Daily News

When Sam Mendes was appointed as the director of the next James Bond film, Skyfall, it was said that he would give the franchise an intelligent new depth.

His efforts to bring a contemporary edge to the 23rd Bond film by including scenes apparently inspired by the military funeral repatriations that passed through Royal Wootton Bassett seem to have sparked a few whinges.

A Royal British Legion spokesman said:

The last thing we want is a glitzy film. Attending the repatriations started as a pure and simple tribute. How are the mothers and fathers of the fallen soldiers going to feel when they see this on the big screen? It is cashing in on people's grief and is just cynical.

Roger Smith, a funeral director brought in to take part in the scenes, tells Mandrake that he was 'shocked' by the film makers' ignorance:

The annoying thing was that the directors didn't seem aware of the protocol for English funerals, he says. They wanted to do a Wootton Bassett-type scene, but had no master of ceremonies in front of the cortege to give the right speed. It was a real shame, a missed opportunity.

Game of Death is a 1978 Hong Kong film by Robert Clouse. With Bruce Lee, Gig Young and Colleen Camp. See IMDb

UK: Passed 18 uncut with previous BBFC cuts waived:

• UK 2012 Cine-Asia Hong Kong Legends R2 DVD at UK Amazon released today on 23rd January 2012
• UK 2003 Medusa/E1 Hong Kong Legends R2 DVD via UK Amazon
• UK 2001 Medusa/E1 Hong Kong Legends R2 DVD

Previously Cut

Previously a version pre-cut by 3:59s was further cut by 2s by the BBFC for:

• UK 2005 Universal DVD
• UK 1997 4 Front VHS
• UK 1996 Blue Chip VHS
• UK 1986 Rank VHS

Missing was the sight of nunchuks. Comparison of the UK Rank video and a Video-CD from Malaysia reveals that an entire 4 minute fight scene has been substituted. Late on in the film the Chinese version shows a nunchucks fight between Bruce Lee and a villain dressed all in black. In the Rank Video, this is replaced with a far less savage battle between Bruce Lee and a different guy dressed all in white with no nunchucks to be seen.

DVD Features

• Digitally re-mastered and restored DVD transfer
• 2:35:1 Anamorphic version enhanced for widescreen TV's
• Feature length audio commentary with Bey Logan
• Dolby Digital 5.1 English audio
• Bruce Lee trailer archive
• Deleted scenes from 1978 edition
• Rare photo archive (including production stills, posters and original lobby card artwork)
• Legacy of the Dragon (exclusive documentary on Bruce Lee and the Game of Death phenomenon)
• History of Jeet Kune Do (Bruce Lee's fighting art)
• Biography showcase for principal stars
• Game of Death Re-visited featurette
• 40 minute edit of the original Game of Death footage in accordance with Bruce Lee's script notes
• Dan Inosanto Jeet Kune Do Seminar
• Game of Death Retrospective
• Interview Gallery
• Fully Animated Menus

Summary Review: A Fitting Tribute

A martial arts movie star must fake his death to find the people who are trying to kill him.

Game of Death, a Frankenstein concoction of bits and peices of Bruce Lee's final performance in a movie originally shot in 1972-73 and a later film shot in 1978 after Lee's death is really two movies in one.

The first, a crime/revenge caper helmed by Robert Clouse is not as bad as you may have heard. The scenes are intercut badly and Lee's many doubles do look bad, but as a movie on it's own merit it isn't that bad.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps) has called for cosmetic surgery advertising to be banned.

Baaps said cosmetic surgery as a medical procedure should not be advertised, in the same way that the promotion of prescription medicines is banned. Baaps president Fazel Fatah said:

Over the last decade the Baaps has worked tirelessly to educate the public on the many aggressive marketing gimmicks that not only trivialise surgery but endanger the patient.

We have warned against the unrealistic expectations set by reality 'makeover' shows and against crass competition prizes promising 'mummy makeovers' and body overhauls.

In no other area of surgery would one encounter Christmas vouchers and two-for-one offers - the pendulum has swung too far, and it is time for change.

A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of having posted a hateful video to the internet calling on Allah to destroy members of the Norwegian government and royal family.

The man, a Norwegian citizen with a Central American family background, was arrested at his home by officers from the Telemark police service and the domestic police intelligence agency, PTS. He faces preliminary charges of threatening state officials and incitement to terrorism.

The suspect's lawyer, John Christian Elden, said his client admitted to being behind the video but did not believe it contained any threats: He was not previously known to police, and he doesn't think he has done anything illegal, even though he admits that he's the one who posted the video.

A link to the video was posted in a Facebook group with 1,600 members called Demonstrasjon: Norske soldater ut av Afghanistan [Demonstration: Norwegian soldiers out of Afghanistan]. The group's aim is to gather protesters for a rally outside the Oslo parliament. The number of group members has dropped to below 1,300 since the video appeared there.

In the video, images of Crown Prince Haakon, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store are accompanied by a song in Arabic that contains the words: Oh Allah, destroy them, and let it be painful.

Plymouth Council has proposed suffocating restrictions to prevent adult fun and the chance for local people to make a bit of money.

Repressive new licensing laws will mean that only one sex shop or cinema and two lap dancing venues will be allowed in Union Street.

The city centre will be allowed just one sex shop and no lap dancing venues.

All other parts of the city will be generally considered out of bounds.

A one-year licence will cost £3,900, and the annual renewal fee will be £3,200 under proposals agreed by the Cabinet.

The licensing policy will go to the full city council at the end of this month for approval.

A total of 46 responses were received during a public consultation.

Hooe Baptist Church called for premises such as supermarkets and filling stations to be included as sensitive buildings.

Teheran police last week told toy shops that the Barbie doll can no longer be sold and as a result some of Tehran's large toy stores have started removing them from shelve.

The police wasted little time and shut down dozens of toy shops in Teheran offering Barbie dolls for selling manifestations of Western culture, the Mehr news agency reported.

The move comes as clerics and conservative quarters in Iran have stepped up their criticism of Western culture. The Gerdab website argued last week that playing with the impossibly busty and long-legged Barbie triggers a psychological change in children and increases the influence of values that go against the values of Iranian-Islamic culture.

In the mid 1990s, Iranian clerics called the full-figured, glamorous Barbie doll, not to mention her clingy gowns, skimpy swimsuits and her more lately acquired feminist pretentions, a Trojan clothes horse for Western influences into the Islamic republic.

In 2002, the influential Institute for the Development of Children and Young Adults institute attempted to offset the popularity of Barbie and her life partner Ken with an Iranian version called Dara and Sara. The modestly dressed brother and sister were aimed at promoting traditional Islamic values. But it soon became clear that the dumpy Iranian dolls could not capture the hearts of Iran's children.

Several months ago a conservative website criticized the Iranian authorities for not doing enough to stop the use of Barbie's image on such children's items as schoolbags, stationery, clothes and watches. The website claimed that the doll is taking over the souls of the youngsters and that the authorities need to collaborate with local manufacturers to encourage the use of Iranian and Islamic characters instead of Barbie.

The chief rabbi of Amsterdam, Aryeh Ralbag, was temporarily relieved from his post by the board of the Orthodox Jewish community, after he signed a document describing homosexuality as an inclination which can be modified and healed.

Ralbag had recently signed the document titled Declaration On The Torah Approach To Homosexuality, which called on authority figures to guide same-sex strugglers towards a path of healing and overcoming their inclinations.

The community group known as the NIHS said in a statement:

Rabbi Ralbag's signature may give the impression the Orthodox Jewish community of Amsterdam shares his view. This is absolutely untrue. Homosexuals are welcome at the Amsterdam Jewish community.