SPECIAL
THANKS to the BBFC for compiling this history for me.
THE EVIL DEAD
was originally passed 'X' for cinema release in 1982. 49 seconds
of cuts were made to obtain the 'X' certificate. A number of small
cuts were made throughout the film to reduce the overall amount
of gore and detailed violence (eg the repeated twisting of the pencil
into the ankle). Although some examiners found the film funny -
and well made - others were quite squeamish about it. It was therefore
felt that, given the potential for some people not to 'see the joke',
it would be better for the film to be reduced slightly for national
release.
Later in 1982, the cut
version (i.e the version passed 'X' by the Board) was released on
video. It was soon added to the DPP's list of 'video nasties' and
was seized by the police from video stores around the country -
despite the Board's protests that it had been properly classified
by us. At a landmark case in 1985, the film's publishers (Palace
Video) were charged with distributing an obscene publication at
Snaresbrook Crown Court and acquitted. As a result of this the DPP
said that there should be no further prosecutions of the film. However,
given that the film had (prior to 1985) received a number of convictions
in regional courts the Board was reluctant to pass the film on video
in its present form. As a result of the 'video nasty' scare, horror
standards were generally tightened up post-1984 and it was felt
better to allow some water to flow under the bridge before considering
again what was one of the best known 'nasties'. In 1990, James Ferman
made a number of further cuts to the video - totalling 1 minute
6 seconds - and finally agreed to pass the video '18' in this version.
In total, 1 minute 55 seconds had been removed (49 seconds of film
cuts and 1 minute 6 seconds of additional video cuts).
The
cuts made to THE EVIL DEAD
for an 'X' certificate in 1982 were as follows (49 seconds removed):-
Reel
2 - remove prolonged screwing into ankle of
pencil (point may be seen going in and resultant bleeding, but
turning of pencil in wound must be removed).
Reel 3 - (i) reduce
sight of Shelley chewing off her hand; (ii) remove close shots
of Scotty chopping Shelley's hand and legs off; (iii) reduce
to a minimum sight of fluid spewing from Linda's mouth after
falling on dagger.
Reel 4 - (i) reduce
sight of Linda's hand tearing into Ashley's leg; (ii) reduce
to minimum bashing of Linda's head and body with wooden post;
(iii) reduce trunk gushing blood after head is cut off; (iv)
reduce to one blow only smashing of fingers in door; (v) reduce
to establishment sight of eye gouging; (vi) remove blood gush
after stake into side; (vii) reduce zombie's smashing into Ash's
back with poker.
The
additional cuts made to the 1990 video version before it could be
classified '18' were as follows (another 1 minute 6 seconds removed):-
At
25 minutes
- reduce sight of woman being 'raped' by creepers by removing
(i) creeper binding around her breast, (ii) creeper wrapping
around her thighs and up skirt, (iii) legs being pulled apart,
(iv) branch shooting
into crotch.
At
41 minutes
- reduce bloody clawing at man's face, removing second shot
entirely.
At
42 minutes - reduce scene of man defending himself
against zombie attack by removing (i) 2nd shot of zombie's wrist
being cut, (ii) most of 2nd shot of zombie biting its own wrist,
(iii) 2nd shot of knife in zombie's back with stump of arm feeling
for it; also reduce (i) spewing of liquid from mouth, (ii) spurting
from stump of arm and (iii) chopping of body with axe [this
last to be reduced considerably].
At
55 minutes - shorten sight of female zombie
licking blood from knife and sight of blood from her mouth when
she falls on knife.
At
61 minutes - reduce sight of zombie clawing
man's leg; also reduce sight of bashing zombie with post and
subsequent sight of headless zombie spurting blood onto man
as it lies on top of him (2nd shot to be removed entirely).
At
72 minutes - remove end of shot in which stake
is pulled out of zombie's thigh.
At
76 minutes - reduce final spurting of blood
and entrails, removing explosion of blood onto hero's face.
When
the Board was asked to consider the film again in 2000 we decided
that, by present standards, the effects were comical and unconvincing
and therefore none of the original cuts should be required. Public
attitudes had also shifted, our public consultation in 1999-2000
having revealed that the public felt that people should be free
to watch what they wanted at the adult level, provided it was neither
illegal nor harmful. It was passed '18' uncut for the first time.
