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Absurd BBFC Cuts of the 80s and 90s

Started by SavageHedgehog, August 10, 2018, 06:58:59 PM

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Sebastian Cobb

Quote from: Phil_A on August 13, 2018, 03:50:39 PM
I'm absolutely certain that "ITV version" was a myth, based on people's jumbled memories of the PG-rated Robocop TV series(which did go out on Saturday afternoons) and the heavily censored network TV edit that aired in the US.

Even with cuts there's no way in hell ITV would've put on an ultraviolent 18 cert film like Robocop on during the day, it wouldn't happen.
The dubs did happen. Probably something about swearing on Us Network as you say.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-y1PAUtv3k&;

hedgehog90

Recently watched Andrzej Żuławski's Possession.
Didn't realise what I was getting into when it started, and was totally dumbstruck by it all (if you've seen it you'll know what I mean)
It was one of many films banned by the BBFC and inappropriately termed a video nasty in the 80s.
It's wonderful to imagine your average horror fan cluelessly putting this on the VCR expecting run of the mill gore and nudity schlock, but getting the subway scene.

St_Eddie

Quote from: AsparagusTrevor on August 13, 2018, 04:27:33 PM
Plenty of the violence was removed also, I remember in particular Emil vanished from the film entirely after his van-crash.

One of the most bizarre edits of a TV version of Robocop has Clarence avoiding Emil with his car.  It's far more disturbing to not have him put out of his misery, no matter how gory the death was.

weirdbeard

Quote from: Phil_A on August 13, 2018, 03:50:39 PM
I'm absolutely certain that "ITV version" was a myth, based on people's jumbled memories of the PG-rated Robocop TV series(which did go out on Saturday afternoons) and the heavily censored network TV edit that aired in the US.

Even with cuts there's no way in hell ITV would've put on an ultraviolent 18 cert film like Robocop on during the day, it wouldn't happen.

Yeah, having a search through the newspaper archives of the 90s, I can only find a handful of post-watershed airings. The first showing doesn't seem to have been until 1994, which seems a hell of a long time for a network premiere - only the 7 years after release.

mothman

That was about par for the course back then.

Sebastian Cobb

It could take a good couple of years just for something to be released on video.

Replies From View

Quote from: St_Eddie on August 14, 2018, 05:40:30 PM
One of the most bizarre edits of a TV version of Robocop has Clarence avoiding Emil with his car.  It's far more disturbing to not have him put out of his misery, no matter how gory the death was.

Was the "airhead" dub in my imagination, then?  I thought it was in the pissing scene.

Shit Good Nose

The day-time showing myth has some element of truth to it, but at the same time it has taken on an exaggeration.

There was a showing that aired at 8pm (finishing for News at Ten), so half of it pre-watershed, but not the late afternoon showing that has been mythologised.  But that doesn't mean the second half of the film had all its violence and bad language intact - it was the same version shown in 94 that was cut all the way through - this was back in the days when BBC1 and ITV aired edited versions of films even if they were being shown post-watershed.  Thank fuck those days are over.

Anyway, I know this timeframe and showing are correct as I recorded it, getting the first few minutes of the News at Ten (AFTER the film).


I think I'm right in saying that BBC1 sourced (perhaps even carried out) their own edits, whilst ITV used to show US TV versions.

AsparagusTrevor

Quote from: Replies From View on August 15, 2018, 01:54:19 PM
Was the "airhead" dub in my imagination, then?  I thought it was in the pissing scene.
The one ITV used to show definitely had 'airhead' in the pissing scene, and "you just FREAKED with the wrong guy". These both became an in-joke for me and my school-friends.

That version also had the brilliant misogyny reversal of Clarence, "Ladies, leave".

Replies From View

#39
Of course, the most unedited Robocop of all has highly visceral closeups of those men's urethras opening up in that scene, and piss gushing forth in sublime slow-motion.

It would have been on BBC2 or Channel 4 when they were still showing animations and dance pieces like DV8's Dead Dreams of Monochrome Men.

Shit Good Nose

Quote from: AsparagusTrevor on August 15, 2018, 02:27:09 PM
That version also had the brilliant misogyny reversal of Clarence, "Ladies, leave".

He still didn't say "please", though.

St_Eddie

Quote from: Replies From View on August 15, 2018, 01:54:19 PM
Was the "airhead" dub in my imagination, then?  I thought it was in the pissing scene.

There's multiple TV edits, each with differing alterations.

kalowski

Quote from: BeardFaceMan on August 13, 2018, 04:05:55 PM
Yeah Robocop was on ITV in 1994, starting after the news so about half ten at night. And it was cut to ribbons, I remember a lot of the violence remaining but the swearing was dubbed a lot, which was both infuriating and fantastic.
This doesn't surprise me. For years I didn't know why John Carpenter included such a bad cut in The Thing after the stomach bites the man's arms off and the head grows legs, it would jarringly cut to them all using flame throwers. Seems like TV censors didn't have a problem with any of that, just the line, "You gotta be fucking kidding."

kaprisky

Quote from: weirdbeard on August 14, 2018, 11:21:42 PM
Yeah, having a search through the newspaper archives of the 90s, I can only find a handful of post-watershed airings. The first showing doesn't seem to have been until 1994, which seems a hell of a long time for a network premiere - only the 7 years after release.

From another thread in February:

Re Robocop: let's untangle this once and for all.
Robocop (1987) seems to have made a first appearance on ITV on 19/03/1994 at 10:15pm. It appeared again on the same channel on 18/02/1995 at 10pm.
The Robocop series apparently played for the first time on Sky One from 15/03/1995 at 8pm.
Robocop 2 (1990) gets a screening on 09/12/1995, again on ITV, at 9:45pm.
The Robocop series seems to get played on Granada on 10/03/1996 at 5:10pm.
The first Robocop film gets played in the regions (Border/Westcountry/HTV) on 13/04/1996 at 10:05pm.
The Robocop series pilot makes it to network ITV on 04/05/1996 at 1:55pm, and subsequent episodes seem to be at 3-4pm.

The first Robocop film on 19/03/94 has this write-up in the Independent:
QuoteSlagged off for its comic-book ultra-violence, which treated human bodies like some American movies treat cars, Verhoeven's dark and witty sci-fi adventure has been pared of most of its excesses in this American television print.

I think the film was released in the US in '87, played the London Film Festival in late '87, got a UK release in Feb '88, probably got a VHS rental and sell through release later in '88 and might have got bought up by the Sky movie channels in the early 90s (possibly). 1994 was probably the earliest opportunity for network TV to get it, even if it was the US TV version.

mothman

1994 would be right, I'm sure I recall being in my last year of uni and watching it on TV and seeing the "Why me?" version.

#45
I can only further confirm that those dates seem legit.  Robocop took blumming ages to be shown on TV, possibly because of a negative stigma the film's violence may have had.  The Rambo sequels weren't shown on terrestrial until the early 2000's, because of the Hungerford massacre , though I'm pretty sure BBC 1 showed First Blood around 1986... I was only 3, but I vividly remember watching it, somehow.  Also, 1983's Scarface wasn't shown on tv, until about 1996! BBC 2 screened it uncut for the most part.

Oddly enough, I came across this yesterday...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S9uKulmUx4

Old Bazza was pretty conflicted, wasn't he?

mothman

First Blood was definitely shown in around Sept '86 - I remember I'd not long gone back to school.

Ah, that's explains things.  It was after the sequel came out and with it, all the merchandising.  I was only 3 at the time and I had some of the Rambo toys, which were spun-off from the animated series (which was never screened over here).  My mother let me watch First Blood, as she didn't think it was fair that I could play with the toys, but not see the movie.  Still vividly remember how emotional the ending got from that first viewing and my mother telling me to get to bed as soon as the end credits came on.

kalowski

Quote from: goinggoinggone on August 17, 2018, 05:54:24 AM
Ah, that's explains things.  It was after the sequel came out and with it, all the merchandising.  I was only 3 at the time and I had some of the Rambo toys, which were spun-off from the animated series (which was never screened over here).  My mother let me watch First Blood, as she didn't think it was fair that I could play with the toys, but not see the movie.  Still vividly remember how emotional the ending got from that first viewing and my mother telling me to get to bed as soon as the end credits came on.
You remember that at age 3?!

Quote from: kalowski on August 17, 2018, 07:16:41 AM
You remember that at age 3?!
Yes, I do... though it seems unlikely.  I guess that was the power of Rambo, back in the day.



Sebastian Cobb

I videoed T2 in about 1996 seeing as it's relevant.

AsparagusTrevor

Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on August 17, 2018, 09:45:30 AM
I videoed T2 in about 1996 seeing as it's relevant.
That used to be cut to shit on TV as well, but not in such a funny fashion as Robocop. I remember being pretty surprised by the extra violence and swearing when I saw the video version, which actually already had its fair share of BBFC cuts.

St_Eddie

I was extremely surprised to watch The Goonies on DVD a few years ago, as I'd only ever watched the TV edit.  To a point, it was almost like watching a new film.  It's kind of joyous to be so familiar with something and then out of the blue, be presented with all this new material that you never knew existed.

neveragain

Yes! The above-linked Youtube series mentions some excised moments from Hot Shots! Part Deux which had completely passed me by on my many telly viewings, mostly two gags in the final sequence which make it so much stronger.

Replies From View

Quote from: AsparagusTrevor on August 17, 2018, 10:52:04 AM
That used to be cut to shit on TV as well, but not in such a funny fashion as Robocop. I remember being pretty surprised by the extra violence and swearing when I saw the video version, which actually already had its fair share of BBFC cuts.

I always liked how the first Terminator film had the line "YOU'RE TERMINATED FUCKER" edited into "YOU'RE TERMINATED *ksh*" in the TV broadcasts.  Such an abrupt cut.  Anyway they then used the line "YOU ARE TERMINATED" in the third Terminator film, as if to say the PG edit of the first film is the one that is canon.

Sebastian Cobb

Quote from: St_Eddie on August 17, 2018, 12:49:30 PM
I was extremely surprised to watch The Goonies on DVD a few years ago, as I'd only ever watched the TV edit.  To a point, it was almost like watching a new film.  It's kind of joyous to be so familiar with something and then out of the blue, be presented with all this new material that you never knew existed.

I had a 'well I don't remember that!' moment like that when I saw trading places at the cinema and JLC casually gets her tits out.

I don't remember Trading Places being cut much.  Maybe some of the F-bombs (Paul Gleason telling the woman waiting for the phone to "get lost") but never Jamie's baps (damn, I haven't used the word baps in that context in years) and Billy Ray's rowdy party guests, even when ITV first showed it in the late 80's.

St_Eddie

Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on August 17, 2018, 05:26:10 PM
I had a 'well I don't remember that!' moment like that when I saw trading places at the cinema and JLC casually gets her tits out.

I'd say that maybe you'd blocked the memory from your mind but let's face it, you would have engraved the memory upon your mind, had you seen that moment, as a kid.