The rise of the blockbuster mutliplex and homevideo

1973/4 - 1984/5

Blockbusters
Rise of the multiplex
Home video and video nasties 



2000 - post 

• Technological (internet piracy)/ new special effects CGI/3D = less likely to be illegally downloaded
• Social
• Economic (internet piracy = formulaic movies = safe)
• Political 

Entitlement = audiences do not expect to pay
AVATAR -> spectacle; the way it looks vs. the narrative / quality of the CGI vs. quality of the narrative/ style over substance


What is the significance of home video and the format wars for audiences?
Home video did not have to be regulated, therefore these video nasties could be produced without restricting any images.

What were the concerns around home video and regulation/censorship?
Home videos were not censored or regulated as these video nasties were being produced illegally. This therefore created a concern and moral panic, that these video nasties were influencing crimes, etc. The government, and the media blamed these video nasties for imitable behaviour, influencing the ongoings in society.

What is a video nasty and why did they become popular?
A video nasty is a low budget horror film that were banned, they became popular as people wanted to watch these for the status of being banned.

What did these films have in common? 
Low budget, horror genre, appealing to a teenage audience, similar narrative/storylines

Who were Margret Thatcher and Mary Whitehouse and why were they significant?
They campaigned to ban these video nasties and blamed things going on the in public as an influence of these films, for example rise in crime rates. NVLA was a campaign set up to ban these video nasties, and to restrict audiences from viewing these films, whilst regulating and censoring graphic images.

How did video nasties become political and how was this moral panic being exploited by the government?
The media exaggerated and created the moral panic around these video nasties, blaming these video nasties as an influence for crime, etc. The government also used video nasties as a scapegoat to explain crime, riots etc.