A FILM banned in Britain for its graphic portrayal of sexual violence, forced defecation and mutilation will be screened in Australian cinemas after the censors approved it in a decision that has surprised its distributor.
The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) will screen in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth after the Classification Board gave the film an R18+ classification without demanding any scenes be removed.
''I didn't think it would be refused classification but I was surprised that we weren't required to cut it,'' Ben Hellwig, the acquisitions manager for distributor Monster Pictures, said.
The Classification Board's decision in May is in contrast to the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), which in June refused to classify the film for DVD release only, rendering it illegal to sell. The sequel to a horror film, it depicts a scientist who grafts kidnap victims' mouths with their anuses.
''There is little attempt to portray any of the victims in the film as anything other than objects to be brutalised, degraded and mutilated for the amusement and arousal of the central character, as well as for the pleasure of the audience,'' the BBFC stated in its decision, delivered a month after the Classification Board gave it the go-ahead.
It is not the first time that Australian censors have surprised Monster Pictures, which is also distributing The Life and Death of a Porno Gang, a Serbian film featuring graphic scenes of sexual violence that was given an R18+ rating by the board in June without any scenes being removed.
''I will admit we were surprised by this one,'' Mr Hellwig said.
''There are a couple of questionable scenes involving controversial or taboo acts that have in the past seen a few films either require cuts or be banned.
''At the time, we were so concerned that it might not pass that we made an unusual deal with the film's sales agent to submit the film for classification before signing the contract, thus protecting ourselves should the film be rejected.''
Mr Hellwig said he believed in classification but not censorship: ''I think the Classification Board has a sound grasp of the sensibilities of the general Australian population and acts accordingly.''
However, his opinion is not shared by South Australia's Attorney-General John Rau, who has asked the federal government to reconsider a decision to classify another Serbian film, titled A Serbian Film, as R18+ after it was banned in that state. The film contains references to bestiality and paedophilia and scenes of graphic sexual violence.
It was approved nationally in April after being rejected twice and was released on DVD last week. It also screened at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival on Friday.
The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) will screen in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth after the Classification Board gave the film an R18+ classification without demanding any scenes be removed.
''I didn't think it would be refused classification but I was surprised that we weren't required to cut it,'' Ben Hellwig, the acquisitions manager for distributor Monster Pictures, said.
''There is little attempt to portray any of the victims in the film as anything other than objects to be brutalised, degraded and mutilated for the amusement and arousal of the central character, as well as for the pleasure of the audience,'' the BBFC stated in its decision, delivered a month after the Classification Board gave it the go-ahead.
It is not the first time that Australian censors have surprised Monster Pictures, which is also distributing The Life and Death of a Porno Gang, a Serbian film featuring graphic scenes of sexual violence that was given an R18+ rating by the board in June without any scenes being removed.
''I will admit we were surprised by this one,'' Mr Hellwig said.
''There are a couple of questionable scenes involving controversial or taboo acts that have in the past seen a few films either require cuts or be banned.
''At the time, we were so concerned that it might not pass that we made an unusual deal with the film's sales agent to submit the film for classification before signing the contract, thus protecting ourselves should the film be rejected.''
Mr Hellwig said he believed in classification but not censorship: ''I think the Classification Board has a sound grasp of the sensibilities of the general Australian population and acts accordingly.''
However, his opinion is not shared by South Australia's Attorney-General John Rau, who has asked the federal government to reconsider a decision to classify another Serbian film, titled A Serbian Film, as R18+ after it was banned in that state. The film contains references to bestiality and paedophilia and scenes of graphic sexual violence.
It was approved nationally in April after being rejected twice and was released on DVD last week. It also screened at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival on Friday.
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