Marooned Extended: Again
Following our report on Marooned - Extended, we got in touch with the BBFC to see if we could glean anything. They confirmed that "It is true that once a work has received a particular category it cannot receive a different age rating unless the work itself is different to the original in some respect (eg extra footage, different aspect ratio, etc)." After some confusion regarding the Re-mastered version, we got the following response:
On MAROONED, we first classified this in 1991. The title back then was simply RED DWARF - MAROONED, which we classified '15' (because of the lack of a '12' at the time). In 1998 we saw a version entitled RED DWARF - MAROONED - RE-MASTERED, which altered the opening and closing titles, added some new effects and added and removed a few bits here and there. This got a '12'. In 2003 we saw yet another version entitled RED DWARF - SERIES 3 - MAROONED - EXTENDED. Admittedly we compared this to the 1998 version and, judging by the comparison form, it seems it's far closer to the original 1991 version (the effects seem to have been put back to how they were in the first place). However, it still appears to be longer than the 1991 original (although without running the tapes together we can't say for sure how they differ!).
This doesn't of course confirm my theory (which is mine, etc), but it sure makes it seem a lot more likely. There would appear to be no other logical explanation - unless a cocking Polymorph - Extended or whatever shows up in the next few days, which I would say is less than likely. And as for the 16 extra seconds, you'll just have to wait for the 3rd November; I wasn't about to trouble the BBFC any more after all their help by trying to find out. What with this extremely helpful and speedy response, and their excellent website, there sure could be worse censorship bodies in this country.
Comments
Ooooooh :)
Posted by Drzymala at September 16, 2003 08:00 AM
Great work G&T! Thanx!
Posted by Bob the Skutter at September 16, 2003 08:59 AM
How strange that the tiniest alteration, such as a different aspect ratio, is enough to get a film reclassified. It hardly seems worth having the rule in the first place...
Posted by Ian Cress at September 16, 2003 10:15 PM
Well, the point is that even tiny changes could affect the classification. The aspect ratio change for instance could alter a classification because something that was originally cropped out is in shot again.
However, I agree that it is slightly silly that something can't get reclassified; certainly in this instance, where there is an obvious reason, to do with the 12 certificate not being avaliable originally. What is sillier is that Marooned ever got a 15 certificate in the first place, though.
Posted by John Hoare at September 16, 2003 10:21 PM
I agree
Posted by Drzymala at September 16, 2003 10:28 PM
Monty Python's Meaning of Life was reclassified from an 18 to a 15 a few years ago, so I can't see why Marooned can't be.
It's all very odd...
(Nice work by the way!
Posted by Darrell Jones at September 17, 2003 11:00 AM
Was Meaning Of Life changed in any way, though? Even an change of a couple of seconds would be enough to let it be reclassified again.
I think there is the odd case of the same thing being reclassifed, though; see the top letter on this page:
http://www.melonfarmers.co.uk/op02.htm
It's all rather confusing, really.
Posted by John Hoare at September 17, 2003 05:20 PM
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