A clearly deranged suspect sits apparently alone in a dimly lit interrogation room. Suddenly, a menacing figure looms out of the shadows and proceeds to rain powerful, thudding blows on the suspect, reducing him to a cowering, whimpering wreck.

Doesn't sound like family entertainment, does it? But, from Friday, anyone will be able to watch these scenes - and many others like them - in the latest Batman movie. Its 12A certificate means that even the tiniest tot will not be refused entry to the cinema, as long as he or she has an adult in tow.

The Dark Knight may well be judged the best of this summer's blockbusters. It's a thrilling action movie laced with psychological subtleties, its haunting crepuscular images underpinned by an edgy, nerve-jangling score. And at its heart is a spine-tinglingly incandescent performance from Heath Ledger as Batman's crazed arch-nemesis the Joker.Without doubt, this is a major cinematic achievement. And, without doubt, it's not for kids.

...Read full article

See also decision from bbfc.co.uk

The Dark Knight tells the story of Batman’s continuing war on crime and in particular his personal battle with the psychotic Joker. It was passed ‘12A’ for moderate violence and sustained threat.

The BBFC Guidelines at ‘12A’ state that ‘violence must not dwell on detail’ and that ‘there should be no emphasis on injuries or blood’ and whilst The Dark Knight does contain a good deal of violence, all of it fits within that definition. For example, in one of the stronger scenes, Batman repeatedly beats the Joker during an interrogation. The blows however are all masked from the camera and despite both their weight and force; the Joker shows no sign of injury. There are also scenes in which the Joker threatens first a man and then a woman with a knife and whilst these do have a significant degree of menace, without any actual violence shown they were also acceptably placed at ‘12A’. In the final analysis, The Dark Knight is a superhero movie and the violence it contains exists within that context, with both Batman and the Joker apparently indestructible no matter what is thrown at them.

The Dark Knight also contains some special make up effects that whilst clearly not real, have the potential to be moderately frightening.

A morally bankrupt tale of teenage group sex, violence, drugs and sadism which left me sickened to the core

Already the buzz around Donkey Punch is building. After a rave reception at the Sundance film festival earlier this year, it's rapidly emerging as the must-see movie of the summer - a gravely serious psychological horror thriller according to one critic, frighteningly plausible says another.

British director and co-writer Oliver Blackburn describes this, his debut feature film, as provocative. Well, I suppose that's one way to describe a morally bankrupt tale of teenage group sex, violence, drugs and sadism which left me sickened to the core.

But Donkey Punch is no ordinary softporn slasher flick. Blackburn claims the characters in his tale are socially realistic - typical of many young men and women of his generation. Everything in the film is rooted in reality, says the director. We just took the stuff that's out there and made it into a story.

In which case, I despair for the future of Britain.

The key thing to know about Donkey Punch is that the film takes its name from a potentially lethal and possibly mythical sado-masochistic act involving anal sex. [Having anal sex with someone and punching them in the back of the head to make them pass out].

I apologise for being so explicit, but unless you understand the central premise of the film you cannot comprehend what a vile production it is.

It is, quite simply, the most distasteful, depraved and nihilistic film I have ever had the misfortune to sit through. I freely confess that there were times I felt physically ill simply watching it. Certainly, I would have walked out long before the end had I not had to write about it.

But Donkey Punch has no such merits. Indeed, it has no redeeming features whatsoever. There is not a single shred of humanity, imagination or creativity detectable anywhere among its 99 long minutes.

Its sole purpose seems to be to suggest that, as far as British youth is concerned, all women are sluts, all men are sadists, everyone takes drugs, group sex with strangers is par for the course and sado-masochism's the norm.

BBFC View

See classification decision from the BBFC

Donkey Punch is a horror film about three British women who take an ill-fated cruise with some young men they meet on holiday. When one is accidentally killed during sex, the group become increasingly paranoid about how they will explain the accident to the authorities. It was passed '18' for strong sex, violence, drug use and one use of very strong language.

The strong sex includes sight of couples having sex and filming sex acts with detail such as full nudity and thrusting, and sight of characters enacting ‘the donkey punch’ in which a participant is punched during sex. There are also strong sex references, including comic descriptions of unusual sex acts.

The strong drug use includes sight of smoking a drug similar to crack, and taking tablets; there is no imitable detail that would require intervention at the adult category. The strong violence includes some bloody moments such as sight of a knife pushed into a man’s chest, a scene of torture where a knife is twisted in a man’s chest, sight of a man attacked with a propeller blade and several shots of the gory aftermath of killings.

The one use of very strong language is not aggressive or sexualised, but used in exasperation to chastise a character for killing another.

This work was passed with no cuts made.

Satanic Sluts: The Black Order Cometh is a 2007 release music video by Nigel Wingrove (Redemption Films)

Cut by 2:50s when submitted in 2007 with the following BBFC comment: Compulsory cuts required to remove unsimulated sight of restrained woman's arm being cut with a scalpel

See promotional description from US Amazon: Gothic

The Satanic Sluts are an all female collective numbering up to 666 of the worlds most sexual attitudinal confrontational creative and challenging women that have ever chosen to walk down the left-hand path.

In this unique DVD six members of The Satanic Sluts have bared their corrupt souls for your delectation and their dubious pleasure. Featuring real bloodletting Japanese rope bondage whippings and satanic crucifixions through to fantasised sequences involving torture cat-fights voodoo and vampirism.

The Collectors Edition DVD of Sex Warrior Pudding includes volumes 1-3 is Japanese anime distributed by Black Chip.

Running time 97:52s. It was submitted in 2007 and suffered 6:06s of cuts. The BBFC only gave sparse details: Cuts required to remove scenes of sexual violence.

It is interesting to speculate how R18 anime will fare within the restricted market of licensed sex shops.

Perhaps it is also notable that the BBFC will pass sex scenes with rather indeterminate ages of the cartoon characters depicted.

Could be very useful come the nasty new legislation about non-photographic images of child abuse.

Just Visiting is a 2001 France/US comedy by Jean-Marie Poiré (Momentum Pictures)

The cinema release of 2001 and then the videos/DVDs of 2002 were all similarly cut. The BBFC commented:

Distributor chose to cut dangerous imitable behaviour (pouring bleach into bathwater, eating toxic disinfectant toilet cakes) and reduce sound of violent blows to achieve a "PG". A "12" uncut was available to the distributor.

The UK release is also edited differently  to the French version. No contentious material effected though.

Review from US Amazon: A Keeper

An outstanding comedy, Just Visiting, brings to the screen the story of a medieval French prince who is about to marry an English princess when he is magically transferred to the future. Things get a bit more complicated when he falls in love with his soon-to-be bride's great-great-great-granddaughter...

Jean Reno, Christina Applegate, and the rest of the cast, have outdone themselves with their performances, which are exceptional to say the least! All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows (the chemistry is AMAZING)! Very well written and very well presented, the movie is without a doubt guaranteed to provide more than just a few laughs.

Caligula is a 1980 US/Italian film by Tinto Brass

The BBFC have passed Caligula 18 uncut. The BBFC have explained on their website:

In 2008, the full uncut version of Caligula was resubmitted to the BBFC for DVD release. The passage of nearly 30 years had significantly diminished the film's impact and after careful consideration it was decided that it could now be classified '18' uncut.

This decision accords with the BBFC Guidelines, which state that At '18', the BBFC's guideline concerns will not normally override the wish that adults should be free to chose their own entertainment, within the law.

Although there are scenes in Caligula that some people will find shocking, offensive or disgusting, the film does not contain any material that is illegal in terms of current UK law and nor does it contain any material that is likely to give rise to harm for adults audiences, most of whom will be well aware of its controversial reputation.

The DVD version was classified '18' uncut with the consumer advice Contains strong violence, sexual violence and strong real sex.

Previously the heavily pre-cut US R rated version was submitted for video in 1990 and then 1998.

A couple of brief shots of genital detail and sight of nurses cradling babies and phallic shaped bottles were reinstated from the the previous cut release and were allowed to remain.

Many of the cuts were not related to sex & violence but to shorten the running time and deal with continuity issues over sex and violent scenes that were cut. See details on IMDB

The 1980 cinema release (and pre-VRA video) suffered 11 minutes of cuts including:

• woman bathing her face in semen
• some bestiality
• some babies sucking phallic-shaped bottles
• a lot of sex scenes with hardcore inserts
• female nudity
• a scene of castration
• a disemboweling
• the rape of a virgin
• the sight of Caligula inserting his fist into a man's anus.

Mandingo is a 1975 US film by Richard Fleischer (CIC)

The video was cut when submitted in 1987

• Edits to the beating of a slave girl
• Edits to shots of a male slave being hung upside down and bloodily whipped across his bare buttocks

The cinema release of 1975 was also cut for an X certificate.

See review from IMDb: Amazing

Mandingo is truly an amazing movie. One would think that this is as close you can get to actually seeing the slave-owning south on film.

Mandingo is probably lumped into the "cult/camp classic" category because this is a film no one would dare make today, unless the slaves got a major comeuppance at the end. They do not here. This film is a brutal look at slave owners and their slaves which will leave the audience gasping. Some of the lines are so daring by today's politically-correct standards, there's no doubt they'd get a lot of laughs.

The film has a sleazy realism to it. Even the plantation looks like a mess - the outside is all ragged and the inside isn't much better, and this is a rich man's plantation.

This is a film that has kind of disappeared in the realm of today's political correctness. But seeking it out isn't tough, as it has to be seen by anyone with an interest in non-PC cinema, or any kind of "forbidden" movies.

Queen of Black Magic is a 1979 Indonesia/Japan/Philippines horror by Liliek Sudjio (Video Programme Dist)

The video was cut by 23s when submitted to the BBFC in 1986.

Review from IMDb: Classic of Indonesian Horror

Queen of Black Magic is a classic of Indonesian horror. The dubbing is terrible and the acting is pretty bad, but it offers some gory deaths including the demise of Kohar, who pulls off his own head in a fountain of arterial gore. If you enjoy watching wild Indonesian cinema, it's a blast.

ShellShock 2: Blood Trails last week became the latest in a long series of videogames to be banned by the dishonestly named Australian Classification Board.

No reason has yet been made public for the refusal, but the game's high levels of violence may have been a factor.

The game is sequel to 2004's Shellshock Nam '67 (which also was banned), and centres on the use of psychological horror and fear, according to Eidos Interactive.

For comparison in the UK, the BBFC passed the game uncut at 18 with the following explanation:

See decision from the BBFC

SHELLSHOCK 2: BLOOD TRAILS is a first-person perspective shooter. The player assumes the role of a soldier fighting in Vietnam against both infected soldiers and the Vietcong army. The game was classified '18' for frequent strong bloody violence and strong language.

The violence includes blood spraying when enemies (both human and infected) are shot, and the sight of heads exploding due to a head shot. Blood splatters onto the 'camera lens' frequently as a result of the violence, during both gameplay and cut scenes.

The game also contains moments of gore, such as when soldiers are seen near or post-death, with limbs missing (and occasional spurting blood from the remaining stump). During gameplay the player also encounters a few soldiers slumped with their bodies having clearly been eviscerated, the organs and rib cage bloodily visible.

The BBFC's Guidelines state that at '15', 'violence may be strong but may not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury'. SHELLSHOCK 2's violence does include such emphasis, and was classified '18' as a result.

BBFC Guidlines for language at '15' allow for 'frequent use of strong language (eg 'fuck')' and ensure that the language in the game is comfortably acceptable at the '18' category.

When a horror movie with a title like Autopsy enters the halls of the MPAA, it's immediately walking in with a bullseye on its head.

Co-writer/director Adam Gierasch said: It took five submissions to get an R rating for the movie, he says like a proud father enthusing over his rebellious offspring. The scene that riled up up the MPAA board involved one of the leads in an unsettling predicament involving a drill and an oxygen tank. We wound up having to cut almost forty seconds out of that scene. First we just did some trimming and they were like, 'No.' Then we cut a little bit more, and they said, 'No.'

Gierasch assures us an unrated director's cut of Autopsy will ultimately be released.

I found that post you had about cuts to the UK version of The Happening very interesting.

First of all, though, I can tell you that the UK version is definitely not the only one that has been cut.

M. Night Shyamalan has stated in an interview with a German news magazine that the German version has been cut losing shots of:

• the needle piercing the throat during the suicide at the beginning
• a man having his arm bitten off by lions
• a man dying under a lawnmower

Some of these shots do turn up in the Red Band trailer and I strongly suspect that these aren't the only shots that were cut, due to the erratic editing other viewers already mentioned.

I wasn't worried about hearing this, though, as I normally watch the original versions of films, which not only gives me the film as it is supposed to be but also bypasses any German censorship-cuts, in cases like Iron Man and The Hulk (both of which were cut for a lower rating).

You can probably imagine that I was a bit pissed off when I realised that the English-language version of The Happening I was watching was missing the same shots that I knew had been edited out of the German version.

This suggests that this may indeed not be a matter of national censorship but that 20th Century Fox might well have created a Euro-cut and is hoping to cash in on an Unrated Director's Cut DVD later on.

I might feel less annoyed if the film had been better.

Whilst there seems to be a split in opinions over M. Night Shyamalan's new film The Happening, I think we can all agree that certain scenes seem rather weirdly edited and somewhat cut short.

The BBFC website states that this work was passed with no cuts made however scenes differ from those shown in the trailer (cutting away earlier from the lady with the knitting needle) and some people on forums (such as IMDB etc) are comparing notes and reporting differences elsewhere - in fact it seems that the UK is the only territory where the film is cut in this way.

Now since there is no mention of cuts on the BBFC database it is therefore assumed that 20th Century Fox submitted a shortened version - was this in fear of the BBFC's stance on 'Imitable Techniques' ("the Board's concerns in this area include combat techniques, hanging, suicide and self-harm")? Was it a simple mistake? Are we merely being pre-sold an 'uncut' DVD version?

Like Mark Wahlberg's character says we will come up with some reason to put in the books, but in the end it'll be just a theory. I mean, we will fail to acknowledge that there are forces at work beyond our understanding

US Nutters are fearful that The Love Guru mocks hinduism. They petitioned many companies involved in the distribution of the film including the BBFC. They asked the American film censors to award the adults only NC-17 rating. But it doesn't sound like the religious aspect of the film made much impact at the BBFC.

The BBFC have kindly explained the uncut 12A rating as follows:

THE LOVE GURU is a sex comedy about an American playing an Indian love guru who is employed by an ice hockey team coach to help one of her top players get back with his estranged wife so he can lead his team to victory. It was classified '12A' for frequent moderate sex references and moderate language

There are moderate sex references throughout the film, many of them playing on the 'Carry On' film tradition of innuendo and double entendre. Examples include: a numberplate which reads 'Big Coq', a reference to 'they were into doggy style before the missionary position' when the holy man talks about a couple who became missionaries, a couple of references to a man having 'syphilis' but without any further elaboration at all, an elephant having completed its 'ejaculation' after mating and an acronym of BLOWME' pronounced 'blome'. Most of these references and the context of the film are good natured rather than intentionally crude, and on these grounds the references were felt to be acceptable at '12A' where Guidelines on sex state 'Sexual activity may be implied. Sex references may reflect what is likely to be familiar to most adolescents but should not go beyond what is suitable for them.'

Language includes the use of 'prick' and 'bitch' which would be unacceptable at 'PG' where 'mild bad language only' should be present, but does not present a problem at '12A' where 'infrequent use of strong language' is acceptable.

THE LOVE GURU also contains some scenes of comic violence and slapstick e.g. hockey players fighting on the ice rink with comic sound effects and a holy man hitting himself with chainsticks. There are also a couple of passing drug references, for example when a man is talking rubbish his colleague asks 'you're back on drugs aren't you?', which lacks detail, is ambiguous and possibly refers to medication.

Female Trouble is a 1974 cult film by John Waters (Entertainment in Video)

The BBFC waived their cuts for the DVD release of 2007

Previously the BBFC cut 5s from the Castle Communications  video submission of1991.

From Cult Movie Forums:

• This is missing the scene where Earl tries to 'seduce' Taffy with his (literally) scabby cock being cut.

Ghost Rider is a 2007 US/Australian action film by Mark Steven Johnson (Sony Pictures)

The 2007 cinema release was pre-cut to obtain a 12A certificate

The 2007 Extended Cut on DVD was passed uncut at 15

Note that the Sony Playstation UMD version is the same as the cut cinema release

From the BBFC 2007 Annual Report:

Ghost Rider was passed ‘12A’ on its theatrical release, after reductions were made to the sequence in which Johnny transforms into the ‘Ghost Rider’ for the first time. For the film’s DVD release the distributors reinstated the cut material, in particular shots of the skin on Johnny’s face breaking and falling away. These more detailed and gory shots added significantly to the intensity and horror of the sequence and necessitated an increase in category from 12A to 15

The Hitcher is a 2007 US thriller by Dave Meyers (Universal Pictures)

The 2007 cinema release was originally awarded an uncut 18 certificate. The decision was rapidly reviewed when the distributors took advice, made a few cuts and resubmitted the film.

The BBFC commented:

Following advice by the BBFC the distributor elected to make minor cuts to the strongest moments of violence in order to achieve the required '15' certificate.

And from the 2007 BBFC Annual Report:

Two scenes – one in which blood pumped at some length from the wound of a dying man and another in which blood sprayed from a man whose throat had been fatally cut – fitted the Guideline description of ‘the strongest gory images’ and as such ‘unlikely to be acceptable’ at ‘15’. The distributor wanted a ‘15’ classification and so opted to remove the focus on sadism and copious bloodshed in the wake of wounds in both sequences to secure a ‘15’ classification.

The uncut version was submitted for DVD in 2007 and was duly passed uncut at 18

Review from UK Amazon: FAR better than we expected

The remake of this classic psychological horror thriller turned out to be FAR better than we expected. Hitcher (2007) is a good film in its own right; you don't need to refer back to the original or compare the two to get a buzz out of watching the new interpretation.

The theme is the same. A nice young couple stop to help a stranger on a deserted highway, and from that moment on their uneventful, suburban, kids-in-college lives unravel at an horrific pace. Sean Bean play The Hitcher himself with studied menace (and a fair approximation of an American accent). The film clips along at a fair pace -- it is more heavily action-oriented than the old version, and deals out stunning car chase sequences, bloody violence and an understated continual threat of even worse violence to come, all against the magnificent backdrop of the New Mexico landscape.

Dracula is a 1958 UK horror by Terrence Fisher

The 2007 uncut cinema release was passed 12A in 2007 by the BBFC with the following explanation:

DRACULA is a classic 1950s British adaptation of Bram Stoker's vampire novel 'Dracula'. It was originally classified 'X' for cinema release in 1958 (meaning that persons under 16 should not be admitted) and was subsequently classified '15' for release on video. In terms of current classification standards it was felt that the film could now be classified at '12A' for cinema re-release for mild bloody horror.

BBFC Guidelines at '12A' state that 'Violence must not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood. Sustained moderate threat and menace are permitted'. Although the film contains some sight of blood (most notably when a vampire is killed using a stake) , there is no emphasis upon blood and injuries. Furthermore, although the film is atmospheric and generates some sense of threat, this is moderate in nature and distanced by the period setting and by the familiarity of the story, other versions of which have been classified at 'PG'.

The New Adventures of Robin Hood is a 1994 Australian children's cartoon (Abbey Home Media Group)

Cut when resubmitted in 2007 with the following BBFC comment:

Distributor chose to remove several [ie 5] uses of the word 'bleedin', used as an expletive, in order to gain a U. A PG uncut was available to the distributor.

The Killing Hour is 1982 US thriller by Armand Mastroianni (Ariel Films)

The video of 1986 was cut by the BBFC by 1:19s. Previously the 1982 cinema release was uncut

Review from IMDb

This little-known suspense thriller from Armand Mastroianni makes for ripe entertainment for both fans of murder mysteries and horror films.

NYC police are trying to find out who is behind a rash of 'handcuff' murders, while a young artist (and psychic) is finding herself drawing the horrid crimes!

Cinema in the early 80's was bombarded with numerous slasher films, which is probably how this film became forgotten, but The Clairvoyant a.k.a. The Killing Hour isn't a routine killer thriller. Mastroianni's story is a solid mystery with plenty of dashes of tension and suspense to keep one engaged. The opening sequences are quite grabbing, the murders are inventive (although not gory), and the plot builds to a great showdown climax.

The urban filming locations are terrific, Mastroianni's direction is sleekly well done, and the subtle piano score is a nice touch. The film also carries a kind of sexual vibe through out.

The cast is quite good in their performances. Perry King is great as a TV journalist exploiting the killings. Elizabeth Kemp makes for a likable young heroine as the clairvoyant artist. Norman Parker is charismatic as the police detective who moonlights as a stand-up comic.

Nicely done on all levels, The Clairvoyant makes for a perfect big city thriller.

Body of Influence is a  1993 US erotic thriller by Gregory Dark (Pegasus)

The uncut version was submitted and passed  by the BBFC in 2008

Previously the 1993 video from Imperial Entertainment was cut by 3s. This release was known as Animal Instincts II

Review from IMDb: Worth Watching

As one starts watching this movie, one thinks at first that it is a routine TV quality movie. It appeared at first to be a rip off of the theme from Madona's Body of Evidence. Both movies rely on the sexuality of the female stars.I for one am glad that I watched this movie.

Shannon Whirry's sexuality makes this mediocre movie worth watching. One scene in particular where she is recounting a tale to the psychiatrist while simultaneously teasing him by stripping and doing body gymnastics literally under his nose is unforgettable. She alone makes this worth watching.

The other characters in this movie are memorable only to the extent that they are reacting to the hot sexual aura put out by Shannon Whirry. At least for males this is a much better than average movie.

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) has expressed grave concerns over the classification MA given to the soon to be released movie, The Happening.

APS President, Amanda Gordon, said:

This movie, with its graphic and repeated depictions of violent suicides should receive an R classification instead of the MA rating. We call on the Classification Board to urgently review this rating.

Not only does this movie romanticise and sensationalise suicide, but it depicts many different methods of achieving that end. There is good evidence that the reporting of suicides can lead to copycat behavior, and there are many instances of increased suicide rates following media portrayals of suicide. The more detailed the descriptions or portrayals of the suicide, the greater the risk that vulnerable people, including young people or people with mental health problems, may harm themselves.

Psychologists have grave concerns that we will see a real increase in both suicide attempts and successful suicides, as a result of people viewing this movie. The most vulnerable, including young people, will be protected by a higher rating by the Classification Board

We have media guidelines for the reporting of suicide, and classification systems for films for very good reasons. What better reason is there than the protection of vulnerable people in our society?

In the UK, the BBFC passed the film 15 with the following explanation:

THE HAPPENING is a thriller about a couple and a young girl trying to escape a mysterious toxin causing people to commit suicide and murder. The work was passed '15' for frequent images of suicide and moderate bloody injury.

Besides references to terrorism, and a sustained menace from an unseen and uncontrollable threat, the film also features a series of suicides by different methods, including a policeman shooting himself with sight of blood trickling from a bullet wound in his head, sight of another man lying in a pool of blood having shot himself off-screen, a jump moment where several bodies are seen hanging from trees, a scene where a man slits his wrist at a small distance and another scene where two young teenage boys are shot. In each case sight of blood and injury is fairly brief. However the treatment of the suicide theme and the frequency and nature of the injury detail went beyond the bounds of a '12A', but met the BBFC's '15' Guidelines which allow 'strong threat and menace', and state that 'no theme is prohibited, provided that treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds', 'violence may be strong but not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury' and 'dangerous techniques (e.g. combat, hanging, suicide, and self-harming) should not dwell on imitable detail'.

The work also contains moderate language including uses of 'bitch'.

Dirty Harry is a 1971 US police film by Don Siegel

The cinema release of 1971 and video/DVD versions to date have all been 18 (uncut). But now a cinema re-release now carries a 15 certificate (uncut)

The BBFC explain the re-rating as follows:

DIRTY HARRY is the classic 1971 film starring Clint Eastwood as the maverick detective investigating a serial killer. Classified 'X 'in 1971 on film and '18' on video in 1992 it has now been reclassified at '15' based on the BBFC's current Guidelines.

The principal defining issue in the film is the strong violence. The killer is stabbed in the leg by Callaghan and there is some blood visible as he pulls the knife from his leg; shortly afterwards there is a scene where Callaghan stamps on the man's wounded leg to force information from him. The shot is very brief and much more is suggested than actually shown. A subsequent scene, where the killer pays a man to beat him up in order to frame Callaghan, shows the bloody results of the beating but all the blows are completely masked. Under current Guidelines, violence at the '15' level may be strong but may not dwell on detail and this exactly describes the level of the violence in DIRTY HARRY.

There is also one use of strong language in the film and two scenes of brief breast nudity but these issues are all containable at 15.

Dirty Harry is playing in 30 VUE cinemas across the UK on Monday 16/06/2008 as part of the Movies that Matter season.

All performances start at 18:30; tickets are £5 and the presentation is in a digitally re-mastered format.

Going Beserk is a 1983 US comedy by David Steinberg (Universal Pictures)

BBFC cuts were waived when resubmitted in 2007

Previously the CIC Video was cut by 15s by the BBFC back in 1986

• A kung-fu spoof was removed as it involved the use of nunchucks
• Excised dialogue: Can't you read the sign? No seducing in the cafeteria!

Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 US horror film by George A Romero (Freemantlemedia Enterprise)

The BBFC reduced the certificate to 15 for the Metrodome release (2007) and the Freemantlemedia Enterprise release (2008).

All video version from 1987 to 2006 were rated 18 by the BBFC without cuts but some were pre-cut:

• The Prism version (PPA 1160) released in 2001 is uncut.
   
• The Contender Entertainment Group Special Collector's Edition (steel case, 2005) is extensively Restored & Re-mastered. However it appears to be missing several sequences including most of the cannibalism scenes following the attack on the car, as well as heavily reducing the trowel murder from 14 blows to 3. Strange, as this version did have input from Romero himself.
   
• The Anchor Bay box set with the 30th Anniversary Edition (released 2002, disc label code: VFC25258) is uncut. They've also added new clips to the cannibalism scene after the truck blows up.
   
• Other releases have been pre-cut in the cannibalism scene after the truck blows up

• A close up of 2 zombies fighting over intestines (after the female zombie in white walks past eating a bone
• Close up of a male zombie eating from a bone (after the white clad female zombie sits down still eating the bone)
• Close up of male zombie eating forearm
• Close up of male zombie with scarred ear eating some internals

The 1980 cinema release was uncut but The original 1969 UK cinema release was heavily cut by the BBFC

From IMDb

• Substantial edits to the trowel murder
• The removal of all the flesh-eating scenes.

Review from UK Amazon: Groundbreaking

As with any other horror genre, the groundbreaking zombie movie is the best. Night of the Living Dead is a cult gem that has inspired every zombie movie after it, with its low-budget look and cast of excellent, unknown actors. And, of course, the flesh-eating undead who are rising to kill the living.

Night of the Living Dead is one of those horror movies that chills viewers right down to the marrow. Romero creates a nightmarish, claustrophobic atmosphere in his movie, where no matter where you go, you're trapped -- and the humans might kill you if the zombies don't.

Originally filmed in murky black-and-white, Romero manages to make this film feel creepy even when the zombies aren't there. And while they're hiding in the farmhoruse, he takes the time to make it realistic -- the refugees grate on each other in a believable way (I ought to drag you out there and FEED you to those things!).

But then things get creepy, gross AND action-packed, when they slip out to fight the zombies. Romero switches the tone from eerie to downright terrifying -- the characters just reek of desperation -- and builds it up to a slam-bang finale. And along the way, we get terrified people fending zombies off with torches -- what could be better?

Duane Jones is the standout performance here: he's strong, kindly, take-charge and resourceful, but he also knows how to kick undead butt. By the finale, his character is the one that is remembered, especially given the haunting, shocking last scene, with an all-too-realistic racial undertone. But he was backed by excellent actors in Judith O'Dea, Karl Hardman, and dozens of zombie extras. Those people were amazing!

Stripped-down and stark, Night of the Living Dead is the sort of movie that should never be watched at night, and might make you look twice before going outside. Creepy, innovative and bizarre.

Botched is a 2008 UK comedy horror by Kit Ryan

BOTCHED is a British comedy-horror about a conman who gets stuck in a Russian basement with an assortment of strange characters. It was passed '15' uncut for strong language, violence and gore.

The language includes well over twenty uses of 'fuck' and one of 'motherfucker', alongside lesser language such as 'whore', 'bitch' and 'bullshit'. BBFC guidelines at '15' state that strong language is permitted and this falls within that guideline.

The film is full of blood and gore, with stronger moments of violence including a head being lopped off with a scissor-contraption, a woman being hit on the side of the head with a spiky mace and a man's hand being lopped off. However, though we do see gushing wounds and gruesome injury, most of the actual violence is masked or takes place off-screen. For example, in a scene where a man is suspended by his legs and then chopped in half, we simply hear a sword being unsheathed and a scream before the camera returns to the scene and shows us a pair of legs and half a torso with guts dangling out. Blood pools on the floor and up the walls and the villain of the piece has stitched together body parts as wall decorations. He has also kept a fridge full of guts, which fall on top of one of the characters in another gory scene.

The violence and gore exist within a comedy context, with the effects so over-the-top as to be divorced from reality. The fact that the cast all speak with exaggerated Russian accents also helps to underline its silliness. BBFC guidelines at 15 state that 'violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain and injury' and this is able to pass at that category, in line with recent comedy-horror works such as SEVERANCE and SHAUN OF THE DEAD.

According to the BBFC website yesterday, Cligghanger was re-submitted and has been given an uncut 15 at a duration of 108min 2sec which is about one and a half minutes longer than the last submitted version. This would seem to suggest the complete version.

Cliffhanger is a 1993 US film by Renny Harlin (Optimum Releasing)

The 2008 DVD/Blu-ray submission was passed uncut with a running time suggesting that the minute and a half of cuts have been restored.

Films for Blu-ray tend to be expensive to master for a smallish market and so the distributors have a single version for the world. This is highly unlikely to be the UK version as cut by the BBFC.

But note there are suggestions that the R rated US version has also already been cut at the suggestion of the MPAA.

Previously 1:08s were cut from the cinema version and an additional 16s were cut for the video versions from 1993 to 2001. This makes a total of 1:24s

• Racist dialogue from one of the villians about Kynette, good and blow up that black bastard while your at it, save me the time of doing it myself by Delmar (Craig Fairbrass).
• Several punches and a kick to Gabe's (Sylvester Stallone) face and chest are cut in the confrontation with Kynette (Lyon).
• Deleted swearing in the above scene wrong answer mother fucker.
• The death to Kynette of being impaled is originally more graphic.
• The beating up of Hal (Michael Rooker) by Delmar has been severely reduced, removing kicks to the face and chest.
• Also brief dialogue is cut during the above fight.
• Close up of Delmar laughing at Hal while standing on his hand.
• Close up of Hal sticking small knife in Delmar's leg.
• Close up of bullet hit of Travers (Rex Linn) which Gabe fires while trapped under the ice.
• Lyons shooting of a blonde hippy guy loses one bullet impact.

But note there are suggestions that the R rated US version has also already been cut at the suggestion of the MPAA

The Iron Fisted Monk is a 1977 Hong Kong martial arts film by Sammo Hung Kam-Bo (Medusa Comms)

Cut by the BBFC when submitted in 2001 with the following comment:

Cuts were required to remove eroticising shots of the forced exposure and groping of breasts, and of volume of nudity of victim during a rape scene

Review from US Amazon: Good Addition

Here is yet another excellent kung fu movie done by Sammo Hung. The fighting is outstanding consisting of multiple kung fu styles facing off against each other, all done with superior speed and precision. Also sword and other weapons battles round out the action. There are still a ton of fight scenes but not quite as many as some of his other films, probably short by just a couple. The story is good and has decent acting. It is done well enough to keep your interest throughout and contains some scenes not normally seen in these type of films (nude, rape, a whore house). I was quite surprised with the amount of nudity shown (female). This movie is definitely not for children.

The Iron Fisted Monk is definitely a good addition to any kung fu collection.

Invincible Armour is a 1977 Hong Kong martial arts film by See-Yuen Ng (DVD.com)

It was cut when the video was submitted in 1986 by Video Programme Distributors.

• A novelty of the film was to flash images of broken eggs when a guy gets hit in the balls. The BBFC weren't impressed and cut a couple of shots of Jang Lee Hwang being grabbed by the balls in the final fight.

The cut video was re-submitted in 2005 by DVD.com. A couple of months later they found an uncut version which was duly passed uncut with previous cuts waived.

Review from IMDb: Balls

Those elaborate period costumes just don't work against a Poverty Row background like the one we see in "Invincible Armor", but hell...why quibble?

Hwang Jang Lee and John Liu, two of the top three kickers in the business (the third being Delon Tam, Liu's instructor), tear up the screen in this film and that's what counts. My only complaint about the fight scenes is that there were too many distracting, split-second shots of shattered eggs every time someone attacked what they thought was Hwang's vulnerable point (his testicles, naturally).

Just concentrate on the action, guys, please! Otherwise, this is a fun, straightforward flick that you'll enjoy if Hong Kong kung fu cinema is your thing.

Brain Damage is a 1988 US comedy horror by Frank Henelotter (Second Sight Films)

The BBFC waived the cuts for 2007 DVD release from Second Sight Films

Previously the 1988 cinema release was cut by 18s whilst the subsequent Palace Video release was pre-cut by 22s. Presumably the same cuts were applied.

Update: Thanks to Andy

• I've seen this version many times and can confirm that the ear pulling scene was not cut, the cuts were to the nightclub fellatio scene, were all shots of the groin area were removed.

In the US the Paramount video release deleted the gory nightclub fellatio and ear-pulling scenes to avoid an 'X' rating.

Review from US Amazon: Addicted

1988's BRAIN DAMAGE is the second film from low-budget Grand Guignol writer/director Frank Henenlotter, his first being the grisly over-the-top cult favorite BASKET CASE (1982), and both films established him as the master auteur of bad-taste horror cinema in the 1980s. But despite of the excessive gore and crude sexual elements, Henenlotter's films are a cut above the average trash pics because his well-written scripts are weaved around a daedal subtext that offers wry comments and observations on certain elements or aspects of modern society. With the visceral horror comedy BRAIN DAMAGE, Henenlotter is satirizing the Western propensity for addiction.

BRAIN DAMAGE relates the "mind-blowing" tale of the Faustian bargain made between a young man named Brian and an enigmatic, snake-like parasite named Aylmer (pronounced like the name ELMER). Aylmer dispenses an addictive pleasure-inducing drug directly into Brian's brain, but as payment for each "fix," Brian must transport Aylmer around the city so the parasitic pusher can obtain his favorite food--human brains. Though Brian is generally a nice young man who wouldn't hurt a flea, he finds it impossible to resist the demands of the deceptively cute parasite because of his need and desire for the psychedelic "juice," and he ultimately becomes Aylmer's accomplice in murder.

With a meager budget of circa $600,000, Henenlotter and crew have nonetheless succeeded in crafting BRAIN DAMAGE as a polished, professional-looking film. Yes, the violence is graphic, sophomorically comic, and often over the top, and yes, the film has a crude, puerile sexual element (snake-like Aylmer is obviously a phallic symbol). But these elements actually enhance the film's earnest anti-addiction subtext, as they vociferously underscore the negative effect that addiction has on an addict's personality, his personal life, and the lives of others with whom he has contact.

I Spy is a 2002 US action film by Betty Thomas (Columbia/TriStar)

Both the cinema release of 2002 and the DVD releases of 2003 were similarly cut with the following BBFC comment:

Company was obliged to remove sight of knife penetrating leg and also being withdrawn in order to attain 12A. An uncut 15 classification was available.