Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes has decided to reclassify the infamous slasher film A Nightmare On Elm Street as suitable for younger teens.
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) says the age limit for watching the 1984 horror film, which sees Freddie Krueger stabbing sleeping teenagers, should be lowered from 18 to 15.
Oscar winner Mr. Fellowes responded: ‘I should have thought that showing A Nightmare On Elm Street to a 15-year-old was child abuse. I can’t help but think that these people need to get out more.’
It is one of several violent films – including the “sickening” and “sadistic” 1986 The Hitcher – to have their ratings cut to 15 because they are considered “tame” compared to modern content online or in video games.
However, several family films, including the 1969 musical Paint Your Wagon starring Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood, have seen their ratings increase due to new sensitivities about sexual references and language. The film has been bumped from a PG to a 12 rating.
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) stabs teenagers while they sleep, should be lowered from 18 to 15.
The 2004 film Spider-Man 2 (pictured), starring Tobey Maguire, has had its rating raised from PG to 12 due to scenes involving fistfights and a robbery and a reference to a man being stabbed
Family films, including the 1969 musical Paint Your Wagon starring Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood (pictured), have seen their ratings boosted by new sensitivities about sexual references and language. The film has gone from a PG to a 12 rating
According to the BBFC, Elm Street, starring Robert Englund, does contain “moments of gore” but these are “relatively discreet”.
It also says that The Hitcher, starring Rutger Hauer, contains moments of “sadism and violent acts,” but that these are not “prolonged or extended.”
Paint Your Wagon is now a 12 because it depicts the opening of a brothel and has a scene where a woman rips off her blouse to reveal her corset and cleavage. It also refers to people being “horny.”
The 2004 film Spider-Man 2, starring Tobey Maguire, has had its age rating raised from PG to 12 due to scenes involving fistfights, a robbery and a reference to a man being stabbed.
The 1983 film Risky Business starring Tom Cruise has had its rating downgraded from 18 to 15 because its references to “sex work, oral sex and masturbation” are considered more comical 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 was child abuse. I can’t help but think these people need to get out more’
The ‘sickening’ and ‘sadistic’ 1986 The Hitcher (pictured) will also see a ratings cut from 15, as it is considered ‘tame’ compared to modern content online or in video games
The BBFC says The Hitcher, starring Rutger Hauer, has moments of “sadism and violent acts” but these are not “sustained or prolonged”
The 1983 film Risky Business (pictured) starring Tom Cruise has had its rating downgraded 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 offer them for re-release on the big screen or on DVD and Blu-ray.
A BBFC spokesperson said that when assessing 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 (most recently involving 12,000 people), to ensure they continue to reflect public expectations.
‘Therefore, films may need to have a higher or lower rating than they have received in the past.’