Dutchman's Blog

The Woman in Black has been cut by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to secure a 12A certificate.

James Watkins’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s novel stars Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe in the lead role as lawyer Arthur Kipps.

The BBFC confirmed that six seconds of “strong violence” and “horror” had been cut and other scenes darkened and sound levels reduced to gain its 12A rating.

“This work was cut,” the board confirmed. “The cut(s) were made at the request of the distributor to achieve a particular category.

“To obtain this category cuts of 0m 6s were required. Distributor chose to reduce moments of strong violence / horror in order to achieve a ’12A’ classification.”

It added: “Cuts made in line with BBFC Guidelines and policy. A ’15’ classification without cuts was available.

“In addition to the six seconds of visual cuts, substitutions were also made by darkening some shots and by reducing the sound levels on others.”

The board also advised consumers that the 94m 47s cut of The Woman in Black “contains intense supernatural threat and horror”.

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Steven Spielberg’s War Horse has topped the UK box office on its debut weekend on release.

The World War I drama, which stars Jeremy Irvine and Benedict Cumberbatch, gallops past Meryl Streep’s Margaret Thatcher biopic The Iron Lady to secure first place with takings of £3.9 million.

War Horse ends Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol‘s three-week stint at number one, with Tom Cruise’s spy sequel falling to number four behind Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo completes the top five as it drops down a place with £1 million in ticket sales.

New releases The Darkest Hour and Shame chart at numbers six and ten respectively, while Golden Globe winner The Artist posts a steady box office increase from last week to climb a place to number seven.

The UK box office top ten in full:
1. (-) War Horse – £3,944,746
2. (3) The Iron Lady – £1,489,528
3. (2) Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows – £1,403,319
4. (1) Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol – £1,373,539
5. (4) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – £1,046,225
6. (-) The Darkest Hour – £740,773
7. (8) The Artist – £688,546
8. (5) Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked – £681,642
9. (6) Puss in Boots – £679,348
10. (-) Shame – £535,288

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol has held off competition from Meryl Streep’s The Iron Lady to stay on top of the UK box office.

Tom Cruise’s spy sequel pulls in £2.2 million to land in first place ahead of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, which climbs a spot to number two, and the much-discussed Margaret Thatcher biopic. The Iron Lady earns £2.1 million from 439 locations across the UK.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked complete the top five.

Puss in Boots drops out of the top five to number six, while Seann William Scott comedy Goon debuts at number six.

The Artist expanded its cinema run nationwide over the weekend and climbed into the top ten. Michel Hazanavicius’s ode to silent cinema charts at number seven with box office takings of £629,495 from 106 locations.

The UK box office top ten in full:
1. (1) Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol – £2,223,200
2. (3) Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows – £2,163,718
3. (-) The Iron Lady – £2,151,368
4. (2) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – £1,649,100
5. (4) Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked – £922,103
6. (5) Puss in Boots – £917,161
7. (-) Goon – £728,286
8. (13) The Artist – £629,495
9. (6) New Year’s Eve – £339,685
10. (8) Hugo – £161,794

Arthur Christmas has reclaimed first place at the UK box office on its seventh week on release.

Aardman’s festive family movie, featuring the voices of James McAvoy and Bill Nighy, pulled in more than £2 million over the Christmas period to return to the number one spot ahead of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked falls a place to number three, while non-movers Puss in Boots and New Year’s Eve round out the top five.

Shah Rukh Khan’s Bollywood action film Don 2 is a new entry at six, and Christmas favourite It’s a Wonderful Life makes it into the top ten after screening at 50 cinemas nationwide.

The UK box office top ten:
1. (3) Arthur Christmas
2. (1) Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows
3. (2) Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
4. (4) Puss In Boots
5. (5) New Year’s Eve
6. (-) Don 2
7. (6) Hugo
8. (7) Happy Feet Two
9. (8) The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
10. (-) It’s a Wonderful Life

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows has debuted in first place at the UK box office.

Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law’s blockbuster sequel held off competition from Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked to emerge as the number one movie over the December 16-18 weekend.

Arthur Christmas slips down a place to number three, last week’s chart-topper Puss in Boots is at four and romantic comedy New Year’s Eve rounds out the top five.

Elsewhere, family movies Hugo and Happy Feet Two continue their stay in the top ten, landing at numbers six and seven respectively.

Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 charts at number eight, and has now grossed £29.5 million in the UK since its release on November 18.

The UK box office top ten in full:
1. (-) Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows – £3,827,697
2. (-) Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked – £2,361,867
3. (2) Arthur Christmas – £1,345,238
4. (1) Puss in Boots – £1,297,998
5. (3) New Year’s Eve – £846,761
6. (4) Hugo – £387,208
7. (5) Happy Feet Two – £343,563
8. (6) The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 – £327,253
9. (8) A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas – £109,063
10. (7) My Week with Marilyn – £89,207

Arthur Christmas has taken the top spot in the UK box office.

The film had been stuck in second position behind The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 for two weeks but has risen to number one.

Aardman’s latest animation took just under £1.9m for the weekend, taking its total since release to £11.48m

Happy Feet Two is the highest new entry, coming in at two ahead of the latest Twilight movie, which drops from top spot.

Martin Scorsese’s Hugo and the latest remake of The Thing are other new entries rounding out the top five.

The UK box office top ten in full:
1. (2) Arthur Christmas – £1,896,595
2. (-) Happy Feet Two -£1,686,197
3. (1) The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 – £1,671,495
4. (-) Hugo – £1,225,987
5. (-) The Thing – £485,534
6. (3) My Week with Marilyn – £749,819
7. (4) The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn – £301,943
8. (6) 50/50 – £231,737
9. (5) Immortals – £226,603
10. (7) Dream House – £131,303

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and Arthur Christmas are occupying the top two spots at the UK box office for the second consecutive weekend.

The fourth Twilight movie, starring Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, pulls in £4.5 million to secure first place. Arthur Christmas boosts its takings, up more than £200,000 from last week,
to take second spot with £2.5 million.

My Week with Marilyn is the highest of five new releases to make the top ten, landing at number three ahead of The Adventures of Tintin and Immortals.

Despite the star power of Daniel Craig and Brad Pitt, Dream House and Moneyball only manage to chart at numbers seven and ten respectively.

The UK box office top ten in full:
1. (1) The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 – £4,574,978
2. (2) Arthur Christmas – £2,526,285
3. (-) My Week with Marilyn – £749,819
4. (3) The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn – £712,398
5. (4) Immortals – £534,163
6. (-) 50/50 – £410,251
7. (-) Dream House – £304,239
8. (-) In Time – £258,840
9. (-) Desi Boyz – £243,792
10. (-) Moneyball – £230,848

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 has topped the UK box office with a record-breaking £13 million opening.

The fantasy romance, starring Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, posted a Friday figure of £6.35 million, surpassing the non-3D opening record set by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 last year.

Aardman’s latest animated offering Arthur Christmas is at number two with £2.3 million, outgrossing the film’s £2.1 million debut weekend takings.

The Adventures of Tintin holds its place at number three, last week’s chart-topper Immortals slips three spots to four and In Time completes the top five.

The UK box office top ten in full:
1. (-) The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 – £13,910,877
2. (2) Arthur Christmas – £2,317,953
3. (3) The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn – £988,578
4. (1) Immortals – £950,230
5. (4) In Time – £453,958
6. (5) Tower Heist – £411,888
7. (-) Justice – £276,483
8. (7) Johnny English Reborn – £256,828
9. (6) The Rum Diary – £230,740
10. (10) The Ides of March – £180,692

Henry Cavill’s 3D epic Immortals has held off strong competition from Arthur Christmas to take the UK box office top spot.

The Superman: Man of Steel star’s new movie, which centres on a war between Cavill’s Theseus and Mickey Rourke’s King Hyperion, takes in £2,166,432 to hold off competition from Aardman’s festive family film.

Arthur Christmas is just a fraction behind the box office victor, with £2,112,516 in ticket sales.

Last week’s number one movie The Adventures of Tintin is at number three, while In Time and Tower Heist complete the top five.

Johnny Depp’s The Rum Diary is a new entry at number six with takings of £608,055 on its debut weekend on release.

The UK box office top ten in full:
1. (-) Immortals – £2,166,432
2. (-) Arthur Christmas – £2,122,516
3. (1) The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn – £1,540,539
4. (2) In Time – £915,584
5. (3) Tower Heist – £825,783
6. (-) The Rum Diary – £608,044
7. (4) Johnny English Reborn – £506,200
8. (6) The Help – £378,521
9. (5) Paranormal Activity 3 – £339,245
10. (8) The Ides of March – £284,076