Arrow Video - Inferno - The Archive

[Daemonia]

Originally Posted by vincenzo

I don't feel hampered by the BBFC in the slightest and look forward to the release with great pleasure.

With all due respect, and I think you're a top bloke, but isn't it troubling to know, for a certainty, that sales of this title will be affected by this BBFC tampering? Even Arrow feel strongly enough to put a complaint in writing to the BBFC. I'm sure Arrow are concerned that this will have a knock-on effect for the sale of this title, if they're concerned, so should we. We already know of a couple of people on here who now won't buy it and there are plenty more on other forums. So whilst it might not hamper us, it's certainly going to affect Arrow's sales. Not only that, but once again there will be the global perception that UK releases are all censored and worldwide sales will undoubtedly go down a bit. I know, on some forums I've been telling people for years that films rarely get cut in the UK anymore. This will and is undoing all that work. People are once again viewing UK releases with suspicion.

I refuse to be an apologist for the BBFC. As a classification body we need them, as a censorship body we don't. Any sane society has a ratings system, that's the sensible thing to do. But censorship belongs in another age, not here, not now. Not anymore.

[Nika]

Is there any word on when this will get released? I'm dying to see Inferno in HD glory

[Daemonia]

Originally Posted by vincenzo

Would you prefer it if they did? Just curious.

I'd prefer they stopped treating UK citizens with suspicion and unable to cope with extreme images. They're absurd rationale for cutting sexual violence because someone *might* be triggered by it is medieval thinking. Substitute Devil with I Spit On Your Grave and we all know who made them do it. It's ridiculous. The BBFC have no power to make law - but I'm sure they could petition the government to change it, certainly. But the BBFC themselves are not lawmakers. Should they ask for this extension in law? No. What they should do is amend the Act and create a scale of seriousness and be specific about what is and isn't acceptable. The BBFC ask for proof it's not staged, but couldn't the distributor equally ask 'prove that it is'..? Why should the burden of proof lie with the distributor and not the BBFC?

Originally Posted by vincenzo

Incidentally I Spit On Your Grave is covered by both the VRA and the OPA. The BBFC will classify the film according to these acts.

It might be covered by the VRA, but the OPA is a different matter entirely. Under the OPA nothing can be deemed obscene unless a court with jury rules that it is. So whilst they could hazard a guess that something could fall foul of this law, they can't actually make that declaration themselves - not without a specific court ruling on a specific item.

[vincenzo]

Originally Posted by Daemonia

Under the OPA nothing can be deemed obscene unless a court with jury rules that it is.

Which they did with Last House On The Left (resulting in additional cuts) and would almost certainly do with I Spit On Your Grave. The courts are less tolerant than the BBFC.

Originally Posted by Daemonia

With all due respect, and I think you're a top bloke, but isn't it troubling to know, for a certainty, that sales of this title will be affected by this BBFC tampering?

To be honest I can't see it affecting sales at all. The average person on the street (or in the shops) won't be concerned in the slightest and will buy the film regardless. Beyond Terror's sales of ex-Vipco titles (most of which are absolutely massacred) still go well and they have no extras, no decent print, no care and, well, pretty much no anything. The Arrow release of Inferno will have all of these and much much more, and the extras more than compensate for a 5 sec cut.

My own personal views on film censorship are far from in line with the BBFC's. In many ways they're a polar opposite. I'm not an apologist for them either, and I can think of quite a few films where I strongly disagree with their decisions (which they're aware of). I just try and explain the reasons why they do what they do.

[Daemonia]

Originally Posted by vincenzo

Which they did with Last House On The Left (resulting in additional cuts) and would almost certainly do with I Spit On Your Grave. The courts are less tolerant than the BBFC.

When the cuts to this title were appealed they simply went before Video Appeals Committe. This is not a court of law, therefore no declarations of 'obscenity' were ever made.

I appreciate that you're simply explaining the actions of the BBFC, and not excusing them. But I still think they need to know what the public think. I also believe that sales will be affected.

[Philleh]

Originally Posted by Daemonia

I refuse to be an apologist for the BBFC. As a classification body we need them, as a censorship body we don't. Any sane society has a ratings system, that's the sensible thing to do. But censorship belongs in another age, not here, not now. Not anymore.

France, Spain and Italy seem to get along fine with their ratings system! We should take a page from their book.

[Inspector Tanzi]

Originally Posted by Daemonia

I also believe that sales will be affected.

So do I, how many times have you gone to buy a film only to find out it's cut then leave it.

[vincenzo]

Originally Posted by Daemonia

I also believe that sales will be affected.

I don't. Just as sales of New York Ripper, Cannibal Apocalypse and even the UK Casino Royale weren't affected.

The people who will leave aside a UK release with exclusive (and genuinely excellent) extras, due to a 5 sec shot of a cat chewing a mouse being removed, will represent a very small minority indeed. Thankfully.

[Angel]

Originally Posted by Daemonia

I know, on some forums I've been telling people for years that films rarely get cut in the UK anymore. This will and is undoing all that work. People are once again viewing UK releases with suspicion.

What? Just because of this one 5 second cut.

The BBFC only cut a tiny fraction of the films that they classify these days and the number has been slowly decreasing each year. The main cuts the BBFC make these days are to animal cruelty (very little else gets cut) and there's no way they were going to make an exception with Inferno just because it is a film directed by Dario Argento. The BBFC's policy is to classify DVD in accordance with the animals act. The act doesn't allow exceptions to be made based on the cult status of the director. This BBFC policy will never change. The only way you will ever see uncut versions of films like Inferno here is if the Act itself was abolished. Now considering it's been around for nearly a hundred years I can't see it suddenly happening now because of a 5 second cut to Inferno.

[Almar@Cult Labs]

Thanks for the advert - this is an official thread for the Arrow release so let's keep to that one please.