Regulator hammers Horror Channel for showing uncut ‘I Spit on Your Grave’

❉ Media regulator Ofcom has censured the Horror Channel for showing an unedited version of the 2010 remake of classic schlock horror ‘I Spit on Your Grave’.

The regulator has called AMC to a meeting to discuss the issues these breaches have caused, and told AMC that similar breaches in future will be met with fines or even the loss of the broadcasting licence of the channel.

The film’s UK theatrical release was held up while the distributors made 17 cuts to the film to remove eroticised sexual violence and endorsement of sexual humiliation in order to be granted an ’18’ certificate by the BBFC.

The copy obtained for transmission by Horror had a slate at the front with the Motion Picture Association of America rating of ‘R’. This version, at 101 minutes and 23 seconds is shorter than the two previous UK releases of 107:45 and 103:24. Horror owners AMC appear to have made the assumption that this meant the film was edited to remove the same scenes as the UK ’18’ releases. This was not the case.

i-spit-on-your-grave-2010

Ofcom decided that the showing of the non-BBFC version of the film breached their rule 1.22, which requires all films shown on British television to have a BBFC rating, and that caused Horror to breach rule 2.1, which requires that all programmes in the UK provide adequate protection for viewers from ‘harmful’ and offensive material.

The regulator has called AMC to a meeting to discuss the issues these breaches have caused, and told AMC that similar breaches in future will be met with fines or even the loss of the broadcasting licence of the channel.

i-spit-on-your-grave-1978

‘I Spit on Your Grave’ was originally released in 1978 as ‘Day of the Woman’, directed by Meir Zarchi, starring his wife-to-be, schlock horror queen Camille Keaton. It was almost universally panned but became an underground hit, especially when released on the new home video formats.

The remake, directed by Steven R. Monroe and starring Sarah Butler, was also hated by critics and bombed at the box office. A sequel went straight to video in 2013.


❉ Source: Ofcom Broadcast and On Demand Bulletin 312, released 12 September 2016 [PDF]

Become a patron at Patreon!