Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes has announced the decision to reclassify the notorious horror film A Nightmare On Elm Street as suitable for younger teenagers.
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) says the age limit for viewing the 1984 horror film, in which Freddie Krueger attacks sleeping teenagers with a knife, should be lowered from 18 to 15.
Oscar winner Fellowes replied: “I would have thought that showing A Nightmare on Elm Street to a 15-year-old would constitute child abuse. I can’t help but feel that these people should be brought to the forefront more.”
It is one of several violent films (including the “nauseating” and “sadistic” 1986 film The Hitcher) to have its rating reduced to 15 for being considered “tame” compared to modern online or video game content.
However, several family films, including the 1969 musical Paint Your Wagon with Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood, have seen their ratings raised due to new sensitivities about references to sex and language. It has been moved from a PG-12 film to a PG-12 film.
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) says the age limit for viewing the 1984 horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street, in which Freddie Krueger (pictured) attacks sleeping teenagers with a knife, should be lowered from 18 to 15.
The 2004 film Spider-Man 2 (pictured), starring Tobey Maguire, has had its PG rating raised to 12 due to sequences including fistfights and a mugging and a reference to a man being stabbed.
Family films, including the 1969 musical Paint Your Wagon with Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood (pictured), have had their ratings raised due to new sensitivities about references to sex and language. It has gone from a PG rating to a 12 rating.
The BBFC says that while Elm Street, starring Robert Englund, features “moments of gore”, these are “relatively low-key”.
He adds that The Hitcher, starring Rutger Hauer, has moments of “sadism and acts of violence” but these are not “sustained or prolonged.”
Paint Your Wagon is now a 12-page film because it shows the opening of a brothel and has a scene where a woman has her blouse torn off to reveal her corset and cleavage. It also makes reference to people who are “hot.”
The 2004 film Spider-Man 2, starring Tobey Maguire, has had its PG rating raised to 12 due to sequences involving fistfights, a mugging and a reference to a man being stabbed.
The 1983 film Risky Business starring Tom Cruise has had its rating reduced from 18 to 15 because its references to “sex work, oral sex and masturbation” are considered comical rather than explicit.
Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes (pictured) said: “I should have thought that showing A Nightmare on Elm Street to a 15-year-old constituted child abuse. I can’t help but feel that these people should be brought to the fore more.”
The “nauseating” and “sadistic” 1986 series The Hitcher (pictured) will also see its rating reduced to 15 as it is considered “tame” compared to modern online or video game content.
The BBFC says The Hitcher, starring Rutger Hauer, has moments of “sadism and violence” but these are not “sustained or prolonged”.
The 1983 film Risky Business starring Tom Cruise (pictured) has had its rating reduced from 18 to 15 because its references to “sex work, oral sex and masturbation” are considered comical rather than explicit.
The BBFC reclassifies films when distributors submit them for re-release on the big screen or on DVD and Blu-ray.
A BBFC spokesperson said that when reviewing the classification of older films, “we apply our current standards as set out in our published classification guidelines.”
‘These guidelines evolve over time, based on large-scale research (the most recent involved 12,000 people) to ensure they continue to reflect public expectations.
‘As a result, films may require a higher or lower rating than they have received in the past.’