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Nightmare decision! Notorious 'slasher' film A Nightmare On Elm Street has 18 rating cut to 15 - as Downton Abbey creator quips showing it to teenagers is 'child abuse'
Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes has slated a decision to reclassify notorious 'slasher' film A Nightmare On Elm Street as being suitable for younger teenagers.
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) says the age limit to watch the 1984 horror movie, in which knife-wielding Freddie Krueger attacks teenagers as they sleep, should be lowered from 18 to 15.
Oscar-winner Mr Fellowes retorted: 'I should have thought that showing A Nightmare On Elm Street to a 15-year-old constituted child abuse. I can't help feeling that these people should get out more.'
It is among several violent films – including 1986's 'nauseating' and 'sadistic' The Hitcher – to have ratings cut to 15 as they are considered 'tame' when compared to modern content online or in video games.
Yet several family films, including 1969 musical Paint Your Wagon with Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood, have had their ratings increased because of new sensitivities about references to sex and language. It has gone from a PG to a 12 rating.
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) says the age limit to watch the 1984 horror movie A Nightmare On Elm Street, in which knife-wielding Freddie Krueger (pictured) attacks teenagers as they sleep, should be lowered from 18 to 15
The 2004 film Spider-Man 2 (pictured), starring Tobey Maguire, has had its rating increased from PG to 12A because of sequences featuring fist fights and a mugging and a reference to a man being stabbed
Family films, including 1969 musical Paint Your Wagon with Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood (pictured), have had their ratings increased because of new sensitivities about references to sex and language. It has gone from a PG to a 12 rating
The BBFC says although Elm Street, starring Robert Englund, features 'bloody moments', these are 'relatively discreet'.
It adds that The Hitcher, with Rutger Hauer, has moments of 'sadism and violent acts' but these are not 'sustained or prolonged'.
Paint Your Wagon is now a 12 because it depicts a brothel opening and has a scene where a woman has her blouse ripped off to reveal her corset and cleavage. It also refers to people being 'horny'.
The 2004 film Spider-Man 2, starring Tobey Maguire, has had its rating increased from PG to 12A because of sequences featuring fist fights and a mugging and a reference to a man being stabbed.
The 1983 Tom Cruise film Risky Business has had its rating reduced from 18 to 15 because its references to 'sex work, oral sex and masturbation' are considered comic rather than explicit.
Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes (pictured) said: 'I should have thought that showing A Nightmare On Elm Street to a 15-year-old constituted child abuse. I can't help feeling that these people should get out more'
The 1986 'nauseating' and 'sadistic' The Hitcher (pictured) will also have its rating cut to 15 as it is considered 'tame' when compared to modern content online or in video games
The BBFC says that The Hitcher, with Rutger Hauer, has moments of 'sadism and violent acts' but these are not 'sustained or prolonged'
The 1983 Tom Cruise film Risky Business (pictured) has had its rating reduced from 18 to 15 because its references to 'sex work, oral sex and masturbation' are considered comic rather than explicit
The BBFC reclassifies films when distributors present them for re-release on the big screen or on DVD and Blu-ray.
A BBFC spokesman said when reviewing classification of older films, 'we apply our current standards as set out in our published classification guidelines.
'These guidelines evolve over time, informed by large scale research (most recently involving 12,000 people) to ensure they continue to reflect the expectations of audiences.
'As a result, films may require a higher or lower rating than they received in the past.'