Video Nasty #3- The House On The Edge Of The Park

(1980)
Director: Ruggero Deodato
Writers: Gianfranco Clerici, Vincenzo Mannino

This is the second and last Ruggero Deodato film on the Nasties list and while I don't feel as strongly about it as Cannibal Holocaust, it's still an excellent film. Like Cannibal Holocaust, The House On The Edge Of The Park (or, as it's known in the trailer, The House Of The Park On The Edge) has a deeper subtext that underlies the simplistic surface plotline, but is not afraid to revel in the brutal violence it portrays on screen. Also, Riz Ortolani provides another perplexingly pleasant score.

The incomparable David Hess stars as Alex, a sadistic thug that is admittedly not much different from the role he played in Last House On The Left. When Alex and his buddy Ricky tag along to a party full of wealthy socialites, it quickly becomes apparent that they are there simply for the entertainment of the upper class party-goers and it isn't long before the tables are turned. Lots of rape ensues.

With the director of Cannibal Holocaust and the star of Last House On The Left, it's not surprising that this movie made the list. While I can't defend the brutal violence in this film as much as I could defend that of Cannibal Holocaust, there is a bit more to it than just a senseless rape film. Supposedly there is a sequel in the works with Deodato returning to direct. I can't deny that I have my doubts as to it's quality, but I really look forward to it.

Enjoyability: 9 out of 12 beers

Quality: 8 out of 10 skulls

Video Nasty #2- The Driller Killer

(1979)
Director: Abel Ferrara
Writer: Nicholas St. John

The Driller Killer is a very strange film. I had heard a lot about it, both good and bad, so I expected that I would either love it or hate it. Instead, I find myself somewhere in-between. There's no doubt that it's a fairly skillfully made film, and I think that's why I expected just a little more from it. The Driller Killer lays down the foundation for a fascinating exploration of the protagonist's descent into madness, but then, doesn't really do much with it.

The basic plot concerns Reno, a struggling New York artist (played by Abel Ferrara himself), who lives in a rundown apartment with his girlfriend and her lesbian lover. While struggling to complete what he believes to be his greatest work yet, he is tormented by the loud punk band next door, money troubles, and issues about his father who may or may not be one of the countless derelicts who call New York home, whom Reno despises. All of these factor into Reno becoming slowly unhinged and taking out his frustrations with a power drill on the streets of the city.

Although the film contains a few graphic gore scenes, I have the feeling this movie ended up on the Nasties list simply because of the title and the full-page ads featuring the above poster. The movie is more than just gory murders however, quite a few scenes have a bizarre, almost dream-like quality to them and the movie as a whole has a very art-house feel to it. It also showcases the overwhelming grittiness of 70's New York, which I always enjoy seeing in movies. All in all, The Driller Killer is not one of my favorite movies, but it definitely wasn't bad and I have a feeling that I will probably revisit it again.

Enjoyability: 7 out of 12 beers

Quality: 7 out of 10 skulls

Video Nasty #1- Cannibal Holocaust

(1980)
Director: Ruggero Deodato
Writer: Gianfranco Clerici

Cannibal Holocaust is an important film that is not only skillfully made, but socially relevant as well.

Some people (mostly those who have never seen the film) would read those words and think they were a joke. That's a damn shame. But who could blame them? When one hears a title like Cannibal Holocaust, one can't help but picture a mindless, exploitative mondo film. Not that there's anything wrong with the mondo films, but Cannibal Holocaust offers so much more.

I first discovered Cannibal Holocaust probably about 10 years ago. The Blair Witch had come out a few years prior and I enjoyed that (I saw it before the ridiculous amount of hype overtook it), and I had just seen a film called The Last Broadcast. I was interested in the idea of "found footage" films and decided to track down what I could. There actually weren't a whole lot of films in this style back then, unlike there is today, so it wasn't long before I caught wind of Cannibal Holocaust. I had heard the title before and just figured it was another of the seemingly endless cannibal movies of the 70's which never seemed to interest me very much. So when I heard that it was also a found footage film, I asked around about it. I was told by the few people that had seen it that it was horrible, an irredeemable, gratuitously gory mess. I was told not to waste my time. So of course, at that point, I HAD to see it. And let me tell you, I was blown away. That was the end of my interest in found footage films. No other film could compare. I had just seen the ultimate found footage film.

I could seriously go on and on about all the things that make Cannibal Holocaust such a great film. The breathtaking aerial shots, the juxtaposition of the actual slaughter of animals and staged sequences of violence against people which make the movie seem almost real, the building sense of dread and uneasiness, the way the sweeping score by Riz Ortolani lends a sort of beauty to the brutality you're witnessing on screen. Cannibal Holocaust is a film that makes you feel bad for liking it. A film that drives you to ask important moral questions not only of yourself but of society as a whole. Those who have already seen it know these things. Those who have not can only understand once they've seen it for themselves. Some films you watch, Cannibal Holocaust you experience.

It's no wonder then that Cannibal Holocaust is one of the more notorious of the video nasties. The gruesomely titillating video cover (seen above) was practically begging to cause trouble. It was one of the first videos to be prosecuted by the DPP, and to this day I'm not sure that it's ever been released in it's full, unedited form in the UK. It's a shame really, because Cannibal Holocaust is an important and extremely well made film, and should be critical viewing for any students of film or journalism. And that's no joke.

 Enjoyability: 10 1/2 beers out of 12 (Please note that rating is not indicative of the number of beers consumed during film)

Quality:  9 out of 10 skulls

Mission Statement

Seventy-two films. One man. Too much beer.

My main goal in starting this blog is to chronicle my viewing of all 72 movies on the "video nasties" list. Whether or not it will continue beyond that, I don't know. However, I fully intend to see it through until I've seen every film on the list. I'm going to do what I can to make the reviews interesting even though I'm not very practiced in my review writing skills. I've got a computer, beer, and an unquenchable hunger for gory movies, no matter how terrible they may be.

For those that don't know, the "video nasties" were a group of films targeted by the UK's Director of Public Prosecutions for prosecution under the Obscene Publications Act. You see, this was in the early eighties, at the height of the VHS boom. While films had to pass through the British Board of Film Censorship in order to be released to theaters, there was no legislation in the wild wild west of VHS rentals and sales. Except of course for pornography, which was covered under the Obscene Publications Act. Because the wording in the act defining obscenity was vague, the DPP felt that certain extreme horror and/or exploitation films could also fall under the act. Each film had to be prosecuted on a case by case basis and, of the 72 films that were on the DPP list at one point or another, only 39 were successfully prosecuted and subsequently banned. These films were, for all intents and purposes, illegal to sell or rent. However, in 2009 a legislative mistake was discovered in the Video Recordings Act of 1984 which rendered the list obsolete.

So, why the video nasties? I'm not British. I've never lived in the UK. While I remember hearing rumblings about them when I was still discovering the wonderful world of horror films, they had little to no effect on me. So why would I dedicate so much time and effort to these films? Truthfully, I don't know. It could be that I'm a very strong anti-censorship advocate and by viewing these films I feel like I'm striking a blow against pointless and unjust censorship. It could be curiosity. What could be so terrible in these films that it would warrant such harsh legal action? Or it could just be that I'm an avid gorehound and I'll find any excuse I can to watch as many gruesome and/or just plain awful movies as I can. Yeah. Actually, I think that's probably it.

I will be rating each movie on two different scales, quality and enjoyability. Now, some of these movies I've seen before, and some I actually own. Obviously, those are going to be the first ones that I do. I'm hoping that even with the modern wonders of the internet a few of these movies will be somewhat difficult to track down. I've always enjoyed the thrill of the hunt and the sense of pride that comes with finally tracking down a copy of that terrible movie you've been searching for for years. I can't tell you how many years I searched for a VHS copy of "Dream A Little Evil". Was the movie worth it? Absolutely not. But the feeling of elation when I found it in the bottom of a box of sleeveless VHS tapes at a horror convention definitely was. I have no doubt that some of these movies will be fantastic and I'll wonder why it took me so long to see them. I also have no doubt that some of these movies will be horrible and will make me want to gauge my eyes out with a rusty ice cream scoop. But I can tell you one thing... I look forward to every minute of it!