UPDATES: 8th June 2009

SEXY POKER: Banned in Australia
Censor Flashback: CAGED FURY (1989)
Advertising Standards Bureau: October - November 2008 Complaints 
NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD: No Poofters Allowed
SAW V: Bus Advertisement
Senate Estimates: Graffiti and Porn Mags, Customs, and Police

UPDATES: 24th May 2009

DEBTS OF DESIRE: More Censored Hentai
NECROVISION: Censored for M-rating
Censored Hardcore DVDs 
PASS OUT: Board Game Rated Category 1
Censor Flashback: DREAMS OF EROTICISM (1977)
New Consumer Advice: SAW V, X-MEN ORIGINS- WOLVERINE, TERMINATOR 3, DAREDEVIL
FRIDAY THE 13TH: Review Board Report
CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR: Review Board Report

UPDATES: 3rd May 2009

Catholic WYD Pilgrims caused HOLY VIRGINS ban
LOVE DOLL: Hentai missing Episode One
How to rate a film without even viewing it
Why THE HOWLING is R18+ in 2009, when it was M-rated in 1981
Censor Flashback: AUDITIONS (1978)

UPDATES: 19th April 2009

We're back!
NECROVISION: Banned in Australia
2009 Censorship Ministers Meeting
Australian incest books banned by the censors
WET SET Magazine #55: Censored for Category 2
Three Gay Hardcore DVDs Banned
HOME INVASION: Censored!
HOT BUTTERED COP PORN: Banned
MANPLAY 40: Banned!
Two Straight Hardcore DVDs Banned
CRY WOLF: Banned
ROCCO-PUPPET MASTER 2: Banned Again

UPDATES: January 2002 - May 2009

******

Refused-Classification.com is your guide to film, DVD, video, game, television, internet, book, and magazine censorship in Australia.

This site came about due to the continuing limits that are being imposed on what we can see in this country. The eventual aim is to provide a detailed history of film censorship in Australia since the introduction of the R18+ rating in 1971. Censorship before this point was just too widespread to even attempt to cover. 

It is worth noting that because this is a history of censorship, many titles that are listed as being cut or banned in the past would now easily pass with R18+ or even M15+ and MA15+ ratings. 

Taking a starting date of January 2000, the current state of censorship by the  Classification Board and Review Board is as follows.

 

Films (non-hardcore) Banned by the Censors:
2000 to Present

2008: HOLY VIRGINS had its R18+ ratings overturned by the RB who awarded it an RC. SALO was banned again, and SLAVES OF PASSION was banned then censored for an R18+. A cut version of GIRLS GONE WILD: SPRING BREAK SEX RIOT was passed R18+. THE EROTIC FILMS OF PETER DE ROME was refused festival exemption to screen at the Melbourne Queer Film Festival.

2007: SADDAM HUSSEIN'S EXECUTION VIDEO, BANNED FROM TV,  NO BODY IS PERFECT, GIRLS GONE WILD: FIRST TIMERS, GIRLS GONE WILD: SPRING BREAK SEX RIOT, FACES OF DEATH 2, FACES OF DEATH 3, and FACES OF DEATH 4 were all rated RC (Banned). A cut version of MY BROTHER'S WIFE was passed R18+. Seven films, 60 Second Relief, 70K, Ashley & Kisha: Finding the Right Fit,  The Farmer’s Daughter, The Schoolgirls' Report, Sex Wish, and Whore were refused festival exemptions to screen at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival.

2006: Four Hentai DVD's, DARLING, HOOLIGAN, SPOTLIGHT, and MY BROTHER'S WIFE, were rated RC (Banned). Two Australian titles, 70K and WELCOME TO GREENSBOROUGH were also rated RC (Banned). Also banned was HARDCORE VOLUME 2, a collection of Richard Kern's short films.

2005: IN A GLASS CAGE and THE GORE GORE GIRLS were rated RC (Banned). Both these ratings were confirmed by the RB. 9 SONGS had the R18+ rating raised back up to X18+ by the SACC. This effectively means it cannot be sold or rented within the South Australia. It remains R18+ in the rest of the country. The uncut version of CALIGULA was rated RC (Banned).

2004: 9 SONGS was given an overly restrictive X18+, it was dropped to R18+ on appeal to the RB. Four films, The Toolbox Murders (1978), Wife to be Sacrificed, Guinea Pig: Devil's Experiment and Guinea Pig: Flowers of Flesh and Blood were refused festival exemptions to screen at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival.

2003: KEN PARK was rated RC (Banned), this was confirmed by the RB. Whilst SALO was again confirmed as RC (Banned). 

2002: BAISE-MOI was passed R18+, but increased to RC (Banned) by the RB. NECROPHAGIA: THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD was rated RC (Banned). 

2000: ROMANCE was rated RC (Banned), but passed R18+ by the Review Board (RB). A DVD extra called the TROMA INTELLIGENCE TEST was rated RC (Banned). 

 

Hardcore Sex Films Banned by the Censors:
2000 to Present

This is where the main censorship has been over the past few years. The X18+ database contains around 300 titles rated RC by the OFLC since 2000.

 

Games Banned by the Censors:
2000 to Present

It is worth noting that if the highest games rating was R18+ and not MA15+, then there would be little, if any, games censorship in Australia. All of the following games would fit into an R18+ rating.

2009: NECROVISION  before being modified for an M-rating. SEXY POKER was rated RC (Banned).

2008: SHELLSHOCK 2: BLOOD TRAILS was rated RC (Banned). SILENT HILL: HOMECOMING, FALLOUT 3 and DARK SECTOR were rated RC (Banned), before being modified for an MA15+. F.E.A.R. 2: PROJECT ORIGIN was rated RC (Banned), then dropped to MA15+ by the RB. GTA IV was pre-censored before submission to the CB. 

2007: BLITZ THE LEAGUE was rated RC (Banned). SOLDIER OF FORTUNE: PAYBACK was also rated RC (Banned), before being modified for an MA15+.

2006: The MA15+ rating awarded to GETTING UP: CONTENTS UNDER PRESSURE was raised to RC (Banned) by the RB. RESERVOIR DOGS and the interactive DVD Game, SPIN THE BOTTLE, were both rated RC (Banned).

2005: NARC was rated RC. GTA: SAN ANDREAS was passed with an MA15+ rating in 2004, but raised to RC (Banned) after the discovery of the 'Hot Coffee' mod. POSTAL 2: SHARE THE PAIN was rated RC (Banned). 50 CENT: BULLETPROOF was also rated RC (Banned), this was confirmed by the RB. In 2006 a censored version was passed MA15+.

2004: This was the worst year so far. SHELLSHOCK NAM '67, LEISURE SUIT LARRY, SINGLES-FLIRT UP YOUR LIFE, and THE PUNISHER were all hit with RC (Banned) ratings. Whilst MANHUNT, initially passed and released as MA15+, was raised to RC (Banned) by the RB.

2003: The I TOUCH amusement machine was rated RC (Banned). The SILVERBALL machine was also rated RC (Banned), but dropped to M on appeal to the RB. 

2002: The sequel GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY was modified before submission for MA15+. BMX XXX and THE GETAWAY were both rated RC (Banned), then modified for MA15+ ratings. 

2001: GRAND THEFT AUTO 3 was rated RC (Banned), this was confirmed by the RB. A modified version was passed MA15+.

 

Books and Magazines Banned by the Censors
2006-Present

2009: The graffiti magazine DIRTY DEEDS #8,  and the adult magazine WET SET #55 were rated RC (Banned). As were the books BET AND ZAK and SIBLING LOVE by Australian Author Charles Kevin. 

2008: GALLERY Vol36 #4, BUSTY BEAUTIES #61, CELEBRITY SKIN Vol 30 #175, and HUSTLER BARELY LEGAL Vol 15 #11 were all rated RC (Banned).

2007: TRANS-SEX CLIMAX #9, THE PICTURE PREMIUM #103, WA PERTH SWINGERS CLUB #57 were rated RC (Banned). THE PEACEFUL PILL HANDBOOK was rated RC (Banned) by the RB.

2006: DEFENCE OF THE MUSLIM LANDS and JOIN THE CARAVAN were both rated RC (Banned) by the RB.

 

The site is continually evolving. If you think you can contribute in any way then please get in touch.

******

The site currently has four databases. 

The first (and largest) is a list of non-hardcore films that have had censorship problems in Australia. This has been further divided into two separate lists. Classification Board and Review Board / Australian Customs Service (ACS), and miscellaneous. Both lists access the same database. 

The second is an X18+ database of hardcore titles. It currently has details of films that have been banned/cut since 2000.

The third is a list of Games that have had censorship problems since the introduction of classification in 1994.

The fourth is a list of Publications that have been banned by the Classification Board and Review Board. At present it only goes back until 2006.

******

The running times quoted are taken from the Classification Board and Review Board listing; where possible we've included our own running times of particular titles. The listing of (f) or (v) after a time denotes if the movie was viewed on film or video. This is important as PAL tapes run at 25 frames per second, compared with film at 24 fps. So because a PAL tape runs 4% faster it will have a shorter running time than film or NTSC tapes. For example, 90min NTSC is approx 86min PAL, 120min NTSC is approx 115min PAL. 

******

DISCLAIMER

Refused-Classification.com is designed to educate the Australian public about censorship by the Classification Board and Review Board. 

The worldwide release information is provided to show how other countries compare with our own. It is not the intention of this site to encourage anyone to import a title that may be prohibited.  

We do not buy, sell, trade, or distribute any of the films, games, and books that are listed. 
So don't ask!

Last Updated 08.06.09