Video Nasties (Part 1)

[Robin Davies]

Because it is so disturbingly real that anyone watching, even the most well versed in horror, finds themselves wishing it would stop. If there ever is a justification for censorship then this film is the epitome of that point.

I would disagree with that. If you believe the film could incite real-life violence then fair enough but to say a film should be withdrawn because it is too intense seems a bit strange. Other viewers might have a completely different view and surely should be given the choice to make up their own minds.

I did find the film very nasty but was surprised when two female acquaintances independently said they enjoyed it. I had assumed that women in particular would find the film unbearable but presumably they felt the revenge sequences made everything alright!

[GoggleboxUK]

I would disagree with that. If you believe the film could incite real-life violence then fair enough but to say a film should be withdrawn because it is too intense seems a bit strange. Other viewers might have a completely different view and surely should be given the choice to make up their own minds.

I did find the film very nasty but was surprised when two female acquaintances independently said they enjoyed it. I had assumed that women in particular would find the film unbearable but presumably they felt the revenge sequences made everything alright!

I'm only expressing my personal opinion and whether you agree or not is of little consequence. It's not like I'm head of the BBFC or anything.

I know women who have seen the veersion shown on TV here (which had a further 6 minutes removed from the already heavily cut 18 certificate relased in the UK) who also said they enjoyed it.

I played the uncut gang rapescene to one of them who was absolutely horrified at the brutality of it and completely changed er perspective.

It would be interesting to know which version you think you've seen. There are around 15 different runtimes for this movie and many claim to be uncut but aren't. Even the UK release has the words uncut and edition wrapped around the 18 certificate on the cover. "Uncut Edition" it is not, "uncut 18 certificate edition" is completely accurate and very clever marketing.

Even the newer 'special edition' is far from complete, having only a few seconds more than the first 18 cut in the emasculation scene:

[markrgv]

Even the UK release has the words uncut and edition wrapped around the 18 certificate on the cover. "Uncut Edition" it is not, "uncut 18 certificate edition" is completely accurate and very clever marketing.

Clever...
A friend watched what he believed to be the uncut version a while ago and said he managed to get through it and couldn't see the fuss. I told him that it still had huge cuts, optical reframing etc,. - which came as a shock to him.

[vincenzo]

Even the UK release has the words uncut and edition wrapped around the 18 certificate on the cover. "Uncut Edition" it is not, "uncut 18 certificate edition" is completely accurate and very clever marketing.

The first UK release was cut by 7 mins (the rape scenes were heavily cut, as were shots of the naked Camille Keaton returning to the house and bathing). The distributors replaced much of the cut footage with substituted images, with the result that many (acceptable) shots were replayed several times (Eron Tabor's facial reaction is seen at least 3 times). This print was also released in Anchor Bay's Box Of The Banned set.
The 2nd release featured a heavily edited 'pan-and-scan' print. Instead of replaying substituted shots as before this print used zoom-out and 'stretched' images, meaning that most of the rapes could be heard but not seen. It brought the film closer to the original running time but showed too much of the 'rock rape' scene, so the BBFC requested extra cuts to it.

A comparison between the uncut/cut prints can be seen here (contains graphic images).

The current (new) release has been cut by just under 3 mins. The non-rape nudity (bathing and forest walk scenes) have been restored though the cuts to the rape scenes are as before. Incidentally the remake has also suffered (minor) BBFC cuts.

[Robin Davies]

It would be interesting to know which version you think you've seen. There are around 15 different runtimes for this movie and many claim to be uncut but aren't. Even the UK release has the words uncut and edition wrapped around the 18 certificate on the cover. "Uncut Edition" it is not, "uncut 18 certificate edition" is completely accurate and very clever marketing.

This was back in the 80s when the film was banned so the only copies around were bootleg tapes. Based on the comparison in vincenzo's post I saw the uncut version.

[GoggleboxUK]

The complete running time of the uncut pre-BBFC version is 96:57.

Just to expand slightly on Vincenzo's post....

The 2 cut UK versions are:

Hardgore/Screen Entertainment - "Hardgore" left the soundtrack to the film intact, and then either slowed down the action in some places to stretch out an "acceptable" image over the "unacceptable" ones, or re-framed the image so the "nasty" stuff is off-screen. From the BBFC-site: "When submitted to the BBFC the work had a running time of 94m 11s. To obtain this category cuts of 0m 41s were required. The cuts were Compulsory. Cut was required to remove images of a woman being raped over a rock, in accordance with the BBFC's Sexual Violence Policy.

Anchor Bay - BOX OF THE BANNED - 7:04 min of which approx 4 minutes are cuts, and approx 3 minutes are substitutions.

If you really want to own a copy then I'd recommend either the Japanese Day of the Woman titled version as opposed to the ...aka Day of the Woman version or, should you have a historical interest and wish to take in the special features then go for the American Elite "Millennium Edition" - for its uncut status and extras which include 4 Theatrical Trailers, 3 TV Spots, 3 Radio Spots. Poster Gallery, Reviews and articles, Cast & Crew: Biographies and Filmographies as well as a handy THX Optimizer.
R4 has no DTS, but is still a nice edition.
R0 UK SE has an exclusive interview, but the main film is still cut.

[vincenzo]

I've got 3 versions of this. The uncut US ME edition plus the first 2 cut UK releases (for comparison). Haven't yet seen the new (cut) release. The first release, which features the 'relayed' footage (the substituted shots), is hilariously badly edited and almost unwatchable. The version in the Box Of The Banned is the same print first released by Hardgore.

Personally I find it a badly made and exploitative mess of a film with no redeeming features. The excellent Death Weekend (which still has no official UK release since the lightly cut cinema print) is a much better film.

It'll be many years before the UK sees an uncut release of this. Ditto for House On The Edge Of The Park and Death Wish II.

[captainhaddock]

well i managed to get an unrated copy of ISOYG and watched it even though it isnt my usual genre of film .
the rape scene is quite disturbing and still packs a punch today .
i doubt that will ever get a british uncensored release .
it comes from the same era of straw dogs and such like although this one unlike its contempories doesnt hold anything back .

the violence wreaked out as revenge of which ive heard so much about and which has put someone as squeamish as me right off watching this movie didnt bother me at all

either i'm getting bolder in my old age or modern cinema has immuned me in the gore stakes .

in these kind of movies i'm always reminded of the chainsaw scene in the 83 version of scarface .
unlike your video nasty you dont actually see anything but thats what probably makes it worse !
your imagination fills in the gaps

all the same i'd reccommend the movie if like me you just have to investigate that extreme side of horror