European horror movies, cut and banned before the November 1971 liberalisation of the Australian censorship system.
Black Sunday
Directed by Mario Bava / 1960 / Italy / IMDb
September 1970 / Rated: Banned / Length: 7605 feet / Time: 84:30 / Reason: violence
October 1970 / Appeal: Against rejection / Length: 7605 feet / Time: 84:30 / Result: Appeal dismissed by Review Board
Hell’s Creatures
Directed by Enrique López Eguiluz / 1968 / Spain – West Germany / IMDb
August 1971 / Rated: A / Length: 8100 feet / Time: 90:00 / Censored by 01:05 / Reason: violence
Further reading
For more censored Paul Naschy (AKA Jacinto Molina), see HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB (1973) and INQUISITION (1976) in Film Censorship Database No. 1.
Finishing School
Directed by Narciso Ibáñez Serrador / 1969 / Spain / IMDb
February 1971 / Rated: SOA / Length: 9500 feet / Time: 105:33 / Censored by 02:03 / Reason: violence
Censored footage
Shane Harrison reports.
Scream Factory (us) – Blu-ray – 103:35 (NTSC) – Extended Spanish cut
The SOA version was cut as follows.
Censored at 21:58 by 00:06 – Initial view of a student being whipped by Irene (Mary Maude) was reduced from three strokes of the belt to one.
Censored at 22:14 by 00:01 – View of the student from the back, stripped to the waist as Irene delivers another stroke.
Censored at 22:19 by 00:03 – Another view of the whipping.
Censored at 22:29 by 00:08 – Further view of the whipping.
Censored at 42:57 by 00:32 – Slow-motion stabbing of Isabelle (Maribel Martín).
Censored at 56:37 – The schoolgirls furtively sew to the sound of their classmate having sex with a visiting woodcutter. The sequence builds as their sewing is sent into a sexual frisson overplayed with the sound of their classmate climaxing. This was heavily reduced to minimise its intensity.
Censored at 80:23 by 00:07 – Cutting of an escaping student’s throat.
Post-November 1971 rating
FINISHING SCHOOL was released on video in mid-1983 on the Film Video and Cable Sales Inc. label. It was marketed in by VCL Video and distributed by Video Classics. Although it had not been submitted for classification, the rear cover marked it with an R-rating. In the era before DVD, this tape was sought after by collectors as it was the longest English language VHS.
In June 1985, Video Classics had a 107-minute tape passed with an M-rating. Presumably, this was the first classification of the already released Film Video and Cable Sales Inc. tape.
This was followed in August 1985 by a 90-minute tape that was also classified with an M-rating. The applicant was VCL Communications.
Terror of the Vampires
aka Terror of the Vampire
aka Le Frisson des Vampires
Directed by Jean Rollin / 1971 / France / IMDb
July 1971 / Rated: Banned / Length: 8100 feet / Time: 90:00 / Reason: violence and indecency
The running time indicates this print had been precensored.
Post-November 1971 rating
In August 1977, a 2669.20-meters (97:18) print was passed with an R-rating. The applicant, Regent Trading Enterprises, submitted it under the title LE FRISSON DES VAMPIRES. This version was 07:28 longer than the one that was refused in July 1971.
In the early 1980s, it was issued on tape as TERROR OF THE VAMPIRES by Starbase Video.
Further reading
See also, the Directed by Jean Rollin page in Film Censorship Database No. 1.
