Here come the Nasties!
a collection of video covers from the Infamous Video Nasty scandal 1982.
Here come the Nasties!....... In 1984 the VRA (Video Recordings Act) was passed in the UK which meant that all films released on video had to be certified by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification). For four years previous to this act being passed video wasn't classified or censored and films previously released at the cinema heavily cut were now available uncut! And what a fantastic time for cinema it was!.
With the VRA naturally came censorship in its truist form: Video retailers were raided, films were siezed, fines were handed out and in the most extreme cases prison sentences were given. And why? Because the DPP (Director of Public Prosection) had a list of 72 films which later became 33 film that were discribed as depraved, disgusting, harmfully to society and would eventually turn our children into serial killers. These depraved cinematic gems became known as "The Video Naties" and led to a moral panic between citizens and politicians in the UK that has become a fixed point in our Popular Culture history.
The 33 films on the DPPs infamous list were all banned in the UK , however, one of the main reason alot of these titles were siezed in the first place was because of thier cover art. These beautifully illustrated, horrific images designed to entice the viewing public, each one more extreme then the last with the promise of horror like you've never known.
Here come the Nasties!.. Video covers were illustrated in the 1980s and really were works of art in thier own right, I am bringing back the Nasty! The content of theses films and thier art work were controversial, they were heavily censored, they were horrific but they were also quite powerful.
I am illustrating all the covers of the 33 banned films to develop into a larger project that will explore how we feel as a society today about these images that were so controversial 25years ago.
Please feel free to comment on how these images make you feel good or bad.
More images to follow........
Here come the Nasties!....... In 1984 the VRA (Video Recordings Act) was passed in the UK which meant that all films released on video had to be certified by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification). For four years previous to this act being passed video wasn't classified or censored and films previously released at the cinema heavily cut were now available uncut! And what a fantastic time for cinema it was!.
With the VRA naturally came censorship in its truist form: Video retailers were raided, films were siezed, fines were handed out and in the most extreme cases prison sentences were given. And why? Because the DPP (Director of Public Prosection) had a list of 72 films which later became 33 film that were discribed as depraved, disgusting, harmfully to society and would eventually turn our children into serial killers. These depraved cinematic gems became known as "The Video Naties" and led to a moral panic between citizens and politicians in the UK that has become a fixed point in our Popular Culture history.
The 33 films on the DPPs infamous list were all banned in the UK , however, one of the main reason alot of these titles were siezed in the first place was because of thier cover art. These beautifully illustrated, horrific images designed to entice the viewing public, each one more extreme then the last with the promise of horror like you've never known.
Here come the Nasties!.. Video covers were illustrated in the 1980s and really were works of art in thier own right, I am bringing back the Nasty! The content of theses films and thier art work were controversial, they were heavily censored, they were horrific but they were also quite powerful.
I am illustrating all the covers of the 33 banned films to develop into a larger project that will explore how we feel as a society today about these images that were so controversial 25years ago.
Please feel free to comment on how these images make you feel good or bad.
More images to follow........
The Beast in Heat, 1977. One of many Nazi Nasties.
Bloody Moon, 1980.
Cannibal Holocaust, 1980. One of the most notorious images from the nasties era.Used as the poster image for most anti nasty campaigns.
Mardi Gras Massacre, 1978.
SS Experiment Camp, 1976. Another Nazi Nasty.
I Spit on your Grave, 1978. The most notorious of all the Nasties.
Zombie Flesh Eaters, 1979. One of my personal favourites!.
Driller Killer,1978.
My Very Own Nasty!! 2011. Simply playing on the imagery and colourings of some of the featured Nasties covers I was able to create a disturbing image for a fictitious film entitled "Uncensored".
