Wednesday August 19, 2009
Banned By The BBFC, Reviewed By Us
Not that we were aware at the time of going to press on Issue 132, but J-horror Grotesque has been banned by the BBFC.
According to BBC News: "Grotesque presented "little more than an unrelenting and escalating scenario of humiliation, brutality and sadism". Its "unacceptable content", added BBFC director David Cooke, meant cuts were "not a viable option"."
That's not far off what we said, on page 67: "Torture porn meets actual porn in this bizarre Japanese grot-horror with nipple-snipping, eye-gouging and a scene that begins: "First, I’ll nail the balls." Grotesque is exploitation crap pinned to the tale of a kidnapped couple tortured in a basement. Mercifully short, it’s painfully slow but also occasionally hilarious." Two stars - and no extras!
We suspect our check disc might be worth something now... but in the best interests of common decency, we won't be eBaying it.
JCVD V Quick!
As you'll know from Issue 131, we love us some Jean-Claude Van Damme here on DVD & Blu-ray Review, he being one of our Heroes Of Home Entertainment. And tonight he sets a new record, with perhaps the fastest theatrical-to-TV turnaround of all time. JCVD, his almost-arthouse movie released in the UK on 30 January (albeit in a very limited release at London's Prince Charles Cinema), is showing tonight on Five at 10.55pm, as part of their Seagal vs Van Damme season*. That's under eight months from silver screen to small screen - can anyone think of other films that have come around faster? And will you be watching? Let us know...
*If you haven't already seen the season's amazing trailer - which edits together images from 10 Seagal films with footage from Van Damme's The Shepherd: Border Patrol to make the screen rivals fight each other for the first time - check it out here.
