Documentary backdrop image for Fear, Panic & Censorship (2000)

Documentary backdrop image for Fear, Panic & Censorship (2000)

200052 minGdocumentary

8.0/ 10(1 rating)• TMDB

Fear, Panic & Censorship

200052 minGdocumentary

8.0/ 10(1 rating)• TMDB

Video Nasties, horror films labeled for their graphic content, faced bans under the 1984 Video Recordings Act, prompting debates on censorship in the UK.

Genres

Director

Synopsis

Video Nasties, horror films labeled for their graphic content, faced bans under the 1984 Video Recordings Act, prompting debates on censorship in the UK.

People

David Kennydirector

David Kennywriter

Astrid Olsoncast

David Hess

Fred J. Lincoln

Fred J. Lincolncast

Synopsis

Channel 4 aired "Fear, Panic & Censorship" as part of its "Banned Weekend" in 2000. The 52-minute documentary focuses on the controversy surrounding Video Nasties-horror films labeled as such by tabloid media for their graphic content. These films faced bans under the 1984 Video Recordings Act. The program examines film, video, and internet censorship in the UK during this period.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Caught On CCTV: Neighbourhood Watching In UK (Crime Documentary) (2018)

Caught On CCTV: Neighbourhood Watching In UK (Crime Documentary)

Britain's extensive network of CCTV cameras, combined with the rise of domestic surveillance, captures a range of dramatic and humorous incidents in everyday life.

Caught On CCTV: Neighbourhood Watching In UK (Crime Documentary)

The Underground Fight to Save Video Rental Culture (2026)

The Underground Fight to Save Video Rental Culture

An underground community of film enthusiasts is working to preserve mom-and-pop video rental stores across the United States, featuring insights from Todd Haynes and John Waters.

The Underground Fight to Save Video Rental Culture

Undercurrents 10 (2018)

Undercurrents 10

Activism in the late 1990s is captured through raw footage of naked protests, GM crop destruction, and the antics of fox hunters.

Undercurrents 10

Inside Britain's Most Notorious Hall and Culture! (2026)

Inside Britain's Most Notorious Hall and Culture!

Hosted by Jamie Theakston, this exploration of Britain's historical narratives examines controversial theories, archaeological anomalies, and suppressed events.

Inside Britain's Most Notorious Hall and Culture!

Undercurrents 7 (2018)

Undercurrents 7

Activism in the late 1990s is captured through raw footage of protests against Tony Blair, direct actions against the Newbury bypass, and police confrontations.

Undercurrents 7

True Crime Documentary Marathon: Britain's Deadliest Kids (2022)

True Crime Documentary Marathon: Britain's Deadliest Kids

Britain's most infamous child killers, including William Cornick and James Fairweather, are examined to understand the factors that led to their violent actions.

True Crime Documentary Marathon: Britain's Deadliest Kids

1977: Is PUNK ROCK a Threat to British Society? (2025)

1977: Is PUNK ROCK a Threat to British Society?

Punk culture in 1977 Britain sparks heated debate among youth and authorities, as musicians and councillors discuss its impact on society and morality.

1977: Is PUNK ROCK a Threat to British Society?

The Neighbours of Big Brother (2020)

The Neighbours of Big Brother

Over 350,000 cars are stolen in Britain each year, prompting many homeowners to install CCTV systems for protection and to capture criminal activity.

The Neighbours of Big Brother

Stabbed: Britain's Knife Problem (Crime Documentary) (2019)

Stabbed: Britain's Knife Problem (Crime Documentary)

Knife crime in Britain is examined through the perspectives of police, politicians, teachers, and survivors, highlighting issues of safety and law enforcement's role.

Stabbed: Britain's Knife Problem (Crime Documentary)

Oswald Mosley - Fascism in Britain (2024)

Oswald Mosley - Fascism in Britain

Oswald Mosley’s political activities and the rise of fascism in Britain during the early 20th century are examined within a historical context.

Oswald Mosley - Fascism in Britain

Political Propaganda In The US? (2025)

Political Propaganda In The US?

Subliminal messages have influenced American media since the late 1950s, with filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock using these techniques to manipulate audiences.

Political Propaganda In The US?

Prisoner X: The Mossad Agent Hidden by Israel (2025)

Prisoner X: The Mossad Agent Hidden by Israel

In December 2010, a man is found dead in an Israeli prison, identified only by a tag that reads "Ben Alon," though his true name is Ben Zygier.

Prisoner X: The Mossad Agent Hidden by Israel

Explore Fear, Panic & Censorship

People Topics FAQ

Browse more like this

Undercurrents 10 (2018)

Undercurrents 10

Activism in the late 1990s is captured through raw footage of naked protests, GM crop destruction, and the antics of fox hunters.

Undercurrents 10

No digital watch option in your country

Inside Britain's Most Notorious Hall and Culture! (2026)

Inside Britain's Most Notorious Hall and Culture!

Hosted by Jamie Theakston, this exploration of Britain's historical narratives examines controversial theories, archaeological anomalies, and suppressed events.

Inside Britain's Most Notorious Hall and Culture!

No digital watch option in your country

Prisoner X: The Mossad Agent Hidden by Israel (2025)

Prisoner X: The Mossad Agent Hidden by Israel

In December 2010, a man is found dead in an Israeli prison, identified only by a tag that reads "Ben Alon," though his true name is Ben Zygier.

Prisoner X: The Mossad Agent Hidden by Israel

No digital watch option in your country

Forbidden Films (2014)

Forbidden Films

2014•1h34m•★6.5TMDB

Approximately 300 films produced in Germany between 1933 and 1945 were banned by the Allied forces after World War II.

Forbidden Films

Damaged: The Very British Obscenity of David Hamilton-Grant (2023)

Damaged: The Very British Obscenity of David Hamilton-Grant

2023•1h11m•★6.5TMDB

One individual was imprisoned for distributing a 'video nasty' during the 1970s in Britain, marking a significant moment in the history of censorship.

Damaged: The Very British Obscenity of David Hamilton-Grant

Ban the Sadist Videos! (2005)

Ban the Sadist Videos!

2005•52m•★6.8TMDB

Over 70 films were labeled as "Video Nasties" during the scandal that erupted in Britain in the early 1980s.

Ban the Sadist Videos!

Video Nasties: Draconian Days (2014)

Video Nasties: Draconian Days

2014•1h37m•★7.4TMDB

Over 100 horror films were banned in Britain following the 1984 Video Recordings Act, leading to significant censorship in the home entertainment industry.

Video Nasties: Draconian Days

Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape (2010)

Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape

2010•1h12m•★6.8TMDB

72 films sparked a moral panic in Britain during the 1980s, leading to widespread censorship and public outcry over their content.

Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape

The Last Days of the Board (1999)

The Last Days of the Board

1999•1h•★9.5TMDB

Significant shifts in societal attitudes towards film content occur as James Ferman's tenure as Chief Censor of the British Board of Film Classification ends in 1999.

The Last Days of the Board

The Ban (2024)

The Ban

2024•27m•★8.0TMDB

In 1988, the British Government enacts a Broadcasting Ban that silences Sinn Féin and other paramilitary groups from speaking on television or radio.

Don't Scream: It's Only a Movie! (1985)

Don't Scream: It's Only a Movie!

1985•1h25m•★10.0TMDB

Segments include 'naked fear and terror torture' as the history of horror films is traced from the silent era to the splatter films of the 1980s.

Don't Scream: It's Only a Movie!

Banned: Crashing Thru the Century (1999)

Banned: Crashing Thru the Century

1999•1h•★10.0TMDB

Never before seen footage captures death and misfortune in a way that major networks refuse to show.

Banned: Crashing Thru the Century

Mama, Papa, Zombie (1984)

Mama, Papa, Zombie

1984•45m•★3.8TMDB

ZDF investigates violent films and their effects on children and teenagers in West Germany during the rise of VHS and video stores in 1984.

Mama, Papa, Zombie

Innere Sicherheit: Abraham Polonsky (1981)

Innere Sicherheit: Abraham Polonsky

1981•44m•★10.0TMDB

Abraham Polonsky, a key figure in film noir, confronted the Hollywood blacklist in the 1950s, featuring interviews and film clips.

Innere Sicherheit: Abraham Polonsky

The Inspired Island: Home In Two Cities (2011)

The Inspired Island: Home In Two Cities

One novel, Memories of Peking: South Side Stories, published in 1960, reflects Lin Hai-yin's contributions to Taiwanese literature and her fight against censorship.

The Inspired Island: Home In Two Cities

Browse more by David Kenny

View all films →

Murder Music: Black Metal (2007)

Murder Music: Black Metal

2007

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →