Evil Dead

vorlon24 · 08-03-2005, 10:23

Apologies first of all if this is in the wrong section.

Did anyone watch the Evil Dead on Channel Four on Sunday?

It was banned for a number of years after its release in the early 80s.

I watched it and couldn't see anything particularly horrific about it - most of it just made me laugh. There are some horrible bits in it, but no worse than films like Hellraiser or Friday the 13th.

rockrabbit · 08-03-2005, 11:59

the whole series of the evil deads are comedies , evil dead 3 army of darkness has me in stitches everytime i watch it lol They are doing in america at the moment due for release later this year . The scenes off films like saving private ryan are far more disturbing than anything in films like evil dead

vorlon24 · 08-03-2005, 12:49

The reason behind the opening post was really to gauge views on this film, and why it was banned in the first place.

I can't see anything about the film that would lead to it being banned. As you said Rockrabbit, there are more disturbing scenes in other films, and I am sure at the time Evil Dead was made, there were other similar films around that made it past the censors

WillowTheWhisp · 08-03-2005, 13:19

I didn't see it so I can't comment on that particular film but it does puzzle me how some things are acceptable to censors whilst others of a very similar nature are banned. What similar films were there out at the time which received certificates? What was unacceptable a few years ago is often regarded differently these days.

vorlon24 · 08-03-2005, 13:32

I guess you're right.

Frankie Goes To Hollwood is a prime example. The BBC banned it at the time, but you tend to hear it a lot on the radio nowadays

janet · 08-03-2005, 13:48

Evil Dead 2 was a classic, pmsl when the eye popped out and landed right into someone's mouth.
They don't make them like that anymore.

wayneyboy1942 · 08-03-2005, 14:19

I get mixed up with these films,does'nt the bloke go back in time to fight an army of dead thingy's? On Bravo channle they used to have some very funny horror films Chopper chicks in Zombie town was brilliant! Another good one is Repossed a spoof on the Exorcist.

lettie · 08-03-2005, 14:29

I managed to see a banned copy of the Evil Dead back in the 80's. In my opinion there was nothing too bad about it at the time. I also managed a banned copy of Cannibal Ferox. I can see why that one was banned as it was totally gruesome, I highly doubt that Cannibal would make it past the censors even now..

p_headless_g · 08-03-2005, 15:53

"How much longer will the Government dither and Parliament blather while our children can continue to buy sadism from the video-pusher as easily - and almost as cheaply - as fruit gems from the sweetie shop?"

- Daily Mail, 30th June 1983

Blame Mary Whitehouse, the Conservative government, scare-mongering media and the rise of the 'video nasty' in the public conciousness. Around the early 80's, spurred on by Whitehouse, the Director of Public Prosecutions released a list of 60 videos that had been labelled obscene and were to be confiscated from video retailers. Right at the top was 'The Evil Dead', presumably picked mostly for the shock value in its name.
It was even passed for release by the BBFC - admittedly with minor edits. There was a scene with a pencil in a leg that was apparently trimmed because the pencil was wiggled twice, and the scene where a zombie starts beating a character around the head with a metal girder was edited so that there were only *three* blows to the head instead of *five*. Ridiculous...
You know it was originally meant to passed completely uncut? It was examined by three people at the time - James Ferman (the head of the BBFC) and two other examiners. Ferman and one of the examiners were in tears of laughter by the end of the movie, but the other examiner found it 'nauseating' and insisted that her 'bodily integrity had been attacked'.

vorlon24 · 08-03-2005, 17:52

Isn't it weird that the woman was the only one with a problem.

Probably a stuffed shirt, buttoned up to the collar government type where the word 'hell' used in the wrong contest offends

My wife thought it hilarious as well...

-pixie · 08-03-2005, 18:35

Look at some of the things that have been banned though...I mean The Exorcist?!

p_headless_g · 08-03-2005, 19:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by -pixie

Look at some of the things that have been banned though...I mean The Exorcist?!

Some of the first tapes to be confiscated from video stores by the police were taken just because of the title...
This is why "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" was banned in Slough during the early 80s.

rockrabbit · 08-03-2005, 19:53

i didnt actually know evil dead was banned . I didnt see the exorcist till a few years ago but cant work out why the banned it it was boring apart from the few funny bits . Apart from the bit of gore they arent really disturbing .

shiny gem · 08-03-2005, 20:38

the evil dead trilogy rocks!!!! they are soooo funny and bruce campbell is hot!!!! lol

rockrabbit · 08-03-2005, 20:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by shiny gem

the evil dead trilogy rocks!!!! they are soooo funny and bruce campbell is hot!!!! lol

army of darkness is the best i even downloaded that on here and bruce campbell hot ? lol