Pink Flamingos
Dir John Waters / 1972 / USA
You've got to hand it to any film that has been causing the censor trouble for nearly 25 years. First banned at 98mins (f) in 1976, Windsor Theatres removed 4mins to gain an R rated cinema release.It was during the video revolution of the 80's that this really ran into trouble. Refused at 95mins in 1981 for Video Classics, refused three times in 1983, Leeden Records-88mins, Howard Smith Industries-93min & Newvision Films-95mins. Newvision had this 95min (v) print passed with an X18+ rating the following year; this was during the short few months when X18+ was much more liberal.
It was issued by Palace Home Video, along with R18+ versions of FEMALE TROUBLE and DESPERATE LIVING. The rear cover of both releases carried an advertisement for the PINK FLAMINGOS tape. Due to the X18+ rating, it is simply advertised on a plain white background as:
Ask for the other Divine title that we can't show you on this box!
This uncut tape is extremely rare and runs 88m 15s (PAL). Thanks to RoadshowPalace for the timing. You should check-out his many YouTube clips which includes this one for the Palace-X logo that appeared before the PINK FLAMINGOS tape.
The guidelines were tightened up very soon after PINK FLAMINGOS gained the X18+. Sexual Violence was now forbidden, meaning that it could no longer receive such a rating.
In 1997, to celebrate the films 25th Anniversary, a re-release print was shown in the US, this included an introduction by Director John Waters. This new uncut print was shown to the OFLC who still could not bring themselves to pass it. It was banned at 107min (f) until Roadshow removed 2 minutes to gain an R18+. This longer running time is due to some extra scenes that have been added, as well as the introduction by John Waters.
***
(ARCHIVED) Not To Everyone's Taste, Film Still Turns Heads Red. SMH 13.10.97
The original cut of this trash
phenomenon is scheduled for an anniversary re-release this
month, but the Office of Film and Literature Classification
(OFLC) has refused to give it a rating. The managing director of
Roadshow Film Distributors, Mr Ian Sands, confirmed that the
midnight-movie special had been rejected. Ahead of a full
censors' report due today, Mr Sands could not say which scenes
of blatant, graphic, enthusiastic tastelessness would have to
go. But he
expects that "we won't have to do much to get it
through".
Ms Andree Wright, deputy director of the OFLC, explained that "when it comes to sexual matters, the current R guidelines say: `Sexual activity may be realistically simulated.' The general rule is simulation, yes; the real thing, no. "
Well, in the case of this film, there is a scene where it is undoubtedly the real thing.
"Depictions along those lines are usually accommodated in the X category."
***
Here is what the OFLC had to say about this latest release
The 25th anniversary version of the 1974 low budget trash classic, John Water's Pink Flamingos was classified RC by the Board who noted it to be
"a deliberately provocative and confronting film which sets out to challenge society's conventions on good taste an appropriate behaviour."
The Board also commented that:
"the treatment however is highly theatrical with the low budget approach to production, acting and narrative and the use of caricature, coupled with a cheerful musical soundtrack, resulting in a offbeat black comedy which is likely to elicit different levels of appreciation in different viewers. While the Board recognises that some 23 years on, the film has a dated feel and may not be as shocking to audiences as when it was first released, the Board nonetheless is unanimously of the view that some of the content does still offend against standards generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that it should be classified RC"
The Board unanimously noted a scene which included "close up real depictions of actual fellatio....which unambiguously contravene R classification guidelines." Some Board members also considered the "incestuous nature the encounter to be offensive" while others were of the view that the presentation of the "mother-son' relationship is so patently ridiculous that his aspect cannot be taken seriously." In addition some of the Board considered two scenes containing depictions of sexual violence- one with "overtones of voyeurism" and the second "presented within a theme of kidnapping and forced insemination", to be "conceptually abhorrent and sufficiently detailed and exploitative to warrant RC." Some members further thought that one of these scenes dealt "cruelly with an animal in a gratuitous, exploitative and offensive manner", which in itself warranted 'RC'.
A revised version of the film was unanimously classified R with consumer advice "Adult themes, sexual references", with the Board commenting that "the adult themes can be accommodated at the R level in a film of merit", and that the sexual references "require an adult perspective". In the Board's view the film can be accommodated at the R level as it does not offend against standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that the film should be classified 'RC.'
Classification Board & Classification Review Board- Annual Report 1997-1998
Not having seen this cut version, I can only assume from the above description that the following scenes were cut.
The scene where Channing masturbates and artificially inseminates a girl prisoner.
The scene where Cracker has sex with a girl whilst putting a live chicken between them.
The final scene where Divine (a man playing a woman) performs real fellatio on her son Cracker.
There is an unofficial Australian 'No Name Label' VHS released around 2000. Thanks to Mitch for the following information on this particular release.
The actual runtime of the movie (excluding Copyright warnings and the extras at the end) is 93 minutes. The runtime of the film itself and the extras (deleted scenes introduced by John Waters + original trailer) is 108 minutes.
