A couple of weeks ago on the Kermode Uncut blog, Mark Kermode (for it is he) spoke about the era of the video nasty. His thoughts had been prompted by a recent court case in which it was alleged that the gruesome murder of a teenager had been inspired by the horror comedy Severance (2006). Also playing in his mind was the recent release of Sam Raimi’s Drag Me To Hell (2009) as the director’s first, and arguably milder, film The Evil Dead (1981) was one of the most famous victims of the UK’s early 80’s video nasty panic/scare/dark age. Anyhow the Dr. was half expecting a new witch hunt but, luckily, he was proved wrong and nothing came of it. Times have changed. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has decided that we, the ugly, rowdy, masses are, at 18, able to decide for ourselves whether or not we want to watch a film. Their research backs this up and, so it seems, do the majority of The Sun’s readers…
How do I know this? Well, today the British newspaper The Sun published a story with the shocking, weeks old, revelation that Lars Von Trier’s latest offering, The Antichrist (2009), has been passed uncut as an ‘18′ certificate. Sandwiched between links to a story about a girl taking her clothes off and the famous delights of Page 3 the writer (reporter seems too strong a word) informs us that the film contains images that “cannot be properly described in a family newspaper”. In true salacious overload we are also treated to a check-list of the contents.
Naturally, the BBFC are given a say on the matter and repeat the idea that adults can make up their own minds about such things but ‘The Sneak’ (I wouldn’t have put my name to it either) does not seem satisfied by this. It is, after all, “the most shocking The Sneak has seen” (so shocking that only italics will do) and, he/she, informs us that the BBFC is getting more liberal (i.e. adults are no longer treated as children) and then, dear reader, there is this…
In 1985 The Terminator was rated 18. Terminator Salvation, released this year, was a 12A.
Yes, you read that correctly. It seems that those ‘liberals’ at the BBFC have given two completely films different certificates. Okay, so the films are different in tone. Yep, one is a nightmarish cyberpunk classic whilst the other is a summer blockbuster aimed squarely at a much younger audience but surely the BBFC noticed that… well… okay it is about as stupid a point as one could make, but ‘The Sneak’ is right to demand that the BBFC need to do more to warn people about the content of these films. Ideally they should make it an offence to supply young people with… oh… but surely we should demand that films have to display some sort of certificate (an age rating perhaps) that… oh… well then maybe they could give further information regarding the certificate on publicity material… or provide a website (plus a specific one for parents) so that… well you get the idea, the BBFC supplies a ton of information for consumers because part of treating us like adults is the assumption that we are able to read and make up our own minds. Will I go and watch an ‘18′ rated psycho-sexual horror film made by a director with an impish delight in courting controversy? I think most people can make that choice… pleasingly, if you look at The Sun’s own readers they would tend to agree as most of the comments left at the website echo the wise words of ‘claire2594′…
Who cares?! Its rated 18 and therefore Adults can decide if they want to see it or not. If you dont like itm, dont watch it. Simple.
Jeezus.. insane people..
Freeborn adults should be able to choose for THEMSELVES what they wish to watch, unless the material is illegal child abuse,
Why should the Sun newspaper, politicians, the BBFC or anyone else decide what we adults can watch, and why do they try and dictate what such restrictions should be ?
I rarely read newspapers anymore, for reasons such as this.
Good on the Sun. It’s not fair that the Mail have cornered the market on sensationalised hysterical moral outrage. Joking aside it is good to see that the BBFC realise that adult audiences are able to make their own moral judgments on these things. The film actually looks very interesting. I look forward to seeing it.
It reminds me of a story I was shown back in the 90’s. I think it was in the Star (although it could have been the Sun or the Sport). The Headline was something like:
PM’s Son In Gay Porn Film.
It went on to explain how Tony Blair’s son Euan had appeared in a film that featured gay sex. It was only if you read further you discovered that the film in question was Priest. A serious film made by Film 4 and featuring Euan’s grandfather Anthony Booth who had got him a small role knowing he was interested in the film industry. The really funny thing was that by the time they published the story the film had already had a cinema release and been on channel 4 and had been awarded a 15 certificate. Hardly porn!
Not sure if they followed they story up ten years later with something like:
PM’s son involved in plot to blow up parliament. (Euen later worked as a runner on V for Vendetta)
Don’t you just love tabloid journalism!