Latest news with #DickVanDyke
Euronews
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Why is this children's classic Britain's most complained about film?
2024 was a great year for cinema, and several films that made our year featured some NSFW content. Whether it was the nudity in Anora, the colourful language in Kneecap, the grotesque body horror in The Substance or some of the gorgeous yet horrific tableaus in The Devil's Bath, there was plenty to keep censors busy. Still, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has revealed that none of these films were in consideration for the most complained about movie of 2024. It turns out that the new age rating given to a beloved classic caused the biggest stink... In their annual report, the BBFC reveals that its decision to reclassify the 1964 classic Mary Poppins, starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, from a U (Universal – suitable for all) to a PG (Parental Guidance) has made it the most complained about movie of 2024. According to the BBFC, of the 224 complaints made during the year, 56 were for Mary Poppins – meaning it came ahead of complaints about knife fights in Dune: Part Two and that sex scene in Saltburn. So, why was Mary Poppins' rating changed? It all comes down to the word 'hottentots' – which is used twice in the film by the character Admiral Boom, who refers to chimney sweeps covered in soot. Hottentots is a slur originally used by Dutch settlers in South Africa – and was later used to refer to all Black people. Those complaining to the BBFC deemed the discriminatory term to be too outdated and wanted the rating to remain unchanged David Austin, chief executive of the BBFC said: 'The two uses of the discriminatory term 'hottentots' are neither criticised nor condemned, increasing the risk that very young viewers might repeat it without realising the potential for offence.' Elsewhere, there were 17 complaints regarding the 1989 sci-fi classic The Abyss - regarding rumours that the film had been cancelled because of BBFC advice concerning a scene in which a man submerges a live rat in liquid – and Dune Part Two got 13 complaints from people feeling that the 12A (no one younger than 12 may be permitted to attend a 12A cinema screening unless they are accompanied by an adult) was too lenient. Rounding things off was the dark comedy Saltburn, which tallied ten complaints after being rated 15 for 'strong sex, nudity, sexual threat, drug misuse and very strong language'. Austin said: 'Those who got in touch with us generally felt that the film's depiction of sexual obsession was too disturbing for 15. Given the blackly comic tone of the film and that the key scenes, while strong, lacked graphic nudity and other visual explicitness, Saltburn meets our standards at a 15 classification.' The current UK ratings are U, PG, 12A/12, 15, 18 and R18. You can read all about the UK's precise – some might say illiberal – classification system here. And in case you missed it, check out our Top Movies of 2024 here. And remember: "Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, in the most delightful way!"
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Beloved Disney family musical is the most complained about film of the year - but can YOU guess why?
A beloved Oscar-winning Disney musical has been revealed as the most complained about film of the year. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) was forced to change the family film's rating from a U to a PG after people complained over 'discriminatory language'. Despite being released in 1964, the long-time children's classic Mary Poppins has only recently come under fire with the BBFC new classification now warning that children should only watch it if accompanied by a parent. The film is set in London in 1910 and follows a magical nanny, played by Dame Julie Andrews, who takes care of the Banks family's children with the help of Bert, a busking chimney-sweep played by Dick Van Dyke. It won five Oscars in 1965, including best actress and best song, and has been a British staple since it's release. However, according to a report due to be released today, it was the subject of 56 of the 224 complaints made during 2024. Viewers grievances centred around the use of the word 'hottentots' - a racially discriminatory term historically used by white Europeans to refer to the Khoekhoe, a group of nomadic herders in South Africa. In the film, the Banks family's Naval veteran neighbour Admiral Boom, played by Reginald Owen, who still thinks he is in charge of a ship, uses the term twice. On the first occasion, he is seen dangling from the roof in a boat where he asks one of the Banks children if they are 'going to fight the Hottentots'. Later in the film when the chimney sweeps, whose faces are blackened from soot, dance on the roof the admiral exclaims 'we're being attacked by Hottentots', before aiming fireworks at them. A U rating, which is given to movies deemed suitable for anyone over the age of four, was given to Mary Poppins when it was initially graded in 1964. The people complaining to the BBFC had wanted the rating to remain unchanged, as the term was outdated and also appeared in other films. But David Austin, chief executive of the BBFC said: 'The two uses of the discriminatory term 'hottentots' are neither criticised nor condemned, increasing the risk that very young viewers might repeat it without realising the potential for offence.' Mary Poppins managed to receive more complaints last year than some of the most controversial film releases. Its use of the outdated term hottentots 60 years ago sparked more backlash than the nudity in The Brutalist, raunchy sex scenes in Saltburn, drug abuse in Anora and the extreme gore depicted in The Substance. Even the second most complained about film wasn't a new release, but instead the 1989 Oscar-winning sci-fi thriller The Abyss. It received 17 complaints following online rumours that it had been cancelled because of BBFC advice concerning a scene in which a man submerges a live rat in liquid. Mr Austin clarified that when the film was first submitted in 1989, the BBFC determined the scene contravened the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937 because it inflicted terror on an animal. The scene has been re-edited in all versions classified since. Mr Austin explained the position had not changed. Dune: Part Two, starring Timothée Chalamet and Austin Butler, was the subject of 13 complaints from viewers who felt its 12A classification was too low, citing scenes with knife violence. Mr Austin said: 'The use of knives in takes place in a science-fiction context as opposed to a realistic contemporary setting. It includes fantastical weaponry and armour rather than recognisable real-world weaponry that children may have access to.' Emerald Fennell's dark comedy Saltburn, starring Barry Keoghan, got 10 complaints after being rated a 15 for 'strong sex, nudity, sexual threat, drug misuse and very strong language'. Mr Austin said: 'Those who got in touch with us generally felt that the film's depiction of sexual obsession was too disturbing for 15. Given the blackly comic tone of the film and that the key scenes, while strong, lacked graphic nudity and other visual explicitness, Saltburn meets our standards at a 15 classification.' Other family films were also subjected to scrutiny, including the 2024 animated movie Migration about a family of ducks who leave New England on an adventurous trip to Jamaica. Migration, which is rated U, received six complaints to the BBFC from people who felt scenes of a knife-wielding chef, nets, storms and predatory herons were too much for young children.
Time Out
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Can't snag Shakespeare in the Park tix this summer? PBS will air Twelfth Night starring Lupita Nyong'o, Peter Dinklage
Shakespeare in the Park is one of the most storied cultural events in New York City, but good luck snagging tickets. Even if you live in one of the buildings along Central Park (in which case, don't hog the free tickets from the rest of us, OK?), the process of getting seats is a long and physically arduous one, entailing a box office line that forms at dawn the day of performance. (There is, thankfully, the digital lottery now as well, but you know what lotteries can be like.) This year is a particularly buzzy one, as the Delacorte Theater reopens with Twelfth Night after a two-year renovation. And to make it even more special, PBS announced that it will air the production this fall as part of its Great Performances series, giving not just disappointed New Yorkers but the entire country the chance to see Lupita Nyong'o, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Peter Dinklage, and Sandra Oh star in William Shakespeare's cross-dressing comedy classic. Twelfth Night will premiere on PBS at 9pm ET on Friday, November 14. Trimmed down to a delightful 90 minutes by director Sahem Ali, the production's cast also includes Daphne Rubin-Vega, Junior Nyong'o, b, Khris Davis, John Ellison Conlee, Ariyan Kassam, Valentino Musumeci, Moses Sumney, Kapil Talwalker and Joe Tapper. PBS's Great Performances series this year also includes several more offerings that should thrill theater lovers. The series premieres October 3 with the documentary The Magic of Grace Bumbry, about the first Black opera singer to perform at the White House, followed November 7 by The Tiler Peck Story: Suspending Time, about the ballerina (most recently seen on Prime Video's series Etoile). A live capture of the Carnegie Hall concert The Great War and The Great Gatsby will premiere on November 11, Veterans' Day, a fitting choice for a concert that uses The Great Gatsby to explore World War I. And Dick Van Dyke takes center stage December 12 with Starring Dick Van Dyke, an American Masters episode celebrating the beloved entertainer's 100th birthday, featuring rare footage. And December 16 sees the premiere of the English National Ballet's production of The Nutcracker.
Buzz Feed
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Mary Poppins Trivia Quiz
Mary Poppins, starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, has been beloved for 60-plus years by generations of people and is still regarded as one of the best Disney movies of all time. It even earned Julie Andrews her Oscar for Best Actress. So, if Mary Poppins is one of your all-time favorite movies — just like Walt Disney himself — it's time to prove your knowledge with this trivia quiz. How did you do? Share your score in the comments below! Do you love all things TV and movies? Subscribe to the Screen Time newsletter to get your weekly dose of what to watch next and what everyone is flailing over from someone who watches everything!
Perth Now
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Disney Legend Dick Van Dyke is 'still' working on computer animation skills at the age of 99
Dick Van Dyke is "still" a computer animator at the age of 99. The Hollywood legend is best known for his roles in classics such as Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang but also created the 3D-rendered effects used on Diagnosis: Murder when he starred in the medical crime drama, and his wife Arlene, 53, has confirmed that he keeps up with his hobby to this day. During a Q+A at a Vandy Camp event held at the Arlene and Dick Van Dyke Theater at Malibu High School, a fan pointed out that "not very many people know Dick Van Dyke was a computer animator" to the rest of the audience. Arlene replied: "Still is! And he has a credit for computer animation on Diagnosis: Murder!" The fan then asked Arlene - who married Dick in 2012 - what the Disney Legend had recalled to her about starring in the 1964 musical alongside Dame Julie Andrews. She said: "[Mary Poppins] such an important movie in the history of visual effects. He said it was really hot!" The former sitcom star was not able to attend the event in person due to ill health. Arlene told the audience: "I have to inform you that Dick is not up to coming to celebrate with us today. I'm sorry. "When you're 99 and a half years old, you have good days and bad days ... and unfortunately, today is not a good day for him, and he's sick that he can't be here.' The actor appeared on a livestream but Arlene added she was 'pretty confident' her husband would make the next event 'in person'. Speaking about how much Vandy Camp means to her husband, Arlene said: 'It is a celebration of your childhood, all of our childhoods, the music that's in the fabric of all of us, [and] Dick Van Dyke is a big part of that.' Calling her husband's fans 'the greatest human beings I've ever known," she added, "These Vandy Camp [events] are a wonderful opportunity to have you all in the same room and meet each other."
