Latest news with #BritishBoardofFilmClassification
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Was James Cameron's The Abyss pulled from Disney+? Explaining the scene that got the movie banned in the UK
The Abyss is a 1989 sci-fi horror film directed by James Cameron and released in 1989. The film's premise harkens back to the Cold War era, with an American submarine sinking in the Caribbean. A search-and-rescue team frantically searches for the wreckage in the depth of the ocean before the Soviets find it first, but in the process, they discover new horrors unexpected horrors in the depths. The film had a contentious release in the United Kingdom thanks to a scene that animal rights groups alleged was animal abuse. The scene portrayed a real-life rat being submerged in liquid fluorocarbon. Although the rat reportedly survived, the British Board of Film Classification nonetheless deemed the scene a violation of the 1937 Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act and demanded that all UK prints of the film cut out the scene. However, the controversy has resurfaced with the film's Disney+ release. The Abyss Disney+ release was uncut The Abyss's Disney+ release drew renewed controversy from UK animal rights groups such as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) after they discovered that the version of the film released on the streaming service was uncut. Their protests have proven successful, as the film has since been pulled from the UK region of Disney+, meaning that audiences once again have no official way of viewing the controversial banned scene. All prior theatrical and home video releases of The Abyss had complied with the BBFC order and excised the scene. The RSPCA denies engaging in 'cancel culture' The RSPCA, on their social media, accused streaming services of exploiting loopholes that allowed them to get away with including alleged animal abuse that national censor boards were meant to prevent. 1989 film, 'The Abyss' on Disney+, features a scene where a real rat is forcibly plunged into a tank full of chief vet shared concerns with the BBFC at the time, and the scene was cut under laws which prohibit showing animal cruelty on the big screen or in videos. In a statement, an RSPCA spokesperson said that they wouldn't protest the film's return to Disney+, provided the controversial scene was removed, stating: "This isn't about cancel culture – we'd welcome Disney Plus reinstating the film to their platform, just with this troubling scene removed…This was instead about highlighting a loophole that currently exists allowing animal abuse scenes deemed unacceptable elsewhere to be streamed freely and legally into our homes - and protecting the public from having to see this animal abuse content." While it's entirely possible for the BBFC-compliant UK cut of The Abyss to return to Disney+, the banned scene will remain banned for the foreseeable future.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'I'm over knife attack,' says Salman Rushdie
Sir Salman Rushdie says he has moved on from the knife attack which has seen his attacker jailed for attempted murder. Hadi Matar, 27, was sentenced to 25 years last month after repeatedly stabbing Sir Salman on a New York lecture stage in 2022. Sir Salman, who has a new book out later this year, told the Hay Festival that an "important moment" came for him when he and his wife Eliza "went back to the scene of the crime to show myself I could stand up where I fell down". "It will be nice to talk about fiction again because ever since the attack, really the only thing anybody's wanted to talk about is the attack, but I'm over it." Sir Salman recently told Radio 4's Today programme that he was "pleased" the man who tried to kill him had received the maximum possible prison sentence. The Midnight's Children and Satanic Verses writer was left with life-changing injuries after the incident - he is now blind in one eye, has damage to his liver and a paralysed hand caused by nerve damage to his arm. Last year, Sir Salman published a book titled Knife reflecting on the event, which he has described as "my way of fighting back". The attack came 35 years after Sir Salman's controversial novel The Satanic Verses, which had long made him the target of death threats for its portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad. In November, the author will publish a short story collection, The Eleventh Hour, his first work of fiction to be written since the stabbing. Security was tight for Sir Salman's event, with sniffer dogs present and bag checks leading to a 15-minute delay. He waved at the audience as he entered the stage and humbly gestured to them to stop applauding before joking that: "I can't see everyone - but I can hear them." He said he was feeling "excellent" although there "were bits of me that I'm annoyed about, like not having a right eye. But on the whole, I've been very fortunate and I'm in better shape that maybe I would have expected." In a wide-ranging discussion, Sir Salman also touched on US politics, declaring that "America was not in great shape". In an apparent reference to President Donald Trump, Sir Salman spoke about "the moment of hope, that image of Barack and Michelle Obama walking down the mall in DC with the crowds around them... people dancing in the streets in New York. And to go from that to the orange moment that we live in, it's, let's just say, disappointing. But he said he was still positive about the future. "I think I suffer from the optimism disease... I can't help thinking somehow it will be alright." Speaking about free speech, he said "it means tolerating people who say things you don't like". He recalled a time when a film "in which I was the villain", made around the time of the uproar over Satanic Verses, was not classified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) "because it was in a hundred ways defamatory" but he asked them to allow its release. "So they gave it a certificate... and nobody went, you know why? Lousy movie. And it taught me a lesson. Let it out and trust the audience. And that's still my view. "I think we do live in a moment when people are too eager to prohibit speech they disapprove of. That's a very slippery slope" and warned young people "to think about it." When asked about the effect of AI on authors, Sir Salman said: "I don't have Chat GPT... I try very hard to pretend it doesn't exist. Someone asked it to write a couple of hundred words like me... it was terrible. And it has no sense of humour." Despite being considered one of the greatest living writers, Sir Salman joked that authors "don't even have that much money... except the two of us (him and host Erica Wagner) and those who write about child wizards... the Taylor Swift of literature," referring to JK Rowling. "Good on her." Rushdie 'pleased' with attacker's maximum sentence Salman Rushdie to release first fiction since stabbing Salman Rushdie: Losing an eye upsets me every day Succession creator Jesse Armstrong is writing about rich people again Jacqueline Wilson says she wouldn't return to Tracy Beaker as an adult
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Simply Red concert film 'given trigger warning' because of song lyrics about sex and drinking
Simply Red's new concert film has reportedly been given a trigger warning becayse of song lyrics about sex and drinking. The recording of a live concert in Chile in March 2025, which is hitting screens on Thursday, celebrates 40 years of hits from the soul and pop band fronted by singer-songwriter Mick Hucknall. However, fans will be baffled to hear that the movie comes with a few warnings from the British Board of Classification, despite being rated a U, meaning it's suitable for everyone. According to The Sun, viewers have been warned about the lyrics that reference 'making love and sexual attraction'. The BBFC warns: 'Song lyrics occasionally make brief, undetailed verbal references to 'making love' and to sexual attraction. 'There is infrequent very mild bad language ('damn') and people are briefly shown drinking alcohol.' The new film, which is being released to celebrate the iconic Manchester band's 40th anniversary, showcases spectacular performance from their recent tour in Santiago, Chile. The movie's description reads: 'Holding Back The Years: 40 Years of Simply Red – Live from Santiago' captures the band's electrifying performance at the Movistar Arena in Chile, where they played five consecutive sold-out shows to rapturous audiences as part of their Latin American tour leg, which saw them perform to over 140,000 fans. 'This special cinema event will give fans the opportunity to experience the energy and emotion of Simply Red's 40th Anniversary Tour on the big screen. 'Featuring stunning performances of their greatest hits and fan favorites spanning their entire career – from their 1985 critically acclaimed debut 'Picture Book' right through to their latest releases.' In 2019, lead singer Mick denied sleeping with 3,000 women, claiming that the interview where he revealed the amount of women he had bed, was taken 'wildly out of context'. The Fairground singer, who now lives in Surrey and has been married for over a decade, admitted that he had 'no idea' how many women he slept with. Speaking candidly to Rob McGibbon for The Sunday Times, the singer, who has dated Catherine Zeta Jones and Helena Christensen, revealed that when he said: 'In the crazy days, it was screaming girls everywhere and it felt like you were sleeping with three women a day,' - that it wasn't a literal number. However, the singer, did admit to living a playboy lifestyle when his career was at its peak, which involved 'a lot of' alcohol and drugs. He went on to say in the frank interview that his past confessions were 'conflated'. According to The Sun, viewers have been warned about the lyrics that reference 'making love and sexual attraction' When he's asked what the real number he has said: 'I have no idea. I don't put chips on the bedposts. I haven't a clue and have never thought about calculating.' The star has had a host of famous flings including a relationship with Catherine Zeta-Jones in 1998 before she dumped him after just four months, and a short-lived romance with Ulrika Jonsson. His his other alleged exes include, model Helena Christensen, Melanie Sykes, Lady Victoria Hervey, Steffi Graf and Brigitte Nielsen. Another of his notable romances was with former 'EastEnders' actress Martine McCutcheon, who claims that the pair went on a disastrous date in 1996 that ended with her vomiting in his dreadlocks - however Mick has denied this ever happened. In the interview he also went on to admit that despite his fame and many career highs he was unhappy - and this led him to partying hard between 1996 and 1999. But he knew that his lifestyle had to stop - otherwise he would face burnout. 'I realised I couldn't go on like this this, rolling out of night clubs at 4am every morning, week on week, basically wandering around like a playboy,' he admitted. He admits that he tried Heroin when he was a student and admitted that 'much like every other musician - I have tried everything'. However he called it a 'pointless' drug. He went on to reveal that he enjoyed the lifestyle for a while, but it got 'boring' - and instead he wanted to find something with more meaning. The singer now lives with his wife Gabriella Wesberry, who he tied the knot with at Forter Castle in Perthshire, Scotland. The pair have a daughter together, called Romy True, who was born in 2007 and they live together in his Surrey mansion with their dog.
Hindustan Times
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Retro actor Suriya's best wishes to teams Raid 2, HIT 3 get heart-warming replies from Riteish Deshmukh, Nani
Numerous films across the country are releasing on May 1 and actor Suriya sent best wishes to the rest of the teams. Apart from his film Retro with Karthik Subbaraj, this Thursday will also see Raid 2 in Hindi, HIT: The Third Case in Telugu and Tourist Family in Tamil hit screens. Suriya's warm wishes received sweet responses. (Also Read: British Board of Film Classification rates HIT 3, Retro 'strong' for violence; gives full details of language, horror) Suriya took to X (formerly Twitter) to wish the teams of Raid 2, HIT 3 and Tourist Family good luck. He wrote, 'Dearest Sasi & Simran, Nani, Ajay sir & Riteish, all the cast & crew of #TouristFamily #HIT3 #Raid2 Wishing you the bestest! #Anbannafans Lots of love and respect for your support for #Retro... May each of our films be a success & entertain the audience in theatres tomorrow.' Riteish Deshmukh reposted his tweet, calling him a 'man with a large heart'. He wrote, 'Best wishes to alll our films - Bro man - you have a large heart @Suriya_offl - May all the films receive immense love from the audiences. #Nani, Sasi, Simran, #TouristFamily #Retro #HIT3 #Raid2.' Nani also replied to him, writing, 'Dear @Suriya_offl sir. Eagerly waiting for your சிறப்பான தரமான சம்பவம் (excellent event) with #Retro.' Karthik's Retro stars Suriya and Pooja Hegde in the lead roles and tells the story of a man with a violent past who promises to leave it all behind for his beloved and has no choice but to fight back when it all catches up to him. Sailesh Kolanu directs HIT 3, which sees Nani and Srinidhi Shetty in lead roles. It tells the story of a cop who finds himself challenged when tasked with solving mysterious murders. Raj Kumar Gupta's Raid 2 sees Ajay Devgn, Riteish and Vaani Kapoor in lead roles. It follows the story of an Indian Revenue Service Officer facing off a politician. Debut director Abishan Jeevinth's Tourist Family stars Sasikumar, Simran, Mithun Jai Sankar and Kamalesh. It's a film about a Sri Lankan Tamil family's perilous journey for safety and a better future.
Hindustan Times
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Nani had a fear of getting famous because he was worried it would ‘change' him: ‘I saw it happen to people around me'
Actor Nani is busy promoting his upcoming film HIT: The Third Case with co-star Srinidhi Shetty. Talking to Bollywood Bubble, the actor spoke about his career and gaining fame, revealing that he was once scared of becoming famous for this reason. (Also Read: British Board of Film Classification rates HIT 3, Retro 'strong' for violence; gives full details of language, horror) Nani worked as an assistant director and wanted to become a filmmaker before he debuted as an actor in the 2008 film Ashta Chamma. He revealed in the interview that he once feared that fame would change him. 'It has taught me that I don't need to worry much that fame will change me. A lot of people say that, right? That's also been my fear when I started out. That the fame will change how I think or who I am. Will it take away me from myself?' The actor says the fear was only amplified due to the people around him, 'I saw it happen to people around me sometimes. But now, over the years, it has taught me it has nothing to do with fame. It's you who'll change. Fame doesn't do that to you. You were just controlling it, and now you let it out. Some people say he used to be very good before he was famous. No, he was just acting good; he was always this. Fame will not change anything, actually. That's what I've understood.' Nani both stars and produces HIT: The Third Case under his banner, Wall Poster Cinema. The film directed by Sailesh Kolanu is the third in his HIT franchise. The first and second parts saw Vishwak Sen and Adivi Sesh play cops solving mysterious murders. The third part will see Nani go undercover to rescue a baby and solve a series of murders. The film has been rated A and will be released in theatres on May 1.
