Rated PG???

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The film came out shorly before the rating system was established. The original advertising and posters said "Suggested for Mature Audiences,". The theater I saw it in was not admitting anyone under 16. The original version would definitely be "R" in my opinion. It was re-released with a PG, though I haven't seen that version, I was under the impression it contained some cuts. I saw it when it first came out, and since only on AMC. The AMC version was censored, which was expected,I have not seen the DVD with the PG rating though.

I saw Barbarella when it was first released and vividly recall it being a 'Hard R' as someone mentioned. My father, bless his heart, would take me to local bar when I was 13 and he would slowly imbibe until he was in little condition to do much else. During that time I would leave the bar and walk a few steps to a new and progressive suburbian cinema that featured rocking chair seats and the most unique of international films. All they cared about was getting the few bucks from me - age didn't matter. I saw Barbararella along with Elvira Madigan, Last Tango, Walkabout, and a few others I can no longer recall.

As a budding adolescent I was transfixed by Jane Fonda, as many boys were during that time. I never ever imagined that it would be classified as a PG rated film, if just for the innuendo alone! I can't really imagine what was edited out - in fact, as I recall, rather shamefully, I was obsessed with the presence of a breast in the opening credits, which I recall as being more tastefully covered by letters than they are in the current releases. Barb is showing on telly in the UK this week and is listed as a PG.

Now, more than forty years later, it's all quite humorously innocuous. But at the time, with my being in the southern part of the states, the film was pushing the bounds of social decency. Indeed times change.

I can't easily envisage a remake of this film - certainly not with an expectation of it being profitable. But surprises do happen. My concern is that it's far too cheesy for anyone to embrace nowadays.

Fr. B+

It has been on the board before, but as a refresher:

The original movie was BARBARELLA,
the (recent) consumer releases are BARBARELLA QUEEN OF THE GALAXY.

eBay occasionaly lists the laserdisc X-rated item, so it was available in that format, as well as the 'queen' PG version (later release) on laserdisc, VHS, and DVD, (maybe PSP, Betamax, and CED also?).
The 'queen' was edited, but the original was even picketted (and banned by churches!) as the first X-rated movie shown in my home town!

The rating classifications were different in those days when the birth control pill and 'free love' were completely new.

See back when this film came out during the late 60's movies like this could be passed as a PG rated film. It was not until the mid 80's I believe it is that the film rating system changed. That is when the PG-13 rating was created. I grew up watching PG films with nudity when I was not even a teenager yet. I will be 40 years old in March so, I have seen the film rating system change since I have been alive.


Dedicated to USA UP ALL NIGHT and the fans! http://usaupallnight.webs.com

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When I was a kid my Dad owned a drive-in theater, and we had years of movie posters in our house. I distinctly remember the poster for Barbarella in my room, and it was rated GP, the forerunner of PG, which meant General Audiences - Parental Guidance Suggested.

They used to consider nudity differently, right or wrong.