Video Nasties: Draconian Days, 2014
Directed by Jake West
SYNOPSIS:
A documentary that covers James Ferman’s run as the Head of the BBFC and the fallout from the Video Recording Act of 1984.
The sequel to Jake West and Marc Morris’ Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship and Videotape sees the pair take on the James Ferman era of the BBFC between 1985 and 1999, a time when widespread panic and outrage was placed upon the country because a few horror films were sold on video tape. It’s a fascinating look at a period when, despite claiming to be a free country, we were ruled with an iron fist and films became a censored art form. The documentary is filled with brilliant interviews with those who lived through these times as a horror fan, but also those who worked within the BBFC and politicians who lobbied for “this filth” to be removed from our shores.
On the surface, Video Nasties: Draconian Days is a look at the horror scene and how it was viewed as a criminal act to own these movies and trade them among the underground community, but the documentary is really about the rise and fall of James Ferman. It’s the story of a man who rose to power with almost-too-brilliant marketing tricks to prove his point, before becoming drunk on his own power and creating his own downfall for, ironically, being too liberal. The documentary is a rollercoaster ride that paints him as the bad guy before giving a different side to his story while the media were attacking his decisions to the point that even horror journalists and writers like FrightFest’s Alan Jones were defending and agreeing with him. His charisma is spellbinding and his story is captivating.
Video Nasties: Draconian Days works on two levels: firstly it brings to the forefront a time in this country’s history where we were treated like children with the government acting as our strict parents. It highlights the ridiculous edits made to movies and even cartoons like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles being renamed Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles because “ninja” was a banned word. The other level of the documentary is how West and Morris brilliantly make light of the absurdity of it all. In interviews the pair have noted that a lot of the politicians and people of power made all the punchlines for them. From Mary Whitehouse sitting in front of people dressed like Rambo while she slams First Blood to Ferman’s infamous line about Texas Chain Saw Massacre when he said, “It’s alright for middle class cineastes to see this film, but what would happen if a factory worker in Manchester happened to see it?” For a subject matter as serious as this, West and Morris manage to raise a few chuckles as we laugh in hindsight of how serious this was all taken.
The real highlight of Video Nasties: Draconian Days is when it talks about the role the media played in the scare mongering of the early 90s, a time when the BBFC came under fire for passing movies that newspapers like The Sun feel should have been banned to begin with. In particular it highlights the Hungerford Massacre (which was blamed by the press on First Blood) and the tragic death of Jamie Bulger, which the media attached to Child’s Play 3 for the simple reason one of the parents had rented the movie. In one brilliant moment, they have an interview with Kim Newman who notes that his review of the movie in Empire at the time criticised for it being “too tame” and yet it became the poster child for all that was wrong with this country. As it does with all of its subject matters, the documentary plays it completely fair by looking at why the media blamed the movie while simultaneously holding up a mirror to the idiocy of its claims. What’s terrifying is that all of the history covered in Video Nasties: Draconian Days is within the last 30 years. In the same year Toy Story was released, a horror fan could have faced jail time because they were part of the underground horror community.
If there is a fault within Video Nasties: Draconian Days is, because it covers such a large time frame, that it’s almost too thorough and therefore too long. It’s a double edged sword as it would have been wrong for West and Morris to be less in-depth. If you have an interest in this subject matter then it is without a shadow of a doubt the best documentary ever made about the moral panic of the late 80s and 90s, but if you were to educate someone on the topic then it could prove to be a touch too long for them. In a sea of swimming positivity it is hardly a point that means you should watch with caution, but it does need to be noted.
Video Nasties: Draconian Days is a brilliant, insightful and masterfully put together look at a troubling period of British history and its attitude to horror movies. And with this kind of censorship and media scare mongering still quite prevalent in discussions of policing the Internet, pornography and even Youtube, a movie like Video Nasties: Draconian Days is more relevant than ever. It should be played everywhere and used as a blueprint to highlight the mistakes made during James Ferman’s run at the BBFC. Video Nasties: Draconian Days is a genius movie that should be watched by everyone.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Luke Owen is one of Flickering Myth’s co-editors and the host of the Flickering Myth Podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @LukeWritesStuff.
Originally published July 14, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
