Re: RARA-AVIS: Clutching at Straw Dogs


Mark Sullivan (AnonymeInc@webtv.net)
Sun, 18 Jul 1999 14:14:47 -0400 (EDT)


As far as I can see from across the pond, the UK has some odd glitches in its video bans. As I understand it Reservoir Dogs at least was, if it's not still, banned, but Man Bites Dog, a particularly nasty and graphic (not criticisms) satiric pseudo-documentary of a serial killer, was not. The rationale? The latter was in black and white, which meant it appealed to a more arty audience who were somehow more immune to screen violence. The article I read also made arguments that there was a racial element in what was and was not banned from video release. Does this keep homegrown product, like the great, extremely violent Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels from being released on viddie?

There was a good book from the late '80s called Video Nasties about the then-current banning of a number of horror and/or slasher films.

Mark

ps -- I agree with Kevin, track down Westlake's five Tucker Coe/Mitch Tobin novels. I'm not much of a fan of Westlake's humorous books, either, especially not the Dortmunders, but the Coes are great. You might also want to check out The Mercenaries, an early Westlake which is an obvious, but very enjoyable spin on Red Harvest.

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