BBFC News

The BBFC explains:

A mobile network operator contacted the BBFC for advice about the suitability of belezy.com for people under 18, following a complaint from a member of the public that it had been placed behind adult filters despite containing no material that, in the complainant's opinion, would cause access to be restricted to adults only.

The BBFC adjudicated on the website on 20 July 2020. We noted that the site promotes a French naturist campsite holiday resort. The site features illustrative photographs of nude guests, including men, women, and children interacting with the resort's facilities. None of the nudity is sexualised and genital nudity is infrequent and discreetly shot throughout the website.

As such, we found no material that we would classify 18.

Rocky 2 is a 1979 USA sport drama by Sylvester Stallone.
Starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire and Burt Young.

Rocky Balboa is enjoying life. He has a lovely wife, Adrian, had a successful fight with Apollo Creed and is able to enjoy the money he earned from the fight and a new endorsement deal. Unfortunately, Rocky becomes embarrassed when failing to complete an advert and ends up working in a meat packing company. He believes that he will no longer have a career as a boxer. Apollo wants to rematch with Rocky to prove all his critics wrong that he can beat Rocky. Can Rocky once again have a successful fight?

Rocky was originally 'A' rated by the BBFC for 1979 cinema release and PG rated for home video until 2001.

Now it has just been uprated to 12A uncut for moderate violence for 2020 cinema release.
 

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Tenet is a 2020 UK / USA action Sci-Fi thriller by Christopher Nolan.
Starring John David Washington, Robert Pattinson and Elizabeth Debicki.

Armed with only one word -- Tenet -- and fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.

The film has been cut in the UK for a 12A rated cinema release. The BBFC passed the film 12A for moderate violence, threat, domestic abuse, infrequent strong language after BBFC advised pre-cuts.

The BBFC commented:

• This film was originally seen for advice. The company was advised it was likely to be classified 15 uncut but that their preferred 12A classification could be obtained by making small changes to one scene to remove shots of a man kicking a woman. When the film was submitted for formal classification, the shots in question had been removed and the film was classified 12A.

This comment refers to the scene where Elizabeth Debicki's character is on the floor and Kenneth Branagh's kicks her in the body several times.

In the US the film was MPA PG-13 rated for intense sequences of violence and action, some suggestive references and brief strong language. Presumably the US release is uncut, but as the film is a UK/US co-production it is remotely possible that the cuts have been made to a common version.

I Spit on Your Grave is a 1978 USA horror thriller by Meir Zarchi.
Starring Camille Keaton, Eron Tabor and Richard Pace.

The film was banned as one of the most notable video nasties in 1983. It was unbanned after massive 7m:02s of BBFC cuts for 2001 and 2006 DVD. These cuts were reduced to 2m:54s in 2010, and to 1m:41s for 2020 Blu-ray. Cut in the US for an R rating but MPAA Unrated releases are uncut.

See further details at Melon Farmers Film Cuts: I Spit On Your Grave

Summary Notes

The film follows Jennifer, a writer who is working on a new novel and needs to get out of the city to finish it. She rents a riverside cabin in upstate New York to work on her novel, attracting the attention of a number of rowdy male locals. They catch Jennifer one day and strip her naked for the village idiot (Matthew) and rape her. Jennifer is later attacked and raped a further two times by the four degenerates, and her novel is also destroyed. But Jennifer recovers, and in her now-twisted, psychotic state, she begins to seek revenge on the men.

cut cut: 1:41s run: 99:33s pal: 95:34s sub: 101:14s

UK: Passed 18 for sexual violence, sadistic violence, nudity after 1:41s of compulsory BBFC cuts: 2020 Kaleidoscope Special Edition RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 5th October 2020 2020 Kaleidoscope Special Edition R2 DVD at UK Amazon released on 5th October 2020 2020 Kaleidoscope I Spit On Your Grave Complete Collection (RB) Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 5th October 2020 2020 Kaleidoscope I Spit On Your Grave Complete Collection R2 DVD at UK Amazon released on 5th October 2020 The BBFC commented: Company was required to make cuts to scenes of sexual violence in order to remove potentially harmful material. Cuts were made in accordance with BBFC Guidelines, policy and the Video Recordings Act 1984.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a 2001 New Zealand / USA fantasy adventure by Peter Jackson.
Starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen and Orlando Bloom.

Exists as a Theatrical Version and an Extended Version. Both versions were BBFC PG rated until the 2020 cinema release of the extended version which was 12A rated.

The two sequels have always been 12/12A rated for both the theatrical and extended versions.

Summary Notes

A meek hobbit of the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring and the dark lord Sauron.

227:00s

UK: The Extended Version was passed 12A uncut for moderate fantasy violence, threat: 2020 cinema release

It is a long running tradition that the BBFC Annual Report entertains its readers with a list of the most complained about films of the year. In the Annual Report covering 2019, the BBFC writes:

In 2019 we received 149 complaints covering 70 films, fewer than half the number of complaints received in 2018.

20 people wrote to us regarding Joker , objecting to the 15 classification. Several stated that we should have classified the film 18 because of violence and the film's tone. A small number felt that the film should be banned. There are scenes of strong violence in the film that include stabbings and shootings, with accompanying bloody injury detail. They do not, however, dwell on the infliction of pain or injury in a manner that requires an 18.

12 people wrote to us about The Favourite . The complaints related to language, sex references and sex. The very strong language in The Favourite is often used in a comic context and never aggressively. The sexual activity and sex references are unremarkable at 15, although their appearance in the costume drama may have surprised a minority of viewers.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum generated nine complaints, all focusing on violence.

Five people wrote to us complaining about the violence and infrequent strong language in Alita: Battle Angel .

Fighting with My Family received five complaints focusing on language and sex references.

The Queen's Corgi received five complaints about sexual references and animal cruelty.

We received four complaints regarding language and violence in Bumblebee .

Holmes and Watson received four complaints focusing on language and sex references.

Shazam ! generated four complaints regarding bad language and scenes of horror.

T he BBFC has released its annual report, which shows a steady growth in both online and film classifications throughout 2019.

In 2019, the BBFC rated 6,506 pieces of content for online distribution, which is a 13% increase from 2018. Compared to just five years ago, online classifications have increased by a staggering 462% (1,158 in 2014).

The most popular age rating for online content is 15, with the BBFC rating 2,976 pieces of content with the classification.

Although content for Video on Demand (VoD) platforms remains the majority of the content classified by the BBFC, film classification has also seen an increase of 6% in the last year, up to 1,103. This marks a 99% increase over the last decade (555 in 2009).

The most popular age rating for film remains 15, with the BBFC rating 368 films for UK cinema goers with the classification.

David Austin, Chief Executive of the BBFC, said:

It's clear that online platforms continue to thrive in the current media climate, and that they are increasingly using well-understood and trusted BBFC age ratings. Our mission is to help everybody choose content well, whenever, wherever, and however they view it, and people continue to tell us that they benefit from having age ratings and ratings in place, including online.

Over the last year we've continued to keep our finger on the pulse of what people really think, and we continue to make sure our age ratings are where people need them. Our innovative partnership with Netflix saw the streaming platform begin to rate its own content to produce BBFC ratings using a tagging system and algorithms that match the standards British families expect and want to see. We continue to look at new ways we can work with platforms to get families the information we know they need, and want.

Every film classified by the BBFC comes with long ratings info, available on the BBFC website and free app, so families can choose content well.