Baby is a 2015 India action crime mystery by Neeraj Pandey. Starring Kerem
Sarikaya, Ali Balkan Avci and Zachary Coffin.
Pakistan: Banned by film censors in January 2015
Baby is an Indian action movie about a spy mission to catch a dreaded terrorist. It has now been banned by Pakistan's film censors. The Dawn newspaper
reported:
Censor boards in Islamabad and Karachi have decided to ban the film because it portrays a negative image of Muslims and the negative characters in the film also have Muslim names.
Summary Notes
An elite counter-intelligence unit learns of a plot, masterminded by a maniacal madman. With the clock ticking, it's up to them to track the terrorists' international tentacles and prevent them from
striking at the heart of India.
Badhaai Do is a 2022 India comedy by Harshavardhan Kulkarni Starring Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar and Sheeba Chaddha
Kenya: Banned by the film censor in February 2022
The Kenya Film Classification Board (KCFB) has banned a gay-themed Indian film titled Badhaaai Do . Sammy Wambua, the Film Board's acting Chief Executive said that the film tries to directly influence the viewer into believing that
homosexuality is a normal way of life. He added:
The multiple scenes of lesbian and gay affection depicted in the film are in complete disregard of our cultural values and beliefs. The film in question overtly disregards
our laws, constitution, and sensibilities as a people.
Summary
Shardul Thakur and Suman Singh enter into a marriage of gay convenience but chaos ensues when her girlfriend comes
to stay with them.
Availability
UK: Passed 12A uncut with a BBFC trigger warning for homophobic behaviour for 2022 cinema release.
v Baise-moi
- 2000 France crime drama by Virginie Despentes and Coralie.
Baise-moi is a 2000 France crime drama by Virginie Despentes and Coralie. With Raffaëla Anderson, Karen Lancaume, Céline Beugnot.
Cut by the BBFC for 2001 cinema release and 2002 DVD, but uncut on 2013
DVD. The BBFC notes that the film contains real sex. Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US.
Australia: Banned by the Film Censorship Board for:
2013 Potential Films video
2002 Requested ban by Australian Government upheld
The film was previously shown in Australian cinemas with an R18+ (18) rating
See article from
refused-classification.com . Note that the version banned by the censors in 2013 was a pre-cut version with the sight of penetration deleted from the rape scene. The
Film Censorship Board explained its majority decision to ban the video:
In summary, as this film contains depictions of explicit sexual activity and sexual violence, sexualized violence and violence which are very high in
impact and, as such, exceeds what can be accommodated within the R 18+ classification, and, as the film also contains violence, sexual violence and sexualized violence and, as such, cannot be accommodated within the X18+ classification, this material
warrants Refused Classification.
Summary Review: Crude but exhilarating
Two young women, marginalised by society, go on a destructive tour of sex and violence. Breaking norms and killing men -
and shattering the complacency of polite cinema audiences.
People comparing Baise-Moi to Thelma and Louise and finding it wanting by comparison are missing the point. Baise-Moi has much more in common with
films like Natural Born Killers and Rafal Sielinski's Fun , and viewers who won't enjoy the nasty music, nasty violence and nasty sex should stick to safe, predictable Hollywood production-line films. For those with stronger stomachs, this
will be a cult film to watch repeatedly.
Availability
UK: Passed 18 uncut for sexual violence, real sex and very strong language with previous BBFC cuts waived for:
Bangistan is a 2015 India comedy by Karan Anshuman. Starring Jacqueline Fernandez, Rajesh Sharma and Riteish Deshmukh.
Pakistan: Banned
The film has been banned in Pakistan with the Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Censors, Mobashir Hasan, saying:
The film has not been certified
and given a complete ban, primarily because it is offensive to Muslims and Hindus living in Pakistan.
The problem with the film is that it's a religious satire, which leaves very little room for any lenience.
The central board has also requested all the provincial boards to put a complete ban on the film, since there is no way in which the film can be edited to suit the audiences.
Singapore: Banned
Banned by the film censors but there is still the possibility of an appeal to the reviewing committee.
UAE: Banned
A day before its grand opening in Dubai, Karan
Anshuman's directorial debut, Bangistan, has been banned in United Arab Emirates.
The reason for the ban may be to do with religious sensitivities. In Inida protestors cited an 'objectionable' scene in which a character is dressed up as the Hindu God,
Hanuman, and later seen indulging in terrorist activities.
Summary Notes
Two blundering terrorists with lofty ideologies, but ordinary talent, on a mission to change the world.
Availability
UK: Passed 12A uncut for moderate innuendo, threat, violence for:
Banned from cinemas in 2015 after 31 scenes were deemed inappropriate by local censors. Government film censors explained the ban:
This film has a title, theme, storyline, scenes and double-meaning
dialogue with implicit messages that were feared could raise controversy and public doubt, the response reads, adding that it mocked national security issues, specifically the Lahad Datu intrusion ... ridiculed the capacity and role of security troops in
maintaining peace as well as national security ... includes allegations and negative perceptions towards government agencies related to citizenship ... and accentuates negative sociocultural lifestyles such as lesbian gay bisexual transgender (LGBT).
Summary Notes
The action comedy centres on Harris, a Bangladeshi worker in Malaysia who just wants to return to his hometown to marry the love of his life; Hangouren, a
pro-Malaysian activist who wants his fellow countrymen to join him in his attempt to regain their country's natural state without immigrants; and Rina, the idealistic daughter of the boss that has fallen for Harris at first sight.
v Barbie
- 2023 UK/US comedy fantasy by Greta Gerwig
Barbie is a 2023 UK/US comedy fantasy by Greta Gerwig Starring
Margot Robbie, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Ryan Gosling
No censorship issues in the west but banned in Vietnam over a map ceding to China's territory grab in the South China Sea. The film was also banned in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Summary Notes
Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.
Versions
banned
Kuwait
Saudi
Vietnam
Kuwait: Banned in August 2023:
Kuwait has banned the film Barbie in a bid to protect public ethics and social
traditions.
Saudi: Banned in August 2023:
In Saudi Arabia, the culture ministry's announcement on August 9 cited violations of laws and values, asserting that certain scenes within the film mocked the sanctity
of marriage and family, and insulted Islamic beliefs.
Vietnam: Banned in July 2023
Vi Kien Thanh, head of the Department of Cinema, a government body in charge of licensing and censoring foreign films said:
We do not grant license for the American movie 'Barbie' to release in Vietnam because it contains the offending image of the nine-dash line
uncut
run:
113:54s
pal:
109:21s
UK: Uncut and BBFC 12A rated for moderate innuendo, brief sexual harassment, implied strong language:
2023 Warner Bros Entertainment UK cinema release (rated 02/07/2023)
Ireland: Uncut and IFCO 12A rated for implied strong language, moderate sex references, some mature themes are explored:
2023 Warner Bros cinema release (rated 05/07/2023)
Australia: Uncut and ACB PG rated for mild crude humour, innuendo, coarse language and slapstick violence:
Beauty and the Beast
is a 2017 USA family musical romance by Bill Condon. Starring Emma Watson, Dan Stevens and Luke Evans.
Kuwait: Banned in March 2017
Beauty and
the Beast opened in Kuwait last week with a PG-13 rating, but by this week, the nation's government-owned cinema company, which runs 11 out of the 13 theaters in the Persian Gulf country, announced that all screenings had been canceled and offered a
full refund to anyone who had purchased a ticket.
One board member of the National Cinema Co. told the Associated Press:
We were requested to stop the screening and further censor the movie for things that were deemed
offensive by the Ministry of Information's censorship department.
At issue, apparently, is a scene in which a supporting character, LeFou, is depicted as having a romantic fascination for Gaston and is shown dancing with another man
in a ballroom scene said to be three seconds long.
Malaysia: Uncut and P13 rated on appeal
Disney's movie Beauty and the Beast has won an appeal against censorship and will now be released uncut with a PG 13
rating.
Malaysian authorities had initially demanded cuts but Disney refused to oblige the censors, choosing to instead to appeal the decision
Disney have now won that appeal, a decision perhaps linked to some members of parliament questioning the
need to censor the film, arguing that the debacle was giving Malaysia bad publicity.
Malaysia: Withdrawn after the distributors refused cuts in March 2017
Malaysian censors ordered cuts to the cinema release of Beauty
and the Beast, removing what its creators say is a gay moment. Even after the cuts, the censors imposed a P13 rating (a 13A in UK terms). But according to a media report, Walt Disney decided anyway to shelve the film's Thursday release in the
country.
Malaysian Censorship Board (LPF) chairman Datuk Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid told The Star Online the film has been approved with a P13 parental guidance classification, with a minor cut.
Since 2010 Malaysia's film censorship rules allow
the depiction of gay characters, but only if those characters show repentance or are portrayed in a negative light.
Russia: Children banned in March 2017
the Russian government has opted to give the film a rather
unviable 16+ rating, a restrictive rating preventing children below that age from seeing the film.
Vyacheslav Telnov, director of the Culture Ministry's cinema department, told Russian entertainment site KinoPoisk.ru:
We will issue the film distribution license without any problems. The minimum age is 16+.
A 2013 Russian law bans promotion of homosexuality among minors. The law describes homosexuality as non-traditional sexual relations.
Summary Notes
Disney's animated
classic takes on a new form, with a widened mythology and an all-star cast. A young prince, imprisoned in the form of a beast, can be freed only by true love. What may be his only opportunity arrives when he meets Belle, the only human girl to ever visit
the castle since it was enchanted.
v Beirut Hotel
- 2011 France/Sweden/Lebanon drama by Danielle Arbid.
Beirut Hotel is a 2011 France/Sweden/Lebanon drama by Danielle Arbid. With Charles Berling, Darine Hamze and Fadi Abi Samra. Lebanon: Banned
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.
Black Friday is a 2004 India action crime drama by Anurag
Kashyap. Starring Kay Kay Menon, Pavan Malhotra and Aditya Srivastava.
Banned by Indian courts in 2005 until it was unbanned in 2007. The 2007
UK cinema release was cut for animal cruelty.
India: Banned in court 2005
The 2005 cinema release was blocked by Bombay High Court. The producers appealed at the Supreme Court but the High Court order was
upheld.
The movie was unbanned and released on video in 2007.
Summary Notes
A dramatic presentation of the bomb blasts that rocked Bombay on March 12, 1993, displays the
police investigation, amidst allegations of human rights violations, led by DCP Rakesh Maria, in tracking down the suspects, especially Bashir Khan. Bashir managed to elude authorities by re-locating to Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and West Bengal,
after finally being apprehended in Bombay. His confession and subsequent flashbacks showcases the apathy shown by authorities who refused to intervene during the destruction of the sacred Babri Masjid by Hindu Kar Sevaks, and the inability of the police
to fulfill their mandate and protect the vulnerable, forcing many to flee to other locations. The subsequent aftermath that succeeded in irreversibly polarizing communities in Bombay; Pakistan's involvement in training and arms' supplies; the main
alleged suspects, Dawood Ibrahim, and Mushtaq Memon, sought refuge in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, while Indian politicians made a cosmetic move to ...
Black Swan is a 2010 US drama thriller by Darren Aronofsky.
With Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel.
Barbados: Temporarily banned.
The Film Censorship Board instituted the ban deeming the film inappropriate for viewing because of offensive sexual behaviour. The movie features a scene depicting a lesbian
encounter.
Public protest and a petition against the ban got it overturned and the film was eventually released with an R Rating.
UAE: Banned
Mohammad Naser, the UAE cinema censor said: When we find that the
amount of editing required takes a big part of the movie, we conclude that there is no point in releasing it.
Availability
UK: Passed 15 uncut for strong sex, language and bloody images for
Blue is the Warmest Colour is a 2013 France/Belgium/Spain romance by Abdellatif Kechiche. Starring Léa Seydoux, Adèle Exarchopoulos and Salim Kechiouche.
Banned in France: December 2015
The French 12 rating for Blue is the Warmest Colour was withdrawn in December 2016 over its extended lesbian scenes. This was the result of court case issued by the
religious campaign group Promouvoir (Promote). Abdellatif Kechiche's film was re-rated 12 about a year after the ban.
Summary Notes
Adele's life is changed when she meets Emma, a young woman with
blue hair, who will allow her to discover desire, to assert herself as a woman and as an adult. In front of others, Adele grows, seeks herself, loses herself, finds herself.
Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine will not be shown in India.
Allen is not one to compromise his artistic vision. He decided not to show the film in India rather than
add legally required anti-smoking messages to two scenes.
PVR Pictures Ltd., the Indian distributor said the director considered the required additions, written warnings that appear on screen during scenes with smoking, and found them to be
unacceptable.
Summary Notes
A New York socialite, deeply troubled and in denial, arrives in San Francisco to impose upon her sister. She looks a million, but isn't bringing money, peace, or love...
Availability
US: Uncut and MPAA PG-13 rated for:
2014 Sony Pictures Home Entertainment RA Blu-ray at US Amazon
2014 Sony Pictures
Home Entertainment R1 DVD at US Amazon
Borat is a 2006 USA / UK comedy by Larry Charles. Starring Sacha Baron
Cohen, Ken Davitian and Luenell.
Kazakhstan: Banned for cinema
Unbanned for video and was a big hit.
Malaysia: Banned
Later unbanned
and passed 18
Russia: Banned for cinema
Passed 18 for video
UAE: Banned
A censor at Dubai's ministry of information, labelling the comedy vile, gross and extremely ridiculous, added
that if all the offensive scenes were cut out, only 30 minutes would remain.
Ukraine : Banned
Summary Notes
Borat Sagdiyev is a TV reporter of a popular show in Kazakhstan as Kazakhstan's
sixth most famous man and a leading journalist. He is sent from his home to America by his government to make a documentary about American society and culture. Borat takes a course in New York City to understand American humor. While watching Baywatch on
TV, Borat discovers how beautiful their women are in the form of C. J. Parker, who was played by actress Pamela Anderson who hails from Malibu, California. He decides to go on a cross-country road trip to California in a quest to make her his wife and
take her back to his country. On his journey Borat and his producer encounter a country full of strange and wonderful Americans, real people in real chaotic situations with hysterical consequences.
Availability
UK:
Passed 15 uncut for strong language and sex references for:
The Bridge is a 2006 UK/USA documentary by Eric Steel. With Eric
Geleynse, Chris Brown and Susan Ginwalla.
New Zealand: Banned from Netflix in 2015
Netflix complied with the New Zealand Film and Video Labeling Body to remove The Bridge. The film is classified as objectionable in the country.
New Zealand: Banned by the film censor in 2007
Summary Notes
People suffer largely unnoticed while the rest of the world goes about its business. This is a documentary exploration of the mythic beauty of
the Golden Gate Bridge, the most popular suicide destination in the world, and those drawn by its call. Steel and his crew filmed the bridge during daylight hours from two separate locations for all of 2004, recording most of the two dozen deaths in that
year (and preventing several others). They also taped interviews with friends, families and witnesses, who recount in sorrowful detail stories of struggles with depression, substance abuse and mental illness. Raises questions about suicide, mental
illness and civic responsibility as well as the filmmaker's relationship to his fraught and complicated material.
Availability
UK: Passed 18 uncut for suicide theme and footage of real suicides for:
Bruce Almighty is a 2003 USA comedy fantasy drama by Tom
Shadyac. Starring Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman.
Egypt: Banned in November 2003
The Egyptian authorities banned Bruce Almighty for undermining Muslim and other religious values. The director of artistic censorship, Madkour Thabet, said the American film Bruce Almighty was banned because
it harms the Almighty by daring to have him incarnated by an actor. The film harms all religions and not a particular religion when an actor plays the role of God.
Jordan:
Cut in 2003
Several Jordanian MPs urged the government to take to task those responsible for allowing movie theaters to screen the comedy, though some scenes, such as the parting of the Red Sea, were cut.
Malaysia: 18 rated
The film was passed by the country's film censors but caused a bit of stink, resulting in calls for it to be banned. The government stepped in and decided that it need not be banned (as it did not
mention Allah), but also upgraded the age certificate to an 18PL rating (18PL, The PL refers to the reason for the rating, PL means various which includes religion).
Summary Notes
Bruce Nolan, a
television reporter in Buffalo, N.Y., is discontented with almost everything in life despite his popularity and the love of his girlfriend Grace . At the end of the worst day of his life, Bruce angrily ridicules and rages against God and God responds.
God appears in human form and, endowing Bruce with divine powers, challenges Bruce to take on the big job to see if he can do it any better.
In 2008, the full uncut version of Caligula was resubmitted to the BBFC for DVD release. The passage of nearly 30 years had significantly diminished the film's impact and after careful consideration it
was decided that it could now be classified '18' uncut.
This decision accords with the BBFC Guidelines, which state that At '18', the BBFC's guideline concerns will not normally override the wish that adults should be
free to chose their own entertainment, within the law.
Although there are scenes in Caligula that some people will find shocking, offensive or disgusting, the film does not contain any material that is illegal in terms
of current UK law and nor does it contain any material that is likely to give rise to harm for adults audiences, most of whom will be well aware of its controversial reputation.
The DVD version was classified '18' uncut
with the consumer advice Contains strong violence, sexual violence and strong real sex.
uncut
Australia
Australia: The uncut version was banned in July 2010
Cat Sick Blues is a 2015 Australia horror by Dave Jackson.
Starring Matthew C Vaughan, Shian Denovan and Noah Moon.
New Zealand: Banned in March 2017
This Australian censorship board classified the film MA 15+ for strong horror violence and coarse
language. However the New Zealand film censors at the OFLC banned the film as objectionable , with the explanation:
The publication is a low-budget horror film from Australia about a demented serial killer who
chooses a rape victim as his next target.
Two excisions were required to remove part of a scene (and related content in a behind-the-scenes component) that causes the DVD to tend to promote and support the use of violence to
compel a person to submit to sexual conduct, and the infliction of extreme violence and extreme cruelty under s3(2)(b) and s3(2)(f) of the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993.
If the excisions had been made,
the DVD would have been classified R18 due to the high extent and degree of gruesome horror, the infliction of serious physical harm and cruelty, and sexual violence.
The distributor declined to make the excisions, so the DVD is
classified as objectionable.
Summary Notes
When Ted's beloved cat dies, the trauma triggers a terrible mental breakdown. His broken brain prompts him to bring his feline friend back
- all he needs is nine human lives. Ted dons vicious deadly cat claw gloves and a creepy cat mask, and goes on a murderous rampage. As the butchery escalates, a twisted romance blossoms between Ted and Claire, a young woman who has also recently lost her
cat in a horrifying incident.
Direct-to-video sci fi sequel starring Tessie Santiago as Maya, a young psychic investigator who gained her extrasensory abilities after an attack by a serial killer named 'The
Cusp', which put Maya in a coma for one year. Now, The Cusp has returned and Maya must enter the psychopath's mind in order to save his latest victim.
v Child 44
- 2015 Czech Republic / UK / Romania / USA thriller by Daniel Espinosa.
Child 44 is a 2015 Czech Republic / UK / Romania / USA thriller by
Daniel Espinosa. Starring Tom Hardy, Joel Kinnaman and Noomi Rapace.
Russia: Banned in April 2015
Culture Ministry bosses, who claim the movie distorts historical facts, banned the release after a preview raised concerns about Hardy's character and the plot, set in
Stalin-era Russia. A statement suggests the film's release in the run-up to the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two is unacceptable .
Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky claims the movie depicts Russians as physically and morally
base sub-humans .
Central Asia: Withdrawn from cinemas
The film was also withdrawn from cinemas in Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Summary Notes
Based on the first of a trilogy by Tom Rob Smith and set in the Stalin era of the Soviet Union. The plot is about an idealistic pro-Stalin security officer who decides to investigate a series of child murders in a country where
supposedly this sort of crime doesn't exist. The state would not hear of the existence of a child murderer let alone a serial killer. He gets demoted and exiled but decides, with just the help of his wife, to continue pursuing the case.
Christopher Robin is a 2018
USA children's musical by Marc Forster. Starring Hayley Atwell, Ewan McGregor and Chris O'Dowd.
China: Banned in August 2018
The Children's
film Christopher Robin has been banned by Chinese film censors. No reason was given for the denial, but a source pinned the blame on China's crusade against images of the Winnie the Pooh character, which is widely used as a mocking representation
of the Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Last summer, authorities began blocking pictures of Winnie the Pooh on social media when bloggers drew comparisons between the pudgy bear and Xi, which has put the country's censors in overdrive.
Summary Notes
An adult Christopher Robin, who is now focused on his new life, work, and family, suddenly meets his old friend Winnie the Pooh, who returns to his unforgotten childhood past to help him return to the Hundred Acre Wood
and help find Pooh's lost friends.
Availability
UK: Passed PG uncut for mild threat, brief war violence for:
2018 cinema release
v Climax
- 2018 France musical horror mystery by Gaspar Noé.
Climax is a 2018 France musical horror mystery by Gaspar Noé. Starring Sofia Boutella, Romain Guillermic and Souheila Yacoub.
Lebanon: Banned in November 2018
The film was was banned by Lebanese film censors from showing at the Maskoon Film Festival.
Promotional Material
Birth and death are extraordinary life experiences. Life is a fleeting pleasure. Following a successful and visually dazzling rehearsal, a dance troupe celebrates with a party. But when it becomes apparent that someone has spiked the Sangria, the
dancers soon begin to turn on each other in an orgiastic frenzy.
Availability
UK: Passed 18 uncut for strong threat, violence, sex references, drug misuse, very strong language:
Clip is a 2012 Serbia drama by Maja Milos. With Isidora Simijonovic, Vukasin Jasnic and Dimitrije Arandjelovic. Russia: Banned from cinema screenings
The
film was banned over supposedly indecent language and scenes of drug and alcohol abuse, as well as pornographic depictions of sex between minors. The sex scenes are performed by adult body doubles.
Summary Review: Serbian Kids
Jasna is a teenage girl living in the poor suburbs in the south of Belgrade, Serbia. She likes to record everything around her using a mobile phone camera. She spends more and more time hanging out with her school
friends, partying and drinking. Jasna starts to experiment with drugs and to skip school.
The main premise of the movie is to give a brutal insight into the everyday life of the Serbian youth through the eyes of a coming-of-age
girl entering the adult (sex) life.
The Club is a 2015 Chile drama by Pablo Larraín. Starring Roberto Farías, Antonia Zegers and Alfredo Castro. Italy: Banned across much of Italy in cinemas owned by
the church.
The Catholic Church in Italy has effectively banned El Club across much of Italy by declaring it unfit to be shown in any of the theaters owned by the church.
Summary Notes
A crisis counselor is sent by the Catholic Church to a small Chilean beach town where disgraced priests and nuns, suspected of crimes ranging from child abuse to baby-snatching from unwed mothers, live secluded, after an incident
occurs.
Availability
UK: Passed uncut for very strong verbal references to child sexual abuse for:
Confidential Report: an Australian
Transgression is a 2010 Australia documentary by Robert Cettl. With Mel Kelly, Teri Louise Kelly and Desiree Laz.
Australia: Effectively banned as too violent for X18+
and too sexy for R18+ See article from thedrum.com
: Banned by the very censorship it sought to expose
A politically charged documentary film, deemed suitable for inclusion in Australia's national film archive, which examines the ethics of censorship has found
itself unable to be shown publicly after seemingly falling foul of the very laws it explores. Unable to obtain a rating or certification, the film is now effectively banned by the very censorship it sought to expose.
Since the
early 2000s limited scenes of actual sex are allowed in Australia under an R18+ rating. Films like Michael Winterbottom's 9 Songs , John Cameron Mitchell's Shortbus , Lars Von Trier's Anti-Christ , Gaspar Noe's Irreversible ,
Nagisa Oshima's In the Realm of the Senses can be shown.
However, while the X18+ rating prohibits any violence, sexual violence or assaultive language in a film with actual sex, the presence of limited actual sex within the R18+ rating allows for an aesthetic combination of hardcore sex, violence and sexual violence, subject to the
impact test. [meaningless bollox where by the censors claim to have some objective scale of censorability. Anything they want to ban or cut they describe it as a high impact, and then say it is banned because it is high impact, as if this was some
sort of justification].
The intent of Confidential Report: an Australian Transgression is an exploration of these aesthetics and the censorship agenda that supports them, in the context of the specific underground Adelaide,
South Australian community that deploys them as artistic tropes and is not in any way offended by them.
The film thus deliberately includes examples of all prohibited content -- actual sex, assaultive language, violence,
sexual violence, blasphemy -- but staged in such a matter as to be constantly self-referential and, in terms of the impact test, comparatively mild and as aesthetics, unpolished, raw, home movie and social media inspired.
In so
doing, the film depicts (interpretively) exactly the offensive aesthetics that straddle the R18+, X18+ and RC classifications.
As Confidential Report film includes sexually explicit scenes as well as both violence
and sexual violence (and sexually assaultive language in performance), it deliberately includes taboo aesthetics as delineated in the Australian Film Classification Board Guidelines as prohibited. It arguably falls between Australia's two adults-only
ratings R and X (for non-violent erotica).
Although The Da Vinci Code was passed by Chinese censors, it was abruptly removed by authorities from public view in mainland China, after a remarkable run in China, grossing over $13
million, due to protests by Chinese Catholic groups.
Egypt: Banned
Both the book and the film were banned in Egypt due to pressure from Coptic Christians. Censors claimed the movie contained "blasphemous
content".
India: Delayed
The release of the movie sparked so much controversy, that its initial release was delayed in India, due to the protest of devout Christians. They lobbied to have the movie banned, but
ultimately they were unsuccessful.
Pakistan: Banned
Pakistan banned The Da Vinci Code for showing what officials called blasphemous material about Jesus. Christian groups, along with the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal,
held protests against the film calling for a global ban
Samoa: Banned
The primary objections to the film's content came from leaders of the Samoa Council of Churches, who attended a pre-screening. Alapati Lui Mataeliga,
the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Apia, said that The Da Vinci Code would affect the belief of young people whose faith was not strong.
Sri Lanka: Banned
It was banned by presidential order of Mahinda Rajapakse to
the Public Performances Board to ban the screening of the movie The Da Vinci Code in local cinemas and on local television channels. Apparently, the Catholic Bishops Conference made the appeal through an epistle; The decision to ban the film was taken on
an appeal by the Catholic Bishops Conference in Sri Lanka
Thailand: Cut but released uncut on appeal
The Thai Censorship Committee issued a ruling that the film would be shown, but that the last 10 minutes would be
cut. Also, some Thai subtitles were to be edited to change their meaning and passages from the Bible would also be quoted at the beginning and end of the film.
However, the following day, Sony Pictures appealed the ruling, saying it would pull the
film if the decision to cut it was not reversed. The censorship panel then voted 62035 that the film could be shown uncut, but that a disclaimer would precede and follow the film, saying it was a work of fiction.
Summary Notes
A murder inside the Louvre and clues in Da Vinci paintings lead to the discovery of a religious mystery protected by a secret society for two thousand years -- which could shake the foundations of Christianity.
Availability
UK: The Extended Version was passed 15 uncut for moderate bloody violence for:
The Danish Girl is a 2015 UK / Germany / USA
biography by Tom Hooper. Starring Amber Heard, Alicia Vikander and Eddie Redmayne.
United Arab Emirates: Banned in January 2016 Oman: Bahrain: Jordan: Kuwait: Malaysia:
A large proportion of the Gulf Region followed Qatar in Banning the Danish Girl. Also banned
in Malaysia
Qatar: Banned in January 2016
The Danish Girl has been pulled from cinemas in Qatar following online protests about the depravity of the film, which tells the story of an artist who underwent one of
the world's first gender reassignment operations. Representatives from the country's culture ministry wrote on Twitter:
We would like to inform you that we have contacted the concerned administration and the screening of
the Danish film is now banned from cinemas. We thank you for your unwavering vigilance.
The film had opened in cinemas in Doha on Thursday only to be banned four days later.
India: Temporarily banned on TV
The film was awarded an uncut adults-only 'A' rating for theatrical release in January 2017. Films have to be cut down for an 'A/O' rating before they can be shown in TV. The censors initially refused saying that cuts could not prevent it
from being an adults only film. However an appeals body overturned the original ban, and allowed the broadcast of a version with 14 cuts.
Vietnam: cut
Cut and 16 rated in Vietnam.
Promotional Material
Based on the book by David Ebershoff, The Danish Girl is the remarkable love story inspired by the lives of Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener, portrayed by Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) and
Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina), and directed by Academy Award winner Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Misérables). Lili and Gerda’s marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili’s groundbreaking journey as a transgender
pioneer.
Deadpool is a 2016 Canada / USA action Sci-Fi adventure by Tim
Miller. Starring Morena Baccarin, Gina Carano and Ryan Reynolds.
China: Banned in January 2016:
An R rated film is not really suitable for the Chinese market where it was banned by film censors due to its violence, nudity and graphic language. The film was shown uncut
at the Beijing Film Festival in April 2018 but the film is still barred from general release.
India: Cut in February 2016:
Deadpool suffered 7 cuts at the hands of the CBFC for an adults only A rating:
Delete visuals of bullet hitting people and splitting their heads open.
Delete visuals in love-making scene of all nudity, jerking of
bodies and double entendre
Delete visuals of lady on a poster touching her private parts
Delete visuals of bare bodies is a strip tease club
Delete visuals of blood spurts in the climatic fight.
While India's Central Board Of Film Classification (CBFC) has removed strong language like arsehole , blowjob , motherfucker , dick , cock and bitch from Deadpool , the CBFC has allowed the word fuck
a free rein in the film. Censor chief Pahlaj Nihalan explained:
We were aware of the 'F' word recurring in the soundtrack. There was no way we could remove them without affecting the dialogues. The word is used like an
exclamation, how we use 'Arrey' or 'Oh Teri!' in Hindi and not as an abuse.
We can't be rigid about the use of cuss words. If the 'f..' word is used repeatedly as a term of exasperation or exclamation we can't remove it from the
entire film.
Uzbekistan: Cinemas refused to screen the film on 'ethical gorunds'.
Vietnam: Cuts were were required for a 16 rated version but it was also released uncut with an 18 rating.
Summary Notes
Based upon Marvel Comics most unconventional anti-hero, DEADPOOL tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him
with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.
Availability
UK: Passed 15 uncut for strong bloody violence, strong language, sex references for:
2016 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 13th June 2016
2016 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment R2 DVD at UK Amazon released on 13th June 2016
v Deadpool 2
- 2018 USA action comedy adventure by David Leitch.
Deadpool 2 is a 2018 USA action comedy adventure by David Leitch.
Starring Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin and Zazie Beetz.
China: Banned in May 2018
The film failed to get past the country's film censors.
India: Cut in May 2018
Strong language was bleeped for an adults only 'A' rating. Sexual humour and violence was allowed to remain.
Summary Notes
After surviving a near fatal bovine attack, a disfigured
cafeteria chef (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Mayberry's hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas,
the Yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavor - finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World's Best Lover.
Availability
UK: The Super Duper $@%!#& Cut' was passed 15 uncut for strong bloody violence, sex references, very strong language for:
2018 20th Century Fox [Super Duper Cut + 4k Theatrical Version] RB 4k Blu-ray
at UK Amazon
2018 20th Century Fox [Super Duper Cut + Theatrical
Version] RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
US: The Extended Cut/Director's Cut is MPAA Unrated for:
2018 20th Century Fox [Super Duper Cut + 4k Theatrical Version] RA 4k Blu-ray at US Amazon released on 21st August 2018
2018 20th Century Fox [Super Duper Cut + Theatrical Version] RA Blu-ray at US Amazon released on 21st August 2018
The Death of Stalin is a 2017 France / UK historical comedy
biography by Armando Iannucci. Starring Olga Kurylenko, Jason Isaacs and Steve Buscemi.
Russia: Banned in January 2018
The Russian
release of British comedy film The Death of Stalin has been shelved following a screening before senior figures. The Russian attendees complained that the satire contained ideological warfare and extremism. The film's distribution certificate was
withdrawn, effectively cancelling its planned release.
The screening was attended by members of parliament as well as representatives from Russian cinema. Yelena Drapeko, deputy head of the lower house of parliament's culture committee, told RBK news
she had never seen anything so disgusting in my life.
Following the lead of (or pressure from) Russia, the film was also banned in Kyrgyzstan,
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
Promotional Material
The internal political landscape of 1950's Soviet Russia takes on darkly comic form in a new film by Emmy award-winning and Oscar-nominated
writer/director Armando Iannucci. In the days following Stalin's collapse, his core team of ministers tussle for control; some want positive change in the Soviet Union, others have more sinister motives. Their one common trait? They're all just
desperately trying to remain alive. A film that combines comedy, drama, pathos and political manoeuvring, The Death of Stalin is a Quad and Main Journey production, directed by Armando Iannucci, and produced by Yann Zenou, Kevin Loader, Nicolas Duval
Assakovsky, and Laurent Zeitoun. The script is written by Iannucci, David Schneider and Ian Martin, with additional material by Peter Fellows.
Availability
UK: Passed 15 uncut for very strong language,
brief strong violence for:
2018 Entertainment One RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 26th February
2018
2018 Entertainment One R2 DVD at UK Amazon released on 26th
February 2018
Democrats is a 2014 Denmark / Zimbabwe documentary by Camilla Nielsson. Starring Paul Mangwana, Robert Mugabe and Douglas Mwonzora. Zimbabwe: Unbanned in 2018
The ban was
overturned by the Zimbabwe High Court in February 2018.
Zimbabwe: Banned in 2015
The reason for the ban was never published but it is believed though that supporters of Robert Mugabe felt it depicted him wrongly as a
dictator.
Summary Notes
Two political opponents are appointed to write Zimbabwe's new constitution. It is the ultimate test that can bring an end to President Mugabe's 30 years of autocratic rule. It
can go either way: towards the birth of a constitutional democracy - or renewed repression.
Detective Chinatown is a 2015 China action comedy mystery by Sicheng Chen. Starring Chengpeng Dong, Yedda Chen and Haoran Liu. Thailand: Banned in July 2016
This film was
banned from screening at the Thailand International Film Destination Festival by government film censors. The reasons were not explained
Summary Notes
After being rejected from the police college, a
mannerly man travels to Bangkok where he and an energetic distant relative must solve a murder case.
The Dictator is a 2012 US comedy by Larry Charles.
With Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris and Ben Kingsley.
Belarus : Banned
Tajikistan: Banned
A Tajik film distributor told the Kyrgyz blog Kloop.kg that the real reason that the film is being banned is because of its content, even though other
former Soviet republics in the region will be showing the film. It's wrong to compare us with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and with other countries, Daler Davlatov told the site: It's incorrect because we have a different mentality. We're not going
to give Dictator a premiere because of these considerations.
Turkmenistan : Banned
Uzbekistan : Cut by 12 minutes
Availability
UK: The Extended Cut/Banned & Unrated
Version is released for
UK 2012 Paramount R0 Blu-ray/R2 DVD Combo at UK Amazon
The Dinner Club is a 2010 Netherlands thriller by Robert Jan Westdijk. Starring Bracha van Doesburgh, Thom Hoffman and Halina Reijn. Uganda: Banned in May 2017
The Embassy of
The Netherlands in Kampala, Uganda announced that the Uganda's censorship board has banned a Dutch film, The Dinner Club, after accusing it of glorifying homosexuality .
The embassy published the full list of objections from the media
council which also include using lurid language and smoking, especially by women. The Uganda Media Council described the film as women forming a:
Dinner Club which is, in reality, a sort of brothel, and said the film
included scenes of gay men sauntering away drunk. While glorifying homosexuality two women say marriage (presumably to men) is hard work! This is against Ugandan values.
The council also objected to one man calling another a hot
chick .
The film was released in 2010 and was due to be shown at a European film festival in Uganda. But the Embassy of the Netherlands said it will no longer taking part in the festival.
Summary Notes
Karen and Michel move with their daughter to an exclusive residential area. She soon finds a new close circle of friends: the women of the Dinner Club, and their husbands. But when two of the Club members commit suicide under
suspicious circumstances, Karen starts to have second thoughts about her new friends. She has to choose: will she reveal the truth and dish the dirt, or will she protect the interests of the Dinner Club?
Dirty Grandpa is a 2016 USA comedy by Dan Mazer. Starring Robert De Niro, Julianne Hough and Zac Efron.
Exists as a Theatrical Version and an Unrated Version. Both were 15 rated by the BBFC. The film was banned in India
India: Banned in March 2016
Dirty Grandpa has been rejected by both the CBFC and the
appeals Tribunal for its bold content. A source from the CBFC added:
We've placed a ban on Dirty Grandpa because this grandpa is dirtier than any 70-year old man has the right to be. In fact de Niro in this film
makes Rishi Kapoorin Kapoor & Sons look like a saint. We wonder why an actor of De Niros caliber did such a foul-mouthed cheap film.
Summary Notes
Right before his wedding, an
uptight guy is tricked into driving his grandfather, a perverted former Army general, to Florida for spring break.
Availability
UK: The Unrated Extended Version was passed 15 uncut for strong sex references,
strong nudity, drug use, strong language for:
2016 Lions Gate [Extended + Theatrical Versions] RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for:
2018 LIONSGATE [4k Theatrical + Unrated Blu-ray] (RA) 4k Blu-ray/ (RA) Blu-ray Combo at US
Amazon
Dishoom is a 2016 India action crime comedy by Rohit Dhawan. Starring Nargis Fakhri, Akshay Kumar and Jacqueline Fernandez.
Pakistan: Banned in July 2016
Rohit Dhawan's film Dishoom has been banned in Pakistan. According to reports, Pakistan's censor board contended that the film projected the country in a poor light.
Pakistan has a bit of history of banning films where Pakistanis/muslims are the villains of the piece.
Summary Notes
When India's top batsman Viraj goes missing in Middle East, two cops Kabir
Shergill and Junaid Ansari from either side of Arabian Sea team for a 36-hours man hunt before the final match between India and Pakistan.
v District 9
- 2009 South Africa / USA / New Zealand / Canada Sci-Fi thriller by Neill Blomkamp.
District 9 is a 2009 South Africa / USA / New Zealand / Canada
Sci-Fi thriller by Neill Blomkamp. Starring Sharlto Copley, David James and Jason Cope.
Nigeria: Banned
The Nigerians in the film
welcome the aliens, offering them prostitutes, food and weapons. The Nigerian information minister, Dora Akunyili, wasn't impressed saying:
Why do they want to denigrate Nigerians as criminals, cannibals and prostitutes
who sleep with extraterrestrial animals? We've had enough with the stereotypes they have branded us with.
And the film ended up being banned.
Summary Notes
In
1982, a massive star ship bearing a bedraggled alien population, nicknamed "The Prawns," appeared over Johannesburg, South Africa. Twenty-eight years later, the initial welcome by the human population has faded. The refugee camp where the
aliens were located has deteriorated into a militarized ghetto called District 9, where they are confined and exploited in squalor. In 2010, the munitions corporation, Multi-National United, is contracted to forcibly evict the population with operative
Wikus van der Merwe in charge. In this operation, Wikus is exposed to a strange alien chemical and must rely on the help of his only two new 'Prawn' friends.
Availability
UK: Passed 15 uncut
for one use of very strong language and strong bloody violence:
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
is a 2022 USA action Sci-Fi horror by Sam Raimi Starring Elizabeth Olsen, Rachel McAdams and Benedict Cumberbatch
Banned in Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia in April 2022
Middle East film censors have banned the release of Doctor
Strange in the Multiverse of Madness over the inclusion of an openly gay character. Although the censors have not provided any reasons for banning the film's release, it's the latest Marvel movie to fall victim to state-sponsored censorship to constrain
certain civil liberties and human rights norms, including the expression of a LGBTQIA+ lifestyle. By including an openly LGBTQ+ character in its film , America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), the Marvel film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been
banned in Saudi Arabia, as well as Qatar and Kuwait .
Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange 2 introduce's a gay character, America Chavez. America was the first lesbian Latina in Marvel Comics, debuting in 2011's Vengeance #1.
It is reported that the
America Chavez character plays a major role in the film and it seems unlikely that the Middle East release can be aved via cuts,
Summary Notes
After the events of
Avengers: Endgame, Dr. Stephen Strange continues his research on the Time Stone. But an old friend turned enemy seeks to destroy every sorcerer on Earth, messing with Strange's plan and also causing him to unleash an unspeakable evil.
v Durj
- 2019 Pakistan crime mystery thriller by Shamoon Abbasi.
Durj is a 2019 Pakistan crime mystery thriller by Shamoon Abbasi. Starring Shamoon Abbasi, Sherry Shah and Maira Khan. Pakistan: Unbanned October 2019
The film has been cleared after a second viewing by the Pakistan's Central Censor Board, sources informed The Express Tribune.
Some of the really graphic scenes have been removed for obvious reasons, other than that the film is good to go, said a
censor board official, requesting anonymity.
Pakistan: Banned October 2019
An anonymous source said that Pakistan's censor board (CBFC) has banned Durj because of it's subject. Given that a sensitive topic
such as cannibalism, should not be propagated so openly.
Durj was premiered on the international film festival circuits and seems to have been well received.
Summary Notes
The reality behind a hideous crime is yet to be unveiled as a reporter's wife dives deep within the depths of despair and darkness to seek the truth of her missing husband.
Availability
In the UK the film was passed BBFC 15 uncut for disturbing scenes, bloody images.
The Eight Hundred is a 2019 China war film by Hu Guan. Starring Yi Zhang, Chen Yao and Haoming Yu.
Temporarily banned in China for reason unknown.
China: Unbanned in 2020
Delayed by over a year for mysterious political reasons, epic Chinese war film The Eight Hundred has finally locked down a date for release in theaters. It will open in conventional and Imax cinemas in China from Aug. 21, The film reappeared
but had been shorn of 13m of running time for reasons unspecified.
The premiere of Chinese war epic The Eight Hundred has been cancelled
after an influential group deemed it inappropriate ahead of Communist China's 70th anniversary. The Chinese Red Culture Research Association held an academic seminar on filmmaking in which the storyline of The Eight Hundred was criticised because it
glorifies the heroic role of Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang). The Kuomintang eventually lost the civil war that led to the Communist Party's triumph and creation of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949.
After consultation between
the production team and other parties, the July 5 premiere was cancelled and will not be released this summer, according to a statement posted on Tuesday on the film's Weibo account, a Twitter like platform. The new release date will be announced at a
later time, the statement said, without explaining the reasons behind the decision.
The movie had already been abruptly yanked from the Shanghai International Film Festival earlier this month due to technical issues -- a term often used as a euphemism
for censorship.
Summary Notes
In 1937, eight hundred Chinese soldiers fight under siege from a warehouse in the middle of the Shanghai battlefield, completely surrounded by the
Japanese army.
Now, his violent and troubling story is making headlines again, in a politically charged scandal over a banned film about his life. The movie, El Inca, was a box office sensation when it premiered on Nov 25, rising to become the third-most
lucrative film of the year in Venezuela in less than three weeks.
But its run came to an abrupt halt on Dec 13, when a judge ordered it removed from theaters and impounded all copies. The court case was brought by Valero's family, which accused
director Ignacio Castillo Cottin of slander. But the director alleges politics had more to do with the ruling.
The film was banned by temporary injunction before the defamation trial even got under way. The judge then postponed the first hearing,
scheduled for last Monday, because neither he nor the prosecution had seen the movie.
Summary Notes
A tragic love story based in the life of the great Latin American boxer Edwin "El Inca"
Valero. The only fight he lost, was the one against himself.
The End
Will Be Spectacular is a 2019 Syria war film by Ersin Çelik. Starring Arjîn Baysal, Arif Demîr and Sahire Ozhan.
Banned in Iraq.
Iraqi Kurdistan: Banned in
December 2019
A film based on the real-life resistance of Kurdish youth in Turkey was banned by Sulaimani's security forces just a day before its Kurdistan premiere.
Ji Bo Azadiye (The End Will be Spectacular) , directed
by Kurdish filmmaker Ersin Celik was pulled by Sulamani Asayesh (security forces) from the premiere at Sulaimani's Salim Cinema.
The film team and cinema staff have criticised the cancellation of the screening, which has been shown abroad but now
cannot be seen by a Kurdistan Region audience.
Summary Review
Zilan, a young woman, returns to her hometown looking for the traces of his dead brother, killed by the Islamic State. But her town
is not what it used to be: social and political tensions have escalated into a state of war. The people have risen to demand their political autonomy and the police and army repress them with brutal force. But the city's resistance will go on for more
than 100 days and Zilan will not remain a passive witness. Based on the diaries of those who died fighting and the testimony of survivors, who enact the protagonists of the film, Çelik's first feature explores concepts such as hope, friendship, sacrifice
and loss in the struggle for freedom of a group of young people.
Exodus: Gods and
Kings is a 2014 UK / USA / Spain drama by Ridley Scott. Starring Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton and Ben Kingsley.
Banned in UAE, Egypt and Morocco.
Egypt: Banned
December 2014
Egypt has banned the Hollywood biblical epic movie Exodus: Gods and Kings for reasons of religious intolerance whilst citing 'historical inaccuracy'
Culture Minister Gaber Asfour told AFP Ridley Scott's blockbuster was
rife with mistakes, including an apparent claim that Moses and the Jews built the pyramids. Asfour claimed:
This totally contradicts proven historical facts. It is a Zionist film. It gives a Zionist view of history
and contains historical inaccuracies and that's why we have decided to ban it.
Mohammed Afifi, the head of the censorship committee, said he took issue with the scene showing the parting of the Red Sea in which Moses is seen holding a
sword like a warrior, instead of a stick. Furthermore, he claimed, the parting of the Red Sea is explained in the movie as a tidal phenomenon rather than a divine miracle.
Malaysia: Banned by the film censor
Banned by the Malaysian Film Censorship Board (LPF) as no Prophets are allowed to be depicted on film.
Morocco : Banned December 2014. Unbanned after cuts in January 2015.
Morocco has also banned the film,
despite it already having been approved by the state-run Moroccan Cinema Center. Hassan Belkady, who runs Cinema Rif in Casablanca, told media24 news website that he had been threatened with the closure of his business if he ignored the ban.
Film
censor Sarim Fassi Fihri said that the film approval Commission, the Ministry of Culture, the owners of cinemas and film distributors, and the Cinematographic Center, had all seen the film and had reservations about a scene which depicts God as a child
during the period of revelation to Moses.
Later in January 2015, Morocco's movie organization announced that the film will be shown in Morocco after Fox Studio agreed to cut sections deemed supposedly sacrilegious to Islam.
The center's statement
said that Scott and Fox Studios agreed to remove two lines of dialogue that referred to the personnification of the Divine.
UAE: Banned December 2014
The United Arab Emirates became the latest country to ban the
release of Exodus: Gods and Kings . A film censor from the National Media Council, Juma Obeid Al Leem, told Gulf News:
This movie is under our review and we found that there are many mistakes not only about Islam
but other religions too. So, we will not release it in the UAE,
Summary Review
Epic adventure Exodus: Gods and Kings is the story of one man's daring courage to take on the might of
an empire. Using state of the art visual effects and 3D immersion, Scott brings new life to the story of the defiant leader Moses as he rises up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses, setting 600,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and
its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues.
Availability
UK: 2D & 3D versions passed 12 uncut for moderate violence, threat, bloody moments for:
2016 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 4k RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
2015 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment [2D + 3D] RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
2015 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment [2D] RB Blu-ray at UK
Amazon
2015 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment R2 DVD at UK Amazon
Fahrenheit 9/11 is a 2004 USA war documentary drama by
Michael Moore. Starring Michael Moore, George W Bush and Ben Affleck.
Kuwait: Banned
There is a law in Kuwait
that forbids criticism on friendly countries. Since the film criticized George W. Bush, the Kuwaiti censor board decided to ban it entirely.
Saudi Arabia: Banned
Banned for the film's criticisms of the Saudi Royal
Family.
Summary Notes
Following up on 'Bowling for Columbine', film-maker Michael Moore provides deep and though-provoking insights on the American security system, the level of paranoia, fear,
uncertainty, false values and patriotism, which all combined together to set a stage for George W. Bush to launch a war on Iraq instead of focusing on getting the real culprit(s) behind the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This documentary also
focuses on how some Saudis were safely and secretly flown out of America while planes were ostensibly grounded after the attacks. Archived film footage, candid interviews with politicians, and an overall waste of public funds for a war that was initiated
on false pretension to wit: a weapon of mass distraction - to take the focus away from the real enemy and get Americans glued to their TV sets to watch innocent Iraqis and Afghans getting killed. And a war that would eventually alienate the U.S.A. and
it's citizens from almost every country on Earth.
Availability
UK: Passed 15 uncut for strong language and real images of war horror for:
A Fantastic Woman is a 2017 Chile / Germany / Spain / USA drama by Sebastián Lelio. Starring Daniela Vega, Francisco Reyes and Luis Gnecco.
Banned in Malaysia.
Malaysia: Banned in 2018
Malaysia's Film Censorship Board (LPF) placed the movie in its not approved list. Mohd Zamberi Abdul Aziz, chairman of the Malaysian Film Censorship Board (LPF), didn't give a specific reason but noted the the film was in a group that was
banned because they contained LGBT elements or had extreme sexual scenes.
Summary Notes
Somewhere in Santiago at a dimly-lit nightclub, Orlando, the kindly and well-off owner
of a textile company, locks eyes with Marina, a hopeful singer and the roughly half-his-age love of his life. But, unfortunately, after Marina's birthday celebration and a night of passion, Orlando falls gravely ill--and by the following morning--he dies
in hospital. In the wake of her companion's untimely death, Marina will soon realise that, from now on, everything is brought into question: her involvement in Orlando's death, their unconventional relationship; and above all, her right to mourn her
beloved deceased. In the end, what was Marina's crime; a deed so hideous that would rob a fantastic woman of her respect, her dignity, and ultimately, her identity?
v Father's Day
- USA/Canada action comedy horror by Adam Brooks, Jeremy Gillespie
Father's Day is a USA/Canada action comedy horror by Adam
Brooks, Jeremy Gillespie With Adam Brooks, Matthew Kennedy and Conor Sweeney.
Australia : Banned but later unbanned on its 3rd attempt after about 40s of cuts. 30s of cuts to the sight of penis and 10s of violence.
The Australian Film Censorship Board explained its original ban:
The film is classified RC in accordance with the National Classification Code: films that depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or
abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified.
Summary Review: Brilliant
Ahab, a man obsessed with exacting a brutal, violent revenge on the man who murdered his dad, joins John, an eager priest, and Twink, a hot-headed street hustler, on an epic quest to find and defeat this mythical monster
known as the Father's Day Killer.
I give it 10 stars from the shear amount of pleasure I got from watching (something I think gets lost in the mix at times). Is this for everybody? Most assuredly not. But if Hobo with a Shotgun
sits in a place of honor in your collection this is an absolute must see!
Availability
UK: Passed 18 uncut for strong violence, gore & sex & scenes of sexual violence & torture for:
Fifty Shades Darker is a 2017 USA romance by James Foley. Starring Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan and Bella Heathcote.
The Theatrical Version is 18 rated in the UK and R rated in the US, but was
banned in India. An Unrated Unmasked version will be released on home video.
India: Banned in March 2017
Banned by the CBFC. The film censors nominally noted that the film could be released with all the sex scenes removed
but this option was not accepted by the distributors Universal, so the film remains banned.
Malaysia: Banned in 2017
Banned for its overtly-sexual themes and graphic depictions of sex
.
Uzbekistan: Re-banned in October 2018
Presumably the film was banned at
the time of its release, but the ban has been re-iterated in a list of movies banned from Video on Demand on domestic internet services.
For comparison
UK: The Theatrical Version was passed 18 uncut for strong sex.
US:
The Theatrical Version was rated R for strong erotic sexual content, some graphic nudity, and language.
Summary Notes
While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of
the women who came before her.
Availability
UK: BBFC Details not yet published for The Unmasked Edition for:
Fifty Shades of Grey
is a 2015 USA romance by Sam Taylor-Johnson. Starring Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan and Jennifer Ehle.
Cambodia: Banned in February 2015
Banned
just a day before the movie's expected release on 12 February 2015
India: Banned in March 2015
The film distributor submitted a version with all the nudity pre-cut but it still wasn't enough for the Indian film censor.
The sexy dialogue was also too much to bear particularly as the loony new censor is trying to ban strong language in all films.
Indonesia: Banned in February 2015
The distributor in Indonesia said the film would not be
shown there as the film did not meet the country's censorship standards.
Kenya: Banned in February 2015
Banned by the state censors of the Kenya Film Classification Board with the announcement on
facebook :
The Board wishes to inform the public, film operators and stakeholders that the film, 50 Shades of Grey has been
RESTRICTED. It should not be screened or distributed to the public.
Malaysia: Banned in February 2015
The Malaysian Film Censorship Board (LPF) banned the movie with its chairman Datuk Abdul Halim Abdul
Hamid saying that the board had found the film to be unfit for the Malaysian audience, calling the flick more like pornography than a movie . He said:
The board made a decision in view of the film containing scenes
that are not of natural sexual content. The content is more sadistic, featuring scenes of a woman being tied to a bed and whipped.
Nigeria: Banned in February 2015
Nigeria's National Film and Video
Censors Board (NFVCB) has banned Fifty Shades of Grey, but only after the board had let it be shown for about a week. The board cites public interest as the reason for the ban.
Papua New Guinea : Banned in February 2015
Fifty Shades of Grey has been refused classification by the Papua New Guinea Censorship Office, preventing it from being shown in cinemas.
Russia: Banned in Ossetia, Ingushetia and Chechnya, February 2015
Russian news agency TASS reported that the erotic drama, which opened elsewhere in Russia on Feb. 12 with an 18+ age restriction, has been pulled out by cinemas in the republics of Ossetia, Ingushetia and Chechnya .
The initiative to send an address to the region's authorities, requesting that the film be banned, came from young people who are concerned about noticeable interest in the movie from those who are in the early twenties, Ossetian mufti
Khadzhimurat Gatsalov was quoted as saying in the report.
TASS also quoted Madina Ayubova , a spokesperson for Kinostar, a theater in Chechnya's capital Grozny, as saying that film won't be exhibited in Chechnya because a lot of what is shown in
[the film] contradicts the mentality and religion of the majority of the republic's population.
According to Gatsalov, the film is not going to be exhibited in any of the four remaining North Caucasus republics either.
Singapore:
Banned on home video
Singapore's film censors passed the film R21 uncut for mature theme and sexual scenes. However the 21 rating bans the film from sale on home video
UAE: Banned in February 2015
UAE's
film censors of the National Media Council have required 35 minutes of cuts due to inappropriate scenes, forcing distributor Four Star Films to pull the film. The council's director of media content Juma Al Leem told the paper.
We reviewed the movie in the presence of the distributor and after he realized how many inappropriate scenes there were, he took the decision not to show the movie himself, before we were able to make a decision.
Uzbekistan: Re-banned in October 2018
Presumably the film was banned at the time of its release, but the ban has been re-iterated in a list of movies banned from Video on Demand on domestic internet services.
Vietnam: Cut by 20 minutes in March 2015
In the days leading up to the release in Vietnam, the movie was banned in Indonesia, neighbouring Cambodia and Malaysia -- whose censors declared it to be more pornography
than a movie . This stoked even more anticipation in Vietnam. Newspapers breathlessly speculated about how many minutes of screen time would be devoted to sex scenes, while cinemas created elaborate Red Room displays in their lobbies for
people to take risque selfies.
The film was promoted a lot, so it made us excited and curious, says Xuan Thao, who along with thousands of others queued patiently to get a ticket for the film when it opened on Valentine's Day. We wanted to
see what all the fuss was about. She left feeling angry and short changed. In this version of Fifty Shades of Grey there is no sex at all.
In total, around 20 minutes of screen time has been cut by the country's censorship committee, excising any
scene deemed potentially sensitive. Only a few kisses remain. The lack of passion has infuriated audiences, who hadn't gone for deft plotting or complex characterisation. It's totally ridiculous, Thao complains. This version is rated 16+, but
it doesn't need an age restriction; a five-year-old could watch it. Even the trailer was sexier. They'd have been better banning it altogether.
Zimbabwe: Heavily cut in February 2015
Zimbabwe's film censors have
demanded heavy editing of the film Fifty Shades of Grey, leading to some movie theatres not screening it.
Two cinema houses in the capital Harare are screening an edited version of the movie. Sam Levy's Village was not screening it with the
explanation:
It was felt that heavy censorship would compromise the integrity of the film and thus, a decision has been made by Ster-Kinekor Sam Levy's Village not to screen the film within its complex.
World censors' ratings:
Argentina 16
Australia: rated MA15+ (15A in UK ratings terminology) for strong sex scenes, sexual themes and nudity
Brazil 16
Cambodia Banned
Canada (Quebec) 16+
Canada
(Canada except Quebec) 18A
Chile 18
China Unavailable as distributors think Chinese film censors would ban it
Czech Republic: 15
Denmark 15
Finland 16
France
12
Germany 16
Iceland 16
India Banned
Indonesia Banned
Ireland 18
Italy 14
Japan R15+ after cuts
Japan R18+ uncut
Kenya Banned
Lebanon 21 uncut
Malaysia Banned
Netherlands 16
New Zealand R18 for sex scenes and offensive language
Nigeria Banned
Norway 15
Papua New Guinea Banned
Philippines R-18 after censorship cuts implemented by blurring
Portugal M16
Russia 18+ (banned in Ossetia, Ingushetia and Chechnya)
Singapore R21 uncut for mature
theme and sexual scenes. However the 21 rating bans the film from sale on home video
South Korea 18
Spain 16
Sweden 15
Switzerland 16
Thailand 20
UAE Banned
UK 18 uncut for strong sex
US: R rated (17A in UK ratings terminology) for strong sexual content including dialogue, some unusual behavior and graphic nudity, and for language.
Vietnam 16+ after 20 minutes
of cuts which were required to make the film suitable for the masses
Zimbabwe Heavily cut. Some cinemas have decided that the cut version is not worth showing
Summary Notes
Literature student Anastasia Steele's life changes forever when she meets handsome, yet tormented, billionaire Christian Grey.
Availability
UK: Both the
Unseen Feature/Extended Version and Theatrical Version were passed 18 uncut for strong sex for:
2015 Universal [Theatrical + Extended] RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
2015 Universal [Theatrical + Extended] R2 DVD at UK Amazon
Found is a 2012 USA horror by Scott Schirmer. Starring Gavin Brown,
Ethan Philbeck and Phyllis Munro.
Australia : Banned but later passed R18+ after about 2 minutes of cuts
The full 103m version was banned in May 2014
The film censor summarised the reasons for the ban as follows:
The film contains prolonged and detailed depictions of sexualised violence, including sexualised torture, mutilation, sexual activity with body parts and cannibalism, which result in a very high degree of impact. As such, this film exceeds what can be accommodated within the R18+ classification.
The Board notes that the film also contains depictions of nonsexual violence. These depictions of violence, which also include viscera, generous blood detail and gore, are mitigated by context and relatively unsophisticated
production values to a level which can be accommodated at an R18+ classification. The scenes of sexualised violence, noted below, are more realistic and impactful, and result in a very high impact.
A cut version missing about
2m was re-banned in August 2014
A further cut version missing about 2m was passed R18+ in August 2014. It was originally noted that the censored version was 7 minutes shorter but it appears that 4minutes of this is attributed to
a PAL speedup). In fact the distributor, Monster Pictures, said that a total of about 2m was cut.
UK: Cut in September 2014
Passed 18 for strong bloody violence, sexualised violence, gory images after 4s of BBFC
compulsory cuts
The BBFC commented: A cut was required to remove sight of a murderer's erect penis, during a scene of sadistic sexualised violence and threat.
Promotional Material
FOUND
is a unique and supremely disturbing coming-of-age story of a boy whose big brother is a serial-killer.
Growing up is tough for Marty. His parents don't understand him and he is bullied at school. He has only his big brother to look up to...that
is until he discovers his brother's chilling secret and a severed head in a sports bag at home.
FOUND unravels a gripping and gruesome story that captures what it's like to grow up in the time of VHS tapes and video nasties, as the American dream
and everyday suburbia descends into a home-grown hell that will leave even the most hardened horror fan shocked by its disturbing finale.
Gandu is a 2010 India drama by . With Anubrata Basu, Joyraj
Bhattacharya and Rii.
India: Banned
Summary Review: Thrash-Metal Rap
Gandu (variously translated as Arsehole, Wanker and Loser ) is a thrash-metal rap musical about a young dopehead and
his lust for fame and sex that, despite being banned in India, has become one of the country's most talked about films, with its explicit opium smoking, foul language and masturbation.
The confusion of a society in thrall to its
own ancient morals while increasingly experiencing the wider world is acutely captured in Gandu, whose eponymous hero is an angst-ridden skinhead who yearns to rap with Asian Dub Foundation while loafing and getting high on the streets of Calcutta. Shot
in black and white, it features a kung-fu-kicking rickshaw-wallah sidekick and an explicit blowjob scene performed by the director's girlfriend, followed by her squatting brazenly on the young man's face. The movie is a surreal Bengali mix of Jim
Jarmusch kookiness and the raw sexuality of Nagisa Oshima, and is absolutely nothing like any Indian film I've ever seen. Gandu Gandu, a thrash-rap musical.
Get Hard is a 2015 USA comedy by Etan Cohen. Starring
Alison Brie, Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart.
Exists as a Theatrical Version and an Extended Version which contains a couple of extra lewd scenes.
India: Withdrawn by the film distributor
Days before its premiere, Warner Brothers decided to withdraw
the film's Indian release, fearful of the unpredictable cuts the CBFC would invariable inflict on their film.
Promotional Material
When millionaire hedge fund manager James (Will Ferrell) is
nailed for fraud and bound for San Quentin, the judge gives him 30 days to get his affairs in order. Desperate, he turns to Darnell (Kevin Hart) to prep him for a life behind bars.
Availability
UK: The
Extended Version was passed 15 uncut for strong language, sex references for:
2015 Warner [Extended Version + Theatrical Version] R0 Blu-ray at UK Amazon
2015 Warner [Theatrical Version only] R2 DVD at UK Amazon
US: The Extended Version is MPAA Unrated for:
2015 Warner Home Video [Unrated + Theatrical Versions] RA Blu-ray at US Amazon
Ghostbusters is a 2016 USA action comedy by Paul Feig.
It was widely reported in the world's press that China banned the Ghostbusters remake, citing censorship rules prohibiting anything to do with religion or the supernatural. It seems that the distributors were well aware of the censor's rules
and opted to not submit it to the government film censors.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
is a 2013 USA action thriller by Jon M. Chu. With Dwayne Johnson, D.J. Cotrona, Channing Tatum.
Banned in Pakistan.
Pakistan: Banned
The
censors found that the film portrays Pakistan negatively, not just on the issue of the war on terror, but also in the context of the country's international standing. The following scenes were considered to be unfair representation of the country:
Initial scenes depicting Pakistan as a failed state
Fictionally portraying a foreign invasion of Pakistan's nuclear installations.
A scene showing the assassination of the Pakistani president and the imposition of martial law
Availability
UK: Passed 12 uncut for:
2013 Paramount Home Entertainment R0 Blu-ray at UK Amazon
2013 Paramount Home Entertainment R2 DVD at UK Amazon
The Girl on the Train
is a 2016 USA mystery thriller by Tate Taylor. Starring Laura Prepon, Emily Blunt and Rebecca Ferguson.
Kuwait: Banned in October 2016
Banned by
government film censors but the reason is not yet clear.
Qatar: Banned in October 2016
The authorities banned the film very near to the cinema release for reasons that are not yet clear.
For comparison:
UK BBFC: Passed 15 uncut for strong language, sex, violence.
US MPAA: Rated R for violence, sexual content, language and nudity
Promotional Material
Rachel, devastated by her recent divorce, spends her daily commute fantasising about the seemingly perfect couple who live in a house that her train passes every day, until one morning she
sees something shocking happen there and becomes entangled in the mystery that unfolds. The Girl On The Train is a darkly addictive thriller based on the international publishing phenomenon.
Availability
UK:
The cinema release was passed 15 uncut for strong language, sex, violence
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a 2011 US/Sweden/UK/Germany crime drama by David Fincher. With Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara and Christopher Plummer.
India:
India's Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) decided that the movie contained too much nudity - five scenes to be exact. Now, according to Variety, distribution has been cancelled entirely
because David Fincher refuses to cut the film.
A spokesperson for Columbia Pictures in India said, The Censor Board has adjudged the film unsuitable for public viewing in its unaltered form and, while we are committed to maintaining and protecting
the vision of the director, we will, as always, respect the guidelines set by the board.
Vietnam:
The film was to be released on March 2, but its international distributor, Sony Pictures, decided not to release it
in Vietnam since the National Film Board requires the studio cut sensitive scenes from the movie, Tuoitre news reported.
UAE:
The new film The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo has been very well received by the
critics, but will not be screened in the UAE because the film makers have refused to accept the eight cuts suggested by the censors.
Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to make the cuts that were necessary for it to be screened. The filmmakers
wouldn't allow it Piroska Szakacs from Empire International told The National.
Gone with the Wind is a
1939 USA war historical romance by Victor Fleming and George Cukor (uncredited) Starring Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh and Thomas Mitchell.
Cut by the BBFC for an 'A' rated cinema release in 1940. Uncut and PG
rated on UK home video. Uncut and MPAA PG rated in the US.
News, June 2020: Banned by HBO
Banned by HBO in 2020 citing unacceptable historical attitudes to racial sensitivities.
Summary Notes
Scarlett is a woman who can deal with a nation at war, Atlanta burning, the Union Army carrying off everything from her beloved Tara, the carpetbaggers who arrive after the war.
Scarlett is beautiful. She has vitality. But Ashley, the man she has wanted for so long, is going to marry his placid cousin, Melanie. Mammy warns Scarlett to behave herself at the party at Twelve Oaks. There is a new man there that day, the day the
Civil War begins. Rhett Butler. Scarlett does not know he is in the room when she pleads with Ashley to choose her instead of Melanie.
v Grotesque
- 2009 Japan crime horror thriller by Kôji Shiraishi.
Grotesque is a 2009 Japan crime horror thriller by Kôji Shiraishi. With Tsugumi Nagasawa, Hiroaki Kawatsure and Shigeo Ôsako. Norway: Banned in 2009
This was probably
banned when the Censorship Authority in Norway saw that it was banned in Britain, and thought it was a good idea to ban it in Norway as well.
UK: Banned in 2009
The Unrated Version was banned by the BBFC for 2009
4Digital Media DVD
Summary Notes
An unnamed doctor has always had everything he's ever wanted, but that has only made him develop more extreme and depraved needs. He kidnaps a young couple in the
prime of their life together and forces them into a game of torment that slowly extinguishes their hopes for survival.
Very tame! Yes the film has pointless torture, but it has very little nudity and any
sexual humiliation is implied and is never in the view of the camera. Very hard to see why this was banned.
This movie is a prime example of pointless torture movies, While in context the aspect of torture in a horror
film i.e. Saw, Hellraiser, Texas chainsaw (the original) etc... works great because it's bad people getting their come uppance or just a cautionary of the cruelty of man but this film is just a fictionalized snuff film with no story what so ever.
Watching people getting brutally killed (particularly those who were just there) for the bulk of the movie then.... "the end" after some silly f/x does nothing for me except feeling a little dirty for watching this piece of trash.
Haider is a 2014 India crime romance by Vishal Bhardwaj. Starring
Shahid Kapoor, Tabu and Shraddha Kapoor.
Pakistan: Banned in October 2014
Citing the film's sensitive content , Pakistan's Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)
decided against the release of the film in Pakistan. A CBFC employee told The Express Tribune that Haider's controversial topic and propagandist nature are the reasons for this.
A senior official at the CBFC maintained that the film's ban:
Has nothing to do with the ongoing tension between Pakistan and India. Any film that is on a controversial topic, such as the Kashmir issue, will most likely not be released in the country.
The film
is against the ideology of Pakistan. We have a professional panel of reviewers that assesses films while keeping in mind factors that a layman can't understand. He stated that certain Hindi words used in a film may seem harmless to an average audience
member, but can have adverse effects on our culture.
Summary Notes
Vishal Bhardwaj's adaptation of William Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', Haider - a young man returns home to Kashmir on
receiving news of his father's disappearance. Not only does he learn that security forces have detained his father for harboring militants, but that his mother is in a relationship with his very own uncle. Intense drama follows between mother and son as
both struggle to come to terms with news of his father's death. Soon Haider learns that his uncle is responsible for the gruesome murder, what follows is his journey to avenge his father's death.
Half of a Yellow Sun
is a 2013 Nigeria/UK drama by Biyi Bandele. Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton and Anika Noni Rose.
Nigeria: Banned in April 2014. Cut and unbanned in July
2014.
The censorship board refused to grant a certificate in time for the premiere According to the director, Biyi Bandele, the movie was essentially banned as the country's film censorship board refused to issue the movie a certificate.
Bandele said officials seemed to be
Jittery about its content. That it deals with the Biafran War (from 1967 to 1970). That it might incite people to violence.
Bandele denounced what he characterized as
a blatant attempt to suppress discussion about a crucial if painful episode in Nigeria's coming-of-age:
It is seriously shocking that someone would presume to be this arbiter of what Nigerians want and don't want to see.
The film was unbanned in July 2014 with an 18 rating after censor cuts. The film will be released in August 2014.
Promotional Material
Based upon the acclaimed novel, Academy
Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor stars in this beautiful sweeping story of two sisters caught up in the events of the Nigerian civil war, ending in chilling violence which shocked the entire world.
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.
Germany: Heavily cut:
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.
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.
Happy Hour in Paradise is a 2015 Sweden comedy by Kjell Sundvall. Starring Agnes Kittelsen, Eva Röse and Atle Antonsen. Thailand: Banned in July 2016
Banned from
screening at the Thailand International Film Destination Festival by government film censors. Presumably they felt that the sexy goings on are not a good advertisement for Thailand.
Summary Notes
Kjell Bergqvist is a priest for the Swedish church in Thailand, and he is happy with his easy life in an exotic paradise. Maybe he drinks a little too much and maybe he flirts a little too much with the married women.
The Happytime Murders
is a 2018 USA action crime comedy by Brian Henson. Starring Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks and Maya Rudolph.
Banned in Malaysa in 2018.
Malaysia: Banned in
2018
Malaysia's Film Censorship Board (LPF) placed the movie in its not approved list. Mohd Zamberi Abdul Aziz, chairman of the Malaysian Film Censorship Board (LPF), didn't give a specific reason but noted the the film was in a group
that was banned because they contained LGBT elements or had extreme sexual scenes.
Summary Notes
A murder mystery set in a world where humans and puppets co-exist, but puppets
are viewed as second-class citizens. When the puppet cast of an '80s children's TV show begins to get murdered one by one, a former cop, who has since become a private eye, takes on the case.
The Hidden Sword is a 2017 China action drama by Haofeng Xu.
Starring Qing Xu, Jue Huang and Aoyue Zhang.
Banned in China
China: Banned in July 2017
Another major film in China that was banned by the film censors just before
the premiere. The reasons for the ban are not clear but Variety comments on how the last minute censorship of
major films is leaving a bit of a slump at the box office.
Previously the film had won awards at the Montreal and Taiwan film festivals.
Summary Notes
Latest film of Xu
Haofeng, a new master of Chinese Wu Xia films, screenwriter of Wong Kar-wai's The Grandmaster. The new film tells a Chinese Wu Xia story happened in 1930s, but with a new presentation.
The DVD is classified objectionable. The publication is the first set of episodes of a Japanese anime series set in high school about a sex-obsessed schoolboy who becomes part of the supernatural world. The DVD tends to promote
and support the sexual exploitation of young persons. All of the young female characters are highly sexualised and fetishised. They are relentlessly depicted as nude or in limited sexualised clothing. Focus is made on their breasts and youthful bodies in
such a way as to titillate and arouse the viewer. Their youthfulness is emphasised by the high school setting, their school uniforms and their engagement in high school activities. Episodes are separated by photo stills of the female characters sexually
posing, reminiscent of adult pornographic material. The credits feature these characters performing strip tease. The scenes are constructed wholly for the sexual benefit of the viewer. The main purpose of this treatment is to reinforce the notion that
young persons are sexually desirable and available. It encourages and legitimises the pursuit of young persons as viable adult sexual partners.
Summary Notes
The story follows Issei Hyodo, a
dim-witted, lecherous second-year high school student who is killed by a girl on his first date ever. Issei is reincarnated as a devil, and from that day forward, he serves as an underling of Riasu, a high-level devil who is also the prettiest girl on
Issei's campus.
Availability
UK: Passed 15 uncut for strong sex references, nudity, strong language, violence, sexual threat for:
2014 Manga Entertainment [Dubbed] RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
2014 Manga Entertainment [Dubbed] R2 DVD at UK Amazon
This film is deemed objectionable because it tends to promote and support violence and coercion to compel women to
submit to sexual conduct.
The film is dominated by numerous scenes of sexual violence. It opens on a graphic scene of rape that is not supported by context. The narrative then follows two men as they terrorise a group of people,
particularly the female members of the group, who they repeatedly subject to sexual violence. Gratuitous lingering shots of nudity and other cinematic effects such as romantic music and lighting during the scenes of assault and rape support this purpose.
The sexual violence is not contextualized or explored beyond the superficial presentation of the conduct. The victims appear aroused by, unaffected by and thus collusive in the violence perpetrated against them; this feeds into the intrinsic rape myth
dialogue of the publication. Viewers are relentlessly exposed to titillating images that eroticise sexual humiliation and violence.
All of these factors invite viewers to become complicit in events and to take vicarious pleasure
in the men's misogyny and the victims' humiliation and dehumanisation. Further, due to the publication's proliferation of rape myths and relentless eroticized presentation of sexual violence, people who have been subjected to any form of sexual abuse
will be re-traumatized by the film's depictions of violence and sexual violence. The legitimization of these rape myths also irredeemably serves to validate viewers' misconceptions of sexual violence and thus their real world response to sexual violence.
The Classification Office is aware that cut versions of the feature have been released in the United Kingdom and has considered whether a different classification might be possible if excisions were made. However the distributor
has notified the Classification Office that any excisions will not be made, so in this instance they have not been recommended.
UK: Once banned, now cut
Banned by the BBFC for 1981 cinema release. Banned as a video
nasty in 1983. Unbanned after 12 minutes of cuts in 2002. Cuts reduced to 43s in 2011.
The BBFC commented in 2011:
Company was required to make cuts to one sequence of sexualised violence in which a razor is traced over
a woman's naked body, after which her body is cut with the razor.
How NOT To Summon A Demon Lord is a 2018 Japan animation comedy Starring Masaaki Mizunaka, Yû Serizawa and Azumi Waki
Australia: Banned in January 2023. Unbanned after cuts in June 2023
Season 2 was banned in January 2023 by the Australian Censorship Board. The problem was a still image at the end of Episode 3, CORRUPT
RITUAL Presumably this image was cut when Season 2 was resubmitted in June 2023 and it was then MA 15+ rated.
Summary Notes
An elite player is summoned by two maidens to save a
fantasy game.
The Human Centipede II is a 2011 Netherlands/UK horror by Tom Six. With Laurence R Harvey and Ashlynn Yennie.
Famously banned in the UK for 2011 DVD but later passed 18 after heavy
cuts. Also temporarily banned in Australia before later being passed R18+ with cuts. A cut version was released in the US Unrated by the MPAA. Later it was released uncut as the Director's Cut, still MPAA Unrated. Banned in New Zealand.
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.
The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) was banned by the Australian Classification Review Board (ACRB). The review was the result of an appeal against the previously uncut R18+ certificate awarded by the Classification Board. The appeal was
requested by Australia's Justice Minister Brendan O'Connor, reportedly on the advice of the New South Wales Attorney General Greg Smith.
From the ACRB's official press statement:
A three member panel of the Classification Review
Board has by unanimous decision determined that the film The Human Centipede II (full sequence) is classified RC (Refused Classification).
In the Review Board's opinion, The Human Centipede II (full sequence) could not be
accommodated within the R 18+ classification as the level of depictions of violence in the film has an impact which is very high.
In addition, the film must be refused classification because it contains gratuitous, exploitative or
offensive depictions of violence with a very high degree of impact and cruelty which has a high impact.
Films classified RC cannot be sold, hired, or advertised in Australia.
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.
The Hunger Games is a 2012 US Sci-Fi action film by Gary Ross.
With Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth.
Vietnam: Banned
Banned as being 'too violent' with a theme of kids killing kids. Perhaps more to do with Vietnam not being happy with a film that shows youngsters fighting back against a totalitarian state.
UK: Cut
Cut for a 12A Rating in the UK
Promotional Material: Survival vs humanity
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.
Availability
UK: The International Version was passed 15 uncut for strong violence and threat
for:
Hunter Killer is a 2017 China / USA action thriller by Donovan
Marsh. Starring Gary Oldman, Gerard Butler and Michael Nyqvist.
Russia: Unbanned in November 2018
The film
was granted a licence a week after it was pulled. Russia's culture minister Vladimir Medinsky confirmed the film would be granted a license, but criticized the movie: This is a banal, boring and ultimately stupid film
Russia:
Banned in November 2018
Critics say the Kremlin banned it because it shows a Russian president being deposed and kidnapped in a coup before being rescued by American soldiers.
Moscow claimed the film's license was revoked because
producers had not provided a good enough copy for its state archive.
Ukraine: Banned in October 2018
Though there is no official explanation of the ban in Ukraine, reports have cited a Ukrainian law which bans films
popularising a military of the aggressor state or creating a positive image of its employees.
Summary Notes
An untested American submarine captain teams with U.S. Navy Seals to rescue
the Russian president, who has been kidnapped by a rogue general.
v Hustlers
- 2019 USA crime comedy thriller by Lorene Scafaria.
Hustlers is a 2019 USA crime comedy thriller by Lorene Scafaria.
Starring Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez and Julia Stiles.
No censorship issues in the UK or US but the film was banned in Malaysia
Malaysia: Maybe set to be released in a cut form:
There is some advance publicity for a Malaysian release in a censored version, with even the title being censored, and changed to Wall Street Girls.
Malaysia: Banned in September 2019:
Banned by
Malaysia's film censors of the LPF because of its excessive obscene content. The board said naked breasts, erotic dances and scenes featuring drugs made it not suitable for public screening.
Summary Notes
Inspired by the viral New York Magazine article, Hustlers follows a crew of savvy former strip club employees who band together to turn the tables on their Wall Street clients.
Availability
UK: Passed 15 uncut for sexualised nudity, strong sex references, language, drug misuse:
