The British Board of Film Classification – Who watches the watchers?

Origin Story

Sex! Violence! Censorship! These days the British Board of Film Classification rarely makes headlines but it was on the cultural frontlines throughout the 20 th century, from Herbert Asquith and the dawn of British cinema to Mary Whitehouse and “video nasties”. Through the turbulent life of one institution, Ian takes Dorian through a century of moral panics, censorship and furious debates about cinema’s influence on the life of the nation. This (literally) cinematic tale ranges from The Birth of a Nation and Nosferatu to Cannibal Holocaust and The Life of Brian, and has an unusually uplifting ending. Won’t somebody think of the children?!

Origin Story will be live at the Tabernacle in London on the 7th of November for a special post-US election show. Tickets here.

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Reading List

The Miracle Of The Movies by Leslie Wood, Burke Publishing 1915

Obscenity and Film Censorship: An Abridgement of the Williams Report edited by Bernard Williams

The British Board of Film Censors: film censorship in Britain, 1896-1950 by James Robertson, Dover, N.H. 1985

Censoring the moving image by Phillip French Seagull Books, 2007

See no evil: Banned films and video controversy by David Kerekes, Headpress 2000

Ban The Sadist Videos: 2005 Documentary

ScreenOnline: Duval, Robin

Mark Kermode interview with Robin Duval: Guardian 2004

Written and presented by Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Simon Williams. Music by Jade Bailey. Art by Jim Parrett. Logo by Mischa Welsh. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Origin Story is a Podmasters production

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