I agree with what you're saying and that's what makes it such a difficult subject. The problem with some of these films is that they didn't follow any laws at all -- I can't imagine that the turtle that was cut up and eaten in the Cannibal Holocaust was done with the full blessing of local lawmakers!
Standards do change, and things that were acceptable now aren't. It is this point that means that the BBFC, bound by the Animals Act, is applying today's standards to films made decades ago. It's a tricky issue as I don't agree with animal cruelty, but neither am I a big fan of censorship.
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