Let me know if I’ve missed any info.
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The Complete Video Nasties List (Section 1,2 and 3)
~1984
https://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/the+complete+video+nasties+list+section+12+and+3/peacefulanarchy
152 films
Alphabetical by section
Films that were successfully prosecuted (section 1), added to the “Video Nasty list” of potential obscene material (section 2), or liable to seizure /confiscation under a “less obscene charge” in the UK in the 1980s.
List created by the British Director of Public Prosecutions.
This list needs just a little help (the last two films on the list are not in the correct placement) And we can also debate whether a few other films, not technically classed as Video Nasties, but still seized/banned during this mania - like Mother’s Day / The New York Ripper / etc should be added.
This list will create 99 new official checks. While there is some basic overlap with The Deuce and TSZDT? - this list is rather steeped in legend, and has many documentaries, books and trailer collections to accompany it. ICM currently lacks any recognition of censorship in its lists, and here is probably the most famous list of moral panic / censorship. There’s also two German censored lists (the Nazi films and the continuining list of banned films) - which can probably be addressed later - but those are extremely obscure by comparison.
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Keeping the British End Up: Four Decades of Saucy Cinema
2001
https://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/keeping+the+british+end+up+four+decades+of+saucy+cinema/apronikoff
156 films
Chrnological
A list to serve as a viewer’s guide to the films discussed in the book by Simon Sheridan, a guide to British sex comedies from 1958-1983.
Three films are not presently on IMDB
This list will add 153 new official checks. This is a different examination of exploitation films - being the British sex comedy. As opposed to other exploitation lists, this one has the benefit of a book companion to help guide you through the period and the theme.
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Mystery Science Theater 3000 Feature Films
1988 - X (ongoing)
https://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/mystery+science+theater+3000+feature+films/mightysparks/
202 films (needs to add the new season though)
Chronological by airdate
List of films and shorts riffed by Mystery Science Theater 3000
The new season needs to be added to the list.
I suppose this is about as close to having a television show list as possible. Its an eclectic + fun selection of films. It will add 179 new official checks! There is a little overlap with Badmovies.org - but they differ enough, as MST3k focused more on “terrible” whereas Badmovies.org tries to salvage some of the better films. So, there is enough to separate the two. For those who might not enjoy MST3K - they can easily watch all of these films in non-MST3K form, and have about the same effect. For those who look down upon watching “the MST3K versions of the film” - as they do tend to edit films for time / content. I’d say this is no different than watching any film on television - which is so often bastardized for content / time / aspect ratio. So there’s no argument against MST3K that couldnt also be used against AMC / IFC / Sundance / every other tv channel’s presentation.
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As to the whole Vinegar Syndrome debate above: I think Criterion and MoC work somewhat due to their spine numbers, but again - I don’t think either of these would be as defended if they weren’t made official before any of the current vetting systems were in place. There are just too many prestigious film distributors out there, and if you keep voting for one, you can’t really stop - why not add Second Run / Kino / BFI / Carlotta / Indicator /etc /etc Then we’ll get to the point where hundreds of new titles are created every month as these companies make their announcements. Plus throw in different territories - and the same films will be recognized as a company in France / UK / US / Germany / South Korea announce the same films. Its madness!
Perhaps Criterion can be cut some slack, as they’ve been doing this since the early 80s, and created the precdent every other company uses (along with creating things like letterboxing / commentary track / special edition /etc) - but its still a bit of a silly list - as its grows by about 5+ every month, and is dependent on the whims of a company who is still trying to make a profit. I think if any distributor was going to be recognized with an official list, it would always be Criterion. Although the Criterion list seems to have its share of issues - with the degree of which it excludes films or how it treats certain films as boxsets, yet doesn’t apply the same criteria to other sets (but thats a whole other issue).
And MoC used to be held up as a “UK Criterion” -although they’ve been surpassed by many other UK companies since then (+Criterion now sells films in the UK), and don’t really have nearly the cadre they once had. I think both lists work, to some extent, but we really do not need anymore of these things - otherwise it will never end. Maybe the companies should do the marketing, not ICM (although maybe some are willing to be financial benefactors?).
I do like the idea of a Vinegar Syndrome list - just because of the number of new official lists it would create. But you can’t really make that argument exclusively to VS. Plus at a certain point - these lists are no longer about “curation” but instead “whatever they can get the rights to” - which isn’t exactly much of a thing to celebrate. As VS would assuredly wish to
distribute thousands of films which are otherwise locked away with some other company.
So, rather than harping on about VS or trying to compare it to the three official lists that have been around for like 10 years (Eclipse is the third) - why not find some decent lists that cover the same basic territory, and aren’t dependent on the whims / financial solubility of a company? Plus AGFA is basically doing exactly the same thing, so why pick favorites?
All said, I see that somebody has chosen to add Artificial Eye to the nomination list - which
doesn’t make any sense for the above reasons and more. First being, isn’t it called Curzon now? + how do you address all of Curzon’s sublabels? Or it seems to be missing hundreds of films that is has distributed in the past / new announcements. I don’t think you can exclude Vinegar Syndrome or any of the other companies, yet include AE in the running.