Timeshift: Dear Censor (BBC4)

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grim_tales
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Timeshift: Dear Censor (BBC4)

Post by grim_tales »

I think this is repeated again next week - I was just watching it (I had it stored on my HD Box) and it's really a pretty interesting documentary about the history of some controversial films at the BBFC (Rebel without a Cause, The Devils etc) and highlights transcripts of letters going back and forth between the filmmakers and chief censors of the time, talking about what goes into classifying a film.
I think Mark would be interested :D
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HungFist
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Re: Timeshift: Dear Censor (BBC4)

Post by HungFist »

I'd comment but Brad would get pissed off again.

wait, that's would be a good thing, right? :D
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Markgway
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Re: Timeshift: Dear Censor (BBC4)

Post by Markgway »

I watched it when it was first on.

Very interesting but too much info to pack into a single 1hr show.

So many key decisions and controversies overlooked.

Should've been a series, dealing with a decade per show.
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bradavon
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Re: Timeshift: Dear Censor (BBC4)

Post by bradavon »

Care to let us know when it's er. actually on Grim? :cool:
HungFist wrote:I'd comment but Brad would get pissed off again.
It depends what you have to say ;)
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Re: Timeshift: Dear Censor (BBC4)

Post by grim_tales »

Brad, it's on next Wednesday on BBC4 at 23:35 :cool:
Mark, I agree I would have preferred a series or maybe a longer programme. The thing was that only correspondence up to the last 20 years was available to look out, so its a shame we didnt hear about more recent stuff.
Ferman surely went OTT with some of his decisions - censoring of weapons and also TMNT 2 when one of the turtles used sausages like nanchukus (WTF) :D
It seemed a mistake when the BBFC started being influenced by Government (this was touched on with Rambo III and the Hungerford killings).
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bradavon
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Re: Timeshift: Dear Censor (BBC4)

Post by bradavon »

grim_tales wrote:Brad, it's on next Wednesday on BBC4 at 23:35 :cool:
Thanks. I'll set Freeview+
grim_tales wrote:It seemed a mistake when the BBFC started being influenced by Government (this was touched on with Rambo III and the Hungerford killings).
I heard it was public feeling around the time of Rambo 3 not the government's involvement.
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Markgway
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Re: Timeshift: Dear Censor (BBC4)

Post by Markgway »

The media in its infinite wisdom decided that First Blood and its sequel were to blame for the Hungerford massacre. Less than a year later poor old Rambo III came along and reaped the shitstorm. Most examiners it seems were willing to pass Rambo III as a '15' (like its predecessors) but with some cuts. James Ferman - who turned the BBFC into his personal playground - vetoed the idea and gave it an '18' still with 1 min of compulsory cuts. By the time the video came out a further 2 mins were hacked out making an '18' tape look more like a '12'.
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