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Video Nasties The Dropped 33 Part 1
Storyline: Video Nasties: The Dropped 33 Trailers & Intros [Part ONE]
The DPP list of 'video nasties' was first made public in June 1983. The list was modified monthly as prosecutions failed or were dropped. In total, 72 separate films appeared on the list at one time or another. Thirty-nine films were successfully prosecuted under the Obscene Publications Act but some of these films have been subsequently cut and then approved for release by the BBFC. The remaining 33 were either not prosecuted or had unsuccessful prosecutions.
A number of films spent a short time on this list because their prosecutions failed shortly after publication or because it was decided that prosecution was not worth pursuing. Ultimately, the list became obsolete when the Video Recordings Act came into force, and since 2001, several of the films have been released uncut. In the majority of cases below where cuts were made, they were scenes of real-life animal cruelty and/or excessive violence to women, both of which are still regarded with some degree of severity by the BBFC.
The Dropped 33 are a diverse array of art and trash, several of which provoke the same kind of bewilderment as some of the official Video Nasties. Among the artier fare are Andrzej Zulawski�s POSSESSION (which was considered trashy by much of the British press at the time despite Adjani�s Cannes and César Best Actress awards) and Dario Argento�s INFERNO (which had its objectionable cat-eating-mouse scene cut for the tape release but restored for its recent DVD and Blu-ray editions). Among the trash is the dreadfully boring I MISS YOU, HUGS & KISSES with Elke Sommer (which was also titled DROP DEAD DARLING although I saw it in the US under the title LEFT FOR DEAD) and THE FROZEN SCREAM. Curiously, a couple commentators on the titles starting with DON�Tsuggest that they were the likely inspiration for Edgar Wright�s fake trailer for Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarrentino�s GRINDHOUSE but it seems directly inspired by the narration for the trailer for Tony Maylem�s THE BURNING. Others like NIGHT SCHOOL seemingly made the list because of the imagery of women being menaced by figures with knives. Jones believes that LATE NIGHT TRAINS (although its tape face label refers to as DON�T RIDE ON LATE NIGHT TRAINS, it has the familiar onscreen title NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS) should still be on the Video Nasty list (given the logic). He follows up on comments Mendik made on HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK about social class here in discussing the subtle acting gestures of Macha Meril�s Lady on the Train.
The introductions which feature comments from Morris, Kim Newman, Alan Jones, Stephen Thrower, Xavier Mendik, Brunel journalism professor Dr. Julian Petley, and Dr. Patricia MacCormack of Anglia Ruskin University, and TV presenter Emily Booth are sometimes strained but generally vary from truly informative to entertaining. Kim Newman compares BAY OF BLOOD to LA RONDE and is understandably dumbfounded by FROZEN SCREAM. Marc Morris gives us the backstory on FACES OF DEATH (the pre-cert of which was missing ten minutes, including the scene featuring the cover imagery) and puzzles the authorship of the jaw dropping CANNIBAL TERROR. Stephen Thrower makes some interesting arguments for some unlikely films like the melancholy AXE and the deliberate artistic choices of DON�T GO IN THE HOUSE. Allen Bryce gives a couple DVD cover art worthy quotes such as a very immobile vampire flick for DON�T GO IN THE PARK and describes the Mykonos of Niko Mastorakis� ISLAND OF DEATH as a place where men are men and sheep are scared. MacCormack introductions are at times overly academic but usually thought-provoking. Her thoughts on REVENGE OF THE BOGEY MAN and FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN are interesting and it would have been nice to hear her talk about POSSESSION (although, as mentioned above, Thrower does an excellent job discussing the film). Strangely, she does not have much of interest to say about THE WITCH WHO CAME FROM THE SEA which has got tattoos and castration and I�m still puzzling her baroque interpretation of the body comment on THE BEYOND. Mendik�s and Petley�s contextual analyses are a bit more audience friendly. Mendik argues for the artistic merits of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE and the distancing effects during the rape scenes in HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK (whose tape release was cut by 11 minutes). Booth sounds as though she�s auditioning to be a TV horror hostess (fusing her somehow with MacCormack might make for an Elvira-esque figure), especially during her spoiler-filled introduction for KILLER NUN while WEREWOLF AND THE YETI is more suited to her gushing. There are some where the presenters were reaching for things to say about the films but those strained comments were appropriate to how bad the films were. Morris, for instance, keeps things short and painless for the short trailer for the extremely painful MARDI GRAS MASSACRE while Newman points out the irony of the title ABSURD (the English export title for ANTHROPOPHAGUS 2) as well as its French title HORRIBLE but otherwise can barely sum up the energy to ridicule the film.
16 Films Are Covered In PART ONE:
The Beyond (original title: E tu vivrai nel terrore - L'Aldilà re-released uncut in 2001)
The Boogeyman (re-released uncut in 2000)
Cannibal Terror (original title: Terror CanÃbal released uncut in 2003)
Contamination (released uncut in 2004 with a 15 rating)
Dead & Buried (re-released uncut in 2004)
Death Trap (original title: Eaten Alive re-released uncut in 2000)
Deep River Savages (original/alternate title: Il paese del sesso selvaggio, Man from Deep River released with 3m 45s cut in 2003)
Delirium (Alternate title: Psycho Puppet - released with 16s cut in 1987)
Don't Go in the House (released with 3m 7s cut in 1987)
Don't Go Near the Park (released uncut in 2006)
Don't Look in the Basement (original title: The Forgotten released uncut in 2005 with a 15 rating)
The Evil Dead (re-released uncut in 2001)
Frozen Scream (Banned outright)
The Funhouse (Released uncut in 1987, re-classified 15 in 2007)
Human Experiments (released with 26s cut in 1994)
I Miss You, Hugs and Kisses (released with 1m 6s cut in 1986)
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