Martyrs to Censorship...Martyrs causes controversy in France as the first horror film to be rated 18+

Thanks to Adam The uncut region 2 DVD is available at UK Amazon for release on 25th May 2009

The film Martyrs, is definitely worth watching if you haven’t seen it yet. It has been given an 18 rating by the BBFC with no cuts for its DVD release in a few weeks, despite being one of the most controversial films ever released in France (in terms of censorship). See article from en.wikipedia.org The film was categorized as a new example of new era French horror films akin to Inside (À l’intérieur) by Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury with regards to the level of violence it depicts. It received mostly positive reviews. Ryan Rotten at shocktillyoudrop.com claims that the film is the new yard stick against which all forms of extreme genre films should be measured against. The film received an 18+ rating in France (unsuitable for children under 18 or forbidden in cinemas for under 18s) which the producers of the film appealed. The French Society of Film Directors (SRF) have also asked the Ministry of Culture to re-examine the decision remarking that this is the first time a French genre film has been threatened with such a rating. The Union of Film Journalists has adopted the same position as the SRF, claiming censorship. The appeal succeeded and the film ended up with a 16+ rating in France.

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