Arrow Video - Inferno - The Archive

[broonage]

I say we all contact BBFC about this decision. There's a great community that want to show the BBFC we are not children and it isn't animal cruelty like Cannibal Holocaust.

contact_the_bbfc@bbfc.co.uk

[Nika]

Oh thats an idea! Im for it. I'll be buying the Bluray cut or no cut but no cut it better

[Zombie Dude]

Originally Posted by broonage

I say we all contact BBFC about this decision. There's a great community that want to show the BBFC we are not children and it isn't animal cruelty like Cannibal Holocaust.

contact_the_bbfc@bbfc.co.uk

Thanks. I just sent them an email. Hopefully I hear back from them.

[broonage]

I sent one:

Hello,

I learned recently that Inferno by the Italian horror director Argento, has been cut by 5 seconds. This is due to a scene with a cat chewing a mouse.

All in all I have been surprised and very content with the BBFC in the last few years. You have opened your eyes to cinema and art and realise that we are not children. If a film is bloody or violent, then you usually release it uncut (the way it should be!). It fills me full of hate that someone tells me what I can or cannot watch. I'm an adult, I'm not crazy, I will and can watch what I want. So it pleases me to see you are putting certificates rather than applying censoring.
So I thank the BBFC for being more open and less medieval like it was in the late 80s and 90s.

However, I am so surprised that an excellent piece of Italian cinema (possibly art?) has been cut by an ity bity 5 seconds. Now, I'm sure your reply will give me the spleel about animal cruelty and the law. I couldn't agree more that this is unnecessary and horrible. However when a scene like this is shown, I push the FF button on my DVD remote, voila! Why cut it? Anyway back to Inferno, this scene is not necessary, however it isn't like a scene in a Cannibal film. It is artistic, natural (but did Argento put the animals together?), and frankly not that horrid. I agree, I don't want to see the animal being chewed, it isn't very pleasant, but I hit the FF button on my remote. My cat Eddie (we got him from an animal shelter with that name) has brought in a mouse in his time and it is 100% natural, are you going to censor that? Come on! I'm not a child!!

This is 2010, in this day and age I would have thought that this type of scene would be shrugged at and forgotten. Oh, how I am wrong.
Do you know that my DVD collection is 70% foreign? The industry in the UK is so bad, companies who dabble in genre cinema struggle to compete with the liberties of DVD companies in the US, France, Italy, etc. Why submit an excellent genre film like Inferno, which is expensive, when it is cut and the fans like myself look elsewhere?

It seems to me you are fighting a loosing battle, I can import what I want, I can view it on-line, download almost anything I want. Yet I can't go in a shop in the UK to support a UK company by buying their UNCUT releases. Madness!

Arrow are an example company (along with Shameless) who are releasing classic genre films. Beautiful, jam-packed packages with extras, comics, posters, and most importantly they try to get them out to the public in the way they should be!! I have read comments about your decision with Inferno, many fans are waiting for an import release instead just because you cut by 5 seconds. That's how dedicated the fans are! Do you know that when you cut one of their releases, they put a link to the cut scene on their website? We get to see the scene anyway (if in a somewhat stupid manner). So why on Earth cut it in the first place? Everyone has the net these days!!

Now if we give an example to other countries, like our neighbours in France. They have Friday the 13th sequels with a certificate (or recommendation) for the age of 12. We put a big 18 on ours! They have uncut releases, and recently some of the Saw sequels made headlines because they had a "shocking" 16 certificate at cinemas. I can go in any shop and look through titles such as Batman and Cannibal Ferox uncut together. Now, I call that support for film, I call that treating the public with respect. The people there are just like us Brits too...they aren't crazy...

I hope that someone takes in my words and looks back at their silly decision to cut Inferno. Support a UK company, support the fans, support the film makers, and the industry. Stop this cutting of films where it isn't strictly necessary!

Regards,

[Zombie Dude]

Originally Posted by broonage

I sent one:

Hello,

I learned recently that Inferno by the Italian horror director Argento, has been cut by 5 seconds. This is due to a scene with a cat chewing a mouse.

All in all I have been surprised and very content with the BBFC in the last few years. You have opened your eyes to cinema and art and realise that we are not children. If a film is bloody or violent, then you usually release it uncut (the way it should be!). It fills me full of hate that someone tells me what I can or cannot watch. I'm an adult, I'm not crazy, I will and can watch what I want. So it pleases me to see you are putting certificates rather than applying censoring.
So I thank the BBFC for being more open and less medieval like it was in the late 80s and 90s.

However, I am so surprised that an excellent piece of Italian cinema (possibly art?) has been cut by an ity bity 5 seconds. Now, I'm sure your reply will give me the spleel about animal cruelty and the law. I couldn't agree more that this is unnecessary and horrible. However when a scene like this is shown, I push the FF button on my DVD remote, voila! Why cut it? Anyway back to Inferno, this scene is not necessary, however it isn't like a scene in a Cannibal film. It is artistic, natural (but did Argento put the animals together?), and frankly not that horrid. I agree, I don't want to see the animal being chewed, it isn't very pleasant, but I hit the FF button on my remote. My cat Eddie (we got him from an animal shelter with that name) has brought in a mouse in his time and it is 100% natural, are you going to censor that? Come on! I'm not a child!!

This is 2010, in this day and age I would have thought that this type of scene would be shrugged at and forgotten. Oh, how I am wrong.
Do you know that my DVD collection is 70% foreign? The industry in the UK is so bad, companies who dabble in genre cinema struggle to compete with the liberties of DVD companies in the US, France, Italy, etc. Why submit an excellent genre film like Inferno, which is expensive, when it is cut and the fans like myself look elsewhere?

It seems to me you are fighting a loosing battle, I can import what I want, I can view it on-line, download almost anything I want. Yet I can't go in a shop in the UK to support a UK company by buying their UNCUT releases. Madness!

Arrow are an example company (along with Shameless) who are releasing classic genre films. Beautiful, jam-packed packages with extras, comics, posters, and most importantly they try to get them out to the public in the way they should be!! I have read comments about your decision with Inferno, many fans are waiting for an import release instead just because you cut by 5 seconds. That's how dedicated the fans are! Do you know that when you cut one of their releases, they put a link to the cut scene on their website? We get to see the scene anyway (if in a somewhat stupid manner). So why on Earth cut it in the first place? Everyone has the net these days!!

Now if we give an example to other countries, like our neighbours in France. They have Friday the 13th sequels with a certificate (or recommendation) for the age of 12. We put a big 18 on ours! They have uncut releases, and recently some of the Saw sequels made headlines because they had a "shocking" 16 certificate at cinemas. I can go in any shop and look through titles such as Batman and Cannibal Ferox uncut together. Now, I call that support for film, I call that treating the public with respect. The people there are just like us Brits too...they aren't crazy...

I hope that someone takes in my words and looks back at their silly decision to cut Inferno. Support a UK company, support the fans, support the film makers, and the industry. Stop this cutting of films where it isn't strictly necessary!

Regards,

Wow, that's an excellent letter. Far better than the one I sent in.

Hopefully that stirs the pot a little. I think it is very much possible to get Inferno released uncut if we keep sending in our complaints over the rather ridiculous cut.

[cooper33]

Originally Posted by Almar@Cult Labs

Deep Red won't be Blu.

How is it possible ? Do you know why ? It is one of Argento's most inspired work, a cult masterpiece, and the best Giallo ever !

[Almar@Cult Labs]

This thread is rattling along at a mental pace so if I've not covered anything please do ask again but just to deal with the above - Deep Red won't be Blu because the materials aren't up to it - there is a confidence that the best DVD can be put together but a Blu could be a few years away - absolutely agree it's one of his all time best.

As for all the efforts regarding the BBFC cut and support shown for buying the release despite the tiny shaving it's hugely appreciated - you're all stars!

[Philleh]

Sent mines off too:

Hi there,

I’m writing in regards to your recent decision to censor Dario Argento’s INFERNO. I’m to understand that the cut made was 5 second of a Cat eating a Mouse, isn’t that akin to a human eating a beef burger? Surely this is as natural as a Dog eating a Cat, or a Lion eating an Antelope? All of which I see often enough on the BBC and National Geographic, in fact there’s often horrific, and by your guidelines illegal, footage of animal cruelty in these shows caused by poachers; which is all deplorable and if this is allowed to be show, I ask you – why is a brief scene of a Mouse being eating by a Cat illegal?

I can understand you decisions on titles like CANNIBAL FEROX and CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, those animals were butchered by man for the sake of a movie, but this is as natural as feeding a Mouse to a Snake. In fact I see you’ve allowed scenes like that intact in movies like LAST CANNIBAL WORLD, which again baffles me as to why INFERNO has fallen foul to your guidelines? What makes me even more distressed is the fact that I watched INFERNO on the Sci-fi Channel a few years back completely intact.

Please held me to understand this baffling decision, Dario Argento is an acclaimed filmmaker recognised and respected the world over and decisions like this really hinder Britain’s appearance on the World stage. I find this somewhat embarrassing, especially considering the film is intended for adults over 18, who often or not watch the beloved Cats maul Mice on a weekly basis.

Thank you for your time,

[Zombie Dude]

Originally Posted by Almar@Cult Labs

This thread is rattling along at a mental pace so if I've not covered anything please do ask again but just to deal with the above - Deep Red won't be Blu because the materials aren't up to it - there is a confidence that the best DVD can be put together but a Blu could be a few years away - absolutely agree it's one of his all time best.

As for all the efforts regarding the BBFC cut and support shown for buying the release despite the tiny shaving it's hugely appreciated - you're all stars!

If the BBFC were to take back the cut (I know it's a long shot) would Inferno be able to be releases uncut or can't that that be changed either way now?

[Sarah@Cult Labs]

Know I'm entering this discussion super-late but here's my two-cents worth.

Every time I visit my mother-in-law's house I am greeted by the sight of dead mice, birds and even decapitated baby rabbits courtesy of her cat. For this reason I cannot understand the BBFC's logic. But, for this reason, I can also live without seeing a cat eat a mouse in a film so I will not lose any sleep over this particular cut.

Now as for the artwork. I'm sorry Rick and Almar but I absolutely hate Panel 1. I've not seen Inferno but even I know that it's misrepresenting the film. And, while I have a very lax attitude towards nudity, I feel I could do without that girl's big bum in my face. However, as others have said, add a shark and you're halfway to releasing Zombie Flesh Eaters - perhaps in a Great Blu Shark Edition?

On the other hand, I absolutely love Panels 2 and 3. They'll have to take it in turns to be on display!

Now, time to write the newsletter for you guys...