Which of the Original Video Nasties Still Have No UK Blu-ray Release?
It has been over forty years since the infamous “Video Nasties” list caused outrage in the UK, turning grubby VHS tapes into forbidden treasures for horror fans. Back in the early eighties, while Mary Whitehouse and her band of pearl-clutching moral crusaders were fainting over gore effects and fake blood, video shops across Britain were quietly renting out some of the most infamous titles ever made. These films were seized by police, banned by the British Board of Film Classification, and immortalised as part of the seventy-two strong DPP list. What was once considered cinematic filth has since become a cornerstone of horror history, studied, collected, and celebrated by fans who love a bit of controversy with their carnage.
Over the years, many of the banned titles have returned to the UK in glorious Blu-ray form, often remastered, restored, and accompanied by booklets that take them far too seriously. Films like The Evil Dead, Tenebrae, Zombie Flesh Eaters, and Cannibal Holocaust have all been rescued from the censor’s bonfire, proving that time heals all wounds (and makes money for boutique labels). Yet some of the original nasties remain stuck in the shadows, waiting for their moment to shine on the shelf beside their once-forbidden friends.
Mary Whitehouse, bless her shrill little heart, would have hated this resurgence. The idea that films once branded as corrupting the nation’s youth are now being lovingly restored in 4K by companies who put heart-shaped stickers on the shrink-wrap is the kind of cosmic joke that horror fans live for. Still, a few of these titles are yet to receive the Blu-ray treatment in the UK. Some have been released overseas, others only exist in battered old VHS transfers, and a few may never escape the legal or moral limbo that has trapped them for decades.
So, let us descend into the blood-soaked vaults and uncover which original Video Nasties still have no UK Blu-ray release.
Blood Rites (The Ghastly Ones)
A sleazy little slice of sixties shock from Andy Milligan, this tale of inheritance, torture, and madness is as rough as they come. It has seen DVD releases in the US, but the UK has yet to show it any Blu-ray love.
Cannibal Apocalypse
John Saxon leads this Italian hybrid of war movie and cannibal carnage. Think Vietnam veterans infected with a taste for human flesh. It is genuinely better than it sounds, with Blu-ray releases in the US and Italy, but still none in the UK.
Don’t Go Near the Park
A bizarre mix of ancient curses, cannibalism, and family dysfunction that somehow made it to home video in the eighties. This one is a true oddity, and while it has popped up abroad, UK collectors still have to go without.
Don’t Look in the Basement
Set in a madhouse where the patients have taken over the asylum, this grim little grindhouse number deserves a proper remaster. So far, it has escaped a UK Blu-ray release, though it lurks in various US editions.
Exposé (House on Straw Hill)
One of the more controversial British entries, this sleazy psychological thriller starring Udo Kier was banned for its violent sexual content. It has seen some scattered European releases, but UK Blu-ray buyers are still waiting.
Faces of Death
Half fake documentary, half grotesque circus act, this infamous “real death” shocker is still unlikely to pass BBFC scrutiny. Its taboo reputation remains intact, and it seems destined to remain banned or buried.
Fight for Your Life
This mean-spirited revenge thriller is as offensive as they come and still impossible to find in any legitimate UK format. Its depiction of race and violence is so toxic that a UK Blu-ray release seems improbable.
Forest of Fear (Toxic Zombies)
Low-budget ecological horror about pesticide-mutated cannibals. Sounds fun, looks awful. No UK Blu-ray, and that might be a blessing.
Frozen Scream
A hopelessly confusing attempt at zombie horror with cheap effects and even cheaper acting. It is available in some overseas releases, but the UK has wisely remained frostily indifferent.
Gestapo’s Last Orgy
One of the most infamous of the “Nazisploitation” nasties, this one has been restored abroad but remains unreleased on Blu-ray in the UK. Probably for the best, unless you are into goose-stepping sleaze.
Human Experiments
A prison-set shocker starring Linda Haynes, mixing abuse, science, and bad fashion. It is obscure, but that does not mean it deserves to stay lost forever.
I Miss You, Hugs and Kisses
A Canadian murder mystery more dreary than depraved. It was probably added to the list by mistake. No Blu-ray in the UK, and few are begging for one.
The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue
A brilliant Spanish-Italian zombie film that is often lumped in with the Romero classics. It has seen excellent US and European Blu-rays but no official UK version yet. A travesty for one of the best nasties.
Love Camp 7
This grim Nazisploitation flick is all torture, no plot, and remains unclassified in the UK. Expecting a Blu-ray release here is like expecting Mary Whitehouse to start a fanzine from beyond the grave.
Night of the Bloody Apes
Mexican wrestling, mad science, and gorilla hearts. What more could you want? Sadly, UK Blu-ray collectors are still waiting for this oddball to swing their way.
Pranks (The Dorm That Dripped Blood)
College students, power tools, and plenty of gore. This one has cropped up on US Blu-ray, but not in the UK, where it remains oddly neglected.
Snuff
A cheap exploitation film that pretended to show real murder and sparked outrage in its day. Even with its infamy, it has not had a proper UK Blu-ray release, perhaps because it is mostly unwatchable.
The Werewolf and the Yeti
From Spain’s cult horror legend Paul Naschy comes this monster mash featuring fangs, fur, and frozen peaks. There are Blu-rays abroad, but not a single UK disc in sight.
Women Behind Bars
Jess Franco’s grubby take on the women-in-prison genre remains without a UK Blu-ray release, though it pops up elsewhere in Europe. Probably not one for the Mary Whitehouse estate.
Dead & Buried
One of the most atmospheric films on the list and arguably undeserving of its original ban. It has had Blu-rays elsewhere, but the UK has yet to reanimate it officially.
So there you have it. Twenty titles that still have not made the leap from seized VHS tapes to pristine UK Blu-ray shelves. Some are hidden gems, others cinematic landfill, but each represents a bizarre chapter in British censorship history. It is only a matter of time before someone decides that even the worst of these deserve restoration. After all, if Cannibal Holocaust can get a deluxe steelbook, then there is hope for everyone.
