Movie News

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is a 1986 US horror by Tobe Hooper.
With Dennis Hopper, Caroline Williams and Jim Siedow.

Scott writes:

I've been researching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre II's history with the BBFC. I've found in a book called The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Companion , by Stefan Jaworzyn. Here's what I've learnt from the book:

The film was submitted to the BBFC by Columbia-Cannon-Warner (CCW) in 1986. The Board viewed the uncut film three times. Even after the third viewing, on October 23rd 1986, they still couldn't decide whether to cut heavily or outright Reject.

The distributors then submitted a pre-cut version, known as the "Northern European Cannon Cut" . The technical manager of CCW, Steve Southgate, wrote to the BBFC on October 29th to detail some of the cuts to this version:

• "The opening scene with the boys in a car, when they are attacked, now only consists of one shot of an open head wound."

• "Scene in radio station where L.G. is being hit on his head with a hammer now has been reduced to only three blows. (The scene with the girl sitting with her legs astride with Leather Face in front of her with chainsaw remains the same.)"

• "The scene with Dennis Hopper going into the underground cabin for the first time, where he discovers blood and entrails coming out of a wall has been shortened."

• "The complete scene where Leather Face uses an electric knife on L.G. removing flesh from legs, chest and face has been removed, and also Leather Face placing skin mask on girl's face has been removed."

• The scene where Leather Face has chainsaw put through his chest has been shortened to establishing shot only. The scene with Chop-Top cutting his throat has been shortened. The scene with Chop-Top slashing girls back with cutthroat razor has been reduced.

Despite the heavy pre-cuts, this still failed to get through.

By May 21st 1987, numerous cut versions had been attempted, and all had failed, yet the BBFC felt it was worth cutting further. At this point, the distributors gave up.

The unreasonable dithering by the BBFC has been widely interpreted as an unofficial ban where no amount of cuts would have actually been acceptable to the BBFC.

The distributors had to wait until James Ferman left the board before trying again. Under the stewardship of Robin Duval the film was finally passed 18 uncut in 2001.

Beloved genre director Stuart Gordon has passed away at age 72.

His magnificent career began with his remarkable 1985 debut feature Re-Animator. The film spawned two sequels as well as a 2011 stage adaptation Re-Animator: The Musical .

The filmmaker followed up this success with two more adaptations of Lovecraft's writing with 1986's From Beyond and 1995's Castle Freak . Other Lovecraft adaptations include 2001's Dagon and the Masters of Horror episode Dreams In the Witch-House.

Other notable films include the 1990 sci-fi film Robot Jox , 1992's Fortress , 1996 sci-fi comedy Space Truckers and the 2005 drama Edmond.

The Invisible Man is a 2020 Australia / USA Sci-Fi horror thriller by Leigh Whannell.
Starring Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge and Oliver Jackson-Cohen.

The film follows Cecilia, who receives the news of her abusive ex-boyfriend's suicide. She begins to re-build her life for the better. However, her sense of reality is put into question when she begins to suspect her deceased lover is not actually dead.

BBFC advised category cuts were required for a 15 rated cinema release in 2020. The Irish cinema releases looks to be uncut but 16 rated.

Now the uncut version was passed 18 uncut by the BBFC for VoD with the consumer advice: strong injury detail, bloody violence, domestic abuse.

The DVD and Blu-ray ratings have not yet been published but a region 0 Blu-ray release suggests that this could also be 18 uncut.

The cinema release was previously passed 15 for strong bloody violence, threat, language, domestic abuse after BBFC advised pre-cuts:

The BBFC commented:

• This film was originally seen for advice. The company was advised it was likely to be classified 18 uncut but that their preferred 15 classification could be obtained by making small changes to one scene to remove bloody injury detail during an attempted suicide. When the film was submitted for formal classification, the shots in question had been removed and the film was classified 15.

Death Ship is a 1980 UK / Canada / USA horror mystery adventure by Alvin Rakoff.
Starring George Kennedy, Richard Crenna and Nick Mancuso.

Survivors of a tragic shipping collision are rescued by a mysterious black ship which appears out of the fog. Little do they realize that the ship is actually a Nazi torture ship which has sailed the seas for years, luring unsuspecting sailors aboard and killing them off one by one.

The 1980 cinema release was X rated followed by 18 rated VHS in 1987. But the film was reduced to 15 for 2007 DVD with the consumer advice:

Contains infrequent strong nudity, moderate bloody violence and horror

The film has just been resubmitted for video release late in the year but the age rating has been raised back up to 18 for:

strong nudity, bloody images

There are variant versions of the film but I don't the differences are relevant to the age rating. The age defining scene seems to be where a naked and busty woman is showering only, for the water to turn to blood, (not her blood). The woman gets stuck in the shower by a jammed door and she is eventually killed off screen by the ghostly ship's captain.

The 15 rating surely fits the bill, and the 2007 consumer advice seems accurate. So why has it been bumped up to 18, and why has the BBFC changed the consumer advice so as to no longer mention the 'moderate' violence? It seems that the consumer advice has been phrased to justify the over exaggerated age rating rather than to provide informative advice to viewers.

Update: BBFC Response

The BBFC explained the rating increase in a tweet

We reclassified the latest version of Death Ship 18 due to extended material that included much stronger nudity and bloody images:

An interesting comment as I have never heard before that the theatrical version was cut.

Update: An uncut version

Thanks to Andy, Tim, Mark, Rob and Bendy.

The film was originally cut in the US to obtain an MPAA R rating. In the UK this Theatrical Version was passed X for 1980 cinema release, 18 rated for VHS, and 15 rated for 2007 DVD. This 2007 DVD package was released with an 18 rating due to DVD extras, presumably meaning the DVD extra titled Uncensored bloody shower scene.

In 2018 Scorpion Releasing in the US issued a Blu-ray with a restored and extended version it refers to as the Original Longer Cut. It seems that this version included the Uncensored bloody shower scene and is now set for UK release on Nucleus Blu-ray with an increased BBFC 18 rating.

Onward is a 2020 USA children's cartoon comedy by Dan Scanlon.
Starring Tom Holland, Chris Pratt and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Set in a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot, go on an journey to discover if there is still a little magic left out there in order to spend one last day with their father, who died when they were too young to remember him.

Disney's latest Pixar cartoon Onward has been banned by several Middle Eastern countries because of a reference to lesbian parents. The film will not be shown in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Police officer Specter, voiced by Lena Waithe, has been heralded as Disney-Pixar's first openly gay character. Her lines include: It's not easy being a parent... my girlfriend's daughter got me pulling my hair out, OK?

Other Middle East countries, Bahrain, Lebanon and Egypt are showing the film.

And according to Deadline, Russia censored the scene in question by changing the word girlfriend to partner and avoiding mentioning the gender of Specter, who is a supporting character.

Meanwhile in the US the christian website LifeSiteNews has launched a petition calling for a boycott of the movie. Gualberto Garcia Jones Director of Advocacy for LifeSite whinged:

It's a relentless onslaught against our children's innocence. And, we parents have got to be just as relentless in rejecting Disney's attempt to sexualize our children.

The petition has been signed by about 55,000 people and states:

By forcing the LGBT agenda on us, you are seriously disrespecting our values. The days are now over where we would give you our hard-earned dollars just so you can turn around and offend us and our children's innocence. Please do not pursue this agenda again in the future.

Eternals is a 2020 USA action Sci-Fi fantasy by Chloé Zhao.
Starring Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden and Salma Hayek.

Following the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019), an unexpected tragedy forces the Eternals, ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years, out of the shadows to reunite against mankind's most ancient enemy, the Deviants.

One Million Moms is a US morality campaign group. It has called for the boycott of an upcoming Marvel Studios movie because it features an openly gay superhero. The Eternals is said to an include a kiss between superhero Phastos and his husband.

The movie's release is still eight months away, but the campaigners getting early. The group wrote:

Warning! An upcoming Marvel Studios movie will include a homosexual superhero and a same-sex kiss in the film The Eternals , set to hit theaters on November 6. One Million Moms needs your help to make sure as many people as possible are aware of Marvel pushing the LGBTQ agenda on families in the upcoming superhero movie The Eternals , which will be distributed by Walt Disney Studios.

Marvel has decided to be politically correct instead of providing family friendly programming. Marvel should stick to entertaining, not pushing an agenda. As moms, we all want to know when Marvel is attempting to desensitize our family by normalizing the LGBTQ lifestyle.

The Invisible Man is a 2020 Australia / USA Sci-Fi horror thriller by Leigh Whannell.
Starring Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge and Oliver Jackson-Cohen.

The film follows Cecilia, who receives the news of her abusive ex-boyfriend's suicide. She begins to re-build her life for the better. However, her sense of reality is put into question when she begins to suspect her deceased lover is not actually dead.

BBFC advised category cuts were required for a 15 rated cinema release in 2020. The Irish cinema releases looks to be uncut bit 16 rated.

Versions

uncut run: 124:21s pal: 119:23s	Ireland	Ireland : Passed 16 uncut for " Strong psychological threat and violence. Scene of self-harm " 2020 cinema release The Irish cinema is 3s longer and references the cut scene in the consumer advice so it seems likely that this is the uncut version.
advised category cuts  cut: 3s run: 124:18s pal: 119:20s		UK: Passed 15 for strong bloody violence, threat, language, domestic abuse after BBFC advised pre-cuts: 2020 cinema release The BBFC commented: This film was originally seen for advice. The company was advised it was likely to be classified 18 uncut but that their preferred 15 classification could be obtained by making small changes to one scene to remove bloody injury detail during an attempted suicide. When the film was submitted for formal classification, the shots in question had been removed and the film was classified 15.

An Australian film industry coalition is calling for new classification between PG and M (which is a PG-15 rating).

Major and independent film distributors and exhibitors are urging the federal government to adopt a new PG13 classification which they say would benefit family-friendly Australian and international films that get M ratings.

Echoing calls by Screen Producers Australia and the Australian Children's Television Foundation, the Film Industry Associations (FIA) also advocates a uniform classification system across all delivery platforms, with self-classification by the industry, overseen by a government regulator.

The say the  current review system is no longer fit-for-purpose. It is expensive and unfeasibly time-consuming in an environment where digital distribution has minimised the time between the delivery of a film and its release date, the FIA says in its submission to the government classification review.

The Trouble with Being Born is a 2020 Austria / Germany Sci-Fi drama by Sandra Wollner.
Starring Ingrid Burkhard, Susanne Gschwendtner and Jana McKinnon.

A sci-fi film depicting a sexualised relationship between an adult man and an android that looks like a 10-year-old girl has prompted outrage and walkouts at festival screenings.

Titled The Trouble With Being Born , the film is programmed as part of Berlinale 2020, the annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany.

In the film, the child-like android, played by Lena Watson, 10, is seen calling her owner Daddy. While most of the sexual relationship is implied rather than explicit, according to reports, the film leaves little doubt that the man, played by Dominik Warta has a sexual relationship with the child robot. The film also contains multiple nude scenes, which were created using CGI.

Although the film has caused a little outrage, it has also found a few admirers with The Hollywood Reporter selecting it as a hidden gem.

Director Sandra Wollner says the story was aimed at being an antithesis to Pinocchio, or Steven Spielberg's A.I., where the central characters dream of becoming human. She added:

What I found interesting about it is that we have an android whose only desires are the ones you program it to have, she says. I found it fascinating to show the perspective of the world through this machine that does not judge and does not care, and doesn't need the meanings that we do.

  Mulan is a 2020 USA family action adventure by Niki Caro.
Starring Yifei Liu, Donnie Yen and Jet Li.

A young Chinese maiden disguises herself as a male warrior in order to save her father. A live-action feature film based on Disney's 'Mulan.'

Mulan movie kiss scene CUT by Disney after China's censors demand removal DISNEY's Mulan movie has cut a kiss scene after Chinese censors forbid its inclusion. By George Simpson PUBLISHED: 13:20, Thu, Feb 27, 2020 | UPDATED: 16:39, Thu, Feb 27, 2020

Muland is a live action remake of a popular Disney cartoon movie. But the Chinese release has seen a kiss removed after China's local executives demand its censorship. The intimate moment was between Mulan and her love interest Chen Honghui.

According to The Hollywood Reporter , Disney showed Mulan at a Chinese test screening. And in the early cut, the kiss scene on a bridge did not go down well with the authorities. Director Niki Caro said:

It was very beautiful, but the China office went, 'No, you can't, that doesn't feel right to the Chinese people.

Shooter is a 2020 India action film by Inderjit Singh
Starring Jayy Randhawa.

Following in the steps of the Indian state of Punjab, the Haryana state government has imposed a ban on the screening of the Punjabi movie Shooter- based on the life and crimes of notorious gangster Sukha Kahlwan.

As per the order issued by Vijai Vardhan, additional chief secretary (home), the suspension of screening/exhibition of the movie in the state shall remain in force for two months.

Filmmaker Kewal Singh has filed a petition within the High Court stating that the Punjab authorities has banned its launch on February 10 with out seeing the movie. The movie has not but been issued a certificates by the censor board and neither has the movie been seen. T

Earlier the Punjab authorities banned this movie claiming that the movie is selling violence, crime and gang tradition, which may promote crime in Punjab.

In the UK the film was passed 15 uncut for strong bloody violence, brief drug misuse.

Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan is a 2020 India gay comedy by Hitesh Kewalya.
Starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Jitendra Kumar and Gajraj Rao.

Presenting the life of two gay men who are in love, Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan depicts their struggle to convince their families to accept the relationship. But things are never as easy as they seem and one of the boy`s family decides to get him married to a girl. Will their `unconventional` love prevail?

A major Bollywood gay film has been banned in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Touted as India's first gay male romantic comedy, Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (Be Extra Careful About Marriage) stars popular actor Ayushmann Khurrana as an openly gay man, who battles traditional attitudes to be with his boyfriend.

Film director Hitesh Kewalya said: Yes, it's banned adding that he had no further details about the move.

Meanwhile the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) CEO Ezekiel Mutua has also banned the screening of Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhan'. In a statement he maintained that the 'gay-themed is not in line with Kenyan constitution and the institution of family, hence the decision to ban its screening. He added:

The film is worse than the ones we have banned in the past as it has scenes involving children in homosexual practices and openly attempts to legitimize same-sex marriage.

Homosexuality is illegal in Kenya. Further, Kenya is a God-fearing nation which places a great premium on family, an institution derived from a union between two people of the opposite gender.

Kenya will not be the dumping ground for all manner of filth that seeks to destroy the institution of family and our cultural identity.

For comparison the film was passed 12A uncut by the BBFC for implied strong language, suicide references, discrimination theme

The Big Boss is a 1971 Hong Kong martial arts film by Wei Lo.
With Bruce Lee, Maria Yi and James Tien.

Cut by the BBFC for cinema release and VHS. The cuts were waived in 2000, but not all DVD releases have used the uncut version. There are reports of longer version with lost scenes, for example, the infamous saw in the head or Lee's second visit to the brothel.

In fact there was a longer version submitted to the Australian Censor in 1973, but unfortunately it was banned and never saw the light of day. It was 5 and a half minutes longer than the version distributed today. At the time Australia was a good market for Hong Kong movies and it was common for Australia to take movies, eg Shaw Brothers productions, that weren't distributed in the US or Europe. So perhaps it seems believable that an early release was submitted in Australia before Bruce Lee's talent was spotted elsewhere, resulting in the film being cut for world wide distribution.

Thanks to Philip who has been looking into the longer version:

Rumour is that in the early 70s a Mandarin language print was shown of a cut of the movie which was 5-10 minutes longer than the version widely distributed. How much of this is due to extra scenes or due to the fps rate of the print I couldn't find out.

Legend has it that there are extra scenes not available in the theatrical version, possibly some that have already surfaced on DVD such as the second visit to brothel etc, but most excitingly the uncut version of the icehouse / saw through the head scene.

Also apparently the violence in the movie was tamed prior to the general release of the film.

Only one print of this version is known to exist, but the owner has so far refused to distribute or sell the reels.

J'accuse (An Officer and a Spy) is a 2019 France / Italy historical thriller by Roman Polanski.
Starring Jean Dujardin, Louis Garrel and Emmanuelle Seigner.  

In 1894, French Captain Alfred Dreyfus is wrongfully convicted of treason and sentenced to life imprisonment at Devil's island.

The entire board of the César Academy, which distributes France's equivalent of the Oscars, has resigned amid a wave of #MeToo criticism of its nomination for 12 awards for a film by Roman Polanski. The Césars had defended the nominations, saying that the body "should not take moral positions" in giving awards.

1,500,000 French people have seen the film at French cinemas, and by all accounts, it is a remarkable film worthy of the nominations.

The decision to honour Polanski's An Officer and a Spy has angered feminist groups and led to calls for a boycott. Hundreds of actors, producers and directors have attacked the board  claiming "dysfunction" at the César Academy and opacity in its management.

A general meeting is set to be held after this month's ceremony to elect a new board.

The Polish-French director has been wanted in the US for the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl since the 1970s. He has since faced other accusations of sexual assault. 

The Hunt is a 2019 USA action horror thriller by Craig Zobel.
Starring Betty Gilpin, Hilary Swank and Emma Roberts.

Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing. They don't know where they are, or how they got there. They don't know they've been chosen - for a very specific purpose - The Hunt.

The politically charged satire The Hunt, in which elites track and kill deplorables, will now be released after being pulled last year in the wake of of a string of mass shootings.

According to the Hollywood Reporter , The Hunt's backers will release it in March, having shifted the film from its original release in September last year.

The Hunt is described as a ultra-violent thriller about a gang of wealthy progressives who try to wipe out a group of assorted individuals who have posted right-wing views online.

The decision to scrap the original release was taken in August 2019 in the wake of a series of massacres in Ohio, Texas and California

The Hunt is due for release on over 3,000 screens in the US on 13 March. No date has been set for a UK or Australian release.

Note that the pause has given the producers a little time to think about how to present the the ethics of the film. Before the ban the marketing was neutral about who the good guys are leaving it as a mystery so that prospective cinema goers have to view the movie to find out.The most recent publicity makes it much clearer that the liberal elites are the bad guys.

Military Wives is a 2019 UK comedy drama by Peter Cattaneo.
Starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan and Emma Lowndes.

Inspired by global phenomenon of military wives choirs, the story celebrates a band of misfit women who form a choir on a military base. As unexpected bonds of friendship flourish, music and laughter transform their lives, helping each other to overcome their fears for loved ones in combat.

In the US the film was originally rated R by the MPAA for brief language and a sexual reference.

The distributors appealed hoping for a PG-13 rating, but did not win their case. Instead they edited  the film to achieve an MPAA PG-13 rating for some strong language and sexual references.

For comparison the BBFC gave the film a 12A rating for infrequent strong language, moderate sex references.

The Prince of Tides is a 1991 USA drama by Barbra Streisand.
Starring Barbra Streisand, Nick Nolte and Blythe Danner.

There are no cuts  issues with this release. The film was rated 15 uncut for 1991 cinema release, and for the follow up home video releases in 1992 and 1995.

A commentary track version was resubmitted in 2020 for Blu-ray extras and the BBFC decided that film would now be 18 rated, should it be submitted in feature format. The BBFC tweeted:

We changed our guidelines on sexual violence at 15 in 2019. The scene of sexual violence in Prince of Tides is no longer permissible at 15. Therefore the rating has been raised to 18. We have not recently been asked to view the film, only the audio commentary version.

Netflix has reported on the moves and TV shows that it has banned at the request of governments. Netflix writes:

We offer creators the ability to reach audiences all around the world. However, our catalog varies from country to country, including for rights reasons (i.e., we don't have the rights to show everything in every country where we operate). In some cases we've also been forced to remove specific titles or episodes of titles in specific countries due to government takedown demands.

Below are the titles we've removed to date, as of February 2020 -- just nine in total since we launched. Beginning next year, we will report these takedowns annually.

• In 2015, Netflix complied with the New Zealand Film and Video Labeling Body to remove The Bridge . The film is classified as "objectionable" in the country.
• In 2017, Netflix complied with Vietnamese Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information (ABEI) to remove Full Metal Jacket.
• In 2017, Netflix complied with the German Commission for Youth Protection (KJM) to remove Night of the Living Dead . A version of the film is also banned in the country. There's a discussion of exactly which version is banned in a German language article from schnittberichte.com
• In 2018, Netflix complied with the Singapore Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to remove Cooking on High (TV series about cooking with cannabis) , The Legend of 420 (a comedy documentary about cannabis) , and Disjointed (TV series about cannabis) from the service in Singapore only.
• In 2019, Netflix complied with the Saudi Communication and Information Technology Commission to remove one episode -- "Saudi Arabia" -- from Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj (comedy TV news, talk show) .
• In 2019, Netflix complied with the Singapore Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to remove The Last Temptation of Christ.
• In 2020, Netflix complied with the Singapore Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to remove The Last Hangover . This is the Brazilian TV comedy about a gay Christ that proved controversial in Brazil.

Scooby-Doo is a 2002 USA / Australia comedy mystery adventure by Raja Gosnell.
Starring Matthew Lillard, Freddie Prinze Jr and Sarah Michelle Gellar.

The Mystery Inc. gang have gone their separate ways and have been apart for two years, until they each receive an invitation to Spooky Island. Not knowing that the others have also been invited, they show up and discover an amusement park that affects young visitors in very strange ways. Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby soon realize that they cannot solve this mystery without help from each other.

Screenwriter James Gunn has confirmed that a lesbian kiss was filmed but was cut from the final edit. He also commented on a submission that was indeed MPAA R rated. See article from screenrant.com :

Gunn answered a fan's question on Twitter about an eventual release of the R-rated Scooby-Doo , and shed some light on how the whole rating fiasco went down. Gunn confirms that the film was originally rated R by the MPAA, but that he never set out to write an adult movie. Apparently, the harsh rating was because of one stupid joke the MPAA misinterpreted. The film eventually earned a PG-13 from the ratings board, but by then a successful test screening skewed the film's target demo to a younger audience. This led to a third PR rated cut of the film removing material such as language, cleavage, and sexual situations - including a same-sex kiss between Daphne and Velma. Gunn tweeted:

Yes, the first MPAA rating was R, but it was only because of one stupid joke the MPAA misinterpreted.

The movie was originally meant to be PG-13 & was cut down to PG after like 3 parents were outraged at a test screening in Sacramento. The studio decided to go a more family friendly route.

Language and jokes and sexual situations were removed, including a kiss between Daphne and Velma. Cleavage was CGI'd over. But, thankfully, the farting remained.

I thought at the time the rating change was a mistake. I felt like a lot of teens came out for the first film and didn't get what they wanted (and didn't come back for the sequel). But today I don't know. So many young kids loved those movies, which is pretty cool.

Also, for the record I doubt any of those old cuts still exist.

Monty Python star Terry Jones has died at the age of 77, after having lived with dementia, his agent has said. A statement from his family said:

We have all lost a kind, funny, warm, creative and truly loving man.

Fellow Python Sir Michael Palin described Jones as one of the funniest writer-performers of his generation. John Cleese said:

It feels strange that a man of so many talents and such endless enthusiasm, should have faded so gently away. of his many achievements, for me the greatest gift he gave us all was his direction of Life of Brian. Perfection.

Both Monty Python's Life of Brian and Monty Python and the Holy Grail had tussles with censors and the establishment in general.

The Rhythm Section is a 2020 UK action mystery thriller by Reed Morano.
Starring Blake Lively, Sterling K Brown and Jude Law.

Passed 15 uncut for cinema release in 2019. A month later it was resubmitted in a slighter shorter version with the same rating and advice. MPAA R rated in the US but it is not known which version was submitted.

Summary Notes

Blake Lively stars as Stephanie Patrick, an ordinary woman on a path of self-destruction after her family is tragically killed in a plane crash. When Stephanie discovers that the crash was not an accident, she enters a dark, complex world to seek revenge on those responsible and find her own redemption. Based on the novel by Mark Burnell, from director Reed Morano ("The Handmaid's Tale") and the producers of the James Bond film series, The Rhythm Section also stars Jude Law and Sterling K. Brown.

Versions

re-edited cut: 3s run: 109:27s pal: 105:04s		UK: A shorter re-edited version was passed 15 for strong language, violence, brief drug misuse: 2020 cinema release
uncut run: 109:30s pal: 105:07s		UK: Passed 15 uncut for strong language, violence, brief drug misuse: 2019 cinema release

Military Wives is a 2019 UK comedy drama by Peter Cattaneo.
Starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan and Emma Lowndes.

Inspired by global phenomenon of military wives choirs, the story celebrates a band of misfit women who form a choir on a military base. As unexpected bonds of friendship flourish, music and laughter transform their lives, helping each other to overcome their fears for loved ones in combat.

In the US the film was rated R by the MPAA for brief language and a sexual reference.

The distributors are now appealing the decision presumably hoping for a PG-13 rating.

For comparison the BBFC gave the film a 12A rating for infrequent strong language, moderate sex references.

Anne Frank: Parallel Stories (aka #AnneFrank. Parallel Stories) is a 2019 Italy documentary by Sabina Fedeli and Anna Migotto.
Starring Anne Frank, Martina Gatti and Helen Mirren.

The 2020 BBFC cinema rating was reduced from 15 to 12A after a formal distributor request for a reconsideration was agreed.

Summary Notes

One single Anne Frank moves us more than the countless others who suffered just as she did but whose faces have remained in the shadows-Primo Levi. The Oscar®-winning Helen Mirren will introduce audiences to Anne Frank's story through the words in her diary. The set will be her room in the secret refuge in Amsterdam, reconstructed in every detail by set designers from the Piccolo Theatre in Milan. Anne Frank this year would have been 90 years old. Anne's story is intertwined with that of five Holocaust survivors, teenage girls just like her.

94:59s

UK: Passed 12A uncut for Holocaust images, references to violence: 2020 cinema release The BBFC commented on a reduction of rating from 15 to 12A: This work was originally classified 15 without cuts on 19 December 2019. This determination was formally reconsidered by the BBFC at the request of the submitting company. The BBFC carefully considered the arguments put forward by the submitting company, looked again at the relevant submitted material, and concluded that a revision to the original determination was appropriate. UK: Passed 15 uncut for Holocaust images: 2020 cinema release

One of China's longest-running independent film festivals has decided to shut down against the backdrop of mounting government censorship.

The China International Film Festival (CIFF) announced:

We believe that under current local organizational conditions it is impossible to organize an effective film festival that has a pure, independent spirit.

The CIFF was founded in the eastern city of Nanjing in 2003 and has been staged 14 times. It had screened films on sensitive subjects such as homosexuality and controversies surrounding the massive Three Gorges Dam project in central China.

Hong Kong's South China Morning Post quoted Zhang Xianmin, a Beijing Film Academy professor and the festival's key organizer, as saying the shutdown takes China back to a more restricted era for film. Zhang added:

We just went back to 20 years ago, when there was no room and opportunity for independent films.

When David Shanks presents himself at international conferences, his peers recoil slightly. He explained:

I'd introduce myself as, 'Hi, I'm David from New Zealand. New Zealand's chief censor,' And basically these people would take an involuntary step backwards, almost, on many occasions.

Shanks is head of New Zealand's film and media censors of the Office of Film and Literature Classification and his official job title is Chief Censor. He continues

But fellow attendees at the annual world meeting of classifiers -- those responsible for rating or, at times, restricting access to content in their countries -- omit the c-word from their job titles.

They would introduce themselves and they were the head of the classifications group or general manager, Shanks says -- referring to his counterparts in other countries.

He told the Guardian:

 What I've kind of realised is I'm the last censor standing in the western world.

The End Will Be Spectacular is a 2019 Syria war film by Ersin Çelik.
Starring Arjîn Baysal, Arif Demîr and Sahire Ozhan.

Zilan, a young woman, returns to her hometown looking for the traces of his dead brother, killed by the Islamic State. But her town is not what it used to be: social and political tensions have escalated into a state of war. The people have risen to demand their political autonomy and the police and army repress them with brutal force. But the city's resistance will go on for more than 100 days and Zilan will not remain a passive witness. Based on the diaries of those who died fighting and the testimony of survivors, who enact the protagonists of the film, Çelik's first feature explores concepts such as hope, friendship, sacrifice and loss in the struggle for freedom of a group of young people.

A film based on the real-life resistance of Kurdish youth in Turkey was banned by Sulaimani's security forces just a day before its Kurdistan premiere.

Ji Bo Azadiye (The End Will be Spectacular) , directed by Kurdish filmmaker Ersin Celik was pulled by Sulamani Asayesh (security forces) from the premiere at Sulaimani's Salim Cinema.

The film team and cinema staff have criticised the cancellation of the screening, which has been shown abroad but now cannot be seen by a Kurdistan Region audience.

First premiering at Calcutta's 25th International Film Festival in November, the production has received positive responses from foreign audiences. The film will next be screened in Rotterdam, Holland in January.