[Mrluvaluva]

A Japanese horror film has been banned by British censors for being too violent.

Youtube video

The British Board of Film Classification has refused to give the DVD entitled Grotesque an 18 certificate, saying its tale of extreme torture featured unrelenting brutality and minimal narrative.

It means the unclassified film cannot be legally supplied anywhere in Britain, with anyone doing so risking a heavy fine and imprisonment.

Grotesque focuses on the sexual assault, humiliation and extreme torture of a male and female victim, the board said.

The protagonist inflicts serious injuries on a restrained couple.

"The torture becomes even more extreme, leading to the gory and violent death of both hostages," the BBFC said.

The board rejects films only rarely, preferring to give advice about how appropriate cuts would achieve the preferred certificate.

"Unlike other recent torture-themed horror works, such as the 'Saw' and 'Hostel' series, 'Grotesque' features minimal narrative or character development and presents the audience with little more than an unrelenting and escalating scenario of humiliation, brutality and sadism," said BBFC director David Cooke.

"The chief pleasure on offer seems to be in the spectacle of sadism (including sexual sadism) for its own sake."

The distributors, who were hoping to receive an 18-certificate for the straight-to-DVD film, can appeal against the decision.


Source

[Brad.]

WOAH that looks mad lol

[Benjamin]

I can see why that is banned.

[Mrluvaluva]

If the trailer is anything to go by it must be quite horrific.

[Johann]

.....Oh my.

[Barbie]

Ergh! i dont like horror movies that much, unless they are more to scare than do discusting things to people like Saw thats not scary.. just discusting.

Glad its banned or friends would be forcing me to watch

[Lewis.]

Oh my god. Lmao. Who thinks of these things

[Tom4784]

It does make the likes of Saw look like a Saturday morning cartoon. It reminds me of another Japanese film I watched once called Audition, that was horrific.

[setanta]

I personally thought Hostel should have been banned so I welcome the stand they've made on this kinda mindless, senseless and depraved cinema that seems to be part of the norm now. Violence doesn't particularly bother me in films; it's more to do with context and the reasoning behind showing blood and killing.

Most films such as this seem to take a morbid pleasure in exposing the viewer to acts of gratuitous torture, where the directors aim is to make it feel as authentic and unsettling as possible. They look more like snuff movies than cinema and I see no responsibility or maturity shown by anyone involved in their making....... this is not art.

[Mrluvaluva]

I don't think the film makers intended it to be "art". Their intention was to shock. And as this film has minimal dialogue, the focus is obviously on the gore.

[setanta]

Originally posted by Mrluvaluva
I don't think the film makers intended it to be "art". Their intention was to shock. And as this film has minimal dialogue, the focus is obviously on the gore.

It's art.... just not very good and totally irresponsible. Gore is ok given the right context and tone but I have a real problem with films that strive for realism and have no real motive behind the showing of violence other than to highlight the torture itself.

[King Gizzard]

Hate horror movies.

How did that even get on youtube.

[Tom4784]

Originally posted by Nathan
Hate horror movies.

How did that even get on youtube.

It's not against Youtube's policies to have trailers on their site. If they banned that then they'd have to ban the likes of Saw and other similar films being advertised on their site so they'd lose a lot of money.

Plus It's not banned in other parts of the world.

[bettiepage]

The Japanese are so ****ed up.

[JOSHUAH!]

lovely.

[Mrluvaluva]

You can't watch it in the cinema but I note that the full movie is freely available to watch online.