The Quest to Watch ALL the Video Nasties!
Quite recently I decided (for reasons I no longer remember) to hunt down and watch all the video nasties to see if they are...well...nasty. This list will be alphabetical (according to the actual list, so they may seem out of order, but are not) and added to as I see them.
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- DirectorJoe D'AmatoStarsGeorge EastmanAnnie BelleCharles BorromelA priest-doctor chasing a man with supernatural regenerative abilities, who has recently escaped from a medical lab, reaches a small town where the mutant goes on a killing spree.5/10 - Much like Anthropophagus, this movie is shot well, making fantastic use of its settings and lighting, but in between all the action the movie comes to a grinding halt with little to nothing happening. A few gory kills and an intense last 20 minutes make up for an otherwise average movie.
- DirectorJoe D'AmatoStarsTisa FarrowSaverio ValloneSerena GrandiA group of friends and a hitchhiker become stranded on a tourist island where they are stalked by a disfigured cannibalistic killer who is prowling the island after killing its residents.5/10 - A gorgeous setting and some effective scares can't lift this film from the depths of tedium as over half of the movie is just a group of people wandering around an island. For horror completionists this is recommended, otherwise, give it a miss.
- DirectorAntonio MargheritiStarsJohn SaxonElizabeth TurnerGiovanni Lombardo RadiceMentally unstable Vietnam vets who were held captive by the Viet Cong come back to America after being rescued carrying a dangerous virus that turns people into cannibals when bitten.AKA Cannibal Apocalypse. 4/10 - Despite a promising title, cannibals don't feature heavily in the film until the final act. John Saxon adds class to the precedings, and the story is pretty cool, but the out-of-place score and lack of gore render this one below average
- DirectorMario BavaStarsClaudine AugerLuigi PistilliClaudio CamasoThe murder of a wealthy countess triggers a chain reaction of brutal killings in the surrounding bay area, as several unscrupulous characters try to seize her large estate.AKA Blood Bath. 8/10 - This is a fantastic piece of work, despite a convoluted plot. Great, gory deaths and an awesome ending make this a must-see for slasher fans and Mario Bava fans.
- DirectorLucio FulciStarsCatriona MacCollDavid WarbeckCinzia MonrealeA young woman inherits an old hotel in Louisiana where, following a series of supernatural "accidents", she learns that the building was built over one of the entrances to Hell.7/10 - My second favourite Lucio Fulci film. This has loads of atmosphere, an interesting enough story, some fantastic gore, and a chilling ending. This is definitely recommended to fans of zombie/gore/ flicks!
- DirectorCharles McCrannStarsCharles McCrannBeverly ShapiroDennis HelfendMarijuana growers deep in the woods are hit with a new toxic herbicide, and they turn into mindless cannibals killing everyone they come into contact with.AKA Toxic Zombies. 2/10 - Pure trash, but fun. A terrible synth score, token nudity, terrible gore effects and a lack of story make this the ultimate campy 80's redneck zombie classic.
- DirectorHerschell Gordon LewisStarsWilliam KerwinMal ArnoldConnie MasonAn Egyptian caterer kills various women in suburban Miami to use their body parts to revive a dormant Egyptian goddess while an inept police detective tries to track him down.6/10 - This gains my respect for being one of the first gore films, and having some suitably disturbing scenes; however, this is also very silly and unintentionally funny throughout. Good for a laugh, but not much else!
- DirectorUlli LommelStarsSuzanna LoveJohn CarradineRon JamesThrough the reflection in the mirror, a girl witnesses her mother's boyfriend's murder.3/10 - A derivative supernatural slasher that has an interesting enough premise, but fails to deliver any scares. With an opening that's a direct rip-off of Halloween, and a cheesy electronic score, this is one that can be missed.
- DirectorTony MaylamStarsBrian MatthewsLeah AyresBrian BackerA former summer camp caretaker, horribly burned from a prank gone wrong, lurks around an upstate New York summer camp bent on killing the teenagers responsible for his disfigurement.8/10 - One of the best 80's slashers, with fantastic gore effects by Tom Savini. It may have an unimaginative plot but makes up for it with a good cast (a young Holly Hunter and Jason Alexander) and some good scares.
- DirectorRuggero DeodatoStarsRobert KermanFrancesca CiardiPerry PirkanenDuring a rescue mission into the Amazon rainforest, a professor stumbles across lost film shot by a missing documentary crew.8/10 - A truly disturbing and horrifying film, yet beautifully shot with a haunting yet entrancing score. Despite the atrocity of the violence and rape witnessed, this movie carries some powerful scenes, and should not be dismissed as filth. However, not all will be able to tolerate the content.
- DirectorGary ShermanStarsJames FarentinoMelody AndersonJack AlbertsonSheriff Dan Gillis investigates eerie deaths in a sleepy coastal town.8/10 - Another winner, this mystery/horror film is atmospheric and interesting. It isn't overly nasty, despite one or two gruesome deaths by Stan Winston. There are some very creepy scenes, and the twist ending is fantastic!
- DirectorJames BryanStarsNick ClelandMary Gail ArtzJames P. HaydenFour friends camping in the woods inadvertently stumble upon the domain of a maniacal killer.5/10 - This "so bad it's awesome" video nasty is a true experience. Not only is it NOT nasty, it is incredibly funny! With zero plot, shocking acting, a hilarious script, an annoying score and just general whackiness, this movie is a must-see!
- DirectorAbel FerraraStarsAbel FerraraCarolyn MarzBaybi DayAn artist slowly goes insane while struggling to pay his bills, work on his paintings, and care for his two female roommates, which leads him taking to the streets of New York after dark and randomly killing derelicts with a power drill.2/10 - Famous for its cover-art of a man getting a drill shoved into his forehead (which is funnily enough not in the movie), Driller Killer is in fact quite boring. It's basically about an artist's slow descent into madness, upon which he goes on sporadic rampages with a power drill. There is little gore to be had, and the film drags in many places, so for me this was a failure.
- DirectorTobe HooperStarsNeville BrandMel FerrerCarolyn JonesA psychotic redneck, who owns a dilapidated hotel in rural East Texas, kills various people who upset him or his business, and he feeds their bodies to a large crocodile that he keeps as a pet in the swamp beside his hotel.AKA Death Trap. 6/10 - Enjoyable, trashy fun, but nowhere near the level of greatness Tobe Hooper achieved with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. It starts and ends fantastically, but drags in the middle, and the croc looks dodgy, which is to be expected for a low budget B-movie. Don't go into this one expecting much aside from a few splashings of gore and Judd, the loopy villain, muttering to himself.
- DirectorSam RaimiStarsBruce CampbellEllen SandweissRichard DeManincorFive friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons.10/10 - One of the greatest movies ever made, The Evil Dead needs little explanation to horror fans. Five teenagers unleash an ancient evil whilst staying in a cabin in the woods, extreme gore and general mayhem ensues, with the result being pure genius!
- DirectorPaul MorrisseyAntonio MargheritiStarsJoe DallesandroUdo KierDalila Di LazzaroBaron Frankenstein creates two "zombies" - one male, one female - planning to mate them in order to create a master race.7/10 - Gore, sex, necrophilia, incest, and dismemberment abound in this outrageously campy horror/comedy. Udo Kier is fantastic as the Baron, who wants to make a race of Serbian superhumans from his two creatures. Although dated this is still a great movie, and recommended to any open-minded horror fan, and easily one of the best movies on the video nasties list.
- DirectorTobe HooperStarsElizabeth BerridgeShawn CarsonJeanne AustinFour teenagers visit a local carnival for a night of innocent amusement, but soon discover that nothing there is innocent or amusing.8/10 - One of Tobe Hooper's best movies, possibly his best after The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, this is a fantastic, creepy movie set in a carnival. Although not really nasty (I assume the cover art and title were the major reasons for it making the list), Tobe Hooper skillfully builds up tension throughout, drawing us into this dirty, sleazy carnival and the horrors that lay within. The last half hour is particularly nightmarish. The novelisation by Dean Koontz is highly recommended as well.
- DirectorCesare CanevariStarsAdriano MicantoniDaniela PoggiMaristella GrecoA Jewish woman who survived the horrors of a concentration camp revisits the ruins of the camp, along with a former SS officer, and recollects the humiliation, the torture, and the constant abuse she went through.3/10 - I must have seen the censored version, because this was extremely dull and nowhere near as nasty as it was led on to be. Sure, any Nazisploitation is offensive, using the Holocaust to disgust and titilate through sleazy movies, but this was particularly boring with almost nothing happening the entire time. It scores for some disturbing scenes here and there, but this is a nasty that hasn't aged well.
- DirectorBruno MatteiClaudio FragassoStarsMargie NewtonFranco GarofaloSelan KarayAfter an experiment gone wrong, a virus that turns people into zombies spreads throughout New Guinea. A female reporter and her cameraman, and a team of four commandos sent to investigate try to survive the onslaught.AKA Zombie Creeping Flesh. 6/10 - Another zombie film on the list, this again features some great zombie effects, good gore and a suitably depressing ending. However, the constant stock footage of animals and stupid characters let this down. Also note the score is identical to that of Dawn of the Dead (1978) and the hostage scene is also ripped off from the same movie!
- DirectorLuigi BatzellaStarsMacha MagallGino TuriniEdilio KimA beautiful, nefarious senior female SS officer/doctor creates a genetic, mutant human hybrid; the beast is a, squat, mongoloid hyper-sexually-driven fiend which she uses to torture and molest female prisoners while get fellow Nazis watch.AKA The Beast in Heat. 2/10 - What to say?? This was terrible in almost every aspect and overly boring. Despite a couple of well orchestrated and gruesome torture scenes, this fails to be very disturbing or nasty, despite constant dwarf rape and a baby being machined gunned.
- DirectorLucio FulciStarsCatriona MacCollPaolo MalcoAnia PieroniA New England home is terrorized by a series of murders, unbeknownst to the guests that a gruesome secret is hiding in the basement.AKA The House by the Cemetery. 6/10 - Another (but not the last) Lucio Fulci film to be branded a video nasty! This is quite a good movie, with some brutal death scenes, a fantastic score and some gorgeous camera-work. The story leaves a lot to be desired, but as an aesthetic film it works well.
- DirectorMeir ZarchiStarsCamille KeatonEron TaborRichard PaceAn aspiring writer is repeatedly assaulted, humiliated, and left for dead by four men she systematically hunts down to seek revenge.7/10 - Famous for being pulled from cinemas (thanks to Siskel and Ebert, the dicks) upon release, this is actually quite a powerful film with a fantastic lead performance and an unrelenting portrayal of rape and revenge which is not only realistic, but very disturbing. A true nasty, but not necessarily trash.
- DirectorDario ArgentoStarsLeigh McCloskeyIrene MiracleEleonora GiorgiAn American student investigates the disappearance of his sister and the death of a friend, both connected from New York to Rome by an old alchemy book.8/10 - The second in the Three Mothers trilogy, this is not as good as Suspiria, but much better than Mother of Tears. As expected for a Dario Argento flick, this is short on story but strong on visuals. This looks beautiful, has a great soundtrack and features more of the elaborate deaths we all love.
- DirectorNico MastorakisStarsBob BehlingJane LyleJessica DublinA couple of perverted and maniac killers get loose on a Greek island.6/10 - One of the nastiest nasties I've seen yet, this is the very politically-incorrect tale of a married couple of a 'holiday' to Mykonos. While there they seduce and kill random residents including a French artist, a lesbian bartender, a gay couple and a middle-aged nymphomaniac. Although not excessively gory the murder scenes are often prolonged and mean-spirited with many inventive and nasty ways to off people including crucifixion and paint consumption, heroin overdose and decapitation with a bulldozer. With plenty of softcore sex, rape and even bestiality Nico Mastorakis (writer/director) pulls no punches. When talking about a video nasty, this is what would come to mind. It loses points for its horribly uneven pace and dreadful acting.
- DirectorWes CravenStarsSandra PeabodyLucy GranthamDavid HessTwo teenage girls heading to a rock concert for one's birthday try to score marijuana in the city, where they are kidnapped and brutalized by a gang of psychopathic convicts.6/10 - Wes Craven's debut is a true video nasty, and leaves an unpleasant taste in the mouth. What brings it down are the unnecessary scenes of comic relief, which hamper the perfectly ominous, depressing mood so well developed in certain scenes.
- DirectorLee FrostStarsBob CresseMaria LeaseKathy WilliamsTwo female Army agents go undercover at a Nazi prison camp to get information from a scientist being held there.2/10 - Said to be the beginning of Nazisploitation, Love Camp 7 is very underwhelming and quite frankly boring. With almost no gore, this is just a soft core porno with a Nazi theme. The movie is generally lifeless, the only positive aspects are the performance of the Commandant and the finale. The only Nazisploitation I can recommend thus far is Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS.
- DirectorRené CardonaStarsJosé Elías MorenoCarlos López MoctezumaArmando SilvestreA doctor tries to save his son's life through a complicated heart transplant operation, the involuntary donor being a gorilla. Eventually, the young man turns into a violent hybrid beast.AKA Night of the Bloody Apes. 5/10 - As good as the title sounds, this movie has it all: female wrestling, man-apes, open-heart surgery, poor special effects, nudity, and poor dubbing. The tale of a doctor trying to save his dying sons life by transplanting an ape's heart in place of his human heart only to go terribly wrong is pure exploitation gold. Despite the massive problems, this movie is hugely enjoyable for lovers of bad cinema.
- DirectorJames C. WassonStarsMichael CuttJoy AllenBob CollinsAn anthropologist and his students attempt to track down a Bigfoot responsible for a rash of violent murders, only to uncover something even more sinister.4/10 - Pure 80's shlock...bad acting, bad effects, bad story...but a lot of fun. A good watch if just for the hilarious dialogue delivered by bad actors, a bunch of gory deaths (including a biker getting his junk torn off) and bigfoot rape.
- DirectorRomano ScavoliniStarsBaird StaffordSharon SmithC.J. CookeA mental patient embarks on a murder spree upon escaping from an institution.AKA Nightmares in a Damaged Brain. 7/10 - This one has quite a reputation, but does it live up to it? Yes and no, it is very sleazy and gritty with some scenes of extremely nasty violence, but the middle section is a bore, and really detracts from the excellent first and last sections. The ending is particularly fantastic, featuring an insane double axe-murder and a very creepy final image.
- DirectorJorge GrauStarsCristina GalbóRay LovelockArthur KennedyA cop chases two hippies suspected of a series of Manson family-like murders; unbeknownst to him, the real culprits are the living dead, brought to life with a hunger for human flesh by ultrasonic radiation being used for pest control.AKA Let Sleeping Corpses Lie. 10/10 - One of the greatest zombie films made. Perfect atmosphere, good story, extreme gore and a fantastic ending make this a must-see for all film fans. This is the type of movie that needs more attention!
- DirectorDario ArgentoStarsAnthony FranciosaGiuliano GemmaJohn SaxonAn American novelist visiting Rome to promote his latest book is stalked and harassed by an obsessed fan who is committing a string of murders that appear to be tributes to his work.9/10 - One of Argento's best films, this is a intriguing murder mystery which feature one of Goblin's best score, and some of the most brutal death scenes filmed. The shock ending is probably my second favourite of Argento's, just under Deep Red (which is also highly recommended).
- DirectorJean-Claude LordStarsMichael IronsideLee GrantLinda PurlA deranged, misogynistic killer assaults a journalist. When he discovers that she survived the attack, he follows her to the hospital to finish her off.8/10 - An effective, slow-paced slasher that is head-and-shoulders above most of the 80's slasher films. Instead of introducing characters to be killed two scenes later, this film actually focuses on character development, which is helped by decent performances. Michael Ironside is fantastic as the woman-hating serial killer, and there are some particularly disturbing scenes scattered throughout. The film isn't overly violent, and really not nasty at all, this is replaced by a creepy atmosphere throughout. Visiting Hours is one of the better video nasties and simply a great horror movie.
- DirectorUmberto LenziStarsGiovanni Lombardo RadiceLorraine De SelleDanilo MatteiThree friends set out to disprove cannibalism on a trip to the Amazonian jungle, where they meet two men trying to escape a vicious cannibal tribe.AKA Cannibal Ferox. 4/10 - A cheap and nasty Cannibal Holocaust clone, this features some really mean-spirited (yay!) gore and torture, and some disturbing animal deaths. The scenes in New York are distracting though, and the movie ends up just a clone rather than its own thing.
- DirectorLucio FulciStarsTisa FarrowIan McCullochRichard JohnsonStrangers searching for a young woman's missing father arrive at a tropical island where a doctor desperately seeks the cause and cure of a recent epidemic of the undead.8/10 - Fulci didn't have a great run with the DDP List of Nasties, on which another of his living dead flicks is deemed too obscene! A "sequel" to Dawn of the Dead (1978), AKA Zombie in Italy, this features an island overrun by zombies, and hapless people fighting them off. Although this drags in many places, there is some absolutely brutal gore, a shark vs. zombie fight, an awesome score by Fabio Frizzi, a typical Fulci downer ending and the best looking zombies...ever!