The latest UK cinema release suffering BBFC advised category cuts for a 15 rating
24th April 2019
Brightburn is a 2019 USA Sci-Fi horror thriller by David Yarovesky.
Starring Elizabeth Banks, David Denman and Matt Jones.
UK: Passed 15 for strong gory injury detail, violence, language after BBFC advised pre-cuts ( 90:12s ) :
2019 cinema release
The BBFC commented:
This film was originally seen for advice at which stage the company was informed it was likely to be classified 18 uncut but that their preferred 15 classification could be achieved by making reductions to two scenes featuring both strong gory
images and a dwelling on the infliction of pain and injury. When the film was submitted for formal classification these scenes had been acceptably reduced.
For comparison in the US the film was rated R uncut for horror violence/bloody images, and language.
Summary Notes
What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister?
Hellboy is a 2019 USA action Sci-Fi fantasy by Neil Marshall.
Starring Daniel Dae Kim, Milla Jovovich and David Harbour.
Based on the graphic novels by Mike Mignola, Hellboy, caught between the worlds of the supernatural and human, battles an ancient sorceress bent on revenge.
The latest remake of Hellboy hit Russian cinemas on 11 April. However, audiences in Russia discovered that in their version of the film a reference to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin had been changed to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
[ Spoilers! hover or click text below]
In a line of expository dialogue, the film's titular character reveals that one of the supporting antagonists, Russian folklore character Baba Yaga, once attempted to resurrect the spirit of Stalin.
The original line, uttered by Hellboy upon confronting Baba Yaga, is: I recall you tried to raise Stalin's ghost from a necropolis.
In the film's Russian-language version, according to small independent TV channel Dozhd, the line goes: I want to remind you, you tried to raise Hitler's spirit from a necropolis.
Theatres screening the English-language version of the film complemented it with Russian subtitles. During this scene, the audio for Stalin's name was bleeped, while the subtitles said Hitler.
In addition a Russian swearword was removed (but swear words in English were allowed to remain).
In Russia, the film received an 18 rating compared with the BBFC's 15 rating and the MPAA's R rating.
Mid90s is a 2018 USA comedy drama by Jonah Hill.
Starring Sunny Suljic, Katherine Waterston and Lucas Hedges.
The movie follows a teenager named Stevie growing up in Los Angeles. He's struggling with his family, including his co-dependent single mom and his abusive older brother, and at school, where his richer friends seem to overlook him. When Stevie
befriends a crew of skateboarders, he learns some tough lessons about class, race, and privilege.
Mid90s was originally given an 18 rated by the Irish Film Classification Office. However the film's distributors successfully appealed the decision and the rating was reduced to 16. Probably a good job as an adults only skateboard movie may have
had a limited appeal.
For comparison:
US: MPAA R rated for pervasive language, sexual content, drug and alcohol use, some violent behavior/disturbing images - all involving minors
UK: Passed 15 uncut for strong language, drug misuse, self-harm, violence
The Beast in Heat is a 1977 Italian Naziploitation by Luigi Batzella
With Macha Magall, Gino Turini and Edilio Kim.
Banned as a video nasty in 1983. Not released in the UK since. Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US.
Lady SS doctor tortures POWs in her charge and feeds the females to a crazed midget troll kept on a diet of mega-aphrodisiacs. The POWs finally get the upper hand and give her a taste of her own medicine.
Instagram account @dawnofthediscs noticed that Severin's new Hemisphere Box of Horror includes a 2019 Severin catalogue with a coming soon section that lists Luigi Batzella's The Beast in Heat. It will be getting its first Blu-ray release and
will be released on DVD too.
Cannibal Apocalypse is a 1980 Italian/Spanish horror by Anthony M Dawson. With John Saxon, Elizabeth Turner and Giovanni Lombardo Radice.
Banned as a video nasty in 1982. Passed 18 after animal cruelty cuts for UK DVD. Uncut in the US.
Cannibalism has become a disease brought back to the US by soldiers returning from Vietnam. French kissing becomes inadvisable as the plague spreads.
Cannibal Apocalypse is also getting its first blu-ray treatment by Kino Lorber under the title of Invasion of the Flesh Hunters. It will be a new restoration from a 4k source.
The number of films classified 18 for sex has plummeted. We explore how studio pressure, #MeToo nerves and the proliferation of porn created a new puritanism
Hellboy is a 2019 USA action Sci-Fi fantasy by Neil Marshall.
Starring Daniel Dae Kim, Milla Jovovich and David Harbour.
Based on the graphic novels by Mike Mignola, Hellboy, caught between the worlds of the supernatural and human, battles an ancient sorceress bent on revenge.
In the UK the BBFC have passed the 2019 remake of Hellboy as 15 uncut for strong bloody violence, gore, language.
In Ireland the cinema release is 16 rated by IFCO for very strong bloody violence.
In the US the film was MPAA R rated for strong bloody violence and gore throughout, and language.
The film censors of the Australian Classification Board rated the film as R18+ (18 in UK terms) for High impact violence, blood and gore.
The Australian distributors felt that a lower rating was a possibility, and appealed to the Classification Review Board for an MA15+ (15A in UK terms).
However the Classification Review Board disagreed with the appeal and maintained the original rating of R18+ for High impact violence, blood and gore. The Review Board wrote:
A five-member panel of the Classification Review Board has unanimously determined that the film, Hellboy, is classified R 18+ (Restricted) with the consumer advice High impact violence, blood and gore.
In the Classification Review Board's opinion Hellboy warrants an R 18+ classification because the violence has a high impact. The overall impact of the classifiable elements in the film was high. It is the view of the Classification Review Board
that the fantasy context does not mitigate the cumulative impact of the violence on a more vulnerable audience.
The latest children's film suffering BBFC category cuts for UK cinema release
4th April 2019
Spy Cat is a 2018 Germany / Belgium family animation adventure by Christoph Lauenstein and Wolfgang Lauenstein.
Starring Alexandra Neldel and Axel Prahl.
Four crazy antiheroes on the run. Their leader is the unworldly innocent, naive Marnie, a house cat who is not allowed to leave the house and only knows about real life from television. Based loosely on Grimms "The Bremen Town Musicians" a
modern, hilarious road movie is told.
Passed U for very mild comic violence, rude humour, language after 57s of BBFC category cuts for 2019 cinema release.
The film had earlier been passed PG uncut for mild bad language, violence, rude humour.
The BBFC commented:
Company chose to make various cuts to receive a lower classification. Cuts were made to remove instances of mild bad language and word play on strong language, to remove mild sex references, to reduce scenes of mild rude humour, and to reduce
sequences of mild violence and threat. An uncut PG classification was available.
Bird Box is a 2018 USA Sci-Fi horror thriller by Susanne Bier.
Starring Rosa Salazar, Sandra Bullock and Sarah Paulson.
In the wake of an unknown global terror, a mother must find the strength to flee with her children down a treacherous river in search of safety. Due to unseen deadly forces, the perilous journey must be made blindly. Directed by Academy Award
winner Susanne Bier, Bird Box is a thriller starring Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock, John Malkovich, Sarah Paulson, and Trevante Rhodes.
Netflix announced in mid March 2019 that Netflix VoD would be cut going forwards for 2019 VoD.
The cuts follows months of social media pressure claiming that stock footage of a 2013 crash in the Quebec town of Lac-Megantic was exploiting the victims of the tragedy. The crash involved a train carrying crude oil coming off the tracks
and exploded into a ball of fire, killing 47 people.
Netflix said that it will replace the footage with fictional scenes from a former TV series in the U.S. The company said it is sorry for any pain caused to the Lac-Megantic community.
In the UK the film was passed 15 uncut by the BBFC for strong violence, threat, language, suicide scenes for UK cinema and VoD release prior to the announcement of cuts.
