Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide

2010

1 hr. 12 min.

Documentary

List

100%

5 Reviews

Tomatometer

89%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

A documentary analysis of the hysteria caused by the distribution of violent movies on videocassette in Britain during the 1980s.

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Audience Member

The greatest 01 hour: and 12 minutes with real footage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Fascinating but ultra compressed political tale of censorship in the media. It's all talking heads but it's actually very interesting.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

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Audience Member

Great documentary on the worrying and bizarre tenuous links British media made between movies and violent culture. "Art can't be controlled by the tastebuds of the lunatics"

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

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Audience Member

A definitive look at a recent history of moral panic that when analysed is a political scandal. Whilst hit and miss is directorial quality, the subject coverage and access to key players makes this a very worthy watch for horror fans and anyone that experienced this era.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

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Audience Member

Last House On The Left didn't make me want to kill someone. I did need a hug after and then a shower and a nap for a couple of hour. Also all documents should be a little over an hour. now seeing I just saw a few scene from Last House On The Left I will need to repeat all the above.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

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Audience Member

Man alive, it's freaky to think that this would happen in a decade known for its levels of excess, but I suppose that Britain will always have a certain stuffy tone that it can't escape. Crazy, ill-advised reactions to things that were pretty much non-issues until someone made them into big news. Recommended.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

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Jake West

Director

Julian Petley

Self

Marc Morris

Self

Andy Nyman

Self

Xavier Mendik

Self

Christopher Smith

Self

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Anton Bitel

Little White Lies

Hilariously opening with a rapid, context-free montage of the nastiest scenes from each and every banned title, West's film defies its viewers to be corrupted and depraved by this sensational parade of grand guignol

Nov 26, 2010

Full Review

Paul Freitag-Fey

Daily Grindhouse

A fascinating look at the golden age of home video and the controversies that rose from its prominence

Aug 5, 2019

Full Review

Anton Bitel

Film Divider

to know what those cowboy days of unregulated video were like... just look at the world wide web, whose content the state would no doubt also like to control and classify, if only it could afford to employ another billion or so examiners

Jul 3, 2014

Full Review

Henry Northmore

The List

The assembled interviews give some interesting, considered perspectives from both sides.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 5, 2014

Full Review

Anton Bitel

Eye for Film

expos[es] the motivations behind their banning as at best small-minded patrician stupidity and at worst a Thatcherite conspiracy to distract from governmental inadequacies, erode civil liberties and strip away judicial powers.

Nov 9, 2010

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Synopsis

A documentary analysis of the hysteria caused by the distribution of violent movies on videocassette in Britain during the 1980s.

Director: Jake West
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English