The Wrong Stuff: Internet 'Video Nasties'

Yesterday morning, I watched a programme on TV that actually made me quite concerned and worried. No, it wasn't a re-run of The X Factor, Don't Stop Believing or other such garbage, but a segment on a talk show known as The Wright Stuff on channel Five. Matthew Wright and his panel of three celebrities were discussing the topic "Are you a sicko if you watch video nasties on YouTube?" Being a huge fan of horror and intrigued by censorship, this instantly caught my attention, so I sat and watched. It provided one of the most interesting 15 or so minutes I've seen on TV for a long while (which isn't saying that much!).


It was pretty obvious what position the panel would take on this subject, and I'm by no means condemning them for taking this view. It's their opinion, and everyone should be entitled to their opinions.They clearly couldn't understand why people would watch such videos, including, as they mentioned, executions such as beheadings and hangings to chucking puppies into a river. One person even expressed there puzzlement and fear of these people by calling viewers of these videos sociopaths. Now, something strange struck me here as I got a whiff of hypocrisy. 'Whiff' may be the wrong word, since the hypocrisy shown here was about as subtle as getting your head stuck up an elephants backside. For they actually showed two of the films that they were discussing and deemed as a 'nasty'! Bare in mind that this is around 10 o'clock in the morning. Sure one could argue that these two videos (one in which a woman throws a cat into a bin and one in which someone throws a couple of puppies into a river) are not particularly violent or gruesome (compared to the executions), but that's beside the point since The Wright Stuff panel discussed them alongside the more 'hardcore' Internet videos. My main argument here is that unlike videos on the Internet in which viewers chose to search for them and watch them, these two videos were shown on national television without any warning whatsoever.


So far you may be thinking that I'm condemning these videos and taking a similar view to The Wright Stuff guys, but that couldn't be more wrong. I strongly believe that adults should be allowed to watch anything they wish. In my opinion, NOTHING should be banned or censored. However there is a very clear difference between someone finding a 'nasty' video and someone unexpectedly watching one without warning. It was almost a way of shocking the audience into being disgusted by the videos and therefore would provide them with a position on this argument - one that is against these films.

Zombie Film BANNED!

It's not everyday that you hear of a zombie film being refused a certificate, but this exactly what has happened in Austraila. The film in question: Bruce LaBruce's LA Zombie. The reason for why it was banned: strong violence and sex. But this is not your typical heterosexual sex. Oh no, in fact it's quite the opposite. Yep, homosexual sex. Now I obviously haven't had the chance to see LA Zombie, since it hasn't been released yet, BUT I have seen his previous zombie-homo-porno, Otto: Or Up With Dead People and I really did enjoy that film. Sure it got a bit too arty-farty at times but it was different. The gore isn't too strong in that film, however there is plenty of male nudity and the film climaxes in a large homosexual orgy.

And after reading LA Zombie's synopsis, well it's pretty easy to see that LaBruce (who is known for working in gay adult cinema) has attempted to out-do Otto. According to this site, the film centers around "aliens engaging in [homosexual] necrophilia".  Pretty far out there then!

I can't help but wonder; if this film contained only heterosexual sex, would this film be banned? It's an interesting thought and one I hope is not true. LaBruce also mentions to The Guardian that this film is a "a reaction against torture porn." Are the Austrailian Film Classification board saying sex is worse than death? It's yet another interesting question raised.


Interestingly this was the first film to be banned at the Melbourne International Film Festival in seven years, which is quite an achievment. Now, this raises an interesting point. Has banning the film strangely helped the film? It's certainly the talk among zombie fans at the moment - a zombie film, that's been banned, I have GOT to see this! Perhaps the banning of this film will, in the long run, give the film more recognition and publicity than if it got through uncut, such as Otto, which is a truly underrated and under-seen film. Just take a look at the Video Nasties - most of which would have fallen into obscurity if it wasn't for them being caught up in the hoohar. 

On the other hand, Otto is getting a release here in the UK, completly UNCUT. So check it out, if your looking for something more different.

Film's official website.