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124-715: The film was developed by Roger Corman 's New Concorde Studios based on the prior commercial success of The Slumber Party Massacre (1982), and Frank, who had worked as a personal assistant to that film's director, was hired to write and direct the project. Shot in Los Angeles, Sorority House Massacre had its world premiere in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on October 10, 1986. It received a largely negative reception on release, often criticized for being "too similar" to Halloween (1978), while it has been retrospectively praised for its characters and feminist themes and went on to acquire

248-449: A Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering in 1947. While at Stanford University, Corman was initiated in the fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon . In 1948, he worked briefly at U.S. Electrical Motors on Slauson Avenue in Los Angeles, but his career in engineering lasted only four days; he began work on Monday and quit on Thursday, telling his boss "I've made a terrible mistake." Soon after he found work at 20th Century Fox as

372-417: A cult following . It was followed by two sequels, Sorority House Massacre II and Sorority House Massacre III: Hard to Die (both 1990), directed by Jim Wynorski . When Beth is a little girl, her brother Bobby kills her whole family and attempts to kill her. When he is caught, he is committed, and she grows up with a new family. Years later, Beth goes to college , where she joins a sorority . Due to

496-455: A memory lapse , she does not remember that the sorority house was her childhood home, however her memory soon starts to return. Meanwhile, Bobby senses her presence in the house and escapes the mental asylum so he can finish the job he was unable to complete. He steals a hunting knife in a hardware shop killing the elderly owner. As Beth settles into the sorority, many of the girls leave for the weekend, leaving only her, Linda, Sara, and Tracy in

620-450: A 1913 film given the former A rating could very probably be rated PG today. An extreme example of this is the rating of the horror film Revenge of the Zombies , with a U certificate upon its video release in the late 1990s, whereas, when it was first examined as a film in 1951, it was given one of the first X ratings . The Bela Lugosi horror film Island of Lost Souls was refused

744-545: A Hollywood Rebel , directed by Alex Stapleton, premiered at the Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals in 2011. The film's TV rights were picked up by A&E IndieFilms after a well-received screening at Sundance. Corman was born in Detroit , Michigan , to Anne (née High) and William Corman, an engineer of Russian Jewish descent. His younger brother, Gene , produced numerous films, sometimes in collaboration with Roger. Corman

868-582: A Million Eyes (1955), then made another Western, Apache Woman (1955), starring Lloyd Bridges , written by Lou Rusoff . Rusoff and Corman reunited on Day the World Ended (1955), a postapocalyptic science-fiction film, which was popular. Corman was to make The Devil on Horseback by Charles B. Griffith about the Brownsville Raid , but it was too expensive. The Woolner Brothers , Louisiana drive-in owners, financed Corman's Swamp Women (1956),

992-572: A blanket term recently used by both film makers and local press to describe independent filmmakers in the Northwest of England, is currently campaigning for the introduction of a voluntary 'Unrated 18' classification in the UK. On 6 June 2011, the BBFC refused a classification for the horror film The Human Centipede II . The previous film in the series was passed uncut at 18, but due to a shift in context and focus,

1116-468: A blockbuster film of the same name .) Corman sold the movie to a new independent company, the American Releasing Company (ARC), run by James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff . Although Corman had a number of offers for the film from Republic and Columbia, he elected to go with ARC, because they undertook to advance money to enable him to make two more movies. Corman's second film for ARC

1240-444: A certificate when first submitted in 1932, was granted an X in the 1950s, and a 12 for home video release in 1996 – when submitted for a modern video classification in 2011, it was re-classified as a PG . The 1964 Disney live-action/animated musical Mary Poppins was initially granted a U but was later re-classified as PG in 2024 due to the use of the archaic word " hottentot " by the character Admiral Boom in one scene which

1364-476: A certificate, or supplying to someone younger than the certified age) is a criminal offence. However, possession is not an offence in itself, other than in the case of "possession with intent to supply". Since the introduction of the Act, the BBFC has been the chosen authority. In theory this authority could be revoked, but in practice such a revocation has never been suggested, since most local authorities simply do not have

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1488-503: A cinema. In December 1986, the first computer game to be certified by the BBFC was an illustrated text adventure called Dracula , based on the Bram Stoker novel, published by CRL ; the game received a 15 certificate. The first computer game to receive an 18 certificate, on 11 December 1987, was another illustrated text adventure called Jack the Ripper , also by CRL, which dealt with

1612-482: A company producing or releasing low-budget black-and-white films as double features for drive-ins and action houses. In February 1959, Filmgroup announced they would release 10 films. Their first movies were High School Big Shot (1959) and T-Bird Gang (1959), produced by Stanley Bickman. Roger seemed a driven man. Roger wanted to accomplish a lot, he had to have a lot of drive to do it, and he pushed through. He not only pushed through, he punched through! With

1736-401: A contract with Columbia." In August 1965, Corman announced he had signed a contract with United Artists to make two films over three years. He also signed with Columbia to make a Western, The Long Ride Home , based on a script by Robert Towne. British Board of Film Classification The British Board of Film Classification ( BBFC ) is a non-governmental organisation founded by

1860-530: A few local authorities regraded Spider-Man from 12 to PG, allowing children younger than 12 to see the film. However, the BBFC were already in the process of replacing the 12 rating with a new 12A, which allowed under-12s to see the film if accompanied by an adult, so shortly afterwards, the BBFC reclassified Spider-Man as 12A. The first 12A certificate awarded was for The Bourne Identity . The Video Recordings Act requires that video releases not exempt (music, documentary, non-fiction, video games, etc.) under

1984-633: A game for classification even if they are not obliged to. Under the Digital Economy Act 2010 , the primary responsibility for rating video games in the United Kingdom passed from the BBFC to the Video Standards Council using the PEGI system. A game is only submitted to the BBFC if it contains strong pornographic material or if it includes video material that is not directly accessible through

2108-588: A girls-on-the-lam saga. He returned to ARC for two Westerns, The Oklahoma Woman (1956) and Gunslinger (1956) (with Ireland); Gunslinger was co-written by Griffith, who became a crucial collaborator with Corman over the next five years. He bought a script from Curtis Harrington , The Girl from Beneath the Sea . Harrington made it for Corman years later as Night Tide (1961). Beverly Garland , one of Corman's early regular stock players, recalled working with him: Roger made us work hard and long, I remember that! He

2232-525: A higher rating. An example of this was in 2010, when the Board cut the Hindi film Anjaana Anjaani by two minutes and thirty-one seconds to remove references to and sight of someone attempting suicide by asphyxiation so the distributor could get a cinema 12A certificate. In its uncut form the film was released on home video with an 18 certificate. The Hunger Games (2012) was assessed before formal classification, with

2356-407: A historical horror piece about Richard III , Tower of London (1962), starring Vincent Price . It was meant to be the first in a three-picture deal with Small, but Corman did not enjoy working with the producer. For Filmgroup, he also bought the rights to a Soviet science-fiction film, Nebo Zovyot (1959) and had some additional footage shot for it by his then-assistant, Francis Ford Coppola;

2480-433: A largely unregulated censorship infrastructure, therefore formed the BBFC to take the process 'in house' and establish its own system of self-regulation. By paying a fee of £2 for every reel of film viewed, and by appointing a panel of viewers under a censor, none of whom had any film trade interests, the growing cinema industry neatly created a censorship body which was both self-supporting and strictly impartial, and therefore

2604-741: A lesser extent, some video games under the Video Recordings Act 1984 . The BBFC was also the designated regulator for the UK age-verification scheme , which was abandoned before being implemented. The BBFC was established in 1912 as the British Board of Film Censors, under the aegis of the Incorporated Association of Kinematograph Manufacturers, by film trade associations who preferred to manage their own censorship than to have national or local government do it for them. The immediate impetus for

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2728-451: A lot of energy, and a lot of disregard at times... What we did for Roger Corman – I mean, things that you could never do in a real studio, but you did for this guy! Everything seemed unreal with him. – Susan Cabot For AIP, Corman and Griffith made a black comedy, A Bucket of Blood (1959). Corman announced he would follow it with a similar comedy, The Bloodshot Private Eye . It does not seem to have been made. Instead, Griffith reused

2852-427: A maximum of thirty-five hours a week. Turnover is low and vacancies, when available, appear on its London job vacancies website. In the case of films shown in cinemas, local authorities have the final legal authorisation over who can view a particular film. The majority of the time, local authorities accept the board's recommendation for a certificate for a film. There have been some notable exceptions – particularly in

2976-525: A messenger in the mail room, earning $ 32.50 per week. Corman worked his way up to a story reader. The one property that he liked the most and provided ideas for was filmed as The Gunfighter with Gregory Peck . When Corman received no credit at all, he left Fox and decided he would work in film by himself. Under the G.I. Bill , Corman studied English literature at the University of Oxford and lived in Paris for

3100-482: A month later cut Takashi Miike 's Ichi the Killer by three and a quarter minutes to remove scenes of sexual violence. A Serbian Film (2010) suffered forty-nine individual cuts by the BBFC, which totalled four minutes and eleven seconds of cuts. The cuts were made to remove "portrayals of children in a sexualised or abusive context and images of sexual and sexualised violence which have a tendency to eroticise or endorse

3224-511: A rating symbol. As part of the implementation of the Digital Economy Act 2017 , the BBFC and NCC Group were planning to introduce an age-verification certificate ( AVC or AV Certificate), a voluntary, non-statutory certificate awarded to Internet age-verification providers who meet standards of privacy and data security. Plans to mandate online age-verification to deny those who do not prove they are aged over 18 access to pornographic website content were subsequently abandoned. Historically

3348-523: A science-fiction film, Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954). It was produced by Corman's own company, Palo Alto, and released by Robert L. Lippert . The film did well enough to encourage Corman to produce another film, the racing-car thriller The Fast and the Furious (1955), directed by its star, John Ireland , and co-starring Dorothy Malone . (Decades later, the title would be licensed from Corman for

3472-526: A script by Gordon; and The Cry Baby Killer (1958), which gave Jack Nicholson his first starring role. He had his biggest budget yet for I Mobster (1958), a gangster story, co-produced by Edward L. Alperson and Corman's brother Gene for 20th Century Fox. In September 1958, he was reported as scouting locations in Australia to do a remake of H. Rider Haggard 's She . War of the Satellites (1958)

3596-575: A script called The Red Baron . He bought the rights to another Soviet science-fiction film, Planeta Bur (1962), and had some additional footage added to it by Curtis Harrington . The result was Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965). Harrington used footage from Planeta Bur in another film financed by Corman, Queen of Blood (1966). He also bought the rights to a Yugoslavian film, Operation Titan (1963), and financed additional shooting by Jack Hill and Stephanie Rothman . The result

3720-462: A third, which was shot at the same time: Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961). Corman was going to make Part Time Mother from a script by Griffith but it appears to have never been made. AIP wanted Corman to make two horror films for them, in black and white, at under $ 100,000 each on a 10-day shooting schedule. Corman, however, was tired of making films on this sort of budget and was worried

3844-414: A time. Corman then returned to Los Angeles and tried to re-establish himself in the film industry. He took various jobs, including television stagehand at KLAC-TV and a messenger at Fox. He worked as an assistant to literary agent Dick Hyland. Corman wrote a script in his spare time and sold it to William F. Broidy at Allied Artists for US$ 2,000 (equivalent to $ 22,691 in 2023). "Dick thought it

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3968-544: A video master-quality extended cut of the film that was originally released exclusively in the United Kingdom. Scream Factory announced via their official Facebook page that the Blu-ray edition was approximately 75% sold on April 25, after which it fully sold out the following day. In the years since its release, Sorority House Massacre has acquired a cult following and been praised for its cinematography and feminist themes. In November 2020, Norman Reedus announced that he

4092-476: A while for the film to be released and it lost money. Corman was unhappy with his profit participation on the first two Poe films, so he made a third adaptation for different producers, The Premature Burial (1962), written by Charles Beaumont and starring Ray Milland . The film was co-financed by Pathe labs; AIP put pressure on Pathe by threatening to withdraw lab work from them and ended up buying out their interest. For producer Edward Small , Corman made

4216-499: Is "Material which appears to be simulated is generally passed "18", while images of real sex are confined to the "R18" category." However, for some years depictions of real sex have been allowed in 18-certificate videos intended as educational and, relatively recently, a number of works such as Patrice Chéreau 's Intimacy (2001) and Michael Winterbottom 's 9 Songs (2004), which feature apparently unsimulated sex have been passed uncut for theatrical release. Violence remains one of

4340-581: Is a meaning, it is doubtless objectionable." Informal links, to varying degrees of closeness, have been maintained between the BBFC and the Government throughout the Board's existence. In the period before the Second World War , an extensive but unofficial system of political censorship was implemented by the BBFC for the Home Office . As the cinema became a socially powerful mass-medium, governments feared

4464-472: Is based in Soho Square , London, is financed from the fees it charges for classifying films and videos and is run on a not-for-profit basis. The BBFC can also advise cuts for a less-restrictive rating. This generally occurs in borderline cases where distributors have requested a certificate and the BBFC has rated the work at a more-restrictive level; however, some cuts are compulsory, such as scenes that violate

4588-441: Is no theme or subject matter considered inherently unsuitable for classification at any level, although more controversial topics may drive a movie to be given a more restrictive rating. This is in keeping with current practice in most liberal democracies , but in sharp contrast to the early days of the BBFC in which such adult themes as prostitution, incest , and the relations of capital and labour were unacceptable regardless of

4712-431: The Digital Economy Act 2017 the BBFC was appointed as the UK's regulator for pornographic websites. As regulator, the BBFC was intended to be responsible for identifying commercial pornographic websites accessible in the UK and empowered to take action against any which did not age-verify their users, including placing restrictions on their payment transactions or ordering their blocking by Internet service providers . This

4836-463: The Protection of Children Act 1978 or Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937 . The final certificate then depends on the distributor's decision on whether or not to make the suggested cuts. Some works are even rejected if the distributor refuses the cut. The examiners and the directors of the BBFC are hired on a permanent basis. Examiners are required to watch five hours and twenty minutes of media, to

4960-695: The Warners gangster films and other 1930s Hollywood films that dealt explicitly with crime and the effects of the Great Depression were released in the UK largely uncut, these subjects were strictly off-limits for British film-makers. During the Second World War, the BBFC's political censorship function effectively passed to the Films Division of the Ministry of Information , and the BBFC never regained this to

5084-778: The Woolner Brothers and Sorority Girl (1957), starring Susan Cabot for AIP. For AIP, he made The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent (1957), shot in August 1957. He was meant to follow this with Teenage Jungle by Tony Miller. The success of Not of this Earth and Crab Monsters led to Allied offering Corman a four-picture deal for 1958. Corman received his first serious critical praise for Machine-Gun Kelly (1958), an AIP biopic of

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5208-416: The tipi they set up earlier, while Linda and Sara go to bed. Bobby attacks Tracy and Craig, shredding the tipi with his knife. As they try to escape, Tracy is stabbed to death. Craig runs into the house and alerts Linda and Sara who try to phone the police but find the lines have been cut. They attempt to warn Beth and John, but both have fallen asleep. As Bobby approaches them, Beth wakes and runs upstairs to

5332-436: The 12A category has been used for cinema releases since 2002. Material that is exempt from classification sometimes uses symbols similar to BBFC certificates, for example an "E" certificate. There is no legal obligation, nor a particular scheme, for labelling material that is exempt from classification. On the BBFC's online classification database, material that has been refused a classification uses an "N/A" symbol in place of

5456-684: The 1960s, and it concentrated on censoring films that featured graphic sex and violence. However, some Board decisions caused controversy in the 1970s when it banned a series of films that were released uncut and were popular in other countries (such as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Last House on the Left ), or released other controversial films, such as Straw Dogs and A Clockwork Orange . However, under recent presidents Andreas Whittam Smith and Sir Quentin Thomas , guidelines were relaxed again, allowing

5580-517: The 1969 film Love Camp 7 , rejected in 2002, and Women in Cellblock 9 , released in 1977 and rejected in 2004. Both films contain substantial scenes of sexual violence and have remained completely banned following a re-submission since 2000. In general, attitudes to what material is suitable for viewing by younger audiences have changed over the years, and this is reflected by the reclassification of older films being re-released on video. For example,

5704-470: The 1970s when the board allowed films such as Last Tango in Paris (1972) and The Exorcist (1973) to be released with an X certificate (essentially the same as today's "18") – but many local authorities chose to ban the films regardless. Thirty-nine local authorities in the UK either imposed an outright ban, or imposed an X certificate, on Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979), which the BBFC had rated as AA (Suitable for ages 14+). Conversely, in 2002,

5828-457: The Act had to be classified, making it illegal to supply any recording that had not been certified. Certificates could restrict release to any age of 18 or under, or only to licensed sex-shops. The government currently designate the BBFC as the authority for certifying video releases. As the law requires the certificate to be displayed on the packaging and media labels of the video recording, in practice only UK releases can be legally sold or hired in

5952-442: The BBFC accepted. On 16 June 2009, the UK's Department for Culture, Media and Sport ruled in favour of the PEGI system to be the sole classification system for videogames and software in the UK. This decision would also, unlike beforehand, allow PEGI ratings to be legally enforced much like the BBFC ratings. Initially expected to take effect from 1 April 2011, the legislation was put into effect on 30 July 2012. Netflix and

6076-429: The BBFC announced an age classification partnership on 13 March 2019 where the former will classify their content in the United Kingdom with BBFC ratings. The partnership came at the time when digital media is on the rise worldwide and when parents are concerned about children seeing inappropriate content on video on demand or online gaming platforms. The implementation of BBFC ratings into Netflix UK content took effect at

6200-490: The BBFC annual report outlined grounds on seven broad categories that justified censorship, including issues related to religious, political, military, social, questions of sex, crime and cruelty. Some decisions from the early years are now subjected to derision. In 1928, the board's examiners report famously claimed that Germaine Dulac 's surrealist film The Seashell and the Clergyman was "almost meaningless", but: "If there

6324-508: The BBFC did not have a written code and were vague in their translation to producers on what constituted a violation. However, some clarity would come in 1916 when the then president of the BBFC, T. P. O'Connor , listed forty-three infractions, from the BBFC 1913–1915 annual reports, during the National Council of Public Morals: Cinema Commission of Inquiry (1916), indicating where a cut in a film may be required. These included: In 1926,

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6448-481: The BBFC estimated that five million commercial pornographic websites existed on the Internet. In March 2019 the BBFC published its guidance, which stated that social media would not fall under the BBFC's jurisdiction, and nor would websites where pornography made up a third or less of the website's material. The BBFC proposed that a voluntary certification scheme should cover age verification providers. Margot James ,

6572-446: The BBFC was Carmageddon in 1997, however a modified version of the game was later awarded an 18 certificate. In June 2007, Manhunt 2 was refused classification for both its PlayStation 2 and Wii versions, meaning that the game was illegal to sell or supply in the United Kingdom. A modified version was made that was accepted by the ESRB but was still refused classification from

6696-459: The BBFC's remit. In 1984, the board changed its name to The British Board of Film Classification to "reflect the fact that classification plays a far larger part in the board's work than censorship". The board's holding company, the Incorporated Association of Kinematograph Manufacturers, aligned its name with the board the following year (followed by another minor alteration in 2003 to British Board of Film Classification ). At that time it

6820-605: The BBFC. It has attracted criticism from conservative press, in particular the Daily Mail , on the grounds that the release of sexually explicit and violent films was corrupting the nation. The newspaper's most famous clash with the BBFC came in 1997 when the board released the David Cronenberg film Crash without cuts. The following day (19 March 1997) the Daily Mail led with the banner headline "Censor's Yes To Depraved Sex Film". Westminster City Council imposed its own ban on

6944-579: The BBFC. The second decision was later overturned by the Video Appeals Committee (an independent body set up by legislation); the BBFC then asked the High Court for a judicial review of the VAC decision. The High Court ruled that the VAC had made errors in law and instructed it to reconsider its decision, the VAC subsequently ruled that the modified version of the game should receive an 18 certificate, which

7068-499: The Board has faced strong criticism for their perceived overzealous attitude towards censoring films. Prior to the liberalising decade of the 1960s, films were routinely and extensively censored as a means of social control. For example, Rebel Without a Cause (1955) was cut to reduce the "possibility of teenage rebellion". Ingmar Bergman 's 1955 comedy Smiles of a Summer Night was cut to remove "overtly sexual or provocative" language. The BBFC's attitude became more liberal during

7192-517: The British film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of films exhibited at cinemas and video works (such as television programmes , trailers , adverts , public information /campaigning films, menus, bonus content, etc.) released on physical media within the United Kingdom. It has a statutory requirement to classify all video works released on VHS , DVD , Blu-ray (including 3D and 4K UHD formats), and, to

7316-697: The Crab Monsters (1957) for Allied, which wound up being one of his most successful early films. For his own production company, Corman made a rock-and-roll "quickle", Carnival Rock (1957), released by Howco. Rock All Night (1957) was a heist film written by Griffith expanded from a TV play, "The Little Guy", with musical acts inserted. He was meant to make Rock'n'Roll Girl for AIP in December 1957. In April 1957, Corman announced he would try to make two films back-to-back from then on to save costs. Corman made two "teen girl noirs", Teenage Doll (1957) for

7440-673: The Poe cycle—it featured Price and was made for AIP, written by Beaumont—but was actually based on a story by H. P. Lovecraft . Corman directed a war film in Yugoslavia with his brother, The Secret Invasion (1964), with Stewart Granger and Mickey Rooney , from a script by Campbell. Following this, he announced he would make The Life of Robert E. Lee as part of a four-picture deal with Filmgroup worth $ 3.75 million. Other movies were Fun and Profit by Joel Rapp, The Wild Surfers by John Lamb, and Planet of Storms by Jack Hill . None of these films

7564-626: The R18 rating. Films with this rating are only legally available from licensed sex shops, of which there are about three hundred in the UK. They may also be seen in specially licensed cinemas. There are also examples of films with stronger sexual content, some including real images of sexual intercourse , being approved at "18" level. Recent examples include the passing of Irreversible , 9 Songs , Antichrist , and numerous other films uncut for cinema and video viewing. Despite this trend towards liberalisation, anti-censorship campaigners are still critical of

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7688-654: The Red Death and announced two films, Captain Nemo and the Floating City and House of Secrets . Following The Pit and the Pendulum , Corman directed one of William Shatner 's earliest appearances in a lead role with The Intruder (a.k.a. The Stranger , 1962). Based on a novel by Charles Beaumont , the film was co-produced by Gene Corman and was shot in July and August 1961. It took

7812-668: The UK government announced that the part of the Act dealing with the regulation of pornographic websites would not be implemented. The BBFC currently issues the following certificates. The current category symbols were introduced in cinemas in October 2019 and on home media since April 2020, replacing the previous ones that had been in place since 2002. Until 2009, there was also a Uc ("Universal Children") certificate, for videos that were particularly suitable for young children. The 12 category would apply to cinema releases from August 1989 to 2002, and has applied to home media since 1994, while

7936-417: The UK government's digital minister , said that the government had asked HM Treasury to provide indemnity of up to £10 million to the BBFC to protect it against legal challenges, as the uncertainty surrounding the possibility of such challenges would leave the BBFC unable to get commercial insurance. There were numerous delays to the date at which the BBFC would begin its regulatory role, until in 2019

8060-529: The UK, even if a foreign release had identical content. Local authorities do not have such power for video recordings. Under the Video Recording Act 1984 , all non-exempt recordings must be classified by an authority chosen by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport . This classification is legally binding, in that supply of material contrary to its certificate (recordings that have been refused

8184-607: The US has done this on occasion, often as the result of public backlash, as seen on the MTV shows Beavis and Butt-head and Jackass ). In the UK, numerous minor cuts have been made, primarily to films whose distributors want a PG or 12A certificate, to scenes of characters performing acts that would be considered dangerous, criminal, or harmful if done in real life. For example, in 2006, issues involving suicide by hanging became problematic; The Ren & Stimpy Show Series 1 DVD set (classified PG)

8308-465: The United Kingdom, the film was approved by the British Board of Film Classification in an extended cut running approximately 86 minutes in length. At the time of its release, the film drew numerous comparisons to John Carpenter 's Halloween (1978). In a retrospective review, Lee Gambin of ComingSoon.net praised the film for its characters, adding: "Frank is a smart filmmaker who builds upon

8432-491: The United States. Shane Meadows ' film This Is England was also passed uncut only at 18 due to its repeated use of racist terms, and the climactic scene where Combo becomes irate and pummels his friend Milky while insulting him. On the other hand, some films feature strong language but nevertheless do not carry particularly restrictive certificates. The King's Speech was passed for a 12A rating despite its repeated use of

8556-430: The behaviour" as the Board's website states. Criminal and dangerous acts that can be easily imitated, as well as scenes condoning, glamorising, or showing clear instruction of how to abuse drugs have also been the subject of UK editing. The issue of depicting dangerous acts that can easily be imitated in real life is one that does not seem to figure especially highly in the censorship systems of most other countries (though

8680-620: The board's formation stemmed from the furore surrounding the release in the UK in October 1912 of the film From the Manger to the Cross , about the life of Jesus . The film, shown at the Queen's Hall , London, gained considerable publicity from a great outcry in the Daily Mail , which demanded: "Is nothing sacred to the film maker?", and waxed indignant about the profits for its American film producers. Although

8804-439: The clergy were invited to see it and found little to be affronted by, the controversy resulted in the voluntary creation of the BBFC, which began operating on 1 January 1913. The Cinematograph Act 1909 required cinemas to have licences from local authorities. The Act was introduced for reasons of public safety after nitrate film fires in unsuitable venues (fairgrounds and shops that had been hastily converted into cinemas) but

8928-519: The effect of its use by others for propaganda and as happened in the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany discouraged any expression of controversial political views in British films. This trend reached its climax during the 1930s. Following protests from the German Embassy after the release of a film depicting the execution of Edith Cavell ( Dawn , 1928, dir. Herbert Wilcox ), intense political pressure

9052-521: The end of October 2019. The board is a self-funded quango . Its business affairs are controlled by a council of management selected from leading figures in the manufacturing and servicing sectors of the film industry. This council appoints the President, who has statutory responsibility for the classification of videos and the Director who has executive responsibility and formulates policy. The board, which

9176-445: The famous gangster , which gave Charles Bronson his first leading role and co-starred Cabot. Campbell wrote the script. Also for AIP, he did Teenage Caveman (1958), with Robert Vaughn , originally titled Prehistoric World . He helped produce two films for Allied Artists, both from scripts by Leo Gordon : Hot Car Girl (1958), directed by Bernard Kowalski and produced by his brother Gene (the first film they made together) from

9300-410: The film after the decision, although anyone wanting to watch the film in a cinema only had to walk along to the non-Westminster half of Shaftesbury Avenue, which is in the neighbouring borough of Camden . The BBFC's current guidelines identify a number of specific areas considered when awarding certificates or requiring cuts: The BBFC also continues to demand cuts of any material it believes breaches

9424-422: The film's studio wishing to obtain a 12A for financial and marketing reasons. To get this, seven seconds of footage was cut and blood splashes were digitally removed to reduce emphasis on blood and injury, as an alternative to the uncut film being rated 15. There has been considerable relaxation since 1999. The relaxation of guidelines has also made hardcore pornography widely available to adult audiences through

9548-475: The first film directed by Monte Hellman . Corman went to Puerto Rico and produced another two films back-to-back: Battle of Blood Island (1960), directed by Joel Rapp , and Last Woman on Earth (1960), directed by Corman from a script by Robert Towne . Filming on these two films went so quickly and incentivized by the tax breaks on offer for filming in Puerto Rico, Corman commissioned Griffith to write

9672-413: The following year a court ruling determined that the criteria for granting or refusing a licence did not have to be restricted to issues of health and safety. Given that the law now allowed councils to grant or refuse licences to cinemas according to the content of the films they showed, the 1909 Act, therefore, enabled the introduction of censorship. The film industry, fearing the economic consequences of

9796-423: The game itself (e.g. a documentary). The BBFC also provide a classification service for mobile phone operators . BBFC guidelines for film and video are used to calibrate the filters used by the operators to restrict access to internet content. The default assumption is that mobile phone users are under 18 years of age. The BBFC guidelines are based on public consultations conducted every four to five years. Under

9920-428: The house but upon discovering he is still alive barricade themselves back into the room. However, Bobby comes in through the window and they flee outside. They once more encounter Bobby, who manages to repeatedly stab Sara. Meanwhile, Bobby's search party realize he will have gone to his old house and send the police there. Beth and Linda run down into the basement where Beth finally realizes what happened to her when she

10044-537: The house. As the girls enjoy having the house to themselves, Craig, Andy, and John come over. John tells the story of Beth's family murders, scaring her. She goes to bed and has a nightmare about her brother, becoming more scared. She remembers her brother hiding a knife in the fireplace, and when the group investigate, they find the knife. Realizing the time, Andy leaves in a rush, only to be confronted by Bobby and stabbed to death. Linda hypnotizes Beth, who recalls Bobby attacking her. Afterwards, Tracy and Craig go outside to

10168-608: The infamous real life murders in Victorian London. The horror in both games came through largely in their detailed prose. Had the game publishers reprinted the games' text in book form, it would not have carried a certificate, as the BBFC has no oversight over print media. Both games had numerous certificate stickers all over their covers to emphasise to parents and retailers that they were not intended for children, as computer games carrying BBFC certificates were previously unheard of. The first video game to be refused classification by

10292-441: The internet review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , the film holds a 0% approval rating as of April 2023, based on five critical reviews. The film was released on VHS in 1987 by Warner Home Video . The film has been released twice on DVD in the United States by New Concorde Home Entertainment ; once as a single film edition in 2000 and as a double feature release alongside sequel Sorority House Massacre II in 2003. The film

10416-520: The legalisation of homosexuality, all involved the BBFC in controversy. In autumn 1972, Lord Longford and Raymond Blackburn decided to pursue a matter of pornography classification for the film Language of Love at the Court of Appeal before Lord Denning , MR ; they failed to obtain a writ of mandamus against the Metropolitan Police Commissioner , who had refused to intrude upon

10540-521: The mapped-out murders by marrying them with a rich character design for each of Beth’s friends who cop it, and that is why the film succeeds in being a “dead teenager movie” with teenagers to care about and value." Writer Jason Paul Collum notes in his book Assault of the Killer B's: Interviews with 20 Cult Film Actresses (2015) that the film visually features more in common with such films as Black Christmas (1974) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), calling it "artistically directed" by Frank. On

10664-532: The market for them was in decline. He proposed making a film in color for $ 200,000, shot over 15 days. Corman proposed an adaptation of " The Fall of the House of Usher " by Edgar Allan Poe and AIP agreed. The film was announced in May 1959. Richard Matheson was hired to do the adaptation and Vincent Price was brought in to star; Haller did the art direction. The resulting film, House of Usher (1960), shot in early 1960,

10788-451: The most problematic areas for censorship in the UK, especially when it is in conjunction with sex or likely to sway more impressionable viewers into thinking the violence depicted is "glamorous" or "fun" and "risk-free." However, the Board takes into account issues of context and whether it considers scenes of sexual violence to "eroticise" or "endorse" sexual assault. In 2002, the board passed Gaspar Noé 's Irréversible uncut, but less than

10912-408: The others, but John is murdered. The survivors barricade themselves inside a room, before Craig escapes out the window down a safety ladder. While he holds it steady for Linda to climb down, Bobby stabs Craig to death before climbing up the ladder for Linda. Linda manages to make it back through the window and the others remove the ladder, making Bobby fall. Thinking he is dead, the girls try to escape

11036-793: The provisions of the Obscene Publications Act or any other legislation (most notably the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937 [which forbids the depiction of animals being abused or in distress] and the Protection of Children Act 1978 [which, as amended, forbids the depiction of minors engaged in sex or in sexually suggestive poses or situations]). In 2009, 2% of cinema films had material cut, and 3.6% of videos. Most cuts actually occur in videos rated for 18 or R18, rather than videos intended for viewing by under-18s. In 2009, 16.8% of 18 videos, and 27.3% of R18 videos, had material cut. There

11160-419: The rating. "'Adult" or "strong" language can earn a film a more restrictive certificate, though BBFC policy states that there are no constraints on language use in films awarded an 18 certificate. It is difficult to compare the BBFC's policies in this area with those in other countries as there are different taboos regarding profanity in other languages and indeed in other English-speaking countries. For example,

11284-452: The release, usually uncut, of these previously banned films on video and in cinemas. Some films from the 1970s remain unreleased. However, many of these titles remain banned primarily because their distributors have not chosen to re-submit the films to the BBFC, almost certainly for commercial reasons; if re-submitted, they would be likely to receive a more sympathetic hearing than 30 to 40 years ago. Two notable examples from this period include

11408-427: The resources needed to do such things as remove cuts, pass films that the BBFC rejected and vice versa, put in place new cuts, etc., regularly. The BBFC has also rated some video games. Normally these are exempt from classification, unless they depict human sexual activity, human genital organs or gross acts of violence, in which case the publishers should submit the game for classification. Publishers may opt to submit

11532-751: The result was Battle Beyond the Sun (1962). He also released The Magic Voyage of Sinbad (1962), dubbed from a Soviet film. The fourth Poe was an anthology, Tales of Terror (1962), shot in late 1961. One of the installments, "The Black Cat", was a comedy, inspiring Corman to do a whole Poe story comedically next: The Raven (1963). Later, Corman used the sets for that film for The Terror (1963), made for Filmgroup but released by AIP, and starring Boris Karloff (whose scenes were all shot in two days) and Jack Nicholson. Corman did not direct all of this film; additional scenes were shot by Monte Hellman, Coppola, and Jack Hill, among others. The Young Racers (1963)

11656-610: The same extent as before the war. The increasing climate of post-war liberalism ensured that from the 1950s onwards, controversies involving the BBFC centred more on depictions of sex and violence than on political expression. There were some notable exceptions: Yield to the Night (UK, 1956, dir. J. Lee Thompson ), which opposed capital punishment; Room at the Top (UK, 1959, dir. Jack Clayton ), which dealt with class divisions; Victim (UK, 1961, dir. Basil Dearden ), which implicitly argued for

11780-584: The same script structure and Corman employed many of the same cast in The Little Shop of Horrors (1960). This film was reputedly shot in two days and one night. For Filmgroup, Corman directed The Wasp Woman (1959), starring Cabot from a script by Gordon. His brother and he made two films back-to-back in South Dakota: Ski Troop Attack (1960), a war movie written by Griffith and directed by Corman, and Beast from Haunted Cave (1959),

11904-449: The science-fiction story It Conquered the World (1956). Co-written by Griffith, it was a follow-up to The Day the World Ended . It was a big hit. He optioned a TV play, The Stake , and hoped to get Dana Andrews to star. It was never made. Instead, Walter Mirisch of Allied Artists hired Corman to make The Undead (1957), inspired by The Search for Bridey Murphy . Griffith wrote

12028-527: The script. In June, Corman made a science-fiction film for Allied Artists, Not of this Earth (1957), written by Griffith. In August 1956, AIP financed a Corman heist movie shot in Hawaii, Naked Paradise (1957), co-written by Griffith. Corman shot it back-to-back with a movie made with his own money, She Gods of Shark Reef (1958). Corman wound up selling the movie to AIP. Corman and Griffith reunited in Attack of

12152-661: The tales of Edgar Allan Poe , and which collectively came to be known as the " Poe Cycle ". In 1964, Corman became the youngest filmmaker to have a retrospective at the Cinémathèque française , as well as in the British Film Institute and the Museum of Modern Art . He was the co-founder of New World Pictures , the founder of New Concorde and was a longtime member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . In 2009, he

12276-573: The use of "strong" language has little effect on a film's classification in France. The BBFC's policy proved particularly controversial in the case of Ken Loach 's Sweet Sixteen in 2002, which was passed uncut only at 18 certificate, even though its main characters were teenagers who frequently used profanities that the director argued were typical of the social group his film depicted. The film received similar certificates in Ireland (also an 18 certificate) and

12400-481: The word " fuck " in two scenes, which would normally raise the rating to a 15 certificate; the BBFC justified its decision, saying that the profanity was "in a speech therapy context". As of November 2021, the word " nigger " should not be classified lower than 12 unless in an educational or historical context. There are minimal restrictions of the depiction of non-sexual nudity, which is allowed in even U and PG certificate films (for example, The Simpsons Movie —which

12524-514: The world of independent film . Many of the more than 500 features directed or produced by Corman were low-budget films that later attracted a cult following, such as The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), The Intruder (1962), X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes (1963), and the counterculture films, The Wild Angels (1966) and The Trip (1967). House of Usher (1960) became the first of eight films directed by Corman that were adapted from

12648-419: Was Blood Bath (1966). He also had an investment in the beach party films Beach Ball (1965) and It's a Bikini World (1967). Corman said, "For ten years as an independent I could get financing for $ 100–$ 200–$ 300,000 pictures. Everything had been interesting, artistically satisfying, economically satisfying. But I decided I was going nowhere and wanted to move directly into the business. So I accepted

12772-462: Was a critical and commercial hit. Following this, Corman bought two scripts, Sob Sisters Don't Cry and Cop Killer . In March 1960, Corman announced that Filmgroup would be part of an international production group, Compass Productions. He directed a peplum in Greece, Atlas , (1961) in August. He was going to direct a thriller from a script by Robert Towne , I Flew a Spy Plane Over Russia . It

12896-469: Was always fascinating to me, a fascinating man – and a good businessman! He had such incredible energy, it was tremendous – he was a dynamo to be around. I always knew he was going to be a huge success because there was no stopping him. He just made up his mind that he was going to be a success and that was it. ARC changed its name to American International Pictures. Corman was established as their leading filmmaker. They financed Corman's next film as director,

13020-594: Was awarded an Academy Honorary Award "for his rich engendering of films and filmmakers". Corman was also famous for handling the U.S. distribution of many films by noted foreign directors, including Federico Fellini (Italy), Ingmar Bergman (Sweden), François Truffaut (France) and Akira Kurosawa (Japan). He mentored and gave a start to many young film directors such as Francis Ford Coppola , Ron Howard , Martin Scorsese , Jonathan Demme , Peter Bogdanovich , Joe Dante , John Sayles , and James Cameron , and

13144-508: Was brought to bear on the BBFC by the Home Office. A system of script vetting was introduced, whereby British studios were invited to submit screenplays to the BBFC before shooting started. Imported Hollywood films were not treated as strictly as British films, as the BBFC believed that audiences would recognise American cinema as representing a foreign culture and therefore would not apply any political messages therein to their own lives. So while

13268-781: Was conceived and shot in record time to take advantage of the Sputnik launch; it was his first collaboration with art director Daniel Haller . Corman also produced, but did not direct, Stakeout on Dope Street (1958), directed by Irvin Kershner , Night of the Blood Beast (1958), directed by Kowalski for AIP, using leftover costumes from Teenage Caveman , and Crime and Punishment U.S.A. (1959), directed by Dennis Sanders with George Hamilton in his first lead role. In January 1959, Corman announced he would be moving into distribution. In 1959, Corman founded The Filmgroup with his brother Gene,

13392-651: Was deemed by the board as "discriminatory language". The BBFC are also known to cut the words " spaz " and " retard " from U certified films and videos on the grounds of discriminating against disabled people . One example of this was when Marmaduke was passed U after the word "spaz" was removed. The uncut version would have been rated 12. They also award higher ratings to films that contain potentially imitable and dangerous behaviour; this includes all five Jackass films being passed 18, and Fred: The Movie being passed 12. They are also serious about suicide themes, references, or attempts, and will either cut them or award

13516-455: Was developing a television series adaptation of the film in conjunction with Shout! Studios . Roger Corman Roger William Corman (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood ", and "The King of Cult", he was known as a trailblazer in

13640-486: Was directed by Carol Frank, and financed by Roger Corman 's New Concorde studio based on the success of The Slumber Party Massacre (1982), on which Frank had served as director Amy Holden Jones 's personal assistant. The film was given a limited theatrical release in the United States by Concorde Pictures , having its world premiere in Pittsburgh on October 10, 1986. It later screened in Los Angeles in March 1987. In

13764-408: Was edited to remove the song "The Lord Loves a Hangin ' " because the song implied that hanging is "comedic, fun, and risk-free". Paranoia Agent Volume 3 DVD set (classified 18) was also cut to remove the depiction of a child nearly hanging herself for the same reason. The requirement to have films classified and censored can cost film producers up to thousands of pounds. The North West New Wave,

13888-418: Was funny and let me pay myself a commission," said Corman. Originally called House in the Sea , it was retitled Highway Dragnet (1954) and starred Richard Conte and Joan Bennett . Corman also worked as associate producer on the film for nothing, just for the experience. Corman used his script fee and personal contacts to raise US$ 12,000 (equivalent to $ 136,149 in 2023) to produce his first feature,

14012-410: Was given a PG-13 rating in the US – was given a PG certificate in the UK, leaving the sequence where Bart skateboards naked through town and his genitals are shown through an open space in a hedge unedited), but scenes of (simulated) sexual activity are limited to more restricted certificates. With regard to material that is intended primarily as pornographic the Board's policy, as stated on its website

14136-415: Was given responsibility for classifying videos for hire or purchase to view in the home as well as films shown in cinemas. Home video and cinema versions of a film usually receive the same certificate, although occasionally a film may receive a more restrictive certificate for the home video market (sometimes due to the bonus features), as it is easier for children to watch a home video than to be admitted into

14260-626: Was highly influential in the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. He also helped to launch the careers of actors like Peter Fonda , Jack Nicholson , Dennis Hopper , Bruce Dern , Diane Ladd , and William Shatner . Corman occasionally acted in films by directors who started with him, including The Godfather Part II (1974), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Philadelphia (1993), Apollo 13 (1995), and The Manchurian Candidate (2004). A documentary about Corman's life and career titled Corman's World: Exploits of

14384-480: Was made, nor was The Gold Bug , a Poe adaptation written by Griffith. Corman made two Poes in England starring Price, the much-delayed The Masque of the Red Death (1964), with Campbell rewriting Beaumont's scripts, and The Tomb of Ligeia (1965), from a script by Robert Towne. Corman made no further Poes; AIP started up a fresh Poe cycle in the late 1960s, but Corman was not part of it. Corman got Towne to write

14508-531: Was not made; neither were two comedies he was to make with Dick Miller and Jon Haze, Murder at the Convention and Pan and the Satyrs . House of Usher had been so successful that AIP wanted a follow-up, and Corman, Haller, Matheson and Price reunited on The Pit and the Pendulum (1961). It was another sizable hit, and the " Poe cycle " of films was underway. Corman hired Charles Beaumont to write Masque of

14632-538: Was not swayed by any sectional interests inside the film trade or outside it. The board's offices were originally at 133–135 Oxford Street , London; the building is located at the junction of Wardour Street , a centre of the British film industry for many years. Unlike the American Production Code Administration , which had a written list of violations in their Motion Picture Production Code ,

14756-446: Was one he decided to direct, Five Guns West (1955), a Western, made in color for around $ 60,000, with Malone and John Lund . The script was written by Robert Wright Campbell , who worked with Corman on several more occasions. Corman announced he would make four more projects for ARC: High Steel , Cobra , Fortress Beneath the Sea , and an untitled film from Campbell. Instead, Corman did some uncredited directing on The Beast with

14880-473: Was produced and directed by Corman in Europe for AIP, starring and written by Campbell. Working on the film was Francis Ford Coppola, whom Corman financed to make his directorial debut, Dementia 13 (1963). Back in the U.S., Corman made X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes (1963), a contemporary science-fiction film for AIP starring Ray Milland . He followed it with The Haunted Palace (1963), ostensibly part of

15004-572: Was raised in his mother's Catholic faith. Corman went to Beverly Hills High School and then to Stanford University to study industrial engineering. While at Stanford, Corman realized he did not want to be an engineer. He enlisted in the V-12 Navy College Training Program with six months of study to complete. After serving in the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946, he returned to Stanford to finish his degree, receiving

15128-544: Was remastered and released on Blu-ray in a limited 1,200 copy run through Scorpion Releasing in November 2014. On April 20, 2023, Scream Factory released a new special edition Blu-ray scanned from the original camera negative, which was limited to 1,500 units and made available through their online store. Along with the bonus materials contained on the Scorpion release, the disc also features newly commissioned interviews, as well as

15252-490: Was to be the case regardless of whether the websites were UK-based or foreign-based. The BBFC had been informally named as the likely regulator in 2016, and in November of that year it was invited to take on the role and agreed to do so. The formal appointment of the BBFC took place in February 2018. Before the BBFC was due to begin its role, it conducted a public consultation on its draft guidance beginning in March 2018. In 2018

15376-408: Was younger. When Bobby once more attacks them, the girls run upstairs. Bobby corners Beth but Linda manages to hit him with a shovel. Thinking he is dead, they begin to leave the house, but Bobby stabs Linda before attacking Beth who over powers him and stabs him in the neck, killing him. The police arrive. Beth is taken to the hospital where she continues to have nightmares about her brother. The film

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