10 Films That Were Prosecuted For Obscenity

1. Tenebrae (1982)

Tenebrae is Dario Argento at the top of his game: a demented giallo full of arresting camerawork (by Luciano Tovoli, who also shot The Passenger) with an equally memorable synth-heavy music score composed by several former members of Goblin. In order to keep it from corrupting British viewers, it was unavailable in its uncut form until 2003. In March 1984, the film was cited as one of the most offensive Video Nasties in the UK and subsequently banned. The major bone of contention was a 4-second shot where, after losing an arm to the killer€™s axe, a woman€™s bloody stump continues to spray crimson across her apartment. When the movie finally returned to British screens in its original form, it arrived on DVD just before the far more explicit Texas Chain Saw Massacre remake (which was backed by Michael Bay and New Line Cinema) played uncut in UK cinemas. But that€™s probably just a coincidence. Like this list? What's your favourite Video Nasty? Discuss all things gory and depraved down in the comments.