British Board of Film Classification

I think even though some/all of the early BonRAB got A certficates - some with cuts - they seem quite strong for today's PG. I couldnt believe Casino Royale (2006) was a 12A (strong violence and the torture scene).
 
On the front, in big grey letters. :D

DVD is complete with the commentary, and official introduction from Nick Palumbo.

I've seen the butchered Lionsgate disc, and this European one is considerably longer than that. 91 mins exactly.
 
They do explain their reasoning, don't they? If a particular scene or piece of language puts the film on the borderline between two classifications they explain why they chose one or the other. And why does the classification matter to the viewer? There are plenty of good films that aren't 15 or 18 yet require a degree to maturity to understand or enjoy.
 
Never seen that myself.
It is illegal to show films in public cinemas without a certificate.



Kiss of death in the US usually as many publications refuse to advertise unrated or NC-17 films.





There are special film clubs with paying members where unclassified films can be shown but I think these are few and far between these days.
Even when they were prevalent they were often raided and had films confiscated because they were usually sex films so they were seized under the Obscene Publications Act .

Public cinemas and all commercially released movies have to have a classification.
However , I believe it still applies that for cinema releases the local council can over rule the BBFC .
Over the years somewhere in Wales banned Life of Brian despite it being classified and it was shown for the first time this year.
Councils can alter ratings or even allow banned films to be shown like Westminster Council did for the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre in 1974 when the BBFC banned it.

But for commerical releases the BBFC is God and its their decisions that prevail.
Music videos and other information type material can be released unclassified - fitness videos for example can be Exempt .

But in the US you can ignore the ratings board and release a film unrated but this rules out a lot of advertising and a lot of cinemas who won't play these films.

Releasing Unrated movies in the UK is not an option
 
To all of the above three posters, I was pissed off because Dinner For Schmucks has been downgraded from the 15 it rightfully deserved to a 12A. I hate everything about 12A's, but most of all the fact that they're almost always full of 10 year olRAB with their mums.

Let's just hope Easy A, which today was (thank god) classified 15 to keep the kiRAB out, stays at 15 and isn't downgraded.

Also, call me a hypocrite, but when I, much earlier in this thread, said that the BBFC's initial decision to rate Dinner For Schmucks a 15 was 'stupid' or whatever, I only said that because I was surprised that it actually was a 15. I would have bet money that it would have been a 12A. If I had, I would have lost that money, and then got it back.
 
Casino Royale was cut in the UK.
It was also cut in the US , but both countries had different censor cuts.

IIRC the torture scene was snipped in the UK and some of the more brutal fight scenes were cut in the US for the PG-13.

Strange they never bothered to restore the cuts for the disc release although the Australian Bluray of Casino Royale was uncut and some places in Europe who were stuck with a cut version restored the cuts when the Special Edition Bluray was re-released

CR , like many other films was sent to the BBFC for advice before it was finished and cuts are often done before the film goes in for classifying
 
The BBFC base their ratings on the opinion of the public which is why films that got an X in the 60's will only get a PG or 12 today.
It's ludicrous to think that content will be rated the same for all time .

B&W sci-fi classic Tarantula was rated X in the 50's .
I think its a U or PG now.
Does that make the original certificate wrong.

The F word was banned until the 60's in all films , now you can hear it in a 12.

Temple of Doom would likely get a 12 today but that wasn't available in 1984

Content that got Video Nasties banned and prosecuted in the 80's is passed uncut today with the odd one even getting a 15
 
I think that bad language is so common these days, society has become desensitized to it, thinking it's "no big deal".

Call me PC, but I firmly believe that word should not be in a 'PG' rated film. '12', at least.
The BBFC need to take another look at their guidelines, in my opinion.
 
It is the problem the BBFC face though. Some people will think they are too lenient, others too strict.

Like i've pointed out, i don't particularly mind mild language - but i'm absolutely appalled with the introduction of the 12A for cinemas.
 
So whilst what we have is a Board of Film Classification which tries to reflect society's views, you genuinely advocate a state censor which ignores them!
 
Even though it's fake? My point is this has been screened at a variety of other film festivals with no cuts at all. But for some reason the BBFC want to nanny UK audiences *knowing what they're going to see* and telling them that they can't. It's a film festival to encourage discussion of the arts and now the BBFC is telling artists that they can get stuffed here...
 
Society's views? Again, I'm being hypocritical, but if their 'guidelines' really did reflect society's views, then Zack & Miri Make A Porno would be a 15 and Couple's Retreat would be a 12/12A.
 
Just guessing, but I'd imagine something can be fake and still be in breach of the Protection of Children Act 1978.

I'd guess passing it uncut would cause too much heat at the moment, even assuming the uncut version wasn't judged illegal by the bbfc's QC's. The bloody Tories were wanting Medal of Honor banned on Monday, never mind the baby rape movie.

(Edit: I'm assuming a torrent is not difficult to find if you're desperate to see it. I haven't looked, but it's a reasonable assumption.)
 
How strict are they at cinemas because I am 14 and I desperately want to see the Runaways which comes out in a few weeks and it is a 15. I don`t look that young and I have been able to buy 15 DVRAB before, would I have to act really posh or does anybody know if they`re gullible at the cinemas?
 
I agree, there's nothing really in Zack & Miri that we haven't seen already is teen sex comedies and they are 15's. Couples Retreat was beyond rubbish and I couldn't find a single thing in the film which warranted it a 15 certificate. No swearing, a few spoken sex references which were all quite tame, so what exactly was the high rating for? Oh, and it also didn't have a single joke or funny moment in it either, that alone should have got it some sort of warning on the cover.
 
The fundamental basis of the BBFC is unacceptable anyway - it's essentially a government quango which is empowered to make subjective judgments on the limits of the absoute right of freedom of expression that only a court really has the moral right to decide.

It's obsolete thanks to the internet anyway, and not a minute too soon.
 
Back
Top