Page 1 of The Fellowship of the Ring Censorship Problems

The Proposed 4 Disc Extended Version is in Jeopardy thanks to the B.B.F.C.
The Extra Footage will not be Allowed if its more than the originals PG Rating.The Most hard to Believe Fact is that its a fairly New Rule.Surely thats what the Certifications are for.I know we could buy it on Region 1,But its not the Point.They have no Right to Dictate.Write to them and Protest.I have.This is one time they will have to listen.Thanks For Your Help

I think what you mean to say is that if the newly inserted footage exceeds the PG rating, then the extra footage would either be left out, or the film could get a new rating. Or are you talking about extras? If the extras to be included exceed the PG rating, then the film has to be rated higher to cover this.

The same goes for 30 minutes of newly inserted film in making a new cut of the film. If it goes beyond the boundaries of a PG rating, then you can`t expect the BBFC to retain the original rating, can you?

Phantom Menace had small changes made to the extras to retain it`s BBFC rating over here in line with the film itself.

If the DVD release is in jeopardy, buy it on import.

Isn`t the BBFC position that it can only be released with one rating therefore if released as PG on the two disc version then it must be cut to PG level if extra footage is added in another release, a different rating will not be permitted as this might cause confusion (if you can`t read the rating on the side of the box that is).
Mind you a quote in one of the DVD magazines said that BBFC hadn`t seen anything that would result in a different rating so one lives in hope.
Plus as has been said, if the BBFC asks for cuts then the money goes abroad for the R1 or R4 version instead.

It is true that once a film is certified with PG the same film cannot be certified again with a higher rating, hence the still cut Die Hard 3.
But LOTR FOTR extended cut is not the same film, is it?
If EIV submit it as a director`s dut it should be able to get a higher rating than PG even though the original film was PG.
That`s at least what I found out reading the threads in other forums.
Let`s just hope that everything goes well, after all this is the most awaited release of the year I don`t believe they`ll mess it up.
C U

According to the BBC website, the directors cut of an extra 30 mins, will be cut during the extended battle scene, because of some gore and violence which can`t be rated as PG, so therefore we will have a cut in the directors cut. tell me about it. this doesn`t refer to the U.S so I think it`s best to get R1 as it probably will be cheaper, and uncut, or we could put up a petition.

YM

All this is true, two versions of the same film with different ratings are not allowed under BBFC guidelines, thus if the extended cut is more gory (as an interview with Peter Jackson in Fangoria suggested) then the BBFC may give it a higher classification (and i think the original was pushing the realms of the PG rating) and suggest that it be cut to obtain a PG or perhaps recall all remaining copies of the 2-Disc edition before the release of the 4-Disc edition but i don`t think this is likely in the world of profit maximisation.
The bottom line, as Lucky suggested, is to go for the R1 version as the likelyhood of changing BBFC legislation in such a short period of time is slim to say the least, unless the new president is inclined that way.

This item was edited on Tuesday, 23rd April 2002, 19:06

There might be a loophole in the law...imagine that Buena Vista release a title with no extras (like they used to do), and 6 months down the line decide to revamp it with additional material...which gets a higher classification. I`m sure they will be allowed to do this, as the new edition is a Special Edition, which is different from the original, so perhaps this is the way LOTR will get around the problem?

the only way around this is release the uncut footage as speacial features,that way it will get a higher rating.moulin rouge was released like this 12 rated on video but 15 on dvd.buy the r1 version of lord of the rings. instead.typical bbfc laws and guidlines crap.the soon the censorship laws get changed it this country the better.

This item was edited on Wednesday, 24th April 2002, 22:46

Is there really a big problem with BBFC rules as they stand at the moment? Apart from a few things like headbutting, films can include a lot of stuff these days compared to the BBFC of old. If you want an 18 rating then it`s really not an issue. The BBFC nearly always offers the studio/distributor a higher rating for a film to go uncut should they want it. (I`m not talking about R18 stuff)

An example would be Crash which was released uncut with an 18 rating. Kung fu movies have been released too usually uncut as well, albeit with an 18 rating.

The issue is of course with studios wanting as wide appeal as possible so in turn want a lower rating, and all ratings have guidelines. Children are susceptible to more things than you might think, and even I find some of this stuff surprising. I don`t think the BBFC rules as they stand at the moment are likely to be relaxed a great deal more.

Finally, generalising about censorship is all well and good, but unless you cite specific examples, where films are cut, to make your case, how can you then expect others to follow your reasoning? I don`t understand why you mention getting R1: Moulin Rouge over the R2 version when both films are identical.

The BBFC are actually fairly okay these days (even if their recent relaxation of laws was too late for `Fight Club`), it`s mostly the studios who want a lower certificate so cut it (like `Romeo Must Die, for example).

Anyway, couldn`t New Line (or whoever is releasing it) make include the extra footage on the disc and include a `seamless branching` option? This bypasses the annoying BBFC law yet still means we get to see the uncut director`s cut.

Plus if they make the `seamless branching` option automatically on then most people would be none the wiser. Also that means that you get the two cuts of the film which is a bonus. In fact, the more I`m saying this, the more I`m liking the idea.