R
R-rating (United States)
At the time of its release, Midnight Cowboy (1969) was rated X. It was later re-rated as R.
compare NC 17
R18 certificate (United Kingdom)
The R18 certificate represents a film or video classification given by the British Board of Film Classification. It is intended to provide a classification for works that are within British obscenity laws, but exceed what the BBFC considers acceptable for its 18 certificate. In practice, this means hardcore pornography. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R18_certificate [Dec 2004]The BBFC has previously granted 18 certificates for movies containing short scenes of unsimulated sex, such as Catherine Breillat's Romance (in 1999) and Patrice Chereau's Intimacy (in 2001).
As of 2004, a review is in progress of the classification and regulation system, and the BBFC is currently being challenged by video distributors to award 18 certificates to material which currently falls under the R18 guidelines. If this succeeds, the R18 classification may cease to have any effective meaning.
In October 2004, the BBFC granted an 18 certificate for Michael Winterbottom's movie 9 Songs, which features a number of explicit scenes of unsimulated sex. It is unclear whether this marks the end of the R18 certificate, or whether the BBFC will apply an "artistic merit" test to distinguish between films which are acceptable for 18 certificates and those which recieve only R18 certificates. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R18_certificate [Dec 2004]
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