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Video Nasties The Dropped 33 Part 2
Storyline:
Video Nasties: The Dropped 33 Trailers & Intros [Part TWO]
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).
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�s 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.
17 Films Are Covered In PART TWO:
Inferno (re-released with 20s cut in 1993 re-released uncut in September, 2010)
Killer Nun (original title: Suor Omicidi re-released uncut in 2006)
Late Night Trains (original title: L'ultimo treno della notte released uncut in 2008)
Living Dead At Manchester Morgue (original title: Non si deve profanare il sonno dei morti re-released uncut in 2002)
Nightmare Maker(aka 'Butcher/Baker/Nightmare Maker' and Night Warning on the credits of some versions) (Banned outright)
Possession (original film was severely cut and re-edited for the American market - released uncut in 1999)
Pranks [aka The Dorm That Dripped Blood - 1992 video release was cut by 10 secs to a drill murder by the BBFC)
Prisoner of the Cannibal God (original title: La montagna del dio cannibale released with 2m 6s cut in 2001)
Revenge of the Bogey Man (original title: Boogeyman II released with additional footage in 2003)
The Slayer (initial video release was edited by 14 secs - re-released uncut in 2001)
Terror Eyes (original title: Night School released with 1m 16s cut in 1987)
The Toolbox Murders [original UK cinema version was cut by around 6 minutes - released in the UK and cut by 1 min 46 secs in 2000)
Unhinged (released uncut in 2004)
Visiting Hours (released with approximately 2m cut in 1986)
The Witch Who Came From the Sea (released uncut in 2006)
Women Behind Bars (original French title: Des diamants pour l'enfer) (Banned outright)
Zombie Creeping Flesh (original title: Virus released uncut in 2002)
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