What a load of right wing moralistic bullocks. I'm sure I've read at least half of that before in response to another film given the certificate with which the Daily Heil did not approve. If the critics hated it so much, why is it on the cover of the new Sight & Sound?

The Neon Demon has received some stinking reviews in all fairness, but then so did Only God Forgives and I loved that.

At least if they're giving horror films a kicking again they're no longer blaming immigrants for Princess Diana's death or some other xenophobic right wing twaddle.

I read the article the other day. It's just like all the rest. Cut and paste the name of the film and away we go.

I love journalism like that. I had to see Crash at the cinema due to the publicity the Mail gave it. I bet Cronenberg was so thankful for the attention it got.

Apparently, according to the Melon Farmers site, the film 'The Suicide Squad' has been given a '15' certificate, but mainly because of the word 'suicide' in the title

With a different name, it probably would have got a '12'

"Even the word 'suicide' is a bit much for our film censors. Having a belief that viewers are affected by the films they see, then 'suicide' in films appealing to children, conjures up the need to be ultra sensitive and cautious. It's probably not possible to edit it out of the title, so perhaps it was always inevitable that the film would be at least 15 rated in the UK.

And indeed that is the case, the BBFC have passed Suicide Squad as 15 uncut for sustained threat, moderate violence for 2016 cinema release in 2D and 3D versions.

The US MPAA had previously rated the film PG-13 for sequences of violence and action throughout, disturbing behavior, suggestive content and language.

And the world censors seem to have mostly sided with the American film censor. Australia (M=PG-15), Netherlands (12), Norway (12) , Singapore (PG-13) and Ireland (15A) all being lower than the UK. Russia opted for a higher 16 rating though."

As someone who works as a counsellor and has recently done the intensive two-day Advanced Suicide Intervention Skills Training workshop, it is that, 55 years after it was decriminalised, the word and act still carry such a stigma.

Instance, people frequently say 'committed suicide' even though, as it isn't an illegal act, that phrase belongs prior to 1961 with the accepted phrases now 'died by suicide', or 'took their life'. As long as official bodies such as the BBFC be treating it differently to other forms of death, that stigma will never go.

It's a bit of a peculiar decision really - the kids will still see the trailers, adverts, billboards etc and still *want* to see it and still see the name. Surely some of this decision has to be based on the content?

edit: re-reading the Melon farmers text Susan posted it look slike pure speculation on their behalf (arguably to further the anti-BBFC agenda) - "And indeed that is the case, the BBFC have passed Suicide Squad as 15 uncut for sustained threat, moderate violence for 2016 cinema release in 2D and 3D versions." Nothing is said about the title at all, and while that's not the sort of thing the BBFC would put in that description it's still a bit of an assumption on MF behalf

It's a little like when the BBFC had it in for the words 'chainsaw' and 'cannibal', causing J. F. Lawton's 1989 film to be renamed Pirahna Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death and Fred Olen Ray's horror comedy simply Hollywood Hookers.

Good point – it does look like a bit of scurrilous mischiefmaking.

Don;t know if the link will work, but this is the Melon Farmers report - News: Latest Cuts: BBFC cuts and bans and the BBFC page - SUICIDE SQUAD | British Board of Film Classification

"BBFC Insight for this work will be available on or after 26/07/2016." Will be interesting to see what they say in a more detailed breakdown of their decision