Censorship issues in Gremlins

During one of our sessions with Pat we watched Gremlins while taking into consideration the rating which the British Board of Film Classification gave it (BBFC). When it had its debut release in America in 1984 Warner Brothers insisted it was given a Parental Guidance rating (PG) which it was granted. This caused a lot of controversy at the time and hence a lot of complaints. The reason for this was because many parents were disgusted at how it was a PG and that it should be a higher rating because they found it far too disturbing and adult for their children . However after it was released in the UK the BBFC gave it a 15 rating. The BBFC gave it a 15 rating because they felt the horror and violence in the film was too dark and disturbing for children and many of the violent events in the film took place in a child's environment. For example in a school and family home. As well as this they also said that it was a 15 because authority figures which children look up to were put under threat or killed and this was deemed too disturbing. For example a mother is attacked by many Gremlins, she even has to protect herself with various large knives. A  male teacher is also killed by a Gremlin attacking him.

After watching it myself having never done so before I would say that a 15 rating is the right rating for the film. This is because, like what the BBFC stated in which the themes were too dark and horrific and they could potentially disturb a child way past just "toughening them up" which was a reason Warner Brothers gave. I also think that some children's stories about Christmas are just wrong to show, especially the when one of the female characters discusses that Father Christmas isn't real.