Censor Watch

A Russian national TV channel is going to censor The Simpsons . In light of a new law banning displays of violence, drinking, and smoking on TV before 11pm, the young adult-targeted channel 2x2 will remove all scenes with the show's violent spoof cartoon The Itchy & Scratchy Show starting Friday. 

The channel's general director Lev Makarov told AFP:

We will retouch in an ironic way all the programs where there are scenes that fall under the new law.  For example, we will black-out the screen and write a jokey message in a rolling caption.

Makarov said the animated series South Park , on the other hand, will not be aired before 11pm because creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone insist on killing Kenny in almost every episode.

The classic Soviet-era children's cartoon Nu, pogodi! featuring a hapless wolf trying to catch a crafty rabbit, is another victim of the new censorship law. It features a character with a lit cigarette or ten, dangling from his lips.

Longtime fans of Nu, pogodi! are dismayed at the news that it may be relegated to late-night time slots due to the prodigious tobacco use by its star.

The new law supposedly aimed at protecting children under the age of 18 from programming featuring drinking, smoking, or drug use comes into force on September 1.

Apple are censoring an app that sends users a pop-up notice whenever a flying robots kills someone in one of America's many undeclared wars.

Apple keeps blocking the Drones+ program from its App Store, and therefore, from iPhones everywhere. The company claims that the content is objectionable and crude, according to Apple's latest rejection letter.

It's the third time in a month that Apple has turned Drones+ away, says Josh Begley, the program's New York-based developer. The company's reasons for keeping the program out of the App Store keep shifting. First, Apple called the bare-bones application that aggregates news of U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia not useful. Then there was an issue with hiding a corporate logo. And now, there's this crude content problem.

Begley explains that Drones+ doesn't present grisly images of corpses left in the aftermath of the strikes. It just tells users when a strike has occurred, going off a publicly available database of strikes compiled by the U.K.'s Bureau of Investigative Journalism, which compiles media accounts of the strikes.

New Labour bigwig, Peter Mandelson, is still banging on in favour of press censorship. He has written to the Financial Times (hidden behind a paywall):

Let us be under no illusion: how we come to grips with the fact that the internet is giving public access to a flood of uncorroborated, undigested and unmediated news , all in the name of free speech, is becoming one of the defining issues of the 21st century. In my evidence to the Leveson inquiry I described this as a runaway train hurtling down the track towards us with no one in control.

...

The bigger question is how the domestic media market can be made economic and subject to any form of regulation in an era when, a click away, there is access to information that respects no national boundaries and the laws of no single national parliament or the basic standards of conventional journalism.

The point is that the printed product now plays second fiddle to digital content. Newspaper revenues are competing not just with each other but against the social media, Facebook and Google, with the entire English-speaking world providing the marketplace.

If regulation of content is going to have a future, is this where it will have to go?

It was probably unlikely that a TV comedy series about a Muslim community leader would pass without comment.

And so it was that in the region of 200 complaints were made to the BBC yesterday after it broadcast the first episode of Citizen Khan .

It was claimed that the programme takes the mickey out of Islam , was guilty of stereotypes about Asians and was disrespectful to the Koran .

One scene that particularly provoked anger was where a heavily-made up girl, Khan's daughter, rushed to put on a hijab and pretended to be reading the Koran when her father entered.

Update: Comment from the BBC

30th August 2012. See  article from  bbc.co.uk

Complaint

We've received complaints from some viewers who were unhappy about Citizen Khan's portrayal of the Muslim community.

Response

We have received a number of appreciations from members of the Muslim community in praise of the show and for creator Adil Ray, who like the family portrayed, is a British Pakistani Muslim. Alongside these appreciations, a small percentage of viewers have complained to the BBC regarding the show's portrayal of the Muslim community. New comedy can provoke differing reactions from the audience, and as with all sitcoms the characters are comic creations and not meant to be representative of the community as a whole.

Update: 700 complaints

31st August 2012. See  article from  dailymail.co.uk

The creator of the BBC's controversial new comedy series Citizen Khan has insisted that it does not stereotype Muslims. Writer Adil Ray, who also takes the lead role, said it is simply a British family sitcom.

More than 700 people have complained to the BBC and 20 people have made representations to Ofcom, prompting the regulator to consider launching an inquiry into whether the broadcasting code has been broken.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Tunisian TV director and producer Sami Fehri, who launched Tunisia's Ettounsiya TV station.

Ettounsiya TV has recently gained notoriety, due to its political satire show, known as Logic Siyassi (Political Logic), which features puppets of politicians. The show garnered the appreciation of some citizens for its humor and free expression, while others felt that it exceeded the limits of what was proper, as the show was perceived by critics to have mocked people, who are considered national symbols.

In an interview with Tunisian radio station Express FM, Fehri asserted that his arrest was purely political. I did not see this coming...This is funny. Four puppets could put me in this situation, he said.

Fehri even mentioned that he had received a phone call from Lotfi Zitoun, the Tunisian Prime Minister's advisor charged with media reform. Lotfi Zitoun called me and told me that there is a big dissatisfaction with Ettounsiya, said Fehri.

Official news agency TAP said Fehri was being charged with illegal use of Tunisian state television resources during the rule of ousted president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali.Fehri at that time had links with a media company close to Ben Ali's family.

Update: Jailed on Remand

31st August 2012. See  article from  jpost.com

The owner of a private television channel has now been jailed in Tunisia pending trial on 'corruption' charges.

Sami Fehri, who launched the channel in partnership with Belhassen Trabelsi, the son-in-law of former President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, handed himself over to the authorities after an arrest warrant was issued a few days ago. In an Internet video broadcast shortly before, he said the government was punishing for him for a comedy program on his channel that mocks symbols of power - thereby muffling the media and giving up gains made when Ben Ali was ousted last year.

Tounissia tv broadcast a satirical program called Political Logic which made fun of Tunisia's President Moncef Marzouki, Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali and Rached Ghannouchi, leader of the ruling Islamic Ennahda party.

Fehri's defence lawyer told Reuters:

We believe that this is an attack on the freedom of expression. The issue is political and came after weeks of pressure on Fehri and the airing of the program on the channel.

Dredd is a 2012 US/UK/India action movie by Pete Travis.
With Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby and Lena Headey. See IMDb

The cinema film [in 2D & 3D] was passed 18 uncut for frequent strong bloody violence and gore.

The BBFC explained the rating (with possible spoilers removed):

Dredd is a sci-fi action film based on the popular comic strip. It is set in a post-apocalyptic America in which law and order is maintained by the Judges , who have the power to arrest and try suspects, as well as the right to carry out sentences, including execution. One of them, Judge Dredd, is sent into a tower block to investigate a series of murders.

There is frequent strong violence throughout the film, much of which is bloody and gory in nature, and some of which dwells on the infliction of pain and injury.

The film also contains strong threat and a brief moment of implied sexual violence, in which a man hits a woman. However, the scene is brief and discreet, only implying a violent sexual fantasy inside a criminal's mind.

There is frequent use of strong language and frequent use of a futuristic and fantastical drug, [slo-mo], which has the ability to prolong pleasure. The drug is used for recreational purposes but also as a form of torture by the villains because of its ability to slow down the perception of time. However, because the drug does not actually exist, there is no endorsement of drug use in the real world.

Calendar News
ITV Yorkshire, 22 May 2012, 06:00

Calendar News is ITV Yorkshire's half-hour early evening local news programme.

The edition broadcast on 22 May 2012 ended with a montage of clips illustrating the exceptionally sunny weather being experienced at that time and accompanied by the song, The Sun Has Got His Hat On .

A viewer alerted Ofcom to the broadcast of offensive racial language in the first two lines in the second verse of the song:

The sun has got his hat on, hip-hip-hip-hooray
The sun has got his hat on and he's coming out today
Now we'll all be happy, hip-hip-hip-hooray
The sun has got his hat on and he's coming out today

He's been tanning niggers out in Timbuktu
Now he's coming back to do the same to you
So jump into your sunbath, hip-hip-hip-hooray
The sun has got his hat on and he's coming out today

Ofcom considered Rules:

Rule 1.14 The most offensive language must not be broadcast before the watershed.

Rule 2.3 In applying generally accepted standards broadcasters must ensure that material which may cause offence is justified by the context.... Such material may include, but is not limited to, offensive language, ... discriminatory treatment or language (for example on the grounds of...race...).

ITV explained that the music was selected for the montage by an editor from the news library on the assumption that the title and words of the song were appropriate to the theme of the montage. It was assumed, because the tune and opening verse are very well known, that the rest of the song was equally innocuous. ITV said that the editor and other newsroom staff were completely unaware that the original version of the song contained the offensive language. Unfortunately, given this mistaken assumption, the whole song was not reviewed before being selected for the montage, nor was the edited item reviewed by the news producer before broadcast.

Shortly after the broadcast and the bulletin had come to an end, it was recognised that inappropriate language had been used. Calendar News took swift action to prevent the repetition of the language in a further broadcast, ensuring that the offensive language was dipped on the ITV1+1 service. Also an apology was broadcast on the later news bulletin that day stating, Finally Calendar would like to apologise for a piece of music we transmitted at the end of tonight's six o'clock programme, which contained offensive language. It was transmitted in error.

Ofcom Decision: Complaint Resolved

Ofcom research on offensive language1 clearly notes that the word nigger is generally considered by audiences to be among the most offensive language. Therefore the use of this word before the watershed without any justification was a clear breach of Rules 1.14 and 2.3.

Ofcom however took into account that: ITV identified the error almost immediately on transmission, took steps to dip the sound during the repeat on ITV1+1, broadcast an apology during the later news bulletin the same day and took various further measures afterwards to ensure there was no recurrence of this problem.

In view of the action taken by the broadcaster, Ofcom therefore considers the matter resolved.

An animal rights group is campaigning for country sports magazines to be promoted to the top shelf, alongside pornography, because of their supposed corrosive effect on young minds.

Animal Aid is calling for a ban on their sale to under-18s, and will soon be leafleting major retailers with claims that such magazines celebrate casual cruelty and can effect the emotional development of children.

The Westcountry's country sports community rounded on the ridiculous comments, citing the discipline which shooting instills and lauding it as a way to encourage young people to get out into the countryside.

And Farming Minister Jim Paice said the campaign failed to recognise the contribution that country sports made to rural economies. He said:

Animal Aid doesn't want to understand the reality of what goes on in the countryside -- the value of these sports to local communities, to their economies and to conservation.

Animal Aid has produced a report, and won support from Peter Squires, Professor of Criminology and Public Policy at the University of Brighton. He said organisations which promote the shooting of animals should not be allowed to promote their activities to children.

British Association for Shooting and Conservation spokesman Simon Clarke said:

This is one of the more ridiculous campaigns to come from extreme animal rights activists with a vegan agenda. Shooting magazines promote best practice in pest control and game shooting, both vital elements of the countryside.

Trying to ban magazines because you happen to disagree with their content is crass censorship at its worst.

Liverpool City Council suspended its plan to become a censor for buskers  after a legal challenge.

Street performers are claiming victory in the first round of a court challenge to the council plans to introduce a suffocating system of licensing and quality checks. The threat of a High Court injunction prompted council chiefs to suspend the measures pending a review .

Liverpool buskers had been ordered to buy a permit, pay an annual fee for insurance and book pitches in advance before they could perform in the city. Under the censorship rules any busker who was not licensed and up to the performance quality mark set by council officials or police could have been ordered off the streets.

Permits cost £ 20 a year and buskers and other street performers were also required to pay £ 100 a year for public liability insurance. The new rules came into force on 1st August but caused controversy with the scheme dubbed The Simon Cowell Cops , after the music mogul known for his ruthless treatment of performers.

But a Keep The Streets Alive! campaign enlisted the support of solicitor David Kirwan who sought a High Court judicial review of what he described as restrictive terms and conditions .

In a hearing at the High Court in Manchester Liverpool City Council declared that new busking regulations have been suspended pending the outcome of a review. Kirwan said:

Legal proceedings appear to have focused the minds of Liverpool City Council's leaders.

We are pleased that implementation of the unfair policy has been suspended, therefore protecting buskers in the short term at least.

Our belief is that the new policy is unreasonable and unlawful and that ultimately a High Court Judge will share our view at judicial review.

In Beirut Hotel , Zoha, a Lebanese nightclub singer, and Mathieu, a Frenchman on a business trip who may or may not be a spy, repeatedly get together in Mathieu's hotel room in Beirut and have raunchy sex. The film, the third feature by the Lebanese director Danielle Arbid, was banned in her home country.

The reason: not so much the erotic scenes as one the film's subplots, which concerns the 2005 assassination of the former Prime Minister, Rafik Hariri, which is an explosive topic in the country. The censors claimed that the film's depiction of the political situation would endanger Lebanon's security.

The Lebanese have only been able to watch the film by satellite (it aired on the cable channel Arte; some one million viewers tuned in), but it's been making the festival rounds around the world.

Beirut Hotel presents a cosmopolitan yet hostile country where citizens and visitors alike are constantly watched and monitored, where news of kidnappings rule the airways, and people are silenced (read: murdered) for political reasons.

Danielle Arbid has had to battle the Lebanese censors for all three of her feature films. According to the New York Times, following the decree that banned Beirut Hotel, the filmmaker moved to France in disgust.

A group of Christian activists have continued their spell of attacks on the Museum of Erotic Art in Moscow, the museum administration said.

The extremists, who appeared shortly after midnight, wielded a brick and threatened the manager, who fled fearing for her life, said Alexander Donskoi, a curator of the museum also known as Tochka-G or G-Spot .

He said the group criticised the museum for advertising in the streets, allowing gays to attend and supporting punk band Pussy Riot.

The nutter group's organiser, Dmitry Enteo, told RIA Novosti that the activists just came to preach at the disgraceful place . Little ones see their leaflets and ask their parents what a G-spot is. We couldn't tolerate it.

He claimed no threats were involved and the brick was a reference to the capstone for a better life mentioned in the Bible.

A short silent video from a surveillance camera showed the activists walking into the museum and studying the items on display. They have a brick with them and are accompanied by a man with a professional camera, but make no menacing gestures.

A survey commissioned by Recombu Digital for The Telegraph shows that 37% of adults in the UK would support a mandatory block on adult websites.

The poll of 2,000 adults in the UK found that about 25% of respondents join ISPs in opposing such a plan. A further 18% declined to state their position.

Only 7-13% of respondents admitted they would opt to be able to view adult material.

The French government is looking to reform the country's media and communications regulatory regime by bringing together media regulator the CSA and telecoms watchdog ARCEP.

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has asked culture and communication minister Aure'lie Filippetti, digital economy minister Fleur Pellerin and productivity minister Arnaud Montebourg to come up with proposals for a more unified regulatory regime.

The trio are set to report in November.

The US Department of Justice has seized the domain names of three websites offering pirated Android apps.

With help from French and Dutch police, the FBI took over applanet.net, appbucket.net and snappzmarket.com. In their place visitors to the sites now see the familiar FBI seizure banner.

The domain seizures are the first of their kind against rogue mobile app marketplaces.

Leading up to the actions FBI agents downloaded thousands of popular Android apps from the websites without charge. FBI Special Agent Brian Lamkin who led the operation described this type of online piracy as a growing problem that can't be ignored.

The US Republican Party is calling for a crackdown on pornography. As they prepare to nominate Mitt Romney as their presidential candidate for the Nov. 6 election, Republicans have added language to their official platform that anti-porn nutters said would encourage the federal government to step up prosecution of pornography involving adults.

Current laws on all forms of pornography and obscenity need to be vigorously enforced, the platform says, according to a draft obtained by Reuters.

Republicans are planning a Tuesday vote on the document, a nonbinding statement of principles that tackles everything from monetary policy to abortion.

This appears to be the first time that the party has called for a crackdown on sexually explicit material involving adults, a multi-billion-dollar industry. Adult obscenity cases have been exceedingly rare over the past 20 years. Though the administration of George W. Bush promised a crackdown, only the most extreme forms of pornography have been targeted.

Anti-pornography nutter Patrick Trueman said the language in the Republican platform would bolster a broader push against the type of sexually explicit material that is sold by convenience stores, by hotels via pay-per-view television programming, and satellite and cable TV providers.

According to Trueman's group, Romney promised earlier this year that he would push for strict enforcement of obscenity laws, as well as the broader use of blocking software to screen out Internet porn.

Praise TV features pastor Gilbert Deya, a self-styled evangelical bishop from Peckham, south London, who claimed to deliver miracle babies to infertile women and has faced accusations of child abduction.

After battling against extradition back to his home country of Kenya for several years, Deya lost his legal battle against deportation in September 2011.

Praise TV has in the past aired controversial content, such as promising to cure viewers with serious illnesses by prayer if they offer a donation, however Ofcom has not previously sanctioned the channel.

Praise TV
Licensee: Destiny Broadcasting Network Europe Limited

See  Broadcast Bulletin [pdf] from  stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk

In the course of the correspondence with Ofcom, statements made by Destiny Broadcasting Network Europe Limited about the operation of the Licensed Service failed to satisfy Ofcom that the Licensee had general control over which programmes and other services were comprised in the Licensed Service. Ofcom therefore concluded that Destiny Broadcasting Network Europe Limited had ceased to provide the Licensed Service in accordance with section 362(2) of the Act and that, accordingly, it was appropriate to revoke the licence.

In addition, and in the alternative, Ofcom was satisfied that in the course of correspondence with Ofcom, the Licensee, in purporting to comply with any of the Conditions of the Licence, provided information which was false in a material particular or withheld any material information with the intention of causing Ofcom to be misled.

The Licence was revoked on 15 August 2012.

Pakistan's Censor Board has banned Salman Khan's Ek Tha Tiger for its depiction of Pakistani intelligence operatives, the second Bollywood film to suffer such a fate this year. Ek Tha Tiger was one of the most anticipated Indian films of the season.

Muhammed Ashraf Gondal, vice-chairman of the Central Board of Film Censors, said the movie was problematic for screening in Pakistan for its depiction of the country's security agencies:

We have strict criteria due to which films that have themes that touch on anti-terrorism and are against Pakistan's national institutions or security agencies ultimately have to be censored because they are against the national interest.

According to media reports, Katrina Kaif plays the role of a Pakistani spy posing as a scientist's part-time home caretaker in Ek Tha Tiger .

It is the second Bollywood film to be banned this year for its depiction of Pakistani intelligence operatives, the first being Saif Ali Khan's Agent Vinod.

NBC Utah affiliate KSL-TV has pulled the upcoming Ryan Murphy sitcom The New Normal from its fall lineup, calling the series as inappropriate on several dimensions.

The show, which follows a mother who serves as a surrogate for a Los Angeles-based gay couple, stars Ellen Barkin. It's booked for 9:30 pm slot But Utah's KSL-TV doesn't want anything to do with it during family viewing-time.

Herndon Graddick president of the perennial whingers of GLAAD said:

Same-sex families are a beloved part of American television thanks to shows like Modern Family , Glee and Grey's Anatomy . While audiences, critics and advertisers have all supported LGBT stories, KSL is demonstrating how deeply out of touch it is with the rest of the country.

KSL-TV is part of Deseret Management Corporation, the for-profit operating company of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Pentagon is reviewing a copy of a forthcoming firsthand account of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, checking for leaks of classified information.

The book, No Easy Day , is scheduled for publication on 11 September, the anniversary of the 2001 attacks that bin Laden masterminded.

The author, Mark Owen, a former US navy Seal who participated in the raid, did not submit the book until now for the pre-publication review that is required by the military secrecy agreements officials say he signed.

Pentagon regulations stipulate that retired personnel, former employees and non-active duty members of the reserves shall use the DOD security review process to ensure that information they submit for public release does not compromise national security .

Pentagon officials say that if they determine the manuscript reveals classified information about the raid, the Pentagon would defer to the department of justice . If the book has classified information, the former Seal could face criminal charges.

The Indian government has banned bulk text messages in an attempt to halt the exodus of thousands of migrant workers from Bangalore and other cities following false warnings of attacks on them.

An estimated 15,000 people from Assam and states in north-eastern India, many of whom suffer racial abuse and discrimination in other parts of the country, have fled India's IT capital and other cities including Chennai, Mumbai and Pune, after receiving text messages warning them of imminent attacks.

The messages spread panic among the minorities who were already fearful following recent clashes between members of Assam's Bodo tribe and Bangladeshi settlers in the state.

A member of the Bodo tribe working as a security guard in Hyderabad was attacked and told to go home . By the time a series of text warnings went viral on Wednesday, thousands of migrant workers from the north-east besieged train stations in Bangalore and other cities.

Two special trains were deployed by Indian Railways to help about 6000 people return to their homes.

Update: India under religious 'cyber attack' from groups in Pakistan

21st August 2012. See article from thehindu.com

The Indian government said it would share with Pakistan evidence of its people and organisations uploading inflammatory and objectionable content on the Internet to incite religious sentiments in India, which led to the exodus of northeast people from various States.

Meanwhile, the government blocked 89 more websites on which morphed images and fake videos were uploaded from across the border.

Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has conveyed to his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik that New Delhi would share with Islamabad all evidence of the involvement of certain Pakistani groups and individuals in the uploading of morphed images and videos to spread rumours and create communal tension in India, Home Secretary R.K. Singh told journalists here. Investigations revealed that a majority of these images were uploaded in Pakistan.

The Home Ministry has identified more websites and blogs carrying hate messages, pictures and videos. On its directions, the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEIT) has blocked 89 more websites, taking the total number of sites jammed in the past three days to 245.

This episode has turned out to be the biggest instance of cyber warfare against India in recent times. The focus is on a Pakistan-based militant group said to be behind doctoring images and videos and uploading them on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Update: Twitter in the Firing Line

22nd August 2012. See article from articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Twitter might face legal action if the popular microblogging site does not comply with Indian government's demand to censor supposedly objectionable content posted by its users.

Stung by the misinformation campaign that spread via SMS, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter in past weeks, the Indian government now seems to be moving ahead with its initial threat to tighten the noose around social media.

Update: India censors Twitter imposters

25th August 2012. See  article from  firstpost.com

In the wake of widespread discontent on the social media over its decision to block certain Twitter accounts, including that of journalists, the government has been spinning a line on censorship.

Following fake messages about the Assam violence, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said that social media accounts which have posted objectionable and inflammatory content are being blocked but claimed there was no censorship.

We are only taking strict action against those accounts or people which are causing damage or spreading rumours. We are not taking action against other accounts, be it on Facebook, Twitter or even SMSs. I assure you about this.

There is no censorship at all. We decided on taking action because there were pictures of Myammar etc online, which were disturbing the atmosphere here in India. I am again reassuring you.

The government's clarification came in the wake of it asking Twitter to block some imposter accounts of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and other social media sites. Twitter has agreed to block all fake accounts using the name of the PMO.

Update: India censors images of Muslim unrest in Burma as these were being captioned as occurring in India

26th August 2012. See  article from  abc.net.au

India has blocked access to certain pages of the ABC's website as part of a crackdown on internet content which it claims incites racial hatred.

The government has blamed internet activity for fanning fears that resulted in thousands of migrants fleeing to the north-east last week from Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai.

The government says the migrant workers feared they were going to be attacked by Muslim mobs, so it responded by blocking more than 300 websites it says incite hate and panic.

The blocked material includes web pages, images and links on sites including Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, the ABC and Qatar-based Al Jazeera.

Among the blocked content were photographs by AFP and other news agencies from Burma in the British Daily Telegraph, a parody Twitter account pretending to be from prime minister Manmohan Singh and dozens of YouTube videos.

India's home minister, Sushil Kumar Shinde said that the government sought to block the Burma online photos because they were disturbing the atmosphere here in India . The government said photographs of clashes in Burma were circulating on the internet with fake captions claiming the scenes were from the north-eastern Indian state of Assam, where 80 people have died in recent ethnic violence.

Update: Blunderbuss Censorship

28th August 2012. See  article from  alaskadispatch.com

Indian ISPs have routinely blocked web domains on government orders but there was something unique about the latest blocking that we haven't seen before in India.

Airtel employed keyword based filtering and any web page that had the term youtube anywhere in the URL was being blocked. For instance, the Wikipedia website was accessible but the page en.wikipedia.org/wiki/youtube was not as it contained the youtube keyword.

After word spread on Twitter, Airtel quickly unblocked the site and issued a statement to The Wall Street Journal saying:

Bharti Airtel is in compliance with all government directives on public access to websites. In continuation with this, select URLs as notified by the government have been blocked.

Hammer Films has launched its first dedicated YouTube Channel at Hammer Films channel . For the very first time, exclusive new content from current Hammer productions as well as carefully restored classic Hammer feature films will be available to stream online.

The Hammer Films Channel will carry a range of exclusive new content, previews, commentary and behind the scenes material from upcoming new productions such as The Quiet Ones starring Jared Harris and Sam Claflin , and The Woman In Black: Angels Of Death , the follow up to the worldwide box office hit starring Daniel Radcliffe.

In addition, the Hammer Films Channel will stream a collection of Hammer's well-known classic feature film titles including The Quatermass Xperiment , The Man In Black and Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter , some of which have been newly restored and digitally re-mastered. As additional titles are added to the new platform, this will be the first time fans can view other digitally re-mastered classic Hammer films online under a restoration initiative launched earlier this year by Hammer's owner Exclusive Media.

From the historic library, the Hammer Films Channel will also carry classic Hammer TV series such as Hammer House Of Mystery And Suspense , as well as new on-air commentary and film introductions from official Hammer historian, Marcus Hearn and Hammer archivist, Robert J.E. Simpson.

Ukrainian protest group Femen show their support for Pussy Riot by showing the world what Femen think of Russia's unchristian church

...See the full photo essay

Update: An Unchristian Church Decrossed

28th August 2012. See  article from  csmonitor.com

The Unchristian Russian Orthodox Church is warning of an organized antichurch campaign, after vandals in two widely separated regions took chainsaws to four large wooden crosses over the weekend.

Church spokeprats say the damage was done by people who are either in sympathy with the Pussy Riot collective, three of whose members were sentenced to two years in a penal colony earlier this month for a protest against the church and against Vladimir Putin.

Church Patriarch Kiril had abandoned all christian principles of forgiveness and had supported the persecution of the protest group. So perhaps hardly surprising that the church had incurred the wrath of the protest group and their supporters.

The four crosses were chopped down by unknown persons who left police no clues to their motives or identity. One was a large wooden crucifix erected to the memory of Soviet-era political prisoners in the far northern region of Archangelsk. Russian media reported three more wooden crosses were destroyed in Chelyabinsk region in western Siberia.

Two weeks ago, in Kiev, members of a Ukrainian feminist performance art collective, Femen, chainsawed a large wooden Orthodox cross as an explicit protest against the Pussy Riot verdict. The Femen women argued they were cutting down the symbol of a corrupt church whose actions prop up the dictatorship of Putin.

Alexei Mukhin, director of the independent Center for Political Information in Moscow said:

What we're seeing here are copycat acts, people who take a signal from what Pussy Riot did, and it could be very dangerous.

Having said that, however, it should be noted that the church leaders are not being entirely forthcoming here. They have a vested interest in portraying themselves as victims, especially since they failed so miserably in the Pussy Riot struggle.

ATVOD writes:

Tough action aimed at protecting children from hardcore porn videos on line has been revealed by one of Britain's media regulators.

More than 20 UK porn video services have been investigated in recent months by The Authority for Television On Demand -- co-regulator of editorial content in UK video on demand services.

The authority's annual report details steps taken by ATVOD in the year to 31 March 2012 to protect children from hardcore porn on regulated video on demand ( VOD ) services, including action against on-line service Bootybox.tv . The porn video site closed after ATVOD issued an enforcement notification requiring the operators to either remove the hardcore porn content from the service or put it all behind effective access controls which would ensure that only adults could see it.

Since the period covered by the annual report, ATVOD has launched pro-active investigations into 23 more notified adult services and found 13 to be in breach of the statutory rules because they featured hardcore porn material which could be accessed by under 18's.

Two of those found to be in breach have now closed and seven have made themselves compliant by placing all hardcore material behind an effective access control mechanism. Four services which have failed to make changes to ensure that under-18s cannot normally see hardcore material have been referred to Ofcom so the back-stop regulator can consider whether to impose a financial penalty or restrict or suspend the service.

ATVOD Chief Executive Pete Johnson said:

We have made good progress in ensuring that UK operators of regulated VOD services comply with rules designed to protect children from harmful content, but we are not complacent and will continue to monitor relevant services and act as required.

Our recent enforcement activity has sent a clear message that UK providers of hardcore pornography on demand must take effective steps to ensure that such material is not accessible to under-18s. Asking visitors to a website to click an 'I am 18' button or enter a date of birth or use a debit card is not sufficient -- if they are going to offer explicit sex material they must know that their customers are 18, just as they would in the 'offline' world.

In its report the authority also welcomed Ofcom's decision to confirm the TV on demand regulator's designation until 2020, and to give ATVOD more operating freedom, including removal of the need to seek prior approval from Ofcom before publishing guidance.

Commenting on the decision, ATVOD Chair Ruth Evans said:

ATVOD has developed and matured as a regulator over its first two years and we warmly welcome Ofcom's decision to reflect this not just by confirming that the Designation will run until at least 2020 but also by giving ATVOD greater autonomy and independence.

The 2012 Annual Report also highlights:

• A rise in the number of regulated VOD services: from 154 at the end of 2010-11 to 184 at the end of 2011-12

• A tenfold rise in the number of complaints to ATVOD about VOD services: to more than 50 per month in 2011-12

• ATVOD's analysis that regulatory protections may not be wholly in tune with the needs of viewers, especially their desire to protect children from inappropriate content, as TV, VOD and the internet increasingly come together on the main family TV screen in more and more households, providing a single and simple point of access to services subject to different regulatory regimes and to services which are unregulated.

• The consolidation of ATVOD, and its Industry Forum, in its second year of operation, and the introduction of a more robust and equitable fee structure with concessionary rates for non-commercial and small scale service providers

Update: A Cushy Number

27th August 2012.

ATVOD reported on viewer complaints received in the period under report. ATVOD received 602 complaints for the period 1st April 2011 to 31st March 2012. This compares with 30 for the year before.

• 396 were referred to the VOD service provider
• 204 were considered by ATVOD but were ruled out of remit after an initial assessment, either because the service which was the subject of the complaint was not an VOD service or because the complaint did not raise an issue which is a potential breach of the statutory requirements.
• 1 complaint was investigated but not upheld
• 1 complaint about Bootybox.tv was investigated and upheld over supposedly inadequate child protection measures

So for all the thousands of pounds of fees paid to ATVOD, only two complaints were investigated.

And the latest August newsletter reveals 55 complaints for July 2012.

• 31 were referred to the VOD service provider
• 21 were considered by ATVOD but were ruled out of remit after an initial assessment.
• 3 concerned services not notified to ATVOD and which are now the subject of a scope investigation

The Perks of Being a Wallflower briefly made the news in the US over its rating.

Originally, the Classification and Rating Administration assigned the movie an R rating for teen drug and alcohol use, and some sexual references.

However this was downgraded to PG-13 by the Classification and Rating Appeals Board of the MPAA.

The movie stars Emma Watson, of Harry Potter and is about 15-year-old high school freshman who is taken under the wings of two seniors while he copes with his first love, the suicide of his best friend and his own mental illness.

The movie has now been passed 12A uncut by the BBFC for moderate sex references, drug use and one use of strong language.

The film ix expected to open in UK cinemas on 3rd October 2012.

The Parents Television Council (PTC) has released results of a survey regarding nudity on US prime-time broadcast television.

During the 2011-2012 season there were 76 occurrences of obscured nudity on 37 shows compared to 15 occurrences in 14 shows the previous year, representing a 407% increase in incidents.

In light of the findings, PTC president Tim Winter sent a letter to congressional members asking them to urge the Federal Communications Commission to move forward in clearing the backlog of 1.6 million unadjudicated indecency complaints.

In 2006, Congress passed the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act in response to growing outrage from the American people over the broadcast networks' abuse of the publicly-owned broadcast airwaves. Yet since that time, we have seen a concerted effort on the part of the networks to constantly push the outer limit of what may be considered appropriate for the broadcast medium.

During prime time hours across all broadcast networks, use of the bleeped or muted f-word increased from 11 instances in 2005 to 276 instances in 2010 -- an increase of 2,409%... It's not just the language that's getting coarser. PTC research has found a staggering increase in the frequency and explicitness of pixelated nudity on the broadcast networks during primetime hours.

We call on you to give the FCC your full support for decency enforcement; to urge the FCC to move forward with all due haste in clearing the backlog of 1.6 million unadjudicated indecency complaints; and to give the FCC the tools it needs to ensure enforcement actions are meaningful and appropriate... Because Our Children Are Watching.

Methodology: September 1 to May 31 was the study period. This analysis excludes animated nudity or suggested full nudity and only includes scenes in which individuals are completely unclothed and only the sexual organs are blurred from the viewer. The analysis includes network specials, but excludes traditional news and sports.

Major Findings:

• During the 2011-2012 season there were 76 incidents of full nudity on 37 shows compared to 15 incidents in 14 shows the previous year, representing a 407% increase in incidents.
• Almost 70% of the scenes that depicted obscured nudity during the 2011--2012 study period were on shows that aired before 9:00 pm and as early as 7:00 pm. In comparison, 50% of the obscured nudity scenes aired after 9:00 pm the previous year.
• Out of 76 instances of obscured nudity during the 2011--2012 study period, only five of those depictions occurred on shows that contained an S descriptor alerting parents to the obscured 'explicit' adult content.
• Relative to obscured full-frontal nudity, one instance occurred during the 2010--2011 study period and by the same time the following year, 64 instances of obscured full-frontal nudity had aired. This represents a 6300% increase in one year.
• During the 2010--2011 study period, black bars, logos, and/or conveniently placed objects in a scene were used to block the view of sexual organs from the viewer 87% of the time. In contrast, during the 2011--2012 study period, 74% of the incidents of full nudity used blurring or pixilation to cover sexual body parts.

Happy birthday James Cameron! One of the most blockbusting directors in Hollywood celebrates his special day this week and so do we by looking at the file for Terminator 2 Judgment Day.

The film was seen by the BBFC in a rough cut version in June 1991 and, as one of the Examiner reports shows, the film sat on the 15/18 borderline. Guild Film Distributors were advised that scenes in the psychiatric hospital (detailed in the accompanying cuts) would need to be reduced to achieve a 15 certificate. The amendments were made and the film passed at 15.

Comment: Whatever happened to the kneecapped guard?

24th August 2012. From Pete

I just read the article about the BBFC cuts to Terminator 2, and noticed something interesting. In the report it states that in mid June when the film version was reviewed cuts were requested by the board, although the statement was a bit ambiguous for reduction to violence in the hospital escape of Sarah, there was a specific mention to remove the close-up shot of security guard getting shot in the knees by Arnie at the gate entrance. Well, I have seen this film numerous times and even have the latest Blu-ray version (Skynet edition) and have not seen any close up shot of the guard's knees shot at the gate, just the regular 2 gunshots in a medium-long shot.

Could it be as the USA release was not until 3rd July, that the BBFC recommended cuts were used for the USA release as well to avoid to separate prints with little difference?

Comment: Perhaps the 'closeness' of the kneecapping was simply overstated or was backed off before the final version

25th August 2012. From Gavin Salkeld

I noticed this too. However, the initial observations by the BBFC were done against a rough cut, so the film wasn't yet finished. My guess is the kneecapping by Arnie wasn't an issue when the final cut was shown to them, as the only BBFC cuts (made to the final cut, and not a rough cut) I got sent some years ago were:

When Sarah escapes from hospital, process and intensity of her violence towards male nurse in corridor (4 bashes on head with heavy sound of impacts and much blood) and to doctor as she backs him into office (repeated blows with heavy impact sound) were reduced.

I doubt Cameron would have made BBFC cuts to the US version, so if the kneecapping didn't bother the BBFC on formal submission of a final cut, that maybe he just decided to change the footage simply because he wasn't happy with it? I doubt this, however, as having a close-up amongst that footage would seem rather lingering and unlike Cameron. Seems more like the BBFC didn't think it was an issue upon formal submission of the finished film.

India's Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) told Mumbai Mirror that it has decided to stop re-certifying A-rated films for TV, thereby making them ineligible for television screening.

It's a decision that is now threatening to derail several top-of-the-line production houses which make a chunk of their profits from the advance sale of satellite rights.

A number of big-ticket films, including Aamir Khan's home production Delhi Belly , Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur (parts 1 and 2) and Vikram Bhatt's Hate Story are waiting for CBFC clearance. The satellite rights of many of these films have already been sold to broadcasters for big money.

When contacted, the censor board's CEO Pankaja Thakur confirmed that the re-certification had stopped already:

We're no longer modifying and certifying films to make them suitable for TV viewing, she said. This was not a part of the Cinematograph Act. We would like it to be included in the Act, but that is up to Parliament.

The controversy began last month when objections were raised with the manner in which The Dirty Picture had been modified for TV, with a case filed against its telecast.

The CBFC then told the film producers that they should specify to TV channels that all modified A-rated films should only be shown only after 11 pm. This suggestion was accepted for The Dirty Picture , but the producers of Jannat 2 , fearing a loss of revenue in satellite rights, challenged the CBFC's guideline in the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT). The FCAT ruled in the film producer Mahesh Bhatt's favour, and told CBFC that it could not decide the slotting of films on TV.

Thakur explained that the CBFC were miffed at not being able to inflict transmission times and had decided to work to rule:

The modification of A-rated films was a facility that the CBFC was extending to the film industry to help them show their movies on TV. If we were doing something extra for them, we had a right to attach certain riders to it. Since this 11 pm condition is unacceptable, we have decided to go strictly by the original Act. We want the role of the CBFC to be redefined. If we are supposed to modify or re-certify films for TV viewing, it should be specified in the Act.

The film industry is now starting to panic. Insiders say that satellite rights of a movie constitute nearly 40 per cent of its gross earnings. A producer said:

If the film cannot be telecast, won't the channel want a refund? And hereafter, won't Adult films have no buyers whatsoever?

Mahesh Bhatt added:

This is a very serious matter. The film industry will have to lock horns with the government. We might require judicial intervention, or the entire economics of the film industry will go topsy turvy.

While millions of people around the world have been able to view the naked images of Prince Harry cavorting with girls in a Las Vegas hotel online, the photographs have been banned in Britain by a furious Royal Family.

British newspapers and TV stations have been unable to show the pictures after Harry's father Prince Charles threatened legal action and St James's Palace warned that the pictures were a gross invasion of the young royal's privacy.

A St James's Palace spokesman also confirmed that it had contacted the Press Complaints Commission about the images.

Two grainy pictures of the young royal cavorting with a naked woman in his Las Vegas hotel suite were published on TMZ, which is the second most popular entertainment news website in the U.S. and has an audience of more than 18.5million on its own. But within hours, they were also being shared on dozens other websites with a huge combined global reach.

Update: Flash Harry

24th August 2012. See  article from  bbc.co.uk

The Sun has become the first British newspaper to publish the photos of a naked Prince Harry taken in Las Vegas.

Owner News International said it was making the move despite warnings from the Royal Family's lawyers that it would be an invasion of his privacy.

The Sun said the images were widely available around the world, its readers had a right to see them and freedom of the press was being tested.

Update: The Sunny Side

25th August 2012. See  article from  independent.co.uk

About 850 complaints have been made to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) about naked photographs of Prince Harry that were published in the Sun.

The PCC said all the complaints it has received came from members of the public and none had come from St James's Palace or any other representatives of the royal. Nearly all of the complaints are about invasion of privacy and are to be investigated in due course. (And will be probably declared out of remit because only those effected can complain).

The Sun said it printed them so the millions of people who get their news in print or have no internet access could take a full part in that national conversation .

A Sun editorial said:

The Prince Harry pictures are a crucial test of Britain's free Press. It is absurd that in the internet age newspapers like The Sun could be stopped from publishing stories and pictures already seen by millions on the free-for-all that is the web.

London Mayor Boris Johnson said he had a deafening indifference to the publication of the naked photos. He told the BBC:

The real scandal would be if you went all the way to Las Vegas and you didn't misbehave in some trivial way.

Update: 3600 complaints but not from anyone that counts

29th August 2012.  See  article from  guardian.co.uk

The press censor has received more than 3,600 complaints about the Sun's publication of pictures of a naked Prince Harry in Las Vegas.

Most of the 3,600 complaints had been received by Tuesday afternoon over an alleged invasion of Prince Harry's privacy by publishing the pictures.

However, the PCC generally does not investigate third party complaints. The PCC said Prince Harry's representatives had not complained as of Tuesday afternoon.

Earlier this month American Atheists Inc., put up two billboards in Charlotte, NC aimed at the Democratic and Republican national conventions. The billboards questioned the religiosity of the two Presidential candidates.

On Thursday, August 24th, those billboards were taken down.

Directly following an article on the front page of the Fox News website, American Atheists received hundreds of hate e-mails and phone calls according to American Atheists' Managing Director, Amanda Knief.

The reason that the billboards were taken down was not however due to any threats against American Atheists, but were due to threats made toward Adams Outdoor Advertising, who sold the billboard space to the atheist group.

Knief commented in the official Press Release:

It is with regret that we tell our members and all of those who treasure free speech and the separation of religion and government that American Atheists and Adams Outdoor Advertising have mutually agreed to remove the billboards immediately.

No subject, no idea should be above scrutiny---and this includes religion in all forms. We are saddened that by choosing to express our rights as atheists through questioning the religious beliefs of the men who want to be our president that our fellow citizens have responded with vitriol, threats, and hate speech against our staff, volunteers, and Adams Outdoor Advertising.

Teresa MacBain, American Atheists' Public Relations Director also commented in the Press Release:

It saddens me to think that our country is not a safe place for all people to publicly question religious belief. How can we grow as a nation when such censorship exists from our own citizens?

The Indian State of Punjab's government has decided to establish a censor board of its own, invoking ire of the I&B ministry's Central Board of Film Certification.

Punjab cultural affairs minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur announced the state government's decision to set up a censor board, a first of its kind ever by any state in India.

The objective is to screen the content shown in videos and the lyrics so that the censored content reaches the public said the minister.

However, a furious CBFC immediately denounced the state government's plan, dubbing it as a separatist move. CBFC CEO Pankaja Thakur said:

Censorship is a central subject and only enforcement is a state subject. The Punjab government should have written to us before deciding something on their own. They should make attempts to strengthen the existing censor board . This move is tantamount to a clear breach of law

At present, the censorship of films, music videos and documentaries in India is controlled by the CBFC under the Cinematograph Act, 1952.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (previously NorthWest Frontier) Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain has directed officials to establish censor board in the province in the light of the 18th amendment to eliminate the supposed menace of vulgarity and obscenity.

The minister said that along with promoting positive cultural activities in the province, theatre plays on the lives of national heroes would also be staged.

Hey, you. I fucked your mother

The German city of Kassel is home to a caricature museum that is dominating the headlines with a controversial cartoon hanging in its window, depicting Jesus on the cross. Christian leaders want it removed.

The cartoon in question is hanging outside the Kulturbahnhof, a cultural center which houses the caricature museum, known as Caricatura. It depicts Jesus in agony on the cross as a voice calls down from heaven: Hey, you. I fucked your mother.

I find it problematic when a caricature disparages the very heart of a faith, Barbara Heinrich, a Protestant official in the city, told German news agency DPA.

Local Catholic priest Harald Fischer has likewise criticized the caricature, according to the local paper, the Hessische/Niedersachsische Allgemeine (HNA) , as have Catholic and Orthodox Christian leaders from the area.

Museum head Martin Sonntag has rejected calls to remove the poster. He told the HNA that caricatures are by their very nature offensive to some observers. But we can't remove caricatures after every complaint, he said. Were the museum to take into account all religious and other viewpoints, he added, it would have to close its doors.

The artist behind the caricature, Mario Lars, likewise expressed surprise at the burgeoning debate. It was not my intention to hurt the feelings of the faithful, Lars said. I was just making a joke.... (The church) should stand aloof of such things and address more important problems. Such a large commotion over a small joke isn't good for the church.

Banned Thai political drama Shakespeare Must Die , directed by Ing K, will be among the films screening in the Asian Competition section of the 6th Cinema Digital Seoul Film Festival (CinDi).

The director said at the opening ceremony:

I thank CinDi for inviting my film even though they had to ship it under a secret name -- Teenage Love Story -- because the film is banned in Thailand, where people live in fear. I'm suing the government so I shouldn't even be here.

We are fighting because in Thailand, directors have less than human rights. But I promise Shakespeare Must Die is not boring. I made it like a Mexican soap opera and a Thai horror film. You can see it, even though Thai people can't see it.

A while ago, the R18+ legislation for video games passed through Australia's Federal government successfully, and now it is time for each state to pass the law.

The ACT (Canberra) is the first territory to pass the R18+ law, which the ABC reports was done so with tri-partisan support, though the Canberra Liberals failed in a bid to boost the penalty for inappropriate display or distribution of material rated R18+.

Attorney General Simon Corbell has said, this is about making sure that adults are able to view and play and read what they wish as long as it does not do harm to others.

Thailand's Daily News newspaper has reported the alarming news of the latest move by the Thai TV censor to improve the country's notorious soap operas.

Thais and even some foreigners who have been here long enough know how many of these popular TV melodramas are committed to over-dramatisation and stereotyping of characters.

Jealousy, class discrimination, chauvinism, exaltation of wealth and power, violence, typecasting and reinforcement of prejudices against people like housemaids, ethnic minorities and transvestites prevail in these television series. In recurring soap storylines, protagonists often can't seem to do anything wrong even when they commit some wrongs.

Daily News quoted Supinya Klangnarong, a member of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), as saying guidelines will be issued to TV and radio producers addressing the negative aspects of Thai soaps in the hope that the industry can regulate itself. While such a code of ethics will be non-binding, a warning will have been given and the future granting or renewal of permits by the NBTC to produce TV and radio content will be conditional on a review of soap-opera content, she said.

Supinya, who chairs the committee for the promotion of self-regulation, was quoted as saying that she is aware that Thai soap operas are like sweets.

The more you eat the more delicious they become. But if you eat them everyday you will become fat. So [the challenge] is how to imbue Thai soaps with morality that will cultivate the hearts of viewers.

This writer can't help but wonder if Thailand will really become a good society if all TV stations air moralistic soap operas, along with religious programmes and mini-dramas extolling the virtues of the monarchy. Perhaps it depends on how you define a good society. I am concerned, however, that people will become increasingly unable to shoulder responsibility and apply common sense by themselves - and this can't be good.

Catholic nutters in Poland have ludicrously claimed an energy drink branded Demon can promote evil and somehow lead to the destruction of human souls .

One website, entitled Satanism Shall Not Pass , said that its advertising campaign will lead to billboards dripping with Satanism , and has added its voice to calls for a boycott of all products made by Agros-Nova, the drink's producer.

Franciszek Kucharczak, editor of Gosc Niedzielny , a religious magazine, warned:

We have to fight against evil. We cannot keep quiet and let young people be absorbed into destructive ideals.

Opponents of Demon have taken particular offence at the choice of Adam Darski, former lead singer of the Polish death-metal group Behemoth, to front the campaign. Darski, who goes by the stage name Nergal, has long been the target of conservative, religious vitriol since he was accused in 2007 of insulting religious sentiment by tearing up a Bible on stage.

Darski will promote the drink, which originated in New Zealand, under the slogan: No limits. No laws.

Burma has ended pre-publication censorship of the country's media, the information ministry has announced.

The Press Scrutiny and Registration Department (PSRD) said that as of Monday, reporters would no longer have to submit their work to state censors before publication.

However, strict laws remain in place which could see journalists punished for what they have written.

Tint Swe, head of the PSRD, told AFP news agency:

Censorship began on 6 August 1964 and ended 48 years and two weeks later.

Any publication inside the country will not have to get prior permission from us before they are published.

From now on, our department will just carry out registering publications for keeping them at the national archives and issuing a license to printers and publishers..

The head of the BBC's Burmese Service, Tin Htar Shwe, says journalists in Burma are cautiously optimistic about the reforms, but that the end of the law does not necessarily mean the end of the censorship altogether. Many laws still exist under which journalists can be punished for writing material which angers or offends the government, she says.

True Romance director Tony Scott ended his life when he jumped off the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro on Sunday afternoon, according to Los Angeles police sources. Investigators recovered the body and found a suicide note in his car, which was parked on the bridge. He was reported to have been recently diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer.

Anthony David Scott (June 21, 1944 -- August 19, 2012) was an English film director. His films include:

• The Hunger
• Top Gun
• Beverly Hills Cop II
• The Last Boy Scout
• True Romance
• Crimson Tide
• Enemy of the State
• Spy Game
• Man on Fire
• De'ja' Vu
• The Taking of Pelham 123
• Unstoppable.

He was the younger brother of fellow film director Ridley Scott. Scott's films were generally box office successes, though he was never nominated for an Academy Award and received little critical praise.

I don't know about the lack of critical praise but the Melon Farmers consider True Romance to be one of the movie greats of the era.

Keith Lemon: The Film is a 2012 UK comedy by Paul Angunawela.
With Leigh Francis, Laura Aikman and Verne Troyer. See IMDb

UK: Passed 15 for one use of very strong language and frequent strong sex references after BBFC advised cuts were implemented for:

• UK 2012 cinema release

The BBFC commented:

This work was originally seen for advice in an unfinished form. The company was advised that the film was likely to receive an 18 rating but that their preferred 15 rating could be achieved by making changes to three scenes. These were:

• to reduce sustained close focus on nudity in a lap dancing scene,
• to reduce the focus on sexual detail during a mimed sequence of sexual activity, and
• to reduce focus on ejaculate over a pin-up calendar.

When the finished version of the film was submitted for formal rating, changes had been made to satisfactorily address these issues and the film was consequently rated 15.

The Addiction is a 1995 US horror drama by Abel Ferrara
with Lili Taylor, Christopher Walken and Annabella Sciorra. See IMDb

UK: Passed 18 uncut for:

• UK 2012 Freemantlemeda/Transition R2 DVD at UK Amazon released today on 20th August 2012

There are no censorship issues with this release.

Promotional Material

The dark is their sunlight. What makes them different is what keeps them alive.

One of the most original vampire movies ever made, Abel Ferrara's The Addiction challenges his audience to face up to their endless fascination with evil and violence, shot seductively in black and white.

Kathleen, brilliantly portrayed by Lili Taylor, is an NYU philosophy student whose life is brutally changed forever when a bite to her neck awakens a thirst for blood. Spiralling into a world of addiction and existential angst it is only when she meets a sophisticated vampire named Peina (Christopher Walken) that she can begin to control her urges.

Kill List is a 2011 UK horror thriller by Ben Wheatley.
With Neil Maskell, MyAnna Buring and Harry Simpson. See IMDb

US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for:

• US 2012 MPI RA Blu-ray at US Amazon released on 14th August 2012
• US 2012 MPI R1 DVD at US Amazon released on 14th August 2012

There are no censorship issues with this release

Russian activists have claimed that they were offended by Madonna's support for gay rights during a recent concert in St. Petersburg, where there is a legal ban on promoting homosexuality to young people.

Madonna performs during her concert in St. Petersburg on the day Russian activists say she promoted gay rights in front of children as young as 12 The star performing at the concert in St. Petersburg earlier this month. The complaint against her is said to include a video taken at the concert showing Madonna stomping on an Orthodox cross

It was reported that Alexander Pochuyev, a lawyer representing the nine activists, had filed the suit on Friday, against Madonna, the organizer of her concert, and the hall where it was held, asking for damages totaling 333 million rubles, or nearly $10.5 million.

In the latest chapter of a long running Indian debate about films containing cigarette smoking, the I&B ministry has asked the Censor Board to ensure that a film containing smoking scenes also carries two 20 second anti-tobacco warnings voiced by the actor who is seen smoking in the film. One at the beginning of the movie and one after the interval.

The ministry has also asked the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) that a written anti-smoking warning of appropriate size is presented on the screen through the duration of the scenes in which an actor is smoking.

Last year on September 27, the Health Ministry had through a notification come up with a set of anti-tobacco rules in the films meant to be implemented from November 2011 onwards. However, on several points the Health and the Information and Broadcasting ministries were not on the same page. The matter was then referred to the Law ministry which suggested both ministries to come to an understanding.

Sources said while some points suggested by the Health ministry had been incorporated now, some of the other suggestions were yet to be accepted. The Health ministry had wanted one of its representatives in the Central Board of Film Certification, which is still being contested by I&B ministry.

Another point of variance between the two ministries revolves around the Health ministry's contention that each film which has a smoking scene should be automatically classified U/A. The I&B ministry was not in favour of implementing such a rule, sources said.

The BBFC are currently reviewing the complete collection of official James Bond Films set to be released as 50th Anniversary Blu-Ray box set called Bond 50.

See UK 2012 MGM RB Blu-ray [Bond 50 Collection] at UK Amazon released on 24th September 2012.

Another notable change to BBFC ratings is that Diamonds Are Forever has uprated from PG to 12 with the consumer advice: Contains moderate language, violence and threat

Update: The BBFC explained the uprating from PG to 12:

The BBFC identified three issues where they felt that a 12 rating was more appropriate than a PG:

• The scene where Bond tears off a woman's bikini top and throttles her with it
• An aggressive use of the word 'bitch'
• The negative comic stereotyping of gay characters

Diamonds Are Forever: UK Censorship History

1971

Passed A (PG) after BBFC cuts for:

• UK 1971 cinema release

The BBFC cinema cuts were:

• The fight in the lift between Peter Franks and Bond was reduced to remove blows and sound effects.
• Bond squirting the fire extinguisher into Frank's face was reduced in length.
• Bond menacing Mr Kidd with a broken brandy bottle was trimmed. It's so brief in the film, one wonders what was cut, but my guess is that the actual grabbing and breaking of the bottle was cut, leaving just the footage of Bond throwing the liquid onto Kidd's arms. Perhaps what little focus there is on the weapon was deemed a more serious imitability issue back then.
• Footage of the ablaze Mr Kidd running across the deck screaming and climbing up onto the railing, as he throws himself overboard was removed, leaving just the shot of him hitting the water. When shown on TV, this scene is usually cut similarly.

1987-2008

Passed PG uncut after film cuts were restored for:

• UK 2008 MGM  R2 DVD at UK Amazon
• UK 2007 20th Century Fox R2 DVD
• UK 2006 MGM R2 DVD

• UK 2003 MGM R2 DVD

• UK 2003 MGM VHS

• UK 1992 Warner VHS

• UK 1987 Warner VHS

2012

Passed 12 uncut for moderate language, violence and threat for:

• UK 2012 MGM RB Blu-ray [Bond 50 Collection]

The Hunger GAmes 2012 US Sci-Fi action film by Gary Ross.
With Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth. See IMDb

US: Uncut and MPAA PG-13 rated for:

• US 2012 Lions Gate RA Blu-ray at US Amazon just released on 18th August 2012
• US 2012 Lions Gate R1 DVD at US Amazon just released on 18th August 2012
• US 2012 VOD to rent/buy [US only] at US Amazon just released on 18th August 2012

UK: The UK release is set for 3rd September. The Blu-ray will be rated 15 uncut but the DVD is the cut 12 rated Theatrical Versions

See review from dvdbeaver.com

Promotional Material

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen volunteers in her younger sister's place and must rely upon her sharp instincts when she's pitted against highly trained Tributes who have prepared their entire lives. If she's ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Features

• Game Maker: Suzanne Collins and the Hunger Games Phenomenon.
• The World is Watching: Making the Hunger Games.
• Letters from the Rose Garden.
• Controlling the Games.
• A Conversation with Gary Ross and Elvis Mitchell.
• Propaganda Film.
• Marketing Archive

Inga Collection

US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for:

• US 2012 Retro-Seduction Inga Collection R1 DVD at US Amazon just released on 14th August 2012

Containing:

• Inga: The longer Swedish Version
• The Seduction of Inga: Director's Cut + Grindhouse Version
• Indelicate Balance

Inga is a 1968 Sweden/US erotic drama by Joe Sarno.
With Marie Liljedahl, Monica Strömmerstedt and Thomas Ungewitter. See IMDb

Summary Review:

Inga, a 17 year-old, is sent to live with a scheming aunt who wants her to become mistress of her rich neighbour. She falls for a common young man instead.

Previous Releases:

US: The shortened US Version is MPAA X Rated.

UK: The US Version was passed X (18) after BBFC cuts for:

• UK 1970 cinema release

The Seduction of Inga is a 1971 Sweden/US erotic drama by Joe Sarno.
With Marie Liljedahl, Tommy Blom and Lennart Lindberg. See IMDb

Summary Review: Inserts

The Seduction of Inga is Joseph Sarno's sizzling and controversial sequel to his 1967 erotic masterpiece, Inga, starring the young, voluptuous Swedish sensation Marie Liljedahl in her steamiest role ever.

The sequel has a few things on its more famous predecessor. It's in colour and is set in a more cosmopolitan, Swinging -Europe era movie rather than a provincial domestic drama like its predecessor.

Not Sarno or Llijedahl's best movie, but worth watching if you like 60's and 70's Swedish erotica.

The Grindhouse Version includes rough inserted additional sex scenes

Previous Releases:

A short version was passed X (18) without BBFC cuts or

• UK 1972 cinema release

Indelicate Balance is a 1968 US drama by Joe Sarno.
With Kim Anderzon, Ulla Danilesson and Ittla Frodi. See IMDb

There are no censorship issues with this film

Atomic Brain Invasion is a 2010 US Sci-Fi horror by Richard Griffen.
With David Lavallee Jr., Sarah Nicklin and Michael Reed. See IMDb

US : Uncut and MPAA Unrated for:

• US 2012 Camp Motion Pictures R1 DVD at US Amazon released on 2nd October 2012

There are no censorship issues with this release

Promotional Material

They Came for the King!

When a mysterious spacecraft carrying a deadly intergalactic plague crash-lands in a small New England town, it s up to a group of misfit high schoolers and an alien abductee to stop the army of slime-spewing brain creatures from their one goal: kidnapping Elvis Presley!

Oozing with 50s pop-culture affection, Atomic Brain Invasion is a gleefully gooey homage to classic sci-fi cinema that the critics call a success on every level, quick on its feet and packed with in-jokes for the seasoned genre film fan.

A Serbian arthouse movie that swept a prestigious European festival this year has been banned from screening in Russia by the Culture Ministry.

The film, Clip , was banned over supposedly indecent language and scenes of drug and alcohol abuse, as well as pornographic depictions of sex between minors, Sam Klebanov, the head of Kino Bez Granits, the film's prospective distributor, said:

This is the first case of such censoring, and an attempt to introduce moral censorship in the country.

He added that explicit arthouse fare has never had any screening problems in Russia before.

The ban was signed by Deputy Culture Minister Ivan Demidov, known for his radical Christian views, Klebanov said.

Clip, directed by Maja Milos, tells the story of a provincial teenager experimenting with drugs and sex in order to forget her near-dysfunctional family. It has been likened to Larry Clark's Kids

A television commercial showing female models struggling with their bras is fine for Australian daytime TV, say the local advert censors.

The Advertising Standards Authority has dismissed two complaints against the Thin Lizzy Miracle Bra, saying there are no grounds to proceed.

A Complainant had whinged that the commercial should be aired at a later time, saying:

It is fairly explicit and not suitable for children's viewing. One gets a good look at women's breasts being adjusted and it is quite revealing.

I would not have minded one bit if my kids weren't sitting next to me. Don't take it off the air, just view it later.

However, the judgment from the ASA notes that models who were wearing a bra without a shirt were no more exposed than if there would have been in a bikini.

ASA chairman Hilary Souter was sympathetic to the issue raised in the complaint but the advert was not socially irresponsible and did not breach community standards. It had also been prepared with a due sense of social responsibility to consumers and society so there were no grounds for the complaint to proceed.

Rasputin: The Mad Monk is a 1966 UK drama by Don Sharp.
With Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley and Richard Pasco. See IMDb

UK: Unconfirmed BBFC details for:

• UK 2012 Studio Canal RB Blu-ray/R2 DVD Combo at UK Amazon released on 22nd October 2012

Summary Review: Pretty Good

The movie chronicles the events of history's man of mystery, Rasputin. Although not quite historically accurate and little emphasis is put on the politics of the day, Rasputin's rise to power and eventual assassination are depicted in an attempt to explain his extraordinary power and influence.

Noted for stunning visuals on a small budget and a good score but otherwise an average Hammer horror. Entertaining enough but won't stand up to repeated viewing.

Censorship History

Passed X (16) then 15 after BBFC cuts for:

• UK 1999 15 rated Warner VHS
• UK 1995 15 rated Lumiere VHS
• UK 1991 15 rated Castle VHS
• UK 1966 X rated cinema release

From IMDB. The BBFC cuts were:

• the Rasputin/Sonia love scene was shortened to end on the shot of Rasputin tearing open the back of Sonia's dress. The uncut version continues the scene for another 20s climaxing as she gets into bed and Rasputin pulls the blanket off her (unseen) naked body.
• Two shots were shortened in the scene in which Peter is disfigured by acid in order to remove close shots of Peter's scarred face.

Hammer films in 2012 are appealing for information about lost footage from:

• an extended fight scene, saying that it was definitely filmed, but there is no known surviving materials. Film restorers have noted a  burning log, that suddenly appears on the stone floor toward the end of the fight between Rasputin and Ivan (Francis Matthews),  a clear indication that there is definitely footage missing from this final fight
• Also for footage from a scene depicting the suicide of Sonia, if it was ever filmed.

Promotional Material

The Beware his deathly gaze for it will render you powerless! Beware his mystic touch for you will never be free from his evil grasp!

In pre-revolution St Petersburg, Russia, sinister monk Grigori Rasputin proves that he has the unearthly power to ease the deranged and heal the sick, but at what price? Aided by his hypnotic powers Rasputin begins his ruthless and depraved pursuit of power and wealth, determined to give God sins worth forgiving. He must be stopped, but how do you rid the world of a man who defies death?

Horror legends Christopher Lee (Dracula Prince Of Darkness) and Barbara Shelley (Quatermass And The Pit) star in a controversial film about one of history's most notorious figures.

Nazi Zombie Death Tales is a 2012 UK horror by James Eaves, Pat Higgins and Alan Ronald.
With Tina Barnes, Paul Cousins and Cy Henty. See IMDb

UK: Passed 15 uncut for strong bloody violence and one scene of strong sex for:

• UK 2012 Safecracker R2 DVD at UK Amazon released on 13th august 2012

There are no censorship issues with this release.

Promotional Material

A unique, sexy and terrifying anthology movie brought to you by three of the most fiercely original independent directors working in horror today.

The Zombie Death Tales is an ambitious and impressive follow up movie to their highly acclaimed Bordello Death Tales . Both features recreate the golden age of Amicus with their trademark portmanteau horror anthologies. Jim Eaves ( Bane), Pat Higgins (KillerKiller , Hellbride , TrashHouse) and Alan Ronald (Jesus vs the Messiah) bring you three dark tales from the battlegrounds of World War 2.

Medal of Horror: Director Jim Eaves takes you on a suicide mission, with a young British soldier doing all he can to defeat the Nazi menace and their First World War zombified soldiers.

Devils of the Blitz: A family, sheltering from Nazi bombers, is terrorized by flesh eating devils. Director Pat Higgins brings you a dark tale of suspense, edged with pitch-black comedy.

Harriet s War: Director Alan Ronald brings you a spooky slice of paranormal pulp in this nerve-jangling ghost story, all against the backdrop of World War 2.

The US, EU and rights groups have condemned jail sentences imposed on three members of Russian protest group Pussy Riot over an anti-Vladimir Putin protest in a Moscow cathedral.

The women were sentenced to two years in prison. The sentences were handed down in Moscow by Judge Marina Syrova, who found Maria Alyokhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, guilty of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred.

The women said their protest, in the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in February, was directed at the Orthodox Church leader's support for Putin.'

US state department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the US was concerned about both the verdict and the disproportionate sentences... and the negative impact on freedom of expression in Russia .

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the jail terms questioned Moscow's respect for the obligations of fair, transparent and independent legal process .

Amnesty International strongly condemned the court's ruling, saying it showed that the Russian authorities will stop at no end to suppress dissent and stifle civil society .

Russia's Orthodox Church said the protest was a blasphemy but also unconvincingly appealed for clemency for the women, perhaps realising the bad press that church had received through their unforgiving stance. A church statement said:

We think the words of pity for the convicted which have been coming from the Church's children and other people are natural. It is necessary to divide the sin from sinner and reprimand the first while hoping the latter will improve.

The Church added that it condemned the intentional act of blasphemy as well as the rude hostility to millions of people and their feelings . They also pointed out that blasphemy which qualifies as a sin against God can only be forgiven after sincere repentance. [After say about 2 years in prison?]

China's TV censor has introduced a raft of new restrictions for broadcasters which ban remakes and adaptations from online games, and cut back on humor and family spats in TV series.

The six guidelines issued by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) also require less violence, organized crime and low taste, and that TV series dealing with the Communist Revolution clearly distinguish between friend and foe, local media reported. Serials adapted from online novels are also not encouraged.

Foreign series are not allowed at peak viewing times between 7 pm and 10 pm, and cannot account for more than 25% of daily schedules. No foreign TV shows with over 50 episodes are allowed.

The new restrictions became effective a few days ago.

Update: Change of Censorial Heart

18th August 2012. See  article from  techinasia.com

Two weeks ago, the folks over at SARFT announced a ban on six aspects of television drama, including banning shows adapted from web novels and web games. Or at least, we thought they did. Now SARFT say that story is false.

SARFT's vice bureau chief in charge of TV drama Wang Weiping said: It is impossible that the head office would come out with a ban like this.

However it's weird that the bureau waited so long to deny these reports. In fact, when the story was first breaking, an official representative from SARFT spoke to the Beijing News and answered at least one question quite cryptically but apparently did not deny that the report itself was accurate.

So it seems there has been a change of mind.

Muslim extremists have disrupted a string of Tunisian cultural events they deemed un-Islamic, culminating in a violent attack that left five people wounded.

Salafists attacked the Bizerte music and theatre festival on Thursday evening armed with swords and sticks.

The interior ministry said that five people were wounded in the attack, and that police dispersed the assailants with tear gas, arresting four of them.

Previosuly Salafists prevented an Iranian group from performing at a Sufi music festival in Kairouan, south of Tunis, claiming their Shiite chanting amounted to a violation of Islamic values.

On Tuesday, renowned Tunisian actor Lotfi Abdelli was prevented from performing his comedy act 100% Halal by extremists who had occupied the auditorium.

Last week, the director of a festival at Gboullat, announced he was cancelling the event under pressure notably from the Salafists Another festival had been cancelled at the end of July, in Sejnane, with the organisers again blaming radical Islamists.

A Christian radio station has been given the go-ahead to appeal a court decision which upheld a ban on an advert asking Christians whether they are being sidelined at work.

In its decision to grant the appeal, the court said the radio station's case is Arguable and important .

The legal wrangling centres on a 30 second advert, which was due to air at the time of the last general election. The ad quoted surveys showing that 60 per cent of active Christians were being increasingly marginalised at work.

The Radio Advertising Clearance Centre (RACC) stopped it from being aired, claiming that it was directed to a political end .

But lawyers for Premier said: The advertisement was not a political message but a request for information which could then be used as part of the normal democratic process, where ideas and views are expressed in public discussion, contradicted, answered and debated.

A TV ad for a Birmingham furniture shop showed an image of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, followed by shots of the exterior of the shop and various sofas in the showroom. The ad featured a song in the style of the sacred Sikh verses (Gurmantar) with the following lyrics, in Punjabi: True Name of God is 'You are Wonderous'; Come to The Sofa Factory in Birmingham; Measure and make your corner sofas; reupholster your older sofas; change the foam and springs; my father Sarvan Singh sowed the seeds of this business; I come from the village 'Kooner Dhanni'. Come on Dad; I get plenty of your love and good wishes. Plenty of Love. You (God) are my Guru, my True Guru. Sofa Factory .

A viewer challenged whether the ad, and specifically the use of Guru Nanak and the Gurmantar, was offensive.

Sangat TV said they had accepted the ad because it was already playing on another channel. They said it was not their intention to offend any viewers, the ad was now off air and they would not accept ads that were likely to be similarly problematic in future.

ASA Assessment: Complaint Upheld

We noted that the ad featured an image of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, and also featured Sikh verses which had been adapted with lyrics promoting the advertisers' business. We considered that the use of the central icon of the Sikh faith and the use and distortion of religious verses to advertise products made light of those important elements of the Sikh faith in a way that was likely to cause serious offence to some members of the Sikh community.

The ad breached BCAP Code rule 4.2 (Harm and offence).

Offsite Comment: Who Needs a Blasphemy Law?

18th August 2012. See  article from  secularism.org.uk

Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, said:

The Advertising Standards Authority's attitude to religion is becoming more like an inquisition every day. You can hardly mention anything to do with religion without somebody complaining -- and now it seems only one person has to whinge in order to successfully censor advertising. Who needs a blasphemy law when you've got the ASA to enforce your religious privileges? The Complaints Committee will be donning scarlet robes soon.

Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas earned a standing ovation from a packed Los Angeles theater as he introduced a screening of the 1960 classic Spartacus that included a previously censored scene.

When you're 95 years old, you don't look forward. You look backwards, you take inventory, Douglas said, as he sat on stage to talk about the film that immortalized him as a movie legend.

Douglas said that Spartacus challenged censorship during an era when Hollywood actors and screenwriters were blacklisted due to their alleged communist sympathies.

Douglas hired Dalton Trumbo, a blacklisted Hollywood screenwriter, who wrote the script under a pen name. Douglas however put Trumbo's name in the film credits. You have no idea how terrible those years were when we had the blacklist, said Douglas.

The complete Spartacus, which was restored in 1991, includes a homoerotic scene that censors cut out when the movie first screened. In the scene, Laurence Olivier's character, a wealthy Roman, comes to his slave, a young, half-naked Curtis and asks him to enter the tub and help bathe him.

Bad Ass is a 2012 US action drama by Craig Moss.
With Danny Trejo, Charles S. Dutton and Ron Perlman. See IMDb

UK: Passed 18 uncut for one scene of strong bloody torture for:

• UK 2012 20th Century Fox R2 DVD at UK Amazon just released on 13th august 2012

There are no censorship issues with this release

A TV ad promoted a competition to win VIP passes to a Madonna tour, in association with Smirnoff vodka. The voice-over stated Last November Smirnoff gave 11 dancers a chance to compete for a spot on Madonna's next tour. Now you can be there too. Get the Smirnoff Limited edition pack and you could win VIP access to Madonna's next tour. Madonna's MDNA, available now everywhere. The ad featured shots of individual dancers followed by scenes from a Madonna performance. There were a number of different shots of Madonna dancing amongst people and on stage. The ad also featured a shot of the limited edition Smirnoff bottle and box, which was accompanied by the text why let good times go bad, know the facts drinkaware.co.uk . The ad concluded by showing an image of Madonna's new album with the caption AVAILABLE NOW EVERYWHERE .

A complainant challenged whether the ad was harmful and irresponsible because he believed it would appeal to those under 18 years of age.

Diageo Great Britain Ltd (Diageo) said they did not believe that Madonna had a strong appeal to individuals under the age of 18, and therefore they understood that under 18s were unlikely to follow her example. They stated that Madonna was a 53-year-old performing artist who rose to prominence in the 1980s and that her fan base was predominantly made up of music lovers from the 1980s and 1990s.

ASA Decision: Complaint not upheld

The ASA acknowledged that Madonna was a performing artist that had risen to fame in the 1980s. We understood the longevity of her career, her established celebrity status and her strong media presence. We acknowledged that as well as still being active in the music industry and collaborating with a number of younger artists, she was also involved in the film industry and had launched two fashion labels. We noted, however, Diageo's research which showed that 4.7% of 12- to 17-year-olds in the UK were defined as Madonna fans, as they regularly listened to her music, had previously bought or downloaded her music, and followed her in the press or online.

We considered that the ad had been designed with Madonna's older fan base in mind and that the shots of the concert, the dancers and the Madonna soundtrack used, would not have particular resonance with younger audiences. We noted that the ad did not feature any individuals that appeared to be below the age of 25 and that no alcohol was consumed. We therefore concluded that the ad was not targeted at, or likely to appeal to, those under the age of 18.

We investigated the ad under BCAP Code rules 4.1 (Harm and offence) and, 19.15.1 and 19.15.2 (Rules that apply to alcohol advertisements) but did not find it in breach.

A nutter report by a Ukrainian nutter group, Family Under the Protection of the Holy Virgin , has caught the eye of the authorities.

Ukraine's National Expert Commission for Protecting Public Morality has spotted a report by a right-wing religious group that complains about SpongeBob's promotion of homosexuality and Disney films' pornography, and has announced that it was calling a special session.

According to the report these and other children's shows are a large-scale experiment on Ukrainian children to create criminals and perverts, and should be banned.

The document describes how the Teletubbies send children into a trance and create an imbecile who will sit near the screen with an open mouth and swallow any information. It criticizes the fact that Tinky Winky carries what looks like a woman's handbag.

Also up for censure are Shrek (for containing sadism ) and South Park (for reincarnation propaganda ).

The commission is a state body that evaluates media to check they observe Ukrainian morality laws, which ban inciting religious hatred, producing or disseminating pornography, and propagating alcoholism and smoking, among other things.

A couple of year's ago Ofcom delegated the role of Video on Demand censor to ATVOD.

Ofcom recently announced the required progress review of ATVOD's work and have now announced the result that ATVOD will continue to be the delegated VOD censor. In fact Ofcom changed the rules a bit to allow ATVOD to make some decisions without referring back to Ofcom for confirmation.

On the subject of R18s on VOD the review comments on ATVOD's decision against Bootybox.t:

Bootybox.TV was a website providing adult on-demand programmes. A complaint was received on 26 June 2011 that the service had ....no parental control on.... , and that the content was ....far too strong to be allowed even under UK law... . ATVOD conducted a full investigation of the service and established that the principal purpose of the service was to provide content that was R18 or stronger. In its view, the content met the statutory test of material which might seriously impair a minor and that accordingly an effective Content Access Control System was essential.

How can the depiction of sex, something that is so central to human life, and experienced by nearly everyone, many from the age of 16, be somehow 'seriously' impairing. The kids know all about it, as sex education is mandatory in schools. Not to mention that it is one of the major topics of conversation for teenagers. It is understandable that parents would prefer their kids not see it, but that is not the same as claims of 'serious' impairment.

ATVOD also got in a whinge about foreign tube sites:

ATVOD explored the concern over the ease with which children can access harmful material especially through a small number of so- called 'Tube' sites operating from the USA, and therefore outside ATVOD's jurisdiction . ATVOD has said that it will take a precautionary approach to implementing the Rule about material harmful to under eighteens when it is within its jurisdiction. Hence, it has made clear that ....material which might seriously impair the physical, mental or moral development of minors when provided as part of an on-demand programme service may include content that has been classified R18 by the British Board of Film Classification, or material equivalent to content classified in that category.

Ofcom allude to further Government thoughts on the matter in the next round of TV legislation:

Ofcom notes the views expressed by ATVOD and other stakeholders about the growing concerns around the availability of content that might seriously impair the physical, mental or moral development of under-eighteens, and expects to explore these issues further. Ofcom addressed this issue in its report on report on Sexually Explicit Material and Video-On-Demand Services39 . In its response40 to the report, the Government stated that it intended to address this issue comprehensively in its review of the current regulatory framework for the communications sector. Ofcom will take account of any conclusions reached.

Elfie Hopkins is a 2012 UK horror thriller by Ryan Andrews.
With Ray Winstone, Jaime Winstone and Kimberley Nixon. See IMDb

UK: Passed 15 for strong violence, language and soft drug use after 6s of BBFC cuts for category for:

• UK 2012 Kaleidoscope RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon just released on 13th August 2012
• UK 2012 Kaleidoscope R2 DVD at UK Amazon just released on 13th August 2012
• UK 2012 cinema release

The BBFC commented:

Company chose to make reductions in two scenes of bloody violence in order to achieve a 15 classification:

• A man being stabbed repeatedly with a knife (the number of stabs was significantly reduced)

• In one scene a man is shot in the head, resulting in a brief explosion of blood and gore. (the shot in question is extremely fleeting, having been reduced by cuts)

An uncut 18 classification was available.

See  review from  gorepress.com

Promotional Material

Elfie Hopkins, a 22 year-old animal-loving slacker, stoner, and wannabe detective, lives in a sleepy hunting village. Haunted by the death of her mother, Elfie seeks solace and inspiration from the old school detectives in The Maltese Falcon and Chinatown. She entertains herself, along with her geeky best friend, Dylan, by investigating the villagers and upsetting everyone with their imaginative allegations.

Things get serious however with the arrival of a family of trendy city dwellers, the Gammons, who weave seductive tales of adventure and entice the villagers with offers of exotic hunting holidays around the world. Despite not being immune to the Gammons charms, Elfie soon smells a rat, and snaps into full detective mode. Her mundane existence is about to be blown apart. Blood quickly starts to spill in the village, and it s no longer just the blood of animals. Elfie discovers the villagers are not making those flights and when she finally uncovers the truth, it s darker than she could ever have imagined...

Red Nights is a 2009 Hong Kong/France/Belgium thriller by Julien Carbon and Laurent Courtiaud.
With Frédérique Bel, Carrie Ng and Carole Brana. See IMDb

Passed 18 uncut for:

• UK 2012 Sony/Goodfellas R2 DVD at UK Amazon just released on 6th August 2012

Promotional Material

During the reign of the first emperor of China, an ingenious torturer concocted an elixir that paralyzed its victim's limbs, while increasing the sensitivity of their nerve endings tenfold. Kept in a jade skull, the elixir could provoke sensations in infinite variations everything from erotic caresses to appalling lacerations.

Haunted by the desire to experience the extreme sensations caused by the elixir, the executioner kills himself with his own poison, intensifying his death experience.

His pursuers never found the skull, which had been concealed within a large imperial seal. But the curse of the jade skull, responsible for its creator's death, will endure within the seal, bringing misfortune to all of those who possess it. Until today ...

Homeland
Channel 4, 4 March 2012 and 8 April 2012, 21:00

Homeland is a [BBFC 15 rated] intense US drama series about a soldier, Sergeant Nicolas Brody, taken prisoner during the invasion of Iraq in 2003 but who is rescued and returns to America after eight years in captivity. A CIA officer, Carrie Mathison, is however convinced that the intelligence that led to Sergeant Brody's rescue was suspect and that the soldier may be connected to an Al-Qaeda terrorist plot to be carried out in America.

A viewer alerted Ofcom to potentially inappropriate content – a sex scene – at the start of the programme broadcast on 4 March at 21:00. Separately another viewer alerted us to the fact that the opening titles of the programme shown on 8 April contained two uses of 'offensive' language at approximately 50 seconds and 53 seconds into the broadcast.

The sex scene was between a Prince Farid of Saudi Arabia and his girlfriend, Lynne, who unknown to the Prince is spying on his activities for the CIA. This scene was broadcast at around 21:07 and lasted in total about 18 seconds. It featured consensual sex between the couple and, because the two characters were covered by bed clothes, showed no nudity below the waist.

One sequence in the opening titles alludes to the fact that the Carrie Mathison missed an opportunity to intercept the terrorist attack in America on 11 September 2001 and how Sergeant Brody is questioning his actions:

Sergeant Brody whispering: what the fuck are you doing?

Carrie Mathison: Ah fuck. I missed something once before. I won't, I can't let that happen again.

On viewing the opening titles, in Ofcom's opinion both examples of offensive language were not clearly audible.

Ofcom considered Rule 1.6 of the Code:

The transition to more adult material must not be unduly abrupt at the watershed (in the case of television).... For television the strongest material should appear later in the schedule.

Ofcom Decision: Not in Breach of Ruler 1.6

Ofcom considered the sex scene broadcast at around 21:07 and had a duration in total of around 18 seconds. It showed the couple in bed having consensual sex and was largely filmed in wide shot. Since the couple were covered by sheets, Lynne's naked breasts were visible but no other nudity was shown. When the sexual act was over, the Prince left the room temporarily and Lynne used this opportunity – at great peril to herself – to pick up his mobile phone from the bed and download material. The sex scene was therefore linked to the plot of the thriller.

Homeland is a series that dealt with complex adult themes including terrorism and international security, and their powerful impact on the personal lives of the characters involved. Taking all these factors into account, Ofcom concluded that the sex scene in context did have sufficient editorial justification, did not exceed audience expectations, and the transition to more adult material after the watershed was not unduly abrupt.

Rule 1.6 was therefore not breached.

Ofcom noted that the strong language was not clearly audible: the two characters whispered the words and jazz music was playing simultaneously. The language was not broadcast in a simple linear narrative but in a fractured montage of sounds and images. This would therefore be likely to lessen the potential for offence. The potential for offence was also lessened by the fact that the character speaking was not shown and the words were not aimed at an individual: our research suggests that audiences find strong language more offensive when directed at an individual.

Taking particular account of the almost inaudible nature of the content, Ofcom's view is the repeated use of the most offensive language in the opening titles of a programme in this particular case would not have exceeded the expectations of viewers.

Ofcom reiterates to all broadcasters the need to take great care when considering whether to include strong language in opening titles immediately after the watershed because only limited context can be provided to viewers before they watch them and viewers may be more likely to come across the material unawares. Ofcom will only consider the use of the most offensive language in opening title sequences broadcast after the watershed to comply with the Code in exceptional circumstances, and Ofcom discourages the practice.

Three posters for Matalan swimwear:

a. The first ad showed three women wearing bikinis posing outside a row of beach huts. Text stated The economic outlook. Sunny. Bikini separates from £4 .

b. The second ad showed four women in bikinis standing on a beach looking into the distance. Text stated A boost for your economy ... Bikini separates £3 .

c. The third ad showed three women standing by the sea with their arms around each other, smiling. The woman in the centre was wearing a cover up and the two on either side of her were wearing bikinis. Text stated The economic outlook. Sunny. Bikini separates from £5 .

1. One complainant challenged whether ads (a) and (b) were inappropriate to be displayed where they could be seen by children.

2. Two complainants challenged whether ad (c) was offensive and unsuitable for display in an untargeted medium.

3. One complainant challenged whether ad (c) was inappropriate to be displayed where it could be seen by children.

ASA Assessment: Complaints not upheld

The ASA acknowledged the complainants had been concerned by the images and did not feel they were suitable for display in an untargeted medium. However, we noted the ads did not show any nudity and that the images of women wearing bikinis were clearly relevant to the product being advertised. We noted that the models were posed naturally in ads (b) and (c) and that the poses of the models in ad (a) were no more than mildly sexual. We considered that the models' facial expressions were not sexually provocative, and that the text did not contain any innuendo. Whilst we understood that the ads may not appeal to everyone, we considered that the ads were not sexual in tone and we concluded that they were unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.

We investigated the ads under CAP Code rules 1.3 (Social responsibility) and 4.1 (Harm and offence) but did not find them in breach.

A couple of year's ago Ofcom delegated the role of advert censor for Video on Demand to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

Now they are reviewing that assignment and are inviting input from interested parties.

The rules for advertising on VOD as defined in EU legislation are a bit more basic than for advertising in other media. Ofcom specified the advertising rules as follows:

(1) Advertising of the following products is prohibited in on-demand programme services:

(a) cigarettes or other tobacco products;
(b) any prescription-only medicine.

(2) Advertising of alcoholic drinks is prohibited in on-demand programme services unless:

(a) it is not aimed at persons under the age of eighteen, and
(b) it does not encourage excessive consumption of such drinks.

(3) Advertising included in an on-demand programme service:

(a) must be readily recognisable as such, and
(b) must not use techniques which exploit the possibility of conveying a message subliminally or surreptitiously.

(4) Advertising included in an on-demand programme service must not:

(a) prejudice respect for human dignity;
(b) include or promote discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, nationality, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation;
(c) encourage behaviour prejudicial to health or safety;
(d) encourage behaviour grossly prejudicial to the protection of the environment;
(e) cause physical or moral detriment to persons under the age of eighteen;
(f) directly exhort such persons to purchase or rent goods or services in a manner which exploits their inexperience or credulity;
(g) directly encourage such persons to persuade their parents or others to purchase or rent goods or services;
(h) exploit the trust of such persons in parents, teachers or others; or
(i) unreasonably show such persons in dangerous situations.

I can't actually see where the rules allow ASA to claim its usual bollox about adverts causing widespread 'offence' of 1 person. I don't know how ASA cope without this fall back.

The Life And Death of a Porno Gang is a 2009 Serbia drama by Mladen Djordjevic.
With Mihajlo Jovanovic, Ana Acimovic and Predrag Damnjanovic. See IMDb

US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for:

• US 2012 Synapse R0 Blu-ray via UK Amazon and at US Amazon just released on 14th August 2012
• US 2012 Synapse R0 DVD via UK Amazon and at US Amazon just released on 14th August 2012

See  interview with director Mladen Djordjevic from  fangoria.com

Promotional Material

During the final days of Slobodan Milosevic' s Serbian rule, a young film student named Marko (Mihajlo Jovanovic) becomes desperate to make a feature film.

Bonus Features:

• Made in Serbia (101 min.) Feature length documentary (BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVE)
• Making of Featurette
• Deleted Scenes
• Theatrical Trailer

Casino Royale is a 1967 UK/US action comedy by Val Guest & Ken Hughes
With David Niven, Peter Sellers and Ursula Andress. See IMDb

UK: Passed PG uncut (unconfirmed for this release) for:

• UK 2012 20th Century Fox RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 6th August 2012

There are no censorship issues with this film. The Extras were passed 12 though. So not sure whether these will be included or not.

Hanger is a 2009 Canada horror video by Ryan Nicholson
With Debbie Rochon, Dan Ellis and Nathan Dashwood. See IMDb

The Australian Classification Board has just banned Ryan Nicholson's Hanger. It was submitted by Bounty Films, who have previously battled censors worldwide with their release of Human Centipede II . But the Australian censor was unimpressed and banned the DVD with the euphemistic 'Refused Classification' rating. Presumably the Australian censor will provide reasons for the decision at some point.

The film has never been sent to the BBFC but it would be sure to get a rough ride with scenes of sexual violence.

World Censorship Status

Australia: Banned by the Classification Board for:

• Au 2012 Bounty DVD

UK: Never submitted for release

Germany: Hanger was released July 2009 in a severely cut and censored version for the German market. Unfortunately a torrent version of this was spread around the world and undermined the standing of the film.

US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for:

• US 2009 Vicious Circle R1 DVD via UK Amazon and at US Amazon

Summary Review: New Depths

Hardcore gore from Ryan Nicholson who previously directed Gutterballs, another extreme gore video that hasn't made it to the UK.

The director describes his film as:

A horrifying tale of revenge that begins with a back-alley abortion, and ends with a bloodbath so vicious that it brings a new meaning to an eye for eye. From pimps to dealers and hookers to junkies, this film dives headfirst into the depths of human depravity.

Update: Film Censor Explains the Ban

15th August 2012. See  article from  refused-classification.com .

The Australian Film Censor explained the ban as follows:

The film contains depictions of explicit sexual violence and sexualised violence that are very high in impact, as well as prolonged depictions of violence which are offensive and/or have a very high degree of impact. Depictions of violence include detailed mutilation and disfigurement, viscera and shattered bone as well as blood gushes, splatter and spray.

A male character is tortured with a blow torch while two others are choked to death - one with excrement and the other with a used tampon. Sexual themes underpin the depictions of violence with pornographic footage and still images featuring full frontal nudity with genital detail and explicit sexual intercourse frequently viewed in the background.

Other scenes of violence are cut with depictions of sexual activity and/or sexualised nudity. The sexual content and sexualised context both serve to heighten the overall impact of the violence viewed throughout the film.

This content exceeds what can be accommodated within the R18+ classification and, as such, is Refused Classification.

Sikh Channel Youth Show
Sikh Channel, 9 February 2012, 22:00

The Sikh Channel is aimed at the Sikh community in the UK. The Sikh Channel Youth Show was a weekly live programme broadcast in Punjabi. The licence for the Sikh Channel is held by TV Legal Ltd. This programme consisted of a live discussion, with a presenter and guest and an audience broadcast from a Sikh Gurdwara.

The discussion touched on a range of subjects of interest to the Sikh community and various reported actions taken by the Indian Government towards the Sikh community in India, including Operation Blue Star.

A viewer alerted Ofcom to the programme, stating that the broadcast contained inflammatory content about the Indian Government and no alternative views concerning the situation of the Sikh community in India. On assessing the content, Ofcom noted the following statements made within the programme:

All of this [i.e. negative attitudes towards the Sikh community in Canada] again organised at the behest of the Indian Government. The third agency within India, and be under no misconceptions about this, has been carrying out a cover war against the Sikhs in the diaspora outside...It's not a myth: They're at [indecipherable] Road – you can go and see their offices there – it's the research and analysis wing of the Indian Government. They're absolutely involved in this. There is example after example that will show that there is an agenda to malign the Sikh community outside of India .

[The Indian Government's] problem really centres around the idea that we consider ourselves a nation, that we consider ourselves as a sovereign nation.

Since '84, hopefully, I believe that the Sikh nation is coming to the conclusion that this is not a fight for independence, this is a fight for survival...The environment in India is so toxic that really Sikhism cannot survive there in its present form, and in its truest form, within India as it stands .

Ofcom considered Rule 5.5 of the Code which states that:

Due impartiality on matters of political or industrial controversy and matters relating to current public policy must be preserved on the part of any person providing a service. This may be achieved within a programme or over a series of programmes taken as a whole .

Ofcom Decision: Breach of Rule 5.5

Ofcom considered that the programme included a number of viewpoints, but all of them were: either critical of the Indian state's policy and actions in relation to its treatment to the Sikh community in India; or could be interpreted as arguing the case for an independent homeland for the Sikh community in India.

We considered that the programme did not contain any alternative views, which could be reasonably and adequately classed as: supportive of, or which sought to explain, the policy and actions of the Indian State in relation to the Sikh community within India, and in particular, the Punjab; or supportive of the arguments against an independent homeland for the Sikh community within India. Therefore, this programme when considered alone gave a one-sided view on these matters of political controversy and current public policy.

Ofcom considered the programme to be in breach of Rule 5.5 of the Code.

Ofcom Warning

We are concerned that the breach in this case comes after two previous contraventions of the Code rules covering due impartiality and elections recorded against TV Legal. In particular, we are concerned that the breach in this case follows relatively soon after a similar breach recorded in Broadcast Bulletin 192.

Ofcom is therefore requiring the Licensee to attend a meeting to explain its compliance procedures in this area.

The Licensee is also put on notice that, following that meeting, any further similar contraventions of the Code will be considered for further regulatory action by Ofcom.

Last week, a jury at Kingston Crown Court took 90 minutes to acquit Walsh on all counts. In a potentially landmark case, they found that the image of the underage boy in fact showed an adult in his mid-twenties, and that the five other images could not be called extreme or pornographic, nor were likely to cause injury. Many people may think these practices distasteful but the pictures Walsh possessed of them were not unlawful.

Today he describes himself as roadkill --- a victim of the process by which the CPS is perhaps discovering the limits of the 2008 legislation. His career, he says, has been stopped in its tracks by that initial police suspicion, with its catastrophic implications of paedophilia, and by the splashing of his sex life across the press. He also claims that the CPS was out to get a conviction by whatever means they could .

The damage is irreparable. What I had, the status I had, has been ruined... The CPS refuses to accept that certain slightly unusual, but consensual, safe and pleasurable practices should be permitted, he claims. That's got to stop ... It's not even sado-masochism. That's not the way I do it. It's just a group of guys having fun.

...Read the full article

Malaysian activists and bloggers are staging an online black-out for one day to protest against changes to a law they say restricts free speech online.

They have replaced their home pages with black screens critical of the Evidence Act, revised in April, for Internet Black-out Day.

Critics say the law makes people unfairly liable for content published from networks and personal devices. The revised law means that Malaysians could get into trouble even if their devices or internet connections have been hacked into, critics say.

Premesh Chandran, founder of online news site Malaysiakini, said that the burden of proof on internet users was unfair.

In other words, if defamatory comments are posted on a blog, the blog owner is likely to be sued or charged with criminal defamation, Malaysiakini said in a statement on its website.

The Saudi Arabian government is objecting to a number of proposed new Internet top level domains, including .gay, .bar, .baby and .islam.

The country claims that the .gay domain would promote homosexuality and would be offensive to many societies and cultures.   Saudi's internet censor spouted: Many societies and cultures consider homosexuality to be contrary to their culture, morality or religion.

Saudi Arabia's Communication and Information Technology Commission (CITC) filed objections to 31 domain extensions with anything having to do with sex, gambling, drinking and religion, primarily on cultural and religious grounds.

Saudi has objected to domains including .porn, .sexy, .adult, .hot, .sex, .dating and .virgin laughably claiming that:

pornography undermines gender equality and threatens public morals.

The country is more sensibly objecting to .islam because the applicant is a private company that cannot represent the whole or even a majority of the worldwide Muslim community. It argues that all religious communities should have a say in any approval of any related domain extensions, or they should be banned altogether.

The suffixes are some of the 1,930 top-level domain names currently being considered by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization in charge of managing Internet naming standards.  ICANN opened up the application process to the public, charging $185,000 for each nomination, and announced the list of candidates in June. So far, the group has received 6,185 comments from individuals, organizations, companies and governments, including 166 from the Saudi Arabian government

The public can submit objections until September 26.

Myanmar Journalists Association (MJA) representatives have told Information Minister Kyaw Hsan that they will not take part in the new 20-member Myanmar Core Press Council (MCPC) until changes to reduce its censorship powers.

The MCPC was formed to censor the press until the new Media Law is passed later this year, but five MJA members on the council told a meeting that they will not take any part until amendments are made to its authority.

Thiha Saw, an MCPC member and vice-chairman of the MJA, said:

We asked to amend eight points in the MCPC's obligations and authorities as it now looks like it will be replacing the tasks of the censorship board.

We cannot perform the censorship board's job, he added. It is also against international standards. The council is to protect journalists and the freedom of the press.

Journalists asked to delete four points:

• to supervise the work of the press which is deemed detrimental to the public interests, dignity of the state and national sovereignty;
• to scrutinize imported publications so they conform with the national interest;
• exercising authority in accordance with the Evidence Act, Penal Code, Code of Civil Procedure and Tort; and
• MCPC members enjoying immunity from prosecution.

The MJA said that the current regulations contradict recent discussions with current press censors at the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division (PSRD)..

Kyaw Hsan said that the MCPC's activities will be postponed until the dispute with the MJA is settled. In the meantime, the PSRD informed journals on Sunday that they must continue to submit stories to the censor board as usual.

An incomplete translation of John Lennon's song Imagine during Turkish state TV coverage of the Olympics closing ceremony has been spotted by the country's independent media groups.

A reporter from state-run TRT television translated the famous song live, but omitted the last part of the lyrics when he came to the lines:

Imagine... nothing to kill or die for.
And no religion too.

the newspaper Hurriyet reported this as:

TRT refuses to imagine a world without religion, and censors Lennon.

The BBFC are currently reviewing the complete collection of official James Bond Films set to be released as 50th Anniversary Blu-Ray box set called Bond 50.

Casino Royale is a 2006 US/UK/Czech spy film by Martin Campbell.
With Daniel Craig, Eva Green and Judi Dench. See IMDb

UK: Passed 15 uncut for:

• UK 2012 MGM RB Blu-ray [Bond 50 Collection] at UK Amazon released on 24th September 2012

The BBFC noted:

• Additional material in torture scene

US: It is not confirmed,  but presumably the same version will be uncut for the first time too for:

• US 2012 MGM Bond 50 Collection RA Blu-ray at US Amazon released on 25th September 2012

Censorship History: 2006-7

UK: Passed 12A/12 after BBFC advised category cuts were implemented for:

• UK 2007 Sony R0 Blu-ray
• UK 2007 Sony R2 DVD
• UK 2006 cinema release

The BBFC commented:

Cut on BBFC advice in 2006: This film was originally seen by the BBFC in an unfinished version, for advice as to the film's suitability at '12A'. The BBFC advised the company that the torture scene placed too much emphasis on both the infliction of pain and the sadism of the villain for the requested '12A' category. When the completed version of the film was submitted for classification, reductions to the torture sequence had been made, including the removal of lingering shots of the rope, close shots of Bond's facial reaction and the substitution of a more distant shot of the beating compared to the original version. This re-edited version of the scene was considered acceptable at '12A', where the Guidelines permit violence provided there is no dwelling on detail or emphasis on injuries.

See Gavin Salkeld's Detailed cut list for details of the cuts made to appease both MPAA & BBFC.

The releases in Scandinavia, Netherlands, Japan and Australia are all already uncut

The Raid is a 2011 Indonesia/US crime thriller by Gareth Evans.
With Iko Uwais, Ananda George and Ray Sahetapy. See IMDb

Update: UK Blu-ray has just been passed 18 uncut by the BBFC

The running time of 97:01s (PAL equivalent) is very similar to the 96:46s of the previous video and cinema versions seen by the BBFC.

UK: The Original Version/Uncut Indonesian Version was passed 18 without BBFC cuts for frequent strong bloody violence and gore for:

• UK 2012 Technicolor/Momentum [Theatrical + Original] RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 24th September 2012

UK: The Theatrical Version was passed 18 without BBFC cuts for frequent strong bloody violence and gore for:

• UK 2012 Technicolor/Momentum [Theatrical + Original] RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 24th September 2012
• UK 2012 Technicolor/Momentum [Unknown Version] R2 DVD at UK Amazon released on 24th September 2012

Censorship Issues

The Original Version is reported to have more violent scenes than the US Theatrical Version. This is not yet confirmed though.

The US DVD and Blu-ray releases will be the Unrated Original Version.

The UK Blu-ray promises both versions, but the UK DVD will have only one version, without making it clear which. However the promotional material claims that there will be an Indonesian soundtrack, maybe suggesting that the DVD will contain the Indonesian Original Version.

Interestingly all UK versions are noted as being in Indonesian language on the BBFC database.

Promotional Material

Deep in the heart of one of Jakarta's most deprived slums stands an impenetrable high-rise apartment block. To most it is 30 floors of Hell to be avoided at all costs but for many of the city's most dangerous killers and gangsters, including the area's most notorious crime lord, it is a fortress-like safe house protecting them from the law. Even for the bravest and most experienced police officers it is considered a no-go area.

In a desperate bid to flush these violent criminals and their leader from their haven once and for all, an elite SWAT team is tasked with infiltrating the building and raiding the apartments floor by floor, taking out anyone who stands in their way. Cloaked under the cover of pre-dawn darkness, the SWAT members make their move and enter the block not realising that this is the easier part of the mission. Once inside, it soon becomes terrifyingly apparent that the real problem at hand is surviving long enough to be able to get out again.

Disk Features:

• Director's commentary (exclusive to UK)
• The Raid feature--original language with English subtitles
• The Raid feature with English language dubbing
• Featuring U.S. and original uncut version [Blu-ray only]
• Trailers
• Video blogs [Blu-ray only]
• Claycats: The Raid
• The Raid fan films
• Featurettes
• Behind the Music with Mike Shinoda and Joe Trapanese
• An Evening with Gareth Evans and Iko Uwais

Love Exposure is a 2008 Japan action comedy by Shion Sono.
With Takahiro Nishijima, Hikari Mitsushima and Sakura Andô. See IMDb

UK: Passed 18 uncut for strong violence, gore, sex and one use of very strong language for:

• UK 2012 Third Window Blu-ray at UK Amazon just released on 13th August 21012

Promotional Material

Having grown up in a devout Christian family, Yu (Takahiro Nishijima) has always been a well-behaved kid. After his mother dies, his priest father is seduced by a woman who breaks his heart, causing him to torment Yu by forcing him to confess his sins on a daily basis. Of course, being a fairly normal kid, Yu has no legitimate sins to confess. To appease his increasingly demanding father, Yu is determined to become a true sinner, eventually training to become an expert at sneak upskirt photography. Pornography being the one sin no priest can overlook, Yu gets the attention he s been so desperately seeking from his dad.

One day while hanging out with his fellow sinner pals but dressed like Sasori as punishment for being on the losing end of a bet Yu meets a beautiful girl named Yoko (Hikari Mitsushima). Their first meeting is a glorious one, beginning with an all-out street brawl and ending with a kiss. There are only two problems: she thinks he s a woman and a devious cult leader named Aya (Sakura Ando) is carefully manipulating both of their lives.

EXTRAS:

• 1 Hour Long Making of Interview with the Director
• Deleted Scenes
• Trailer

Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale is a 2011 Taiwan historical action drama by John Woo.
With Masanobu Andô, Jun'ichi Haruta and Sabu Kawahara. See IMDb

US: The Taiwan Version is uncut and MPAA Unrated for:

• US 2012 Well Go USA RA Blu-ray via UK Amazon and at US Amazon just released on 7th August 2012
• US 2012 Well Go USA R1 DVD at US Amazon just released on 7th August 2012

US: The US Version is shortened and MPAA Unrated for:

• US 2012 Well Go USA RA Blu-ray via UK Amazon and at US Amazon just released on 7th August 2012
• US 2012 Well Go USA R1 DVD at US Amazon just released on 7th August 2012

Promotional Material

Produced by John Woo, In the mountains of Taiwan, two races clashed in defense of their faiths. One believed in rainbows, the other believed in the sun. Neither side realized they both believed in the same sky.

Wei Te-Sheng's epic film WARRIORS OF THE RAINBOW: SEEDIQ BALE retells an extraordinary episode from 20th-century history which is little-known, even in Taiwan. Between 1895 and 1945, a Japanese colony inhabited the island and subdued the aboriginal tribes who first settled the land. Seediq leader Mouna Rudo (Lin Ching-Tai) forged a coalition with other tribal leaders and plotted a rebellion against their Japanese colonial masters. The initial uprising took the Japanese by surprise, but they soon sent in their army to crush the rebellion, using aircraft and poison gas.

The most expensive Taiwanese film ever made, WARRIORS OF THE RAINBOW: SEEDIQ BALE is written and directed by Wei Te-Sheng, whose romantic comedy CAPE NO. 7 received numerous awards and accolades.

Extras

• Interviews w/ Director Wei Te-Sheng and Producer John Woo
• Making Of
• Make Up and Visual Effects
• The Epic Journey of the Warriors Short
• Behind the Scenes

English Subtitles

Egyptian authorities have banned the import of A History of the Modern Middle East by eminent American academics William L Cleveland and Martin Bunton, now in its 12th edition.

Khaled Fahmy, chair of history at the American University in Cairo (AUC), said that he received an email from the university informing him that the book he had requested for his modern Arab history course had been banned from entering the country. The short email did not give any reasons for the ban. Fahmy expressed dismay at the ban:

It's strange how we as a society give the responsibility of the Egyptian National Security to some clerks in the Print Censorship Authority, who prove everyday that they lack the basic knowledge of the priorities of scientific research, as well as their disregard of national security too.

At a joint meeting of Pakistan's cable operators and TV channel-owners, it was decided that they would all blank out Supreme Court proceedings from a case against them.

The court is hearing a case accusing the TV companies of airing obscenity and supposedly illegal Indian channels.

It was decided that even top news anchors would be bound by their respective managements not to touch these issues.

Almost all owners or senior executives of top Pakistani channels including ARY, Geo, and Express agreed to follow the decision of the Cable Operators Association.

According to sources, cable operators had threatened TV channel-owners that if they did not follow the decision, their channels would be put at the end of the tuning list in distribution networks across the country. The cable operators made it clear that they would not accept any demand for the closure of illegal Indian channels particularly Star Plus and Sony which brought them money.

Update: Supreme Obscenity

14th August 2012. See  article from  dailytimes.com.pk

Pakistan's Supreme Court has directed the TV censors of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to set the parameters for discouraging programmes and advertisements supposedly showing obscenity on TV channels.

A three-member bench heard proceedings regarding nutter accusations of obscene and other objectionable material. The court gave four weeks to PEMRA for completing the process and directed to clearly define obscenity and submit a compliance report.

Appearing on notice, Acting PEMRA Chairman Dr Abdul Jabbar informed the court that he took all possible measures for discouraging obscenity on TV channels, adding that there were many complaints against obscenity on cable. He told the court that PEMRA had fined TV channels spreading sectarianism, besides issuing notices to cable operators and TV channels for running advertisements and programmes containing obscenity.

The Criminal Justice of Pakistan asked the chairman that serving notices on TV channels was nothing but eyewash and that effective measures should be taken on urgent basis.

Update: Words in Parliament

29th October 2012. See  article from  thenews.com.pk

The National Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution expressing serious concern over the broadcasting of illegal foreign channels through cable network, the supposed growing trends of obscenity and indecency through local channels and the unchecked flow of blasphemous and vulgar material through the internet into Pakistan in violation of the Constitution and the relevant laws.

The resolution, moved by the PML-N appreciated that the Pakistani media itself has initiated a debate on the issues of illegal foreign channels and obscenity while the Supreme Court has also taken suo moto notice of the same.

Livid is a 2011 France fantasy horror by Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury.
With Chloé Coulloud, Félix Moati and Jérémy Kapone. See IMDb

UK: Passed 18 uncut for strong gory horror for:

• UK 2012 Studio Cana RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released today on 13th August 2012
• UK 2012 Studio Cana R2 DVD at UK Amazon released today on 13th August

There are no censorship issues with this release

See  review from  starburstmagazine.com

Promotional Material

Within a vast, desolate and slowly decaying mansion an aging woman lies in a coma, kept alive by a life support machine. Assigned to look after her, a young care worker named Lucy discovers that the old woman is Madam Jessel, previously a ballet teacher of some repute and rumoured to have hidden great riches inside the house.

Determined to find the treasure, Lucy and two of her friends break in at night and uncover a darker secret that will throw them into a deadly labyrinth of hell.

From the directors of Inside, Livid will have you reeling with fear.

Disk Features

• Behind the scenes

• Interviews with: Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, Marie-Claude Pietragalla, Catherine Jacob, Felix Moati and Jeremy Kapone

• Trailer

Bound is a 1996 US thriller by Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski.
With Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon and Joe Pantoliano. See IMDb

US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for:

• US 2012 Olive Films RA Blu-ray via UK Amazon and at US Amazon just released on 7th August 2012
• US 2012 Olive Films R1 DVD at US Amazon  just released on 7th August 2012

Censorship History

US: The R Rated version was cut by 13s to reduce the sex scenes. See pictorial cuts details from movie-censorship.com :

• Missing 6s where Jennifer Tilly takes Gina Gershon's hand to her crotch.
• Minor edits to tone down the Tilly Gershon sex scene
• Deleted one of the blows when a man's head is repeatedly knocked against a toilet

A pre-cut version (based on the Unrated Version) was passed 18 without BBFC cuts for:

• UK 1996 cinema release

Promotional Material

Corky (Gina Gershon), a tough ex-con and her lover Violet (Jennifer Tilly) concoct a scheme to steal $2 million of mob money and pin the blame on Violet's crooked boyfriend, Caesar (Joe Pantoliano) in this neo-noir thriller from the writers and directors of The Matrix Trilogy. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times called it Scary, Funny, Sexy and Exiting! and Liz Smith of the New York Post declared it as One of the Best Movies in 1996 . The Stellar cast includes John P. Ryan (Runaway Train), Christopher Meloni (TV's Law & Order and Oz) and legendary director Richard C. Sarafian (Vanishing Point) as the mob boss. Beautifully shot by Bill Pope (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World).

A regional press ad, for X-posed Gentleman's Club, showed a woman wearing lingerie and stockings with one knee on a chair and her hand on the other hip. Text stated Reading's only adult Caberet [sic]/Gentlemens's [sic] club Males, females, couples welcome *Dancers Required *Stage shows & Private fully nude dances available .

A reader challenged whether the ad was:

1. offensive; and

2. unsuitable to appear in a publication, which children might see.

ASA Assessment: Complaint not upheld

1. Not upheld

The ASA noted the woman in the ad was dressed in lingerie and stockings, but considered that the image was mildly provocative and not sexually explicit. While some readers might find such establishments objectionable, the text Stage shows & Private fully nude dances available described the type of club advertised and was not in itself likely to cause serious or widespread offence. We concluded that, although clear that an adult service was being advertised, the content of the ad was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence to readers.

On this point, we investigated the ad under CAP Code rules 1.3 (Social responsibility) and 4.1 (Harm and offence), but did not find it in breach.

2. Not upheld

The ad was placed towards the back of a regional newspaper with other ads within the weekend entertainment section of the paper, which was unlikely to attract the attention or interest of children. We concluded that, given the relatively mild nature of the ad and that children were unlikely to see it, the ad was not unsuitable to appear in the publication.

On this point, we investigated the ad under CAP Code rule 1.3 (Social responsibility) but did not find it in breach.

India's newly formed council of TV censors has made its first annual report to the Indian Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

It said that it had received 717 specific complaints, of which 47% were about supposed obscenity and nudity while 16% were regarding depiction of violence. 7% complaints related to TV content supposedly hurt religious and cultural sentiments. The report said that nearly 16% of specific complaints pertained to the theme of crime and violence and many of these were against shows based on actual crime cases.

Referring to the complaints related to sex, obscenity and nudity, the Broadcasting Content Complaint Council report said that a large number of such complaints were found to be violating Indian Broadcasting Federation's self-regulatory guidelines. The report said:

The BCCC directed some channels that since these programmes were not suitable for telecast during general viewing hours, they should suitably modify the content and air such programmes during restricted viewing hours.

In some cases, channels completely took programmes off air.

The main concern was use of vulgar language by participants and the alleged obscene acts performed by them during the shows.

The Crown Prosecution Service under the current director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer, is earning a deservedly bad reputation for its vexatious litigation. Her Majesty's chief inspector estimates that almost one in 10 of its prosecutions is baseless Thousands of people plead guilty, nevertheless, just to get the CPS off their backs.

...Read the full article

The Boogens is a 1981 US horror thriller by James L Conway.
With Rebecca Balding, Fred McCarren and Anne-Marie Martin. See IMDb

US: Uncut and MPAA R Rated for:

• US 2012 Olive Films Blu-ray via UK Amazon and at US Amazon just released on 7th August 2012
• US 2012 Olive Films R1 DVD at US Amazon just released on 7th August 2012

UK: Last seen in the uncut X rated cinema release of 1981

Promotional Material

In a small town near Denver, two young men begin to explore a long-abandoned old mine recently re-opened by a group of minors. When one the men is discovered missing, his friends begin a search that leads them to horrifying consequences. They're all unaware of the evil that's been unleashed and soon, one by one, a monster that no one has seen snatches up the townspeople. Suddenly, the grisly truth is revealed and a young couple is forced to confront the unknown in order to save their lives... and the entire town. Directed by James L. Conway (Hanger 18).

US broadcaster NBC removed a video from its website after receiving claims that it objectified women.

The video is entitled Bodies in Motion , and is a compilation of clips depicting female athletes often in slow motion, with the shots frequently focusing on the women's backsides and chests.

The video is accused of being designed to leave males with their tongues wagging rather than celebrate the athletic prowess of women at the Olympics.

The video, which was heavily criticized by sites like Jezebel and Think Progress, represents a departure from the human interest stories and family-friendly broadcast style NBC has embraced throughout the London Games. The realization that this was not the image they wanted to portray, coupled with the backlash they faced, probably led to the removal of the video.

The British Shadow Chancellor Kerry McCarthy attended the Pussy Riot trial on Monday to give a bit of extra attention to the three members of the all-female protest group who face up to seven years in prison for a church performance in which they denounced President Vladimir Putin and Patriarch Kirill.

It seems strange to me that they have been charged with this offense, McCarthy told The Moscow Times during a break inside the courtroom at Moscow's Khamovnichesky District Court. In the U.K., they would have been charged with a breach of peace and told off or fined.

When McCarthy started following the trial, she saw that the defendants weren't able to call their witnesses and that other violations of their rights were taking place, she said.

Asked whether she saw the trial as politically motivated, she replied, Everything I've read about it would lead me to think that.

Offsite Report: Inside the Pussy Riot Trial

10th August 2012. See  article from  huffingtonpost.co.uk by Kerry McCarthy

Pussy Riot's alleged crime was to have performed what they dubbed a punk prayer in the cathedral of Christ the Saviour in February, a 40 second performance of a song calling on the Virgin Mary to join forces with them against Vladimir Putin.

The trial has in large part been about whether the band were demonstrating religious hatred by their actions, or whether - as the women maintain - it was a political protest. The prosecuting lawyer somewhat bizarrely argued in his closing statement that it wasn't a political statement as no politicians were named, although the song is called Virgin Mary, Chase Putin Out.

The band argue, perhaps a little facetiously, that the song isn't anti-religious because they're enlisting the Virgin Mary onto their side. The female lawyer representing the nine victims in court (that is, those who say they were insulted or traumatised by seeing the performance) was outraged by the band's suggestion that Mary was a feminist, and said that feminism is a mortal sin .

...

There have, however, been many criticisms made of the trial process: the fact the defence weren't allowed to call the witnesses they wanted to, and not allowed to examine the prosecution witnesses/victims properly either. I wasn't there for the victims' testimony but people have reported that the judge was very quick to shut down questions, and simply didn't allow the sort of cross-examination that the defence wanted.

There have also been many concerns raised about the way the women are being treated: they say they are only getting a few hours sleep a night, they aren't being fed during their 12 hour days at court, and Nadya and Masha have not been able to see their two small children. There has also been an order made barring Nadya's husband, Peter, from visiting her, after - I was told - he was seen to be too active in calling for their release.

...Read the full article

Comment: The bit about forgiving those who trespass against them

11th August 2012. Thanks to Alan

Kerry McCarthy's remarks on the trial are interesting, but I don't think she quite sees the point about Pussy Riot's claim that the Virgin Mary would agree with them. It isn't facetious . Whether or not they believe the doctrines of the opening words of their prayer - Bogoroditse Devo ( Virgin Mother of God ) - or even in her historical existence, the fact is that in the longest speech attributed to her in the New Testament Mary talks of God putting down the mighty from their thrones and raising up the humble, filling the hungry with good things and sending the rich away empty . Looks like that's another Madonna they've got on their side.

Furthermore, Patriarch Kirill, his absurd spokesprat Fr Chaplin - can't resist saying he's a right Charlie! - and the allegedly offended lay people in the cathedral ought to be well aware of this, since, like Anglicans and Catholics, they say or sing this text, called the Magnificat, daily in their services. They also say that prayer by Mary's kid, but don't seem to have taken on board the bit about forgiving those who trespass against them.

When it comes to the lawyer calling feminism a sin , words almost fail me. Does this idiot ever look in the robing room mirror? She's (1) a woman and (2) a lawyer. How does she think she manages to be both without the work of feminists?

Extract: Russian Orthodox Church defiant over Pussy Riot trial

11th August 2012. See  article from  bbc.co.uk

Younger Orthodox Russians I spoke to, many of whom support Pussy Riot, disagree. They feel that their Patriarch is not maintaining the neutrality expected of him and is in fact legitimising the activity of the state.

The Church connects people to God but now these two bodies - the Church and the government - are linked and it should not be like this, says Nikolai Polozov, a committed Orthodox Christian and the lawyer acting for Pussy Riot.

And yet the Church feels someone is out there to get them. As it struggles to boost its low attendances (fewer than 10% of Russians attend church regularly), it talks of a smear campaign being waged against the Patriarch.

...Raad the full Russian Orthodox Church defiant over Pussy Riot trial

UK: The Basket Case Trilogy is 18 uncut for:

• UK 2012 Second Sight Trilogy Steelbook Blu-ray via UK Amazon

• UK 2012 Second Sight Trilogy R2 DVD via UK Amazon

Promotional Material

What's in the basket? A question Duane Bradley is asked a lot when he arrives in New York and checks into the sleazy Hotel Broslin.  Who would guess it contains his grotesquely deformed brother Belial?! Separated at birth, the Siamese twins have come looking for revenge on the doctor that left Belial for dead and now the basket-dweller is ready to wreak blood-soaked carnage.

Where the original classic ends the sequel picks up and things start to get really warped when the brothers meet their long lost aunt Granny Ruth and her whole houseful of freaks.

One of the essential repeat rentals for any self-respecting horror fan in the early 80's, Frank Henenlotter's cult classic Basket Case and the gloriously psychotic sequels it spawned are collected together here in one of the most twisted and enjoyable horror trilogies ever made.

BONUS FEATURES:

• WHAT'S IN THE BASKET? - A look at the making of the trilogy with director Frank Henenlotter; actors Kevin VanHentenryck, Beverly Bonner, Annie Ross; producers Edgar Ievans and James Glickenbaus; make-up effects artists John Caglione Jr, Kevin Haney, Gabe Bartalos and writer Uncle Bob Martin

• INTERVIEW WITH GRAHAM HUMPHREYS - The legendary film poster artist discusses his career up to the creation of the new Basket Case Trilogy artwork

• BASKET CASE: Video Introduction by Frank Henenlotter; Audio Commentary by director Frank Henenlotter, producer Edgar Ievins and actress Beverly Bonner;

• Outtakes & Behind The Scenes;

• 2001 Video Short - The Hotel Broslin;

• Trailers & Radio Spots;

• Photo Gallery - behind the scenes, promotional material, stills.

Basket Case is a 1982 US comedy horror by Frank Henenlotter.
With Kevin Van Hentenryck, Terri Susan Smith and Beverly Bonner. See IMDb

Censorship History

UK: Passed X (18) after 1:09s of BBFC cuts for:

• UK 1982 cinema release

UK: Passed 18 after 35s of video cuts beyond the 1:09s cinema cuts for:

• UK 1987 Palace VHS

From IMDB:

• The scene where Duane watches a kung-fu film is missing shots of 'chain-sticks' from the kung-fu film itself.
• The second doctor's death scene is missing a shot of him spitting blood as well as the climatic shot of blood splashing on his face.
• The death of the female vet shortens shots of Belial clawing her face, the terminating shot of the scene showing the vet with scalpels sticking in her face is deleted.
• Shots of the noisy neighbour being clawed to death by Belial are cut; this sequence was originally intercut with two other scenes making the editing at this point awful due to these cuts.
• The infamous scene where Belial 'romances' Duane's girlfriend is the worst to suffer cuts- after she wakes up the entire scene has been removed bar a brief shot of her being strangled. In addition the shot of Belial on top her dead body and Duane's attempts to pull him off her is missing.

UK: Passed 18 uncut for:

• UK 1999 Tartan R2 DVD

• UK 1999 Tartan VHS

Basket Case 2 is a 1990 US comedy horror by Frank Henenlotter.
With Kevin Van Hentenryck, Judy Grafe and Annie Ross. See IMDb

Basket Case 3 is a 1992 US comedy horror by Frank Henenlotter.
WithKevin Van Hentenryck, Annie Ross and Gil Roper. See IMDb

The Tunnel is a 2011 Australia horror drama by Carlo Ledesma.
With Bel Deliá, Andy Rodoreda and Steve Davis. See IMDb

UK: Passed 15 uncut for strong language, horror and gore for:

• UK 2012 Arrow R2 DVD at UK Amazon just released on 6th August 2012

There are no censorship issues with this release

Promotional Material:

In 2007 the New South Wales government suddenly scrapped a plan to utilise the water in the disused underground train tunnels beneath Sydney s St James Train Station. In 2008, chasing rumours of a government cover-up and urban legends surrounding the sudden back flip, investigative journalist Natasha Warner led a crew of four into the underground labyrinth. They went down into the tunnels looking for a story until the story found them.

It has been alleged that this guidance has been issued to the judiciary:

Judicial office holders should be acutely aware of the need to conduct themselves, both in and out of court, in such a way as to maintain public confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary.

Blogging by members of the judiciary is not prohibited. However, officer (sic) holders who blog (or who post comments on other people's blogs) must not identify themselves as members of the judiciary. They must also avoid expressing opinions which, were it to become known that they hold judicial office, could damage public confidence in their own impartiality or in the judiciary in general.

The above guidance also applies to blogs which purport to be anonymous. This is because it is impossible for somebody who blogs anonymously to guarantee that his or her identity cannot be discovered.

The author of the blog asks:

So long as judges avoid expressing opinions which.... could damage public confidence in their own impartiality or in the judiciary in general why can't they blog as judges. They can give interviews, write books, newspaper and magazine articles and lecture as judges so long as they do not compromise their impartiality - why can't they write on blogs as judges?

Cuba has unbanned more than fifty artists critical of the government who have been censored from television and radio programming for decades.

A list of prohibited names was never made public, nor has the list's elimination been officially announced. The information has only come to light via broadcasting insiders.

The list included Gloria Estefan, Celia Cruz, Olga Guillot, Paquito D'Rivera, Bebo Valdes and the famous Spanish singer Julio Iglesias censored as a result of his critical stance toward the government in Havana.

New technologies have been making it possible for Cubans to acquire these prohibited voices on CDs, DVDs and flash drives. So this flexibility follows the same logic as other Raul reforms : that of accepting what they can't prevent, authorizing what is already happening and is unstoppable.

Update: Win Some, Lose Some

11th August 2012. See  article from  havanatimes.org

Cuba may have lightened up on political dissent but it is still not keen on gays

Writing on his Facebook page, Israel Rojas, a member of the popular musical duo Buena Fe, protested Cuban television's censorship of his latest music video Ser del Sol (Being of the Sun), which is about a lesbian relationship between two women.

The video has not still not been released on Cuban television though it's currently in fifth place on the hit-list of the Lucas Music Video Awards.

The video tells the story of two young women who meet each other through their boyfriends and initiate a relationship. In the surprise ending, when the boyfriends discover them kissing, the two relax and start to laugh.

German politicians are mulling over a law to make Facebook pay for when police break up parties advertised on the social network.

Reinhold Gall, interior minister of the southern German state of Baden-Wurttemberg, said:

A commercial internet platform that makes something like this possible also carries a large measure of responsibility.

Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann added:

Facebook does not meet its responsibilities to protect its users, if the only difference between an invitation to friends and the whole world is just one mouse-click. Facebook has a duty to protect its users and the public with appropriate warnings and preventative measures.

Some mass parties descended into chaos in Germany when hosts did not realise their invitations had reached the entire network rather than just their friends. But one youth who invited 1,500 people to a rave-up on the shores of Lake Constance was fined £ 200,000 after a massive police operation to stop it going ahead.

Rainer Wendt, chairman of the German Police Union, said:

If you invite people to a Facebook party that sparks a police intervention, you will have to pay the costs.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has ordered all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block numerous 'scandalous' internet sites, specifically the audio recording of a sensual conversation between two notable opposition parliamentarians.

The footage of a press conference in which a lady TV news anchor, Aysah Sana, claimed that she and a man working with a state organisation have secretly got married and they have a son, is also to be blocked. She made the allegations against the boss of a TV channel who she accuses of betraying her.

This is the first time that the PTA has moved swiftly to order blocking of 'scandalous' websites. Wahajus Siraj, Convener of the ISP Association of Pakistan (ISPAK), said the process on ordering of blocking of websites have become non-transparent and questionable, as it seems that Inter-Ministerial Committee is being used as tool to censor internet for political gains instead of going after the intended anti-Pakistan or blasphemous websites.

One leading ISP said that with five GSM service providers and numerous broadband service providers are to challenge the order.

ISPs also pointed out that blocking popular social media sites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter can create major unrest among millions of subscribers which then has a direct impact on the revenue of ISPs.

Google has announced that it will lower the search engine rankings of websites that receive a high number of DMCA takedown requests, independent of whether the linked content is lawful or not.

The algorithm change is the result of extensive lobbying efforts by Hollywood and the major music labels, and could severely degrade the rankings of websites such as The Pirate Bay, FilesTube, and even YouTube.

Google's Amit Singhal writes in a blog post:

Starting next week, we will begin taking into account a new signal in our rankings: the number of valid copyright removal notices we receive for any given site. Sites with high numbers of removal notices may appear lower in our results.

The move may also encourage media companies to issue even more takedown notices.

Vietnamese officials have fined a budget airline for having beauty contestants in bikini-tops dance aboard a plane without authorisation, state-run media has reported.

VietJetAir was fined 20m dong ($956) for the Hawaiian-themed dance on its first flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang.

A statement on the company's website says that it wanted to capture a holiday atmosphere for its new flight route to Nha Trang, one of the country's most popular holiday destinations:

Once passengers stepped on board they were met by flight attendants dressed in beach holiday attire [who] performed a sexy Hawaii dance.

Nguyen Trong Thang, chief inspector of the country's civil aviation body, was quoted as saying that the airline had violated the local aviation regulations by organising unapproved show on a plane .

Fearing extremists reacting violently to the publication of books deemed to be offensive to Islam, many publishers have thought twice about what they release about the religion. Author of The Young Atheist's Handbook Alom Shaha says it's time to discuss faith properly

We can't publish this, we'll get firebombed. Apparently this was the response from one of the staff at Biteback Publishing, the UK publishers of my book, The Young Atheist's Handbook, when it was first presented to them. Thankfully, Iain Dale, the managing director, laughed at the idea, saying, it's OK, we're on the 10th floor and went on to publish the book anyway.

It's not just staff at Biteback who may have been concerned about publishing my book --- according to a senior editor at one of the largest international publishers, who claimed to be personally keen to give me a deal, she was unable to convince her colleagues to agree because a number of people in the company would be uncomfortable about it. She then went on to explain that by uncomfortable she really meant afraid .

...Read the full article

A Force of One is a 1979 US action film by Paul Aaron.
With Jennifer O'Neill, Chuck Norris and Clu Gulager. See IMDb

UK: Passed 15 uncut for drug use and strong violence after previous cuts waived for:

• UK 2012 Anchor Bay RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 6th August 2012
• UK 2012 Anchor Bay R2 DVD at UK Amazon released on 6th August 2012

Promotional Material

Available for the first time on Blu-ray! A team of undercover narcotics agents is conducting an investigation when things mysteriously begin to go haywire. One by one, the squad members are eliminated by an assassin. To help identify the killer, the police enlist the aid of karate champion, Matt Logan (Chuck Norris). Initially disinterested, he is galvanized into action when his adopted son is killed by the villains. He eventually tracks down the serial killer, a traitor within the police force, and brings his reign of terror to an end in a no holds barred climactic karate battle between the two men.

Censorship History

UK: Passed 15 after 1:02s of BBFC cuts for:

• UK 2005 MIA R2 DVD
• UK 1991 Missing in Action VHS
• UK 1986 Xtasy VHS

UK: Passed AA (14) after 1:02s of BBFC cuts for:

• UK 1979 cinema release

From IMDb. The cuts were:

• Edits to scenes of drug use
• All footage of nunchakus removed

A TV ad, for the film Dark Shadows , showed a male vampire character rising from a coffin. He asked What is the year? and another character replied 1972 . The vampire was then shown asking a girl What is your age? She replied 15. The vampire said 15 and no husband, we must put those birthing hips to good use at once.

A complainant challenged whether the ad was offensive and irresponsible, because it contained sexual references about an underage girl.

Warner Bros said the ad contained a series of brief scenes from the film which were clearly set in a fantasy and surreal world. They highlighted that the main character in the film, who also featured in the ad, was a fantasy vampire from the 1700s who had been released from his tomb in 1972 and was trying to understand and adapt to modern society. As the vampire had been born and lived in the 1700s, Warner Bros believed that most viewers would not perceive his comments to be reflective of the values of modern society.

Clearcast said the vampire's remarks should not be taken at face value, but understood in the context of the ad as a whole. They said the ad echoed the comedic nature of the film and they highlighted several comic cues including Depp's camp delivery, the girl's nonchalant reaction and the shot of the girl's mother rolling her eyes in comic contempt. They felt these cues, taken together, stressed the comedic and playful nature of the film and ensured that most viewers would not interpret the statement as a serious sexual proposition.

ASA Assessment: Complaint not upheld

The ASA considered that in the context of the ad most viewers would understand that the vampire was a fantasy character, who having been born and lived a long time in the past would have very different values to his contemporaries in the 1970s. We considered that the jovial tone of the ad, the playful music, and Johnny Depp's reputation for playing unusual and quirky characters, meant that most viewers would not see the vampire as threatening or his proposition as serious. We noted that the girl and her mother did not appear scared by the vampire's remarks but that their reactions emphasised how outmoded his beliefs were.

Although we considered that younger children might not understand the narrative of the ad or grasp the playful tone, we noted that it had been given an ex-kids restriction by Clearcast and that Warner Bros had taken a responsible approach to ensure younger children were not targeted by the ad. We considered that most viewers would not believe that the girl had been portrayed or represented in a sexual way, and therefore we concluded that the ad was not offensive or irresponsible.

We investigated the ad under BCAP code rules 1.2 (Responsible advertising), 4.2 (Harm and offence) and 5.5 (Children) but did not find it in breach.

Cricketing superstar Kevin Pietersen has stood up to some of the world's most awesome bowlers, but he seems to be left quaking at the thought of a little body line bowling via Twitter.

A parody account, @kevpietersen24 , is wickedly observed and, providing you have an English sense of humour, is extremely funny.

Some of the in-jokes suggest a source close to the team and Pietersen has been hurt by it enough to get his lawyers to try to close it down.

They could not, though they did succeed in getting the original avatar, a picture of KP at his most gauche with skunk hairdo circa 2005, replaced.

Speculation has raged as to who the authors of the Twitter account are with Pietersen keenest to find out. That he is offended by their exaggerated claims, especially when they refer to him in the third person as KP Genius , suggests he already has a distorted sense of self.

Unless Andy Flower or the England and Wales Cricket Board discover who is behind the fake Twitter account and appeal to their better nature, Pietersen is just going to have put up with a little sledging, or else he'll just have to skulk off to the sub continent.

Update: kevpietersen24 Censored

10th August 2012. See  article from  bbc.co.uk

A Twitter account acting as a parody of England's Kevin Pietersen has been taken down from the social media website.

Reports on Wednesday suggested batsman Pietersen believed some of his team-mates were behind the account, which poked fun at the batsman. However, the England team denied having any involvement with the account.

Even though the identity of who is behind the account is unknown, Pietersen is still thought to be unhappy that some members of the squad followed and engaged with it.

Many of the tweets from the account have been sent while Test matches have been in progress, while players have restricted access to mobile phones and the internet during this time as part of International Cricket Council regulations to guard against corruption.

Indeed, a tweet from the account, which has seen the number of its followers more than double since Pietersen's chagrin emerged, said: It doesn't take that woman from 'Murder She Wrote' to work out that this isn't a team mate of KP. I've been tweeting during Tests!

A Facebook page filled with racial jokes about aboriginal people has been taken down, after hundreds of people campaigned to have it removed.

SBS reported on the Facebook page, which allows posts with racial memes about Indigenous people. The page was temporarily removed, before re-appearing on the site with a tag noting that the content contained controversial humour .

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy weighed into the debate, saying he thought it should be taken down.

We don't want to live by the same standards that Facebook does, Conroy said: I think it's an offence. It's been reclassified but I think it should be taken down.

Race Discrimination Commissioner Dr Helen Szoke warned the page could be a breach of the Racial Discrimination Act: [The page] potentially does insult and offend, but it probably does more than that. I think the depiction of these images on Facebook actually moves more in to vilifying.

Brisbane resident Jacinta O'Keefe started a change.org petition after a complaint to Facebook failed to result in the removal of the page: It is an openly racist page that is encouraging hate towards Aboriginal people. I find it incredible that Facebook would refuse to remove this page .

The social media site has responded to complaints with the message: After reviewing your report, we were not able to confirm that the specific page you reported violates Facebook's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.

But the page ended up being removed anyway as of 6pm 8/8 2012.

Madonna has urged Russia not to jail three feminist Russian women from the protest group Pussy Riot who are on trial for staging a protest against Vladimir Putin in a Moscow church.

Madonna told The Associated Press during her concert tour of Russia that she is against censorship and hopes the judge is lenient with them and that they are freed soon.

Madonna is the latest of several international musical acts to appeal for leniency in the controversial case.

Moscow's Khamovnichesky court is scheduled to begin hearing arguments in the case on August 7.

Update: Russia deputy PM bitches about Madonna

10th August 2012. See article from globalpost.com

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has publically insulted Madonna via Twitter. He tweeted:

Every former w. who has aged wants to give lectures about morals, especially during tours and gigs abroad.

The w, translated from Russian, is an abbreviation that roughly means slut, bitch," or "whore."

Rogozin ranted about Madonna after a mid-concert speech which she gave in support of the all girl dissident protest group, Pussy Riot, to tens of thousands of fans at Moscow's Olimpiisky stadium, Madonna said:

I think that these three girls ... have done something courageous. I think they have paid the price for this act and I pray for their freedom.

Barrister Simon Walsh and former Boris Johnson aide has been acquitted of possessing extreme pornography in a landmark case over the boundaries of what can be described as extreme .

The jury was unanimous and took less than 90 minutes to clear Walsh after a week-long trial.

The case is believed to be the first to address whether images of anal fisting, a sexual practice which is legal, and urethral sounding are extreme pornography, as defined under the disgraceful law, section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008.

After searching Walsh's home and office computers, the investigators found nothing incriminating. All they could come up with six email attachment images, on a Hotmail server account he set up to receive and send sexual messages.

Surely this lack of substantial evidence, coupled with the desperately thin set of email attachments must have sounded a few warning bells about persecution. Anyone owning a computer must know that there are bound to be a few undesirable images hanging round somewhere, especially in email folders. It must have gone through the minds of jurors that should the police ever take an interest in their computers, then this could easily happen to them or their families.

Walsh was sacked from his position on the London Fire Authority on his arrest in April last year. He was a man of impeccable character who had made an outstanding contribution to society, the court heard, and had previously chaired the City of London Corporation police authority and licensing authority.

Walsh faced five charges under the 2008 act, which stipulates images are extreme if they are grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character and if they portray, in an explicit and realistic way any act which results in, or is likely to result, in serious injury to a person's anus, breasts or genitals .

The prosecution claimed three images, found in attachments in Walsh's sent box, showed urethreal sounding, where a medical instrument is inserted into the tip of the penis to stretch the urethra and stimulate the prostate, acts that were likely to cause injury to a person's genitals. Two images showed anal fisting, which was likely to cause injury to a person's anus, it claimed.

The defence argued there was no evidence of any serious injury in any of those images, and that the activities were low risk. Walsh had taken the urethral sounding images himself at a New Year's Eve party and sent them only to other participants at the party, the court heard.

Medical evidence was examined showing that there were risks in these activities, but these risks were not generally 'likely' to occur.

A sixth charge, of possessing an indecent image of an underage boy, related to an attachment sent to Walsh which showed a sexually aroused male with a ligature. Walsh told the court he had no recollection of ever opening the attachment on the email, which was unsolicited and unanswered. The defence claimed the image was not of a child but an adult. It was also not possible to prove Walsh had opened the attachment, the court heard.

Three defence experts viewed the image and stated in written reports that Jason was in his twenties. As a matter of legal procedure, the jury never heard this expert evidence. Instead they used their common sense and acquitted Walsh.

Prosecutor Thomas Wilkins told the court Walsh was a gay man who has what he described as a strange sex life . Wilkins said: He doesn't dispute that he uses the email account purely for his sex life. He doesn't dispute that he is interested in bondage and sadomasochism. There was no dispute that Walsh had sent three of the images, but, added Wilkins, he disputes that they are extreme or pornographic .

Trial Report: The acquittal of Simon Walsh at Kingston Crown Court

See  article from  heresycorner.blogspot.com

Trial Report: Prosecutors, extreme porn and 50 Shades of Grey

See  article from  politics.co.uk by Alex Dymock

Comment: Extreme porn trial: consensual sex and the state

See  article from  guardian.co.uk by Defence Lawyer Myles Jackman

Unlike the Obscene Publication Act, which covers distribution, the CJIA shifts the burden on to individuals in possession of pornography. People need to know how to modify their behaviour in accordance with the law, yet it is unclear what acts constitute extreme pornography .

As well as criminalising acts which are legal to perform, the CJIA would seemingly outlaw images which have been exhibited in art galleries. In 2008, the Barbican Gallery's Seduced exhibition included photographic images of male on male anal fisting and male urethral insertion from artist Robert Mapplethorpe's X Portfolio. The gallery cleared them with the City of London police before the exhibition opened.

Police also regularly misclassify images they discover. In the Stafford extreme pornography trial, my client was initially charged with being in possession of over 1,250 extreme images. Upon viewing them, it became clear that over 900 were of clothed performers not engaging in any form of sexual activity. That defendant was eventually acquitted by a jury of all charges.

So, would you even know what material might be illegal? Have you been sent junk emails and not opened them? How much do you know about operating systems caching images attached to unopened emails?

Comment: Why the porn trial verdict is no reason to celebrate

See  article from  blog.indexoncensorship.org by Jane Fae

Red faces over at the Crown Prosecution Service and the Metropolitan Police, as a jury took under three hours to clear former aide to London Mayor Boris Johnson , Simon Walsh of a string of charges brought under extreme porn laws. Indeed, were Twitter an accurate reflection of the nation's views on a topic, Keir Starmer, Head of the CPS and all those involved in the prosecution would this afternoon be looking for new jobs: such has been the mix of disbelief and outrage that public money and police time should be wasted on footling state attempts to interfere in the private lives of consenting adults.

...

The effect of this [extreme porn] law is pernicious. It doesn't seem to have done much to stem the tide of porn that so many politicians obsess about. It has given police and prosecution another stick with which to beat the unwary --- and to punish them should they not be punishable for any other crime.

...

For all that this result has been embarrassing to the CPS, they continue to make progress on what is beginning to feel like a serious moral agenda at the heart of their practice.  Calls for review of prosecuting practice have followed swiftly.  Ian Dunt, of politics.co.uk, thinks it is time to look again at the culture within the CPS. Ben Goldacre wonders aloud whether it is mere coincidence that a lawyer who has made a career of bringing corrupt police officers to book should be the target of such legal manoeuvring, also suggesting we need an inquiry into why CPS and police keep bring these [cases].

Comment: The shameful and nasty prosecution of Simon Walsh

See  article from  newstatesman.com by David Allen Green

It was a sensible jury decision, and one well-deserved by Walsh and his fine legal team.

But this is a matter which should never have got before a jury, for this was a shameful and nasty prosecution of a good man.

The law is bad to begin with. The offence in its entirety is dealt with over four sections of the relevant statute, and is perhaps the most complex as well as one of the most illiberal prohibitions in criminal law. However, the effect of the law is stark: possession of certain extreme pornographic images of adults is a serious crime even if the acts portrayed are consensual or staged.

Comment: Reflections and future legal directions after #porntrial

10th August 2012. See  article from  lawandsexuality.blogspot.com

Shit-play or sexual play incorporating excrement also characterised the fisting images and whilst the focus has been on injury, I always felt that the issue that might affect a jury more was that of disgust - a term utilised in the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, and part of the tests a jury must satisfy. Representing - quite literally - the dirty , the unclean , this was for me the issue that a jury might find the most difficult to comprehend, and the most likely to cause discomfort.

Oh ye of little faith. The jury demonstrated - in a unanimous verdict - that they did not find such an image grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character (within the meaning of S63(6)(b)) and so whilst the focus has been on fisting, I think the acceptance of scat images is just as - if not more - significant.

Step Up 4: Miami Heat is a 2012 US musical drama by Scott Speer.
With Kathryn McCormick, Ryan Guzman and Cleopatra Coleman. See IMDb

UK: Passed PG for mild language, sex references and violence, after 5s of BBFC category cuts for:

• UK 2012 cinema release

The BBFC commented:

• The company chose to remove language (in this case, an inadequately obscured use of motherfucking and an aggressive use of bitch') in order for the work to be passed at PG . An uncut 12A was available to the company.

US: Uncut and MPAA PG-13 rated.

The film opens in UK cinemas on 10th August 2012.

The Octagon is a 1980 US martial arts film by Eric Karson.
With Chuck Norris, Karen Carlson and Lee Van Cleef. See IMDb

UK: Passed 15 uncut for strong violence for:

• UK 2012 Anchor Bay Blu-ray at UK Amazon just released on 6th August 2012.
• UK 2012 Anchor Bay R2 DVD at UK Amazon just released on 6th August 2012.

Summary Review: Ninja training Camp

Middling actioner with Chuck Norris as a fighter who must defeat a plan by ninjas to create a worldwide training camp for terrorists.

Promotional Material

Scott's life is plagued by two kinds of flashbacks. First are the childhood memories of the rigorous training he and a friend endured under a martial arts master. The second is of a mission Scott went on that ended with him watching his friend get murdered. Scott later becomes drawn closer to a vicious crime ring known as The Octagon. As he gets closer to the truth, Scott learns that these may be the men that murdered his friend so long ago.

Includes:

• Making Of How America Changed Hollywood forever documentary
• Trailer
• TV Spot
• Director s Commentary

Censorship History

US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for:

• US 2006 Trinity R1 DVD via UK Amazon and at US Amazon

UK: Passed 18 after 32s of BBFC cuts for:

• UK 1991 MIA VHS
• UK 1986 Stablecane VHS

The BBFC cuts were:

• Chuck Norris has a fight scene when arriving at the girl's house. Shots of nunchaku have been edited out, either individually, or else by deleting the whole scene
• Deleted a throwing star thrown into man's head
• Deleted a throwing star thrown during the climax
• Deleted a shot of Norris pulling a throwing star from his chest and casting it away

UK: Passed X (18) uncut for:

• UK 1980 cinema release

Edinburgh airport decided to censor a nude Picasso painting after several people whinged about supposedly offensive material. But after a little further consideration, Nude Woman in a Red Armchair was uncovered.

The BBC reports that the nude Picasso painting greeted passengers in international departures as part of an advertisement for the Modern British Art exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.

John Leighton, director-general of the National Galleries of Scotland, called the censorship bizarre:

It is obviously bizarre that all kinds of images of women in various states of dress and undress can be used in contemporary advertising without comment, but somehow a painted nude by one of the world's most famous artists is found to be disturbing and has to be removed. I hope that the public will come and see the real thing, which is a joyous and affectionate portrait of one of Picasso's favorite models, an image that has been shown around the world.

A spokesman for the airport said that the decision to censor the painting came after several passengers complained about the artwork. The spokesperson said that the airport always takes customer complaints seriously but may have over-reacted about the nudity in the Picasso painting:

We have now reviewed our original decision and reinstated the image. The initial decision was a reaction to passenger feedback, which we do always take seriously. However on reflection we are more than happy to display the image in the terminal and we'd like to apologize, particularly to the exhibition organisers, for the confusion.

Wine bottles featuring Adolf Hitler on the label have been called offensive after complaints from US tourists in the Italian city of Garda.

Michael Hirsch, a lawyer from Philadelphia, complained to local media after he found a supermarket near his hotel was stocking wine bottles with Hitler in various poses and another bottle featuring an image of Pope John Paul II. Hirsch told The Daily Telegraph:

It is very shocking and startling to us. We would think of it as neo-Nazism It makes you wonder about the sympathies of the local people.

One bottle features Hitler with his arm raised in the Nazi, another is labelled Mein Kampf and another was labelled Ein volk, ein Reich, ein Fuhrer (one people, one empire, one Fuhrer).

Local prosecutors said they have opened an inquiry into the sale of the wine bottles. But prosecutor Mario Giulio Schinaia told Ansa:

The only crime that could be currently attributable to this is that of apologising for fascism. At this point though it would be opportune to invent the crime of human stupidity.

I want to reassure our American friends who visit our country that our Constitution and our culture rejects racism, anti-Semitism and Nazi fascism, said Andrea Riccardi, the Italian integration minister. This offends the memory of millions of people and risks compromising the image of Italy abroad.

Such is the power of the media hype Fifty Shades of Grey has become an overnight hit with young women and even teenagers who are reading it quite openly with none of the embarrassment which would normally have accompanied such a book before, even including most of the Australian women's swimming team after discovering it in a service station on their way to the Games from Manchester, presumably alongside other novels and within sight of children.

It is not just EL James and her own perverse imagination which are subverting public morals so dramatically; it is the whole of the communications industry which is driving e marketing to an audience who have become gradually desensitised over time by films and TV programmes targeted often specifically at the 16-34 age group, and which increasingly feature sexually explicit material and bondage.

Sexually provocative music lyrics and videos by Madonna, Lady Gaga and Rihanna's S&M are popular with teens and children. Retailers of bondage gear are also making a killing it seems with reports that the book has led to a surge in the sale of whips, handcuffs and other instruments of torture.

...Read the full article

Zombie Flesh Eaters is a 1979 Italian horror film by Lucio Fulci
With Tisa Farrow and Ian McCulloch. See IMDb

UK: Passed 18 uncut after all cuts waived for:

• UK 2012 Arrow Steelbook R0 Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 26th November 2012
• UK 2012 Arrow Special Edition R0 Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 26th November 2012
• UK 2012 Arrow R0 DVD at UK Amazon released on 26th November 2012

Censorship History

The cinema version was passed X by the BBFC in 1979 with 14 cuts totalling 1:46s.

This X rated cinema version was released on video by Vipco in 1980. Vipco then issued the "strong uncut version" in 1981 at a premium price which then got out on the Video Nasties list in October 1983. It stayed on the list throughout so became one of the collectable DPP 39s

The heavily cut cinema version was passed 18 in 1992 & 1996. Vipco misleadingly tried to pass off their version as 'complete'

Re-released on Diskline video in 1999 with most cuts restored but still 23s missing

Finally passed uncut in 2005 and is released as part of the Box of the Banned set of DVDs from Anchor Bay

Promotional Material

They will rise to suck the blood of the living!

From the sleazy video nasty vaults comes a movie so stained with controversy and moral indignation that the very mention of its name sends shudders down the spines of the weak stomached and censorious Zombie Flesh Eaters. A gut-munching, shark wrestling, eye-gouging orgy of topless skin divers, mud-caked undead terror and Italian splatter from the dark imagination of horror genius Lucio Fulci (The Beyond, City of The Living Dead).

An abandoned boat in New York Harbour unleashes a deadly flesh crazed Zombie cargo... A Young American woman and a journalist investigate a tropical island where a deadly disease is making the dead walk... Soon, thoughts of getting to the bottom of the murderous curse will be forgotten, as Fulci s walking corpses overwhelm the living and reports come in that the Big Apple is swarming with the living dead...

After over thirty years, Zombie Flesh Eaters still has the power to shock and offend the unwilling... Check out this classic sadist video and revel in a wonderfully tasteless movie that once helped usher in a moral panic!

String Uncut Version

• Brand new high definition restoration of the original negative.

• Optional English SDH subtitles on the feature

• Audio commentary with screenwriter Elisa Briganti moderated by Calum Waddell

• Audio commentary with Fulci biographer Stephen Thrower and horror expert Alan Jones

• UK exclusive introduction to the film from Ian McCulloch

• ALIENS, CANNIBALS AND ZOMBIES: A TRILOGY OF ITALIAN TERROR: Actor Ian McCulloch remembers his three classics of Latin horror lunacy - ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS, CONTAMINATION and ZOMBI HOLOCAUST

• FROM ROMERO TO ROME: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE ITALIAN ZOMBIE FILM: Veteran Fulci screenwriters Dardano Sacchetti (THE BEYOND) and Antonio Tentori (CAT IN THE BRAIN), celebrated UK critic Kim Newman and filmmakers Luigi Cozzi (CONTAMINATION), Ruggero Deodato (CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST) and Russ Streiner (NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD) share memories of the genesis of corpse-crunching cinema - from Romero's early templates to the gory glory days of Fulci and his many successors.

• THE MEAT MUNCHING MOVIES OF GINO ROSSI: The special effects magician behind many Italian splatter classics talks about his most famous gore-drenched greats - and shows props from many plasma-packed masterworks - including ZOMBIE FLESH-EATERS, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY, CANNIBAL FEROX, BURIAL GROUND and PIRANHA II.

• MUSIC FOR A FLESH-FEAST: Composer Fabio Frizzo - Live Q&A from the Glasgow Film Theatre

• ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS: FROM SCRIPT TO SCREEN. Dardano Sacchetti shows key pages from his original ISLAND OF THE LIVING DEAD screenplay.

• Trailer and radio spots

• Collectors booklet featuring contributions from Calum Waddell, Stephen Thrower, Craig Lapper and Jay Slater.

• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys

Combat Shock is a 1986 war drama by Buddy Giovinazzo.
With Rick Giovinazzo, Veronica Stork and Mitch Maglio. See IMDb

The Director's Cut is set for:

• UK 2012 Arrow (Theatrical + Director's Cut) R2 DVD at UK Amazon

The Director's Cut titled American Nightmare was dropped in favour of another cut used for the Theatrical Version

Promotional material: From jungle hell to urban hate

Nam, a green jungle hell. A terrifying place of death, violence and bloody war where seeing your buddies die in front of you is a daily event and getting your seed corrupted by Agent Orange is an occupational hazard. Poor Ricky came home with a messed up head and scrambled DNA, now he has a mutated baby, a nagging wife and a grim collection of junkie friends to deal with. In the dilapidated tenements of Staten Island, life is harsh and sanity is transitory at best.

Combat Shock is Troma's meanest, grittiest movie. A headfirst trip into the seedy urban trough where hookers, desperate junkies and slowly unravelling Vietnam vets crawl over each other just to survive as the movie jacks up the grime flecked horror on its journey to one of no budget cinema's most shocking conclusions.

You've witnessed the Surf Nazis on the rampage, you've laughed at the kids of the Class of Nuke 'Em High... Now take a trip into Troma's dark heart in COMBAT SHOCK.

Features :

• Reversible sleeve with original poster and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphries
• Collector's Booklet by horror expert Anthony Timpone
• Two disc DVD edition featuring both cuts of the film
• Feature Presentation of American Nightmares, director Buddy Giovinazzo's Original Cut
• Feature Presentation of Combat Shock, the Troma theatrical cut of the film
• Audio Commentary with writer-director Buddy Giovinazzo and Jorg Buttgereit (Nekromantik)
•  Post-Traumatic: An American Nightmare -- A documentary on the film's impact and influence featuring William Lustig (Maniac Cop), John McNaughton (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer), Scott Spiegel (Evil Dead 2), Richard Stanley (Hardware), Roy Frumkes (Street Trash) and more!
• Buddy's Early Works: Five short films directed by Giovinazzo and three music videos from the Giovinazzo brothers band
• Interview with director Buddy Giovinazzo
• Unscarred: Interview with star Rick Giovinazzo
• Buddy Giovinazzo and Jorg Buttgereit at the Berlin Film Festival
• Der Combat: Buddy Giovinazzo and Troma President Lloyd Kaufman at the Tromanale in Berlin
• Hellscapes: The Locations of the film revisited
• Original Theatrical Trailer

The Whisperer in Darkness is a 2011 US mystery horror by Sean Branney.
With Barry Lynch, Stephen Blackehart and Annie Abrams. See IMDb

US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for:

• US 2012 Microcinema R0 Blu-ray at US Amazon released on 31st July 2012
• US 2012 Microcinema R0 DVD at US Amazon released on 31st July 2012

There are no censorship issues with this release

Promotional Material

In 1931 H.P. Lovecraft wrote his classic tale of alien horror, The Whisperer in Darkness . Lovecraft is now considered one of America's foremost writers of horror fiction, standing alongside the likes of Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe. His story, which blends horror and science fiction, relates the adventure of Albert Wilmarth, a folklore professor at Miskatonic University, as he investigates legends of strange creatures rumored to dwell in the most remote mountains of Vermont. Wilmarth's investigation leads him to a discovery of horrors quite beyond anything he ever imagined, and ends in a desperate attempt to escape the remote New England hills with his life and sanity intact.

From the producers of Call of Cthulhu!

Over 2 hours of bonus materials.

Five posters for H&M swimwear:

• (a) One poster showed a woman sitting in shallow sea water, wearing a pink bikini. Text stated, Bikini top ?3.99 .

• (b) A second poster showed a woman sitting upright on a beach, wearing a black bikini, a shawl around her shoulders and sunglasses. Text stated, Bikini top ?3.99 .

• (c) A third poster showed a woman standing in shallow sea water, wearing a patterned bikini. Text stated, Bikini top ?3.99 .

• (d) A fourth poster showed a woman wearing a one-piece block patterned swimsuit, which was zipped to the neck. Text stated, Swimsuit ?19.99 .

• (e) A fifth poster showed a woman standing in sea water up to her thighs. She wore a yellow patterned bikini and an opened scuba diving back pack. Text stated, Bikini top ?3.99 .

• (f) A digital poster was seen outside Westfield shopping centre. It featured three images, the first was similar to poster (a) but the shot was zoomed out and showed more of the model. The second image was the same as poster (c) and the third featured a model in the sea, wearing a one-piece swimsuit and sunglasses. Issue

The ASA received ten complaints challenging whether the ads were offensive, degrading towards women, too sexual for general display, and unsuitable to be seen by children.

ASA Assessment: Complaints not upheld

The models in all the ads were wearing bikinis. However, we considered this was in line with consumer expectations in a campaign promoting swimwear. We noted that, although the photographs were close-up shots, there was no nudity in the ads and considered that neither the models' poses nor expressions were overtly sexual. . While we considered that the poses could be seen as mildly sexual, in the context of a campaign for swimwear, we considered that they were unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.

We investigated ads (a), (b), (c), and (e) under CAP Code rule 4.1 (Harm and offence) but did not find them in breach.

Ads (a), (b), (d) and (f) featured models who were leaning their heads back towards the sun, with eyes closed. This had the effect of drawing attention to the models' chests which, in a different context, could be considered sexually suggestive. However, in the context of a campaign of posters for a range of swimwear, featuring models at the beach in the sun, we considered that the approach was in line with consumer expectations. The posters featured no nudity or overtly sexual poses. Although we welcomed H&M's decision to place the posters away from schools as a precautionary measure, we concluded that ads (a), (b), (c), (d) and (f) were suitable for general display and therefore not irresponsibly placed.

We investigated ads (a), (b), (c), (d) and (f) under CAP Code rules 1.3 (Social responsibility) but did not find them in breach.

Dozens of journalists marched in Burma's main city, Yangon, to protest the suspension of two journals amid broken promises on easing strict censorship laws.

The Voice Weekly and The Envoy were suspended last week for failing to submit stories for pre-publication censorship. The chief censor said that the temporary suspension may last for a fortnight.

The editor of the Voice Weekly, Kyaw Min Swe, said the ban on his publication related to the front page story on a cabinet reshuffle and cartoons criticising the current media freedoms in the country.

The protesting reporters, many wearing black T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan Stop Killing (the) Press in Burmese and English marched to several sites across Yangon, including the two publishing houses behind the suspended weeklies.

A petition by the newly-formed press freedom committee called for an end to all oppressive media laws.

The government had recently taken a lighter touch on some of the less controversial publications, prompting some editors to test the boundaries of the new found freedoms.

Update: Unbanned

8th August 2012. See  article from  en.rsf.org

Reporters Without Borders and its partner organization, the Burma Media Association, welcomed the announcement by the government that it is lifting the suspension it imposed a week ago on two weeklies, The Voice and The Envoy. The two organizations said:

We take note of this decision and the fact that the government allowed journalists to express that discontent without obstruction.  But we will continue to monitor the situation closely and we reiterate our call for the withdrawal of legal proceedings against The Voice and another newspaper, Snapshot.

It is also high time the government disbanded its censorship office, the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division, which is not in any way legitimized by the lack of a new media law.

Several newspapers, including The Nation and The Messenger, voiced their support for the closed weeklies.The Messenger printed its front page in black with the article of the constitution guaranteeing freedom of expression in white letters.

Class of Nuke 'Em High is a 1986 US comedy horror by Richard W. Haines & Michael Herz.
With Janelle Brady, Gil Brenton and Robert Prichard. See IMDb

UK: The Director's Cut/Unrated Version was passed 18 uncut for:

• UK 2012 Arrow RB Blu-ray/R2 DVD at UK Amazon just released on 6th August 2012

Promotional material:

It rotted their bodies. It corrupted their minds. And that's the good news

At Tromaville High School the kids are revolting. Literally. The irradiated marijuana they've been buying from The Cretins, a tough gang of ex-star pupils turned atomic punks, is turning them into freaks. Girls are giving birth to demon babies, the nerds are developing super strength and there's a monster in the school basement that eats honour roll students for breakfast.

Welcome to State education Troma-style, a place where the science lab is kitted out with lasers and nudity is often compulsory. The Class of Nuke Em High will have their work cut out surviving until the final bell, let alone graduation.

So join the Class of Nuke 'Em High in this low rent Troma classic, a straight-to-video masterclass in shlock and awe from the people who brought you Surf Nazi's Must Die.

Features:

• High Definition Blu-ray and Standard Definition DVD transfer of the unrated Director's Cut of the film
• Optional English SDH subtitles on the main feature
• Audio commentary with Troma Studios founder and Class of Nuke 'em High co-director Lloyd Kaufman
• Interview with stars Robert and Jennifer Prichard
• Theo Pingarelli on the making of the nuclear power plant effect
• Troma Studios tour with Llloyd Kaufman
• Public Service Announcement by Lemmy from Moto"rhead featuring Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of South Park
• Aroma du Troma
• Troma Studios Trailer Reel
• Reversible sleeve with original poster and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphries
• Collector's Booklet by critic and author David Hayles

Previous Uncut Versions

UK: The Director's Cut/Unrated Version was passed 18 uncut for:

• UK 2000 Troma R0 DVD via UK Amazon
• UK 1986 Troma VHS
• UK 1986 Virgin VHS
• UK 1986 cinema release

US: The Director's Cut is MPAA Unrated for:

• US 2010 Troma RA Blu-ray via UK Amazon and at US Amazon
• US 1997 Troma R1 DVD at US Amazon

Cut Versions

There is a cut US R Rated Version to avoid

Detention is a 2011 US comedy horror by Joseph Kahn.
With Josh Hutcherson, Shanley Caswell and Spencer Locke. See IMDb

US: Uncut and MPAA R Rated for:

• US 2012 Sony R0 Blu-ray at US Amazon recently released on 31st July 2012
• US 2012 Sony R1 DVD at US Amazon recently released on 31st July 2012

There are no censorship issues with this release.

Australia's Advertising Standards Board has issued a judgment in which it said comments made by fans of a vodka brand's Facebook page were ads and must therefore comply with industry self-regulatory codes and therefore consumer protection laws. Advertisement

The ruling will force companies to vet comments posted by the public to ensure they are not sexist, racist or factually inaccurate.

Non compliant companies could be fined or publicly shamed for the comments that appear on their Facebook brand pages.

A media lawyer is warning that the Advertising Standards Board's ruling on Smirnoff's Facebook page will put the onus back on companies to be more vigilant about the nature of the comments people are posting to their company pages. John Swinson, a partner at law firm King & Wood Mallesons, said the board's ruling turned people's opinions into statements of facts .

Swinson said that if, for example, a member of the public posted a comment on Smirnoff's site that claimed it was the purest Russian vodka and would lead to success with the opposite sex and Smirnoff failed to remove it, the company could be liable on a number of counts.

Although the Advertising Standards Board dismissed the original complaint about Smirnoff, which centred on sexism, under-age drinking and obscene language, it ruled industry codes applied not only to what a company was posting on its Facebook page but to the user-generated comments that followed.

The board's determination also cited a recent case of a health company, Allergy Pathway, which was fined for allowing misleading and deceptive testimonials to remain on its Facebook and Twitter pages.

Surf Nazis Must Die is a 1987 US action comedy by Peter George.
With Gail Neely, Robert Harden and Barry Brenner. See IMDb

UK: The Directors Cut was passed 18 uncut for strong violence and racist language with all previous cuts waived for:

• UK 2012 Arrow R2 DVD at UK Amazon r eleased today on 6th August 2012

Promotional material: At Hang Ten To Hell...

When the California coast is ravaged by a massive earthquake the beaches are left in a state of anarchy. In this lawless void a new power is rising. Adolf and his evil gang of fascist water rats are coming. They are the Surf Nazis and they must DIE!

Fighting with rival beach gangs and harassing the locals, the Surf Nazis soon take over the area but when they ice a local jogger it opens up a can of revenge as the murdered man's Mama breaks out her retirement home, tooled up and ready for harsh vigilante justice.

Blood, guts, gore, nudity and murder come thick and fast in this gnarly beach bum holocaust extravaganza from Troma, the sick, twisted shlock house that brought you Combat Shock and Class of Nuke Em High.

Features:

• Director's Cut Feature Presentation
• Interview with director Peter George
• Interview with producer Robert Tinnell
• Six lost Surf Scenes with introduction by Peter George
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Reversible sleeve with original poster and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphries
• Collector's Booklet by critic and author Calum Waddell

Summary Review: Outrageously Bad

I think it's safe to say you will either love this film or hate it.  It's one of those movies that's so completely without any redeeming value that it actually ends up being enjoyable. If I had to describe it, I'd call it a cross between Repo Man and Plan 9 From Outer Space ... with nazis and surfing thrown in for good measure.

If you can enjoy something lewd, crude, bizarre, and outrageously bad, you'll probably laugh yourself silly and enjoy this movie.

Previously Cut:

UK: The Director's Cut was passed 18 after 25s of BBFC cuts for:

• UK 1996 Allied Troma VHS

The BBFC cuts were

• Cuts in three fight scenes to remove sight of chainsticks (nunchaku).

The Hunter is an Iran/Germany thriller by Rafi Pitts.
With Rafi Pitts, Mitra Hajjar and Ismaïl Amani. See IMDb

US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for:

• US 2012 Olive Films R1 DVD at US Amazon released on 31st July 2012

There are no censorship issues with this release

Promotional Material

Writer, director and Golden Berlin Bear nominee, Rafi Pitts stars as Ali, a man who's recently released from prison. Ali makes the most of his return and despite working nights, he tries to spend as much time possible with his wife and young daughter. To escape the stress of urban living, he retreats to his favorite pastime of hunting in the secluded forest north of town. Tragedy strikes as his wife and daughter are accidentally killed in a police shoot-out with demonstrators. After a long and frustrating experience at the police station, the horror pushes him over the edge. In broad daylight, overlooking the busy city's highways, he randomly shoots and kills two policemen...

According to the Court of Appeal's Judgment in the recent case of R v GS [2012] private one to one text chat on the internet can be subject to the Obscene Publications Act 1959 (OPA).

This means that anyone using the internet to discuss sexual fantasies may be at risk of committing a criminal offence.

Prior to this judgment it was presumed that the OPA did not apply to one to one conversations between individuals. This position was clearly overturned by paragraph 21 of Lord Justice Richards' lead Judgment wherein it was stated that:

In our judgment, to publish an article to an individual is plainly to publish it within the meaning of the Act.

...See the full article

A government making a raft of public spending cuts might not be expected to win many friends. But critics of Mariano Rajoy's rightwing Partido Popular (PP) claim that a series of departures from Spain's leading state broadcasting organisations are a sign that it will not tolerate any criticism.

A number of journalists who have presumed to question the administration's austerity policy have been purged from the national RTVE radio and TV channel. And this weekend the most high-profile exit in recent months -- that of Ana Pastor, the presenter of Los Desayunos de TVE, a popular breakfast news magazine programme -- was announced.

...Read the full article

Midnight Moves: Action Triple Feature

US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for:

• US 2012 Blue Underground R0 DVD at US Amazon released on 31st July 2012

Promotional Material

BIG RACKET: Fabio Testi (REVOLVER) stars as Inspector Nico Palmieri, a tough police detective tearing apart Rome to bust a ruthless protection racket. But when these violent thugs expand their empire into drugs, rape and murder, Nico throws away the rulebook to unleash his own brand of justice. In a city ruled by fear, there's a fine line between cop and criminal...and one lawman is about to blast it to pieces!

HEROIN BUSTERS: Fabio Testi (CONTRABAND) stars as a cold-blooded cop gone deep undercover to take down an international drug syndicate. But when a hair-trigger Interpol agent (David Hemmings of BLOW-UP, DEEP RED and GLADIATOR fame) joins the investigation, the case takes a deadly detour into sexual depravity and sudden violence. Can two tough detectives trapped in a criminal underworld now stay alive long enough to ignite a citywide massacre?

STREET LAW: The legendary Franco Nero (of DJANGO and DIE HARD 2 fame) stars as Carlo Antonelli, an average citizen until the day he is brutally beaten during a violent robbery. But when the police drop the case and the suspects remain free, Carlo is pushed beyond his breaking point. Now one man will launch an all-out war against the criminal scum who plague our cities, where justice has its own rules, vengeance needs no badge and the only force that matters is STREET LAW.

Extras:

BIG RACKET Extras:

• Audio Commentary with Director Enzo G. Castellari
• Theatrical Trailer

HEROIN BUSTERS Extras:

• Audio Commentary with Director Enzo G. Castellari
• Theatrical Trailer

STREET LAW Extras:

• Audio Commentary with Director Enzo G. Castellari
• Laying Down the Law - Interviews with Director Enzo G. Castellari and Star Franco Nero
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spot

The Big Racket previously banned and then cut

UK: Banned by the BBFC for:

• UK 1977 cinema release

UK: Passed 18 after 14s of BBFC cuts for:

• UK 2003 Michael Lee/Vipco VHS

The BBFC commented:

• Compulsory cuts were required to scenes of violent rape focusing on forcible breast exposure and female nudity

Twitter should take action as quickly as possible to deal with supposed abuse on its website, according to a senior police officer.

Stuart Hyde, chief constable of Cumbria police who speaks on e-crime for the Association of Chief Police Officers, said it was right for police to intervene in cases of bullying on twitter.

Asked if new laws were needed, Hyde told BBC Radio 4's Today programme:

No, I think we have got quite a lot of legislation, dating back to the Malicious Communications Acts of 1998 and 2003. There is a lot there that helps us and gives us the power to do stuff.

This is a new technology, a new way of communicating, it has grown exponentially. There hasn't been separate legislation, so we are using legislation that wasn't particularly created for this, but it works reasonably well most of the time.

We are learning from it, there are things that have sometimes gone wrong and I think sometimes it is important that we make sure we provide the service people need.

If people come to us and say 'I am really upset, I've been offended, my life has been made a misery and I want somebody to do something about it', then yes the police should, whenever possible, try to help.

I don't want police officers dragged off the streets to deal with frivolous complaints. Where these complaints are pretty serious, then it is quite right that we should intervene, and we do that.

It is important to look at the whole context. It is not just about one tweet, it is a whole range of tweets.

Look at what the individual has done -- is this a concerted attempt to have a go at one individual in a way that passes the threshold for offences against the law? If it is, then clearly we should intervene and do something to stop it.

But Hyde said that police have so far not received large numbers of complaints about abusive Twitter messages.

Family Guy: Not All Dogs Go to Heaven
BBC 3, 17th December 2011

Stage 1

The complainant wrote to the BBC saying that he had watched the programme from about half way through until its conclusion and found it offensive. He said it was an unmitigated attack on Christ and Christians. In particular, he highlighted scenes showing a dog chewing a cross, Christ being portrayed as a rapist and Christians burning books.

In response, BBC Audience Services explained that Family Guy was an irreverent comedy which joked about many topics, including religion, gender, sexual orientation, politics, history and disability. They said that they did not believe any of the programme's jokes carried the message that one group of society should be openly despised and that Family Guy's humour fell into the category of exaggerated, silly satire. It was not to be taken too literally and the majority of the show's viewers appreciated that it was not trying to attack a section of society.

Audience Services apologised that the complainant found the programme offensive but concluded that it did not go beyond the bounds of what was acceptable comedy for the BBC Three audience.

Stage 2

The Editorial Complaints Unit then considered the complaint. It said that the context of Family Guy was such that the relationship between aspects of the real world and their portrayal in the series was so distant that it was more a case of fantastical allusion than portrayal.

In relation to a dog being made to chew a cross, the ECU said that this was an example of an absurd premise that a dog could be converted to Christianity by using a cross as a stick to be retrieved and that in itself rested on the more fundamentally absurd premise that a dog might be capable of conversion to Christianity when it professed itself an atheist.

In relation to the scene in which the complainant said that Christ was about to commit rape, the ECU said that the scene was capable of more than one interpretation. It could not be said with certainly that Christ was about to commit rape, although it was clear his intentions were not honourable.

Finally, in relation to the scene where Christians were portrayed as burning books on logic, the ECU said that this was hyperbolically exaggerated.

The ECU therefore did not uphold any aspect of the complaint.

Appeal to the BBC Trust

The complainant escalated his complaint to the BBC Trust, saying that he understood Family Guy was an animated cartoon but nonetheless the three elements referred to in his complaint were offensive because of the fact that they were scripted and depicted.

The Editorial Standards Committee noted that the relevant guidelines on Harm and Offence and Religion both allow for editorial justification and audience expectations to be taken into consideration. The Committee noted the background to the series and this episode in particular which had been provided by the ECU and the Head of Editorial Standards. The Committee agreed that, given the context of the programme and the likely expectations of regular viewers of Family Guy and BBC Three viewers in general, there was sufficient evidence to show that any risk of offence was editorially justified.

While the Committee was sorry that the complainant had been offended by the programme, it agreed that there was not a reasonable prospect of success for this complaint on appeal.

The Committee therefore decided this appeal did not qualify to proceed for consideration.

A radio ad for Paddy Power betting service stated Jack Cooper wrote on the Paddy Power Facebook wall I'll give you anything for a decent offer Paddy! We hear you Jack! Anything eh? Well, just chuck us a kidney and in return we'll give you ... this beauty for the golf. Back any player to win The Masters and if Tiger Woods wins, you get your money back! And, because there's another kidney where that came from, here's another cracker: We're playing six places on each-way bets! Bet online or on your Paddy Power mobile app and good luck with the dialysis. We hear you Jack Cooper!

Kidney Wales Foundation and 26 members of the public objected that the ad was offensive and likely to cause distress, in particular to kidney dialysis patients, transplant patients and their loved ones.

ASA Assessment: Complaints not upheld

The ASA noted the ad concentrated on the fictional Jack Cooper character and the lengths he would go to in order to obtain a decent offer from Paddy Power. Whilst exchanging a kidney for something desirable was not as well known as the familiar phrase give my right arm , we considered that within the context of this ad it would be understood as an extension of that phrase. We therefore considered that listeners would interpret the good luck with the dialysis comment within that very specific context and that it would be understood as a tongue-in-cheek comment aimed directly at the Jack Cooper character who had given away his kidneys in exchange for a good offer. Whilst the reference to such a serious medical procedure may have appeared flippant and could be seen as insensitive to people who had experienced dialysis, we considered that within the context of this particular ad, most listeners would understand that it was a fictional, slightly ridiculous situation which did not represent real life or real life situations. Whilst some listeners, including those who had experience of dialysis, may have found the ad distasteful, we concluded that it was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.

We investigated the ad under BCAP Code rules 4.2 and 4.10 (Harm and offence) but did not find it in breach.

A group of Christians banned by a council from handing out leaflets containing passages from the Bible has won an apology.

Gloucester City Council admitted it was wrong to stop worshippers distributing material at a Bible Day celebration. The council issued its apology a day after The Mail on Sunday contacted officials to ask how it justified the ban.

Church leaders in Gloucester complained after a council worker interrupted the event in June, where more than 30 Christians, had gathered at The Cross, a pedestrianised part of the city.

They say the celebration, which included Bible readings and the distribution of a leaflet called Jesus The Suffering Saviour, was ruined by a council employee who claimed that distribution of leaflets contravened a 2002 bylaw on anti-touting.

Roland Parsons, an evangelical preacher who was at the event, said: I'm delighted the council has seen sense. We felt strongly

Gloucester City Council  admitted it was wrong to stop worshippers distributing material at the Bible Day celebration

Dozens of journalists marched in Burma's main city, Yangon, to protest the suspension of two journals amid broken promises on easing strict censorship laws.

The Voice Weekly and The Envoy were suspended last week for failing to submit stories for pre-publication censorship. The chief censor said that the temporary suspension may last for a fortnight.

The editor of the Voice Weekly, Kyaw Min Swe, said the ban on his publication related to the front page story on a cabinet reshuffle and cartoons criticising the current media freedoms in the country.

The protesting reporters, many wearing black T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan Stop Killing (the) Press in Burmese and English marched to several sites across Yangon, including the two publishing houses behind the suspended weeklies.

A petition by the newly-formed press freedom committee called for an end to all oppressive media laws.

The government had recently taken a lighter touch on some of the less controversial publications, prompting some editors to test the boundaries of the new found freedoms.

In the 1960 film Psycho, which was cut for an X certificate, it was the famous bathroom scene that concerned the BBFC Examiners and the cuts list notes several shots that they asked to be removed, including all shots of her breasts or navel and a reduction in the sounds of the attack.

...Read the full article

You could be committing a criminal offence next time you discuss your deepest fantasies with someone online. Alarmist? Only slightly.

A ruling slipped out quietly by the Appeal Court earlier this year, and lurking in the background while the substantive case to which it applied came to court, makes it plain: the act of publishing as defined within the Obscene Publications Act can take place with an audience of just one individual.

That means it is therefore perfectly possible for the content of online chat, should a jury decide that it is capable of depraving or corrupting , to be judged obscene - and as such for one or both participants in that conversation to be guilty of a criminal offence that carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, and a stint on the sex offenders' register.

This is legal dynamite - and in one single judgment catapults the UK to the back of the queue on a range of international indices on freedom of speech.

...Read the full article