Last film you watched?

[Alkaline]

Seems a bit picky, can't imagine what would possibly be wrong with advertising a product with what it does!?

Because it encourages you to stretch the law...

[Bigsby]

What law? There's no law against buying a DVD from another country, the film companies just don't want you to, so they can control the prices.

[Teabags]

Vanessa Hudgens is the main female lead, and while she is pretty, when she smiles it looks like there isn't enough skin on her face, it looks weird and stretched. In the film she does nothing but simper all the way through it, she is so plastic and sanitized it's like she actually lacks genitals, and has no sexual urges whatsoever. In fact all the girls are so squeaky clean and innocent that they cease to be sexual beings altogether, perving on them would be like fancying a jacket, or a staircase.

In saying that, there are full frontal nude photos of her on the web that her ex-boyfriend took. So she does actually have genitals. I've seen them.

Pretty soon, so will every one else it seems...

Disney's Vanessa Hudgens to 'strip as 1950s hooker' - High School Musical star to sex things up in new Blondie film role | Metro.co.uk

[Alkaline]

What law? There's no law against buying a DVD from another country, the film companies just don't want you to, so they can control the prices.

It's illegal because of the different licensing laws in each respective country. Films are classified completely differently and cut completely differently in other countries. I don't suppose you remember the hooha about people being threatened with lawsuits for importing the Texas Chainsaw Massacre on VHS. Stretching back even further, things like porn and horror flicks.

VAT is also a grey area because unless you're going to HMCE every time you buy a disc you are breaking the lay by not paying an import duty and tax. Yes, some companies build this into the price. Most, however, do not.

[Bigsby]

Absolute crap, you don't have to pay any duty on anything from you import from within the EU anyway, and anything from outside the EU is OK up to 18.

[Alkaline]

Absolute crap, you don't have to pay any duty on anything from you import from within the EU anyway, and anything from outside the EU is OK up to 18.

Most people import from the US (given that Europe is Region 2 like us and has very similar licensing laws) and a lot of things are over 18. Please remember it's only relatively recently that DVD has become as cheap as it is and Blu Ray (under the current exchange rate) is usually over 18.

I'm not saying it's right but it is a massive grey area.

I'm sure you understand the differences between film classification in the UK and US, i'm assuming you're not stupid.

You also have to take into consideration film release dates. Whilst not as much of a problem as it used to be (something that has only changed within the past 2 years) it does present a problem for film-makers and film companies. For example, I had Donnie Darko on DVD 6 months before it came out at the cinema in this country.

Whether you're don't understand or you're just being a cock, i dunno, but it's not just as black and white as you seem to think it is.

[Bigsby]

I'm not being a cock, I'm just challenging something which you are claiming to be fact which I consider to be untrue. I have asked you to provide evidence of the "laws" which you claim are being broken when a DVD is imported and you have failed to do so.

The certification process is irrelevant. Anything which is sold in this country must be certified by the BBFC. If I import a DVD from, say, amazon.com in the US it is not being sold in this country. If it contains obscene material then it could possibly be illegal under the Obscene Publications Act, but that's got fuck all to do with film classification.

The revenue matters are absolutely clear cut - the company I buy it from must declare the value. Every parcel coming from outside the UK goes through customs. If it's under 18 it comes straight to me, if it's over 18 the courier company will pay the customs charge then bill me accordingly on delivery.

Release dates are indeed one of the reasons the film companies want regional coding, but that's got fuck all to do with the law.

You can only keep saying "It's a grey area" so many times before you get called on it and need to provide some facts to back up your argument, but I can assure you that I have imported dozens of DVDs from the US, Canada and Europe over the years and never once have I broken the law.

[Bigsby]

BBFC, are they being "cocks" too?

British Board of Film Classification FAQ - Can we bring back videos from abroad that are not currently classified?

[Lemonade]

So, what was the last film you watched?

[Bigsby]

So, what was the last film you watched?

I'm glad you asked.

The Driver, the other night on ITV 4, starring Ryan O'Neal and Bruce Dern. I'd never heard of it before so was surprised when Walter Hill's name popped up as the director.

O'Neal stars as an ace getaway driver, Dern a cop willing to bend the rules to catch him.

Lots of good car chases. Dern was good but O'Neal pretty boring playing the strong silent type. I couldn't help thinking Steve McQueen or Clint Eastwood would have done a much better job.

Fun film though, I love american 70s films.

[Alkaline]

I'm not being a cock, I'm just challenging something which you are claiming to be fact which I consider to be untrue. I have asked you to provide evidence of the "laws" which you claim are being broken when a DVD is imported and you have failed to do so.

The certification process is irrelevant. Anything which is sold in this country must be certified by the BBFC. If I import a DVD from, say, amazon.com in the US it is not being sold in this country. If it contains obscene material then it could possibly be illegal under the Obscene Publications Act, but that's got fuck all to do with film classification.

The revenue matters are absolutely clear cut - the company I buy it from must declare the value. Every parcel coming from outside the UK goes through customs. If it's under 18 it comes straight to me, if it's over 18 the courier company will pay the customs charge then bill me accordingly on delivery.

Release dates are indeed one of the reasons the film companies want regional coding, but that's got fuck all to do with the law.

You can only keep saying "It's a grey area" so many times before you get called on it and need to provide some facts to back up your argument, but I can assure you that I have imported dozens of DVDs from the US, Canada and Europe over the years and never once have I broken the law.

Strangely enough, this is the first post where you've asked for me to provide you with evidence. All your others have been 1 or 2 sentence posts not mentioning that.

HMCE have the power to search all mail and confiscate anything that they deem offensive (including all incoming items without BBFC classification) without question. The fact that they don't do that 99.9% of the time doesn't mean that won't.

From the BBFC FAQs:

"As the Act requires the certificate to be displayed on the packaging and media labels of the video recording, in practice only UK releases can be legally sold or hired in the UK, even if a foreign release has identical content"

The majority of people in the UK buy imports from UK based sites and technically speaking if you have paid for something using a UK credit/debit card whilst residing in the UK the items were bought in the UK and are subject to UK law so that's by the by.

The majority of Adult rated films these days could, if questioned, fall under the Obscene Publications act if they have not been classified by the BBFC. However, in practice that doesn't mean it's upheld all the time. Reanimator is another example of a title being seized regularly after it's VHS release on mail spot checks under the Obscene Publications act. It is also illegal to send obscene (yet again anything that hasn't been classified by the BBFC containing adult material) through the Royal Mail and both recipient and sender under UK law can (though very rarely) be charged on that basis.

A lot of distributors are also breaching copyright laws by allowing the import and export of titles across regions as very often films are distributed by different companies in different territories. This also affects release dates, so yes, it does have something to do with a law (Copyright Law).

I'm not saying i agree with it, and it is almost impossible to police but that's the way it is. I've never had any problems importing either.

[Alkaline]

BBFC, are they being "cocks" too?

British Board of Film Classification FAQ - Can we bring back videos from abroad that are not currently classified?

There are a number of glaringly obvious exemptions in there that if you are too stupid to read into i'm not even going to bother.

[Lemonade]

I'm glad you asked.

The Driver, the other night on ITV 4, starring Ryan O'Neal and Bruce Dern. I'd never heard of it before so was surprised when Walter Hill's name popped up as the director.

O'Neal stars as an ace getaway driver, Dern a cop willing to bend the rules to catch him.

Lots of good car chases. Dern was good but O'Neal pretty boring playing the strong silent type. I couldn't help thinking Steve McQueen or Clint Eastwood would have done a much better job.

Fun film though, I love american 70s films.

That sounds vaguely familiar actually. I think I might have seen that. 70s road movies are the shiz. Like Convoy. That film fucking rules.

[Alkaline]

So, what was the last film you watched?

Public Enemies. It was good though the dialogue problems and the switching between 24p and 30p for fast motion shots were very annoying.

Good cast though and the most realistic gunfire i've ever heard on film soundtracks. Well worth going to see.

[FatHand]

I watched Yes Man last night and enjoyed it a lot. Good concept, I was told it's based on a five live thing where a guy said yes to everything for a year and wrote a book about it. Hollywoodised obviously, but I do like a feel good movie.

Zooey Deschanel is a fox.

[Le Stu]

'Scuse me...

The Big Lebowski Saw it for maybe the fifth time and it'll never get old. The characters are just fucking awesome, and John Candy kills me. I can also proudly boast that I went bowling at Hollywood Star Lanes before they turned it into an elementary school. It was a nice little dive (sad face)

As you were.

[Alkaline]

I watched Yes Man last night and enjoyed it a lot. Good concept, I was told it's based on a five live thing where a guy said yes to everything for a year and wrote a book about it. Hollywoodised obviously, but I do like a feel good movie.

Zoey Deschanel is a fox.

It's based on Danny Wallace's experiences. Good book. Reasonable film. Zooey Deschanel is indeed a fox.

[Stephen]

Public Enemies. It was good though the dialogue problems and the switching between 24p and 30p for fast motion shots were very annoying.

Good cast though and the most realistic gunfire i've ever heard on film soundtracks. Well worth going to see.

saw this last night. really enjoyed it. harry potter this evening for me. 1050 showing! o_O sleepy one for me

[Alkaline]

saw this last night. really enjoyed it. harry potter this evening for me. 1050 showing! o_O sleepy one for me

Yeah, Harry Potter for me next week i think. I'm not sure i could cope watching a film i'm not that bothered with where i won't get out of the cinema until after 1am. Still, the missus wants to see it and i've subjected her to numerous films of my tastes so i can't really complain but i will be going to an earlier showing.

[Bigsby]

Strangely enough, this is the first post where you've asked for me to provide you with evidence. All your others have been 1 or 2 sentence posts not mentioning that.

What law? There's no law against buying a DVD from another country, the film companies just don't want you to, so they can control the prices.

To recap, I said

There's no law against buying a DVD from another country

To which you replied

It's illegal because of the different licensing laws in each respective country.

You then said

Most people import from the US

And then half an hour later said

The majority of people in the UK buy imports from UK based sites

Not sure how anyone can take anything you say seriously when you do a 100% u-turn within the space of an hour.

To clarify then:

You setting up a sideline in Bruce Millers selling US DVDs = bad.

You importing a DVD that doesn't contain obscene material = good.

But for the benefit of anyone else, its clear from the BBFC that ITS NOT ILLEGAL TO IMPORT DVDS, despite Alkalines many and varied claims.

[Alkaline]

To recap, I said

To which you replied

You then said

And then half an hour later said

Not sure how anyone can take anything you say seriously when you do a 100% u-turn within the space of an hour.

To clarify then:

You setting up a sideline in Bruce Millers selling US DVDs = bad.

You importing a DVD that doesn't contain obscene material = good.

But for the benefit of anyone else, its clear from the BBFC that ITS NOT ILLEGAL TO IMPORT DVDS, despite Alkalines many and varied claims.

God you're a clown, where's there a 100% u-turn? Just because people are buying from UK based sites doesn't mean that items aren't being sent and imported from the US. You do understand how internet sales works as well i assume.

And no under some circumstances it isn't illegal but given the lettering of the law there is any other number of things that they can challenge you on regarding importation (which i've covered and unsurprisingly you've ignored).

You have absolutely no idea at all and happen to be reading what you want from a rather flexible (on both sides) law.

[Bigsby]

It's illegal because of the different licensing laws in each respective country.

And no under some circumstances it isn't illegal

Good to see you are admitting you were wrong to claim that it was illegal. Genuinely disappointing however that you had to resort to name calling ("cock", "clown", "stupid") in the interim in an ultimately futile attempt to win the argument.

So we're agreed then, as Alkaline himself now acknowledges "it isn't illegal" to import DVDs.

Move along people, nothing to see here.

[Scootray]

This thread is bigger than that petty argument. Thank fuck.

[Alkaline]

Good to see you are admitting you were wrong to claim that it was illegal. Genuinely disappointing however that you had to resort to name calling ("cock", "clown", "stupid") in the interim in an ultimately futile attempt to win the argument.

So we're agreed then, as Alkaline himself now acknowledges "it isn't illegal" to import DVDs.

Move along people, nothing to see here.

God you only seem to pick what you want from what you read. You've misquoted out of context on numerous occasions here and most people will see that and yet again i'm sure you know the difference between some and all.

Have a butchers at this:

Obscene Publications Act 1959 (c.66) - Statute Law Database

Anything that doesn't have a BBFC classification is subject to this by law. Each item would have to be looked at as an individual case (hence why it doesn't happen) and it's not what you (as in big clever superior Mr Bigsby) deem offensive, it's what BBFC/HMCE deem offensive.

I would be very surprised if the only films that you buy or import are ones that would be PG or below by BBFC classification and they are not really an issue as they are almost always uncut anyway. As all films above that classification tend to have things that could be perceived as obscene they are judged as such (hence why we have a classification system in the first place) Even if there is blood (as an example) on the screen for 1 second, depending on the context it could be seen as obscene.

The first thing i mentioned was licensing laws, but as you're too busy painfully trying to gain oneupmanship over me you keep missing the obvious things in UK law.

I don't agree with you, UK law doesn't agree with you. End of story.

[Scootray]

Who else likes films?