From promotional material:

Prepare to be corrupted and depraved once more as Nucleus Films releases the definitive guide to the Video Nasties phenomenon - one of the most extraordinary and scandalous eras in the history of British film.

For the first time ever on DVD, TRAILERS to all 72 films that fell foul of the Director of Public Prosecutions are featured with specially filmed intros for each title in a lavish three-disc collector s edition box-set, alongside a brand new documentary - VIDEO NASTIES: MORAL PANIC, CENSORSHIP AND VIDEOTAPE.

Disc One presents the 39 titles which were successfully prosecuted in UK courts and deemed liable to deprave and corrupt.

Disc Two presents the 33 titles that were initially banned, but then subsequently acquitted and removed from the DPP's list.

Disc Three This era-defining documentary features interviews with filmmakers Ruggero Deodato ( Cannibal Holocaust ) Neil Marshall ( The Descent , Doomsday ), Christopher Smith ( Severance , Black Death ) and MP Graham Bright as well as rare archive footage featuring James Ferman (director of the BBFC 1975-1999) & Mary Whitehouse. Taking in the explosion of home video, the erosion of civil liberties, the introduction of draconian censorship measures, hysterical press campaigns and the birth of many careers born in blood and videotape, West s documentary also reflects on the influence this peculiar era still exerts on us today.

Extras include a gallery of original video company idents and extensive gallery of lurid cover art for every video nasty.

Possession is a 1981 French/W German horror by Andrzej Zulawski

Passed 18 uncut for:

• UK 2010 Second Sight R2 DVD at UK Amazon for release on 25th October 2010
• UK 1999 Visual VHS

Previously VTC released the film on VHS in September 1982. It was banned as a video nasty in September 1983.

In September 1984 it was cleared of obscenity in a jury trial and was removed from the list. VTC re-released the film with a toned down cover in December 1984.

Review from UK Amazon: Art Horror

Possession is totally extraordinary. Packed with symbolism it can be read on so many possible levels of interpretation it's bewildering.

Set in a European city (obviously Berlin during it's partition) in an alienating mixture of ultra modern buildings and decaying grandeur, visually it evokes a sense of dislocation.

Thematically, it seems to be a study of a marriage in the last phase of destruction, with Sam Neill returning from doing a msterious job (spying?) and meeting his wife played by Isabelle Adjani, whose agitated reaction to his arrival only hints at the deep levels of disturbance she enacts as the film progresses.

What follows is a nightmarish and surreal two hours of startling images, bizarre acting and frequent bloodletting.

If you liked Antichrist you will be interested to see a lot of similar themes in Possession - misogyny, madness, faith, evil and lust permeate a fractured dreamscape.

Possession is as challenging an art-horror as I've ever seen.

Salt is a 2010 US spy thriller by Phillip Noyce. See IMDb

The BBFC suggested the cuts for 12A for the 2010 cinema release.

This film was originally shown to the BBFC in an unfinished version. The BBFC advised the company that the film was likely to receive a 15 classification but that the requested 12A certificate could be achieved by making cuts in six sequences in order to reduce a scene of torture, four violent scenes and a scene of strangulation. When the finished version of the film was submitted, all six scenes had been reduced acceptably and the film was classified 12A.

Marmaduke is a 2010 US children's comedy by Tom Dey. See IMDb

The BBFC cut the 2010 cinema release. Company chose to remove a use of discriminatory language ('spaz') in order to achieve a U classification. An uncut 12A classification was available.

Joy is a 1983 Canada/France erotic drama by Sergio Bergonzelli. See IMDb

Severin have located a longer version which is uncut for the US 2010 Severin R1 DVD available at US Amazon  for release on 27th July 2010.

In the UK, the BBFC cut 39s from the 1984 cinema release. The same cut version was released for the 1993-94 VHS versions.

From promotional material from severin-films.com:

Her name was Joy Laurey, the pseudonym of the French-American supermodel whose 1981 autobiography became the most scandalous erotic memoir of the decade.

Two years later, executive producer Benjamin Simon brought Joy's saga to the screen. Succulent Canadian starlet Claudia Udy leaves nothing to the imagination as the globetrotting celebrity whose passion for men, women and strangers – in any combination – shatters every sexual taboo.

Joy has been now completely restored from a print discovered in the screening room of a Paris brothel and is presented uncut and uncensored – including the complete Secret Orgy Dungeon sequence – for the first time ever in America.

I Spit on Your Grave is a 1981 US revenge film by Meir Zarchi. See IMDb

The BBFC required 2:54s of cuts for a new 2010 DVD/Blu-ray from 101 Films. This is set for release on 20th September 2010.

The BBFC commented on their latest cuts:

• Company was required to make cuts to scenes of sexual violence in order to remove potentially harmful material.

Previous versions were all cut by 7:02s albeit achieved with a different mix of completely cut footage and reframing with the offending action being lost off screen.

All the cuts are to the rape scene. The ensuing revenge carnage is left unscathed

US releases are uncut for MPAA Unrated versions.

Review from US Amazon: Brutality

Over the years my memory had embellished the film; nonetheless, it still shocked me, today.

It is easy to forget that there are actors following a script. The film is evenly paced and unrelenting. One is forced to confront the brutality of rape and violence.

The actress is quite convincing and deserves recognition. The rape scenes are borderline snuff quality except for the fact the editing and directing have moments of brilliance. The men are sickening and easily hated; they are just vicious animals without any redeeming qualities, yet they are believable. Let us not forget, there are men who commit these atrocities. One can appreciate why she seeks revenge.

Without question, the rape scenes are some of the most disturbing moments in cinematic history. The castration scene is unparalleled. The special effects are just that, effective.

The DVD is an excellent package. I Spit on Your Grave isn't presented as a low budget film. It is art; it's not a slasher flick; it's not meant for entertainment.

Death Race 2000 is a 1975 US action/Sci-Fi by Paul Bartel. See IMDb

The BBFC passed it 15 uncut in 2008.

Before that it was passed 18 uncut for all UK previous videos and DVDs.

The BBFC cut the 1975 cinema release

From cuts details on IMDb

• cut to remove a head crushing scene
• edited shots of blood spurts from the car killings
• cuts to a man's groin being stabbed with Joe's bayonet.

Review from UK Amazon: Cult Classic

I've ridiculed many a Roger Corman film in my time, but I have nothing but love for his 1975 B-movie triumph Death Race 2000 (although, to be fair, most of the credit should go to director Paul Bartel). In this brilliant black comedy satire, Corman gives us what we want - fast cars, hot naked gals, and lots of glorified violence, not to mention brilliant performances by David Carradine and a pre-Rambo Sylvester Stallone - and all with a budget of only 300 grand.

In this futuristic vision of the year 2000, America has devolved into something of a fascist police state called the United Provinces, ruled from overseas by Mr. President (Sandy McCallum) who, like all good dictators, has established an external outlet for whatever bloodlust, anger, and general discontent that may exist among the populace. Enter the Transcontinental Road Race, better known as the Death Race. Now in its 20th iteration, this fierce competition pits the greatest, most fearless drivers in the land racing from New York to New Los Angeles. Lest any visions of Cannonball Run threaten to run your head, know this: the beauty of the Death Race is the fact that extra points are awarded for any and all innocent spectators you kill along the way, with children and seniors bringing in the most points.

From euthanasia day at the hospital to the wickedly tripped-out cars designed for human carnage as well as speed, Death Race 2000 is a tour de force of B-movie entertainment. Carradine's amazing, Stallone's a brilliant bonus, the supporting cast make hay with even the smallest of parts, and Simone Griffeth is fun to watch both in and out of her clothes. Death Race 2000 is the epitome of cult classic.

Darkman is a 1990 US film by Sam Raimi. See IMDb

The film has just been released in the US for the first time on Blu-ray.

Meanwhile the UK DVD is still suffering BBFC cuts inflicted several years ago. Unfortunately the cut UK DVD was also used for European releases too.

The BBFC cut 2s for an 18 rating for:

• The deleted seconds are missing from the start when Durant turns up at the warehouse. Eddie Black's henchmen start walking toward the camera (to frisk Durant's men) and there is a shot of one of them swinging some nunchukas. The BBFC were sensitive to nunchukas so we are denied this shot.

Review from US Amazon: Entertaining

Sam Raimi, brilliant director of the cult classic Evil Dead trilogy and the current blockbuster Spider-Man, directed this entertaining action yarn hot on the heels of 1989's hit Batman. While many saw Darkman as a Batman rip off (sort of), Raimi's talented directorial skills gave Darkman a personality of its own.

Liam Neeson (before he hit it big) stars as scientist Peyton Westlake, who has developed a synthetic skin, only problem is, it can only hold for 99 minutes before it deteriorates. When his lab is destroyed by Robert Durant (Larry Drake), Peyton is blasted into a nearby harbor. He is left horribly scarred, but when he recovers he uses the synthetic skin to get his revenge on his would be murderers while trying to get back with his girlfriend (Frances McDormand).

Darkman is really entertaining and is a great twist on superhero movies, Neeson shines as the tortured soul hero, while McDormand is great as his girlfriend. Recommended to those looking for a comic style movie with a twist.

Showgirls is a 1995 US drama by Paul Verhoeven. See IMDb

In the US, MGM have just released Showgirls on Blu-ray with an uncut NC-17 rating.

All UK video/DVD releases still suffer 17s of BBFC cuts. The BBFC justified the cuts back in 1999:

More problematic was Showgirls, an expose of the seamy side of Las Vegas, with a prurient emphasis on exploitative nudity, which was not only the subject of the film but its main selling point. In such a context, the sadistic gang rape of the only wholly sympathetic character in the film seemed unnecessarily extended and sensationalised. The rape was trimmed for cinema, and trimmed further for video, since the price of the rape could be adequately conveyed by the sight of the battered and bleeding victim.

The cuts are all in the scene where Carver rapes Molly as mentioned above:

1. Carver slapping and punching Molly just before we see Molly being pushed back on the bed.
2. Carver slapping Molly's rear, then starting to rape her
3. Interlaced shot of Nomi dancing with Zack is cut just before they kiss.
4. The following 7s shot of the rape is totally eliminated.

Review from UK Amazon: A Cult Classic

Showgirls is an excellent cult film. Its filled with terrible dialogue delivered by actors in performances that they'd surely rather forget. Paul Verhoeven - usually a top notch director - fails spectacularly with his fourteenth film and the script by Joe Eszterhas is laughable.

It stars Elizabeth Berkley as Nomi Malone (She's alone in the world, get the joke?), an ambitious young woman who has dreams of becoming a famous dancer in Las Vegas. Berkley's performance is something else. She smiles, she pouts, she shouts, she screams, she gyrates, she vomits, and often all of the above in the same scene. She is joined by Gina Gershon and Kyle MacLachlan, both similarly hamming it up to the extreme as Berkley's fellow dancer and the Entertainment Director respectively. Glenn Plummer also waves goodbye to any credibility in his performance as Berkley's quasi-love interest.

From reading this review you may wonder why I have given it five stars. The reason is this: You will never be more entertained in your life. It is hilarious, outrageous, ridiculous, completely unrealistic, shallow, stupid and ultimately a misunderstood masterpiece of everyone involved in the production doing everything wrong in perfect synchronicity.

A great piece of trash, go on, come over to the dark side!

Porn Diaries aka 9to5: Days in Porn is a 2008 Germany documentary by Jens Hoffmann. See IMDb

The BBFC cut 5:03s from the 2010 TLA DVD, commenting: Company chose to remove clear images of explicit sexual detail during the filming of scenes for sex works and in clips from sex works. An R18 was available with these images uncut. Six compulsory cuts were also required to remove images of abusive and potentially harmful sexual activity.

The US MPAA Unrated 2010 Strand R1 DVD claims to be uncensored:

The 18 Rated German GoodMovies R2 DVD is also likely to be uncut

Review from US Amazon: Titillating, realistic, sensitive

Strand Releasing brings us a new look at the porn industry with 9 to 5: Days in Porn, a titillating, realistic, sensitive film. It is a look at the people who work in adult films. Filming took place over a year and we get ten different stories that go deep into the personal lives of porn stars. Pornography is big business and big money and is now part of mainstream life and has become quite fashionable.

What we want to know is what kind of people make porn movies---what motivates them and how long can they last? Does porn affect their personalities and their private lives? The porn world is small and there seems to be a family like feeling among the people who work in it.

The film does not glorify porn or porn stars but rather it is an honest look at the industry. It is real and totally unbiased and no conclusions are drawn. Of course the movie does titillate but that is because the actors themselves do but that was not the purpose. There are so many misconceptions about porn that perhaps this film may change your mind but we must admit that porn seems to be here to stay.

Marked for Death is a 1990 US action film by Dwight Little. See IMDb

The uncut US R Rated Version has just been released by 20th Century Fox on Region A Blu-ray

The UK Version is still suffering 18s of cuts:

1. The night-time raid on Screwface's house in Jamaica, has lost another arm-break (6 secs)- this occurs just before Seagal faces Screwface's twin brother.
2. The end battle between Seagal and Screwface has been cut in two places - firstly a close-up of Seagal gouging out Screwface's eyes is missing (3 secs) and then a few seconds later a vicious back-break (9 secs) after the two have crashed through the stone wall.

See review from IMDb: Favourite

I cannot believe this film got such bad ratings as it is one of my favourite action flicks of all time.

Marked for Death has Steven Seagal playing John Hatcher a cop whose out for revenge against a gang of Jamaican drug dealers. The film has some terrific action sequences and set pieces, example being the shopping centre fight which really showcases Seagal's talents. This has excellent pacing as well as good location shoots. The score for Marked for Death is amazing, suiting the film so well, giving it the right sinister kind of atmosphere. The voodoo elements were cool, Screwface has to be one of the best villains and the twist at the end is unexpected.

The only minor flaw with this film is that the beginning in Mexico is a little ropey.

The BBFC have just passed much hyped The Human Centipede, 18 uncut. The certificate is for DVD rather than a cinema release though.

By all accounts, the concept is nastier than the actual film but maybe it would be more fun to believe the Sun's rantings:  

The Human Centipede features a depraved storyline about a psychopathic German surgeon who drugs his victims before surgically joining them together, mouth to backside, in order to create a human centipede.

The horror is said to be so gross that cinemagoers have been racing out of US screenings to be sick - and reviewers are warning audiences not to eat before seeing the film.

Update: Cinema Release Uncut

3rd July 2010. Based on article from bbfc.co.uk

The BBFC have passed the cinema release 18 uncut

Dawn of the Dead is a 2004 USA/Canada/Japan/France zombie remake by Zack Snyder

I watched the Blu-Ray R1 source 109 mins 13 seconds and unfortunately it still retains the silly cut to the naked woman who walks past the ambulance in front of Anna's jeep/car. Her naked breasts are obscured by noticeably fake looking digital blood spattered across the car screen as in previous R1 DVD version. Breasts are offensive, give me a break, the woman in question is so skinny even the zombies refused to eat her!

Whether this HD source is the master for all regions we will have to see, but I watched the Blu-ray Middle Eastern/Dubai origin and same cut is evident. My sources tell me of a high probability in all world regions as the UK usually follows suit, but not in the older DVD's case. The quality however of this HD is quite superb, pity it is stupidly cut. Bloody MPAA guidelines or prudish distributor is to blame here!

Otto; Or Up With Dead People is a 2008 Germany/Canada gay comedy horror by Bruce La Bruce

Passed 18 uncut for the 2010 Peccadillo DVD with the BBFC comment: Contains strong real sex and strong violence.

Review from UK Amazon: Political gay zombie movie

I have long been a devoted admirer of Bruce LaBruce's work, and for me, OTTO is unquestionably his finest piece yet. That said, this film is absolutely *not* going to appeal to everyone.

In a film-within-a-film, Medea Yarn is making an indie political-gay-zombie movie, with the aid of her girlfriend, Hella Bent, and her brother Adolf. The setting: the not-too-distant future, where the undead are commonplace, and, in particular, the homophile undead.

Otto, a young zombie, is subliminally drawn to Berlin, and onto the set of Medea's movie, where he is quickly cast into a lead role... though the cast don't believe that he is a real zombie, and think he's just living the role. Otto has flashbacks to his life before he joined the ranks of the undead, but can't remember how or why it happened (I was a zombie with an identity crisis). He is isolated, persecuted, lonely, displaced, shunned even by conformist-gays... and has come to the anonymity of the city for refuge. He is housed by one of the other cast members, Fritz, who is evidently attracted to him. Will Otto find love, sanctuary... assimilation?

At the level of the image, the viewer may find enough (highly-explicit) male/male action, and gory entrails-eating (you'll need a strong stomach), to keep him/her watching... though ultimate satisfaction will perhaps be elusive, since there will be no final resolution; and the boy-meets-zombie, boy-and-zombie-fall-in-love, boy-loses-zombie, boy-finds-zombie, story arcs do not play out as expected.

Convoy is a 1978 US/UK action film by Sam Peckinpah

To film fans around the world, Convoy is the turd in Peckinpahs career toilet. To truck fans and lovers of Americana, it's a sub shaking guilty pleasure. I'm the latter.

Notoriously co-directed by James Coburn (Peckinpah was famously off his face the whole shoot), it's a film we've all seen, just enough vulgarity to push the rating up (one whispered F bomb, and SOME brief nudity), but also subtle enough to be shown to families on a wet Sunday afternoons.

Which is where my point lies. Over the years Convoy has been on TV a million times around the world and the only (brief) cuts have been an audio dip for one whispered profanity, and some re-framing to hide some boobs.

It has always however, shown the TV crew interview. A TV crew is filming the convoy, and makes several passes at drivers, who react accordingly (swerving into the camera car / pick up, mooning, and a very subtle gay invitation to the interviewer).

However this scene seems somewhat edited on the DVD. The VHS had the full scene, the TV cut has the full scene, yet the Region 1, 2, and 4 are left with an edited version, all missing the retaliation of the truckers. Well, actually, it's not fair to say the Region 2 is missing it, because the German release (through Kinowelt), seems to be the full version. However the UK and Scandanavian releases (also Region 2) are missing around the 3 minute mark.

Normally I wouldn't mind, but the editing is done in such a way, the pacing is out, and suddenly the camera crew jumps from talking to Kris Krisstoferson to talking to the hippy / born again bus, then straight back. It's not so much a censorship issue, as it is a stupidity issue.

One interesting point, is that it's made for the French market (in the UK it's released by Studio Canal, a French company), and this transfer was edited (for whatever reason), and ultimately used for the UK, and US releases. It's probably petty to spend money importing the German version (although I am), but it does have its advantages. The German transfer is (obviously) uncut, has an Anamorphic format, a rare 1978 trailer and is in stereo (however that may be just the German soundtrack). If you live in the UK and you find it cheap on Ebay.de, iId recommend it. If only for the completionists amongst us.

The A-Team is a 2010 US action film by Joe Carnahan

The BBFC suggested the cuts for the 2010 cinema release.

Two reels from this film were originally shown to the BBFC in unfinished form to consider language issues. The company were advised that two inadequately obscured uses of motherfucker would result in a 15 classification rather than the requested 12A. When the finished version of the film was submitted for formal classification, the two uses of the term had been further obscured and the film was classified 12A.

The planets must have aligned in some way recently, as the BBFC have reversed a censorial decision for the Arrow Video release of Dario Argento's Inferno.

Their original ruling saw the movie left with the same cut after all these years, that being the instance of a cat eating a live mouse. Sure it's only about six seconds of footage, but the fact that they are tampering with art depicting something which occurs in nature is annoying.

A lot of effort was put into the new transfer, and Arrow stood to lose a packet from disgruntled Argento fans electing not to purchase the UK Blu Ray.

A sensible head was kept, and the were BBFC politely lobbied to re-examine their decision. To the surprise of everybody involved, the board revoked the cut to the movie, and have granted it an uncut 18 rating.

The importance of this seemingly minor victory cannot be appreciated enough. There is hope for an uncut edition of The Abyss after all.

Show Arrow you support their victory when Inferno comes out on Blu Ray in the UK on the 2nd of August.

Caligula is a 1980 US/Italian film by Tinto Brass

The DVD was submitted and cuts were waived for a 152:57s version. There is also a 156:00s 're-edited version' passed uncut at the same time.

See full article from the sBBFC:

In 2008, the full uncut version of Caligula was resubmitted to the BBFC for DVD release. The passage of nearly 30 years had significantly diminished the film's impact and after careful consideration it was decided that it could now be classified '18' uncut.

This decision accords with the BBFC Guidelines, which state that At '18', the BBFC's guideline concerns will not normally override the wish that adults should be free to chose their own entertainment, within the law.

Although there are scenes in Caligula that some people will find shocking, offensive or disgusting, the film does not contain any material that is illegal in terms of current UK law and nor does it contain any material that is likely to give rise to harm for adults audiences, most of whom will be well aware of its controversial reputation.

The DVD version was classified '18' uncut with the consumer advice Contains strong violence, sexual violence and strong real sex.