Options
The Burning
JamesArniston
Posts: 279 Forum Member
✭
Regarded as a video nasty in the early 80s, I just wondered whether this film has ever been shown on British TV.
I've just watched it and it hardly seems any more violent than many other horror films available today.
I've just watched it and it hardly seems any more violent than many other horror films available today.
0
Comments
Same goes for most of those old video nasties...they all look quite tame and even laughable these days.
The problem is that they were banned for so long in some cases, like 20 years or more, and by the time they are released things have changed, effects have moved on tremendously, and the envelope as to what is acceptable has been pushed back even further.
Therefore the general attitude to watching those movies these days is usually 'What on earth was all the fuss about'?
If I remember the history right it was butchered by the BBFC but the company that was distributing it (Thorn-EMI) accidentally released the full uncut version on video by mistake & they had to recall those versions. Now you can legally get it uncut on DVD.
Some great effects work from Tom Savini.
Just goes to show you the whole silliness of the 80's video nasty affair. I remember some MP's talking about how the sick disgusting grubby film called Cannibal Holocaust should be banned but when asked if any of them had actually seen the movie the answer was no from all of them.
Even for the time A NIghtmare On Elm Street is far gorier and yet that was passed fully uncut. It was distributed by Vipco who made quite a few of these low budget horror films that were regarded as video nasties.
Can't remember ever seeing it in the schedules, how long ago was it?
A good few years ago, around the mid 2000s, they showed it a few times and a couple of other banned movies iirc.
Basically, FT13 is the more 'fun' film with the added bonus of a fair level of claret-spilling, plus the magnificent 11th hour turn by Betsy Palmer, whereas The Burning is a less pleasant watch and nastier in tone, but edges it on the scariness and gore fronts. None of The Burning's male cast however holds a candle (pun not intended) to Kevin 'ziggy' Bacon in his butt-hugging blue jean cutoffs in FT13
I think a lot of films suffered from cuts or bans around the late 70's early 80's. Plus the films classed as video nasties were originally put on video with no age rating.
The Maggie government had a knee jerk reaction to violence in society. So some were banned, some were cut.
I can't remember when Nightmare on Elm Street came out on video, but by then there were age ratings and attitudes calmed down a bit ?
Plus Nightmare on Elm street isn't fully uncut. There is a couple of seconds missing from the Brad Pitt blood bed scene. Just to be pedantic.
I have the MGM R1 of The Burning, a lot better than the washed out Vipco release. The Blu is supposed to be great but Region A locked.