Video Recordings Act is no more?

Just Passing Through said:
They're aiming to pass the law again in 3 months
I think it might do the UK good if it didn't pass. The rating system has become an absolute joke in recent years and I've often wondered if we even really need it to begin with. I understand the original intent of the BBFC but as far as I know American DVD's just have a rough age guide printed on the back of the cases. Surely that's enough since they seem to manage.
 
funnily enough i just read about this over on another site. See the goal of the BBFC is a noble one but ultimately it just didn't work. I'm all for stopping matrial getting in the hands of those who aren't ready for it or can't make the disticntion between reality and fantasy (aka most crimes where they try to blame video games or movies). I just don't think they went the right way about it
 
Project-2501 said:
So, does this mean we might see a self-certification system on DVDs? Certainly makes life easier for UK retailers of non-UK DVDs.
As idyllic as this sounds - i.e. R2 anime at prices more resemblant of R1 products - I cannot see the BBFC being defeated by an old Thatcherite slip-up. I'm too much of a sceptic.
 
The video recordings act has less to do with the BBFC, and more to do with retailers. The BBFC's duty is to rate material, originally film, then expanded to home cinema, and then further to video games.

The Video Recordings Act is all about regulating the distribution and sale of recorded material. It's about controlling what retailers do, preventing pirated material being sold, and preventing children from buying adult material. Basically, if a shop sold an R18 video to a minor, because of the cock-up in the law, they can't be prosecuted for it.
 
The VRA does mean that every video on sale has been rated, and rated pretty fairly IMO, and takes quite a bit of responsibility away from retailers and video distributors. If someone belives that a video has been incorrectly rated then its the BBFC who get the stick for it. It gives an extra layer of protection. The VRA & BBFC are not all out to ruin your fun.

We'd never see R2s at R1 prices, simple fact of market share, the BBFC costs are still pretty small. What would be nice is to see the SAME discs sold over a larger area, ie have 1 disc for all of Europe or now that HD is here and the whole PAL/NTSC thing is going away they could have 1 disc for the US and the UK (and potentially Australia/NZ).
 
The BBFC is not going anywhere, retailers are going to carry on as if nothing has changed (because it's less expensive that way), and a the system will be fully enshrined in law again in 3 months. Move along, nothing to see here.

As an aside this story also makes no sense...British Lawis enshrined as sovreign, so having to notify the EU is just weird...especially given that every EU law (to be enforcable in Britain) has to be re-passed through our parliament anyway.

On the topic of ratings boards themselves I think the BBFC ratings need an overhaul...we still have different ratings for video and cinema, and they're a blunt instrument. We need ratings for all films that look like those on the back of SOME DVDs right now which list potentially objectionable content. Information like this is PARTIALLY available from http://www.pbbfc.co.uk a site that will tell parents before a film about cursing, blood, psychological threat etc. While a ratings board with legal backing is not an ideal situation it does have the benefit of setting a benchmark for idiots and is better than the alternative of NOT having guidance on film content. Frankly in recent years the BBFC has gone a bit weird....I can point out at least one film off the top of my head that should have been a 15 and received a PG (yes, I did read the BBFC guidelines to check) whereas a DVD was cut for content far less objectionable and was told that the content was unsuitable for ANY age group.
 
MrChom said:
whereas a DVD was cut for content far less objectionable and was told that the content was unsuitable for ANY age group.
They say that for any material they cut. It's pathetic. I want my Ren & Stimpy hanging song, AND NOW!
 
unellmay said:
Ren and stimpys overrated......

Agreed. In fairness here the suicide issue was actually the same one that I was talking about before but in regards to Paranoia Agent. I don't think that it's unreasonable to pass that content uncut at 18 given that Saw manages to get through the BBFC largely uncut for its annual 90 minutes of torture porn.
 
What did they cut? :eek:

I read someone on this site that said that
panda go panda should get more than a u
Beacuase you saw the girls underwear
(Basically the same as seeing a nappy mind you)
It's a film about a big panda jeez clearly deserved a 15

So I always assumed the didn't really cut much
 
I can see cheap 5-min hentai vids being sold within these 3 months for all desperate fans on a download/pay system... (Like on Mangagamer.com)
Doubt anyone will be that quick/wealthy enough to sort out that kind of system though in time. ;)
 
Chaz said:
I can see cheap 5-min hentai vids being sold within these 3 months for all desperate fans on a download/pay system... (Like on Mangagamer.com)
Doubt anyone will be that quick/wealthy enough to sort out that kind of system though in time. ;)

None of this affects that though.....
 
Sy said:
Wait a few days and you'll see my review.


tam1.JPG


I'm the pink dog one
 
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