Page 1 of THE HORROR OF CENSORSHIP LAWS IN THE UK

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Well I hope that someone somewhere will be able to help me!
First let me say that with the ever-increasing DVD buyers it was to become inevitable that the masses of DVD shoppers would turn to Region 1 DVD, especially for the Genre of HORROR. The governing body here (BBFC, Yawn! Yawn!) Still have a large say on what we see while in the US the MPAA seem more liberal but there is also a category that exists called `UNRATTED`. We Horror fans in the UK where getting a little p***ed off seeing really dodgy, bad quality pirate videotapes of such movies like, Cannibal Ferox, The New York Ripper and Zombie to name just a few! In the last couple of years the BBFC have started to release a few of those badly labelled ` Video Nasties!`of the late seventies and early eighties. Some of these films are being labelled uncut, when in actual fact they where originally cut for cinema and this is the cut that stands on the video release. Yes, the James Bulger case was horrific...! Yes, Michael Ryan going loony tunes in Hungerford was horrific...! Yes that guy back in the 70`s who said that he was possessed by the devil was deemed to have been pushed over the edge by watching the Exorcist 20 or 21 times too many then he should have. But I know who is too blame and it sure isn`t the movies! Why do the BBFC exist? Who are these people that govern the rules over what we are allowed and not allowed to see? Is their time up? I would love for that to be true but I know that is not going to happen, we will just have to live with it for now!
Back to my main point... DVD has made access to these movies easier. For instance I now have Cannibal Holocaust (in my opinion far better that Cannibal Ferox), The full uncut EVIL DEAD, the full uncut HENRY. PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER, The classic eighties horror pic, MANIAC, still deemed too evil by the BBFC to even govern a cut version!
But how do companies such as http://www.dc-dvd.com do it? How do they get around the rules and laws laid down by the UK? Customs seize more and more DVD`s everyday, (check out the website http://www.melonfarmers.co.uk,) they include horror, porn and even stopped a film of mine about 9 months ago. I have just received this DVD after a 9-month mini battle with them. The DVD did not fall into either the PORN or HORROR genre but it was thought to have been a PORNOGRAPHIC Film none the less. The Movie was the comedy, BOTTLE ROCKET! A COMEDY OF SUPERIOR INTELIGENCE, WIT AND ORIGINALITY. Don`t ask me why customs thought it was pornography!
So when I hear from people saying that the reason that these companies get away with selling banned and uncut movies in the UK is simple because UK CUSTOMS do not care, THAT`S BULLsweet! The laws are growing tighter every month!
I want to open up a discussion here of what people think on the issues of CENSORSHIP, the BBFC, and also on HORROR FILMS that you would love to see released on region 2 uncut. Your fav horror flicks, the scariest, the nastiest and the grossest. Also mention any sites that operate from the UK and sell these sort of uncut films. I only know of DC-DVD they are a little expensive! But they do offer a great service.
COME ON FILM FANS LETS ALL STICK TOGETHER AND KICK ASS ON THE LAWS THAT ARE KILLING OUR INDEPENDENCE. WE MUST FIGHT THEM IN THE AIR AND ON THE BEACHES!

Thanks for listening,

Wicker Man
UK

PS.... After my very long ranting and raving, please someone tell me where I can find the WES CRAVEN HORROR... LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT! DC-DVD Do not stock it and I have already had one copy confiscated by you know who!

http://page.auctions.yahoo.com/uk/auction/48968232

Be quick !

www.movietyme.com are advertising it, ****knows when you`ll get it though!

I`m with you buddy, the BBFC are a pain in the ass !

Almost every horror film made has been cut by Big Mother. And how can Evil Dead, a film that by todays standards, is more funny than scary be banned ?!? If you actually watch it again, the gore is laughable. And how come they let a film called DeadAlive(braindead) Go totally un-cut, which is far more bloody and realistic than Evil Dead.

But its not just horror films that get cut. The Matrix, Fight-Club and I`m sure many others have had their british trimming.

Cheers chap.... Just stuck in my bid now (it will be mine... Oh yes... It will be mine!!!)

I managed to see quite a few "Video Nasties" when I was a kid (about 12-14 years old). A bloke used to come round in a van packed to the brim with dodgy videos. Those were the days.
You are absolutely right about the BBFC. We are supposed to live in a free and democratic society where we have the right to choose what can do as long as it dosen`t cause harm to others. Who are these morally perfect babysitters? I certainly didn`t vote to have these minders wagging their fingers at me in disgust, telling me that I can`t see this or that because they find it offensive. It is ridiculous.
If you can peel yourself away from those disgusting films (and the rotting corpse in the corner of your room) you should read See No Evil: Banned Films and Video Controversy. It is an excellent book that takes an indepth look at the original Video Nasties and the impact these films and censorship have on society.

>"And how can Evil Dead, a film that by todays standards, is more funny than scary be banned ?!"

When I first saw that film I was still a kid..and I thought it was funny then! And I hated horrors at the time!

>"But its not just horror films that get cut. The Matrix, Fight-Club and I`m sure many others have had their british trimming."

Oh yeah..they certainly do! I have an email from the BBFC confirming the Matrix and Fight Club were cut.
I agree. Why should these guys say "yay or nay" to our viewing?

Don`t get me wrong, if you get caught with the likes of child pornography, then I say major jail sentence!
I agree someone has to monitor the viewing and rate them for kids etc.

However, I couldn`t do R1 imports due to the BBFC rules to classification, but if the maximum rating in Britain is 18, and I had said only CREDIT CARD purchasers could take the option of buying them, then why not?
Surely that`s gotta have been a reasonable compromise?

AIWA 370 (officially) ROCKS!!!!!!

The wickerman


Youre time will come.

Xeno


UP THE IRONS!!!!!!!!!!

The Matrix had headbutts cut from it by request of the distributor so that they could release it as a 15 certificate. Fight Club had cuts made but the scenes put back in are (in most peoples views) just as bad.
In respect to ordering "Last House On the Left" from Movietyme - they are delivering it at the customers own risk, and also just telling you that I have never had any problems when ordering from Movietyme (apart from CTHD).

I don`t like the antiquated attitudes to sex and violence in this country any more than the next man. I`d like to have seen the BBFC wound up back in 1984, which probably would have happened if the whole "video nasties" business hadn`t blown up. The trouble is, there`s always somebody wants to spoil it for the rest of us, wanting to watch something nastier, dirtier or more disgusting because then those morons crusading for public morals get support from knee-jerk politicians and we have to suffer legislation like the Video Recordings Act 1984.