Media Studies

A2 Genre Study

SESSION 4
Violence and the “Video
Nasties” phenomenon
 What was the “Video Nasty”
phenomenon?

 In 1980, when home video was emerging, there

was no censorship of video material.
 In 1984, after a campaign by MP David Alton, the
Video Recordings Act was passed.
 This law gave the BBFC the power to censor video
material in the same way as cinema releases.
 The result was that 75 films were banned in the
U.K. and put on a list held by the D.P.P. (Director of
Public Prosecutions).
What caused the “Video
Nasty” moral panic?
 Video was a new
experience; minors
viewing material alone
& in the dark could be
seen as “harmful”.
 Parents and adults
were concerned about
the easy availability of
“sensitive” material.
 How many genre titles
were on the D.P.P. list?
You are going to be given a list of the 75 film titles that were
placed on the D.P.P. list in 1984.

Working in pairs, look at the list and HIGHLIGHT those that

you think are horror genre titles.

Then, consider the following questions, and write out your

answers in full.

 Why do you think the titles you have chosen are

horror films?
 Based on your findings, how many of the 75 titles are
horror movies? Why do you think this is?
 How many genre titles
were on the D.P.P. list?

 Out of the 75 banned titles, 62 of

them are horror films.
 As a genre, horror makes up 83% of
the D.P.P. list.
 As of 2003, only 13 of the 75 titles
are still banned in the UK (17% of the
D.P.P. list). The rest are now
available, with many released in
their uncut form.
What are the most infamous horror
genre films on the D.P.P. list?

 “The Last
House On The
Left” (1972)

On the D.P.P. list due to the subject content,

where two young girls are raped and
murdered, only to have the girl's parents
exact revenge on the murderers in an explicit
fashion.
What are the most infamous genre
films on the D.P.P. list?

 “The Burning”
(1980)
What are the most infamous genre
films on the D.P.P. list?

 “Inferno”
(1980)
What are the most infamous genre films
on the D.P.P. list?
 “The Evil Dead”
(1982)
What was the media reaction to
“Video Nasties”?

Daily Mail – May 1982

Sunday Times – May 1982

Daily Mail – June 1983

Daily Star – July 1984

Do you think this is a
real “Video Nasty”?
Watch the following clip (5 minutes
long), and consider the following
points:
1. Why do you think that this film was put onto the
D.P.P. list?

2. Why do you think the movie is now allowed to be

seen on video?

3. What does this tell you about British society now?

Has anything changed?
 “The Exorcist”, the
B.B.F.C., and the D.P.P.
Read the sheets you have
been given on “The
Exorcist”, and discuss the
following in pairs :

 Do you think the BBFC

was right to put the
film on the D.P.P. list?
 Why do you agree or
disagree with their
decision?
What conclusions can we draw about
British society today?

 Society is more secular, therefore religious

themes are less taboo.
 Desensitisation means that audiences are
harder to shock, and explicit violence is now
more acceptable.
 The advent of technology such as DVD and
the Internet means that censorship is harder
to enforce, as films can be easily imported
from overseas.
“Video Nasties” – the debate…
You are going to
complete this section, by
having a debate about
audience, censorship and
“Video Nasties”. You are
going to be given a sheet
with the instructions, and
the class will stage either
a “Newsnight” or
“Trisha” style
programme to debate
the topic. GOOD LUCK!