The Shell Seekers

3 Pages·0.12 MB·English

by  Office of Film and Literature Classification

REGISTER OF
CLASSIFICATION DECISIONS

Date of entry in Register: 07 January 2003

Name of applicant/court: The Film and Video Labelling Body Inc.

Applicant to the Labelling Body: Roadshow Entertainment (NZ) Ltd

Title of Publication: The Shell Seekers

Other Known Title(s): Not Stated

Director(s): Waris Hussein

Producer(s): Anne Hopkins

Publisher: Not Applicable

Author(s): Not Applicable

Format: DVD

Country of Origin: UK

Language(s): English

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Components of film originally examined:

Menu: Play :
Chapters
DVD Previews

Feature: The Shell Seekers Running time: 97.59

Other Timed
Components: Hornblower: The Even Chance Running time 3.00
Emma 2.19

Total Running time: 103.18

Excision/Alteration: No Excisions Recommended.

Reason(s) for Excision:

Not Applicable.

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Classification Decision:

Unrestricted: Parental guidance recommended for younger viewers.

Display Conditions:

Not Applicable.

Descriptive Note:

Adult themes.

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Direction to issue a label has been given on: 07 January 2003

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SUMMARY OF THE REASONS FOR DECISION:

The DVD entitled The Shell Seekers is classified as:

Unrestricted: Parental guidance recommended for younger viewers.

The DVD contains a feature that was cross-rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body
in 1990. The film The Shell Seekers was rated Unrestricted: Parental guidance
recommended for persons under 15 years, and with the descriptive note "Adult
Themes".

Under Regulation 11(2) of the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification
Regulations 1994, the publication must be submitted by the Labelling Body to the
Office of Film and Literature Classification if the Labelling Body makes an assessment
that a trailer on the DVD is not "consistent in character" as defined in Regulation 3,
with the main feature on the DVD. The DVD The Shell Seekers contains two trailers
which advertise other publications, namely Emma and Hornblower: The Even Chance.

The feature is a slow moving drama about the relationships between a woman and her
three adult children, in particular the jealousy and greed which emerges when it is
found that paintings owned by the woman are of significant value.

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One of the trailers on the DVD depicts a battle on a sailing ship and in this context,
shows a man with his leg blown off. This scene of violence is in contrast to the feature,
and though of limited impact in terms of the publication as a whole due to its brief
nature and historical context, may be disturbing to younger viewers. However, the
existing classification recommending parental guidance will be sufficient to avoid injury
to the public good. The publication also retains the descriptive note of "Adult Themes".

OFLC Ref: 201882

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