Rypro 525

i was just wondering, i know they both have an R rating now, were these films so bad content wise that they made them rated X, or were the standards at the time diferent.

thanks for the help guys

cheekymunkey

You have to remember when these films where made, back in the 70's people led simpler live and watched movies though rose tinted glasses.

So seeing a movie like C'Orange glamorising gangs as a way of life, with house invasions, rape and murder, goverment sanctioned sterlisation via aversion therapy. It was all a bit much for joe public i guess.

It was pulled in the UK by the director himself due to copycat incidents. Always a classic way to make people want to see a movie is to tell them they cant.

blackfog

different standards back then:

midnight cowboy = gay = x

clockwork orange = violent, rape, etc. = x

now-a days folks don't mind that gay stuff...shoot, sometimes i even think about....oh, uh... how about KC Royals coach gettin' slammed!!!

Rypro 525

was there any major language also.

Giles

Apparently there was some full frontal nudity during the orgy scene from "Clockwork Orange" that the MPAA at the time decided was X-rating material.

From Imdb:

A new special edition, which restores about 90 seconds of violent footage removed from most prints, was scheduled to be released on video in 1996.


In 1973, a new version of "A Clockwork Orange" was released to theaters with an MPAA rating of "R", replacing the previous "X". The new version contained approximately 31 seconds of _replacement_, less lascivious footage for two scenes: the high speed (2 frames/sec) orgy in Alex's bedroom, and the Ludovico rape scene.

Question: is there any difference between the Region 1 US edition and the UK Region 2 edition, is the UK version the complete unedited original cut of the film?

grunter

Of course, ironically, neither film would get greenlighted in our present-day PG-13-all-day-for-all-time-save-the-childrens culture.

Rypro 525

i ended up renting the restored and remastered vhs widescreen verison of a clockwork orange with a running time of 137 min. is this the original version that came in the theatres back in 71.

Mourn

I remember there being a fair amount of full frontal in A Clockwork Orange the last time i watched the dvd. That would still probably merit an X theatrically these days.

fiver

Rypro,
The current release of ACO is the same print that was first released (and rated X) originally.

Michael

caligulathegod

The ratings system is a parent's guide to suitability for children. Always has been. Don't confuse it with a relativity scale on how explicit a film is. They made the mistake of not trademarking the "X" so it got co-opted by porn. X originally just meant "not suitable for children".

Rypro 525

thanks thats what i wanted to know.

Tuan Jim

That might explain the X rating for "The Long Good Friday" since that would be an easy R today.

Tuan Jim

Pants

You guys are also confusing the British Board of Film Classification's X with the MPAA's X. They mean very different things. Most specificly, an X rated movie from the BBFC can still get wide distribution in England.

JDF5244

A lil of the 'ol ultraviolence...
Maybe a lil of the 'ol 'in out in out'

Rypro 525

i didnt like the movie at all, a little too creepy, unamusing and a little too violent for my tastes. in fact, i turned it off after a half an hour. durring the scene when the main character and some other guy end up raping a woman is when i gave up. also, i think that kubrick is a little obsesed with female nudity.

Tyler_Durden

All said, though, sex in the movies was treated a lot more leniently in the '70s than it is now (in the U.S., that is - just don't mention the French ). There's no way the "Catholic High School Girls In Trouble" segment from The Kentucky Fried Movie would get away with an R in these days.

BizRodian

Hehehe... maybe Midnight Cowboy would be more your style...

I too agree with film is very disturbing, and I can't really watch it... but it doesn't mean it's a bad film.

So sad, so true. I hate that rating, no one uses it properly.

TeeSeeJay

midnight cowboy = gay?

Guess I'll have to watch it again, I must have missed that part.