I mentioned this in another thread, but for anyone who missed it, I felt it was important enough to repeat my warning about this forthcoming transmission in a dedicated thread of its own:

Film 4 has scheduled EYE OF THE NEEDLE for 6.50pm on Friday 23 March. The film was given a 15 certificate for violence and a sex scene, and Channel 4 has screened it several times in a wholly inappropriate afternoon slot with multiple cuts. Now, they're going to do the same thing on their flagship, dedicated movie channel! Using such material as filler is intolerable at the best of times, but to slip it onto Film 4 as if some of us wouldn't notice is really beyond the pale. If they go ahead and broadcast the edited version of this film in an early evening slot (basically, treating the audience like idiots), without any indication beforehand that it is, in fact, an edited version, then it will prove beyond a shadow of doubt that Film 4 has lost all its integrity.

Showing films in a butchered state is something that no self respecting broadcaster should ever do, especially one with such a declared passion for cinema.

Eye of the needle got a 15 in 1981, perhaps Channel 4 could run it past the BBFC again to see if it would get a 12 now. I believe this is what they did to allow reanimator to be broadcast uncut last year.

The 15 certificate was reconfirmed by the BBFC as recently as April 2001, when a widescreen version was submitted. The violence and (brief) sexual material is a little too strong for a 12, even today, but Channel 4 and its off-shoot channels has acquired a reputation in recent years for buying material and shoehorning it into an unsuitable time-slot, applying damaging cuts without informing viewers beforehand about what they've done. This goes against everything Channel 4 was originally set up to do. There's no way an uncut version of EYE OF THE NEEDLE can play at 6.50pm, even on the most liberal-minded channel, and for Film 4 to schedule the film at such an unsuitable time is beyond a joke. After all, if they can do it with this film...

I look forward to seeing whether this broadcast goes ahead. If it does, and there's no warning beforehand, it will speak volumes as to Film 4's commitment to film and, by extension, its viewers.

Could anyone possibly confirm if this broadcast went ahead as planned? Was there any kind of indication beforehand that Film 4 was screening an edited print? Have the editors of this forum got anything to say on this subject?...

I assumed you were going to watch it yourself. If you missed it it will probably be on again this week or next.

Unfortunately, a minor crisis (my kitchen got flooded!) meant my attention was diverted for a coupla hours!!

It is on again later this week, so I'll be sure and take a look, if no one who saw the original broadcast doesn't confirm it first.

Unless, of course, one of the editors would like to respond by confirming the film was shown, and that it was - inevitably - a censored print?

Film 4 did screen an edited version of EYE OF THE NEEDLE at 6.50pm last night (29 March), and - crucially - there was no indication beforehand that the print had, in fact, been altered. Add to this, the adult-oriented cop show Third Watch is being screened on More 4 next week in a wholly unsuitable afternoon time-slot, with multiple cuts in even the most mild bit of violence, and you have some idea where Channel 4's head is at, and has been for some time.

And still no response from the editors on these forums. I rest my case...

I did notice that the local newspapaer listings had the film down as a 12, which fits in with a watered down cut.

Perhaps the problem is Eye of the Needle is not violent enough, as, these scenes aside it is essentially a matinee film, no wonder Channel 4 has felt it could get away with trimming a few bits here and there to force it into a daytime/early evening slot.

Channel 4 wouldn't dare try it with an overtly adult/violent film though such as Pulp Fiction for instance.

I'm not sure the 12 rating would have made much of a difference, as Channel 4 seems to have adopted a policy of blitzing the most innocuous stuff out of programmes before the watershed. Just last week, on E4 (I believe), they were showing The 100 Greatest War Films and I happened to catch the section about 'BREAKER' MORANT, wherein an entire section (concerning Edward Woodward's last line of dialogue in the film, a famous bit of business in which he uses the word 'ba****ds') had been completely removed.

The same word was also edited from a black and white war film screened recently on Film 4 before the watershed. This is cowardice of the lowest order, made worse by their ongoing silence on such serious matters. Smallville and The O.C. are often butchered to ridiculous degrees on Channel 4, so woe betide anyone who doesn't have access to digital channels and can't see the late night uncut re-runs. Pity More 4 can't also schedule a late-night uncut repeat of Third Watch, but so long as there are only a few isolated voices raised in complaint, they can get away with treating viewers like childish simpletons. Or at least, that's how they seem to be treating us...

All they needed to do was make it clear before transmitting EYE OF THE NEEDLE (or any edited programme, for that matter) that it had been edited, and it would have made the problem bearable. But they chose to deceive viewers into thinking they were getting 'The Real Thing' instead. Like I said, cowardice of the lowest order.

By the way, just to make it clear, I used asterisks in the 'swear word' above because I didn't want the post to be removed by an administrator for 'inappropriate' language. I'm aware of the rules. I hope no one thought I was being a hypocrite for censoring my own posts in a thread devoted to whingeing about someone else's censorship policies!!