Basket Cases at the MPAA…Director Frank Henenlotter’s anecdotes about the BBFC and MPAA

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Frank Henenlotter recalls: When we brought Frankenhooker to the MPAA the head of the board at the time called up our company and the guy said to the secretary, Congratulations, you’re the first film rated S. And she said S? For sex? And they said No, S for Shit. And this is the ratings board! … When we premiered Bad Biology [2008] in London I had dinner the night before with a bunch of people and one was a member of the BBFC. I said to him, ‘I’d love to know your opinion after the film, unofficially of course.’ I said, ‘How much trouble are we in?’ And he said, ‘Oh Frank, you’re not in any trouble at all, this is hilarious and harmless.’ Then he said, ‘But if this was 20 years ago we would have had you arrested.’ …Read the full interview

BBFC Podcast 12…Discussing Bollywood movies and reality documentaries

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In this episode of the BBFC podcast James Blatch marks the 100th anniversary of Bollywood and discusses how the BBFC classify films that are based on real life events.

Deranged…Previously cut serial killer horror released by Arrow on 12th August

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Deranged [Previous Cuts Waived] is a 1974 Canada/USA crime horror by Jeff Gillen and Alan Ormsby. With Roberts Blossom, Cosette Lee, Leslie Carlson. UK: Passed 18 uncut for strong violence with previous BBFC cuts waived for: UK 2013 Arrow (RB) Blu-ray/(R2) DVD Combo at UK Amazon released on 12th August 2013 Censorship History UK 1975: Passed X (18) after BBFC cuts for UK 1975 cinema release UK 1998: Passed 18 after 18s of BBFC cuts for UK 1998 Exploited VHS. Cut to remove shots of bloodstained breasts from the gutting of a woman’s body during the climax of the film. US: The cut US R Rated version omits a scene of Ezzra Cobb scooping out a corpse’s brains with an ice cream scoop. Promotional Material Real-life Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein inspired many distinguished films, including Psycho , The Silence of the Lambs and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre , but none is quite as disturbing as Deranged . Roberts Blossom gives an alarmingly convincing performance as rural eccentric Ezra Cobb, whose mother’s death unhinges him to the point where he not only lovingly preserves her corpse in the living room but also goes out to find ‘friends’ to keep her company not all of whom are dead when he finds them! Perversely, Ezra’s more worried about what mother would say about his various activities than he is about the prospect of being found out. Indeed, like Gein, he’s cheerfully open about his activities when visiting friends, but no-one believes him. Like Carnival of Souls and The Honeymoon Killers , this is one of American horror cinema’s great one-offs, an eerie, genuinely unsettling but also darkly comic experience. Special Features: High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of the unrated version, featuring the infamous brain-scooping scene , available uncut in the UK for the first time! Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Audio commentary with special effects artist Tom Savini Introduction to the film by Savini A Blossoming Brilliance: Scott Spiegel ( Intruder, Evil Dead II ) speaks about Deranged star Roberts Blossom and the lasting legacy of this gore-soaked gem Ed Gein: From Murder to Movies – Laurence R. Harvey ( The Human Centipide II ) discusses the lurid legacy of the Wisconsin serial killer and the secrets of portraying a cinematic psychopath Original Trailer Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh Collector s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Stephen Thrower, author of Nightmare USA , and an archive interview with producer Bob Clark by Calum Waddell, illustrated with original archive stills and posters And more to be announced!

A Good Day to Die Hard…BBFC confirms uncut 15 ratings for upcoming home video release of Theatrical Version and Extended Cut

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A Good Day To Die Hard is a 2013 USA action thriller by John Moore. With Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney, Sebastian Koch. The R rated Theatrical Version was cut for a 12A but restored to an uncut 15 for home video. There is also an Extended Version with a longer car chase.UK: The Extended Cut was passed 15 uncut for strong language and violence for: UK 2013 [Theatrical + Extended] RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 10th June 2013. UK: The US Theatrical Version was passed 15 uncut for strong language and violence for: UK 2013 [Theatrical + Extended] RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 10th June 2013. UK 2013 [Theatrical only] R2 DVD at UK Amazon released on 10th June 2013. There is also a US release UK Censorship History   UK: Passed 12A for strong language and violence after advised category cuts were implemented for: UK 2013 cinema release The BBFC commented:During post-production, the distributor sought and was given advice on how to secure the desired classification. Following this advice, certain changes were made prior to submission This work was originally seen for advice in an unfinished form. The company was advised that the film was likely to receive a 15 certificate but that their preferred 12A classification could be achieved by making a number of cuts to both language and visuals. When the finished version of the film was submitted for formal classification, edits had been made: to reduce the number of uses of strong language (both fuck and motherfucker) and to reduce sequences of bloody violence, including blood sprays when characters are shot in the head, and punches to restrained individuals. The formal submission was consequently rated ’12A’. UK:  The US Theatrical Version was passed 15 uncut for strong language and violence for home video. Promotional Material Iconoclastic, take-no-prisoners cop John McClane, for the first time, finds himself on foreign soil after travelling to Moscow to help his wayward son Jack. With the Russian underworld in pursuit, and battling a countdown to war, the two McClanes discover their opposing methods make them unstoppable heroes. Special Features: Feature–Theatrical and on Blu-ray the Extended Versions Deleted Scenes Making It Hard To Die Anatomy of a Car Chase Two of a Kind Back In Action The New Face of Evil Pre-Vis Segments VFX Sequences Storyboards Concept Art Galleries Theatrical Trailers Audio Commentary by Director John Moore and First Assistant Director Mark Cotone Maximum McClane

Rated Universal Appeal…BBFC opens its archive to speak of the U rating for the original Star Wars

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Star Wars is a 1977 US space action film by George Lucas. With Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. Great news for Star Wars fans this week as Disney announced that a new film in the series will be released each year from 2015 to 2019. Today it is perhaps one of the most recognisable films in the world, but in June 1977 BBFC examiners sat down to watch Star Wars with little idea of the film’s destiny. There was some concern noted about the level of violence and one examiner points out that the film was awarded a PG by the MPAA in America. However the universal appeal and adventurous tone of Star Wars won the team over and the film was passed at U. …Read the full article

The Vampire Lovers…Sexy Hammer vampire film set for an upcoming US Blu-ray release from Shout! Factory

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Vampire Lovers is a 1970 UK horror film by Roy Ward Baker. With Ingrid Pitt, George Cole and Kate O’Mara. US: MPAA Uncut and MPAA R rated for: US 2013 Shout! Factory RA Blu-ray/ R1 DVD at US Amazon released on 30th April 2013 Reviews See review from dvdtalk.com : “Tudor Gates’ screenplay jams in a lot of skin and too many characters” See review from mcbastardsmausoleum.blogspot.com : “An entertaining erotic-vamp entry” Censorship History UK: Passed X (18) after 4s of BBFC cuts for: UK 1970 cinema release From IMDb: Cuts during the opening decapitation scene. Cut to remove a brief 1 sec full-frontal nude shot of Ingrid Pitt getting out of a bath tub. Cuts to the sword beheading at the finale. US: The US Theatrical Version suffered cuts beyond the UK cuts and was MPAA R Rated for: US Embassy VHS US cinema release The US censors hacked out the nudity, but the film still qualified for an R rating for violence. The end result pleased nobody as it didn’t end up widening the distribution and annoyed adults who were expecting the much talked about sexy version. UK/US: The US 1998 Restoration is MPAA R rated and was passed 15 with BBFC cuts waived for: UK 2002 ILC Prime R2 DVD US 2000 MGM VHS The existing material cut from the opening and closing beheadings was restored in 1998.  The alternate angle extending the opening beheading was either not found, or doesn’t exist. The Ingrid Pitt nude scene remained cut. UK/US: Passed 15 uncut and still R rated with the brief nude shots of Ingrid Pitt restored for: US 2013 Shout! Factory RA Blu-ray/ R1 DVD at US Amazon UK 2008 Optimum R2 DVD at UK Amazon US 2003 MGM Double Feature [with Countess Dracula] R1 DVD Promotional Material A female vampire with lesbian tendencies ravages the young girls and townsfolk of a peaceful hamlet in eighteenth century Europe who, years earlier, killed off her fellow vampires. A rousing hunt for the vampiress ensues as a group of men follow her bloody trail of terror through the countryside. Adapted from J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s novella Carmilla, The Vampire Lovers stars Ingrid Pitt, George Cole and Peter Cushing.

The Telephone Book…Once banned by the BBFC, now getting a US Blu-ray/DVD Combo release

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The Telephone Book is a 1971 USA comedy by Nelson Lyon. With Margaret Brewster, Roger C. Carmel, David Dozer. US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for: US 2013 Vinegar Syndrome RA Blu-ray/R1 DVD Combo at US Amazon released on 7th May 2013 Banned in the UK UK: Banned by the BBFC for: UK 1971 cinema release Not released since the ban Summary Review: Underground The story of a day in the life of a lonely, sensitive, exuberant, attractive, young woman. Her exploits, encounters, and frustrations as she attempts to find a special someone, a caller who has class , as she puts it. Funny, near brilliant, underground movie about the sexual perversions of everyday people. A terrific example of grass roots filmmaking were the creativity and ingenuity of the director. Promotional Material   A major, though forgotten, work from New York’s underground film scene of the late 60s and early 70s, Nelson Lyon’s The Telephone Book tells the story of a sex-obsessed hippie who falls in love with the world’s greatest obscene phone caller and embarks on a quest to find him. Her journey introduces to her to an avant-garde stag filmmaker, a manipulative psychiatrist, a bored lesbian housewife, and more. Photographed in high-contrast black-and-white, and punctuated with a remarkable, surreal animated sequence, The Telephone Book is one of the greatest cult films you’ve probably never heard of. Special Features: Commentary track with Producer Merv Bloch Original Music Soundtrack Photo Still Gallery Theatrical Trailers

A Good Die to Die Hard…The UK DVD and Blu-ray release look set to be the 15 rated uncut version

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A Good Day To Die Hard is a 2013 USA action thriller by John Moore. With Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney, Sebastian Koch. UK: The US Theatrical Version looks set to be 15 rated for: UK 2013 [Theatrical + Extended] RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 10th June 2013. UK 2013 [Theatrical only] R2 DVD at UK Amazon released on 10th June 2013. An audio descriptive version has been passed 15 for home video release, so presumably the Theatrical Version will be the basis for UK DVD and Blu-ray releases. In additional, promotional material is promising that the UK Blu-ray will additionally contain the Extended Cut UK Censorship History   UK: Passed 12A for strong language and violence after advised category cuts were implemented for: UK 2013 cinema release The BBFC commented: During post-production, the distributor sought and was given advice on how to secure the desired classification. Following this advice, certain changes were made prior to submission This work was originally seen for advice in an unfinished form. The company was advised that the film was likely to receive a 15 certificate but that their preferred 12A classification could be achieved by making a number of cuts to both language and visuals. When the finished version of the film was submitted for formal classification, edits had been made: to reduce the number of uses of strong language (both fuck and motherfucker) and to reduce sequences of bloody violence, including blood sprays when characters are shot in the head, and punches to restrained individuals. The formal submission was consequently rated ’12A’. Promotional Material Iconoclastic, take-no-prisoners cop John McClane, for the first time, finds himself on foreign soil after travelling to Moscow to help his wayward son Jack. With the Russian underworld in pursuit, and battling a countdown to war, the two McClanes discover their opposing methods make them unstoppable heroes. Special Features: Feature–Theatrical and on Blu-ray the Extended Versions Deleted Scenes Making It Hard To Die Anatomy of a Car Chase Two of a Kind Back In Action The New Face of Evil Pre-Vis Segments VFX Sequences Storyboards Concept Art Galleries Theatrical Trailers Audio Commentary by Director John Moore and First Assistant Director Mark Cotone Maximum McClane

Django Unchained…Passed 18 uncut for UK Blu-ray and DVD release

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Django Unchained is a 2012 USA western by Quentin Tarantino. With Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio. UK: Passed 18 uncut for strong bloody violence for: UK 2013 Sony Steelbook RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 20th May 2013 UK 2013 Sony RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 20th May 2013 UK 2013 Sony R2 DVD at UK Amazon released on 20th May 2013 There was talk of an Extended Version during pre-release hype but there’s no sign of this for the first batch of home video releases. Promotional Material Django (Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx) a former slave-turned-hired gun heads back to the plantation to free his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), from a tyrannical plantation owner Calvin Candie (Academy Award? nominee Leonardo DiCaprio),with the help of a German bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Academy Award? winner Christoph Waltz).

Lad: A Yorkshire Story…BBFC category cuts for a 12A rated cinema release

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Lad: A Yorkshire Story is a 2012 UK drama by Dan Hartley. With Nancy Clarkson, Oliver Exley, Alex Froom UK: Passed 12A for infrequent strong language and moderate sex references after 6s of BBFC category cuts for: UK 2013 cinema release The BBFC cuts were: Company chose to remove brief images of sexualised nudity in a softcore pornographic magazine in order to achieve a 12A classification. A 15 classification without cuts was available.