Video Nasties: An A-Z Guide

By Clare Simpson /

Video Nasties! Now there's a meaty topic to get our teeth into, just like a ubiquitous cannibal or zombie. If you are reading this article, I am betting you are a Nasty hound. I'm sure that everyone reading this article has their own unique tale to relate of the Video Nasties. Which was the first one you watched? Which was the one that fried your head the most? I encourage you, dear reader, to share your knowledge and experiences of Video Nasties below in the comments section so we can have a good rousing debate. I have tried to give as wide a coverage of the Video Nasties as possible, but at the same time I have kept in mind that there are certain films in the list that are more popular and better made than others. These are the films that Nasty fans want to discuss - the films that generate the most conversation and controversy. Nevertheless, there is a world of Video Nasty diversity out there and I hope you have a right good old bloody feast with my A-Z guide. Go forth and wallow in depravity but just try and remember who the real savages are...

A - Animal Atrocities

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A most charming subject to begin with, real life staged animal cruelty is one of the great hallmarks of a video nasty, and also one of its least endearing traits. It mainly turns up in Cannibal movies and it is a major reason why these salubrious films ended up on the DPP 72 list in the first place. For animal lovers (and I count myself here) these scenes are deeply egregious. For example, I have compared a released, cut version of Cannibal Holocaust that I own (which has all animal atrocities excised) and a rare uncut VHS rental edition of Cannibal Holocaust that I managed to get my hands on (that has full animal slaughter). On the VHS edition I watched a real giant turtle being killed, roasted and eaten by the cast. The actors look genuinely revolted by this task, and I'm not sure that the actress who plays Faye is pretending to vomit. There is just no need for this gratuitous animal atrocity. It doesn't add to the plot. So the bad guy Westerners are as cruel to the native animals as the native people? What does that prove or mean or need to be confirmed for? Other Video Nasties guilty of animal atrocities: Cannibal Ferox, The Mountain of the Cannibal God and Deep River Savages. Faces of Death deserves a mention as non-cannibal movie to feature animal cruelty.