The video nasties era has been discussed many times, but this update of the seminal See No Evil is set to become the final word.
Renowned genre authors David Kerekes and David Slater revisit their original text, updating and expanding it impressively. Set into distinct parts, the book first covers the video nasty phenomenon as it happened. With reproductions of trade ads to outraged media coverage. Sober-headed, it gives a detailed depiction of what it was like at the time (and we remember it well!). A large chunk of the page count is dedicated to insights into the films on the DPP39, the official list of videos likely to deprave and corrupt. With no hyperbole, the authors pick through the good, the bad, and the downright ugly films that were likely to fall foul of the law. Many of these movies are now available uncut officially in the UK. Younger horror fans will no doubt be disappointed by many, as they are quainter and tame than the furious outcry of the eighties would have them believe.
An informative appendix covers some films the BBFC had rejected (effectively banned). There are times when the decision was later overturned when common sense prevailed. These encompass a variety of subjects, from low-budget independent features (Boy Meets Girl) videos to movies such as International Guerrillas, a 1990 film centred on Muslim revenge against Salman Rushdie. Also included is a pair of interviews with pioneering independent video distributors, namely Richard King of Screen Edge (who released Jörg Buttgereit’s Der Todesking and Scooter McCrae’s Shatter Dead) and Carl Daft from Exploited (and now co-owner of Severin Films). Daft explains some of the company’s woes when submitting films – and video covers! – to the BBFC. These chats add an extra dimension to the video nasty story, as do the responses from the interviews Kerekes undertook with members of the BBFC. It’s fascinating hearing what the Board considers when classifying films for home release, with the audio commentaries sometimes boosting the film’s rating from a lower 12 to perhaps a 15 or 18, depending on what’s being said and the context. To add even more context to the worrying times of the nasties ‘scare’, author David Flint is interviewed about being raided for bringing so-called obscene material to the country. This writer has some minor experience with having customs seize and destroy a tape. It was a film that is now available on Blu-ray in perfect quality, fully uncut and passed by the BBFC. Crazy times! Topping the exhaustive look into the nasty era is a rundown on the availability of the contentious movies. Unsurprisingly, most of them are now available fully uncut in the UK in crystal-clear transfers, unlike the nth-generation versions we had to put up with back in the day.
Even if you have the earlier edition of the book, Cannibal Error is a must-read for anyone interested in the dark days of the video industry, particularly when it comes to horror films.
CANNIBAL ERROR is out now. You can order an exclusive hardback edition from the Headpress website.
