 Although the original UK cinema version was uncut this film was undeservedly  caught up in the British video nasties hysteria in the early eighties, and  consequently did not receive an official British video certificate until  1990. Illegally circulated copies of the film, followed by successful  prosecutions under the Obscene Publications Act, forced the BBFC to edit 30  seconds from the movie with most cuts being made to the opening burning scene  and a brief sequence of a bandaged patient being stabbed in the eye with a  syringe. The BBFC fully waived all the edits for the 1999 Polygram video and  all subsequent releases are fully uncut.