The Telephone Book…Once banned by the BBFC, now getting a US Blu-ray/DVD Combo release

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The Telephone Book is a 1971 USA comedy by Nelson Lyon. With Margaret Brewster, Roger C. Carmel, David Dozer. US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for: US 2013 Vinegar Syndrome RA Blu-ray/R1 DVD Combo at US Amazon released on 7th May 2013 Banned in the UK UK: Banned by the BBFC for: UK 1971 cinema release Not released since the ban Summary Review: Underground The story of a day in the life of a lonely, sensitive, exuberant, attractive, young woman. Her exploits, encounters, and frustrations as she attempts to find a special someone, a caller who has class , as she puts it. Funny, near brilliant, underground movie about the sexual perversions of everyday people. A terrific example of grass roots filmmaking were the creativity and ingenuity of the director. Promotional Material   A major, though forgotten, work from New York’s underground film scene of the late 60s and early 70s, Nelson Lyon’s The Telephone Book tells the story of a sex-obsessed hippie who falls in love with the world’s greatest obscene phone caller and embarks on a quest to find him. Her journey introduces to her to an avant-garde stag filmmaker, a manipulative psychiatrist, a bored lesbian housewife, and more. Photographed in high-contrast black-and-white, and punctuated with a remarkable, surreal animated sequence, The Telephone Book is one of the greatest cult films you’ve probably never heard of. Special Features: Commentary track with Producer Merv Bloch Original Music Soundtrack Photo Still Gallery Theatrical Trailers

Midnight Movies Vol 11: Mondo Triple Feature…The iconically banned Mondo Cane gets a US DVD release

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US : Midnight Movies Vol 11: Mondo Triple Feature is uncut and MPAA Unrated for: US 2013 Blue Underground R1 DVD at US Amazon released on 26th February 2013 Mondo Cane is a 1962 Italy documentary by Paolo Cavara & Gualtiero Jacopetti. With Rossano Brazzi and Stefano Sibaldi. Censorship History in the UK UK: Banned by the BBFC for: UK 1962 cinema release UK: Passed X (18) after ~14:00s of BBFC cuts for: UK 1963 cinema release From IMDb: Passed after 14 minutes of cuts with heavy edits to the animal killings, scenes showing German drug addicts and the killing of a man by a bull. From Wikipedia : Iconic Documentary The film consists of a series of travelogue-vignettes providing glimpses into cultural practices throughout the world intended to shock or surprise the mostly Western film audience, including an insect banquet and a memorable look at a practising South Pacific cargo cult. Mondo Cane’s shock-exploitation-documentary style was the inspiration for numerous imitations, including Shocking Asia and the Faces of Death series of movies. It was nominated for the Palme d’Or, the highest prize given to a competing film at the Cannes Film Festival. Mondo cane n. 2 is a 1963 Italy documentary by Gualtiero Jacopetti , Franco Prosperi. With Stefano Sibaldi, Henning Skaarup and Peter Ustinov. There are no censorship issues with this release La donna nel mondo is a 1963 Italy documentary by Gualtiero Jacopetti , and 2 more credits ป. With Stefano Sibaldi and Peter Ustinov. There are no censorship issues with this release

The Bunny Game…Just released uncut on US DVD and Blu-ray

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The Bunny Game is a 2010 US crime horror by Adam Rehmeier With Rodleen Getsic, Norwood Fisher and Gregg Gilmore. See IMDb US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for: US 2012 Autonomy R0 Blu-ray via UK Amazon and at US Amazon just released on 31st July 2012 US 2012 Autonomy R0 DVD at US Amazon just released on 31st July 2012 The region encoding is unconfirmed. Reliable reviewers have listed it as region free but Amazon, who are sloppy about these things, have listed it as A/1. Banned in the UK UK: Banned by the BBFC for: UK 2011 Trinity DVD The BBFC explained the ban in a press release: The BBFC has rejected the sexually violent DVD The Bunny Game . The film follows a female prostitute who hitches a lift with a truck driver. The truck driver kidnaps the woman, restrains and forcibly strips her, and proceeds to physically and sexually abuse and humiliate her. The abuse of the kidnapped woman takes up the greater part of the film. David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said: It is the Board’s carefully considered view that to issue a certificate to this work, even if confined to adults, would be inconsistent with the Board’s Guidelines, would risk potential harm within the terms of the Video Recordings Act, and would accordingly be unacceptable to the public. Promotional Material Banned in the UK and partially inspired by a real-life experience of star Rodleen Getsic, THE BUNNY GAME is an unflinching descent into torment and madness. Junkie hooker Sylvia Grey (Gestic in a brave, award-winning performance) turns the wrong trick in demented trucker JR (Jeff Renfro). After knocking her out cold and taking her to a desolate place where no one can hear her cries, JR subjects Sylvia to a series of increasingly twisted, sadisticgames . But will she survive the ultimate test when she wakes up with her head sealed in a white leather bunny mask? Adam Rehmeier directs with a fearless eye, pushing the boundaries of on-screen mayhem to the extreme. Controversy has surrounded THE BUNNY GAME since it premiered to festival audiences around the world by delivering a terrifying experience that once seen is impossible to forget. Special features: Audio commentary with director Adam Rehmeier and Rodleen Getsic Caretaking the Monster making-of featurette Trailer and alternate trailer

Lost Souls at the BBFC…Robin Cooke talks about 100 years of film censorship at the BBFC

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As the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) celebrates its 100th year, its director David Cooke reflects on some of the films that have challenged the censor over the decades. One of the best examples is 1932′s Island of Lost Souls, the first non-silent screen adaptation of HG Wells’ Island of Dr Moreau, starring Charles Laughton and Bela Lugosi. Scene from Island of Lost Souls Island of Lost Souls was first rejected by the British censor in the 1930s Originally rejected in 1933 – and again in 1957 – the film was eventually classified with an X certificate with cuts in 1958. In 1996 these cuts were restored and the film gained a 12 certificate. In 2011, it was resubmitted for a new DVD/Blu-ray release and was passed as a PG – making it viewable by children, though it carries the warning: Contains mild violence and scary scenes. When we had to classify it again last year, we went for PG on the basis of the comparison with the Doctor Whos and the Harry Potters, explains BBFC director David Cooke.

Finally the Full Sequence…The uncut version of Human Centipede 2 has been released online by Bounty Films

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The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) is a 2011 Netherlands/UK horror by Tom Six. With Laurence R Harvey and Ashlynn Yennie. See IMDb The Uncut Version is now finally available online for: 2011 Bounty Rental Streaming at Bounty Films 2011 Bounty Download to Own at Bounty Films Cut Releases UK: Temporarily banned Banned by the BBFC in June 2011. Unbanned by the BBFC in October 2011 after 2:37s of BBFC cuts Australia: Temporarily banned Originally passed R18+ uncut by the Classification Board Banned on appeal by the Review Board in November 2011. The appeal was requested by NSW Attorney General, Greg Smith Unbanned by the Classification Board after 30s of cuts in December 2011 US: A pre-cut version is missing the barbed wire rape of the last girl in the chain. This is the version that has been available online for sometime now. Summary Review: Sick Fantasy Inspired by the fictional Dr. Heiter, disturbed loner Martin dreams of creating a 12-person centipede and sets out to realize his sick fantasy. This is the type of movie you will either like or hate, I doubt there will be much in between. The film is quite shocking, but not the most outrageous of the genre. Actor Laurence R Harvey is masterful as Martin yet doesn’t utter a single word of dialogue.

Morality in Revenge…Adam Rehmeier speaks of the reception so far to The Bunny game

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Brutal as hell have interviewed Adam Rehmeier on the progress of his BBFC banned film, The Bunny Game Brutal as hell: Can you tell me your reaction to the BBFC decision to ban your film outright? Adam Rehmeier: I think the BBFC decision to ban the film is quite harsh. Of course, they will let remakes of films like I Spit on Your Grave and Last House on the Left pass uncut. Hollywood remakes, nonetheless, that capitalize on the notoriety of rape and revenge of the original films and do absolutely nothing to further the genre. I guess unremitting rape and callous behavior is okay with the BBFC as long as the victim exacts revenge on the tormentor, which, in reality, is never the case. The Bunny Game is a journey through several days in the life of a prostitute and is grounded in reality. It is grim and, as with most abductions, the ending is far from happy. The BBFC seems to think that we are eroticising the torture in the film, encouraging the viewer to join in on the abductor’s pleasure. Did they even watch the film? Out of all the screenings we have had in the past year, not a single person has ever expressed that same thought. …Read the full interview

Disappointing, Worrying and Sad…Distributors, Trinity X, comment on the BBFC ban of The Bunny Game

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From Trinity X press release

The Bunny Game is a 2010 US horror by Adam Rehmeier. See IMDb. The film has just been banned by the BBFC for: UK 2011 Trinity DVD The distributors, Trinity X have now issued their comments on the ban in a press release: Trinity X saddened by BBFC decision to ban The Bunny Game Trinity X, the recently formed DVD genre distribution arm of UK-based film distributor Trinity, described the BBFC’s decision to ban The Bunny Game as disappointing, worrying and sad. Mark Sandell, co-director of Trinity, who acquired the film during Cannes this year, went on to say: We knew the film was challenging and confrontational, but also felt, as a independent filmmaker, Adam Rehmeir (the director), had a highly original filmic eye and had elicited powerful performances from the cast. We did imagine that the BBFC might ask for cuts but an outright ban gives the film a twisted notoriety that, quite frankly, it doesn’t warrant. Adam Rehmeier, the director commented : Rodleen and I didn’t make ‘The Bunny Game’ to glamorise prostitution. It is far from an erotic film. It is a modern cautionary tale grounded in reality. Trinity is currently considering its options

The Bunny Game Banned…Unremitting sexual and physical abuse of a helpless woman

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The Bunny Game is a 2010 US horror by Adam Rehmeier. See IMDb. The film has just been banned by the BBFC for: UK 2011 Trinity DVD The BBFC explained in a press release: The BBFC has rejected the sexually violent DVD The Bunny Game. The film follows a female prostitute who hitches a lift with a truck driver. The truck driver kidnaps the woman, restrains and forcibly strips her, and proceeds to physically and sexually abuse and humiliate her. The abuse of the kidnapped woman takes up the greater part of the film. The Board’s Guidelines state A strict policy on sexual violence and rape is applied. Content which might eroticise or endorse sexual violence may require cuts at any classification level. This is more likely with video works than film because of the potential for replaying scenes out of context. Any association of sex with non-consensual restraint, pain or humiliation may be cut. The principal focus of The Bunny Game is the unremitting sexual and physical abuse of a helpless woman, as well as the sadistic and sexual pleasure the man derives from this. The emphasis on the woman’s nudity tends to eroticise what is shown, while aspects of the work such as the lack of explanation of the events depicted, and the stylistic treatment, may encourage some viewers to enjoy and share in the man’s callousness and the pleasure he takes in the woman’s pain and humiliation. David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said: It is the Board’s carefully considered view that to issue a certificate to this work, even if confined to adults, would be inconsistent with the Board’s Guidelines, would risk potential harm within the terms of the Video Recordings Act, and would accordingly be unacceptable to the public. The Board considered whether its concerns could be dealt with through cuts. However, the pervasiveness of the abuse makes it very difficult to deal with The Bunny Game by means of cuts. If the company would like to attempt to cut this work in order to submit it in a reduced form, they are entitled to do so, but the Board can offer no assurances that such re-editing would be successful. The decision to reject The Bunny Game was taken by the Director, David Cooke and the Presidential Team of Sir Quentin Thomas, Alison Hastings and Gerard Lemos. The decision means that the film cannot be legally supplied anywhere in the UK.

Season of the Banned…Friday night double bills of banned films on the Horror Channel in November

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Season of the Banned The Horror Channel (Sky & cable) Friday Nights in November 2011. The Horror Channel on Sky and cable has picked up eight films to be shown in its Season of the Banned. The films will be aired in a weekly double bill on Friday nights in November. The season will kick off with: Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship and Videotape, a well received documentary about the moral panic of the video nasties The feature films, which will be shown uncut are: The Evil Dead: banned as a video nasty The Exterminator: never banned, but suffered extensive BBFC cuts The Beyond: banned as a video nasty Island of Death: banned as a video nasty City of the Dead: never banned, but suffered extensive BBFC cuts The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: banned by the BBFC Tenebrae: banned as a video nasty

Britain Stitched Up…Human Centipede 2 premieres in Texas

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The first poster for The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) has been unveiled. And the banned in Britain movie has made its debut at the Fantastic Fest film festival in Texas. The poster depicts a centipede-like outline made up from 40 people apparently sewn together. The film will go on US cinema release from 7th October, but the MPAA Unrated version will limit the amount of cinema’s partaking in the release. And as for the first reactions from Fantastic Fest. It seems that the BBFC are doing a far better job of recommending the film than any of the early critics.