It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...it was the "Video Nasty" era of the '80's. While American horror fans were (generally) able to find second-rate copies...more or less uncut...of their favorite horror flicks at the local mom-and-pop video outlet, our counterparts in the UK weren't so lucky. They couldn't just stride up to the counter wearing their Def Leppard T-Shirts and proudly say, "Why, hello Mr. Video Store Man! How are you this fine day? I would like to rent, for my private edification, these fine copies of The Evil Dead and Cannibal Ferox, if you please!" No, things weren't that easy...many, many titles were outright banned, or at least so heavily-cut that the whole point of watching the film was summarily ruined. So, a whole generation of horror buffs grew up without knowing the pleasures of pure, unedited horror, and this at a time when horror films had, shall we say, balls of brass. Part of the introductory section of FAB Press' glorious new book "Shock! Horror! Astounding Artwork from the Video Nasty Era" sums it up perfectly:
"This book is a celebration of a bygone era, a vibrant, naive time when home video was still an an exciting new concept, and the companies supplying consumers with films to rent tried every trick in the book to make their product stand out on the video store shelves."
Short. Sweet. Descriptive. And perfectly indicative of the very soul of this fine publication.
It would be easy to simply dismiss "Shock! Horror!" as just another movie artwork compilation, but to do so would simultaneously short-shrift the book itself and also miss the point altogether. This book, as it were, rocks. Now, I'm not from the UK (well, not originally...though I'm of Scots ancestry, and ridiculously proud of it), so I was never witness to the glut of censorship and outright stupidity that was encapsulated by the VRA (Video Recordings Act) of 1984, which imposed harsh, compulsory pre-release censorship on tons of the best (and worst) that horror cinema had to offer at the time. Sure, I've been forced to watch "cut" versions of films before, but never to the extent that those in the UK were. This was "government mandated" stuff, folks, and for those of you who weren't previously aware, it's one of the main reasons why the UK is going through such a horror reawakening now. "Shock! Horror!" touches on nerves, I'm sure, that UK blokes are sure to appreciate on levels that many Americans and others in the world are less than ready to understand. That said, the book serves as a reminder of just why many of us got swept up with our horror passions to the extent that we did. Here, in full, garish, pristine color, are dozens of the most notorious video covers of the Video Nasty era; from Abducted to Zombies Lake, every video cover is reproduced brilliantly. For readers like me, it's impossible to open this book to any random page and not be completely swept over with a wave of nostalgia, a big ol' shit-eatin' grin, and on a deeper social level, feelings of appreciation for the sacrifices made by my counterparts in the UK. I've seen nearly every single film listed in the book, and I first saw the majority of them during the 1980's. Many of the films...the good and the bad...were responsible for shaping me into (I hope) a true "horror fanatic", instead of just a sniveling fanboy. So, an unbelievable amount of credit is due Harvy Fenton, Francis Brewster, and Marc Morris for reminding me of one of the main reasons why we are attracted to horror flicks in the first place.
"Shock! Horror!" is divided into two basic sections, the first of which simply shows the video artwork for each film in all of its glory. Unlike many other similar books, "Shock! Horror!" doesn't play favorites. A full page is devoted to each video cover...so we can make out all the details and appreciate the...ahem...quality of the art itself. The second section is what really sets this book apart from other art books. It contains a compilation of several features, including an essay on the nasty phenomenon, a handy and well-designed "video nasty timeline" (a sort of Gantt Chart of depravity, if you will), and reviews for each and every film on the nasty list. Now, I say "reviews"...these snippets aren't so much reviews of the films themselves, but interesting, factoid-laden summations of the actual videotape edition of the film in question. So, don't go into this section expecting critical and sociopolitical dissertations on the relative merits of The Bell of Hell or Gestapo's Last Orgy...instead, you will find fascinating facts about the release history of each film, including some of the reasons why the films found their way onto the list to begin with. This format is wonderfully entertaining, and highly informative...do not, under any circumstances, eschew this section in favor of simply lookin' at the purty pictures. You'll be sorry you did, and you'll miss some excellent "post-secondary horror education" to boot.
I am, unfortunately, quite certain that much of the information presented in "Shock! Horror!" will fall on deaf ears in some markets and for some audiences. It's clearly not for everyone. The horror fan who thinks Scream is the proverbial bees-knees will, no doubt, find him-or-herself quite lost in the seedy, exploitative joys on display here. So, this book was clearly written for the discriminating fanatic in mind, and this particular discriminating fanatic just gets wood over books like this. FAB Press must be sick of getting uniformly perfect reviews on Atrocities Cinema all the time, but honestly...they are at the top of their game. No one can touch them, and it's books like "Shock! Horror!" that serve the function of not only entertaining the reader, but also in keeping the spirit of an era alive and well. The book is a reminder that we all owe our gore-lovin' butts to the 1980's video industry, without the unbelievable success of which so many great flicks since released would never have seen the light of day.
It's been a long time since I've read a reference book that was as informative as it was entertaining as it was beautiful. The hardcover first edition that I'm reviewing is huge, but not obtrusively so, weighing in at nearly two pounds. Again, the paper used is clearly top-grade, and the book is well laid out and thoughtfully arranged and edited. So, on both techinical and purely visceral levels, "Shock! Horror!" is an unqualified success! One of these days, I hope FAB Press will release some insignificant, drivelous piece of fluff that I can give a negative review for, just so everyone knows once and for all that Harvey Fenton and I are not gay lovers. Let me repeat that...Harvey Fenton and I are not gay lovers. I love his books, though, and I hope that all of this praise only helps to keep the spark alive for everyone over at FAB Press, because they are truly doing right by their readers, and by horror fans around the world. Keep it up, fellas!
"Shock! Horror! Astounding Artwork from the Video Nasty Era" gets the highest possible recommendation. Just be aware that you'll indavertently learn something on every single page you turn. And ooooo...that artwork! It's just beautiful! Go out there and buy this book immediately...it belongs in your collection. Read it on those days when you're feeling depressed about the state of the genre, and you'll feel a bit better about the world.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...it was the "Video Nasty" era of the '80's. While American horror fans were (generally) able to find second-rate copies...more or less uncut...of their favorite horror flicks at the local mom-and-pop video outlet, our counterparts in the UK weren't so lucky. They couldn't just stride up to the counter wearing their Def Leppard T-Shirts and proudly say, "Why, hello Mr. Video Store Man! How are you this fine day? I would like to rent, for my private edification, these fine copies of The Evil Dead and Cannibal Ferox, if you please!" No, things weren't that easy...many, many titles were outright banned, or at least so heavily-cut that the whole point of watching the film was summarily ruined. So, a whole generation of horror buffs grew up without knowing the pleasures of pure, unedited horror, and this at a time when horror films had, shall we say, balls of brass. Part of the introductory section of FAB Press' glorious new book "Shock! Horror! Astounding Artwork from the Video Nasty Era" sums it up perfectly: