Television's Bastardisation of Movies

[Pleonastic]

Is it just me, or is anyone else sick of the way that free to air networks consistently arse rape any movie which had a cinema rating of MA15+ or higher? What has prompted this is Channel 7's treatment of Trainspotting which is going to air as I type this.
Now don't get me wrong - I realise that they have to make some cuts and alterations in order to get something that was once rated R18+ onto television (and it's actually good that they can - not too long ago that would have been impossible). What's pissed me off it the treatment of the language, and in particular the random way that some of it is cut, and other parts remain intact. If you're going to cut the bad language, for gods sake at least cut the lot. I mean, Begbie can call someone a cunt once or three times in a sentence, and it has the same impact - so why cut the other two occurrences?
But even that is a side note. What REALLY pisses me off is the fact that I think a movie like Trainspotting really does have a few more things in it which may cause offence other than the language. The word "fuck" doesn't even raise the eyebrows of most of the older generation any more. But in the scene near the start where the characters are shooting up heroin and Renton is explaining how good it is, the portion that Channel 7 cuts is the swearing. Therefore people using and virtually promoting the use of heroin is OK, but whatever you do - "don't swear while you do it... that would make what you're doing seem bad".
Does Channel 7 really think that the section of the population which is offended by swearing is likely to be sitting down to enjoy a cuppa over a nice family movie such as Trainspotting at 10:50PM on a Sunday night? Luckily I have Trainspotting on video, and can now watch it the way it was supposed to be seen.
This reminds me of the time I watched Pulp Fiction on video while Channel 7 showed their version... and don't even get me started on that one...

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"The love in your heart wasn't put there to stay...
Love isn't love, till you give it away."
[This message has been edited by Pleonastic (edited 01 April 2001).]

 

[Fry-d-]

It was just as Bad in Lock Stock n two smoking barrels.
Pity two good movies cut to shit

 

[-Thoth]

Dammn, I remember Pulp Fiction when it aired on tv... A study in how you can take a great piece of cinema, and then thanks to the corporatisation of our media and the good 'ole moral majority, turn it into an exercise in mediocrity 101.
I had seen it before, so I gathered the rest of the family together for its tv showing in anticipation of their response to the movie which they had not experienced.
Well, fuck. The thing was cut so damn bad the dialougue didn't even make sense, and it was interspersed by a lenthy ad break every 15 minutes! Even I, with advance knowlege of the plot content had trouble following the action. The folks were saying "so you said this was a good movie? Looks like a typical load of American crap!" That pissed me off, even moreso because in that context they were right. It's sacrelige! I hate tv networks scrabbling for some easy ratings by putting stuff like this on, even though they know its going to be a mere shadow of the genuine article. Yet they still cut it all to shit and rip holes in it so they can squeeze the ads in. Such loose ethics depresses me.
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The woods are dark and deep, and you have miles to go before you sleep...
[This message has been edited by -Thoth (edited 01 April 2001).]

 

[*~hippychic~*]

I don't see why they have to censor movies on tv at all! Either show the movie in its true form or not at all ...
I don't usually bother watching movies like pulp fiction or whatever on telly cause I know its just not going to be the same ..
If people don't want to watch a movie that shows drug use/sex/language/nudity etc then they shouldn't watch it, its no different to seeing a movie anywhere else, surely??? Its a matter of personal choice ...
Seems unfair to spoil these movies just because of a few people that might get offended.

 

[Samadhi]

Another interesting point, they will show the scene where the baby has died, and the first thing that is said is that they are going to cook up a shot...pretty intense stuff if you ask me...but did anyone else notice in one of the first shooting up scenes, they cut the scene where the girl has just had her shot, and tells sicboy that "it's better than any meat injection"...there is definite sexual inuendo between the two of them...
I believe that it's TV's way of not giving a relatively balanced view of heroin. I'm not saying that i condone heroin addiction at all (i abhor the shite) but they will leave the really negative parts in, regardless of how disturbing they are, but will cut out anything that might be perceived as "glamorising heroin use", for lack of a better phrase. as everyone said, it was on at 10.50pm, so either leave the film in it's entireity, or don't air it at all.
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[fataliss]

tvs bastardisation of movies hey?, what about movies bastardisation of books! They cut truckloads out of most books, one that comes to mind is fried green tomatoes where the movie leaves out over half the story involving the negro characters (although it is still a good movie).
Then of course there are all the adaptations of classic novels like Emma where they turn it into a teenyboppy movie (with Alecia Silverstone, I cant remember the name of the movie)and of course who could forget all the Shakespearian adaptations (some good, some that would make Shakespeare turn in his grave I'm sure).
A particularly bad movie is the remake of Lolita, a very contraversial subject which the movie succeeds in making boring with a capital B!! All for fear of offending the public. If you are gonna betray the overall theme and purpose of a book you definately should not make the movie at all!! and the same goes for TV I suppose.

 

[E*GO]

My favourite is pulp fiction when he says his wallet is the one that says "Bad Mutha Fucker" on it (except fucker was censored).
When he pulls the wallet out of the bag, they have zoomed in on the wallet more than the original movie did and cut out the bottom bit that said "fucker".
Doesnt that seem a bit extreme to anyone??

 

[Pleonastic]

fataliss: good call! Although most adaptions of books are reasonably faithful, some are pretty damn bad. American Psycho came close, but honestly - if you've read the book you'd know that they never should have tried to put it on film in the first place...
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"The love in your heart wasn't put there to stay...
Love isn't love, till you give it away."

 

[haste]

Shit, not just TV and books - what about video's - I mean what's with all these rated R porno's - if ya gonna portray sex, do it properly

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[*chaoscat*]

Ok, whinging about Trainspotting being cut?
Read the book Trainspotting... now how much of that was cut when they made the film?
It's a completely different story... the film is fluffy light entertainment, so why whinge about it being cut???
The film definitely glamorises drug use compared to the book... go on, read it!
Hard to understand their accents but put up with it, it's worth it!
(Ye ken ya want ta, ye dos kunt!)
They are all horrible unlikeable people, and it is trully gross and disgusting... it's hard to believe they even made the light entertainment that is the film Trainspotting, based on the book.
(And you all know the dude that gave him the supositories in the film was the dude that wrote the book right?)
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the film, but as far as an accurate portrayal goes, don't EVER expect film or television to tell the whole story...
READ THE BOOK

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"Go peddle your kippers elsewhere clown" - Renwaldo Hoek

 

[Miss Peks]

Yes well due to the fact that I got sick of these TV networks cutting out the best bits out of movies, I decided to get cable TV and I've never looked back.
Although I have to admit that I'd rather go to the movies anyday.

 

[funkyfella]

"OK OK, Lets take it from here"
For ages here I've seen people studying science post about science with authority, and people studying IT post about IT, but now it is my time!! I study (or studied/will continue later) TV and Video Production, and I did a massive presentation on this just 6 months ago! Also, Censorship has been something that has fascinated since I was 4 and wasn't allowed to see Freddy Kruger! I also have worked at the Ch9 censorship dept. and the Chief censor there is a friend of mine. So here goes...
TV stations don't cut movies because they want to, or because they want to make things less offensive, they do it because they are by law required to do so! So don't blame them! And there is a reason why they cuts some "fucks" and keep others, and that is context! If you use the word fuck in a threatening way, or in a way that does not pertain to sex, then it will be cut. If it is to do with sex, then it most likely will stay in. If it is said in passing, It'll probably also stay in. Also, if it before 9:00, all fucks will be cut!
As for drug use, I was very very very surprised about how much they showed. This is because it is illegal to show footage on TV, that someone could use to work out how to use drugs (cook up/cut lines etc.). Thats why the injecting/cook up scene just after he buys the "pepsi cup challenge heroin" in Pulp Fiction was deleted! I mean, It is very iffy, but hey, I guess Ch7 might be trying to push the boundries. Because this is also all about precident! If they get away with it this time, when they want to screen "Traffic" there will be no worries!
For more info check all this out:
http://www.oflc.gov.au/ - Office of Film and Literature Classification
http://www.aba.gov.au/what/program/codes/facts_code2.htm - Australian Broadcasting Authority - Very useful, pertains to this directly!
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/cfacga1995489/ - Legal stuff
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BOYAKASHA!!!

 

[Finn]

Yay Funkyfella,
Great post. Two thumbs up!

 

[Wet Musik]

yeh i'm with pekkie get cable tv and quit ya whinging

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Bars.

 

[Pleonastic]

funkyfella: Thanks for the links! I've been wondering where to find the online information about television censorship...
As you may have gathered (probably not from this post though - I've posted about stuff like this in other threads however), I have a fairly high interest in censorship. But I mainly know about Film and Video classification as well as the classification of Publications.
Re-reading my post, I think I might have been a bit harsh on Channel 7 (hey, I wrote it while I was still pissed off)! If I had of stopped and thought about it, I probably would have realised that it was just another case of the government telling us what will offend us and what won't. Channel 7 were just following the guidelines.
That doesn't mean I agree with it. I still stand by my belief that the swearing was the least of the concerns with Trainspotting and could have been left intact. And you have to admit that pulp fiction was an absolute joke.

You explained the processes, funkyfella, but I'd be interested to hear if you actually agree with them (now we know that it's a legal obligation to cut certain things)... Is your friend at Channel 9 just doing his job because he legally has to, or is it still partly the networks choice? Do the stations ever cut some things that legally could have gone to air because they believe they will offend?
You probably can't answer some of those questions, but I'd be interested in your opinion non the less...

Thanks.

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"The love in your heart wasn't put there to stay...
Love isn't love, till you give it away."

 

[Samadhi]

Not sure how many of you have read "The Power Of One"...first read it when i was about 8 (and alot more since then

). Now, when i saw the movie, i was left thinking whether i hired out the right video...for f**k sake, they introduced a girl in the movie, that wasn't even in the book! The "movie makers" found a beautiful book about the trial, tribulations and heartbreaks that come with friendship (among other things)gave it a bit of an arse raping.
Now, to all of those who liked the movie, i apologise if i have offended...but the book totally moved me, and i hate seeing bastardisation of this sort.
Happend with the exorcist too...but the movie is still very scary...
on of the only movies that,for me, did justice to the book was The godfather.
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[fataliss]

One of the most impressive book adaptations I have seen is Hunter S Thompsons 'Fear and loathing in Las Vagas' when I first heard it was comming out as a movie I dreaded it, I could not see how they could do the book justice really, when I finally did see it i thought they did a damn fine job!!! and Johnny Depp was great.
I think one of the main problems with book to movie adaptations is that movies are very controlled, your feelings and thoughts are dictated to you more than they are in books. That is probably part of the reason why movies have stricter laws on censorship than books.
In fear and loathing they successfully show the drug induced confusion and kind of staccato series of events, in a similar way the book does. In truth, the movie cleared a few things up for me, the book is pretty confusing.
On the opposite end of the scale is lolita, the filmmakers massacred it!!. The book is so contraversial not b/c it has porno love scenes (b/c it doesn't) but b/c sometimes you feel sorry for the the peadophile (Humbert), sometimes for Lolita and sometimes you think she is a spoilt brat. Anyway, they didn't show that in the movie, and considering that was practically the whole point of the book, the movie sucked!!.
I think film is a much more restricted art, not only by law but what it is possible to portray without it being boring. I suppose thats why screenwriters get academy awards. It must be terribly hard to do justice to a classic novel in 2hrs. I still havent seen high fidelity specifically b/c I have read the book.