Cult Labs

Go Back   Cult Labs > Film Discussions > VHS & Exploitation > Censorship

Like Tree1188Likes

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #81  
Old 27th June 2008, 06:21 AM
Angel's Avatar
Cultist on the Rampage
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Default

That was a surprising decision to ban Murder Set Pieces in Norway although it is a difficult film to pass. By the way I was looking through the IMDB and apparently Ichi The Killer has also been banned in 2008 after previously passing uncut with an 18 rating. They used to ban a lot of films there but it seemed for a while (and from what I heard) that they would no longer be banning films. Certainly they have recently lifted bans on some very controversial films eg Cannibal Ferox, Cannibal Holocaust and Death Wish 2 were passed uncut recently after previously being banned. I think the last film they banned prior to 2008 was KITE in 1998. In the past they were as bad as the BBFC re- banning films eg Enter the Dragon, Black Belt Jones, Commando and even Childs Play were all banned.

There reason for banning MSP does sound quite ridiculous. It will be interesting to see what else they are now going to ban.

By the way, Peter, I noticed that Franco's Women in Cellblock 9, which is banned in the UK, was passed with an 18 rating in Germany. It's unlikely the film will ever be passed here.

The Girl Next Door will probably pass here uncut then. Perhaps it's not as nasty as it sounds.
Reply With Quote
  #82  
Old 27th June 2008, 12:10 PM
Peter Neal's Avatar
Cultist on the Rampage
Good Trader
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Helsinki
Blog Entries: 14
Default

"Women in Cellblock 9" was released "unrated" on DVD in Germany, despite bearing (wrongly!) an "FSK" seal, as part of the "Gold Collection" box set (also containing the uncut "Barbed Wire Dolls", "Ilsa, the Wicked Warden", "Love Letters of a Portugese Nun" and a few other Franco gems, though lacking the extras of the nearly similar UK box set). As most of the other titles in that box, it's been on the "index of restricted movies" since its first VHS encounter in the early 80's and can only be purchased under the typical "index" restrictions...or via Austria!

http://www.ofdb.de/view.php?page=fas...624&vid=155724

BTW: Though I'm not an expert on the issue, I should mention a few bits about that other European country busily hitting back towards darker times in censorship: Switzerland.

The Swiss situation appears to be on its way to surpass Germany in the long run, because....

a) Here, different districts ("Kantons") have totally different lists of banned movies!

b) In Switzerland, the possession of banned movies/pc games IS illegal and can get you into trouble with the police.

Little seems to filter through about the exact conditions, but this is another country I wouldn't want to move to as a genre fan....

Last edited by Peter Neal; 27th June 2008 at 04:49 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #83  
Old 27th June 2008, 07:18 PM
Angel's Avatar
Cultist on the Rampage
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Default

I don't know much about censorship in Switzerland, the only film I could find that has been banned there is BLUTGEIL.

Good thing the possession of banned films is generally not illegal in the UK but it would depend on what the banned film is and why it was banned. I would imagine the possession of Women in Cellblock 9 would be illegal.
Reply With Quote
  #84  
Old 27th June 2008, 07:23 PM
Cult Acolyte
Good Trader
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Belfast
Default

Anyone heard of a film called 'Hells Ground'.?
Its a Pakistani gore flick which is banned in its native country.
Dont know why its banned in Pakistan, but its getting a UK release on August 4th .
Dont know if the UK release will be uncut or not.
Just thought i'd mention it.

Peter, Are the Violent S**t films and Necromantic 1 & 2 banned in Germany.?

Angel, what way do those films stand here in the UK censor wise.?

Last edited by vipco; 27th June 2008 at 07:28 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #85  
Old 27th June 2008, 08:00 PM
Peter Neal's Avatar
Cultist on the Rampage
Good Trader
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Helsinki
Blog Entries: 14
Default

@Angel: "Blutgeil" is a 25 min short, which apparently ran into trouble with the Swiss authorities due to its grossout "satire" on the police...

It was banned there long before they got so vigilante about violent media at some point in the more recent past.
It's confusing to say the least: Some districts may ban "Sleepless", another "Dawn of the Dead"...Some German fans take comfort in the feeling that they still have it better than over there...It's often the same kind of fans, who seriously write that critisism against the German "Youth Protection" policies is "exaggerated", since countries like China have a much worse censorship....

@VIPCO: Never heard of the Pakistani flick, but on "Nekromantik":

- The sequel actually got banned in Germany for a short period, but somehow it managed to be taken off the list, because somebody got the authorities to regard it as "art".

- Both films were released "unrated" over there and are about as hard to come by in Germany as in any other country. You don't find them in your nearest rental store in Munich or Bonn, so much is for sure...but they are not banned.
Buttgereit seems to be more appreciated by fans outside Germany, for whatever reason...

Judging from prior discussions on ABUK etc, I doubt it very much that the BBFC would be too enlightened by the pair of "Nekromantik" movies, not the least because of some bits of animal cruelty.


The same goes for the "Violent Shit" movies- despite nobody ever has mistaken them for art.

Oddly enough, when the censorship of movies for the home viewing was abandoned in Finland in 2001, "Violent Shit II" was still named as a movie, which the Finnish board wouldn't allow to pass...I don't know whether or not anybody has tried to get it through ever since...

Last edited by Peter Neal; 27th June 2008 at 08:06 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #86  
Old 28th June 2008, 06:25 AM
Angel's Avatar
Cultist on the Rampage
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Default

Censorship is quite strict in countries like Pakistan, Vipco, that's probably why it was banned. I wouldn't expect any problems here.

Of the 3 films mentioned I have only seen Nekromantik 2.

From what I know both films are very similar in content. But as far as NK2 is concerned it certainly shouldn't have any serious problems with the BBFC if indeed they can find anything to cut at all. It came across to me as being more art than exploitation. There is a scene of necrophilia at about 20m. Well I see no reason why this should be cut, the BBFC passed scenes of necrophilia in Flesh for Frankenstein and Kissed so it clearly isn't illegal. There is a shocking scene of violence near the end. Over here the violence, unusually, is carried out by a woman against a man. It's also one of the most realistic decapitations I have seen as well as bloodiest. The violence is also sexual. During the days of James Ferman the entire scene would have been removed without a doubt but today the scene really should scrape through. Scenes of violence against a man by a woman is never cut by the BBFC. The film by the way doesn't endorse necrophilia as the people are clearly shown too be pretty sick. The film should pass uncut.

I believe the first film does contain a scene of genuine animal cruelty that will have to be cut but apart from that scene if it's anything like the 2nd film then it shoudln't have any serious problems.

The Nekromantik films were never submitted to the BBFC in the 90's, no doubt because they knew the films would never pass whilst James Ferman was director.

By the way I found NK2 to be one of the most boring films I have ever seen. The film is painfully slow, with long gaps where nothing happens.
Reply With Quote
  #87  
Old 28th June 2008, 09:39 AM
Peter Neal's Avatar
Cultist on the Rampage
Good Trader
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Helsinki
Blog Entries: 14
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Angel View Post
By the way I found NK2 to be one of the most boring films I have ever seen. The film is painfully slow, with long gaps where nothing happens.
That's what I gathered from other sources too and that's why I didn't rush out to grab the two "Nekromantik" flicks so far- though I know I should close that essential gap in my German horror collection- at some point.
A bit of artsy genre filmmaking every now and then is quite stimulating- particularly after a mainstream overdose.

Isn't there a (supposedly disgusting) scene with a dead seal in NK 2?
Just out of curiosity: How do the BBFC treat scenes featuring real but already dead animals?
Reply With Quote
  #88  
Old 28th June 2008, 10:28 AM
Cult Rookie
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Default

Hi guys - you know Hell's Ground is produced by Mondo Macabro ie Pete Tombs and Andy Starke. They're currently making Filipino exploitation film Killdroid! On the subject of animal butchery and the BBFC, they have never had a problem with ther buffalo scene in Apocalypse Now - ah well, I guess that's art...
Reply With Quote
  #89  
Old 28th June 2008, 10:48 AM
Cult Addict
Senior Moderator Alumni
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Default

Re Apocalypse Now - the kill itself was very quick and not staged deliberately for the film. If an animal killing that would have happened anyway, regardless of the cameras presence, is caught on film then the BBFC generally pass it. Providing no prolonged suffering or deliberate cruelty is involved.

Salon Kitty and The Cannibal Man also had scenes of genuine animal killings (in both cases inside a slaughterhouse) that were never cut by the BBFC.

Walkabout also featured genuine animal killings but was never cut for this reason by the BBFC. I'm not sure how the slitting of the cow's throat at the beginning of The Hunting Party would fare today (it was previously cut). It may well pass, owing to the kill itself being quick, even though it was staged for the film.
Reply With Quote
  #90  
Old 28th June 2008, 11:24 AM
Angel's Avatar
Cultist on the Rampage
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Default

Yeah there were killings of animal taking place where they were filming Apocalypse Now and they used it in the film. There was a documentary on the film by Coppola's sister which showed pigs being killed in a very gruesome manner. I don't know if this doc has been classified by the BBFC (I saw it on BBC2) but there's no reason why they should cut it unpleasant as it was.

The BBFC only cut scenes of animal cruelty where there is a cruel infliction of pain. So scenes of dead animals being sliced up as shown in Nekromantik 2, Peter, would pass. In any case the scene was part of a film within a film. it didn't look like it was staged for the film.
Reply With Quote
Reply  

Like this? Share it using the links below!

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



Our goal is to keep Cult Labs friendly. If you feel discouraged from posting by certain members' behaviour then you can e-mail us in complete confidence.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2
All forum posts are contributed by members of the site; Cult Labs cannot take responsibility for all content posted on the site. If you have an issue with content posted on the site please click the 'report post' button.
Copyright © 2014 Cult Laboratories Ltd. All rights reserved.