My eighth season of BAR TRASH was BANNED, an uncensored programme of the ‘Video Nasties’, at Genesis Cinema. I also hosted three pop-up test events at Beer Merchants Tap in Hackney Wick to launch cinema nights at the venue.
Back in the 1980s, uncertified horror videos were branded ‘Video Nasties’ by moral campaigners, seized by the police, and prosecuted for obscenity. Whilst censorship has relaxed since then, many of these extreme films still have the capacity to shock… BANNED revisited 12 of the original ‘Nasties’ in fully restored and uncut editions and was the most extreme BAR TRASH season so far…
The programme include the 100th edition of BAR TRASH which was celebrated with a MYSTERY FILM (and a few special gifts for everyone in attendance), a screening of modern meta nasty CENSOR (2021) with my friends at Zodiac Film Club to raise funds for Bloody Good Period, and the incredible tapehead Gemma Gore returned for a VHS screening of summer camp slasher THE BURNING (1981). Paul Morrissey’s FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN (1973) was our first ever 3D film and the season wrapped (suitably enough) with Lewis Jackson’s deranged Santa slasher, CHRISTMAS EVIL (1980)/
You can read more detailed writeups about each of these events – including audience comments from our ‘trash or treasure’ polling cards – over on LETTERBOXD (@tokenhomo).
#095: BLOODFEAST d. Herschell Gordon Lewis (1963 / USA / 67mins)
Genesis Cinema 25 SEPTEMBER 2024 [full event info]
To launch the BANNED! season I took a deep dive into the multiple histories of the ‘Video Nasties’ before showing Herschell Gordon Lewis and David F Friedman’s groundbreaking American splatter epic, BLOOD FEAST (1963).
I guess you start as you mean to go on… There should be room for a 67minute feature in our showtime, right…? Thanks to some unavoidable delays caused by a fantastically successful fundraiser for Palestine in Screen 1, our launch night stretched out… like so much narrative exposition… but we got there! The bar was full, the laughter was loud, and it was great to see our shared love of cinema back in the room after a break. Of the 15 available review cards, 12 voted ‘treasure’ (“Highly entertaining”) and 3 voted ‘trash’ (“Who names a kid ’Suzette’?”). No one was undecided.
#096: NIGHTMARES IN A DAMAGED BRAIN aka NIGHTMARE d. Romano Scavolini (1981 / USA / 99mins)
Genesis Cinema 02 OCTOBER 2024 [full event info]
Whenever we get to one of our edgier titles at BAR TRASH, I always joke that I’ve screwed the pooch… and no, that’s not a carnal reference to THE PLAGUE DOGS (another occasion when I sat back and wondered… what on earth have I done?!). BAR TRASH is known for indulging in fun forms of cinema as we embrace everything from the cult to the classic with a drink in our hands and often a rousing cheer come the final credits. NIGHTMARES IN A DAMAGED BRAIN was never going to be one of those nights…
Of the 14 available audience review cards, everyone voted ‘treasure’, which makes NIGHTMARES IN A DAMAGED BRAIN a rollicking smash…
#097: FOXY BROWN d. Jack Hill (1974 / USA / 92mins)
Beer Merchants Tap 09 OCTOBER 2024 [full event info]
Bar Trash popped up at Beer Merchants Tap for the first of our test screenings at the venue. Thanks to everyone who turned up to support, and the gorgeous venue team for being such great collaborators. There were a few screening room kinks to iron out regarding sound and seating, but overall this felt like a great start in a great venue.
Of the 11 available review cards (I’ll have pots of pens on the tables next time!), everyone voted ‘treasure’, and there was a lot of love for Foxy. And of course, cheers filled the room when revenge got served…
#098: THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY d. Lucio Fulci (1981 / Italy / 86mins)
Genesis Cinema 16 OCTOBER 2024 [full event info]
Lucio Fulci’s THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY hit haaaaard and was a huge BAR TRASH hit. Due to some technical issues with a new box office system at the venue, we had no exact idea how many people would attend. Turns out, we were full!
THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY was projected from the new 4K restoration by the wonderful people at Arrow Video and we used the English language dub, which contributes its own set of provocations… Of the 29 available audience review cards, 27 voted ‘treasure’ (“AMAZING!!! REALLY AMAZING!!! I LOVED BOB!!!”), and two voted ‘trash’ (“In the good sense!”), with no one undecided, which makes THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY the smashiest of smash hits. Clearly it conjured thoughts in people’s fevered brains, as the review table was crammed long after the show ended (with almost all Sharpies returning safely…).
#099: NIGHT OF THE DEMON d. James C. Wasson (1980 / USA / 96mins)
Genesis Cinema 23 OCTOBER 2024 [full event info]
Ever since we screened PROPHECY and GRIZZLY back in Season 2, we’ve loved a ‘death by sleeping bag’ sequence so much that it’s become a sought-after kill in any new season… I’m delighted to say the whirligig death in NIGHT OF THE DEMON.
Of the 28 available audience review cards, 19 voted ‘treasure’ (“10/10”), 2 ‘trash’ (“Tearing off body parts – ok. Prolonged, awkward sex scenes – please no oh god!”), and a slightly higher number than usual, 7, swung both ways (“It’s a treasure because it’s so trash”), which makes NIGHT OF THE DEMON (1980) a guarded smash!
#100: MYSTERY FILM: D.R. BUTCHER, MD aka Zombie Holocaust d. Marino Girolami (1980 / Italy / 84mins)
Genesis Cinema 30 OCTOBER 2024 [full event info]
Our sold out Bar Trash 100: MYSTERY FILM was revealed to be DOCTOR BUTCHER M.D. [MEDICAL DEVIATE]. This is the American re-edit of veteran genre director Marino Girolami’s ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST (1980) which was in itself an attempt to capitalise on the box office success of EuroTrash titles like Lucio Fulci’s ZOMBIE (1979) and Ruggero Deodato’s CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1979).
DOCTOR BUTCHER M.D. deletes some of ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST’s expository verbiage (but leaves all the gore), grafts on a new opening sequence of additional zombie footage from an entirely different film (Roy Frumkes’ segment of unfinished horror anthology TALES THAT WILL TEAR YOUR HEART OUT), pimps the score with new electronic beepy boppery, and attempts to spin an almost entirely different narrative in some of its trailers, warping the film into a medical malpractice horror set in NYC rather than the stupidly offensive island-set zombie / cannibal mashup blood-bath it actually is.
But what did our audience make of it? Of the 18 available audience review cards, 13 voted ‘treasure’, 4 ‘trash’ (“The dubbing was so off that for a long time I didn’t know what language the actors were meant to be speaking”), and 1 swung both ways (“Despite all warnings… I wasn’t ready for that!”), which makes DOCTOR BUTCHER M.D. a total smash.
#101: DON’T GO IN THE WOODS d. James Bryan (1981 / USA / 82mins)
Genesis Cinema 06 NOVEMBER 2024 [full event info]
Every dog has its day, and maybe this was the day for DON’T GO IN THE WOODS?
On the strangest of days as news of the USA election results settled in, there was definitely something in the air. For the first time ever, less than half of our booked crowd attended the actual event (no shade thrown, we totally get it). Whilst smaller than usual, our crowd was perfectly formed, and the capacity of our night of nonsensical cinema to provide shelter from the storm seemed to be fully activated.
James Bryan’s DON’T GO IN THE WOODS (1981) has a terrible reputation amongst connoisseurs of the Video Nasties, but it played brilliantly last night. Of the 15 available review cards, 9 voted ‘treasure’ (“The stupidest fucking movie. The characters were stupid. The music and sound was super stupid. The blood (?) was crazy. Just stupid!”), 4 voted ’trash’ (“The worst film I’ve seen at BAR TRASH so far, but the most fun.”), and 2 swung both ways (“Peter learned his survival skills the hard way”). Which is a modest but much-needed smash.
#102: THE DRILLER KILLER d. Abel Ferrara (1979 / USA / 96mins)
Genesis Cinema 13 NOVEMBER 2024 [full event info]
After every drilling… a tender kiss 💋 Thanks to the hot crowd who packed Bar Paragon for THE DRILLER KILLER. That was a seriously wild ride…
I haven’t been so nervous about showing a film at BAR TRASH since THE PLAGUE DOGS back in Season 5, but our audience found the funny in Abel Ferrara’s NYC punk rock timewarp, and many really got into the grungy vibe of this masterpiece movie. No doubt some folk found it slow, baffling, and frustrating at times, but the room’s love for lesbian icon Pamela (Baybi Day) shone through.
Of the 21 available audience review cards, 17 voted ‘treasure’ (“Gritty, Sexy, Arty, Hot & Raw!”), 2 voted ‘trash’ (“People was more upset with the way Reno eat pizza than murder.”) , and 2 swung both ways (“I also like to give a guy a tender kiss after I drill him.”), which is pretty much a smash!
#103: THE HILLS HAVE EYES d. Wes Craven (1977 / USA / 90mins)
Beer Merchants Tap 17 NOVEMBER 2024 [full event info]
BAR TRASH popped up again at Beer Merchants Tap for our second test event at the Hackney Wick beer hall, and this time I screened Wes Craven’s THE HILLS HAVE EYES.
Now, this one was always going to be a bit personal as THE HILLS HAVE EYES lingers in my sketchy ‘top ten of all time’ and I tried to convey some of its radical ferocity and modern relevance in my intro. Of the 30 available audience review cards, 26 voted ‘treasure’ (“Absolute cinema”), 2 voted ‘trash’ (“The hills definitely have something…”), and 2 swung both ways (“Quite the final climax!”), which pretty much confirms the film’s reputation as a standout classic.
#104: CENSOR with Zodiac Film Club for Bloody Good Period d. Prano Bailey-Bond (2021 / UK / 84mins)
Genesis Cinema 20 NOVEMBER 2024 [full event info]
I was joined for this special edition of BAR TRASH by my wonderful friend Zodiac Film Club to screen Prano Bailey-Bond’s “lovely, artistic, creative, meta-nasty” CENSOR (2021) as a fundraiser for menstrual equity charity Bloody Good Period.
Of the 18 available audience review cards, every single one voted ‘treasure’ (“Beautifully shot. Haunting. LOVED!”), which further celebrates Bailey-Bond’s feature debut as a modern horror classic. Praise for CENSOR shone through a series of comments about how gorgeously it was shot by cinematographer Annika Summerson (“Gorgeously shot! Reminded me of KNIFE & HEART”) and the quality of the performances, particularly from Niamh Algar for letting censor Enid Baines’ internal mayhem spill out onto the screen so compellingly, and Michael Smiley as slimy mega-producer Doug Smart, horribly fantastic in his fake tan and sharp suits: “Well-played and beautifully shot is not the usual take from BAR TRASH movies… but this one was! Loved every minute, especially fucked up last 10 min!”
#105: SHOGUN ASSASSIN d. Kenji Misumi and Robert Houston (1980 / JAPAN & USA / 90mins)
Genesis Cinema 27 NOVEMBER 2024 [full event info]
This American mashup of the first two films in the venerated LONE WOLF AND CUB series (1972-74) had something powerful to say about family values (“Best single father film of all time”), and Tomisaburo Wakayama’s stoically ‘beefy’ performance as “fat samurai” dad Ogami was singled out for much praise: “His deadliest power is his main character energy”. But there was no doubt who was the real star of the show, and that’s Cub, aka young Daigoro (played on screen by Akihiro Tomikawa): “The cutest baby assassin around” because “We love a sentient baby”.
Of the 34 available audience review cards, 32 voted ‘treasure’, 1 voted ‘trash’ (“I feel like trash is not apt as it is clear the source material is wonderful, however, someone took a sacrilegious American shit on it. 5 stars?”), and 1 swung both was (“Well, I guess the father willing to sacrifice his only begotten son trope is popular in works of fiction.”). Which makes SHOGUN ASSASSIN a massive smash!
#106: THE BURNING from 📼 with Gemma Gore d. Tony Maylam (1981 / USA / 91mins)
Genesis Cinema 04 DECEMBER 2024 [full event info]
Firstly, huge thanks to my wonderful friend, the incredible tapehead Gemma Gore, for unlocking her VHS vault and bringing a truly historic and completely uncensored tape to our show. Having survived a product recall, studio wipe, re-record and subsequent scrappage after being banned, Gemma’s Thorn-EMI tape of THE BURNING played brilliantly in the bar with great sound and clarity (in the daylight segments of the show…).
Of the 16 available audience review cards, 15 voted ‘treasure’ (“A glorious slice of VHS complete with finger snips. Worthy BAR TRASH”), 1 voted ‘trash’ (“Everyone suffers under toxic masculinity”), and no-one was undecided. So that’s another smash in a great run of screenings in Bar Paragon (though people are starting to express mild concern that my recent run has been too ‘good’, even if our Video Nasties have retained an hysterical/camp splendour…).
#107: FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN 3D d. Paul Morrissey (1973 / USA & Italy / 95mins)
Genesis Cinema 11 DECEMBER 2024 [full event info]
BAR TRASH ruptured our fourth wall with our first ever 3D screening of FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN aka ‘Any Warhol’s Frankenstein’ (1973). We screen in a full service bar meaning digital 3D isn’t an option for us. However, our anaglyph red/cyan 3D viewers created a real whiff of nostalgia — the poppers of 3D projection!? — and survived this test screening with flying/spinning colours (even if they aren’t historically accurate… see the 3D Film Archive for info).
Of the 15 available audience review cards, 11 voted ‘treasure’ (“A film that asks, ‘Can a man be both a God and a Cuck?’”), 3 voted ‘trash’ (“I miss the person I was before I watched this film…”), and 1 undecided (“Least sexy erotic film ever. So grim! Bit of fun”). Because we massively overran (sorry!), there weren’t as many review cards as usual, but that still looks like a three dimensional smash to me.
#108: CHRISTMAS EVIL + Token Homo’s annual Christmas Confessional d. Lewis Jackson (1980 / USA / 94mins)
Beer Merchants Tap 15 DECEMBER 2024 [full event info]
BAR TRASH played to a sold out house for the closing night of our current season, BANNED!. For this special event a proportion of the box office was donated to Switchboard LGBT to help provide essential services to tackle LGBTQIA+ loneliness and isolation throughout the festive period. Our fabulous guests also contributed to the venue’s Lucky Dip fundraiser for Hackney Food Bank. Thank you everyone for all of your support!!!
Of the 27 available audience review cards, 25 voted ‘treasure’ (“Scary and beautiful”), 2 swung both ways (“Festive Travis Bickle!”), and no one voted ’trash’, which makes CHRISTMAS EVIL an almost perfect curtain drop for BAR TRASH Season 8.