Japan torture flick sickens UK film censor The Japanese movie Grotesque (NSFW) has gained a rare accolade this month, in being one of the few films to be refused an '18' certificate in recent years by the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC). Individuals who sell, distribute or supply the film would now be breaking the law. According to a spokeswoman for the BBFC, …
Can we expect to see it do roaring trade on file shares now?
Not that I want to see it, I dislike hostel and the follow up films to Saw.
Although it does sound like a nightmare, if you want to be sickened it sounds like the thing to watch, young couple kidnapped, wake up in a basement with a mad man. I'm however out of that kind of stage (I'm sure I'd already be all over the torrent if I was still in my teens though.)
I do quite like things that sicken me (romper stomper for instance) but I'm just a bit more meh nowdays.
Wonder if it has the same folks who were behind the old gueinipig project.
But anyway, what's the point? People will just download it or import it, not like it would have gained anykind of sales over here. Just another title Tartan would ship a few thousand copies of.
I'm just looking forward to Kyuketsu Shojo tai Shojo Franken that looks like fun Vampire Girl Versus Frankenstein Girl!! w00t.
had they given it an 18 I probably would haven't noticed it. NOW i'm straight on the interweb to download a copy, I just HAVE to watch it now.
How to promote a film in 6 easy steps
Make it controversial
Make it VERY controversial
Push the envelope as far it will go
Get it banned
Watch the press hype it madly
collect $$$$$$$$$$$ / kudos / the next job offer.
"...the BBFC further argue that a film that catalogues sadistic acts, with little or no narrative or character development, is more likely to increase the potential for harm than a film where narrative and character elements are present. Research ... has provided a contrary point of view, ... providing some support for the view that violent offenders are more likely to identify with violent characters than non-violent ones."
The identifying with violent characters fact is nothing to do with its preceding statement. Don't follow an opinion with a fact to make it look as though it disproves the opinion, when it's just the fact's position in the sentence that makes it appear to do that. Keep it objective.
I've grabbed the english subs already, and am downloading it now.
It was released unrated and Uncut in German, so it's all over the torrent sites.
Thank you BBFC, not only in highlighting this film for me, but giving me the smug self satisfaction of getting one over on "them".
...that you Brits have the BBFC to protect you from yourselves. We're on our own here in the US, and let me tell you, it's a minefield - how are we supposed to know if it's OK to look at or think something unless the government tells us? Well, you know how it is - we just don't take care of our citizens here the way you do.
"Banning a film just means that people will want to see it even more and most likely download it from Bit Torrent."
What people are these? The sick fucks who enjoy watching executions, or the people who might pick it up from Blockbuster without realising exactly what it is or how graphic the scenes are? I'm sure whatever studio which released this film will be far from happy at this news - yeah torrent sites might be getting a lot of hits for a few days until the hype/hardons wear off, but can't see that generating much profit for the studio compared from having it sold on the shelf across the country.
There is still the unaswered question - if these movies have a tendency to deprave, surely the BBFC having seen all of these movies should be solely occupied by sadistic, perverted freaks.I watched Ichi the Killer uncut before obtaining a legitimate UK copy and it still confuses me as to why cutting off a woman's nipples is considered one of the most "traumatic" scenes of the movie and had to be cut. The rest of the scene was consider ok for me as an adult, torture and all. Good piece of prosthetics work, I thought.
Have to agree with A Man From Earth. I honestly don't think that there is a place for shit like this. It is just some frustrated porn fantasy of some obviously psychotic prick that really needs some kind of intensive psychiatric treatment. Films like this - and others of their ilk, Saw, Hostel - etc. offer absolutely nothing artisically (not even a whiff or irony) and dip into the 'how low can you go' craze that seems to be hitting the media, which then wonder why oh why society is going down the toilet.
I'm no prude but I want to be entertained, not grossed out so I'm with the BBFC on this one.
Makes you wonder what sort of people enjoy watching this sort of stuff. I'm guessing it's mostly attractive young women getting tortured for the purposes of entertainment. Nice.
You want scary? Your pension is worthless and David Cameron will be leading the country this time next year. Now go and change your trousers.
OK now its banned,
yes we all know how to get the film anyway,
then some sicko, watches it, gets turned on by it,
goes out does some crazy shit, i dunno chops up a bunch of babies, and sells them as milkshakes or sommat!
and its back on the news again, saying why are there not tighter controls on whats out there.
then the torrent sites (luv them) get in even more trouble,
i watched saw / hostel etc, but if someone who knows there job, who's job it is to catch potentially society screwing films etc thinks : you know this is REALLY horrible, there is an argument for not letting people view it, maybe, just maybe we should listen, rather than all of us being so bloody minded that we all think we know best and watch it anyway.
Watch and enjoy those of you who thuink its great and funny, i just hope when you are chopping up some unsuspecting poor soul, when you brain has finally packed in, you make it quick.
beer, as its made from 100% pure germans...!
as to what kind of a person gets gratification on any kind of level, emotional or spiritual, from watching people being tortured, let alone the kind of person who creates images of such.
No scratch that, I have no desire whatsoever to be identified with that kind of person, or be enlightened as to how such a mind works.
Yes, banning this film has made it much more desirable to the kind of person that gets off on watching this kind of thing.
Unfortunately being a supporter of freedom of expression and also being against any kind of censorship I would have to support a persons right to create and watch this kind of film regardless of my opinion and how it may encourage the unbalanced amongst us.
T_T The oil on the back scene.
But really anyone stupid enough (like Dan Likes Spoons) who thinks that just becouse someone want to watch an ultra sick film is some kind of demented freak needs to get a proper grip on reality. You watch things you wouldn't do, or wouldn't want happening to you becouse you want to be freaked out.
They may be happy watching the wedding singer but in my opinion that particular genre indicates you're dead inside.
As to "or the people who might pick it up from Blockbuster without realising exactly what it is or how graphic the scenes are?" If someone is thick enough to see a J-Horror with that cover, where it say that Hostel and Saw were nothing compared to it, and the blurb tells you two people get kidnapped and tortured in a basement by a mad man, then they're a menace to society and should think carefully about learning how to read and judge things. I could see someone who actually wants to be offended so they can complain to the Daily Fail, but that sort needs to review their prioritise.
At the same time I still don't like these kinds of films. So shall stear clear.
At least you know what you are going to get with this one and the makers have been quite upfront in their advertising and promotion. If you're a sicko and enjoy that sort of thing - watch it. If not, you can avoid it.
Unlike Slumdog Millionaire which got a 15 cert and was promoted as the "Feel-good film of the year" and opens with the torture by electrocution of a child and then goes on, via flashbacks during his 24 hour torture, to tell the story of a boy who witnessed the brutal killing of his own mother and the blinding of friends to make them more effective beggars.
Presumably that was okay because of the sick and depressing narrative.
Maybe the makers of Grotesque should show the back story of the psycho. Maybe something cheerful like him being raped by his Dad. Then we'd have "narrative" and "character Development" so it would all be okay, right?
...I suspect this has rather more to do with the BBFC keeping one eye on all that new legislation so recently passed regarding 'extreme' pr0n. It just wouldn't do to be giving the nod to a mucky little flick like this, whilst Ministers are busy legislating day and night to criminalise every 'deviant' imaginable (and it seems they can imagine quite a few). Expect the BBFC to banning a lot more movies in future. This is how the new laws have been designed to work.
Is the world a better place with this movie (or Saw or Hostel or any of the others) in it? The only answer is, well, no. The world is probably a better place without it - as people wouldn't be getting 'entertained' by stuff that they really shouldn't be.
The same goes for Transformers and anything with Adam Sandler in it, too.
oh come on you whingers, how can it be sick, unless they did actually torture people to make the film, but that would make it a snuff film wouldn't it? -or a documentary maybe. i'm not too up on the genre really.
the whole censorship seems stupid and archaic nowdays, you can't control information like you used to, and it is my belief that if people don't want to watch it because they don't like the subject matter, they won't.
it is probably a crap film though, but even saw and hostel were borderline entertainment imo, not exactly fun to watch.
The US banned Max Hardcore didn't they? Or some district or city council or however it works over there. My point is it seems the land of the free still has 'artistic' censorship, not that he or this Jap flick seem to be that arty.
I'm against all censorship because that's the only non-hypocritical stance. If it means someone makes a torture movie, so be it. Better a fake one than a real one?
If i knew of anyone that even *wanted* to watch this stuff (knowing what it was about), i'd hand them their P45 and have them escorted out within minutes.
I cant imagine what kind of emotionless psychopath can consider this kind of shit "entertainment", and it worries the hell out of me that todays teens not only think this stuff is cool, but that they can easily get hold of it.
I fail to see why pointing out that the BBFC are wasting their time (and that anybody who really wants a copy will be able to get one) makes people morons.
I don't particularly want to see it either, but I'm not a moron. I'm an adult who is perfectly capable of deciding what is suitable for me to watch.
You should change your name to amancalledmoron.
I watched a gardening programme the other night - Didn't go out gardening.
I watched some stupid dance programme the other night - Didn't go out dancing.
I watched X-files last night - Didn't want to put a tin foil on my head
I watched superman a while ago - Didn't want to jump off a building thinking I could fly.
Wonder what would happen if I watched this?
All the comments saying you'll immediately go on some Dexter style killing rampage are just plain stupid and make you look stupid.
Now; where's my saw and duck tape....
... actually likes the taste of parsnips, but I'm not about to stop people torturing their tastebuds with them, twisted and malfunctioning though they may be.
Likewise, the idea of anal penetration horrifies me on a great many levels but that's on the list of officially approved activities. As long as you don't do it on the floor because they might cause carpet burns and that's violent.
I personally see little difference between people who want to persecute others for the crime of being attracted to people who appear to be in pain or in danger, and those who persecuted Mr Turing to death. It's natural to feel urges to give pleasure to people who are hurting, if you don't then what kind of sociopath are you?
Sick b@stard running the show..............check
Perverse acts on the victims....................check
Torture and killing......................................check
People watch and are horrified...............check
You wish you really weren't watching.....check
Makes you want to wash real good........check
You hope it's not real.................................check
You know there's no redeeming quals...check
You watch like a train wreck......................check
You know it won't really change...............check
Some parts make you want to barf.........check
"Captivity" had a so called "plot" bolted on to the end after some jurisdictions declined it on the grounds that it wasn't just sick and crap, but that it was pointless as well. With a plot it had some sort of point and was so let through.
If this had been intercut with the torturers back story, explaining how his path through society had led to him doing these things, to these people, at this time, then we'd have "art" something that would engage the full intellect, _I_ might even try to watch it.
We have an 18R category to acknowledge that although porn might be fairly mindless and pointless, the base desires and instincts that it taps in to are healthy and normal. Without sex society would be extinict within a century. (AFAIK Rape scenarios fall outside of R18 by some margin.)
There are lots of bullies, sadists and chavs out there who do get off on making and seeing innocent people suffer for no good reason. If someone doesn't agree that a thirst for meaningless suffering is unhealthy than I doubt I've enough common ground to talk to them on.
While I know a few people who'll be scrambelling to watch this just to prove "It's not that bad, just the BBFC being oppressive"[1] I'm quite glad to have a warning to give this one a wide berth.
[1] Same people have also been known to stone-wall victims of street-beatings because "So-called chavs are normally harmless and must have been provoked, so he'll get no sympathy from me."
So, in effect, the BBFC should have banned and cencored the 9/11 attacks, all and any war coverage, and the 6pm news, even things in that so-called great book--the bible.
It just grates me that any group of people whether government or private people, has the right to ban, censor, etc... anyother group or people.
This Movie is nothing new. The things in it have been going on since humans have lived on this planet and to say that banning will make for a better society is just plain hog-wash.
I watched them as a teen. Disturbing and sad, though hard to stop watching. I couldn't stop thinking about the images for days after. However, it did NOT motivate me to go harm people or animals. (although my morning commute almost did) I think factual images are fine, with some guidance.
While I'm not for censorship, it's hard for me to imagine why someone would choose to celebrate violence and pain by producing these things. If you need this to get off, you're trying too hard.
I don't necessarily think that this will cause someone to go out and kill. You'd have to sanitize every sensory input in the world to protect everyone from themselves. Whether it's a sick movie, too much drugs/alcohol, videogames, music, a jilting, a layoff, or any other kind of strong emotional input, there will always be someone who is not prepared to deal with it and goes on a rampage.
TPB
158 seeders
971 leechy sicko types....
and after watching saw on tv, i think i'll pass on this one.
after being traumatised by watching The Evil Dead as a 9 year old on betamax at a mates house after school, just after it got banned in the uk in the 70's has done enough permanent damage to my psychy.....
... seriously needs to watch out for their mental health.
I understand the human fascination with horror, but that would be psychological horror - the implication of what may happen.
What I don't understand is a fixation with graphic horror. I think it's basically akin to a sickness, hence the term "that's sick" - the more you watch, the more your likely to want to keep watching.
I can't judge this behavior, that would be wrong, but personally, I'm not that kinda person.
Watching people being tortured?
Why?
Do you want to be tortured, do you want to torture?
For fucks sake, isn't there enough of that crap out there for real and you still want to watch it?
I just don't understand this kinda stuff and I can only agree with the UK censor board - it's a sickness that doesn't do anyone any favours - it's wrong on every level.
So there's me saying I won't judge - but lets do it anyhow, anyone who actively enjoys this kinda movie isn't happy or balanced - they are, in fact, doomed.
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