An 18 certificate is ridiculous for this. I'd hope some local authorities would bump it down to 15 - but then it's not showing anywhere! How can a film with such great previews, great reaction at the Edinburgh Film Festival (extra showings needed), be showing in so few screens?
share its down to mackenzie and co this time-i think whats basically happened is theyve buggered us-we're the 'tester' country and to ensure it gets an american release theyve opened it in about 15 cinemas so they keep 'their screen averages up'. thats what sophia myles saiid in an interview anyway. which is a shame. after all the wallowing on about it being british theyre only concerned about america and making money...
yeah and the 18 is stupid! i did a bit about the british classification system and was lead to believe the whole thing was much more lenient. i the direcy said hes been forced to take bits out even for an 18! I've seen it there is nothing that bad in it.....transformers should have been given the same rating
BBFC says "This work was passed with no cuts made".
shareoh alright smarty pants but if we're going to get picky at the berlin Q&A someone raised a question about a scene in a church talking to hallam about a muslim man they thought was rascist so i think david might have willingly recut the film. i do not remember any scene like that.
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Th film is being released in the UK on 100 prints (not 15) by BVI (Disney) which is a big release for an independent film
I am not sure where you got 15 cinemas from and the talk of screen averages from, but you have been misinformed...
..finally there is already an American Distributor, Magnloia, it will be released in the States in 2008, so we are by no means a test country for an American Release
im sorry but they r definately being stingy its not a wide release-in 'my' day it was either a wide release or an independent one(which meaNT SOELY ARTHOUSE CINEMAS)hallams only playing on about 10 vues out of i dont know how many 100s around the country. its missed out entire countys completely-im just bitter coz i was able to watch the (fine but not life changing ) eagle vs shark at my local vue with had far less hype...
sharedon't remember Sophia saying anything like that... or there's an interview i missed.
but David Mackenzie did:
Hallam Foe goes on general release here two weeks after tonight's premiere. "We don't want to put it out too widely, so we keep our on-screen average up," says Mackenzie. "We would all rather it spread out and built. With Young Adam, we had Ewan McGregor on the front cover of Time Out after Cannes, but it was forgotten. The logic is that you get some buzz and interest out of Edinburgh that's all going to start flowing into the release. There's some quite strong comedic elements in it - to me its an ugly duckling story."
out of Edinburgh - not necessarily UK... but then, I don't know how these things really work. I think it's mostly a financial question too. And what distributors are saying. And even though there might really be 100 prints out it could be that theatres chains etc decide not to show it because of too many other films that paid more to be shown.... It's a shame, though!
I don't know much about how they come up with ratings but...........
I'd have thought graphic sex scenes and multiple uses of the word *beep* would have something to do with it!
Maybe just myth but I remember hearing that any movie which uses the *beep* word is automatically an 18. Might be wrong on that one but I can't think of a film that uses it and isn't an 18.
Oh - and that *beep* word is C. U. N. T.
sharedoesnt shawn of the dead use C . U. N. T. oh thats how u get round it im sure one of them uses it is the bar.-and thats a stupid rule in itself!
shareI'm not sure the C word was used in Hallam Foe, was it? Everything but...
British Board of Film Censors' criteria for category 15:
Theme
No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate to 15 year olds.
Language
There may be frequent use of strong language (eg "f.ck") But the strongest terms (eg "c.nt") will be acceptable only where justified by the context. Continued aggressive use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.
Nudity
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.
Sex
Sexual activity may be portrayed but without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour.
Violence
Violence may be strong but may not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. Scenes of sexual violence must be discreet and brief.
Imitable techniques
Dangerous techniques (eg combat, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on imitable detail. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.
Horror
Strong threat and menace are permitted. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable.
Drugs
Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse.
You haven't seen "This is England" then :-)
shareThe Weather Man has the C word in it a couple of times and is a 15.
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I think the sex scenes between Alasdair + Kate are pretty graphic. Not so much in what parts of the bodies you see but the whole atmosphere etc.... I think for young people it might be too much - but 18? we have it on a 14/16 (accompanied by adult person/alone) release here (which is the highest - only porn and hardcore violence etc get higher restriction).
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*********"artie" movies never take you on a rollercoaster action ride, they're simply not supposed to...********
... what an ignorant comment... the C-word is coming to mind now!
"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!"
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Enlightenment is lost on the ignorant, friendo.
"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!"
there is any nudity/Sex scens
or graphic violence
OR very strong languge?
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The issue really wasn't the sex; it was the context of that sex and the very deep incestuous themes within the film. Technically you can get away with anything in a 15 these days, providing it's not too dark or gratuitous.
I have to admit I'd had the same thought, but an 18 certificate is justified.
i dont think its justified. particularly in britain where we are supposedly leaner with our tv and film. (i mean we really are just compare whose line is it anywa!y)anyway so i dont get it.
although david mackenzie said this on the commentary its the word cun* that tends to give it an 18 rating automatically which is a shame when in a supposedly growing and intellegent culture we rely on this kind of outdated perfunctory technique of classifying films.
I disagree. The bbfc is usually pretty reasonable with ratings these days, although they can often seem rather random and I think here someone overreacted. Their guidelines are a little ridiculous in themselves (any theme is permitted as long as it is suitable for 15 year olds? As if there is some objective definition of what is or isn't suitable) so it's hardly surprising the rating seem a little random at times; they're made at the particular whim and sensibilities of different individuals within the bbfc who might not have the same idea about what is and isn't "appropriate".
"Yes, it's the apocalypse all right. I always knew I'd have a hand in it."
i get ya i just saw beowulf a 12 i say!
save the world recycle urself
Usually movies need to try pretty hard to get 18s these days. I was surprised by how tame this was for an 18, should have definitely been a 15.
If I have to tell you again, we're gonna take it outside and I'm gonna show you what it's like!
local authorities can't change a film's rating. Only the BBFC
sharewhat about mrs doubtfire in the usa i swear some states changed the rating or refused to show it or something. but that is america...in fact it is totally differnt- well i had a fact and i wanted to mention it!
anyway i totally agree this film getting an 18 is ridiculous. im surprised how many otherwise rational people over the age have said 'well i would see it but its gonna be a dirty movie right'. it keeps hacking away at what little audience for the movie there is. anyone know what its been rated in the states.
save the world recycle urself
*Possible Spoilers below*
Rated R in America, which is basically a 17 or adult accompaniment, for people in the UK. I think its ridiculous that the British system considers F.ck strong language, but C.nt is worse? Lol. I think in the states, according to our system, it definitely justifies a R, if not for the language, then for the arguably-incestual relationship between Hallam and Verity or the pretty graphic sexual content between Kate and her boyfriend.
But I heard the British rating system is much more lenient than ours, so I don't see a 15 being out of the question.
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It was a joke! Do you not get the concept of a joke, or sarcasm possibly?
Oh yes they can.
Licensing Act 2003 section 20
20 Mandatory condition: exhibition of films
(1)Where a premises licence authorises the exhibition of films, the licence must include a condition requiring the admission of children to the exhibition of any film to be restricted in accordance with this section.
(2)Where the film classification body is specified in the licence, unless subsection (3)(b) applies, admission of children must be restricted in accordance with any recommendation made by that body.
(3)Where—
(a) the film classification body is not specified in the licence, or
(b) the relevant licensing authority has notified the holder of the licence that this subsection applies to the film in question,
admission of children must be restricted in accordance with any recommendation made by that licensing authority.
It's rated an 18 for Very Strong Language (the C-Word) and Strong Sex
Now for someone who knows about certificates, well actually a lot I agree with the rating
Bourne + Bond = Best Action Film Award