Rape Squad
Dir Bob Kelljan / 1974 / USA
In 1984 the censors reviewed this early 80's video release from Palace Explosive. Not surprisingly the 86min tape (86min 25sec) was banned. If you look closely enough you can still find this tape for rent in many video stores.
Rapist, The
Dir Cha Chuen Yee / 1994 / Hong Kong
In February 1995, Chinatown Cinema had a 90min (f) version refused classification. It was refused twice more in March 1995, first in an 88min version then an 87min one. A heavily cut print was eventually passed R18+ and went on to play Chinese language cinemas.Here is what the OFLC had to say about the film.
"The Rapist, a Cantonese language, Hong Kong produced feature about a police team's search for a serial rapist was Refused Registration for gratuitous scenes of sexual violence against women. Mindful of community concerns about sexual violence the board refused registration of this film on three occasions until a fourth edited version was deemed suitable for Restricted exhibition"
OFLC and Film Literature Board of Review-The Year in Review 1994-95
The original Hong Kong Category 3 version can be found on DVD on the Ocean Shores label.
Ravager, The
Dir Charles Nizet / 1970 / USA
Impact Films had a 2163.90mtr (79m 05s) print Refused Registration in June 1982. The reason given was 'Sexual Violence'. A censored version running 1920.10mtr (70m 11s) was eventually passed with an R-rating in April 1983. Again the reason for the decision was 'Sexual Violence'. Presumably this heavily cut version (nearly 9mins!) was given a theatrical release as no videotape was ever issued.
Thanks to Matt for these comments on the film.
I wonder what this 1970 production was doing getting a theatrical Australian release in 1983! Overall it's quite a sleazy little film, and it is not hard to understand why the censors banned it. The opening scene (supposedly) set in Vietnam where two men rape, beat, and blow-up a girl with dynamite is supposed to act as the trigger for the killer when he returns to the USA. What follows are various scenes of rape and murder as the killer attempts to recreate the scene he witnessed in Vietnam. The version that I viewed was the old Something Weird VHS which runs 73:29s. It's a very old and jumpy print which according to your site compares with to 79:05s for the print originally submitted to the Australian Censorship Board. The only scene that did look a bit censored in the SW VHS was around the 17m mark where the couple are making love in the car. Again, this may not have been deliberate, and could have simply been down to print damage.
Rebekah
Dir Tony Ma Tin Yiu / 1996 / Hong Kong
Yau's Entertainment were refused a rating for this in 1996 for reasons of sexual violence. The following year it was cut from 88 to 86min (f) and rated R for a Chinese cinema release.The full Hong Kong Category 3 print can be found on Hong Kong VCD. No Australian video release.
Red Light in the White House
Dir Paul Leder / 1971 / USA
Feature Video Distributors had a 100min (v) print passed by the the censors in March 1983. Three years later, in 1986, Apple Den had the same 100min print Refused Classification for gratuitous sexual violence.
The tape is out on the VideoTech label and actually runs 89min 20sec. This release is a direct dub of the old UK tape on the Video Unlimited label. Nothing would appear to be cut, and scenes that would probably upset the censors are present, these are:
15min approx- The rape of Su Shan in the boxing ring. This would have to be the main scene that caused problems.
82min approx-Possibly also the scene of the president slapping Su Shan, before having sex with her.
Redneck Zombies
Dir Pericles Lewnes / 1987 / USA
The missing footage discussed for this film is not the work of the OFLC!
Roadshow Home Video presented a soft version of this title to the Classification Board in July 1989. Already missing all of its violence, this 84min (v) (83min 51sec) print was passed with an M15+ (Coarse language, Horror) rating, and released by Applause Video.In May 2005 a DVD version was reclassified MA15+ (High Level Violence, Sexual References). This was released later in the month by Stomp Visual as part of their re-issue of the Troma back catalogue. On the back cover the following is written:
"Troma Intelligence Test and Trailers are not available on the Australian version of Redneck Zombies"
See the separate entry for THE TROMA INTELLIGENCE TEST for an explanation of why it was dropped.
Red Nights of the Gestapo
Dir Fabio De Agostini / 1977 / Italy
In 1980 NS Productions cut this from 103 to 93min (f) for an R rated cinema release. Reasons for the cuts were given as frequent, high, gratuitous sex and violence, sado-masochism and child abuse.
VCL is listed as having this rated X in 1984 at 102mins (v), whilst the following year a censored 80min (v) print was passed with an R. I'm sure the X rated tape was never released, but the censored one is out on VCL running 79min 21sec, that's over 20minutes of cuts! There is also a 1988 re-release on the Virgin Video label which has the same runtime.
Red Spells Spells Red
Dir Titus Ho / 1983 / Hong Kong
A 2550.00mtr (93m 12s) print was submitted to the Censorship Board in June 1985 by Yu Enterprises. It was passed only after 35.6mtr (78s) of 'Animal Cruelty' was removed. The R18+ was awarded for sex and violence, which were described as:
Sex
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
Violence
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
This censored version went on to have a Chinese Language cinema release.
Return of the Streetfighter, The
Dir Shigehiro Ozawa / 1974 / Japan
The missing footage discussed for this film is not the work of the OFLC!
Roadshow had a 73min (v) (72min 45sec) version rated M in 1997. This tape is the same as the censored American R rated release.The Avenue One DVD is fully uncut and runs 82min 26sec (NTSC), converted to PAL this is 79min 04sec. The M rated Roadshow tape must therefore be missing over 6minutes of footage! A similar situation occurred with the release of The Streetfighter.
In August 2005 Payless Entertainment submitted the film as part of a DVD titled MARTIAL ARTS DISC 5. Three other films were on the disc. These were THE STREET FIGHTER, FIGHTING MAD, and RETURN OF THE KUNG-FU DRAGON. The whole package was rated R18+ (High Level Violence). It needs to be confirmed which version of THE RETURN OF THE STREET FIGHTER this contains.
Ricco
Dir Tulio Demicheli / 1973 / Italy
The missing footage discussed for this film is not the work of the OFLC!
The
Delta Home Video tape released in the mid 80's runs 89min 52sec,
and has the castration scene at 71mins censored.
There was a second release of this title in 1988 on the Reel
Movies-American Video label. This version is also censored, and at 88min
17sec it is shorter than the Delta tape.
Robot Ninja
Dir J.R. Bookwalter / 1990 / USA
Palace had a 90min print banned in 1990, no cut release followed.
Tempe Entertainment intends to release a special edition of this on DVD in the US.
Rock, The
Dir Michael Bay / 1996 / USA
This big budget Hollywood movie made the news in 1996 when it was rated R for violence. Roadshow decided to go with a more commercial MA rating, and so toned the violence down. I don't know what is going on with the running times, but the R version is listed as 132min whilst the MA is 135min. See here for a detailed list of what was cut.Instead of going with the full R version on tape, Hollywood Pictures Home Video went with the cut MA print, this runs 130min 40sec. For its R rated 1999 DVD release, it initially seemed that Warner Home Video had restored the film to its uncut glory. For the full, confusing story as to why this was not the case see here. This finally made its uncut debut with the Special Edition DVD released in late 2001.
Rosemary's Killer
aka The Prowler
Dir Joseph Zito / 1981 / USA
This was first Refused Registration back in December
1982 when Video Classics submitted a 2413.84mtr (88m 14s) print. The reason given for the
ban was violence, which was described as:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
In August 1985 the 84min (v) Video Classics tape
was again Refused Classification. Once more the reason given for the
ban was violence, which was described as:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
The film was immediately appealed to the Review Board, who in August 1985 set aside the decision of the Film Censorship Board and awarded it an R-rating.
Thanks to Daniel S for the following details of the cuts to the Video Classics tape.
The Video Classics tape has
always seemed very graphic to me, however there are a number of minor cuts
to five of the murders. These are very brief, and it is difficult to tell
that footage has been removed. Considering what remains, it is a mystery
why the OFLC even bothered.
The quoted times are the approximate position in the Video Classics tape
where the scene begins.
MURDER OF ROY AND
ROSEMARY
8min 30sec approx - 2sec missing
Before - The killer stabs Roy
with the pitchfork, Rosemary screams "No!"
Censored - Shot of the killers boot pushing the pitchfork into Roy's Back.
After/Before - Rosemary screaming "No!"
Censored - Second shot of the killers boot pushing the pitchfork into Roy's Back.
After - Blood is shown gushing from Rosemary's back, followed by a shot of the killers boot (this time uncensored) pushing the pitchfork in even further.
MURDER OF CARL
21min 15sec approx - 3sec missing
Before - Carl sits up, the killer grabs him and hold a knife above his head.
*Censored - Shot of the blade entering the top of Carl's skull, and exiting through his throat.
After - Shot of Carl struggling with the knife through his head followed by a shot of Sherry in the shower.
Murder
of Sherry
22min 15sec - 3sec missing
Before - The killer stabs Sherry in the chest with a pitchfork, her face is shown with blood coming from her mouth.
Censored - Shot of the fork in her chest with blood flowing from the wounds.
After/Before - Shot of the killer using the pitchfork to push Sherry up the wall.
Censored - A second shot of the fork in her chest and blood flowing from the wounds.
After - Shot of Sherry's face as she reaches forward.
Murder
of Lisa
48min approx - 5sec missing
Before - The killer attacks Lisa in the swimming pool from behind. He cuts her neck with a blade, this is followed by several shots of her legs thrashing around in the water, and of the knife cutting her neck.
*Censored - A shot of the killer moving the knife around in her neck.
After - Underwater shot of Lisa's body sinking.
Murder
OF Miss Allison
51min 30sec - 6sec missing
Before - The Killer grabs Miss Allision from behind. He stabs her throat with a knife. A shot of the knife in her throat with some blood flowing out.
*Censored - Another shot of her throat with much more blood flowing out.
After - Shot of her feet covered with blood.
* Denotes that the scene was shown in Scream Greats Volume 1-Tom Savini.
In October 2007 Universal Pictures released a R4 DVD. The print runs 84m 36s and is uncut.