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NEW CLASSIFICATION GUIDELINES
VIOLENCE STILL THE MAIN PROBLEM
PUBLIC WANTS STANDARDISED AGE RATINGS
COMMENT ON NEW BBFC GUIDELINES
INDIES BEMOAN PHYSICAL CLASSIFICATION COSTS
THE ABYSS RAT STILL FALLS FOUL OF BBFC…
…AS MORE CAMERON TITLES COME TO 4K
FALL OUT IN THE SPRING
ARROW REVEALS JUNE TITLES…
…AND PARTNERS WITH CINEMA FOR SCREENINGS
EUREKA UNVEILS SUMMER RELEASES
PICNIK PICKS UP ANOTHER TITLE
BASE SURVEY LAUNCHED
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
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It was a good week for… The BBFC has undertaken its biggest ever public consultation…
It was a bad week for… But are regulations costing physical media?
We have been watching… Off for a fun-filled Easter weekend screening of The Zone Of Interest, which made for a tough watch on Saturday afternoon…
More minor drug use and less self-harm at lower age-rated films. Those, in a nutshell, are among the latest results from the BBFC, which has just updated its Classification Guidelines after undertaking its biggest ever consultation with the public. The classification organisation regularly talks to a wide cross-section of the public to find out what they think about age-ratings and the BBFC’s decisions across cinema, physical media and, increasingly, video on demand. This latest round, the first since 2019, took place last year and involved a mammoth group of 12,000 members of the public. The key concerns are the same: violence is the biggest worry for the public across all the BBFC’s age ratings. Of increasing concern is how affecting and disturbing it can be for viewers, and how much distress violent scenes can cause. The BBFC said: “Going forward, a higher rating may be required for violence across all age-rating categories, especially when particularly intense or impactful scenes occur.” Sexual violence is still the public’s biggest individual worry, but moving ahead of other issues (sex, violence and drugs) are fears over scenes of suicide and self-harm. A majority said they would like warnings for this kind of content; the BBFC said it would content to highlight these issues in its advice.
The research found broad public support for the BBFC’s classification both in terms of violence and drug use, although audiences are becoming less concerned over what the BBFC calls “mild drug use” in its advice, notably for cannabis and solvent abuse. The BBFC said: "The research revealed that people are now slightly more accepting of cannabis misuse at 12A/12, so long as it is not detailed, glamorised or frequent. The BBFC will therefore take a less restrictive approach to such material, but maintain its current standards on other drugs. People also felt the BBFC’s current policy towards classifying solvent misuse was overly cautious, and this finding has been supported by expert advice. Such content will now be treated less restrictively.” Other issues giving rise to concern involved sex, especially the level of nudity, detail and duration of scenes in titles that were landing somewhere between 12/12A and 15. While the BBFC has said it will be more stringent in this area, it is likely to be more lenient in what is allowed around the 15 and 18 certificates, especially where it’s for comedic effect. Bad language, especially of a misogynistic bent, is also a worry, with phrases such as son of a b*tch, b*tch and d*ck being cited, with parents fearing their children may repeat them, with the BBFC saying these may now carry higher ratings. The standards for trailers may now be relaxed, however, with parents less concerned about isolated incidents of swearing in 12 and 12A teasers.
The BBFC report also threw up some interesting results about the public’s view of age rating and their desire to see uniform ratings across different platforms. More than 80 per cent wanted to see the same rating system taking in cinemas, physical media and streaming, while Netflix is now the second most recognised source for age rating symbols behind cinemas and discs and the second for content advice, just behind theatres. Almost all people – 97 per cent – see a benefit for age ratings for all or most audiences; 87 per cent of parents and caregivers agree with the BBFC’s age ratings and 85 per cent of respondents trust them. The BBFC said: “Ninety per cent of parents/caregivers (a 7 per cent increase in the last five years), 91 per cent of teachers, and 88 per cent of teens aged 16-19 trust BBFC age ratings all or most of the time.” A new set of bite-size BBFC guides looking at different areas has been created to tie in with the new guidelines.
Comment came from across the BBFC. President, Natasha Kaplinsky OBE said: “At the BBFC, we're dedicated to ensuring what we do is responsive to the ever-evolving world around us. Since we last asked people across the country what they thought about our standards, society has changed, and opinions have followed – it’s fascinating how this vast body of new research reflects this. This is the first Classification Guidelines update I have overseen as president. Not only am I proud and thrilled to launch these findings, but as someone who has always looked to the BBFC for guidance for myself and my family, seeing first-hand the level of dedication and insight that went into this process has been eye-opening and inspiring. Without a doubt, we are truly shaped by you.” Chief executive David Austin OBE said: “The effectiveness of what we do relies entirely on trust. To ensure we have that trust, and to get to the heart of what audiences think and feel, we go directly to them. Only by doing this can we ensure we are classifying content in line with the expectations of families across the UK. This is essential to maintaining the extraordinarily high levels of public trust that the BBFC is privileged to enjoy.” Netflix’s senior director for public policy across UK and Ireland Benjamin King said: “Our members are our number one priority, and as the first streaming service to voluntarily carry BBFC age ratings on 100 per cent of our catalogue, we’re proud they can choose shows safe in the knowledge that everything is rated to highly-trusted standards which reflect the expectations of UK audiences. This partnership builds on our wide range of parental controls including PIN-protected profiles, maturity filters, profile locks and viewing history, helping parents make the right viewing choices for their families.”
Meanwhile, this year marks the 40th anniversary of the introduction of the Video Recordings Act, so expect to see much discussion over video nasties and the landscape of the VHS and Betamax era that led to the restrictive legislation. One area unlikely to be under discussion is what happens now. For in an age when physical media is slowing in terms of sales, the current law puts companies releasing product on to disc at a disadvantage, for the law states it must go before the BBFC to get a classification – and the resultant costs it brings. There is no such requirement for digital releases and while some streaming giants are classifying, others aren’t. Independent labels, especially boutique imprints, are paying out a small fortune in costs that their streaming competitors don’t have to face. At least one spoken to by The Raygun for a feature in Film Stories magazine said it was up to £2 per unit went to the classification organisation. Another told us of an £18,000 cost to bring what was a niche box set to the market. The cost of classifications often now often preventing titles seeing a physical release. The BBFC told The Raygun "we’re pleased to be working with over 30 streaming services on a voluntary basis”, but it charges a mere £4.46 a minute for video on demand classification, rather than the whopping £9.17 it charges for physical media. Charities get a discounted rate. But as the late Ron Benson from Eureka once noted, his release of important Holocaust documentary Shoah – all nine and a half hours of it – was charged at the same rate as a major studio blockbuster. Meanwhile, over on theatrical, a sliding scale is in operation, with the amount of screens a film is affecting the charge from the BBFC – so a biggie going on to more than 61 screens is charged £2,625, between 31 and 60 screens the charge is £1,275, while Indies release on up to 30 screens are charged a mere £610. More on this in the coming weeks…
Sticking with the BBFC, and the organisation has done often commendable world in holding filmmakers to task over animal cruelty – any suggestion that an animal may have been harmed during the filming of a sequence and the BBFC are on to distributors and producers to ask for proof that it was all done without breaching animal cruelty laws. No proof that the animals weren’t harmed – as is often the case with older films, where barbaric practices such as horse-tripping used during Westerns to make the creatures fall over – and cuts are enforced. Well, it seems like James Cameron’s The Abyss has fallen foul of the censors again. The film famously features footage of a rat being submerged in “oxygenated perfluorocarbon emulsion” and this has previously been snipped by the BBFC. The Abyss hadn’t been resubmitted since the early 1990s, but ahead of a potential 4K UHD release, apparently the BBFC’s opinion was sought about the film and the possibility of the once trimmed scene being restored fully. Reports suggest the RSPCA was contacted and it was agreed that the scene would still need some trimming to not show the rat fully submerged, but wouldn’t need as much excised. Seems like, however, James Cameron and his team were not overly happy with this outcome and have nixed the UK release for the classic early Cameron slice of sci-fi rather than make any cuts. It is available uncut in other territories…
Continuing with James Cameron, March and April will see a raft of other titles helmed by one of the most successful directors of all-time arriving on 4K UHD through Elevation (the titles fall under the sales and distribution company’s ongoing deal with Disney, as most are under the Fox banner. There are five in all, including first ever 4K UHD releases for Aliens and the much requested and sought after True Lies joining the range. The Abyss may not be there, but already out and about are Avatar and Avatar Way Of The Water, joined this week by the aforementioned True Lies, with Aliens and Titanic landing on April 22 and 29 respectively. As Elevation rightly points out, the director has made three of the five biggest box office hits ever, some track record, while Cameron himself said: "There’s a world of emotions in revisiting these films and I hope we’ve captured some of that in the new bonus materials we created for our fans.” Oscar-winning producer Jon Landau added, “We really wanted to deliver the best possible experience at home so viewers could immerse themselves both in the films and the journeys we went through to make them.” The announcement itself noted: "The 4K transfer for each release will be presented in superb Dolby Vision HDR and with an immersive Atmos audio mix. Additionally, most of the releases will arrive with several hours of captivating all-new bonus features. From the eight hours of Avatar: The Way of Water bonus including all-new deleted scenes to the five hours of new and legacy Titanic extras, fans will delight in the numerous hours of never-before-seen materials.”
Also just released, on the back of the clutch of gongs it picked up at assorted ceremonies alongside a wealth of nominations is the excellent Anatomy Of A Fall, from Lionsgate. Commenting as it was released, the company’s Sophie Fawcett said: "Following a successful awards season, and strong results on EST, we're thrilled to bring Anatomy of a Fall to DVD and Blu-ray. Packaged media collectors have a choice of creative to add to their shelves, with different artworks across the two SKUs.”
The end of the month traditionally sees Arrow unveiling its titles due further down the line, a couple of months away, and so as March moved into April, the company revealed its forthcoming titles for the summer month of June. Here’s Arrow’s Dean Lawson to talk us through what’s due in the summer from the company. He said: “We’re thrilled to share our diverse slate of releases for June, with a horror, comedy and cult classics coming to 4K UHD, and a new genre-defying film to Blu-ray. Escape to the Lake District on June 24 with the Handmade Films cult classic: Withnail & I. Based on the real-life experiences of former actor turned writer/director Bruce Robinson, Withnail & I, has become one of British cinema’s most fondly remembered comedies. Arrow is excited to bring a brand new 4K feature restoration from the original negative, supervised and approved by director of photography Peter Hannan, alongside a wealth of extras, housed in a rigid slipcase. Mute Witness releasing on both 4K UHD and blu-ray will be available on June 10. An updated take on the Hitchcockian thriller in which the only witness to a brutal crime can neither speak nor cry out in terror is an unpredictable and nerve-shreddingly tense viewing experience. Presented in a new 4K restoration approved by director Anthony Waller, this is a film that deserves to be revisited. Gather around the campfire, and hear the tale of Madman Marz, with one of the finest offerings from the golden age of hack ‘n’ slash genre, releasing on 4K UHD on June 24. And finally, Slovakian director Tereza Nvotová brings a captivating cinematic experience, which won the Golden Leopard at Locarno in 2022. Nightsiren is a spellbinding contemporary drama that expertly blends psychological and supernatural horror to explore the intersections of misogyny and religious zealotry. Available on Blu-ray on June 3.”
Talking of Arrow and the company continues to find interesting ways of reaching the public and introducing potential customers to the joys of its product. The latest initiative sees it partnering with the Cultplex cinema in Manchester, with a regular Arrow Video Club, putting the best of the company's impressive catalogue onto the big screen. The cinema said: "We are very proud to present Arrow Video Club, a new collaboration with the almighty lords of physical media Arrow Video; where we will present some of the best titles from their back catalogue on our lovely big screen. Expect a variety of cult classics, deep cuts, Arrow Video trailers and a raffle for Arrow Video Blu-rays at every event.” First up is Videodrome, with David Cronenberg’s classic airing on Wednesday April 24. Arrow’s Louise Buckler said: “We are incredibly excited to be partnering with the fantastic team at Cultplex to bring the Arrow Video Club to Manchester for the very first time. Cultplex have been a huge champions of Arrow Video and cult film in general and haver built something really special. We’ve been speaking to the team about ways to collaborate and this new monthly club seemed like the perfect fit! The response to the announcement has been fantastic and we can’t wait for the first event later this month.”
Also just revealing its June line-up was Eureka ,which has added to its Masters of Cinema and Classics imprint and is further continuing to mine a rich seam of martial arts and Asian cinema titles for its labels. As ever, here’s the company’s national account manager Marcus Garwood to talk us through the titles. He said. “Heading into the hotter month of June with an equally hot line-up of collector's limited editions. First up in our Masters Of Cinema Series we present a three-film set which brings together the first three Red Peony Gambler films. Originally released between 1968 and 1972, the Red Peony Gambler series is a cornerstone of the ninkyo eiga genre and a clear influence on such cult favourites such as Lady Snowblood and Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill. The films star Junko Fuji (13 Assassins) and are directed by three titans of Japanese genre cinema in Kosaku Yamashita, Norifumi Suzuki and Tai Kato. These early entries in the Red Peony Gambler series (packaged together in a set entitled Prison Walls) are presented here for the first time ever on Blu-ray from brand new restorations of the original film elements by Toei. Eureka Classics next as we present 1982's The Miracle Fighters [Kei moon duen gap]. The film is a comedic tale of taoist magic directed by the martial arts maestro behind Drunken Master, The Magnificent Butcher and Iron Monkey – the legendary Yuen Woo-ping! Disc extras include (among others) John Kreng on Yuen Woo-ping – a brand new documentary featurette by Michael Worth. The release comes wrapped in a limited edition O-card with new artwork by Darren Wheeling and also contains a limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by James Oliver.” 
More news from former Lionsgate chief and industry stalwart Nicola Pearcey's fledgling distribution and production company Picnik Entertainment which she runs with partner Matt Pearcey. The company has picked up UK rights to Rebel Wilson drama The Almond And The Seahorse, which focuses on two couples recovering from traumatic brain injuries and also boasts the likes of Charlotte Gainsbourg, Meera Syal and Alice Lowe. The film will land in cinemas on May 10, with home entertainment to follow. Wilson said: “I’m so proud of this great gem of a film that dives into the important subject of traumatic brain injury. It’s such a departure for me artistically after having done mainly commercial comedy films in America, it was a challenge to do something so very different, but I just adored working with Cel and Charlotte, Trine and Meera on this beautiful piece. I can’t wait for UK audiences to see it in May.” Nicola Pearcey added: “It is an absolute honour to be releasing The Almond And The Seahorse. We’ve all seen Rebel in those much loved blockbuster comedic roles, but this film demonstrates her dramatic ability on another level and we cannot wait for our audiences to see her alongside the amazing talents of Charlotte Gainsbourg, Trine Dyrholm, Meera Syal and of course the brilliant writer and co-director and co-star Celyn Jones, in UK cinemas this May.”
Lastly, the fine folk over at BASE have asked us to pass on details of the survey the trade body is carrying out on the industry to look at issues facing the theatrical and home entertainment businesses and more, As the organisation said: "This survey will determine what matters most to entertainment industry members, exploring views across distribution, covering theatrical and home entertainment and including exhibition and retail. This survey will collect data to identify opportunities and threats across the film and TV sector and is entirely anonymous. Please share with colleagues throughout your organisation to capture the broadest range of views. If you are not a member of BASE and would like to be included in the debrief, please contact vicki@baseorg.uk.” You can see it here https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/BASEHaveYourSay/
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
Ecnalubma adventure…
He’s back…
Due from Shameless…
Got the fanboys excited…
As has this…
Beaming down soon…
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