BBFC defends decision to lower A Nightmare on Elm Street’s age rating after 40 years

Submitted ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨Emperor@feddit.uk⁩ to ⁨movies@lemm.ee⁩

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/bbfc-nightmare-on-elm-street-age-rating-b2595501.html

cross-posted from: feddit.uk/post/16114925

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has issued a statement after lowering the age rating of horror classic A Nightmare on Elm Street.

The organisation, which handles the censorship and classification of films released in the UK, had previously given the 1984 movie an “18” rating, forbidding anyone under the age of 18 from seeing it in cinemas or purchasing it on DVD.

However, on 1 August, the film was reclassified with the more lenient age rating of “15”, ahead of a re-issue of the film this September.

Speaking to The Guardian, a BBFC spokesperson said that there was “strong support” among audiences for older films to be re-classified to better reflect modern sensibilities.

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MajorHavoc@programming.dev ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
In the USA, if we did this, it wouldn’t be “to better reflect modern sensibilities.” but just because everyone in the entire American film industry does a lot less cocaine, now, on average.

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kux@lemm.ee ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
i saw a similar headline in the guardian as well, both say they have ‘defended’ their decision but neither article mentions who they are defending it from. does the spirit of mary whitehouse still stalk the land? it’s completely reasonable to reclassify against updated guidelines when a film is rereleased (40th anniversary edition in this case)

from the guardian:

The 1937 drama A Star Is Born, starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, was changed to a 12 certificate from a U due to the decision of March’s character to kill himself. The Lee Marvin/Clint Eastwood musical Paint Your Wagon, originally released in 1969, contains frequent references to sex and has been reclassified from a PG to a 12. The 1986 stalker thriller The Hitcher, featuring Rutger Hauer, has, like A Nightmare on Elm Street, been downgraded from an 18 to a 15

all of this sounds fine to me

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