“The most warm + inclusive place to watch the most charming + deranged nonsense.” – Audience review
My cult film night BAR TRASH continues with BANNED, an uncensored season of the Video Nasties, every Wednesday at Genesis Cinema and a new venue, Beer Merchants Tap in Hackney Wick, for a couple of bonus features (25 Sept to 18 Dec 2024).
Back in the 1980s, uncertified horror videos were branded ‘Video Nasties’ by moral campaigners, seized by the police, and prosecuted for obscenity. While censorship has relaxed since then, many of these extreme films still have the capacity to shock… BANNED revisits 12 of the original ‘Nasties’ in fully restored and uncut editions. It will be the most extreme BAR TRASH season so far…
BANNED will include the 100th edition of BAR TRASH which we’ll celebrate with a banned MYSTERY FILM, revealed on the night. A screening of modern meta nasty CENSOR (2021) will raise funds for Bloody Good Period with our friends at Zodiac Film Club. The incredible tapehead Gemma Gore returns to Bar Paragon for a VHS screening of summer camp slasher THE BURNING (1981), and Paul Morrissey’s FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN (1973) will be our first ever 3D film (retro viewing glasses included in your ticket).
BANNED concludes with Lewis Jackson’s deranged Santa slasher, CHRISTMAS EVIL (1980), featuring my annual ‘Christmas Confessional’ to help decide who has been naughty or nice… (guess who gets the best prizes…?!?)
“London’s most fun & informative film night” – Sean McGeady
Tickets for the season remain £3 and will be on sale soon.
Our wonderful Bar Trash audiences showed amazing interest in the Video Nasties when we screened some of them as part of Season 6, Video USA. THE EVIL DEAD (1981) and THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974) were our fastest ever selling shows, leading to an ENCORE!!! screening for THE EVIL DEAD alongside a film similarly blighted by censorship, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE PART 2 (1986).
I’m stupidly proud therefore to be screening a hand-picked season of the original Video Nasties that contains some of my favourite splatter-packed horror films. Whilst several of the Nasties traded in misogyny and animal cruelty,
BANNEDfocuses on 12 radically transgressive and subversive horror films that are now regarded as classics of their kind (well, maybe not DON’T GO IN THE WOODS…).The season includes a major landmark for any film night – thank you for 100 mind-blowing shows! – as well as some truly special collaborations with my friends Zodiac Film Club and the incredible tapehead, Gemma Gore. Thank you to the crew at Beer Merchants Tap for inviting me into their amazing venue (the beer selection is amazing…). Needless to say, every show in this season comes with a content warning for graphic violence and extreme terror. See you there…?
Token Homo x
BAR TRASH: BANNED PROGRAMME*
- 25 SEP // Season launch + BLOOD FEAST (1963) — The original splatter movie.
- 02 OCT // NIGHTMARES IN A DAMAGED BRAIN (1981) — From the people that brought you I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE.
- 09 OCT // Bonus Feature: FOXY BROWN (1974) — at Beer Merchants Tap — Pam Grier is the ultimate Blaxploitation icon.
- 16 OCT // THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY (1981) — A waking nightmare from Lucio Fulci, aka the ‘Godfather of Gore’.
- 23 OCT // NIGHT OF THE DEMON (1980) — The quintessential dick-ripping Big Foot movie.
- 30 OCT // 100TH BAR TRASH SHOW: MYSTERY FILM NIGHT
- 06 NOV // DON’T GO IN THE WOODS (1982) — The prototype backwoods slasher.
- 13 NOV // THE DRILLER KILLER (1979) — A slice of NYC punk history.
- 17 NOV // Sunday Special: THE HILLS HAVE EYES (1977) — at Beer Merchants Tap — Wes Craven’s apocalyptic masterpiece.
- 20 NOV // Fundraiser for Bloody Good Period with Zodiac Film Club: CENSOR (2021) — An unnerving descent into the dark art of censorship.
- 27 NOV // SHOGUN ASSASSIN (1980) – The legendary midnight movie sensation.
- 04 DEC // Gemma Gore presents THE BURNING from VHS (1981) — The notorious teenage summer camp slasher.
- 11 DEC // FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN in anaglyph 3D (1973) — A riot of socially transgressive body parts.
- 18 DEC // Season finale: CHRISTMAS EVIL (1980) + Christmas Confessional
*Programme may vary.
/// BAR TRASH is a celebration of cult and curious cinema, hosted by queer film fanatic, Token Homo. Films are served with themed drinks, introductions, intermissions, prize giveaways, and subtitles/captions where possible. Tickets from £3. Adults 18+ only. ///
