Destroy The Brain! » exploitation

Video Nasties: Censorship Then and Now

Raymer — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:08:28 +0000

We’d all like to believe that we live in a world where free expression is welcome and censorship nonexistent. Unfortunately that isn’t always the case, especially in the world of horror. Maybe it shouldn’t be that surprising, since horror films are designed to produce visceral reactions in their audiences. It’s only logical that the wrong reaction from the wrong person can sometimes be strong enough to have consequences for the rest of us. Keep reading to see how this has affected horror films in the past.

Thankfully, free speech laws in the U.S. usually prevent films from being banned outright, but that’s not to say that censorship isn’t alive and well. Recently in Spain the director of the Sitges film festival, Angel Sala, was arrested for screening A Serbian Film (Review), despite the fact that the film has been kicking around from fest to fest for quite a while now. I haven’t seen the film, so I can’t comment directly on the material it depicts, but it seems that the arrest was a reactionary response to a film that confronts some really tough subjects head on. It’s unclear if this will affect the film’s release in other countries, although it’s still currently in preparation to be released (with a few cuts) in the U.K., and uncensored in the U.S..

On a somewhat smaller scale, the MPAA exerts a surprising amount of control over content in feature films in the U.S. If you don’t believe it, ask yourself when you last saw an NC-17 rated movie playing in your local multiplex. Most theaters flat-out won’t show them, making the rating the equivalent of a death sentence for a film. Oscar-nominated indie drama Blue Valentine nearly suffered this fate last year for including an emotionally taut sex scene that was really pretty mild as far as explicitness was concerned. The filmmakers fought the rating and were able to get it released with an ‘R’ in the end, but this isn’t typical – most directors acquiesce to the cuts the MPAA suggests in order to ensure that their film will make it to theaters.

To be honest though, we have it pretty good these days, and viewers are almost never flat-out prohibited from seeing films. Still, in the context of these recent battles it’s interesting to see how we’ve progressed in the past few decades. Censorship was far more rampant in the 1980′s, especially in the U.K., which has a much more volatile history when it comes to free speech. The list of banned “video nasties” is now semi-legendary in the history of horror films, which (ironically) was probably the opposite effect intended by those seeking to ban the films.

This is the story in a nutshell: when the widespread availability of VCRs opened up the home video market as a new avenue to deliver films to viewers, film rental companies took advantage of the lack of regulation and pushed large amounts of low-budget horror and erotica into print, hoping that viewers’ interests would be piqued by the prospect of viewing lurid content in the privacy of their own homes. Keep in mind that this was during the Thatcher years when social conservatism was on the rise and tolerance for “obscene” material was low. The idea that these shocking videos would invade homes and corrupt the minds of children was broadcast loudly by the press, and echoed the stance of many lawmakers. The British Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) responded to this “threat” by allowing police to raid video stores and seize whatever videos they deemed obscene. Understandably, this made retailers somewhat nervous, and in response to a call for standards regarding which films were actually obscene, the DPP released the infamous video nasty list.

What many people failed to realize at the time is that the marketing for these films wasn’t always honest. Yeah, they flat-out admitted to being shocking, but as is often the case in advertising, not all lived up to their claims. A few went so far as to advertise content or scenes that weren’t in the films. The media did such a good job of making these films seem absolutely debased that nobody needed to watch them to figure how if their content was actually offensive – I mean, no decent person would, right? But any horror fan glancing through the list will recognize a number of films which are now widely regarded as classics. This begs the question: what about the not-so-well known films on the list? What do those have to offer? Were any of the films on the list really obscene, and what about these specific films as opposed to others provoked such a strong response?

This is what I hope to do in these articles: revisit some classic nasties, seek out some that I haven’t seen, and try to look at them from the perspective of those who were so offended by their existence they thought they shouldn’t exist. It’s true – many of these films operate outside what’s generally considered tasteful, but some also push artistic boundaries in a truly daring way. I don’t necessarily think that being “offensive” disqualifies a film from having artistic merit, and there’s definitely some merit to a lot of films on the list.

So stay tuned – I’ll be back soon with a look at one of the most notorious nasties: Cannibal Holocaust.

30 September Slashers: Day 19-PIECES

Chris Sandrin — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 23:38:35 +0000

Exploitation filmmakers of the 70’s and 80’s had a knack for taking a successful film or genre, and in it’s wake, producing a slew of knock offs that often lacked the quality of the original source. For example, the success of the Sergio Leone Spaghetti Westerns in the 60’s spawned hundreds of copy cat westerns that continued well into the 80’s. These films varied in production value but were usually gorier and dirtier than the original source material. This stayed true with the slasher genre as well. Tonight we will look at one such exploitation slasher called Pieces.

Day 19: Co-ed Cut Up…..Pieces

Beginning in 1942, a young boy gets scolded by his mother because she finds him putting together a nudie puzzle. Naturally, his response is to kill her with an ax and saw her up into pieces. Forty years later, a bunch of girls are being murdered on a college campus. The kicker is that every time one is killed, a piece of their body is missing. With the help of a college student and a pro tennis player turned undercover professor, the police attempt to track down the killer before he finishes his puzzle.

This film is a must see for all exploitation fans. The script was hilarious, the gratuitous nudity was a plus, and the gore was more extreme than in almost any other slasher. The cops were probably my favorite part as they would chew through terrible lines. One such line was, “we’re just buying clothes without labels and trying them on for size.” The story was ludicrous in that the dean is trying to keep these murders under wraps and yet people are being sawed up in broad daylight with a chainsaw. Also, not to mention that the cops recruit a college student because they are short handed. Unrealistic plot aside, Pieces is the perfect flick to watch with a group of friends while drinking some brews.

The film has been widely available on DVD for a long time but for my money, I would highly recommend picking up the Grindhouse Releasing release that came out a couple years ago. Grindhouse always puts quality work into their releases, and this film is very deserving of such red carpet treatment. I know I said I would get to this film about ten days ago but tomorrow I will finally play the game Truth or Dare.

HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN teaser trailer blasts onto the webs

Andy Triefenbach — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:35:45 +0000

Now that Machete (review here) is in a theater near you, it seems like perfect timing that we would hear about another faux trailer becoming a movie. Honestly, as much as people will talk about the Machete trailer, this film is the one I cannot wait to see. I ask you to click beyond the break and get ready for a sneak at one of my highly anticipated films in the near future…

For those of you that don’t know, Hobo With A Shotgun was a fake trailer created specifically for a contest to promote Grindhouse. Among the submissions, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez chose their favorite fake trailers created by the fans. Hobo With A Shotgun won top prize – rightfully so may I add. The trailer went viral. The one year – other than this year – I didn’t fly up to Canada to check out Rue Morgue’s Festival of Fear was the one year that Hobo With A Shotgun‘s creator, Jason Eisener, would show up and sell some homemade t-shirts for the trailer. I’m still upset I missed it – Jason, if you are reading this…got any more?

The thing I kept hearing about Jason was the dude was not only a standup guy, but truly understood what he wanted to make, if he was given the opportunity to make a feature length film of Hobo. Now, he has been given that chance. Gone is the memorable David Brunt as the Hobo – even though, he is still in the film according to imdb.com - and in his place is no other than Rutger Hauer. While some onlookers might have their doubts about a first time feature filmmaker directing an established actor like Hauer, I would like to think that I have a pretty keen eye judging a film on a few minutes of footage on whether that filmmaker is competent or not. Eisener has a unique visual flair to his films. His short film Treevenge was a laugh riot and you could tell he was still developing his signature. Judging from the teaser below, Eisener not only has an identity but I believe he will be a director to watch from here on out. He has an anarchic style to this film and this teaser reeks of it in gel colored lighting chaos.

Behold…..Hobo With A Shotgun in its unrated gory glory! Disclaimer: I have watched this at least 5 times this morning.

What do you guys think?! Leave your comments below. That speech by Hauer is amazing and perfectly sets the tone………..GAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want this movie now!

For the uninitated, here is the original trailer created for the Grindhouse contest:

Hobo With a Shotgun
Uploaded by JasonEisener. – Full seasons and entire episodes online.

DTB! Presents LATE NITE GRINDHOUSE: CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST

Andy Triefenbach — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 22:03:03 +0000

Editor’s Note: There was a post announcing this previously, but apparently it got lost and is no longer on the site. Apologies.

DESTROY THE BRAIN and THE HI-POINTE THEATRE in association with GRINDHOUSE RELEASING proudly present a true grindhouse classic, Cannibal Holocaust!!!! St. Louis will experience & celebrate one of the most controversial grindhouse classics that shocked audiences 30 years ago (26 years ago in America).

I’m super stoked to show you guys this flick. It will be one that will test the nerves and stomachs for all attendees. It is the film that truely goes all the way! Be sure to get in your seats by 11:30 as we have a great pre-show for you filled with trailers and other diabolical treats.

Synopsis for CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST:
Four documentary filmmakers head to a rain forest in the Amazon called Green Inferno to film the primitive tribes of cannibals that live in the area. When the filmmakers do not arrive back when expected, an anthropologist travels to the area to retrieve the filmmakers and any footage that might have been filmed. Remains of film reels are taken back to New York for viewing. We, as the viewer, are subjected to the footage that was shot by the missing filmmakers.

Destroy the Brain’s LATE NITE GRINDHOUSE:
CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST
August 27 & 28, 2010
The Hi-Pointe Theatre
1005 McCausland Ave
St. Louis, MO
Pre-Show Extravaganza: 11:30
Film to start at MIDNIGHT
Admission: $6

RSVP on FACEBOOK for Friday, August 27th’s show
RSVP on FACEBOOK for Saturday, August 28th’s show

GRINDHOUSE Theatrical Experience on Blu-Ray October 5

Andy Triefenbach — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:33:30 +0000

There were rumors the past couple of weeks, but I like to wait until there is more solid proof or confirmation before I post it.

Blu-Ray.com reports that GRINDHOUSE Special Edition will be out on Blu-Ray on October 5, 2010.

Read on for more details…

From their site:

An early announcement to retailers indicates that, confirming earlier rumors, Vivendi Visual Entertainment is set to release the Weinstein Company production Grindhouse on a Special Edition Blu-ray on October 5 (perfect for a Halloween viewing party with friends). No release details are available at this moment, other than it will be a two-disc edition and that list price has been set at a very affordable $19.97

I still don’t own a Blu-Ray player, but I can see me getting one very shortly. I do know that October would be a very expensive month between this, House, and the Alien Anthology.

While the press release states $19.97, Amazon.com has a pre-order price of $13.99. Hop on that now by clicking below.

See larger image

Grindhouse (Two-Disc Collector’s Edition) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

Director: Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez
Starring: Rose McGowan, Bruce Willis, Freddy Rodriguez, Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson
Rating: R (Restricted)

List Price:	$29.95 USD
New From:	$17.31 In Stock
Used from:	$16.77 In Stock
Release date October 5, 2010.

Warren Demontague from Greg the Bunny goes Grindhouse

Andy Triefenbach — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:00:03 +0000

Personally, I love it when a non-genre thing that I like or love gets entangled with the genre stuff that I adore. I was a huge fan of FOX’s GREG THE BUNNY. One of my favorite characters was Warren “The Ape” Demontague. Now, Warren is getting his own show on MTV which premieres on June 14th and you can be damned sure I will be watching that when it comes on.

A clip has surfaced that reveals that Warren was in an 80′s exploitation film called BAD PO FO! Check it out:

Twitch has a clip of just the trailer:

The trailer was obviously made with care and admiration of the genre. What I really dig about it is unlike other grindhouse/exploitation spoof trailers, this actually looks like they put it on a VHS tape that probably has been recorded on 50 times. It actually looks authentic. BRAVO viral marketers, BRAVO.

I see some ROLLING THUNDER, DEATH WISH, and EXECUTIONER influence in the trailer and a Troma clip in there as well. Anything I’m missing fiends?

About WARREN THE APE:

“Warren The Ape,” a scripted comedy set within a fictional reality show, chronicles the trials and tribulations of a D-grade celebrity puppet. A brash, cantankerous, out-of-work actor, Warren ‘The Ape’ Demontague is attempting to clean up his act and scramble his way back into the Hollywood limelight. Having sampled a brief taste of success as a star on the former sitcom “Greg The Bunny,” Warren’s life has been in a downward spiral ever since the show got canceled. When the opportunity for his own reality show arises, Warren takes this chance to restore his celebrity status once again.

“Warren The Ape” is produced by Spencer Chinoy, Sean Baker and Dan Milano (who also portrays Warren) who serve as Executive Producers and Creators. George Plamondon and Betsy Schechter serve as Executive Producers for Picture Shack Entertainment and Kevin Chinoy and Francesca Silvestri are Executive Producers for Freestyle. Liz Gateley, Brent Haynes and George McTeague serve as the executives in charge of production for MTV.

WARREN THE APE premieres on June 16th at 10:30/9:30 central on MTV.

Review: BLACK DEVIL DOLL

Andy Triefenbach — Sun, 16 May 2010 08:24:13 +0000

When I had the opportunity to see the film in Toronto at the FAN EXPO in August of 2009, I was stoked. The film has a throwback poster and even a novelization and I knew that I wanted to watch the film in the environment it was playing in – an audience of genre film fans. I didn’t want to see this film on DVD in a living room by myself – well, I’m sure my dogs would have watched it with me, but I don’t think they count. Rue Morgue Magazine’s own THE GORE-MET introduced the film with the warning that the film is tasteless, offensive and juvenile. With those words, he just handed me the lubrication For the next 70 or so minutes, I was treated to pure trash and exploitation. A side of me liked it and another side of me started questioning whether this film was any good or not. Good Exploitation films walk a fine line. They can be tasteless and go over the line yet still be entertaining. However, all of them have a story that usually makes a lick of sense, even if it is ridiculous.

‘Black Devil Doll’ which takes the name from the 1984 film ‘Black Devil Doll from Hell’, tells the story of a young girl, Heather, who gets bored and dabbles with a Ouija board and ends up contacting a spirit/soul of a recently executed convict that ends up embodying a doll that was on the couch with her. After Heather develops a relationship with the doll, her friends come over to hang out and Heather has to leave the house to go pick up some stuff and leaves the women alone with the BLACK DEVIL DOLL (Please say this in echo – it spices it up)!

Yep, that is the plot. By the time we get to the point where the other girls come over, the black vs. white jokes have run dry and the comedy is not very comedic. So, that leaves the blood and the nudity – which we get plenty of. You will see natural tits, fake tits, some bush and plenty of blood. Sounds good right??? Well…..the problem with ‘Black Devil Doll’ is that it took a 5 minute comedic routine and stretched it out to 70 minutes. It is obvious that the story was stretched thin as the credits last over 5 minutes on a film that had maybe a 10 man crew.

‘Black Devil Doll’ is not as good as it advertises but maybe if you and your friends get drunk enough, you might get some laughs out of it.

073: Not Quite Hollywood plus Road Games and Next of Kin – Voicemail: 314-266-7138

Andy Triefenbach — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:14:43 +0000

Episode 73 covers Not Quite Hollywood and then explores into 2 films discussed within Not Quite Hollywood which are Next of Kin (1982) and Road Games.

Episode TimeStamp Guide:

Intro (0:00-1:32)
News (1:33-9:04)
DVD Announcements & Releases (9:05-22:00)
BREAK
Not Quite Hollywood Review (23:17-39:43)
BREAK
Road Games Review (40:53-52:38)
BREAK
Next of Kin Review (53:26-1:06:54)
Outro (1:06:55-1:11:11)

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037: A House with a Red Room at the Edge of the Park – Voicemail: 314.266.7138

Andy Triefenbach — Sun, 25 May 2008 23:30:36 +0000

This week I give you the return of the 42nd Minute featuring House on the Edge of the Park.Â I also review the Japanese shot-on-video film, Red Room. Plus I read your emails and play a voicemail.

A CALL TO ALL!Â IF YOU HAVE EPISODES 2-15, EMAIL ME AT ANDY@DESTROYTHEBRAINONLINE.COM

End Music: Angie by Rolling Stones

***LOOKING FOR SPONSORS, SHORT FILMS, PROMO SPOTS & ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF!***Let me know how I’m doing!

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