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G4EBT > FILMS 03.01.08 14:06l 175 Lines 6312 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : D27493G4EBT
Read: GUEST DL7NDR
Subj: Re: "Convoy" & CB (G0TEZ)
Path: DB0FHN<DB0FOR<DB0MRW<DK0WUE<DB0RES<IK2XDE<ON4HU<ON0BEL<GB7FCR
Sent: 080103/1138Z @:GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU #:56806 [Blackpool] FBB-7.03a $:D27493G4
From: G4EBT@GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU
To : FILMS@WW
Ian, G0TEZ wrote:-
> BTW, the film 'Convoy' was banned for a few years in the UK, as was
> 'Dukes of Hazard' in an attempt to stop people using CB which was
> illegal, so we didn't get it from Rubber Duck and Co.
I'm not sure where Ian gained the impression that these films were
banned in the UK. By whom? Certainly not the British Board of Film
Classification. (BBFC).
The BBFC is the independent, non-governmental body which has classified
cinema films since it was set up in 1912, and videos since the passing of
the Video Recordings Act in 1984.
The BBFC website is an interesting reflection of social history and
attitudes. The concerns were very real at the time, but seem quaint by
today's standards. Here are just a few of the 43 aspects which caused
cuts to be made in 1913-15 (before the "talkies" of course):
Indecorous ambiguous and irreverent titles and subtitles
Vulgar accessories in the staging
Unnecessary exhibition of under-clothing
Offensive vulgarity, and impropriety in conduct and dress
Indecorous dancing
Bathing scenes passing the limits of propriety
References to controversial politics
Relations of capital and labour
Scenes tending to disparage public characters and institutions
Incidents having a tendency to disparage our Allies
Scenes holding up the King's uniform to contempt or ridicule
Subjects dealing with India, in which British Officers are seen in an
odious light, and otherwise attempting to suggest the disloyalty of
British Officers, Native States or bringing into disrepute British
prestige in the Empire. (I'm not making this stuff up!).
Subjects dealing with White Slave traffic
Subjects dealing with premeditated seduction of girls
'First Night' scenes [Honeymoon!]
Indelicate sexual situations
Situations accentuating delicate marital relations
Men and women in bed together
Illicit relationships
Take a look - 1913 to the present day:
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/about/about-history.php#
Back to "Convoy":
The fact that CB was illegal wouldn't be a reason to ban the film.
Lots of illegal activities are shown in films - many get a rating
suitable for kids to see.
The ratings given to Convoy in various countries was:
West Germany:16 / Netherlands:16 / Iceland:12 / West Germany:12 (re-rated)
/ UK:15 (video rating) (1987) / UK:A (original rating) / Australia:M /
Australia:PG (alternate rating) / Finland:K-16 / Norway:15 / Spain:18 /
Sweden:15 / UK:12 (DVD rating) (2001) / USA:PG
Films are often edited if there are scenes which censors aren't happy
with.
Some countries are more sensitive to political issues, some to what they
see as blasphemy, others to swearing, gratuitous violence, salacious sex
scenes or profannites.
In America, it's OK to blow someone's head off, so long as you don't
insult him first by using the "N" word. (I' not joking either).
The certification issues of "Convoy" were more to do with a large number
of troublemakers mimicking the outlaws of yesteryear defying the law and
barging everyone out of their path.
I'm not aware of any cuts - let alone a ban - nor Dukes of Hazards.
It's true that at the time - 1978, the illegal CB fad in the UK was
taking off, using unlicensable imported AM 29 MHz CB sets, hi-jacking
the frequencies of law-abiding licensed model control enthusiasts.
The led to the CB/81 spec which permitted CB sets made to that spec to
be licensed. The government bowed to the inevitable and made CB legal.
This took CB from "Citizen's Banned" to "Citizens' Band" but really, the
seedy lawless image on which CB was founded in the UK sealed its fate in
the longer term.
In an era when mobile phones didn't yet exist, CB had a useful application
for what it was intended to be - Citizens Band - short range
communications for citizens, helpful in an emergency.
But since those who founded CB in the UK were by definition criminals
rather than "citizens", the more respectable people who came into CB
soon got fed up with profanities and went QRT.
The final straws in the coffin of CB were the widespread availability of
mobile phones, internet chat rooms, texting, social networking, and for
truckers, automatic travel updates on RDS radios, and sat-nav.
As to "Convoy", considering that it was based on a novelty country song
which wasn't meant to be taken seriously, I suppose the film makers did
as good a job of it as they could.
Its only entertainment.
It was in the genre of many films at the time - slow motion car chases and
crashes, bar-room brawls, supposedly portraying the society that truckers
lived in - a life on the highway - a mix of camaraderie and transient
relationships of buddies and baddies.
Just a bunch of trouble-making self-obsessed misfits with no respect for
authority. The sort of people many illegal CB loners would have liked to
have been but couldn't.
There were a lot of bad-ass biker movies at the time too, back to
the 60s. Also, car-chase TV series imported from the US - cheap TV.
William Shatner (born 1931), better known for his Star Trek role, acted
the part of veteran police sergeant T.J. Hooker, from 1982 to 1986.
In Britain today, due to serious concerns about domestic violence, the
most likely scenes to be cut from films, TV or videos by the BBFC are
violence against women. A lot of cuts are made in DVDs, which are so naff
they'd never be shown on TV or at cinemas.
Typical BBFC comment:
Quote:
"Compulsory cut required to remove elements of sadistic violence
and humiliation in scene where a woman is brutally beaten by a man".
End quote.
The uncut versions of many of these films can be had from the USA, where
most of it emanates and they seem not to worry too much about this sort
of stuff.
The BBFC is to seek a Judicial Review of the Video Appeals Committees
decision to support the appeal by the makers of Manhunt 2 - a violent
America video "game" which the BBFC had banned in the UK.
It was banned by the BBFC in June, who said it "constantly encourages
visceral killing". Anyone who thinks this stuff doesn't have an adverse
effect on people needs help.
Best wishes
David, G4EBT @ GB7FCR
Cottingham, East Yorkshire.
Message timed: 11:15 on 2008-Jan-03
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