U.S. states toughen ‘video nasties’ laws

Press, 17 August 1987, Page 22

U.S. states toughen ‘video nasties’ laws

By

FELIX GUTIERREZ

NZPA-AP Los Angeles

Concerned that children are getting their hands on such “video nasties” as a three-part tape showing a human autopsy and the slaughter of animals, many American states are toughening laws on labelling cassettes and restricting youths’ access to them.

The autopsy-slaughter video, called “Faces of Death,” carries no Motion Picture Association of America (M.P.A.A.) rating and has been rented at video shops by children as young as 12. “A youngster cannot see an R-rated movie at the box office, but he can rent it and see it in his home,” said Christie Gorsline, a Junior League official in Riverside, California. “The system that is working at the box office is not working at the video stores.” Ms Gorsline said her group will propose a law requiring M.P.A.A. ratings on videos. California

lawmakers are considering a bill making it a misdemeanour to sell or rent unrated videos to minors without parental consent The Video Software Dealers Association has Joined the Motion Picture Association in its fight against labelling laws, said Richard Karpel, of the dealers group. His personal opinion is that the content of unrated videos is made clear by the title and pictures. With or without labels, warn film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, more children are watching “video nasties” — tapes featuring graphic scenes of blood and violence.

The grisly horror tapes, with titles such as “Bloodsucking Freaks” and “Make Them Die Slowly,” are watched at "video nasties” parties by children who compete to see who can watch the longest, say Messrs Siskel and Ebert.

“I think a lot of parents who hear their children screaming in the family

room may think they are looking at a horror film like they saw 20 years ago,” said Mr Ebert. “But these movies are really in a different category. One of the things they often have in common is the mutilation and sadistic torture of women. “What we are finding is that the children do the selection,” said Jane Brown, an associate professor of journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ms Brown, an expert on youth’s use of videos, which she called the new baby sitter, cited her own and other studies showing possible harmful effects of video violence on children. “It is clear from a lot of previous evidence that these kinds of violent depictions are imitated, and people who watch a lot of that are desensitised to violence,” said Ms Brown. “They may be more likely to consider violent behaviour reasonable in solving problems and interpersonal conflicts.” The unrated “Faces of

Death” series features actual footage of dead bodies, people being killed and slaughtering of animals. An opening scene shows a human body being sliced open and organs being removed in an apparent autopsy. In a spot check conducted by the Associated Press, two daughters of an AP staff member, aged 12 and 14, had no problem renting “Faces of Death” and the R-rated French film “Heat of Desire” after showing their family’s membership card at a suburban Los Angeles video store. “Heat of Desire,” a steamy French bedroom mystery, shows nudity and marital infidelity. “We just walked in and did it,” said the daughter, aged 12.

Video store employees tell another story. When asked about the rental policy on “Faces of Death,” the youthful clerk who handled the transaction said, “You have to be 17 to check it out.”