Horror flick gets own local rating

Council rules on film without BBFC certificate

An 18 certificate has been slapped on a horror film by council chiefs after an unusual request to allow it to be shown in Angus.

Fear Itself was put before the local authority because it doesn’t have a certificate from the British Board of Film Classification.

Director Charlie Lyne wanted permission for it to be shown and Angus Council’s civic licensing committee was asked to give its approval.

They passed the decision to council officers who gave it the top 18 rating.

Usually a film has to have a certificate from the BBFC – which also imposes any age restriction – for it to be shown.

However, movies can also run if they first have the permission of the local licensing authority, which can also impose any additional conditions. Lyne wrote to the council in February. His film was commissioned by BBC iPlayer and is constructed entirely from existing horror films spanning the last 100 years. It is described as a journey through fear and cinema, which informs and unnerves in equal measure.

A report to the licensing board said the film contained two scenes of partial female nudity and one instance of full frontal male nudity and rare use of strong language from the film clips.

Although violence is “indirectly referenced” throughout the film, there is little actual violence on the screen.

The film is available to be viewed on BBC iPlayer until October.

At the time it was announced by the BBC last year, Victoria Jaye, Head of TV Content on BBC iPlayer, said: “Charlie has seized all the creative opportunities iPlayer presents to bring his unique vision for this film to life.

“Fear Itself is a mesmerising, experiential exploration of how fear works, beautifully told through the archive of over a hundred years of horror cinema.”

It is not known if there is a planned screening of the film in Angus and Lyne had not responded to a request for comment at the time of going to press.

Charlie has seized all the creative chances to bring his vision to life

Fear Itself is put together with scenes from classic horror film from the past 100 years. Clockwise from top: Psycho, The Birds, The Exorcist and Nightmare on Elm Street.