The VRA are is classified as a law to follow when films are set to be published. It was introduced in 1984 to ban video nasties and the likes of evil dead, driller killer and cannibal holocaust. the VRA was introduced to support the censorship, and banning of films that we're deemed unessasaryly gory or contain scenes of murder, genecide, rape and suicide. the whole debate of wether video nasties should be banned is to protect children around the age of 10-16, however the VRA is responsible for banning the films rather than making them hard to access for children. In my opinion, the government couldn't give a toss about adults who are exposed to this kind of material, but they can use the banning motivated by protecting children, as a scapegoat to blame for rise in crime rate and mental health. This law was then enforced by the raiding of video shops, when this only diverts the crime from murders to illegal video selling, theft and VHS dealers. 

Practice essay

Censorship is motivated by fears that video nasties will have a detrimental effect social, economic and political in the early mid 1980's. I agree with the statement to the extent that video nasties being easily accessible to 12-16 year olds and may trigger immitable behaviour. However, I feel that the government (especially the conservatives) where over using this excuse to cover their own mistakes and lack of control over society. This however could be argued to be the main reason for crime rates, such as rape and murder was at an increase in this period of time.

The beginning of the suspicions surrounding video nasties and it's effect on the audience, was motivated by the decline in moral panic, and that basic morals as simple as just watching the video nasties, we're effected in a detrimental way. Moral decline is defined as Social decline or moral decline is typically characterised as reduced adherence to cultural or social norms or values and widespread lapses in ethical behaviour. The video nasties we're seen to have a particular effect on what should and shouldn't be shown to 12-16 year olds such as exposure to rape scenes, nudity and murders and very quickly these video nasties we're labeled as satanic, and the epicentre of evil. Pressure groups we're set up and run by upstanding members of society such as Mary whitehouse in order to push for video nasties to be censored and banned. These pressure groups believed that satan uses video nasties to expose people to horrific crimes and some even believes that some of the nasties we're snuff films. Whilst on the other hand, teenagers at school and party's felt like it was a coming of age experience to be exposed to such graphic scenes. These pressure groups became more and more popular and began to have a slight influence on the way the government use video nasties as a scapegoat to distract people from the real problems. The problem with this is that Mary white house refused to watch the video nasties, so her fundamental knowledge stems only from influence of other opinions, gossip and word of mouth. It is factual that the covers of these video nasties we're exploited as a marketing tool and we're exaggerated to look worse than the actual film. This may also have had an influence into the opinions of Mary whitehouse.

This brings me onto the debate that magerate thatcher and the Conservative party went on and done what we know in the modern day the conservatives do, and that's to blame video nasties for What was current affairs that they refused to hold their hands up to and are using video nasties as a scapegoat. I terms of political context, this is similar to the ukips view on things that the reason there is a lack of jobs and money in society is actually a fault of immigrants in society taking the jobs. However the media and government do not expose is the fact that big banks in the city (run by rich white people) are causing the lack of money and jobs in the country. Immigrants come to the country and take the jobs that no English white people would lower themselves to do (cleaning, sweeping, argricultral jobs). As a result of Margaret and the conservatives views, margate and the pressure groups run by people like Mary whitehouse shared the Same views on moral panic and how video nasties should be censored. 

The release of the VHS and beta systems that could bring the cinema and movie watching experience to your own homes, stemmed an increase in the demand of the films that we're banned or censored by the VRA and the pressure groups was much higher. This had a massive effect on the access that people had to watch uncensored un regulated films that the government could not control. The films we're sold but what could be personified as no other than criminals in their own right. Garage owners, sweet shop owners etc. as a result of this the government and police we're taking action by raiding and ceising the videos that we're sold, to prevent 12-16 year olds getting hold of uncensored unregulated films. This is then when the VRA (1984) actually banned the films from being showed, sold and shown to user groups. 

Video nasties

Last house on the left - wes craven (1979)

The evil dead 1979- Sam raimi

  - more teenage driven 

  - low budget

  - horror

Texas chainsaw massacre 

- all 3 have chainsaws 

- phallic 

- sex/rape/nudity 

Home video is what made video nasties possible. (Technological context)

The vra was released in 1984, so the film the evil dead set off the vra and people was thought it was too bad 

1) 1983/1984

2) it set off the video regulations act 

3) nasties to get banned 

4) 

5) certificate the films