10 Best Video Nasties (And Why They Were Banned)

Mary Whitehouse's 1980s hit-list is 2021's watchlist.

In 1984, rising moral panic and a campaign spearheaded by conservative activist Mary Whitehouse led to the banning of a swathe of horror movies in the UK.

These 72 titles, ranging from trashy exploitation flicks to fairly standard horrors, had previously been readily available on VHS uncut, their distributors having taken advantage of a loophole to avoid submission to the censorious British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).

But this new act would demand that all publications were submitted to the BBFC first, which led to heavy censorship, outright banning and even prosecutions for dealers and distributors under the Obscene Publications Act. Ironically, the notoriety only increased interest in these titles, many of which developed a cult following they may not have otherwise found.

Of the 72 nasties, some are now viewed as legitimate horror classics and many others, while flawed, are still respected for their influence on pop culture and film.

This list contains ten of the best and although some make for uncomfortable - even gruelling - viewing, they are all significant in their own way.

So read on, if you dare, and should you find yourself unnerved by the grisly details, just remember...

They're only movies.

https://whatculture.com/film/10-best-video-nasties-and-why-they-were-banned