The Naked Kiss is a 1964 USA crime drama by Samuel Fuller. Starring Constance Towers, Anthony Eisley and Karen Conrad.
Banned by the BBFC for 1964 cinema
release. Later passed 18 uncut for VHS and DVD. Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US.
Summary Notes : A shocker in its day
Kelly, a prostitute, traumatised by an experience, referred to as 'The
Naked Kiss,' by psychiatrists, leaves her past, and finds solace in the town of Grantville. She meets Griff, the police captain of the town, with whom she spends a romantic afternoon. Kelly finds a job as a nurse in a hospital for handicapped children.
The work helps her find her sensitive side in the caring and helping of her young patients. Kelly's path towards happiness is thrown amiss, when she witnesses a shocking event, which threatens not just her happiness, but her mental health as well.
In its day, The Naked Kiss was quite the shocker. It dealt with (or hinted at) such then-taboo subjects as prostitution, abortion and even pedophilia in bold ways that were foreign to American film audiences. Unfortunately,
like many once-controversial movies, the handling of these topics are now so dated that, at times, they are almost laughable.
Versions
uncut
run:
90:15s
pal:
86:38s
UK: Passed 18 uncut for references to child sexual
abuse:
2019 Sony/Criterion Collection RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
Nanak Shah Fakir is a 2015 drama by Harinder Singh Sikka. Starring Tanmay Bhat, Gurmeet Choudhary and Amyra Dastur.
The film was passed PG uncut by the
BBFC for mild violence. For some reason the film was submitted twice in versions running 138:18s and 146:35s. UK screenings were disrupted by Sikh protestors and threats of violence led to cinemas refusing to screen the film.
Police were called and a cinema cleared and closed after protestors pushed through the main entrance and headed for the screen showing Bollywood
blockbuster, Nanak Shah Fakir.
Once inside the Cineworld multiplex at Bentley Bridge in Wednesfield., the Sikh protestors sat down on the floor and began to shout, refusing to move until cinema bosses met their demands and stopped the
screening.
Some UK cinemas refused to show it through fear of religious strife. The Cineworld said it has no plans to show the film in future following the Wednesfield incident. Odeon also confirmed it would also cancel planned screenings following
the protest.
BBFC summary
NANAK SHAH FAKIR is a Hindi language historical drama about the life and teachings of Sikhism founder, Guru Nanak, as he embarks on a spiritual journey during
the reign of the Mughal empire.
There is mild violence in a scene in which a yak stamps on a man, who is out to fetch some water in the snow. There are also some images of battle and some rifle gunshots from soldiers, although
there is no detail of injury shown.
Availability
Current UK Status: Passed PG uncut. Withdrawn from distribution over fears of religious strife
Nazi Love Camp 27 is a 1977 Italy war thriller by Mario Caiano Starring Sirpa Lane, Giancarlo Sisti and Roberto Posse
Banned by the BBFC for the UK 1977
cinema release.
Summary Review: Better than Salon Kitty
This is a Nazi sexploitation flick and it has not only plenty of nudity but explicit, hardcore pornographic shots as well.
That said, let me point out why this is a far better film than Salon Kitty . The two films are different versions of what is essentially the same story: a young Jewish woman during the Nazis' reign is sexually abused and
exploited by the Reich eventually becoming the madame of a brothel that caters to Nazi officers where she spies for either the Nazi higher ups or the Resistance depending on which film you watch.
Nazi Love Camp 27 has budget sets and costumes, bad dubbing, and obligatory sexploitation scenes like whippings, the lesbian warden and several hardcore penetration shots including a gang rape. One would think that this was a thinly-veiled excuse for a porno, and to some extent it is, but it actually has a fairly coherent plot and you truly DO care about the lead character and even others. Yes, the final scene is a bit over the top, but you're still interested in what is happening right up to the end of the film --- not just fast forwarding to the next naked part.
Sirpa Lane's performance is strong and due to whatever quirk of talent or fate, she manages to convey the horror and the poignancy of her character's struggles. This is not to say that this is a great film, again know what
you're getting into.
Versions
uncut
run:
90:48s
pal:
87:10s
Worldwide: The film is widely available on adult film websites
The New York Ripper is a 1982 Italian horror by Lucio Fulci. With Jack Hedley, Almanta Suska and Howard Ross.
Banned by the BBFC for 1984 cinema
release. Subsequent UK VHS/DVD release are cut by about 30s. Cut for an MPAA R rating in the US but also released uncut and MPAA Unrated.
Summary review: Darkest and goriest
The New York
Ripper was a great Italian horror film from Lucio Fulci, the film was filled with plenty of gruesome death scenes and lots of sleaze, sex and nudity in fact its probably one of the sleaziest Italian horror flicks ever seen.
When an old man finds a prostitute's severed hand under the Brooklyn Bridge the police decide to do a little investigating. It seems that the victim was heard speaking to a strange duck-voiced man. As the murders add up the police
detective who's investigating the case recruits a psychology professor to help find out who this Donald Duck voiced maniac could be
This is a typical Fulci flick which means that the plot gets thinner during the course of
the film and the bad acting which was adequate especially for this type of film could have been better but that's not important, if your a hardcore Fulci or exploitation fan then you'll obviously love this as the death scenes were quite brutal and very
nasty.
One of Fulci's best.
Banned for cinema release in 1984
A cinema release was rejected by the BBFC in 1984. Lucio Fulci's film was not only banned but all prints were
escorted out of the country. At least that is the romantic notion of events. The BBFC explain the events that led up to this story in a more pragmatic way. See
case study from bbfc.co.uk :
If Ferman had merely written to the distributor confirming the decision to refuse a BBFC
classification, The New York Ripper may have simply been another work denied a release during the video nasties era. However, what Ferman did next meant The New York Ripper became something of an urban legend (which persists in cult and horror film
circles to this day).
The fact the UK distributor of Nightmares in a Damaged Brain had just received a prison sentence for his role in distributing his film made the potential for the distributor of The New York Ripper to become
embroiled in an obscenity case seem very real. Therefore Ferman decided it would be unwise for the BBFC to return the film to its distributor. Ferman was aware that the distributor could still release The New York Ripper on video tape (or seek local
authority approval for local cinema exhibition), in spite of the BBFC's judgement that any release of the film was at risk of comprising an obscene publication. To do so would not only risk the distributor being vulnerable to a charge of being found in
possession of an obscene work with intent to commercially supply, but could also potentially put the BBFC in the difficult position of having facilitated that supply.
Accordingly, Ferman took the unusual step of informing the UK
distributor that the BBFC would be re-exporting the submitted print to the original rights holders in Italy, also advising him that he should similarly dispose of any further copies of the film in his possession. The BBFC's actions took place in a time
and climate in which UK distributors were being convicted and even sent to jail for their involvement with similar films. However, it is easy to see how the legend developed that The New York Ripper was so uniquely powerful and offensive that every print
had to be escorted from the country. Some stories go so far as to suggest the film had been removed under armed guard.
Night Train Murders is a 1975 Italian horror by Aldo Lado. With Flavio Bucci, Macha Méril and Gianfranco De Grassi.
Banned by the BBFC for 1976 cinema
release. Banned as a video nasty in 1983. Unbanned for 2008 DVD. Uncut and R rated in the US.
Summary Review: Decent Acting
T his film borrowed heavily from
Last House on the Left , but Night Train Murders is the better of the two. Good production values, excellent cinematography, an Ennio Morricone score, decent acting and a tight script .
The first third of the film introduces the main characters, most of whom seem to be prone to indulging in one perversion or another.
The "defilement" section of the film is
a gripping, harrowing affair that escalates in viciousness before climaxing in a very brutal fashion.
The final act does not live up to the scenes that precede it. The director's desire to keep from glamorizing
violence is probably why the ending feels somewhat restrained.
Versions
uncut
run:
93:54s
pal:
90:09s
UK: Passed 18 uncut for strong scenes
of sexual violence for:
2025 88 Films Deluxe Collector's Edition R0 4K Blu-ray/(RB) Blu-ray Combo at UK Amazon #ad
The development of media awareness and public knowledge of film styles were felt to have reduced the impact and potential for harm of the scenes of sexual assault in the film, which seem particularly dated now.
2014 Entertainment One VoD to rent/buy [US only] at US Amazon
uncut
run:
94:35s
pal:
90:48s
UK: The Uncut version was released on pre-cert video for:
1981 Cinehollywood VHS titled Night Train Murders.
This Cinehollywood version was released uncut in November 1981 under the title Night Train Murders. This version was listed as a video nasty in July 1983. This was dropped from the list in
March 1984
cut
cut:
run:
91:38s
pal:
87:58s
UK: A cut version was released on pre-cert video for:
1981 Video Warehouse International VHS titled Late Night Trains.
This release was missing about 1 minute of violence and nearly 2 minutes of non contentious material
banned
UK: Banned by the BBFC for:
1976 cinema release titled Late Night Trains
v 99 Women
- 1969 Liechtenstein/UK prison film by Jesus Franco.
99 Women is a 1969 Liechtenstein/Spain/Italy/West Germany/UK prison film by Jesus Franco. With Maria Schell, Luciana Paluzzi and Mercedes McCambridge.
Banned in the UK by the BBFC and later
cut. Uncut elsewhere as the Director's Cut. There is also a French Version with hardcore inserts.
Summary Notes: A bit disappointing
The newest batch of detainees arrives at a remote women's
prison. The fortress-like prison is ruled with an iron hand by Thelma Diaz (Mercedes McCambridge), a woman who has no qualms against death or torture. But when a new state official takes notice of the body count coming out of the prison, Diaz must prove
her ability and hide the truth. As the powers that be turn up the pressure it sets up a daring escape by several of the ladies.
"Women in prison" flicks can be a mixed bag. Many offer the usual softcore action (usually of the lesbian
variety) and / or nasty torture sequences that often exploit. But 99 Women doesn't really offer too much of either. 99 is actually more artistic than most of the "W.I.P." films that I've seen and as a result it comes off as a bit
bland. The photography is fine but with most of the action taking place indoors the camera-work is not flashy. The acting is pretty decent but the script is a bit "talky" in an unnecessary way.
The softcore
action is not awfully titillating since many of the scenes are shot in an "artistic" fashion the X-rated version does offer some hardcore inserts but you can easily tell they were added much latter since they don't match. "99 Women"
has some style but not a lot of substance. A bit disappointing.
Versions
Director's Cut
run:
86m
pal:
83m
US: The Director's Cut is uncut and MPAA Unrated for:
2016 Blue Underground Limited Edition [Director's Cut + Hardcore Version] (RA) Blu-ray/(R1) DVD Combo
at US Amazon
2016 Blue Underground [Director's Cut only] (RA) Blu-ray/(R1) DVD Combo
at US Amazon
2013 Blue Underground Bad Girls Behind Bars Collection R0 DVD
at US Amazon
Onibaba is a 1964 Japan horror drama by Kaneto Shindô. Starring Nobuko Otowa and Jitsuko Yoshimura and Kei Satô.
Banned by the BBFC for 1965 cinema
release. Later cut by the BBFC for an X rated cinema release in 1968. Uncut and BBFC 15 rated for UK home video. Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US.
Summary Review
After being
forcefully inducted as a soldier into war in 14th century Japan, his wife and mother remain living in a swamp. They eke out their living by ambushing worn-out warriors, killing them and selling their belongings to a greedy merchant. The woman comes to
mistrust her daughter-in-law who has coupled up with a deserter, and begins to wear a facial mask she has taken from a slain samurai. Soon the mask will not come off again. In this disguise she is at first taken for a demon by her daughter.
The ensuing drama is a tale of their sexual tension in the high summer heat, which is exemplified by the swaying of the reeds/grass, the faster the reeds blow in the wind the higher the sexual tension.
Shindo
also uses Black and White to stunning effect at a time when it was probably easier to film in colour. This is a Cinematic Masterpiece!
Versions
uncut
run:
102:05s
pal:
98:00s
UK: Passed 15 uncut for:
2013 Eureka/Masters of Cinema RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
The Opening of Misty Beethoven is a 1976 USA adult comedy romance by Radley Metzger. With Constance Money, Jamie Gillis and Jacqueline Beudant.
The softcore version was banned by the BBFC for 1977 cinema release. In 1983 the softcore version suffered further heavy BBFC
cuts for an 18 rated cinema release. By 2005 it was passed R18 uncut for DVD. Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US.
Summary Review: A Jewel
Porn meets Pygmalion. Misty, the hooker, meets the sexologist
who thinks he can transform her from the nadir of passion into someone who inspires passion. While Misty is trained for her big test, seducing a homosexual artist, the relationship between the doctor and Misty remains unsettled.
Radley Metzger has created an unbelievable amalgamation of great script, fantastic actors, and the best production value I've ever seen. Other films may have spent more on cheesy helicopter shots or period costumes, but you will
never find a porn movie as good as this. The opening of Misty Beethoven holds up not only under the porn standard, but under any film standards.
The sex is not of the grind house variety that you find in most XXX films but
it is highly erotic, entertaining and with Ms. Money, surprisingly romantic. This is a jewel of an erotic film.
Availability
Current UK Status: Passed R18 uncut
UK: The
Hardcore Version was passed R18 uncut for:
UK 2005 Arrow/JoyBear R0 DVD
US: The Hardcore Version is MPAA Unrated for:
US 2012 Distribpix Collector's Edition [Hardcore + Softcore Version] R0 Blu-ray at US Amazon
US 2012 Distribpix Collector's Edition [Hardcore + Softcore Version] R0 DVD at US Amazon
The Other Side Of Madness is a 1971 USA crime drama by Frank Howard Starring Brian Klinknett,Erica Bigelow,Paula Shannon
Banned by the BBFC for a 1983 cinema
release. It was released on UK pre cert VHS though, but has not been released in the UK since. Uncut and MPAA X rated in the US but later R rated.
Promotional Material
The Other Side of
Madness (1971) returns nearly 50 years after its initial release! An avant-garde retelling of the infamous Manson Murders, The Other Side of Madness brings audiences closer to the events than most filmmakers have dared to go, with real life footage of
Spahn Ranch and music performed by Charles Manson. Directed by Frank Howard and produced by Wade Williams, this hypnotic film served as one of the first Helter Skelter recreations, filmed so close to the time of the events that Manson and his followers
had yet to be sentenced for the vicious crimes.
The film was originally MPAA X rated in the US but was later re-rated to R.
banned
UK: Banned by the BBFC:
1983 cinema release
Comment:
It's a reconstruction of the Manson "family" murders 'in realistic detail', to quote the sleeve. It's not very violent at all and could easily be cut today. It was rejected for largely
political reasons within the BBFC. It's actually a rather good film.
The Panic In Needle Park is a 1971 USA drama by Jerry Schatzberg. Starring Al Pacino, Kitty Winn and Alan Vint.
Banned by the BBFC for 1971 cinema
release but unbanned and X uncut for 1974 cinema release. The BBFC cut the 1987 18 rated VHS but was passed 18 uncut for 2002 DVD. In the US the PG rated is version is cut and the R rated version is uncut.
Summary Review: Moderately
Worthwhile
The film focuses on the ups and downs of two doomed souls, Bobby and Helen, who wasted their lives in a downward spiral into hell without any realistic thought for tomorrow.
Panic has a bittersweet taste of an independent film: improvisational, free-form and razor-sharp realistic. There is no music throughout the film, only dialogues and real life sounds. It tastes like a stale cigarette. Depressive mood and
sordidness of Manhattan's Upper West Side are reflected perfectly. Intense and disturbing depiction of heroine shots are almost documentary nature.
The performances of Al Pacino and Kitty Winn are top notch. The role
earned Winn the Best Actress Award at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival.
The only downside is that it drags along at snails pace. It's moderately worthwhile and falls short of being a classic.
Versions
uncut
run:
109:29s
pal:
105:06s
UK: Passed 18 uncut with previous BBFC cuts
waived for:
2016 Signal One Entertainment RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
2011
Second Sight Special Edition R2 DVD at UK Amazon
The Porn Brokers is a 1973 UK semi-autobiographical documentary by John Lindsay Starring Lasse Braun, Elvira Clark and Shaun Costello
Banned by the BBFC for 1973 cinema
release and later passed X after BBFC cuts for 1977 cinema release
Summary Notes
A semi-autobiographical documentary by the hard-core film-maker John Lindsay about the fledgling porn industry.
Consisting mostly of vox pops, the film is partly a defence of porn (it ends with the voiceover declaring: In the final event Seventies British Cinema porn is rather like television. If you don't like it you can simply turn off ') and partly, and more
curiously, an indictment of its own audience as sad punters who embody typical male weakness -- 'Men are such suckers when they look at pretty birdies , Men are nuts, they like to see this crap)
Pretty Baby is a 1978 US drama by Louis Malle Starring Brooke Shields, Keith Carradine and Susan Sarandon
Cut by the BBFC for an X rated cinema
release in 1978. The cinema release was locally banned by Cardiff Council. All home video releases are uncut. BBFC 18 rated for video.. Uncut and MPAA R rated in the US.
Summary Review: A Difficult Story
A pre-teen girl grows up in a house of prostitution in the Storyville section of New Orleans in 1917.
A beautifully filmed movie which tells a difficult story with a subtlety and power.
The movie is quite revealing about the business of prostitution during that time, but it is never exploitative and gives one the sense of how it really was, and what might happen to children born into prostitution.
Malle's dispassionate take on all of this outraged viewers a quarter-century ago, but it all seems rather tame today.
Versions
uncut
run:
109:14s
pal:
104:52s
UK: Uncut and BBFC 18 rated for child prostitution theme:
2007 Paramount Home Entertainment DVD (rated 14/02/2007) at UK Amazon
UK: Uncut and BBFC 18 rated for:
1987 CIC VHS (rated 04/09/1987)
The BBFC commented:
Examiners considered that, given that legal cuts had been required in 1979, it might be necessary for the same cuts to be implemented for 1987 video classification. However,
examiners also expressed scepticism about whether the cuts were really necessary, suggesting they might have been an overly cautious response to the new legislation. At least one examiner even floated the idea of passing the video 15 uncut, given
its visual discretion.
James Ferman sympathised with the suggestion that the original cuts should now be waived and showed the video to the Board's President and Vice Presidents. Ultimately it was concluded that All
admire the film and support waiving the original film cuts . Accordingly, Pretty Baby was classified 18 uncut for video release, with the previous cinema cuts waived, on 4 September 1987.
Although this permitted
the existing pre-cert VHS copies to remain on the shelves, no fresh release of Pretty Baby took place on VHS.
UK: The 1981 pre-cert VHS was released uncut.
It was noted as significant that it
was never prosecuted under the 1978 Protection of Children Act.
UK: The cut X rated 1979 cinema release was banned by Cardiff Council
cut:
run:
109:24s
pal:
105:01s
UK: Passed X (18) after BBFC cuts for:
1979 cinema release
James Ferman said he was forced to make minor edits under the 1978 Protection of Children Act:
Reel 4 - 6s deleted in the scene in the bathroom, delete moment where Madame pulls away towel which Violet is holding in front of her for modesty, and cut straight to close-ups of Violet and man looking at each other
Reel 5 - Delete full-length nude shot of violet posing for Bellocq on the sofa. In fact after representations from director Lous Malle, this second cut was reduced to optically darkening Violet's public area so that nothing
could be seen.
Prison Girls is a 1972 USA drama by Tom DeSimone (as Thomas De Simone). Starring Jacqueline Giroux, Annik Borel and Tracy Handfuss.
Banned by the BBFC from a 1973 cinema
release. Uncut and X rated in the US.
Summary Notes
Six female prisoners are given a weekend furlough to prepare them for their upcoming parole. While out, they all have miscellaneous sexual
experiences, some good, some bad. One returns to her pimp even though he beats her, one overcomes her frigidity, one gets gang raped, two join in a threesome, and one goes back to her criminal lover shortly before the police show up.
The Private Afternoons Of Pamela Mann is a 1974 US comedy film by Radley Metzger Starring Barbara Bourbon, Sonny Landham and Darby Lloyd Rains
The BBFC banned the 1976
cinema release under the title Pamela. Later, after the UK legalisation of hardcore the film was still heavily cut for R18.
Summary Review: Yeah for Radley Metzger!
A classic from the Golden Age of
Porn.
When adult films of the 70's made their way back into the mainstream of popular culture, Radley Metzger most definitely holds his regard as the finest adult filmmaker ever. My first encounter with Metzger's work was The
Opening of Misty Beethoven which, as a boy looking through a friend's parents videos, was far more than I'd expected. Years later, I was happy to view The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann , which, aside from the pornographic content, I found
totally engrossing. I admit being completely shocked by the surprise ending!
Maybe it's the recent admiration of independent film that has made the acting in Radley's movies seem so much better, but his camera work is unsurpassed
in his field. Beautifully shot, well acted smut, which borders on proving itself as erotica! Yeah for Radley Metzger!
One major scene, involving oral rape at gunpoint, plus a few shots from a couple of recap scenes using clips from the earlier rape scene, have been cut, obviously to avoid potential legal hassles in the current judicial
environment. The fantasy scene involves Barbara Bourbon being assaulted in a lock up garage by Jamie Gillis and his accomplice Darby Lloyd Rains who is armed with a rifle.
cut:
8:59s
run:
77:36s
pal:
74:30s
UK: BBFC R18 rated for strong images of real sex after BBFC cuts:
2005 Arrow Film DVD (Cuts substituted) rated 05/10/2005)
The BBFC commented:
Compulsory cuts for R18 required to remove scenes showing woman being explicitly sexually assaulted in a manner which eroticises and endorses sexual violence.
banned
UK: Banned by BBFC
1976 Variety Film cinema release (rated 26/11/1976) titled Pamela
A Private Collection is a 1973 France documentary short film by Walerian Borowczyk. Starring André Pieyre de Mandiargues.
The pre-cut Theatrical Version was
banned by the BBFC for 1977 cinema release although further cuts qualified it for an X rating later in the same year. The Theatrical Version censors real sex via masking by the narrator's carefully placed finger. The uncut Oberhausen Cut reveals what's
behind the masking, but real bestiality has proved too much for modern day censors and so has been cut from recent German and 2014 UK releases.
Summary Notes
A witty and eye-opening tour through
Borowczyk's own collection of vintage erotica. Originally intended as part of his 'Contes immoraux', it was released first as a separate short, and is therefore marks the turning-point between Borowczyk's career as a highly-regarded animator and
surrealist filmmaker, and his subsequent career in the sexploitation field.
Versions
The Oberhausen Cut Uncut
Germany
Germany:
The Oberhausen Cut is longer and was shown at the short
film festival in that city in 1973.
The Oberhausen Cut pre-cut
best available
14:17s
UK: A pre-cut version of The Oberhausen Cut was passed 18 for strong sex, sexual violence, explicit sexual images without further BBFC cuts for:
The Theatrical cut and Oberhausen cut were both passed in 2014 as components of The Short Films directed by Walerian Borowczyk and included as extras on the Arrow dual-format release of Immoral Tales .
See further details about the version's in review from film.thedigitalfix.com
In the theatrical cut, when we see some
vintage erotic photographs, the film's narrator André Pieyre de Mandiargues' finger obscures some of the more explicit details, which include images of penetration, but these are uncovered in the Oberhausen Cut.
The main difference is towards the end
when a children's cartoon is intercut with footage from the turn of the twentieth century depicting genuine bestality between a woman and a dog. This was pixelated in the German Blu-ray edition of Immoral Tales and replaced by a black screen in Arrow's
edition, so as to comply with the laws concerning extreme pornography .
Theatrical Version pre-cut
12:09s
UK: The pre-cut Theatrical Version was passed 18 for strong sex,
sexual violence, explicit sexual images without further BBFC cuts for:
2014 Arrow Film Distributors [Part Subtitled] video
The Theatrical Version sees explicit sex masked from view (See The Oberhausen Cut cut above for further details).
pre-cut
9:15s
UK: Further pre-cuts were made for a version passed X (18)
without BBFC cuts for:
1977 cinema release
banned
UK: The pre-cut Theatrical Version was banned by the BBFC for:
1977 cinema release titled Une collection particulaire
Private Property is a 1960 USA crime drama by Leslie Stevens. Starring Kate Manx, Corey Allen and Warren Oates.
Banned by the BBFC in 1961. Not
released in the UK since. Released in the US in 2016 on MPAA Unrated Blu-ray/DVD Combo.
Summary Notes
Duke and Boots, two young thugs, hold up a California gas-station owner. Duke, viral and savage,
taunts the slower and psychologically-confused Boots because he has never made a sexual conquest. Duke offers to seduce a woman for Boots and the pair force a passing motorist to pursue a sports car driven by Ann Carlyle, the lustful wife of a
insurance-company executive who has some desires of her own not being met by her husband.
Availability
Current UK Status: No UK release since ban
US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated
for:
2016 Cinelicious Pics (RA) Blu-ray/(R1) DVD Combo at US Amazon
Promises..... Promises! is a 1963 USA comedy drama by King Donovan. Starring Jayne Mansfield, Marie McDonald and Tommy Noonan.
Noted as the first US mainstream film
to feature nudity since the introduction of the Hays Code. The film was released in a period when the code was still nominally in force but enforcement was in decline by 1963. The film included 3 topless scenes with Jayne Mansfield. The film was
inevitably banned by the BBFC, first and in 1963, and again in 1967. The BBFC relented by 2011 when it was released with an uncut 15 rating for 2011 DVD.
Summary Notes
After a drunken
spree on a cruise ship, two women discover that they're pregnant, and set out to find who the fathers are.
Availability
UK: Passed 15 uncut for scenes of sexualised nudity:
Psycho Lover is a 1970 USA crime horror by Robert Vincent O'Neill (as Robert Vincent O'Neil). Starring Lawrence Montaigne, Jo Anne Meredith and Elizabeth Plumb.
Banned by the BBFC for 1971 cinema
release. Cut in Australia for an R rated cinema release in 1978. Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US.
Summary Notes
A psychiatrist plots to murder his wife, but with a new twist: he will brainwash a
patient he is treating into committing the crime.
Two scenes at 2m and 14m involve Marco raping and killing women. The latter also shows him having sex with the body. Cuts would probably have been made to one or both of these attacks.
Two other women are attacked at 34m and 77m, but neither result in onscreen rape or murder.
The Punishment is a 1973 France/Italy erotic thriller by Pierre-Alain Jolivet Starring Karin Schubert, Georges Géret and Amidou
Banned by the BBFC for 1975 cinema
release. It was also banned in Finland and Sweden.
Summary Notes
Britt, deluxe call-girl, is punished by the brothel owner because she was not accommodating enough to a customer. From
now on, she must obey to all customers sadistic wishes, or else.
Pussy Talk is a 1975 France adult comedy fantasy by Claude Mulot (as Frédéric Lansac). Starring Pénélope Lamour, Béatrice Harnois and Sylvia Bourdon.
The softcore version was banned by the BBFC for 1976 cinema release but given a GLC London certificate. Later the softcore version was
further cut for 2000 DVD.
Summary Review: Good piece of cinema
Le Sexe Qui Parle is in that rare class of rather famous films which actually happen to be really good pieces of cinema.
Penelope Lamour stars as a woman who discovers that her vagina has developed both a life and voice of its own. This soon becomes a problem for not only her, but her philanthropist husband as well...As the vagina becomes more and more vocal (no pun
intended), it ends up causing more and more trouble.
Narratively speaking, Le Sexe Qui Parle is flawed with a fair amount of noticeable continuity errors, and the rushed ending does leave a bit to be desired in
terms of resolution of the plot.
On the other hand, technically speaking, Le Sexe...has the look of any classy French production, hardcore or otherwise, from the period. The cinematography and general look of the film are
both first rate, and the original musical score is quite an incredible mix of easy listening pieces and classy jazz/disco sounding tunes.
Quiet Days in Clichy is a 1970 Denmark comedy drama by Jens Jørgen Thorsen. With Paul Valjean, Wayne Rodda and Ulla Koppel.
Banned by the BBFC for 1970 cinema
release. Rated 18 uncut since 2003. The film saw legal trouble in the US and had a very limited theatrical release.
History
Thanks to Gary:
This film the distinction of being the first film to use
the word cunt (along with Tropic of Cancer, which was shooting in Paris at the same time).
The film has been the subject of discussion and controversy since it was first released in 1970 and the FBI
seized the only English-language copies as they came into the US through customs in San Francisco - consequently the film didn't make it to US theatres. The film has even been described by the Catholic Bishops Board of Review as a portrait of human
depravity. The film was ultimately cleared in Federal Court, but the film mysteriously disappeared shortly after its release.
Summary Review: A portrait of human depravity
Quiet
Days in Clichy is an enjoyable and entertaining expose of the irreverent antics of two friends living a Bohemian existence in the Paris suburb of Clichy during the sexual revolution of the sixties.
The film is based
upon the novel of the same title by American author Henry Miller whose publications were the frequent cause of controversy in the US throughout the author's life.
Nonetheless, it is unlikely to shock an audience of today -
the film is neither vulgar nor depraved - it couldn't really be described as pornographic; instead it could be better summarised as intellectual erotica.
It is gentle and humorous. Like life, it lacks a traditional
storyline and is, instead, a collection of experiences - some good, some bad, some funny, some not.
Red Nights of the Gestapo is a 1977 Italy action war thriller by Fabio De Agostini. Starring Ezio Miani, Fred Williams and Francesca Righini.
Banned by the BBFC for 1979 cinema
release but after 12 minutes were censored it was given an X rated cinema release in 1981. An uncut bootleg was released in the UK in 2010. Uncut in the US.
Summary Notes
An illustrious group of
German industrialists plot to overthrow Hitler by negotiating a peace treaty with England. Disgraced, but dedicated Nazi officer Colonel Werner von Uhland is assigned by his superiors to ferret out these deceitful dissidents and stop them before it's too
late. von Uhland recruits a bunch of beautiful women to seduce these traitors and undermine their conspiracy.
A film based upon the same Nazi brothel bugging theme as Salon Kitty. Perhaps not as outrageous as one may expect
from the packaging. However there are some attractive actresses getting into the fun. The director seems to have done a good job with the talent available.
Availability
The BBFC rejected the cinema release of
1979
The BBFC relented on their cinema ban in 1981 but only after having inflicted 12 minutes of cuts
An uncut version was released for the 2010 UK Excalibur DVD. No sign of this version in the BBFC data base though, so presumably a bootleg.
Current UK Status: Passed 18 for the cinema after ~12:00s cuts
Heavy cuts a dungeon scene showing two vampires groping and abusing 2 chained up women. Including a vampire bat supposedly going down on one of the women.
21s of cuts to the scene with Michelle whipping Marie
Romper Stomper is a 1992 Australia crime drama by Geoffrey Wright. Starring Russell Crowe, Daniel Pollock and Jacqueline McKenzie.
Passed 18 uncut by the BBFC for 1982
cinema release and VHS. However the film was banned by Glasgow Council for screening at the 1993 Glasgow Film Festival.
Summary Notes
Nazi skinheads in Melbourne take out their anger
on local Vietnamese, who are seen as threatening racial purity. Finally the Vietnamese have had enough and confront the skinheads in an all-out confrontation, sending the skinheads running. A woman who is prone to epileptic seizures joins the skins'
merry band, and helps them on their run from justice, but is her affliction also a sign of impurity?
Versions
uncut
run:
92:30s
pal:
88:48s
UK: Passed 18 uncut for strong violence, sex and language:
Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom is a 1975 Italian/French drama by Pier Paolo Pasolini. With Paolo Bonacelli and Giorgio Cataldi.
Banned by the BBFC for 1976 cinema
release. Cuts were then made for a cinema club release. Uncut since 2000 with an 18 rating. Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US. The original Italian release was significantly longer but was cut down after a short release. There is a similarly long version
circulating on porn tube sites that features hardcore material.
UK History
From BFI
It was refused a certificate on the legal grounds of gross indecency. Gross indecency was defined in
British law as anything which an ordinary decent man or woman would find to be shocking, disgusting and revolting , or, which offended against recognised standards of propriety.
Unlike the Obscene
Publications Act - which at that stage did not apply to films - gross indecency allowed for no defence of artistic or cultural merit to be mounted on the film's behalf. Furthermore, there was no requirement to consider the film - or the film's purpose -
as a whole. If any part of the film was indecent then the whole film was illegal.
After the 1976 (public) cinema ban but a DPP approved version was personally edited by James Ferman for exhibition in (private) cinema clubs.
An uncut version
was however screened in 1995 at the NFT. It was also briefly shown uncut in a Soho cinema club in 1977 but that resulted in a police raid.
Summary Review: Not for the Faint-Hearted
There are few
movies out there, if any, that can generate as much ire and disgust as Pasolini's Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma .
Not for the Faint-Hearted? You'd better believe it. And thus, it's hard to really "recommend" this film
to anyone, as you wouldn't really "recommend" divorce - But it's a life experience you can gain valuable knowledge from.
The film takes it's inspiration / Modus Operandi from the Marquis De Sade's notorious novel
The 120 Days of Sodom , which, if you have read it, you will know perfectly well what you can expect from the film. Transporting the setting to Mussolini-Era Fascist Italy, four Aristocratic Libertines subject their young subjects to Sexual
Manipulation and Torture, both physical and psychological.
Original Italian Version
Original Italian Version
run:
145m
pal:
139m
Italy: The Original Italian Version was withdrawn soon after release and replace with the shorter version
Hardcore Version
Hardcore Version
run:
139m
pal:
133m
with no credits
Worldwide: There is an extended version circulating on porn tubes sites that features hardcore sex scenes.
Standard Version
uncut
run:
116:30s
pal:
111:50s
UK: Passed 18 uncut for strong violence, sexual violence and scenes of torture:
In reaching the decision to pass Salò '18' uncut, the
BBFC considered that although the film was undeniably - and intentionally - shocking, it did not contain anything that would 'deprave and corrupt' viewers - the basic test of the Obscene Publications Act.
In fact,
Salò's purpose and its likely effect on viewers seemed to be quite the opposite. In the Board's view, the film depicted its events in a cold, detached and ritualised style, deliberately removing any hint of titillation. The film also mirrored de
Sade's verbose literary style, alienating the viewer through its repetitions. Although the film contained many disturbing scenes, the Board agreed that its intention was to deliberately shock and appal audiences at the evil of fascism and to vividly
illustrate the idea that 'absolute power corrupts absolutely'.
Much like James Ferman in the 1970s, the BBFC agreed that any attempt to cut the film would undermine the director's purpose by making the film less shocking,
the events depicted more palatable, and therefore less effective.
Although the film was suggestive of many horrors, the Board noted that most of its on screen violence was in fact relatively muted and shown in long shot or
extreme long shot. There were no lingering close ups and the film's climactic death scenes could even be said to appear technically unconvincing by modern standards.
shortened
cut:
17s
run:
116:24s
pal:
111:45s
US: The US release is more or less uncut and is MPAA Unrated for:
The Criterion DVD omits a short 17s sequence during the first wedding ceremony, where one of the masters quotes a uncontentious poem by Gottfried Benn.
pre-cut ~6:00s
After the 1976 (public) cinema ban, a DPP approved version was personally edited by James Ferman for exhibition in (private) cinema clubs.
The cut version prepared by James Ferman for club screenings lost nearly six minutes
of footage, removing - amongst other things - the coprophagia, the extreme violence at the end of the film, and certain elements of homosexual behaviour that were believed to be vulnerable to prosecution.
It also added an
4 minute on-screen prologue to legally 'explain' the context of Mussolini's regime at Salò and the writings of the Marquis de Sade.
An uncut version was however screened in 1995 at the NFT. It was also briefly shown uncut in a Soho
cinema club in 1977 but that resulted in a police raid.
banned
Berkshire Council banned
UK: The film was also banned from a cinema release in Berkshire where it was
submitted for a local certificate.
It was refused a certificate on the legal grounds of gross indecency. Gross
indecency was defined in British law as anything which an ordinary decent man or woman would find to be shocking, disgusting and revolting , or, which offended against recognised standards of propriety.
Unlike the Obscene Publications Act - which at that stage did not apply to films - gross indecency allowed for no defence of artistic or cultural merit to be mounted on the film's behalf. Furthermore, there was no requirement to consider the film - or the film's purpose - as a whole. If any part of the film was indecent then the whole film was illegal.
Sardonicus - 1961 USA horror mystery drama by William Castle. See
Mr. Sardonicus
Satan's Sadists is a 1969 USA action horror drama by Al Adamson. Starring Russ Tamblyn, Scott Brady and John 'Bud' Cardos.
Banned by the BBFC for 1970 cinema
release. Then cut by the BBFC for an 18 rated DVD in 2003. Uncut and MPAA R rated in the US.
Summary Notes
The "Satans" are a very cruel biker gang led by Anchor. The gang
goes to a diner in the middle of nowhere in the California desert where they begin to terrorize Lew and his patrons and his waitress, Tracy. After a little killing, one of the patrons named Johnny manages to escape from the bikers into the desert. They
need to reach a town before the Satans catch up to them and kill them.
Savage Streets is a 1984 US crime action film by Danny Steinmann. With Linda Blair, John Vernon and Robert Dryer.
Banned by the BBFC for 1984 cinema
release and 1986 VHS. Released with BBFC cuts for 1987 VHS. BBFC cuts waived for 2011 DVD. Uncut and R rated in the US
Summary Review: Gratuitous Nudity
This sleazy tale of high school
revenge with Linda Blair is a must for bad film fans everywhere.
This sympathetic tale tells the story of Brenda (Blair), a tough high school gal who spends her nights drinking peach brandy on the streets of LA with her equally tough friends. One
night, they make the mistake of puttering with a gang called the Scars, and before you know it, the Scars have raped and beaten Brenda's deaf, mute sister. Once Brenda learns the truth of what transpired, she vows revenge on those responsible.
This is the pre-eminent 80's high school movie - terrible music, awful acting, questionable violence and gratuitous nudity.
Versions
uncut
run:
92:42s
pal:
89:00s
UK: Passed 18 after previous BBFC cuts waived
for:
Schulmädchen-Report 1. Teil - Was Eltern nicht für möglich halten
Schoolgirl Report is a 1970 West Germany softcore comedy romance by Ernst Hofbauer. Starring Günther Kieslich, Wolf Harnisch and Helga Kruck.
Banned by the BBFC for a cinema
release in 1971 as Schoolgirl Report. Cut and re-titled for an X rated cinema release in 1976. Also cut in the US to remove a flashback scene depicting an underage encounter.
Summary Notes
A teenage girl is caught petting with the bus driver during an outing. The school's parent council discusses her punishment. One parent, a psychologist, suggests that her behavior is not abnormal or worthy of expulsion. He describes
teen girls' experiments with sex, and these dramatized vignettes, interspersed with man-in-the-street interviews with young women about their attitudes and experiences, make a case for 60's generation's attitude of independence. The girls argue for
telling the truth in the face of post-war German convention. In the end, will Renata be expelled or recognized as a girl from a new era?
Versions
cut
cut:
5:11s
run:
83:20s
pal:
80:00s
US: Cut to remove 2 scenes depicting underage encounters
Schoolgirls for Sale is a 1975 France adult film by Norbert Terry Starring Isabelle Bourjac, Olga Abadacha and Jean-Paul Schneider
Banned by the BBFC for 1976 cinema
release. It is not confirmed but the title listed as banned by the BBFC is probably a 1975 France adult film by Norbert Terry.
Summary Notes
Gina enrolls in a small finishing
school for young women, run by Madame Claude. As well as the ballet demonstrations and lessons in deportment and archery, there are other lessons which have a distinctly sexual emphasis. This establishment turns out to be a brothel for the nobility...
Versions
uncut:
run:
77:06s
pal:
74:01s
world
Worldwide: Available on porn tubes
banned
UK: Banned by the BBFC:
1976 cinema release
Thanks to Mike:
The BBFC would have taken exception to the following, and bear in mind that these were the early days of the Ferman area when they were especially sensitive to issues of sex and sexual violence,
particularly in the context of a porn film:
The almost constant nudity
Many, many sex scenes which are fairly graphic in a softcore way and do little to advance the plot
A long scene in which an
implied sexual assault turns into consensual sex
A scene in which the girls are instructed in bondage techniques
A man aiming a bow and arrow at a naked woman (twice)
A very bizarre scene in which a naked woman dances seductively on a table while a Bruce Lee impersonator practices his karate moves in her general direction
Money is mentioned frequently and
it's implied that the only value the girls have is what fee they can command in the brothel
A man is having trouble performing. The woman tries to get him in the mood by placing a noose around his neck....
So hardly surprising they rejected it really.
v Score
- 1974 US/Yugoslavia erotic drama by Radley Metzger
Score is a 1974 US/Yugoslavia erotic drama by Radley Metzger .
Banned by the BBFC for 1974 cinema
release. Real gay sex was cut from the 2013 Arrow release for an 18 rating, otherwise the film would have been uncut, but with an R18 rating.
Summary Review: Period Piece
Liberated '70s couple seduce
another couple into experimentation with bisexuality and group-sex.
The film calls for sexual liberation and it a fun look at sex and dialog of the stoned 70's. In the UNCUT version of Score Gerald Grant and Cal
Culver (Casey Donovan of gay porn fame) engage in explicit, X-rated sexual activity.
The bi-sexual theme may not sit well with a lot of folks and perhaps that is what makes the film so special and is is part of the enduring charm.
People have trouble with non-traditional sex (particularly for men).
Artfully photographed by Metzger himself and veteran cinematographer Franjo Vodopivec on location in Yugoslavia, has clever dialogue which removes outmoded
notions of sexual parameters from the start.
This movie was WAY ahead of its time with some great erotic scenes, plenty of nudity and drug references. The lead actress (Claire Wilbur) is marvelous in her role as Elvira, the
swinging married seductress. Lynn Lowry is quite convincing in her role as an innocent newlywed catholic school girl turned wild sexpot!
All in all, this movie is great fun to watch. It is an extremely enjoyable and often shocking
piece of erotic cinema.
UK: The Cut US Softcore Version was passed
18 for strong sex and nudity with 6:53s of pre-cuts for:
2013 Arrow RB Blu-ray/ R2 DVD Combo
The BBFC commented:
Distributor chose to remove clear sight of unsimulated oral sex in order to achieve an 18 classification. An uncut R18 was available.
In addition to cuts of 2 minutes 3
seconds which were required by the BBFC for the 18 classification - an R18 without cuts was available - the distributor chose to remove an additional 4 minutes 50 seconds of content.
US: There is a cut US softcore version. that
is exactly the same running time as that passed 18 by the BBFC. Presumably it is the same version. It looks like Arrow submitted the uncut version and the BBFC requested cuts of 2:03s. Rather than implement the cuts themselves, Arrow submitted the cut US
version instead, which meets the BBFC demands but is substantially shorter. Presumably using the existing US softcore version makes it easier in terms of the soundtrack and commentary.
A scene features cross cutting between a softcore lesbian scene and a hardcore gay scene featuring real oral sex. Presumably the BBFC required cuts were to the gay blow jobs. The remainder of the cuts are US cuts to tone down the remaining sex in the
same scene.
cut for softcore 2:03s
UK: Passed 18 after 2:03s of category cuts for:
2013 Arrow video unreleased
Mike Comments:
BBFC policy states that real sex is permissible at 18 if the film is not a sex film, and the real sex can be justified by context.
The BBFC didn't debate whether the real sex
was justified by context, as they thought the film was a sex film and they cut it on that basis. And the reason they thought it was a sex film was that there are 2 sex scenes intercut with each other.
That's a definition of sex
film which they haven't used before or since when making cuts, so it's quite notable.
Screwples is a 1979 US film by Clair Dia, Harry Lewis Starring Kandi Barbour, Serena and Jamie Gillis
The BBFC banned a cinema release in
1982. It probably offended due to its S&M scene with Jamie Gillis & Serena which features anal & vulva whipping. A very short version was later passed 18 in 1990.
Secrets of Death Room is 1973 US horror by Jacques Lacerte. With Mary Charlotte Wilcox, Lyle Waggoner and Christopher Stone.
Banned by the BBFC for 1973 cinema
release. Uncut and MPAA R rated in the US.
Summary Review: Will You Love Me When I'm Dead
A gruelling film about a lovely young housewife coming to terms with her compulsive necrophilia. Through
frequent visits to the local mortuary, she finds a clandestine society of like-minded individuals.
The movie plays its subject matter pretty straight and delivers a decent enough and unusual B movie.
Sex Adventures of the Three Musketeers is a 1971 West Germany/Switzerland sex comedy by Erwin C Dietrich (as Michael Thomas). Starring Peter Graf, Ingrid Steeger and Nadia Pilar.
Banned by the BBFC from a 1973 cinema release. It was also banned by local censors in Glasgow the following year. But by 1975 it was
passed X by the BBFC.
Summary Notes
An "adults only" retelling of the legend of the Three Musketeers.
Versions
uncut
run:
78m
pal:
75m
UK: Passed X (18) uncut:
1975 cinema release
Maybe a minute shorter than expected so perhaps was cut
banned
run:
79m
pal:
76m
Glasgow
UK: Banned by the BBFC:
1973 cinema release
The film fell foul of Glasgow magistrates in 1974 on basis of its strong emphasis on immorality taking place behind the walls of convents and monasteries.
Sex in a Woman's Love Camp - 1977 Switzerland adventure thriller by Jesús Franco . See
Love Camp
v Sex Orgy
- 1971 US adult film by Edward D. Wood Jr.
Sex Orgy is a 1971 US adult film by Edward D. Wood Jr.
Starring Uschi Digard
This is a short 8mm film extracted from Ed Wood's The Only House in Town. It was originally banned by the BBFC for 1975 cinema release
but was soon cut for an X rating in the same year.
Versions
cut
cut:
run:
18m
pal:
17m
UK: Passed X (18) after BBFC cuts
1975 cinema release by Miracle Films classified on 2nd June 1975
banned
banned
UK: Banned by the BBFC:
1975 cinema release by Miracle Films banned on 15th January 1975
Thanks to Mike:
The Only House in Town has been released recently by Severin as part of their collection of Wood's adult films (Hard Wood). It's completely obvious where the Sex Orgy material fits in. After around 2
minutes of screen time, 7 naked people have an orgy (for no apparent reason) which lasts around 18-19 minutes. That fits exactly with the Sex Orgy which the BBFC viewed which was 18 minutes long.
The orgy is fairly graphic by
1970s standards but it's so badly photographed that it's hard to tell whether real sex was taking place. I imagine the BBFC cuts in June 1975 were to some of the more vigorous thrusting and the anal sex.
They might also have taken
exception to the fact that viewed in the context of the complete film (which they might or might not have seen) it's clear that one of the women has been taken to the orgy against their will.
This movie is about the
morality, education, and responsibilities pertaining to sexual freedom. Not only that, it has the most amazing child birth sequence that could and should be used as a training tool and viewed by anyone that is interested in the miracle of child birth.
This very insightful movie should be shown in school sex education programs internationally along with material already being presented in that forum, and is and all around must see for anyone deemed mature enough. It is a
great introduction to various pertinent aspects in the sexual arena. It's delightful!
Cuts required to remove images in potential violation of the Protection of Children Act 1978.
Thanks to Mike who adds:
At 37-38 minutes,
the hero of the film is telling a female acquaintance about his childhood and the fact that he was admired for his beauty even before he was 2 years old.
We cut to a scene in which a maid, his mother and his aunt are bathing him
as a child. He is unclothed and the three women are making admiring remarks about his body, including his dimensions. The BBFC let the dialogue pass, but they cut a frontal close-up of the boy. The nudity is innocent and non-sexualised in itself, but the
zoom in risks making the image a PCA concern.
That's quite an unusual type of Protection of Children Act (PCA) cut. The only other cuts which I can recall which were due to the camera getting too close to a scene of natural nudity
were in one scene of Emanuelle's Sweet Revenge, and the pre-credit baptism scene in The Ages of Lulu.
There is a follow-up scene in the Pecas film in which the maid strips down to her underwear and lifts the child out of the bath
and hugs him. The nudity of the young actor is still natural, but it becomes potentially sexualised due to the physical contact and the sexual element of the maid losing her clothes in a provocative manner.
Overall the PCA cuts
amount to around 5 seconds.
cut:
run:
86:00s
pal:
82:34s
UK: BBFC X (18) rated after BBFC cuts:
1975 Border Films cinema release (rated 13/05/1975)
banned
UK: Banned by BBFC
1975 Border Films cinema release (rated 12/02/1975)
Shadows of Fiendish Ancestress and Occasionally Parajanov on Durian Cialis is a 2017
Singapore/Japan/Philippines romance by Tze Chuan Chew. Starring Raissa Ai, Karla MC Bautista and Paolo Dumlao.
Banned by Thurrock Council
News September 2018
The film was banned by Thurrock Council from
screening at the Thurrock International Celebration of Film.
Councillor Deborah Huelin, Portfolio Holder for Communities, explained:
Based on an initial review by the council, it was identified that two of the
films could likely be rated R18 if a full assessment were carried out under the guidelines issued by the BBFC. These types of films can only be shown in specially licensed sex cinemas or supplied by licensed sex shops. The entertainment license for the
Thameside Theatre does not allow them to show R18 films which means that these two films cannot form part of the festival.
Summary Notes
With reference to native historical
texts and the mythological and religious depiction of the Holy Whore, Chew constructs a mythology of a hermaphrodite who comes to town to impart a wisdom that proves to be too carnal and untimely. Years in the making and strung together with
documentary-like footage of orgiastic happenings, punctuated with moments of refrain into randomness, the film soon escalates into a schizophrenic psychedelia of multicultural and polymorphous sexuality.
She Tries Every Man is a 1976 France adult hardcore film by Serge Korber (as John Thomas) Starring Alain Saury, Isabelle Bourjac and Emmanuelle Parèze
Presumably She Tries Every Man is
L'essayeuse which was controversially the first film banned in France since the war. Prints were supposedly burnt but the film reappeared in a cut version the following year titled L'odyssée de l'extase with the English language version titled Love Play.
Presumably it was a pre-cut or softcore version that was banned by the BBFC in 1976.
Summary Notes
Lena, the operator of a lingerie shop where she models the merchandise for some of
her male customers in order to make a sale, is approached by a mysterious woman, Karine Delacroix, the day following a wild night of sex with one of those male customers, Étienne.
Versions
banned
UK: Banned by BBFC
1976 Cinecenta cinema release titled She Tries Every Man
cut
France
France: Cut for
1977 cinema release titled L'odyssée de l'extase
The re-edited version titled L'odyssée de l'extase was missing a significant portion of the scene where Lena is raped by Karine's black servants.
banned
France
France: Banned for
1976 cinema release titled L'essayeuse
Thanks to Mike and IMDb:
The film was banned in France in 1976 and the negative burned by court order. The director was fined, as was the producer, the screenwriter, some of the technicians and even the lead actress.
It was the
first time since the German occupation that a French film was seized and its original negative burnt. The film was denounced by two major family associations and condemned to be burnt on the following day. According to the "specialists" at the
time, this film did not present more obscenity and bad taste than the films of the same kind. But for the plaintiffs, it was a question of making an example, and they made a martyr of it.
In his autobiography What the Censor Saw , former BBFC Secretary John Trevelyan stated that If mental illness is treated seriously, it can be entirely acceptable as material for a film, but if treated sensationally I would
find it totally unacceptable.
On 2 October 1963, writer-director-producer Samuel Fuller's black and white crime thriller Shock Corridor was submitted to the BBFC for classification, and presented some familiar problems.
The BBFC Examiners notes described the film as a sensationalised picture of life in an American asylum , and one examiner noted that Shock Corridor shocked us . Their concerns included Cathy's profession and appearance
as a stripper (although the latter aspect is described as being rather tame'); the incest references; the murder motive; a scene where Barrett encounters a ward full of 'nymphomaniacs ; a scene of electro-shock treatment; a nightmare sequence and
a fight scene. Their report concluded We are satisfied that cutting would be impracticable and that a certificate should be refused.
The film was then referred to the BBFC's Secretary, John Trevelyan. He viewed the film
with two Examiners and the BBFC's President, and they agreed that this film should not be passed . As well as the issues previously noted, they believed that the film presents a mental hospital in a light that would be considered objectionable
in this country and that the film could not be cut to make it acceptable.
Trevelyan also had concerns about Cathy's strip-tease, the suggestion that a sane person could fake insanity to get committed to a mental hospital, the
suggestion that committal to a mental hospital could turn a sane person insane and its potentially harmful effect on mentally disturbed viewers .
Trevelyan sent a rejection letter to the film's UK distributor,
stating that The film portrays a picture of mental hospital life which is far removed from that in mental hospitals in this country, and which could well cause grave concern to people who have friends and relatives with mental illness.
Summary Notes
Johnny Barrett, an ambitious journalist, is determined to win a Pulitzer Prize by solving a murder committed in a lunatic asylum and witnessed only by three inmates, from whom the
police have been unable to extract the information. With the connivance of a psychiatrist, and the reluctant help of his girlfriend, he succeeds in having himself declared insane and sent to the asylum. There he slowly tracks down and interviews the
witnesses - but things are stranger than they seem ...
BBFC Director John Trevelyan spoke about the board's view on mental
illness. The BBFC policy led the examiners to pass films that treated mental illness seriously and reject those in which the depiction of mental hospitals and illness were unjustified and alarmist He highlighted Family Life(1971) as an
exemplar of the former, stating: If mental illness is treated seriously, as in Family Life by Ken Loach it can be entirely acceptable as material for a film, but if treated sensationally I would find it totally unacceptable.
Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 is a 1987 USA comedy drama horror thriller by Lee Harry. With Eric Freeman, James Newman and Elizabeth Kaitan.
Cut for an MPAA R rating. This was banned by the BBFC for 1987 cinema release and wasn't released again until an 18 rated Blu-ray in
2020.
Summary Review: Dumbed Down
Ricky, the brother of the killer in the first film, talks to a psychitrist about how he became a brutal killer after his brother died, leading back to Mother
Superior.
The murders are dumbed down a bit compared with the first part.
The acting, sets, cinematography, and even the special effects are mostly amateurish, and even laughable.
Versions
best available
cut:
run:
88:33s
pal:
85:00s
UK: The cut US Version was passed 18
for strong bloody violence, sexual violence, sexualised violence without BBFC cuts:
2020 101 Films Limited Edition [Part 1 + Part 2] (RB) Blu-ray at UK Amazon #ad
2018 Shout! Factory Limited Edition RA Blu-ray at US Amazon
2012 Starz/Anchor Bay
[Silent Night 1+2] R1 DVD at US Amazon
2003 Starz/Anchor Bay [Silent Night 1+2] R1
DVD at US Amazon
See article from dvdcompare.net : A few frames of gore (including a bit of
liver popping out during the umbrella scene) were cut from the film to obtain an R rating, and have never been reinstated.
banned
cut:
run:
88:33s
pal:
85:00s
UK: The cut US Version was banned by the BBFC for:
Solange is a 1972 Italy/West Germany mystery thriller by Massimo Dallamano. Starring Fabio Testi, Cristina Galbó and Karin Baal.
Banned by the BBFC for 1973 cinema
release. Later passed 18 after cuts for 1996 VHS. Uncut for 2015 DVD and Blu-ray.
Summary Notes
A teacher who is having an affair with one of his students takes her out on a boat. They see a knife
killing on shore. Other gruesome murders start occurring shortly thereafter, and the teacher suspects that he may be the cause of them.
Availability
Current UK Status: Passed 18 uncut
UK: Passed 18 uncut for strong sexualised violence, nudity for:
2015 Arrow Video (RB) Blu-ray/R2 DVD Combo at UK Amazon
The Story of O is a 1975 France/West Germany/Canada drama by Just Jaeckin. Starring Corinne Cléry, Udo Kier and Anthony Steel.
Notably banned by the BBFC for 1975
cinema release. A shortened English language version was passed 18 without BBFC cuts for 2000 cinema release and DVD. The English Version is MPAA X rated in the US. The French version is uncut with more philosophising but makes more sense.
Summary Notes
The beautiful O is taken by her boyfriend, Rene, to a bizarre retreat, where she is trained in bondage and sexual perversion. Rene discharges a personal debt by transferring possession of O to his
step-brother, Sir Stephen.
It is most certainly worth viewing the French original, for its insight into the world of BDSM, although as with the book it is fantasy, but that clearly shows its faithfulness to
the book, and is most certainly worth watching, and a valued addition to my DVD collection.
Availability
The BBFC banned the 1975 cinema.
Short dubbed English version was passed 18 without BBFC cuts for
the 2000 cinema release and Arrow R2 DVD.
Story of O Part 2 is a 1984 France/Spain/Panama drama by Éric Rochat Starring Sandra Wey, Rosa Valenty and Manuel de Blas
Banned by the BBFC for cinema and
video.
Summary Notes
James Pembroke, a powerful industrialist, has become a nuisance to his rivals. That is the reason why they have decided to neutralize him. To this end they call
on O, who has turned from victim to dominatrix. Her mission is to compromise not only James in person but his whole fam...
Versions
banned
UK: Banned by the BBFC for:
video release
cinema release
Much softer and more light hearted than the original but was still rejected.
The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh is a 1971 Italy/Spain giallo by Sergio Martino. With George Hilton, Edwige Fenech and Conchita Airoldi.
Banned by the BBFC for 1971 cinema
release. It was eventually unbanned for 2011 DVD which was rated 18 uncut. Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US but there are also shortened versions to be aware of.
Summary Review: Well-Crafted
A
solid, well-crafted giallo that delivers the goods without achieving classic status.
The characters are interesting without being in any way sympathetic. The men are manipulative predators and the women play
dangerous games. In the last act, the sado-masochistic undercurrents make way for a series of plot twists. While these are not too predictable, the final solution is unremarkable.
Sergio Martino stages some
impressive set-piece.
Versions
uncut
run:
100:41s
pal:
96:39s
UK: Passed 18 uncut for strong sex and
violence for:
Stranger from Canton is a 1973 Hong Kong action film by Yeo Ban-Yee. With Hao-ran Chen, Yuan Chen and Yi Feng.
Briefly banned by the BBFC for 1976
cinema release before being extensively cut for an X rating in the same year. Cut again for 18 rated VHS release in 1987. Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US.
Summary Review: Downright visceral
The film
features a solid cast of Hong Kong film luminaries and fight after brutal, bone-crushing fight.
Jason Pai Piao plays a dapper hero who catches knives in his teeth and takes bites out of them. The imposing Thompson Kao Kang plays
the lead villain, a dangerous fighter who wields his queue--or pigtail--as a weapon.
The fights in this movie are downright visceral. If you enjoy the dark, violent martial arts films of this period, Stranger from Canton will be right up your alley.
The film was viewed in 1975 by the Board's Secretary, Stephen Murphy, and the President, Lord Harlech. They agreed there was no
prospect of classification and, in a letter to the distributor, Murphy noted: I regret that we are unable to offer certification for this film: nor can we see how it can be cut to make it acceptable to us. We accept that it is a film of some
seriousness of purpose: though also of some obscurity. Nevertheless, in many respect, it goes beyond the standards of taste which the Board is currently prepared to accept .
In 1978, Connoisseur Films approached the
BBFC, having being offered the rights to the film. They enquired about whether there was any prospect of the film being classified. There is no record in the Board's files of what James Ferman told the company, although there is a note that he spoke to
them about it on 10 January 1978. Given that the film was never formally submitted, we can only assume that he discouraged the company.
The film was formally submitted by a new distributor, Lazer Films, in 1980. Examiners
suggested that cuts should be made to remove any potentially indecent images from the Anna Planeta scene (which had not been an issue in 1975), to remove the whole sequence in which three men crap in competition and then show it to crowd , and to
remove some of the more extreme open-leg shots towards the end of the film, in which Carol Laure wallows in liquid chocolate. [Laure herself had earlier fought a legal battle to have these shots suppressed]. It was conceded by examiners that certain
other scenes, most notably the scene in which Miss Canada's husband urinates directly onto her, were very strong. However, it was felt that these scenes could not be cut without ruining the meaning of the film. However, in spite of negotiations between
the BBFC and the distributor, the film was simply withdrawn from the classification process, possibly because of the difficulty of making cuts, in particular to the Anna Planeta sequence.
Summary Review : Dark recesses
There are some films that are designed to shock, some designed to titillate, some that delight in disgusting the view. For Makavejev, shock, disgust and titillation are never the purpose, but a means
to a form of psycho-liberation. Makavejev in Sweet Movie hurtles us head first into the confronting theses of Post-Freudian Wilhelm Reich. We are forced to confront our relationship to our primal beings. He literally smears our consciousness with faeces,
vomit and carnality.
We cannot watch orgiastic scenes of regressive acts, a sensual striptease played out inches from the faces of young boys, Carol Laure masturbating in a pool of molten chocolate without a visceral reaction. We are forced to
confront our own repressed desires and shine a light in the dark recesses of our own psyche.
Techniques Of Love is a 1973 West Germany comedy by Wolfgang Bellenbaum Starring Sandro Castell, Heidi Kappler and Michael Zanirati
Banned by the BBFC for 1974 cinema
release. IMDb notes that it was later release with a BBFC X rating.
Summary Notes
The movie that finally shows us what really happens behind the scenes at a typical dance
school. And such an educational shock is sorely needed, as many ignorant people still believe that there is mainly dancing that goes on there.
Schulmädchen-Report 7: Doch das Herz muß dabei sein
Schoolgirl Report 7: What The Heart Must Thereby...
Lucifer's Angels
Teenage Playmates is a 1974 West Germany erotic mock documentary by Ernst Hofbauer. With Alfred Acktun, Puppa Armbruster and Hans Bergmann.
Banned by the BBFC for UK 1977 cinema
release
Summary Review: Retro-romp
A bunch of lovely teenage schoolgirls work at a secret brothel where they have sex with high paying older men. After the girls all get arrested for prostitution,
several of them discuss how they wound up working at said brothel
It's done in a cinema-verite style regarding the declining morals, the conflict of promiscuity versus morality, parental guilt, and the pervading sense of
anti-authoritarianism prevalent at that time.
As a light-hearted, soft-core retro-romp from that era it's a damned good time for those who can appreciate such things
The Telephone Book is a 1971 USA comedy by Nelson Lyon. With Margaret Brewster, Roger C. Carmel, David Dozer.
Banned by the BBFC for 1971 cinema
release. Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US.
Summary Review: Underground
The story of a day in the life of a lonely, sensitive, exuberant, attractive, young woman. Her exploits, encounters, and
frustrations as she attempts to find a special someone, a caller who has class , as she puts it.
Funny, near brilliant, underground movie about the sexual perversions of everyday people. A terrific example of grass roots
filmmaking were the creativity and ingenuity of the director.
Availability
Current UK Status: Not released since the ban
US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for:
US 2013 Vinegar Syndrome R0 Blu-ray/R0 DVD Combo at US Amazon
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 1974 US horror film by Tobe Hooper. With Marilyn Burns, Edwin Neal and Allen Danziger.
In the US the film was initially rated X, but attained an R rating after cuts. This was the last X certificate granted by the MPAA
prior to the introduction of NC-17. The R rated version has been used for all releases worldwide. In the UK, the 1975 cinema release was famously banned by the BBFC. Some local councils overrode the BBFC ban and passed it X with a local certificate. The
ban continued well into the home video era until unbanned (and released uncut) in 1999.
Famously banned by the BBFC for 1975 cinema release. See
article from sbbfc.co.uk :
Tobe
Hooper's seminal horror film was first seen informally by the BBFC's Secretary, Stephen Murphy, on 27 February 1975. Murphy regarded it as a good, well-made film but felt strongly that the level of terrorisation, particularly towards the end of the film,
and the film's focus on abnormal psychology was unsuitable for a BBFC X certificate to be issued. The distributor reacted to this advice by making some minor reductions in the final scenes of terrorisation, formally submitting a slightly
truncated version on 12 March 1975.
A pre-cut version was passed X by the GLC for a London 1975 cinema release
The film was shown in some others towns with a local authority certificate overruling the BBFC ban but the BBFC ban
was enforced in others
The Pre-cert VHS was released uncut on the Wizard label in 1981
At around this time, the BBFC was once again asked to consider cuts for a legitimate video release but failed to see how an acceptable version could be produced.
The film therefore fell into limbo and was removed from the shelves following the introduction of the Video Recordings Act.
Passed 18 uncut by Camden Council in London for a Camden 1998 cinema release.
It was given a late night screening at the
1998 London Film Festival and then ran successfully in Camden at the beginning of 1999.
The BBFC ban had persisted until 1999. An official BBFC comment from their website just before the granting of the cinema certificate in 1999 read:
Most questions about THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (and sequels) assume that the problem is one of violence or horror. In fact the reason that the film was refused certification was the result of the perceived degree of terrorisation
of women and threat to defenceless women. The Board has for many years operated a very strict policy with regard to sexual violence, based on the incidence of this sort of behaviour in real life and the fact that a great deal of research does indicate
that this is the one area where media representations do seem to have quite direct effects on attitudes and behaviour. The film was rejected by the Board on film and is most unlikely to be classified on video, where the law demands a stricter test, under
amendments to the Video Recording Act 1984 contained in the Criminal Justice & Public Order Act 1994.
The BBFC finally relented on their ban in 1999 when they passed the cinema release and subsequent video/DVD versions 18 uncut
with the following comment:
The notoriety of the film may owe a lot to its original rejection by the BBFC in 1975. It was passed for viewing in Europe, the USA, Australia and other countries. It received a GLC licence in
the 1970s and was most recently shown in central London in 1998 under a licence from Camden Council. There is, so far as the Board is aware, no evidence that harm has ever arisen as a consequence of viewing the film. For modern young adults, accustomed
to the macabre shocks of horror films through the 1980s and 1990s, THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE is unlikely to be particularly challenging. Unlike more recent examples of the genre, violence in THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE is throughout implied
rather than explicit. By today's standards, its visual effects may seem relatively unconvincing.
Possibly the most notorious feature is the relentless pursuit of the 'Final Girl' throughout the last half hour or so of the
film. The heroine in peril is a staple of the cinema since the earliest days. It is nonetheless legitimate to question the unusual emphasis THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE places on the pursuit of a defenceless and screaming female over such an
extended period. The Board's conclusion, after careful consideration, was that any possible harm that might arise in terms of the effect upon a modern audience would be more than sufficiently countered by the unrealistic, even absurd, nature of the
action itself. It is worth emphasising that there is no explicit sexual element in the film, and relatively little visible violence.
Summary Review: Classic of its generation
The Texas
Chainsaw Massacre is undoubtedly one of the scariest films ever made and its raw power remains undiminished to this very day. Tobe Hooper somehow created a genuine fright machine which changed the face of the horror genre completely.
The story revolves around a group of teenagers being chased, terrified and murdered when they stumble upon a canabilistic family in the countryside. The main character, Leatherface, who's remorseless killings were loosely based on
real life 1950's Texan murderer Ed Gein.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a classic of its generation and deserves to be part of any respectable film collection. Just don't watch it alone.
Availability
Current UK Status: Passed 18 uncut
The R rated version was passed 18 without cuts after the BBFC finally relented on their ban for:
Thriller: A Cruel Picture is a 1973 Sweden action thriller by Bo Arne Vibenius (as Alex Fridolinski). Starring Christina Lindberg, Heinz Hopf and Despina Tomazani.
The Original/Festival Version including director approved hardcore inserts was banned by the Swedish films censors for cinema release
and was subsequently significantly cut to obtain a cinema release. The film was also heavily cut in the US for an MPAA R rating. This US Version was banned by the BBFC from a 1974 cinema release. Heavy cuts were then made to obtain an X rated UK cinema
release in 1976. The Original Version was submitted to the BBFC in 2026 but the BBFC cut the hardcore inserts for a cut 18 rated Blu-ray release. There are several other versions featuring a mix of material from the above versions.
Summary Notes
Gorgeous Swedish cult siren Christina Lindberg plays Frigga who cannot speak after a childhood trauma. A rather shady character kidnaps her and after getting her hooked on heroine, he forces her to work as a
prostitute, and gouges her eye out when she refuses her first client. Frigga saves her money and pays for lessons in martial arts, before taking her revenge on those cruel customers and her pimp.
As the title suggests this
is one viciously bleak film. From the barren wind swept Swedish landscape and eerie electric score to the hard core sex scenes and eye gouge scene which was created using a real cadaver, Thriller is a truly potent cult shocker.
Lindberg is a truly striking and unforgettable cult figure, carrying a shotgun and dressed all in black she is enigmatic and certainly makes shameless plagiarizer Tarantino's work look pale by comparison.
A long standing rumor
surrounding the film was that a real corpse was used for the scene where Madeleine's eye is taken out with a scalpel. In a March 2006 interview, Christina Lindberg confirmed this. The body was of a young girl who had committed suicide. Makeup was added
to the eye, and the shot was filmed in the hospital that had received the body.
Original Version/Festival Version
uncut Festival Version
run:
108:14s
pal:
103:54s
US: The Original Version is uncut and MPA Unrated:
2022 Vinegar Syndrome [Original Version + Extended US Version] Standard Edition R0 4K Blu-ray at US Amazon #ad
2022 Vinegar Syndrome [Original Version + Extended US Version] Standard Edition R0 Blu-ray
at US Amazon
Includes the hardcore inserts plus an approximately 50-second sex scene featuring the real Christina
Lindberg ( not her double for the Hardcore scenes!) There is also extra exit music.
cut
cut:
run:
108:08s
pal:
103:48s
UK: The Original Version was BBFC 18 rated for sexual violence for sexual violence after BBFC cuts:
2025 Screenbound Pictures Blu-ray (rated 28/07/2025)
The BBFC commented:
Compulsory cuts required to remove material that may cause harm to viewers by making sexual violence look appealing (explicit shots of unsimulated sexual acts edited into two scenes of sexual
violence). An uncut classification was not available.
The Classifiers discussed Thriller: A Cruel Picture, a Swedish crime drama, from 1973, in which a woman is forced into prostitution and later seeks violent revenge against her abusers
The film was previously
submitted to the BBFC, in a pre-cut version, for cinema release in 1974 and found unsuitable for classification. It was resubmitted in 1975 203 following a change in BBFC leadership 203 and classified X in 1976 after further cuts were made to scenes of
violence and sexual violence. It has not previously been classified for home video release
The film has now been submitted for a video rating, in its original uncut version.
The Classifiers focused in
particular on two scenes of sexual violence, which depict the protagonist participating in sex work with male and female clients while under the control of a pimp who has forcibly addicted her to heroin. The scenes include explicit images of unsimulated
masturbation, vaginal and anal penetration, and ejaculation.
The BBFC supports adults' right to choose their own entertainment as long as it remains within the law and is not potentially harmful. However, where a film or video
raises issues or concerns that cannot be addressed by classification at a particular category, we may require cuts or other changes as a condition of classification.
Our Classification Guidelines state that such cuts may be
required to portrayals of sexual violence that make rape, other non-consensual sexually violent behaviour or sadistic violence look appealing.
The Classifiers noted that the volume and detail of the real sexual activity in
Thriller: A Cruel Picture far exceeds previous, and very rare, precedents for unsimulated (or apparently unsimulated) sexual activity during scenes of sexual violence in films classified by the BBFC. They unanimously agreed that the nature and quantity
of the explicit and unsimulated images, in the context of scenes of sexual violence, is such that their effect is to eroticise rape in a manner that poses a risk of harm to viewers under the Video Recordings Act 1984.
The
Classifiers determined that the scenes breached the BBFC's Guidelines and policy on depictions of sexual violence, and that cuts were therefore required to remove all explicit imagery in order to make the film suitable for classification at 18.
Swedish Version/Synapse Version
uncut
cut:
54s
run:
106:36s
pal:
102:20s
US: The Swedish Version is MPAA Unrated but shortened for:
The uncut version includes hardcore inserts of penetration and ejaculation, however it is missing an approximately 50-second sex scene featuring the real Christina Lindberg ( not her double for the Hardcore scenes!)
banned
run:
107m
pal:
103m
Sweden
Sweden: The Original Version was banned in Sweden for 1973 cinema release
From IMDb.
The original running time was 107 minutes. After being banned by the Swedish film censorship board, it was cut down to 104 minutes and then 86 minutes, but still banned. It was finally released after being cut down to
82 minutes.
Vengeance Version
Vengeance Edition
cut:
3:36s
run:
103:01s
pal:
98:54s
US: The Vengeance Edition is cut
The US Synapse DVD identified as the Vengeance Edition is missing the
hardcore scenes, and has a shortened eye gouging scene, but contains the rest of the violence.
US: The Extended US Version is uncut and MPA Unrated:
2022 Vinegar Syndrome [Original Version + Extended US Version] R0 4K Blu-ray at US Amazon #ad
2022 Vinegar Syndrome [Original Version + Extended US Version] R0 Blu-ray at US Amazon
US R Rated Version
cut
cut:
run:
82m
pal:
79m
US: Cut for a US R rating
cut
cut:
run:
79:39s
pal:
76:28s
UK: Passed X after heavy BBFC cuts for:
1976 cinema release
Presumably this is based on the US Version: This was heavily cut to try and obtain distribution in the US. Madeleine was re-named to Frigga, the hardcore sex-scenes were all cut, and several scenes including violence were censored as well. Overall,
about 25 minutes of the movie were taken out.
To Kill a War Machine is a 2025 UK documentary by Hannan Majid, Richard York Starring Huda Ammori, Richard Barnard and Shezana Hafiz
Originally uncut and BBFC 15 rated
for a 2025 cinema release, but was banned a month later following the UK government ban of the campaign group Palestine Action.
Summary Notes
A documentary about the activist group
Palestine Action.
Versions
banned
run:
78:17s
pal:
75:09s
UK: Banned by BBFC
2025 Rainbow Collective Blu-ray (banned 04/07/2025)
The BBFC commented:
To Kill a War Machine is a British documentary about the group Palestine Action, who were proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000 with effect from 5 July 2025. The film was originally classified
15 uncut for cinema release on 5 June 2025, before the group was proscribed. Given the proscription of the organisation, and in accordance with legal advice, further distribution or exhibition of To Kill a War Machine is likely to constitute an offence
under the Terrorism Act 2000. As such, the classification for this film was revoked on 4 July 2025. BBFC Guidelines and policy state that we will not classify material which is in breach of the criminal law.
The film makers, Rainbow
Collective, also took down an online release, saying in a statement:
Following the vote in the House of Commons on 2nd July 2025 to proscribe Palestine Action, Rainbow Collective have taken the difficult decision to
temporarily take down the online version of our film, To Kill a War Machine and authorise no further screenings of the film until further notice.
As filmmakers with 20 years of experience documenting movements for social justice
around the world, we produced To Kill a War Machine independently, within the law and had it certified for cinema release by the BBFC. The film itself does not become illegal, as it was produced and edited prior to proscription. However, future
distribution of anything which could be interpreted as showing sympathy for or inviting support for a proscribed organisation will become illegal.
It has always been Rainbow Collective's intention to tell critical and truthful
stories with integrity. We never want our documentaries to expose our audiences or communities to danger from the state and, as such, the film will remain unavailable until we have absolute legal assurance that it can be distributed within the law.
Mike comments:
This seems to be the first documentary caught by the Terrorism Act 2000. The Act was mainly directed at the time at material published by proscribed organisations themselves or their
supporters, and then later, when internet communication advanced, it started to be applied to social media posts.
It's been claimed that the legal problems for To Kill a War Machine stem from the fact that it's one-sided. It
showcases the views of Palestine Action, allows them to defend their position and tactics at length, and doesn't include opinions from dissenting sources. That's not quite true though. Even if it had been more balanced it would still have breached the
Terrorism Act, which makes illegal speech which expresses an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation. Even a single opinion is enough, regardless of whether it's challenged and alternative perspectives offered.
An interesting parallel is with the 2003 documentary Jenin Jenin (Mohammad Bakri), which dealt with armed confrontations between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians in the West Bank city of Jenin. It takes the Palestinian side
and doesn't consider opposing views from Israelis. This was never submitted to the BBFC but has occasionally been publicly shown in the UK. Had it been intended to defend the views of a proscribed organisation it would have been just as illegal to
publish/show as To Kill a War Machine. But it was designed to support the position of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, which is of course not on the banned list.
uncut
run:
78:17s
pal:
75:09s
UK: Uncut and BBFC 15 rated for images of real dead bodies and injury, criminal behaviour:
2025 Rainbow Collective cinema release (rated 05/06/2025 but banned from 04/07/2025)
Top Sensation is a 1969 Italy drama by Ottavio Alessi. Starring Rosalba Neri, Edwige Fenech and Eva Thulin.
Banned by the BBFC for 1970 cinema
release. passed 18 uncut for 2016 DVD. Uncut and X rated in the US but later cut for an MPAA R rating. There is also a German version and mentions of additional footage shot in 1970.
Summary Notes
Attempting to cure her mentally handicapped son's virginity, his mother and several friends embark on a cruise which strands them on nearly deserted island where lust and murder are on the menu!
The film was first screened privately for Trevelyan by the distributor, Connoisseur, to gauge his personal opinion. He indicated that all references to and depictions of sexual sadism would have to be removed: This kind of sexual
perversion is a dangerous one and I am sure we would not pass anything that might stimulate a pervert of that kind. When officially submitted to the BBFC the film was rejected, a ruling which this time was backed by the GLC and other councils.
[However there is no record of a formal ban in the BBFC database].
The film was eventually granted an X certificate in 1977, having already been granted a certificate by the Bristol authority and screened successfully at
the Edinburgh Film Festival.
Passed 13 uncut in 2013.
Summary Review
This stylish, cult 1966 erotic thriller stars French new wave icons Jean-Louis Trintigant. He plays a drug courier
smuggling a stash of cocaine from Paris to Antwerp on the Trans-Europ-Express. Matters are complicated by surreal encounters with police, three filmmakers who are also on the train making a film about drug-traffickers and erotic-fantasy sequences
featuring Pisier being bound and subjected to Trintignant's will.
One of the most entertaining and involving films I've ever seen, managing to be cerebral and clever as can be while never giving into being impenetrable for the
sake of being impenetrable.
Availability
Current UK Status: Passed 15 uncut
UK: Passed 15 uncut for strong violence and sexual fetish images for:
The
Trip is a 1967 USA drama by Roger Corman. With Peter Fonda, Susan Strasberg and Bruce Dern.
Banned 4 times by the BBFC in 1967,
1971, 1980 and 1988. Passed uncut for TV in 2002 and DVD in 2004. Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US.
Summary Review: Far out man!
Paul Groves (Peter Fonda), a television commercial director, is in the
midst of a personality crisis. His wife Sally (Susan Strasberg) has left him and he seeks the help of his friend John (Bruce Dern), a self-styled guru who's an advocate of LSD. Paul asks John to be the guide on his first "trip". John takes Paul
to a "freak-out" at his friend Max's (Dennis Hopper) pad.
The superb title music by Electric Flag sets the scene for one of the most adventurous of cinematic offerings.
Just why it
was banned is unknown and seemingly absurd, of course it portrays drug taking with little emphasis on the dangers surrounding such indulgence, but to argue depiction of such behaviour promotes others to follow suit would suggest that all films with any
violence or portrayal of war should also be banned.
Besides the beauty of the film renders all objections irrelevant. It offers stunning visuals and great actors. A real slice of psychedelic culture and despite seeming
slightly dated, has it's heart in the right place. Far out man!
Peter Fonda recalls that when attending a film exhibition convention in Canada in
1967 to promote his new LSD-fueled Roger Corman-Jack Nicholson film The Trip . Jack Valenti , the head of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) who was quickly developing a reputation as morals watchdog as the content of films was
becoming edgier in the late-'60s, issued a plea to those in attendance.
And he got up there, and he said, My friends, and you are my friends, and I thought, That's so far out. And he said it twice, as if we didn't hear it the first time,
Fonda. And like a TV evangelist he says, It's time we stopped making movies about sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll and more movies like Doctor Dolittle, but he's looking right at me.
Later that day, when Fonda was at an autograph booth, he was
handed a photograph from The Trip to sign. The image depicted him and co-star Bruce Dern riding a Harley in pure silhouette on the Venice Beach bike path. We were so small and fully backlit and looked like we were riding in the sand, said Fonda. And I
looked at the photograph, and I thought, That's it! It's not about 100 Hells Angels going to a Hells Angels funeral, it's two guys riding across John Ford's West. No! They're going east. Oh, that's perfect. A journey to the east. An homage to Hermann
Hesse. Fantastic. I love that story. And I began, and within four hours, I had the whole story, basically.
Versions
uncut
run:
79:02s
pal:
75:52s
UK: Passed 18 uncut for drugs
theme and moderate sex for:
2016 Signal One Entertainment RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
Tropic of Cancer is a 1970 USA biography by Joseph Strick. With Rip Torn, James T Callahan and David Baur.
Banned by the BBFC for 1970 cinema
release. Later the film was granted a London X certificate but hasn't been released since. Uncut on 2010 DVD is the US. After the BBFC banned the film the distributors tried their luck with local authorities. In March 1971 the film was viewed by Glasgow
licensing magistrates who decided to ban the film. It was reported that one magistrate referred to the film as "filthy, disgusting, depraved".
Thanks to Gary.
After the BBFC ban, the film was
given a GLC X certificate. It was shown on Sky in the early 1990s. Its most recent UK showing was in November 2009, as part of the Barbican's directorspective of the work of Joseph Strick.
Trivia point: It's almost
certainly the first US major-studio film to feature the word 'cunt' in its dialogue - earlier than the usual film so credited, Carnal Knowledge .
Summary Review: Fairly Explicit
Henry is an ex-pat in Paris, cadging drinks and meals and places to sleep, giving advice about women to clueless men, flirting with the wives of acquaintances, burning bridges, and making philosophical observations. In vignettes we see his wife Mona come to Paris and leave immediately when she tastes Henry's vagabond life; he tries teaching English at a school in Dijon, takes the son of a wealthy Indian to a bordello, gets a job as a proofreader at the Herald Tribune, and helps out a pal who's in and out of an asylum and deeply in love with a whore. Can Henry make his own discovery of ecstasy?
The movie had difficulty synthesizing Henry Miller's sense of sacred and profane in harmony. It tried now with a Rip Torn voiceover reading from Miller's work, then with some poetic shots of the beauty of Paris. It
never really seemed to succeed.
The movie could never find anything to focus on. It represents a string of vignettes, and they don't seem to lead to any common goal. Many scenes seem to concentrate on the minor characters
for much too long, and without apparent purpose. Such picaresque efforts rely on the charm of characterization for impact, and this film has some of that, but not enough. It's structured as if somebody said let's make a film of Tropic of Cancer without actually feeling any passion for why they wanted to do that.
It was certainly interesting to see Rip Torn so young and so good-looking, and to see Ellen Burstyn in such a flagrant display of nudity. Some of the locales are accurately evocative, and Torn is reasonably credible in the
lead. It is fairly explicit in the sexual scenes, and extremely explicit in its use of language.
Venus in Furs is a 1969 West Germany/Switzerland/Italy drama by Massimo Dallamano Starring Laura Antonelli,Régis Vallée,Loren Ewing
Banned by the BBFC for 1970 cinema
released but was passed X in 1971 after cuts. Cut by the BBFC for 18 rated VHS release in 1993. Less cut for 18 rated DVD in 2007. Uncut in Italy.
Summary Notes
Based on the infamous
novel by Leopold Sacher-Masoch this fine film follows the perverted passions of a young couple as Severin watches the beautiful Wanda writhing naked amongst furs. His disturbing peeping tomism triggers off a whirlpool of emotions due to a childhood
episode which punishes voyeurism with pain.
Remove all sight of woman's tearful screams turning to pleasure as man continues to rape her (this pleasure being indicated by her making moaning sounds and winding her arms around his neck). Intervening shots of other people
may remain.
From the 2007 BBFC Annual Report:
The 1993 cuts were to a long scene of a rape and a scene where a preteen boy watches a couple having sex through a keyhole. As the boy was never present in the same place as the scene of sex, this material could be restored. But
the rape scene was felt to endorse 'rape myth' attitudes and cuts were still required to remove this material.
cut
cut:
2:32s
run:
84:25s
pal:
81:02s
UK: Passed 18 after 2:32s of BBFC cuts for:
1993 Redemption VHS
From the 2007 BBFC Annual Report:
The 1993 cuts were to a long scene of a rape and a scene where a preteen boy watches a couple having sex through a keyhole.
Virgin Witch is a 1972 UK horror by Ray Austin Starring Ann Michelle, Vicki Michelle and Keith Buckley
The film was originally banned for UK
cinema in 1971 by the BBFC though it was given a limited showing in London via an X rating from the GLC (Greater London Council). The film was passed X after cuts for 1972 cinema release. All UK home video releases have been uncut and 18 rated.
Summary Review: Looking Good
Christine gets her big chance at modelling when she applies at Sybil Waite's agency. Together with Christine's sister Betty they go to a castle for the weekend for a
photo shoot
On one hand critics criticised: yeah there's this coven of witches, and a couple of cute girls are being lured into it, but that doesn't prevent this film from being only so-so at best. One of the girls
becomes the plaything of the head female witch, but any potential eroticism is wasted as they never actually do anything together. Aside from a couple of brief moments when the girls are without their clothes, this film was just plain boring.
On the other hand some critics have lightened up on the film seeing it in its 2012 pristine transfer. Perhaps because it makes for even more appreciation of the beautiful Ann and Vicki Michelle.
West End Jungle is a 1961 UK sex work documentary by Arnold L. Miller Starring David Gell, Heather Russell and Tom Bowman
Banned by the BBFC for 1961 cinema
release. Later uncut and BBFC 15 rated for 2008 DVD.
Summary Notes
A mostly faked documentary about sex work in the West End of London. All the incidents in the film were staged. The
"prostitutes" were in fact au pairs recruited from nearby coffee bars, and their "clients" were played by friends of the crew.
uncut
run:
53:49s
pal:
51:40s
UK: Uncut and BBFC 15 rated for moderate sex references and prostitution theme:
Who Killed Teddy Bear is a 1965 USA crime mystery thriller by Joseph Cates. Starring Sal Mineo, Juliet Prowse and Jan Murray.
Banned by the BBFC for 1965 cinema
release. Uncut and 15 rated since 2008 DVD.
Summary Notes
A busboy at a disco has sexual problems related to events in his childhood. He becomes obsessed with a disc jockey at the club, leading to
obscene phone calls, voyeurism, trips to the porn shop and adult movie palace, and more! A police detective is similarly obsessed with sexual materials, leading him to become personally involved in the case.
Versions
uncut
run:
90:05s
pal:
86:29s
UK: Passed 15 uncut for strong sex references and one scene of sexual violence for:
From Imdb. There is an edited version of this film that deletes 3 minutes of
Sal Mineo working out and swimming at the Gym where he encounters Juliet Prowse.
banned
UK: Banned by the BBFC for:
1965 cinema release titled Who Killed Teddy Bear?
From promotional material:
Refused certification on its original theatrical release due to its sleazy, taboo-breaking nature.
The Wild Angels is a 1966 USA action drama by Roger Corman. Starring Peter Fonda, Nancy Sinatra and Bruce Dern.
Banned by the BBFC for 1966 cinema
release. Cut by the BBFC for an X rated 1972 cinema release. Uncut and 18 rated for VHS. Uncut and 15 rated for DVD. Uncut and MPAA R rated in the US.
Summary Notes
Peter Fonda plays 'Heavenly
Blues', the leader of Hell's Angels chapter from Venice, California while Bruce Dern plays 'Loser', his best pal. When they both botch their attempt to retrieve Loser's stolen bike, Loser ends up in the hospital. When the Angels bust him out, he dies,
and they bury him. Nancy Sinatra plays Mike, Blues' "old lady" and Diane Ladd plays Loser's wife (Dern's real-life wife at the time). The plot is basically a buildup to the last half-hour of the film in which Loser's funeral becomes another wild party.
Availability
Current UK Status: Passed 15 uncut
UK: Passed 15 uncut for strong sexualised threat and moderate drug use for:
Wild Riders is a 1971 US crime thriller by Richard Kanter Starring Alex Rocco, Elizabeth Knowles and Sherry Bain
Banned by the BBFC for 1971 cinema
release and again for 1987 VHS. Passd 18 after BBFC cuts for 2003 DVD. Uncut and MPAA R rated in the US.
Summary Notes
Pete and Stick, two juvenile delinquents just thrown out of a
biker gang, break into a luxury house where they rape two women. They settle in the house, sell the valuables and kill a curious neighbor.
Without a Stitch is a 1968 Denmark comedy drama by Annelise Meineche. Starring Anne Grete Nissen, Ib Mossin and Joan Gamst.
Banned by the BBFC for 1969 cinema
release. Passed X after BBFC cuts for an X rated 1975 cinema release.
Summary Notes
When a high-school girl complains of her inability to reach sexual climax, her doctor suggests that she keep a
diary of her sexual encounters. She does just that and soon finds herself caught up in a sexual merry-go-round that includes making a hardcore porno film in Sweden, an escapade with a German sadist and a lesbian encounter.
Availability
Current UK Status: passed X after BBFC cuts for cinema.
US: Hopefully uncut and MPAA Unrated for:
Video Dimensions R1 DVD at US Amazon titled Without a Stitch
Women in Cages is a 1971 US/Philippines prison film by Gerado de Leon. With Judith Brown, Roberta Collins and Jennifer Ga.
Banned by the BBFC for 1972 cinema
release and cut for 1986 VHS.
Summary Review: Tropical Prison
Set in a nameless Latin American prison but filmed in the Filipino jungle. The film featured a mixed cast of local Philippines and
American exploitation regulars, but it's remembered as the first high-profile role for the later Queen of Blaxploitation, Pam Grier.
Grier plays the sadistic warden, a pot-smoking lesbian with a fully-equipped torture
chamber (including a guillotine!). The New Fish , a ditzy blonde ex-stripper called Alabama, has taken the heroin possession rap for her pimp boyfriend. She knows too much, so the pimp blackmails her cellmates to execute her.
A competent and well-shot entry in the tropical prison genre from Filipino director Gerry De Leon, it places the embittered ex-addict and prostitute Grier in the position of slave owner, watching her white charges toiling away in
the plantation with obvious ironic glee.
Availability
Current UK Status: Passed 18 after 3:19s of BBFC cuts
The US release is uncut and MPAA R Rated for:
US 2011 Shout! Factory Women in Cages Collection RA Blu-ray at US Amazon
US 2011
Shout! Factory Women in Cages Collection R1 DVD at US Amazon
1975 Oppidan Film Productions VHS (rated 28/04/1975)
Thanks to Mike:
The film was was submitted by David Hamilton Grant's Oppidan company, and it was a short made by one of the animators in the legendary Bob Godfrey's studio called Mane - real name Dino Manetta. He
posted the youtube version himself.
It's no great surprise it was rejected really - it's fairly sexually explicit with a wide range of erect penises.....
