british board of film classification Tagged Articles at Cinematical
UK Wants More Sex, Less Glue-Sniffing
Filed under: Fandom », Movie Marketing », Cinematical Indie »
In the U.S., movie ratings are sometimes "baffling, illogical or just plain outrageous," as Eric D. Snider wrote last year. Greater leniency is granted to blockbuster action movies, as long as the beheadings and other violent acts are not too bloody or explicit, while more peaceful-minded feature narratives and documentaries find themselves saddled with a rating that restricts their audiences because they have one too many 'f-bombs.'
In the U.K., the British Board of Film Classification has issued its latest set of guidelines "following consultation with about 9,000 people aged 16 and older," according to Reuters (via The Independent). "The clear message was that [explicit sex scenes in movies such as Michael Winterbottom's 9 Songs] were acceptable at 18." The article notes that "films with an '18' tag are restricted to patrons 18 years of age and older." Greater concern was expressed about on-screen solvent abuse, such as glue-sniffing. Rules have now been stiffened in response, and more restrictive ratings may be issued in the future.
Of those surveyed, the report claimed agreement with ratings given "in 99 per cent of all cases" for films they had watched. Are film rating systems better or worse in other countries? I've never lived outside the U.S., so I'd be interested in hearing from our international readers about their impressions, positive or negative. For those inside the U.S., do you agree with the ratings given to movies you've seen? Or does the MPAA get it wrong more often than right?
British Ratings Board to Classify Web Videos
Filed under: Tech Stuff », DIY/Filmmaking », Home Entertainment », Movie Marketing »
According to The Guardian, The British Board of Film Classification (like the MPAA for the UK) is trying to extend their rating system to the internet. With sites like YouTube and Blinkx showcasing and indexing videos online without any sort of indicators to their content, the group is afraid that too many viewers are seeing things they would rather not. The BBFC doesn't wish to censor or block any sites or videos, just put up some kind of label that warns people about the presence of things like sex, violence and language. A spokesperson for the Board cited a compilation of videos entitled Terrorists, Killers and Middle East Wackos, which contain actual killings and attacks, saying that the material would have been banned in the UK via the Obscene Publications Act, had it been in any other format besides the web.I can see where the BBFC is going with this, but I don't really understand how it could be possible. Considering the videos are not only available to British viewers, any system they planned would conflict with the rest of the world. They say the logical scenario would be to advise companies who run the sites, which I think is unlikely to work. Anyway, if the BBFC or another organization implements a rating system for the internet, chances are it will be more of an advisor of which videos are more indecent. Although the proposed system would not be a guide to parents so much as a guide to viewers, it would be the very antithesis of child protection.
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