What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

[grim_tales]

Just checked Wiki and it was actually -12, still thats comparitively low IMO. Braveheart was -10 and Borat was a U (!)
Eyes Wide Shut was -10 (kinda like a PG I guess) - (rated NC17 in US).

[bradavon]

Even so Grim, does it actually matter? We're all over 18 anyway. Yes France rates many films PG-12 when we give them 15-18. Some French friends tell me, literally only Porn gets an 17 rating. Different ratings, for different cultures. It's not as if France is more violent than The UK.

[Markgway]

Never thought I'd say this, but the BBFC are actually one of the world's most sensible regulators. Who'd have thought??

[bradavon]

I wouldn't go that far. Of the censors who actually censor, I'd agree though. By that I mean, what exactly is the point in the French censor? Porn aside.

Many Asian censor boards are ridiculously strict. The American censor is certainly worse than the British one too, usually got around by Unrated releases.

[Yi-Long]

I think most 'censorship' (and thus age-limitations) is bullshit. We all watched 'violent' movies when we grew up. It's not that big a deal. Now that 'we're' older, it's easy to think of younger people as 'too young', 'too sensitive', 'too easy to be influenced', 'too dumb', etc etc.

I don't buy that. Kids ain't idiots. Some are, and some will do extremely dumb and idiotic things, but 99% of the kids can handle a violent movie when they see one. Ofcourse, I'm not talking 7 year olds or something, but most of the 12+ year olds are usually 'mature' enough to handle most mature movies. Obviously, it differs from kid to kid, from upbringing to upbringing, etc etc.

Talking about 'mature' movies, I just watched Taken, with Liam Neeson. Great movie. It's not very realistic, as in it's WAYYY over the top with Liam being a superdude and all, but gawd it's entertaining as hell!

I would have loved this as a 13 year old, and I love it as a 33 year old It's just bad-ass FUN

I score it a 4/5. Good action, fast-paced, looks nice, not very original, nice performances, etc etc Just a fun way to spend 90 minutes. Just saw on play.com that there's an extended harder version, so when I buy it on disc, I might go for that version

[HungFist]

Speaking of BBFC, the idiots just slapped Noboru Iguchi's kids film Robo-Geisha with an 18 rating. It's pg-12 here in Japan.

It's uncut, who cares?

The UK rating is ridiculous because the film is aimed at young audiences. They didn't get pg-12 by accident, the film was made for that specific category.

ok, in the international market the target audience may be adult cult film fans, but 18 still feels really dumb.

original youtube trailer (very very spoiling)

new theatrical trailer (still pretty spoiling)

[grim_tales]

Maybe young audiences in Japan are different from UK.

[Markgway]

The UK rating is ridiculous because the film is aimed at young audiences. They didn't get pg-12 by accident, the film was made for that specific category.

So a film with "strong, bloody violence" is being aimed at children and you think that's OK?

[HungFist]

The UK rating is ridiculous because the film is aimed at young audiences. They didn't get pg-12 by accident, the film was made for that specific category.

So a film with "strong, bloody violence" is being aimed at children and you think that's OK?

The thing is that the violence is not so strong. Almost all of the blood (which isn't much) is CGI, and very visibly so, and very unrealistic and comedic. And a good amount of the blood comes from buildings that bleed...

There is maybe one scene that is a bit graphic, though... when the samurai robot finally gets his eyes off the school girl warrior's pants, and stabs her in the ass. But even this scene is pure comedy.. And maybe the face melting also (sounds worse than it is).

I would certainly consider something like Casino Roayle a more violent film (even with the UK cuts). It doesn't have the blood, but the violence is hard, cold, and realistic. Of course, being unrealistic doesn't mean it's immediately ok for kids (often the opposite) but this is as fantasy as it comes. It may be a bit crude and violent, and not a mom's first choise for a kid's 12th birthday present, but this is really not the film that is gonna fuck up a kid's mind.

I don't recommed watching the trailers because they are so spoiling, but if you want you can check some footage from the music video. The first minute and 10 seconds only shows scenes from the beginning of the film. The next 35 second show some more footage that is not overly spoiling. I do not recommend watching further than 1:45.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Azz8n1hzQU

[Markgway]

I can't argue as I haven't seen it myself... all I'm saying is that the BBFC are usually in the right when they give films '18's these days.

[Tutut]

I can't argue as I haven't seen it myself... all I'm saying is that the BBFC are usually in the right when they give films '18's these days.

Depending in which country you live, for example A Prophet from Audiard has a 18 in the UK and a 12 in France. The positive point is when the BBFC is rating 18, the film is uncut.

[bradavon]

We're all over 18, the film has been released uncut. Enough said.

p.s - I agree with Mark.

[HungFist]

We're all over 18, the film has been released uncut. Enough said.

My point was that this film's target audience, in Japan at least, are (were*) people under 18. 9-14 year olds, probably, which makes the BBFC rating seem rather absurd.

Admittedly the majority of people in the theatre were adults. But there were kids with their parents as well.

*With Iguchi's reputation it's not really a surprise it's mainly the cult film audiences that found the film. The producers no doubt had higher hopes, giving Iguchi a budget that is probably bigger than all his earlier movies combined, and asking him to tone down the violence (by 95%, I'd say, as compared to The Machine Girl). The changes made were clearly to attract mainstream and young audiences, and also at the expense of Iguchi's existing fans. Too bad Iguchi failed in what Miike succedeed in (Miike's family movies from the past few years are among his best work, and also financially succesful).

But nevermind, next topic.

[Tutut]

We're all over 18, the film has been released uncut. Enough said.

p.s - I agree with Mark.

For this one, yes, but for others, when I'm interested in a UK DVD release I have to check if it is cut or not.

ps: I don't agree with you both.

[grim_tales]

The BBFC listing said its uncut.

[Markgway]

My point was that this film's target audience, in Japan at least, are (were*) people under 18. 9-14 year olds, probably, which makes the BBFC rating seem rather absurd.

Not if that's the rating it deserves (by UK standards). Just because a film is aimed at kids doesn't automatically make it suitable for kids. The Japanese have an extremely lenient attitude toward graphic violence in their movies. That doesn't translate to the west. So for the UK an '18' may not be absurd but rather apt.

[saltysam]

The Final Destination 1.5/5

By the numbers 4th entry in the series isn't even enlivened by being filmed in 3-D.This series is seriously trading water now,it follows the exact same pattern everytime, Teen gets premonition,avoids death with his friends in huge disaster,said teen googles the events of the first one,the survivors die in bizarre accidents one by one.This was a hit,so there'll be another one shortly.

[Yi-Long]

Just watched JCVD. Very good movie, pretty original story, good acting by Van Damme, and very VERY nice directing, with interesting cuts, sounds, lighting, pans, etc etc.
Also very funny at times

Ending was a bit far-fetched though, but it doesn't detract from what came before it.

4/5

[romerojpg]

The Final Destination 1.5/5

This is one film that was made far, far worse by being made 100% for 3D. It was a joke having everything dumped into your face for 3D ONLY. I cannot imagine how badly it will suck ass at home without the quality cinema 3D, a lot I assume. Still better than part 3

[saltysam]

Still better than part 3

don't agree-part 3 was much better,which isn't saying much.Both films were petty predictable and lazily made,i thought.

[saltysam]

Whiteout 2/5

Rather bland thriller based on the Greg Rucka graphic novel. Kate Beckinsale looks bored throughout and Tom Skerritt is morphing into Kris Kristofferson. The Antarctica locations look nice but this is a thriller with no thrills and really is as routine as it gets.

[luckystars]

Agreed. I was unlucky enough to see Whiteout last week.

One truly awful movie



On a side note, how on Earth could Dominic 'Kalifornia' Sena end up Directing this type of shit.

Or alternatively, how did such a shit Director manage to make an excellent film like Kalifornia?!?!?!

[Markgway]

Tom Skerritt is morphing into Kris Kristofferson.

Is that a bad thing?

I like Kristofferson.

[saltysam]

One truly awful movie

I wouldn't ay it was awful,i've seen a lot worse.just totally routine and underwhelming.

Halloween 3:Season Of The Witch 3/5

Quirky 3rd entry in the series dispenses with Michael Myers and admirably tells a whole new storyline about an evil toymaker and his plot to take over the world through chips in halloween masks Bonkers plot isn't entirely successful but Tom Atkins is always worth watching and the film shifts along nicely.Still can't entirely shake the Myers connection though: a couple of scenes involve the original playing on a tv screen.

[gasteropod]

Halloween 3:Season Of The Witch 3/5

I love this film, it's so underrated and misunderstood.