eating' contraption and is then bashed on the head. It seems
entirely possible that the head bashing was done with rubber hammers and the monkey came to no harm. However, the monkey was clearly - at least in the short term - restricted in a cage/head clamp and terrified and this is prohibited by law.
UK: A heavily pre-cut version was banned as a video nasty for:
19882 Atlantis VHS
A video heavily cut by 32:36s was released by Atlantis Video Productions in September 1982. This was listed as a video nasty in July 1983. It stayed banned throughout the panic and so became
one of the collectable DPP39s
Fight for your Life is a 1977 Canadian crime drama by Robert A Endelson. With Robert Judd, Catherine Peppers and Lela Small.
Banned by the BBFC for 1981 cinema release. Banned as a video nasty 1984. Not seen since in the
UK. Uncut in the US.
Summary Review : Disturbing Scenes
Strange entry in the list in that most of the video is taken up by talking about vengeance rather than
getting on with the job.
Three escaped convicts seek refuge at the home of a black minister and his family, there the family is humiliated and beaten. When his daughter is violated the family begin to embark on
some vengeance.
A film which has very little to offer other than racial hatred and some rather disturbing scenes of violence. But so became a grindhouse classic.
Availability
Banned from a cinema release
in 1981
The 1982 uncut video release from Vision On was banned as a video nasty in September 1984 a nd remained on the DPP
list throughout the panic and so became one of the collectable DPP39's
Forest of Fear is a 1980 USA Sci-Fi horror by Charles McCrann. Starring Charles McCrann, Beverly Shapiro and Dennis Helfend.
A shortened version was banned as a UK Video Nasty in 1983. Uncut and MPAA R rated in the US.
Summary Review
: Cheesy Classic
This is one of those cheesy classics from the 70's. I enjoyed it somewhat.
A group of people growing dope get dusted with a chemical meant to kill their crop. They
turn into flesh eating zombies and try to kill campers in the same area.
Not one of the goriest nasties but does have a few violent set pieces.
Availability
The November 1982 Monte
video release is missing the epilogue about FBI agent quitting his job but all the violence was intact
It was added to the DPP list of video
nasties in November 1983 and stayed on the list throughout the panic, so becoming one of the collectable DPP39s
Frozen Scream is a 1975 US video by Frank Roach. With Renee Harmon, Lynne Kocol and Wolf Muser.
Banned as a video nasty in 1984. Not released in the UK since. US uncut and MPAA R rated in the US. There are few international releases too.
Summary Review: For bad movie fans
V ery few nasty bits bar an injection into an eyeball.
A pretty lame horror flick about a scientist's
attempts to make people immortal. This is a bad movie, featuring several funny parts. I particularly liked the scene of two women in the hospital talking, when out of nowhere the policeman narrator's voice is dubbed over the conversation. It's just
sloppily put together.
After watching it again. I now value Frozen Scream. Some stretches of boredom, but more amusement than I had originally thought. Don't go too far out of your way to see it, but bad movie fans should find something of
interest here.
Availability
Released on video in 1983 by Home Video Productions . It was added to the video nasty list in August 1984 but was soon dropped by October 1984
Current UK Status: Still banned
Germany : It was released on DVD in Germany in 1997 with an English soundtrack for:
The Funhouse is a 1981 US horror by Tobe Hooper With Elizabeth Berridge, Shawn Carson and Jeanne Austin.
Mainstream film about a murderous mutant on the loose in a fairground. It is not a particularly violent film and it has been suggested that the video appears on the list due to a confusion with another film Last House on Dead End Street
that is also known as The Fun House .
Summary Review: Underrated slasher
Four teenage friends spent the night in a carnival funhouse and are stalked by a deformed man in a
Frankenstein mask.
This is an effectively underrated slasher entry. One of it's most impressive feats is that it gives us a nice carnival atmosphere with some interesting sights. The setting is the best thing about this, as great
pains is taken to turn the early part into setup, and this does create a great atmosphere for later on in the film.
This little gem has minimum bloodletting but its good, its better than good. It has a genuine sense of dread and a
fear and paradoxically, an understanding of human vulnerability and mutation.
Availability
The cinema release of 1981 was X (18) uncut.
A shortened version was released without censorship cuts
by CIC in June 1983. It was shortened by deleting some uncontentious plot. Added to the DPP list of video nasties in September 1984 and was dropped in June 1985
A shortened version was passed 18 without BBFC cuts for the 1987 CIC VHS
The complete
version was passed 15 uncut in 2007
Current UK Status: Passed 15 uncut
UK: Passed 15 uncut for moderate horror, sex, violence and threat for:
The Gestapo's Last Orgy is a 1977 Italian prison film by Cesare Canevari. With Adriano Micantoni, Daniela Poggi and Maristella Greco.
Bannable scenes include girls being dunked in quick-lime, girls fellating pistols and
sodomising the commandant with the butt of a whip.
Summary Review: Way Better than Expected
Caligula Reincarnated as Hitler was way better than what I expected. The
young blonde star of the film is gorgeous and someone both men and women would find attractive to sleep with.
There are some five star sexual violence scenes that are unfortunately too brief. Beatings, whippings,
gang raping of women prisoners, dipping naked women into vats of lime, hanging the young blonde star nude and upside down over a box of live rats! I mean, hey you "sicko" Nazi fans, is this something or what?
There are no actual hard
core sex scenes, however, there are multiple simulated sex scenes that are quite hot to watch.
Availability
The video was released in 1983 by VFP with a missing 10:48s scene of an Aryan fantasy and a feast of
human flesh. The video was re-released in 1984 by Videoshack
Added to the DPP video nasty list in March 1984 and stayed on the list
throughout the panic so became of the the collectable DPP39's. The Videoshack version is particularly rare.
The House by the Cemetery is a 1981 Italian horror film by Lucio Fulci With Catriona MacColl & Paolo Malco.
Cut by the BBFC for X rated 1982 cinema release. This cut version was released on pre-cert video
and was banned as a video nasty. It was then heavily cut for BBFC approved VHS in 1988. The cuts were reduced for 2001 DVD and later waived for 2009 DVD. Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US.
Apparently praised by the Sunday
Times for its constraint but still includes decapitation, stabbing in the head, scalping, a throat ripping, a bat attack and more.
The banned video had already been cut to remove the decapitation of the baby sitter and most of
the violence committed with a poker.
Summary Review: Dread and Fear
This is the third in a loose trilogy of films by Italian master of the macabre Lucio Fulci set in New England that evoke the uncanny
and cosmic terrors of H.P. Lovecraft.
At times Fulci succeeds very well in creating an atmosphere of dread and fear, and the film is not without some subtle moments of terror, due mainly to an eerie soundtrack and a couple
of creepy kids. But fans of Fulci and Italian horror cinema in general are not interested in the type of subtle scares one might find in ghost stories. Although this film is not without its moments (throats ripped out, maggot ridden bodies and
decapitation), the violence seems quite muted compared to other Fulci films.
Availability
The cinema release of 1982 was passed X after 1:26s of cuts
The cut cinema version was released on Videomedia VHS in January 1983 but was banned as a video nasty in November 1983.
It remained on the list through out the panic so became one of the collectable DPP 39's
House on the Edge of the Park is a 1980 Italian horror thriller by Ruggero Deodato With David Hess and Annie Belle.
Banned by the BBFC for 1981 cinema release. Banned as a video nasty in 1983. Unbanned after 12 minutes of cuts in 2002. Cuts reduced to 43s in 2011. Uncut in the US.
Summary Review: Interesting yet Chilling
A couple of rapists Alex and Ricky who are invited to a rich person's party. They decide to make their own cruel and twisted kind of fun such as murder
and rape.
A harsh and unsettling Italian horror thriller from director Ruggero Deodato who definitely knows how to shock his audience.
The acting isn't all that great but the music is good with a funky disco
song, some gory violence with torture, nudity, and sleaze abound.
Availability
The BBFC banned a 1981 cinema release.
It was released on video uncut by Skyline in October 1982. It was listed as a video nasty in July 1983. It stayed on the list throughout the
panic so became one of the collectable DPP39s
The 2002 Protected/Vipco DVD was p assed 18 with 11:43s of heavy cuts .
Passed 18 after 43s of BBFC cuts for the
2011 Shameless DVD.
Current UK status: Passed 18 after 43s of cuts
US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for
2018 Kino Lorber [House on the Edge of the Park + Last House on Massacre Street] (RA) Blu-ray at US Amazon
Human Experiments is a 1980 US thriller by Gregory Goodell. With Linda Haynes, Geoffrey Lewis and Ellen Travolta.
A short version was passed for cinema without BBFC cuts. The video was banned as a video nasty for
a while. No UK release since but uncut and MPAA R rated in the US.
Summary Review: Women in Prison
Woman in peril when falsely imprisoned in an asylum. The mandatory mad doctor is
experimenting in catatonic shock induced by spiders and bugs.
Country singer Rachel Foster (Linda Haynes) is undoubtedly the unluckiest person alive as she stumbles upon a young kid who has just slaughtered his family.
She shoots the kid (he goes into a coma), resulting in a life sentence after the crooked Sheriff pins all the murders on her. But this is no ordinary prison as the Warden (Mercedes Shirley) and Dr. Kline (Geoffrey Lewis)
are conducting bizarre behavioural experiments on their charges.
There are some memorable bits in this and, on a whole, it is a pretty solid women in prison entry with a few nice twists. Lewis does a great job as the
creepy doctor and their is a nice supporting role from Ellen Travolta. Haynes is an attractive lead and isn't afraid to deliver the genre required nudity.
Director Gregory Goodell excels in the film's last third where
Foster's nightmares come to life to haunt her. Sadly, he went on to Lifetime movies exclusively after this.
Availability
The BBFC passed the 1979 cinema release without cuts.
The video was released by Jaguar
in 1981. It was listed as a video nasty in July 1983 but was soon dropped in March 1984.
1978 Canadian horror by Murray Markowitz. With Elke Sommer, Donald Pilon and Chuck Shamata.
Summary Review: Unexceptional whodunit
Stars Elke Sommer and
features electrocution in a swimming pool and a paving slab being dropped on someone's head.
A supposed dramatic account of a real life murder case, Canadian courtroom drama I Miss You Hugs And Kisses could be mistaken
for the kind of mid-afternoon entertainment normally lapped up by bored housewives and easily pleased geriatrics: with its unexceptional whodunit plot crammed with intrigue, adultery, blackmail, and murder, one could be excused for thinking that Angela
Lansbury or Dick Van Dyke might pop up in the final reel to solve the case.
Viewers are treated to graphic killings (Sommers head is staved in and a young woman is stabbed in the stomach), nudity and sex, genuine slaughterhouse
footage, and even a touch of necrophilia (one of the possible murderers, an escaped lunatic, enjoys raping his victims after he has killed them).
Although not overly shocking by today's standards, these scenes seem so out of place in
this otherwise routine thriller that they actually manage to be disturbing.
Availability
The uncut Intercity pre-cert video was branded as a video nasty in August 1984. It was soon dropped in October 1984.
Re-released after 1:06s of BBFC cuts as
Drop Dead Dearest for Heron in 1986
I Spit on Your Grave is a 1981 US revenge film by Meir Zarchi. With Camille Keaton, Eron Tabor and Richard Pace.
Perhaps one of the most famous of the video nasties probably because it is one of
the better films on the list. It shows brutal and protracted scenes of the violation and humiliation of Camille Keaton. Armed with resolve and intelligence Keaton avenges herself by chopping up, hanging, drowning and castrating her tormentors.
Summary Review: Brutal
The film is evenly paced and unrelenting. One is forced to confront the brutality of rape and violence.
The actress is quite convincing and
deserves recognition. The men are sickening and easily hated; they are just vicious animals without any redeeming qualities, yet they are believable.
Without question, the rape scenes are some of the most disturbing
moments in cinematic history. The castration scene is unparalleled.
Availability
Released in January
1982 first under the Wizard label and then labelled Astra (Astra were UK distributors for US based Wizard). The video was one of the prime targets of the moral press and it was listed as a video nasty in July 1983. It stayed on the list throughout so is
therefore one the collectable DPP39s
International Tra ding gained a UK video certificate in 2001 after 7:02s of cuts to the rape scene.
International Tra ding pre-cut their 2003 DVD to reframe the rape
offscreen. The BBFC asked for 41s of additional cuts . It added up to the same cuts as in 2001 but these were more smoothly achieved.
101 Films released a DVD/Blu-ray version in
September 2010 with the BBFC cuts reduced to 2:54s. This version was banned on video by the Irish censor in 2010.
Inferno is a 1980 Italy horror by Dario Argento. With Leigh McCloskey, Irene Miracle and Eleonora Giorgi.
Apartment is inhabited by an evil spirit that causes a number of deaths including, stabbing, guillotining,
and drowning.
Summary Review: My own favourite
This is my own favourite Argento movie, but if you try and work out the plot it will drive you nuts. It's best viewed as a dark and incredibly gory fairytale
and companion-piece to Suspiria.
Irene Miracle becomes curious about the history of the old New York mansion block where she lives. Big mistake, but oh forget the logic. Just lap up the marvellous set-pieces: a swim
through an underwater apartment (why is it flooded? don't even ask!), a witchy teenager and a cat who materialise during a music tutorial, a slasher murder set to the Slave's Chorus from Nabucco, a rat attack in Central Park.
The soundtrack is an audacious blend of Verdi and Keith Emerson. Sheer bliss.
Availability
The BBFC cut the 1981 cinema release.
20th Century Fox released the video uncut which was then
listed as a video nasty in August 1984. It was dropped from he list in September 1985.
The BBFC cut 28s from the 1987 Film & Video release
Island of Death is a 1972 US/Greek horror by Nico Mastorakis. With Robert Behling, Jane Lyle and Jessica Dublin.
Heavily cut for 1976 X rated cinema release. Banned as a very famous video nasty in 1983. Even
a heavily cut version was banned for official BBFC approved release in 1987. Less cut for 2003 DVD and finally uncut for 2010 DVD.
Summary Review: Rough Diamond
Island of Perversion is a rough diamond from the deep seas of sickness, another gem from 1970s - the golden age of Grindhouse and exploitation! A film where you can still smell the dirt from the backyard and railway station cinemas it was shown in! But it´' a great one, I enjoyed every second of it!
The story is about two totally weird siblings who travel to Mykonos to free the peaceful Greek island from all those who are perverted scum in their eyes: gays, lesbians, nymphomaniacs, hippies... Unfortunately, the
version that I watched was cut, so I didn't have the chance to see the notorious goat-rape!
Even though the violence is not that graphic in this film, the director seemed to be possessed by the ambition to make one of the
most depraved movies ever! Loved the bad surprise ending!
Availability
Passed X in 1976 with extensive cuts (14 mins) for cinema as A Craving for Lust
AVI released an uncut video
in November 1982 as Island of Death.
Island of Death briefly appeared on the video nasties list in November 1983 but was
deleted by the next issue. There may have been a confusion with another film with the same name by Narcisco Ibanez Serrador. The video returned to the list in October 1985 and remained on the list throughout so becoming one of the collectable DPP39s
The Killer Nun is a 1979 Italy horror mystery thriller by Giulio Berruti. Starring Anita Ekberg, Paola Morra and Alida Valli.
Summary Review: Well worth checking out
Patients are killed in a variety of exotic
ways, perforated with pins, kicked to death, thrown out of window etc. These deaths resemble accounts of martyrdom often told by a drunkard, dopehead, lecherous old nun, Anita Ekberg. Also includes a bit of lesbian nun depravity.
Anyone familiar with nunsploitation will recognise this as a stand out film.
There are some very atmospheric set pieces in the film Anita Ekberg's flashbacks and the giallo inspired
murder of the old woman.
The dubbing detracts from the power of the film by having cheesy actors do the overdubs. Some of the editing is a bit sloppy but Italian exploitation fans are well used to this.
The gorgeous Paola Morra is worth the price of the film alone. Well worth checking out.
Availability
Released on video by Techno Film. It was listed as a video nasty in August 1984 but was dropped by July 1985
Redemption video passed 18 with 13s of cuts in 1993
2006 Argent (Shameless) DVD Passed 18 uncut
Current UK Status: Passed 18 uncut.
Passed 18 uncut with cuts waived
for:
2011 Shameless Slasher Nasties Triple Bill R2 DVD at UK Amazon for release on 24th
October 2011
The Last House on the Left is a 1972 USA horror by Wes Craven. Starring Sandra Peabody, Lucy Grantham and David Hess.
In the US the Original Theatrical Version was uncut and X rated but was soon heavily cut for local censorship
requirements and then for a series of attempts made in attaining an R rating. Much of the material cut for an R rating has now been declared lost. In 1986 director Wes Craven assembled his best remaining material previously cut from the film and declared
that this version was his Director's Cut. It was released in the US Unrated by the MPAA.
The R rated version was banned from 1974 UK cinema release by the BBFC and the Greater London Council. The film, presumably still in the R rated version was
released in the UK when BBFC certificates were not required but it was soon banned as a 'video nasty'. The BBFC continued its ban with the Unrated version being banned from cinema release in 2000.
In 2001 the DVD was resubmitted and was again banned,
but this time cuts were being discussed. A resubmission in 2002 resulted in a BBFC offer of an 18 rating after cuts. The distributors appealed against the cuts but lost their case, and ended up with even more cuts than requested by the BBFC. The film was
released in the following year with the same BBFC cuts but in two versions, including an alternative cut called Krug & Co.
By 2008 the BBFC had relented and the film was released without BBFC cuts in both the Unrated Version and the alternative
Krug & Company.
Two girls are kidnapped by escaped prisoners and are subjected to sexual humiliation, razor torture, rape, disembowelments and shooting. The parents of one girl avenge their death by chainsaw,
throat cutting and castration.
While I think that people tend to get a bit hyperbolic when they talk about The Last House on the Left , I do think it's a fairly good film, especially given what the
filmmakers were trying to do and considering their lack of experience, the era and the budget. Also, despite a filmic precursor, it just may be the earliest example of the horror subgenre of brutal, realist tragedy . However, it has flaws that
would be difficult to overlook in a distanced assessment of the film.
But again, focusing on that amounts to hype now, and shouldn't be taken too seriously, lest it lead to inflated expectations. Just as
surprising on a first viewing is that The Last House on the Left has an intermittent goofy sense of humor and a groovy attitude that is firmly mired in the early 1970s. The two policemen are really comic relief characters (and very funny at
that), but there is also a lot of humor surrounding the criminal quartet--this almost becomes a black comedy at times. These sensibilities even extend to the music, which has a frequent hillbilly edge and lyrics that supply ex-positional material.
Surprisingly, Hess, who plays Krug, wrote the music.
Availability
Banned by the BBFC for a cinema release in 1974.
The video was released by Replay in June 1982. It was an early casualty of the video nasty panic and got banned in July 1983. It stayed on the
list throughout and so became one of the collectible DPP39s
A cinema release was banned again in 2000. However it achieved an cinema club circuit release in 2000.
A subsequent DVD release was rejected in 2001
The DVD was again submitted in 2002
but this time the BBFC offered cuts. An appeal against the cuts proved unsuccessful and in fact resulted in additional cuts to those originally requested by the BBFC. The resulting Blue Underground video/DVD
release of 2002 suffered 31s of censor cuts .
Further 2003 video/DVD releases (including one titled Krug & Company) from Anchor Bay have been edited differently but maintained the
previous BBFC 2002 cuts
Late Night Trains is a 1975 Italian horror by Aldo Lado. With Flavio Bucci, Macha Méril and Gianfranco De Grassi.
Drug crazed nutters mug a Father Christmas then move onto to terrorise and
murder a couple of young girls on a train (Irene Miracle). The girls' parents inflict some retribution
Summary Review: Decent Acting
T
his film borrowed heavily from Last House on the Left , but Night Train Murders is the better of the two. Good production values, excellent cinematography, an Ennio Morricone score, decent acting and a tight
script .
The first third of the film introduces the main characters, most of whom seem to be prone to indulging in one perversion or another.
The "defilement" section of the film is a gripping, harrowing affair that escalates in viciousness before climaxing in a very brutal fashion.
The final act does not live up to the scenes that precede it. The director's desire to keep from glamorizing violence is probably why the ending feels somewhat restrained.
Availability
The BBC rejected the cinema release in 1976 under the title Late Night Trains.
Video Warehouse International released a cut video as Late Night Trains in 1981.
Cinehollywood released an uncut video in November 1981
under the title Night Train Murders . This version was listed as a video nasty in July 1983. This was dropped from the list in March 1984
The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue is a 1974 Italian/Spanish horror by Jorge Grau. With Cristina Galbó, Ray Lovelock and Arthur Kennedy.
Various members of the community are disembowelled and eaten. Then the heroes fight back.
Summary Review: British Mini
Watching this film was a real treat as it was
devoid of the usual American teenage students being slaughtered and was even filmed here in the U.K.
It's full of 1960's/70's kitsch and the hero's even drive a real British Mini.
The picture quality is excellent so you can see the Zombies in all their lurid excellence.
If you only ever buy one Zombie movie, make it this one!
Availability
The BBFC cut 1:27s from the 1975 cinema release as The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue
VIP released the uncut video in June 1992 titled The Living Dead.
Meanwhile LVC released a video Don't Open the Window.
This is a version censored for a US R rating.
The Living Dead was listed as a video nasty in October 1983 but it was dropped from the list in April 1985
The 1:27s pre-cut cinema version was submitted for video in 1985 by
Network Distribution. The BBFC demanded 26s of further cuts . This release was titled Living Dead at Manchester Morgue
All BBFC cuts were waived for the
2002 Blue Underground DVD, Let Sleeping Corpses Lie/The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue
Love Camp 7 is a 1969 USA war horror thriller by Lee Frost. With Bob Cresse, Maria Lease and Kathy Williams.
The film was banned as a video nasty in 1985, then banned from DVD by the BBFC in 2002. The film
was banned again by the BBFC for 2020 VoD. Uncut elsewhere but there have only been a few obscure releases until the 2017 US DVD/Blu-ray Combo.
Summary Review: Don't Take Seriously
Set in a Nazi "Love Camp" that services the needs of front line officers. The video packaging claims that this film is based on fact, but the plot is so far fetched you would have a hard time believing that. Two young WAC
officers go undercover as POW's in the prison camp hoping to get some information from a scientist that's being held there. Unfortunately things go wrong and they end up overstaying their welcome and being subjected to the same indignities as the other
inmates.
The violence and sexploitation are best taken as tongue-in-cheek. By enjoying the exploits of the two WAC officers, Maria Lease and Kathy Williams, the movie is quite entertaining.
Both Lease and Williams could pass as Playboy Playmates. Both girls have no less than four scenes each were their wares are sampled - talk about copping a feel, these horny Nazis devour these two toothsome actresses!
Availability
Released by Market in 1983. The video was listed as a video nasty in April 1985 and
stayed on the list throughout the panic and so became one of the collectible DPP39s
Madhouse is a 1981 Italy / USA horror by Ovidio G Assonitis (as Oliver Hellman). Starring Trish Everly, Michael MacRae and Dennis Robertson.
Initially released uncut on 1983 VHS but was soon re-released as the cut R rated version due the video nasties
panic. The film was banned as a video nasty anyway. It was passed 18 uncut by the BBFC for 2004 DVD. In the US there is a cut MPAA R rated version and an uncut Unrated version.
Summary Review: One of the Better Nasties
Julia, a teacher in a school for the deaf, has a hideosly disformed and deranged twin sister that resides in the local looney bin. She escapes
to gate-crash a surprise birthday party for Julia by murdering all the party guests with the help of a giant killer Alsation dog, which gets it's come-uppance when lobotomised by a power drill, in a scene that will offend most animal lovers.
"Madhouse" is one of the better films that was previously on the "banned" list of so-called video nasties in the UK. It didn't really deserve it's place on the list, but it's easy to spot the
scenes that probably put it there.
T he film features two pretty over-the top gore scenes that seem almost out of place in a movie that exercises restraint in most aspects. The most infamous sequence
is the one that shows just how you can put down a dangerous attacking rottweiler with a handy power drill. The other is an axe attack that is so drawn out it becomes almost surreal.
Although some of
the time the action can get rather slow, this slasher stands above it's rivals due to some really good cinematography.
Availability
An uncut version was published by Medusa in January 1983.
A cut version was released later
in 1983 by Medusa and was added to the DPP list of banned video nasties in November of the same year. It stayed on the list throughout the panic , so became one of the collectible DPP39's
Passed 18 uncut by the BBFC for the 2004 Film
2000 DVD
Current UK Status: Passed 18 uncut
Passed 18 uncut for:
2017 Arrow Special Edition (RB) Blu-ray/(R2) DVD Combo at UK Amazon
20
04 Film 2000 R0 DVD via UK Amazon but with
reported poor sound quality
The US release is uncut and MPAA Unrated for:
2017 Arrow Special Edition (RA) Blu-ray/(R1) DVD Combo at US Amazon
Mardi Gras Massacre is a 1978 US horror by
Jack Weis. With Curt Dawson, Gwen Arment and William Metzo.
Serial killer picks on the most evil women he can find and tortures them by amputating hands, then feet, then the part that you use for evil
Summary Review: Cheese and sleaze!
Not exactly a straight slasher as many believe but it's surely as cheesy, and unintentionally funny as any slasher from the
80's.
Mardi Gras Massacre could be considered as a toned down exploitation low budget. The plot asks for brutality, violence, sleaze but the truth is that the execution of the idea isn't as half as good as it should.
The ritual
method is repeated in all the death scenes. So we don't get originality or probably there wasn't enough budget to at least create three different gore scenes. It's okay but even ultra low budget slashers have at least two different killing methods!
Anyways, Mardi Gras Massacre has generated some kind of cult over the years but sincerely, this isn't a must see. The movie should only be watched by b-movie lovers or morbid fans of low budget cheese and sleaze!
Availability
Released on VHS in 1982 on the Goldstar label and later on the Market label. Banned as a video nasty in November 1983 and
stayed on the list throughout the panic so became one of the collectable DPP39s.
Night of the Bloody Apes is a 1969 Mexican horror by Rene Cordona Jr. With José Elías Moreno, Carlos López Moctezuma and Armando Silvestre.
A heavily censored version was released in Mexico whilst it was distributed worldwide in an
International Version with added sex and violence.
The International Version was cut by the BBFC for 1974 cinema release. The uncut version was later banned as a Video Nasty in 1983. The heavily cut Mexican Version was released in 1999. The
International Version was finally passed 18 uncut by the BBFC in 2012. Uncut and R rated in the US.
Summary R eview: Pretty Grim
A mad scientist attempts to cure his son's
leukemia by doing the first ape-to-human heart transplant. He decides to put a gorilla's heart into the lad and orders his flunky to prepare the gorilla! . There is actual footage of a graphic open heart surgery inserted in the ape
operation scenes. This of course causes the boy to turn into a big stinky man-ape...
The film is a very cheap Mexican 'horror' and it is pretty grim. And really most of the film is so comic book and likeable,
dammit, that you can forgive the rather shoddy idea of using said transplant footage as a main point of sale.
People say that really bad films are funny to watch because they are so bad. I have only found this to
be the case with one film before now, Death Wish 3, but now Night Of The Bloody Apes has become one of my pet films. A desert island treasure.
It was released uncut in
January 1983 by Iver Film Services. By November 1983 it had been listed as a video nasty and suffered a successful prosecution. It remained on the list throughout the panic and so became one of the collectable DPP 39s.
In 1993 there was a mysterious
uncut Vipco version. It was nominally slated as pre-cut but somehow got a limited unsanctioned uncut release. It was withdrawn within days.
In 1999 the video was released on the Satanica label, in a version that was obviously taken from Vipco's
planned cut version (Vipco's logo remains). This time the distributor removed every single violent scene before submitting it to the censors.
The same heavily pre-cut version was released on 2002 DVD by Film 2000.
Passed 18 uncut with previous BBFC
cuts waived and distributor cuts restored for the 2012 Nucleus DVD
Current UK Status: Passed 18 uncut
UK: Passed 18 uncut for strong gore, violence, nudity and sexual violence, with previous BBFC cuts waived and
distributor cuts restored for:
Night of the Demon is a 1980 US horror by James C Wasson. With Michael Cutt, Joy Allen and Bob Collins.
Banned as a video nasty in 1983. Later heavily cut for 1984 VHS and the cuts continued to the
2004 DVD. Uncut and MPAA R rated in the US.
Summary Review: Cheap
Another film that is something like an urban legend: being banned in countries like Germany or Norway and also very hard to
find. The reputation of Night of the Demon is much more interesting than the movie itself!
The story is simple: a professor and some students travel to the dark forests to investigate some cruel murders which were
caused by a Bigfoot-like monster that looks like Chewbacca from Star Wars . A feeble minded woman who lives in a lonely hut plays an important role in the solution of the mystery.
Well, the acting is bad, the F/X
are pretty cheesy and only the many murders featured in this flick will keep you away from falling asleep! These deaths however are pretty are gory and violent, so fans of splatter movies won't be disappointed!
Availability
Released by Vipco in June 1982. Banned as a video nasty in October 1983. It stayed on the list throughout the panic and so became
one of the collectable DPP39's
Nightamer Maker is a 1982 USA horror by William Asher. With Jimmy McNichol, Susan Tyrrell and Bo Svenson.
Banned as Video Nasty in 1983. Banned again by the BBFC for video in 1987. Unuct and MPAa R rated in the US.
Summery Review: Gripping
An orphaned teenager finds himself being dominated by his aunt who's hell-bent on keeping him with her...at all costs.
It seems rather strange
that the the director of the I Love Lucy TV series could ever make something on the DPP's list of banned movies, but that's exactly what happened to William Asher's 1981 feature. Despite several undoubtedly shocking scenes this seems particularly unfair,
as it is actually a gripping and well made horror thriller, which was even nominated for a Saturn Award as Best Low Budget Film of the Year.
Availability
Released on the Atlantis label in April 1983. The film
made the list of banned video nasties by November of the same year. It was dropped from the list in December 1985
It was submitted to the BBFC in 1987 with cuts as The Evil Protege
but was banned
Nightmares in a Damaged Brain is a 1981 USA/Italy horror by Romano Scavolini. With Baird Stafford, Sharon Smith and CJ Cooke.
Brain damaged inmate is unwisely released from the asylum. After recalling how he killed his father
and a floozy with an axe he goes on a tour of the local sex shows. This whips him up into a frenzy ready to get down to stalking his ex, son and ex's new flame.
Summary Review: Great Slasher Movie
A
mental-patient, who is troubled with horrible nightmares, has escaped from his hospital. Now on the streets he can't help killing innocent people. But there is one family he is more than interested in and when he tries to kill them, he finds that it's
not that easy.
An underrated and under recognized slasher film of the early 1980s.
The plot is very interesting and is not at all a typical "slasher by numbers" flick, and is not
predictable. There gore is pretty insane and gruesome, and Tom Savini was the make-up effects consultant. There is a tense, uneasy feeling throughout the film, and some very memorable scenes showing how disturbed the killer is, like the part at the peep
show in NYC where he gets so aroused he has a seizure. Pretty crazy stuff.
Oppidan released a cut video in May 1982. This version is said to be more complete than the cinema release with the restoration
of about 1 minute of material
The video was banned as a nasty in July 1983. Perhaps something to do with promotional
material such as the distribution of vomit bags and guess the weight of a human brain in a jar. One of the victims of the panic was David Hamilton-Grant, the owner of Oppidan, who was jailed for 18 months under section 2 of the OPA. The video
remained on the list throughout the panic and so became one of the collectable DPP3s
In the US the Unrated 2011 Code Red version is slightly shortened in uncontroversial scenes.
An uncut version, or as near as dammit, was released in the UK in
November 2015 but was soon withdrawn presumably for a lack of BBFC paperwork. However the BBFC certificate was published shortly after and the DVD went back on sale.
Current UK Status: Passed 18 uncut
UK: Passed 18 uncut for strong bloody violence, horror, strong sex with all previous cuts waived for:
2015 88 Films R0 Blu-ray
2015 88 Films R0 DVD at UK Amazon released on 30th
November
US: The best available version is MPAA unrated for:
2011 Code Red 30th Anniversary Edition R1 DVD at US Amazon titled Nightmare
Possession is a 1981 France/West Germany horror drama by Andrzej Zulawski. With Isabelle Adjani, Sam Neill and Margit Carstensen.
Never cut by the BBFC, but was banned as a video nasty.
There are several versions around the world but the 118min PAL/123min NTSC version is attributed with the tag Director's Cut. There is a rumour that 5 minutes were edited out the octopus baby miscarriage on the metro. This appears
to be false. The director himself has stated that the birth scene never did last 10 minutes. However a fair few scenes were cut during editing one of which clarifies what happens to Anna (Adjani). To the director's knowledge, none of these have
ever made it to any release of the film.
Summary Review: Art Horror
Set in the outbreak of world war 3, a couple, Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill, are undergoing a marital
breakdown apparently mirroring the split of Berlin where they live. The wife cuts herself in the neck with an electric carving knife and partakes in an affair with an octopus creature.
During a secretive business trip away,
Mark learns that his wife Anna is growing restless in what he believed was their happy marriage. Upon his return home, he learns from her that she wants a divorce. They both go through a series of different emotions related to their situation
Possession is totally extraordinary. Packed with symbolism, it can be read on so many possible levels of interpretation it's bewildering. Set in a European city (obviously cold war Berlin) in an alienating mixture of ultra
modern buildings and decaying grandeur, visually it evokes a sense of dislocation.
Thematically, it seems to be a study of a marriage in the last phase of destruction, with Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani. What follows is a
nightmarish and surreal two hours of startling images, bizarre acting and frequent bloodletting. Possession is a challenging art-horror.
Availability
The BBFC passed the 1981 cinema release X uncut
VTC
released the film on VHS in September 1982. It was banned as a video nasty in September 1983. In September 1984 it was cleared of obscenity in a jury trial and was removed from the list. VTC re-released the film with a toned down cover in December 1984.
The BBFC passed the 1999 Visual Corporation video 18 uncut.
Pranks is a 1982 US slasher by Jeff Obrow & Stephen Carpenter. With Laurie Lapinski, Stephen Sachs and David Snow.
Teenage slasher movie with Daphne Zuniga set in a disused dorm. Includes the use of spiked clubs to the eyes, garrotting, amputation and even a human head turning up in the stew.
Summary Review : Typical
Slasher Stuff
Another 80's college film in which all the "students" look older than expected. This is typical slasher stuff, with overly dramatic music that sounds ripped off from Psycho . Don't expect
anything earth-shattering; you do get a cheapie, yet solid release for fans of 80's slasher/horror.
Expect a low budget, some bad acting, and if those are things you are able to tolerate then Pranks ain't half bad. Best served with lots of
beer and a roomful of friends.
Availability
The R Rated Version was released uncut by Canon in June 1982.
It was added to the DPP list of banned video nasties in October 1983. It was dropped from the list in September 1985
If you think you've seen this film totally uncut... think again! Synapse Films is presents The Dorm that Dripped Blood in a never-before-seen alternate version containing additional scenes,
extended gore sequences and a different sound mix.
This transfer was created from the only existing 35mm answer print of the original Directors' Cut entitled Death Dorm , a version of the film thought to have been lost for over thirty
years.
Mountain of the Cannibal God is a 1978 Italian adventure by Sergio Martino With Ursula Andress and Stacey Keach.
All UK releases have been cut for animal cruelty. The film was banned as a video nasty in 1983.
There is an uncut extended version released in the US. This Extended Version was passed 18 for 2018 video but was still cut for animal cruelty.
Summary Review: Very tasty little snack
Explorer is
held as a deity because his Geiger counter continues to tick as if his heart, even when his flesh has perished. This perished flesh gets daubed all over his wife, Ursula Andress.
Another 70's cannibal flick that is much better
than expected.
You've got the hot, scantily-clad Ursula Andress and her crew on a quest through the jungles of New Guinea. They get ambushed by some blood thirsty savages of course. This tribe looks extremely heinous.
Their masks are what really stood out for me in this movie. Freaky! When the maniacal tribe leader sees Ursula, he might develop a different kind of hunger.
You've got all your basic cannibal flick essentials--blood, gore,
decapitations, nudity, violence with animals. The acting and dialogue are good enough not to hamper the story. It may not be extremely original, but hey, if it ain't broke...
Availability
Passed X for the cinema
in 1978 with extensive cuts to animal cruelty. Passed for titles Prisoner of the Cannibal God & The Mountain of the Cannibal God
The cinema cut version was released on pre-cert VHS by Hokushin in 1981, titled Prisoner of the
Cannibal God This was banned and added to the DPP list in November 1983. It was removed from the DPP list in May 1985
The Boogeyman is a minor 80's classic. The story is pure hokum, but the film is full of
absurdly grotesque murder sequences and extreme gore. Ulli Lommel and his buddies must have been so proud on their accomplishment that they decided to re-use all the best footage to fill up almost three quarters of the sequel.
Boogeyman II
is stuffed like a Christmas turkey with key footage of the original, and that's the main reason why it receives so many negative reviews around here.
Boogeyman II is 50 minutes of stock footage and 25 minutes of
non-stop new murders. The new massacres are very lame in comparison with those of the original, though. Death by electric toothbrush and suffocation in shaving gel, for example. The film still got included in the infamous list of video nasties, but only
because of the stock footage of the original and not because of the ridiculous new murder set pieces.
Availability
The Original Version was released on video by VTC. It was banned as a video nasty in September 1984 but
was removed from the list in July 1985.
The Redux Version/Director's Cut was passed 18 uncut for the 2003 Hollywood DVD. This is very different to the Original Version.
Current UK Status: Different version passed 18 uncut
UK: The Redux Version/Director's Cut was passed 18 uncut for:
Slayer is a 1981 US horror by JS Cardone . With Sarah Kendall, Frederick Flynn and Carol Kottenbrook.
Banned as a video nasty in 1983. Unbanned and passed 18 after 14s of BBFC cuts in 1992. Cuts waived in 2001.
Uncut and MPAA R rated in the US.
Summary Review: Minimal Gore
Eric & his surreal artist sister Kay, her doctor husband David, her sister-in-law Brooke along with pilot Marsh become stranded on a
rugged isle face off against a supernatural beast drawn to Kay who dreams of its killings.
The film is quite good. two couples fly to a quiet island for a well-earned break, but Kay knows the horror that is waiting for them &
sure enough they are killed off by this monster. Once the killings start & the storm comes, there's a good atmosphere .
Unfortunately, the gore is way too minimal, with a decent pitchforking scene being its only
saviour.
Availability
Vipco released the uncut VHS in June 1982. It appeared on the video nasties list in October 1983 but was dropped in April 1985
Summary
Review: Publicity is more interesting than the film
Like many films that appeared in the early 70s and raised a stink for one reason or another - the publicity surrounding the Findlay's film Snuff is more
interesting than the film itself.
In fact, this film - which supposedly depicted the actual dismembering of a young girl - caused such a fuss when it played in New York that the mayor demanded that the perpetrators be
captured and prosecuted. That is, of course, until the producers admitted that the film was a fraud and produced the dead actress for all to see.
This film is nothing more than a late 60s Hell's Angels biker movie with a
tacked on ending in which the film's director disembowels a young blond girl. Not sexual, and hardly interesting - the snuff bit of the film is hardly impressive as far as either shock or special effects.
Of course, you
have to sit through a turgid tale of bikers and drug smuggling to even get to this bit - and it just isn't worth it.
Availability
The uncut VHS was set to be released by Astra in May 1982. The release was cancelled but bootleg copies and Belgian imports filled the void.
The video was added to the video nasties list in July 1983. It stayed on the list throughout the panic and so became one of the collectable DPP39's
Passed 18 uncut for Blue Underground in 2003 but never released
Current UK Status: Passed 18 uncut but not released.
SS Experiment Camp is a 1976 Italy war horror by Sergio Garrone. Starring Mircha Carven, Paola Corazzi and Giorgio Cerioni.
Banned as a
video nasty in 1983. Released uncut on 18 rated 2006 DVD. Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US.
Notoriety achieved from the bad taste poster rather than the video itself. The most outrageous experiment is that commandant
commands the removal of the balls of the hunkiest soldier "OK you bastard what have you done with my balls"
Passed uncut when submitted in 2005. The BBFC had few qualms in passing it uncut for sale in the UK with
the following justification (reproduced from one of the newsgroups):
The content of the film is in fact very mild and poorly executed. If anything, it was the title of the film and its original
packaging that led to difficulties, rather than the content. The idea of the film may, of course, be offensive to some but that is not a good enough reason to cut or reject it. We would only cut or reject a film for adults if the content was illegal or
harmful. SS Experiment Camp is neither illegal or harmful, just tasteless.
Summary Review: Highly dubious taste
This is a sleazy WW2 Nazi camp movie which plays more like a black comedy. In this film the poor female POW's get raped and groped by all and sundry at the camp.
They are subjected to some inexplicable experiments, which often
seem to involve forced copulation with a group of Nazi studs. The purpose of the experiments is to find the best stud from this Aryan select and transfer his balls onto the camp commandant who, as we discover, lost his when a Russian woman he was raping
bit his off.
Now, the above synopsis may well make the film sound deeply depraved and offensive. Well, it is sleazy and in highly dubious taste but the execution of the film is so amateurish and unrealistic that it really sounds a lot worse than
it actually is.
Cover art
Garish video magazine adverts featuring the iconic VHS cover art for SS Experiment Camp have been attributed as kicking off the video nasty moral panic. The other 2 films cited
are Cannibal Holocaust and Driller Killer.
Availability
Video released uncut on the Go label in January 1982 under the title SS Experiment Camp
Banned as a video nasty in July 1983 and stayed listed throughout the panic to become one of the collectable DPP39s.
The uncut region 2 DVD should have been available in Feb 2006, BUT due to some unfortunate mistake in production, the film actually release was a 1981 soft porn film,
Love Camp, starring Laura Gemser. Sorted by the reissue in April 2006.
Current UK Status: Passed 18 Uncut
UK: Passed 18 uncut for strong violence, sex and nudity for:
Tenebrae is a 1982 Italy horror mystery thriller by Dario Argento. With Anthony Franciosa, Giuliano Gemma and Christian Borromeo.
Cut by the
BBFC by 4s for cinema release. This cut version was then banned on VHS as a video nasty. The film was cut for 2000 VHS. BBFC cuts were waived in 2003 by but the release suffered print damage. However a fully uncut version was released on UK DVD and
Blu-ray in 2003.
Summary Review : Gore filled giallo
An authors book is stuffed into the mouth of a murdered shop lifter (by razor). The author is bombarded
by threats and pictures from other murders including razoring, axing, stabbing and garrotting.
Tenebrae is a thriller about a writer of thrillers who, whilst on a promotional tour in Italy for his new book (...also called
Tenebrae), finds himself the focus of a deranged serial killer, who is offing his victims according to the grisly murders found in the very same author's work.
Argento has a great deal of fun in devising these bizarre
scenes and scenarios, whilst simultaneously orchestrating this grandiose, gore-filled Giallo with a bold approach to cinematography, montage and music.
As with a lot of Argento's work, the performances aren't all peerless,
although, that said, there's some admirable moments, particularly from Anthony Franciosa as the author, Peter Neal, Argento's former muse Daria Nicolodi as his assistant Ann, and b-movie stalwart John Saxon as Neal's publisher.
The ending of the film is a satisfying one that is sure to delight those familiar with his previous works.
Videomedia released the BBFC cut cinema version on video in June 1983. It was doomed to take a leading position on
the video nasties list. It was listed in March 1984 and stayed on the list throughout the panic. It is therefore one of the collectable DPP39s.
The BBFC cut the 1999 Nouveaux Pictures video by 5s. This is an extra cut of 1s over and above the previous
cinema cuts to ensure that the BBFC were not passing a video that had recently been found to be 'obscene'.
Passed 18 with all BBFC cuts waived for 2003 Anchor Bay R2 DVD but this release suffered some trivial print damage.
Current UK Status: Passed 18 uncut
UK: Passed 18 uncut for:
2015 Arrow Special Edition RB Blu-ray/R2 DVD Combo at UK Amazon
2013 Arrow Steelbook
Re-mastered RB Blu-ray via UK Amazon
Terror Eyes is a 1981 US slasher by Ken Hughes. With Leonard Mann, Rachel Ward and Drew Snyder.
Cut by the BBFC for an X rated 1981 cinema release. Released uncut on pre-cert VHS only
to be banned as a video nasty. Cut by the BBFC for an 18 rated 1987 VHS. Uncut and MPAA R rated in the US.
Summary Review: Action over Suspense
Rachel Ward as psycho killer dressed in
full biker leathers and crash helmet. She beheads various women and leaves their heads in a bucket, a ditch, down the toilet and in a saucepan of Irish stew.
A Boston police detective investigates a series of gruesome
decapitations of various college coeds committed by a helmeted, black-leather clad serial killer which leads him to suspect a well known anthropology professor as well as his female live-in assistant.
A slasher flick with
more action than horror. But the acting is above par as are the overall production values, and there isn't a lot of padding. There's also something of a story complete with characterization.
One could certainly do (much)
worse in picking a slasher film from this era.
Availability
The BBFC cut the 1981 cinema release.
The uncut Guild VHS was released in February 1983. It was banned as a video nasty in March 1984. It was dropped
from the list in June 1985.
The Toolbox Murders is a 1978 US horror by Dennis Donnelly. With Cameron Mitchell and Pamelyn Ferdin.
Cut
by the BBFC for 1979 X rated cinema release. Banned as a video nasty on VHS in 1983. Cut by the BBFC for VHS and DVD from 2000 until the BBFC cuts were waived for 2017 18 rated DVD and Blu-ray. Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US.
Summary
Review: Grisly
The Toolbox Murders starts out with 20 minutes or so of grisly and very well done kill scenes, all of which involve tools. If you like violence, then you'll love the introduction of this
film. If you're a sucker for nudity in horror films, then you'll appreciate the introduction to this film for that as well.
After the kills are complete, the middle portion of this movie is a lot of talk with little
or no gore. However the dialog between the killer and the kidnapped girl is very interesting.
If you have the attention span to sit through 'slower' moments of this film, then you'll find something to enjoy in it.
Availability
The cinema release was extensively cut in 1979.
A cut version was released on Pre-VRA video by Hokushin in November 1981 and made it onto the video nasties list in November 1983. It was removed from the
list in May 1985 as it was a BBFC approved version.
There are conflicting reports about versions released by Hokushin. The best theory seems to be that there were two versions released:
A cut version missing around 6 minutes of footage. This seems to be in excess of the oft quoted cinema version which was missing around 2 minutes. This seems to the most common version with a runtime noted as 83:56s. Maybe there is a possibility that
it was doubly speeded up during NTSC to PAL conversion
Unhinged is a 1982 US horror by Don Gronquist. With Laurel Munson, Janet Penner and Sara Ansley.
Unrecommended video following a bunch of runaway girls meeting a freaky family in the woods. Some of the girls become a hickory smoked dinner morsel.
Summary Review : Check it out
Three college girls on
their way to a jazz festival crash their car in the isolated woods during a rainstorm, and are taken in by a mysterious family in an old mansion. Little do the girls know, the family has a dark, murderous secret.
Of course
the acting is second rate and mundane in places, of course the camera work is shoddy, of course the direction is somewhat inept and the script is tacky. But it was made on a tight budget for crying out loud. In fact, I'll gladly offer a billion quid to
anyone who can name me just one perfectly directed slasher film.
Nevertheless, there are more upsides than downsides to this movie: the violence can be quite shocking in places (especially the machette killing) which
happens off screen but is still relentless and brutal. The synth music is eerily brilliant and the overall brooding atmosphere makes you think twice about visiting the toilet for a while.
C heck it out - it's a really good
horror film.
Availability
Passed 18 uncut for 1983 cinema release.
Released uncut on pre-cert VHS by Avatar in 1983. This was banned as a video nasty in November 1983. It was dropped from the
banned list in May 1985.
Visiting Hours is a 1982 Canada horror thriller by Jean-Claude Lord. With Michael Ironside, Lee Grant and Linda Purl.
Cut by the BBFC for 1982 cinema release. The same cut version was briefly banned as Video Nasty in 1984.
Released again in the same cut form on VHS in 1986. The BBFC cuts were waived for 2017 18 rated DVD and Blu-ray. Uncut and MPAA R rated in the US.
Summary Review: Not your everyday slasher
A crazed,
women-hating killer (Ironside) attacks journalist Deborah Ballin (Grant). When he discovers that his attack didn't kill Deborah, he comes to the hospital to finish what he started.
The movie is really quite tense at
times. The attack at Deborah's home is frightening, especially the dumb waiter scene. And the climactic chase is amazingly pulled off. The acting is alright and the music is also to note, and adds a lot of atmosphere.
This is much different from
what you'd probably expect, and is worth a look. Definitely not your everyday slasher.
The Werewolf and the Yeti is a 1975 Spanish horror by Miguel Iglesias. With Paul Naschy, Mercedes Molina and Silvia Solar.
Banned as a video nasty in 1984. Not released in the UK since. Uncut and MPAA Unrated
in the US.
Summary Review: Monster Movie
A team of scientists travel to Tibet to track down the Yeti. Among the group is Waldemar (Naschy) who falls in with some vampire handmaidens and somehow
gets turned into a werewolf.
The film turns out to be a low budget monster movie with just a couple of decent performances keeping it from total inanity. There's hardly any horror, and there's a few hints that maybe it was
once intended to be a sexy horror...but isn't. The evil Tibetan chieftain and his wicked witch are better than the 'monsters'.
Availability
Released uncut on video by Canon in October 1982.
Added to the video nasty list in August 1984 and remained listed throughout the panic, so becoming one of the collectable DPP39s
Current UK Status: No UK release since
US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for:
2017 Shout! Factory Paul Naschy Collection II RA Blu-ray at US Amazon
2014 One 7
Movies R0 DVD titled Werewolf at US Amazon
The Witch who Came from the Sea is a 1976 US horror by Matt Cimber.
With Millie Perkins, Lonny Chapman and Vanessa Brown.
Always uncut but briefly banned as a video nasty in 1984. Passed 18 uncut for 2006 DVD. Uncut and MPAA R rated in the US.
Summary Review: Odd little gem
A sensationalist cover got this video into trouble "A young woman's nightmare of incest and castration... Molly has a way with razors!" The
actual castration scene of course is well toned down.
Here is an odd little gem of a film that fortunately has resurfaced on DVD, boasting a pristine film transfer. Descriptions of the film, the title of the film, and even the
DVD cover itself do little to relate, or even hint at what is, as it turns out, an altogether strange, unsettling, humorous, and entertaining cinematic treat.
The off kilter acting styles, unnatural tone, and dark humor of the film
shares a kinship to the works of David Lynch. Highly recommended.
Availability
Released on VHS by VTC. It was banned as a video nasty in august 1984 but was
dropped from the DPP list following unsuccessful prosecutions in June 1985.
Passed 18 uncut by the BBFC in 2006.
Current UK Status: Passed 18 uncut
UK: Passed 18 uncut for:
2017 Arrow Special Edition (RB) Blu-ray at UK Amazon
Women Behind Bars is a 1975 French/Belgian sexploitation film by Jess Franco . With Lina Romay, Martine Stedil and Nathalie Chape.
Banned as a video nasty in 1984 but otherwise not released until uncut 18 rated DVD in 2017. Uncut and MPAA unrated n the US.
Summary Review: Naked Isn't a Problem
A small-time hood attracts the attention of the law with an insurance scam and diamond theft, but things become even more interesting when his moll murders him
and is slammed behind bars where she faces all manner of electric shock treatments to various parts of her anatomy.
There's tons of nudity, a lesbian scene and a couple torture sequences but this is still fairly clear for a Franco
WIP film.
Romay has never been accused of being a good actress but she fits her role fine here and she's certainly cute so watching her naked isn't a problem.
Franco himself plays a gangster in the film.
Availability
The video was released on the Go label. It briefly made the video nasty list in August 1984 but was dropped in October 1984
Current UK Status: Passed 18 uncut in August 2017.
Zombie Creeping Flesh is a 1980 Italy/Spain horror by Bruno Mattei. With Margit Evelyn Newton, Franco Garofalo and Selan Karay.
A zombie plague results from a chemical worker being attacked by a zombie rat. The version released in Britain by Merlin video was already cut including the loss of the scene where the stars eyeballs get pulled out though her mouth.
Summary Review: Awful but lots of Fun
A tough female reporter and her cameraman boyfriend team up with a four-man commando unit in the New Guinea jungle whom are fighting flesh-eating zombies.
Sure it has an amazingly inept Ed Wood-ian sort of quality... ok yes, it IS in fact a terrible film, but it does have a lot going for it.
The film remains totally enjoyable and even has a certain
lovable quality. It's lots of fun and there's never a dull moment.
There are some truly effective Zombie sequences. The scenes involving the zombie priest at the mission, the zombie kid coming to life in his fathers arms, the dead
native coming to life after his funeral ceremony .
Last but not least, the gore. As the producers said, without blood and entrails, a film like this would be pointless. This film will make your stomach turn. The use of real
raw meat and pig guts definitely helped Hell of the Living Dead live up to the splatter genre and then some. The extreme close-ups of maggots crawling through rotting flesh and a native picking them off and eating them were absolutely nasty! Also
there are some well done exploding zombie heads.
Availability
A pre-cut version with about a minute of violent scenes removed was passed X (18) without further BBFC cuts for the 1982 cinema release.
However the
distributors felt that the film was too long and decided not to release this version but to shorten it. The distributors cuts now totalled 14:32s minutes, especially the interminable SWAT team footage. This was then released without BBFC approval for the
1982 cinema release.
The significantly shortened and pre-cut cinema version was release on VHS on the Merlin Label in October 1982. It was banned as a video nasty in July 1983 after being successfully prosecuted in Brighton. It was dropped from the
list in July 1985
James Ferman refused to view a 1993 submission from Video Gems. This was during the Jamie Bulger moral panic and Ferman advised that it was not a good time to release a video nasty.
Eventually it was passed 18 uncut
for the 2002 Protected/Vipco VHS
Zombie Flesh Eaters is a 1979 Italian horror by Lucio Fulci With Tisa Farrow and Ian McCulloch.
Zombies are exuding from an old Spanish cemetery. The cut version loses eye skewering, profuse bleeding from ripped necks and the zombies feasting on intestines.
Summary Review: Horror Classic
Strangers looking for a woman's father arrive at a tropical island where a doctor desperately searches for the cause and cure of a recent epidemic of the undead.
This is a horror classic of Lucio Fulci with a
simple, but interesting screenplay. The unforgettable story begins like Nosferatu, with an empty boat arriving in a harbor with a zombie instead of a vampire; shows the naked body of two beautiful actresses, Auretta Gay and Olga Karlatos; is very gory,
with a death that slightly recalls the famous scene of Buñuel in "Un Chien Andalou", when the zombie perforates the eye of Paola Menard; and has a very scary and impressive make-up, with zombies eating human flesh and biting and killing
people.
The sister of Mia Farrow, Tisa Farrow, has a good performance in this cult-movie.
Availability
The cinema version was passed X by the BBFC in 1979 with 14 cuts totalling 1:46s.
This X rated cinema version was released on video by Vipco in 1980. Vipco then issued the "strong uncut
version" in 1981 at a premium price which then got out on the Video Nasties list in October 1983. It stayed on the list throughout so became one of the collectable DPP 39s
The heavily cut cinema version was passed 18 in 1992
& 1996. Vipco misleadingly tried to pass off their version as 'complete'
Re-released on Diskline video in 1999 with most cuts restored but still 23s missing
UK:
Passed 18 uncut for strong gory violence and horror after all cuts waived for:
2012 Arrow Steelbook RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 26th November 2012
2012
Arrow Special Edition RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 26th November 2012
2012
Arrow R2 DVD at UK Amazon released on 26th November 2012
Note that the 2012 Arrow Blu-Ray disc included in Steelbook and Special Editions erroneously omits 6s immediately after the opening credits when the zombie carrying boat first comes into view. Replacement disks were provided.
US: Uncut and
MPAA Unrated for:
2018 Blue Underground 40th Anniversary Limited Edition RA Blu-ray at US Amazon
Soon after the cinema release the video distributors withdrew the uncut video and released the same cut as the cinema version. The video was
added to the list of banned video nasties in November 1983 anyway. It stayed on the list throughout the panic and so became one of the collectable DPP39s. 
Garish video magazine adverts featuring the iconic VHS cover art for Cannibal Holocaust have been attributed as causing the video nasty moral panic. The other 2 films cited are SS Experiment Camp and Driller Killer. 
This is a sleazy WW2 Nazi camp movie which plays more like a black comedy. In this film the poor female POW's get raped and groped by all and sundry at the camp. 
