Weekly News

The Stockings & Hosiery section of the website www.americanapparel.co.uk showed images of the products for sale and included images of models wearing the tights or stockings.

• a. The first showed a black and white photograph of a woman and her mirror image. She was lying on her back with her legs raised in the air, wearing shoes and patterned tights but nothing else. One of her breasts was visible.
• b. The second showed several small photographs of women wearing tights but nothing else. One woman had her back to the camera and was bending over, touching her toes and looking back at the camera.
• c. The third showed three identical photographs of a woman sitting on a window sill sideways to the camera wearing stockings and a long, flowered shirt.
• d. The fourth showed three different photographs of a woman in pink tights and a blue top standing sideways to the camera.
• e. The fifth showed five women wearing bras and different coloured tights lying on their stomachs but looking back towards the camera.
• f. The sixth showed three pairs of women's legs raised in the air wearing different coloured stockings.
• g. The seventh showed a woman lying on her stomach, sideways to the camera but turning her face towards it, wearing black, cut-out tights with the bottom exposed.
• h. The eighth showed a woman on her hands and one knee, with her other leg raised in the air, sideways to the camera but turning her face towards it, wearing tights, shoes and a top.
• i. The ninth showed a black and white photograph of a woman wearing sheer black tights and a top. She was sitting with her bottom facing the camera.
• j. The tenth showed a woman on her hands and one knee, with her other leg raised in the air, sideways to the camera but turning her face towards it, wearing pink, footless, high denier tights and a bra.
• k. The eleventh showed five pairs of women's legs wearing different coloured, high denier tights.
• l. The twelfth showed the lower halves of four women wearing patterned or coloured tights. Three were sideways to the camera and one faced the camera.
• m. The thirteenth showed a black and white photograph of two women wearing black, patterned tights but nothing else. One stood with her back to the camera and one stood sideways to the camera, but both had turned their heads to face the camera. One woman covered her breast with her hand.
• n. The fourteenth showed a photograph of a woman lying on her stomach on a bed with her face turned towards the camera. She was wearing white stockings, knickers and a bra and was cuddling a pillow.
• o. The fifteenth showed the lower halves of four women wearing coloured, high denier tights. Three were sideways to the camera and were bending over.
• p. The sixteenth showed a black and white photograph of a woman wearing high denier tights but nothing else, bending forwards with her back to the camera.
• q. The seventeenth showed a photograph of a woman wearing patterned tights and a flesh-coloured top. She was sitting on the floor, facing the camera and doing the splits.
• r. The eighteenth showed a photograph of a woman wearing white tights but nothing else, curled up on a sofa, facing the camera. One of her breasts was visible.
• s. The nineteenth showed a photograph of a woman lying on her side with her back to the camera, wearing coloured, high denier tights.
• t. The twentieth showed a photograph taken from above of a woman lying on her side, wearing coloured, high denier tights.
• u. The twenty-first showed a black and white photograph of the lower halves of nine women standing close together wearing tights. Two stood facing the camera; the others stood sideways to the camera.
• v. The twenty-second showed a black and white photograph of two women with their backs to the camera wearing black, cut-out tights with the bottoms exposed. Both women had turned their heads to face the camera.
• w. The twenty-third showed three photographs of a woman lying on her back on a sofa with her legs raised in the air. She was wearing coloured, high denier tights and a top.

A complainant, who had wanted to look at the website with her 12-year-old daughter, objected that the images were unnecessarily sexual and inappropriate for a website that could be seen by children.

American Apparel (UK) (American Apparel) believed it was standard practice to market hosiery, intimates or lingerie in the way done on their website. They supplied links to other retailers' websites which they considered portrayed similar products in similar ways. They said children could access any website; that their website sold a variety of products in addition to hosiery and lingerie and that hosiery and lingerie were labelled as such.

ASA Assessment: Upheld in relation to ads (p), (r) and (v).

The ASA considered that ads (c), (d), (e), (f), (h), (j), (k), (l), (o), (s), (t), (u) and (w) showed women in poses that were natural or artistic but which did not appear to be overtly sexual or otherwise inappropriate in hosiery ads on a website that could be seen by children. Because of that, we concluded that those ads were not in breach of the CAP Code.

Although no nudity was visible, we considered the pose of the woman in ad (p) was sexually suggestive and gratuitous in an ad for hosiery. Because of that, we concluded that the image was inappropriate in a hosiery ad on a website that could be seen by children.

We saw that one of the woman's breasts in ad (r) was visible and considered her pose was submissive and sexually suggestive. Although we considered it was reasonable for ads for hosiery to feature women in limited amounts of clothing, we considered that the image, together with her pose and the appearance of a breast in an ad for hosiery, was gratuitous. Because of that, we concluded that the image was inappropriate in a hosiery ad on a website that could be seen by children.

Although no nudity was visible, we considered the poses of the women in ad (v) were flirtatious and sexually suggestive; that the poses emphasised their bottoms and that they were gratuitous in an ad for hosiery. Because of that, we concluded that the image was inappropriate in a hosiery ad on a website that could be seen by children.

Ads (p), (r) and (v) breached CAP Code rules 1.3 (Responsible advertising) and 4.1 (Harm and offence).

We investigated ads (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), (l), (m), (n), (o), (q), (s), (t), (u) and (w) under CAP Code rules 1.3 (Responsible advertising) and 4.1 (Harm and offence) but did not find them in breach. Action

ATVOD has claimed overwhelming support for the censor's enforcement of strict rules to curb on-line providers making hardcore pornography available to under 18s.

ATVOD has published a survey conducted by ICM Research on 26-27 September 2012, and involving responses from a demographically based sample of 2019 adults in Great Britain. This asked the leading questions:

• Q1. Hardcore porn videos are videos featuring real sex shown in explicit detail. How easy do you think it is for children to see hardcore porn videos on the internet? 77% replied quite or very easy
   
• Q2. The law requires UK providers of ‘hardcore porn’ videos to take steps to ensure that under 18s can't normally see such material. Those steps include restricting sales to credit card holders, or checking information against a reliable database e.g. the electoral roll. How important do you think such steps are? 88% replied quite or very important
   
• Q3. Inciting hatred is stronger than expressing dislike, ridicule or abuse and is not the same as discrimination . How easy do you think it is to find videos on the internet that are likely to incite hatred based on race, sex, religion or nationality? 70% replied quite or very easy

Strangely ATVOD didn't ask such questions as:

• Should adults without credit cards (debit cards not acceptable) be banned from viewing porn?
• Should be British companies be effectively banned from trading in the adult business whilst foreign companies are free to continue?
• Do you think Britain should develop a fair and practical system that allows adults to view porn whilst restricting children?
• Do you think it causes serious harm to depict an activity that children will be able to enjoy for themselves at 16, are well prepared for by the education system, and is discussed at great lengths in nearly all social circles and media.

ATVOD has recently investigated 23 notified adult services, finding 13 to be in breach of the statutory rules because they featured hardcore porn material which could be accessed by under 18's.

Two of those found to be in breach have now closed and eight have made themselves compliant by placing all hardcore material behind an effective access control mechanism. Four services which failed to make changes according to the timetable set by ATVOD have been referred to Ofcom. The back-stop regulator is now considering whether to impose financial penalties or restrict or suspend services. Other services have been forced to move offshore in the face of almost impossible trading conditions under ATVOD rules.

The VOD censor has also called for more to be done to protect UK children from hardcore porn on non-UK services, and encourages policy makers to consider:

• How to improve the take up and effectiveness of parental control software;
• Whether more effective use could be made of the Obscene Publications Act, given Crown Prosecution Service advice that offering unrestricted access to hardcore porn is prosecutable under that legislation;
• Whether a consensus might be built among EU Member States for measures to keep hardcore porn out of reach of children; and Whether action can and should be taken against UK entities involved in the provision of services from outside the EU, but targeted at the UK, for instance, payment processors.

ATVOD Chief Executive Pete Johnson said:

Public concern about the ease with which children can access hardcore pornography online is substantial and there is widespread support for ATVOD's policy of ensuring UK websites providing such content do so only with safeguards that keep it out of reach of children.

We have made good progress in ensuring that UK websites comply with rules designed to protect children from such harmful content, and our recent enforcement activity has sent a clear message that UK providers of hardcore pornography on demand must take effective steps to ensure that such material is not accessible to under-18s. Asking visitors to a website to click an 'I am 18' button or enter a date of birth or use a debit card is not sufficient -- if they are going to offer explicit sex material they must know that their customers are 18, just as they would in the 'offline' world.

But we cannot be complacent, and the views of the public can't be ignored.

ATVOD Chair, Ruth Evans said:

We believe policy makers should consider whether more should be done to protect UK children from porn websites operating from other countries. Given the importance the public clearly attaches to protecting children from exposure to hardcore porn material, it is surely time to consider more imaginative ways to ensure that the standards ATVOD requires UK services to meet are replicated for hardcore porn websites operating from outside the UK and which are currently unregulated.

American Dad!
FX, 11 August 2012, 20:30

American Dad is an irreverent animated comedy produced in the USA. It centres on a dysfunctional American family consisting of parents Stan and Francine, their children (including son, Steve).

Ofcom was alerted by a viewer to scenes of violence in an episode of this programme broadcast before the 21:00 watershed on the FX channel, which included a character being stabbed with a knife and a protracted assault on Stan.

The licence for the FX channel is held by Fox International.

We noted that the storyline revolved around Stan bullying his son, Steve, to make him stand up for himself. It included at about 20:48 a flashback sequence of Francine's involvement in a knife fight when she was a teenager and stabbed and killed someone. This sequence lasted about 13 seconds and showed Francine with a punk haircut fighting another girl in an underground fight club. Enormous slabs of raw meat were hanging from hooks on the ceiling, and the two young women were surrounded by a crowd of cheering men. The girl produced a knife and stabbed Francine in the shoulder. Francine pulled the knife out of her shoulder, stabbed the girl in the stomach, punched her to the ground, and so killed her. Francine then triumphantly taunted the dead girl.

There was also a prolonged sequence lasting about 90 seconds broadcast at around 20:53 when Stan was repeatedly kicked and punched by a man who had bullied him severely when he had been a child. This section of the episode featured Stan: being tied to a children's roundabout and punched repeatedly in the face; being buried up to his chest in the ground while a child's riding horse was used to beat him in the face; and receiving a powerful blow to his head. Stan's face showed the cumulative effects of the assault, with two black eyes, a broken nose and a badly swollen face.

Ofcom also noted there were three occasions when Stan, adopting the persona of a teenage bully, taunted his son by making sexual boasts about his mother (Stan's wife). For example, on one occasion after Stan stole Steve's bike, he said:

I'm gonna mount this and ride it hard. Like I did your mom last night.

Ofcom considered Rule 1.3 of the Code, which states:

Children must...be protected by appropriate scheduling from material that is unsuitable for them.

Fox said that this programme should not have been broadcast in the form it was before the watershed. The fact it was broadcast at this time resulted from human error.

Ofcom Decision: Breach of Rule 1.3

We noted there were two violent sequences in this episode. The fight involving Francine as a violent teenager in an underground fight club setting was intended to Ofcom Broadcast Bulletin, Issue 219 3 December 2012 16 contrast with her current role as a caring mother in a comic way. Nonetheless, this sequence showed each character punching and then stabbing the other, with one girl dying, and Francine's delight in killing her opponent. The sequence showing Stan being subject to a violent assault (receiving multiple kicks, punches and blows to the head without him fighting back, and showing his face at the end bloodied and bruised) was protracted. Ofcom's view was therefore that this material was unsuitable for children.

Stan's sexual taunts to Steve about Francine were clearly made in the context of him fully adopting the persona of a bully to physically and verbally humiliate his son. The remarks were intended to shock Steve, confronting him with the thought of his mother and father having sex. Ofcom's view was that this aggressive innuendo and sexualised language was unsuitable for children.

Ofcom concluded that children were not in this case protected from unsuitable material by appropriate scheduling, and there was a breach of Rule 1.3.

Zombie Flesh Eaters is a 1979 Italian horror film by Lucio Fulci
With Tisa Farrow and Ian McCulloch.  

UK: Passed 18 uncut after all cuts waived for:

• UK 2012 Arrow Steelbook R0 Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 3rd December 2012
• UK 2012 Arrow Special Edition R0 Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 3rd December 2012
• UK 2012 Arrow R0 DVD at UK Amazon released on 3rd December 2012

There is also a US release titled Zombie

See review from filmoria.co.uk
See review from starburstmagazine.com
 

Censorship History

The cinema version was passed X by the BBFC in 1979 with 14 cuts totalling 1:46s.

This X rated cinema version was released on video by Vipco in 1980. Vipco then issued the "strong uncut version" in 1981 at a premium price which then got out on the Video Nasties list in October 1983. It stayed on the list throughout so became one of the collectable DPP 39s

The heavily cut cinema version was passed 18 in 1992 & 1996. Vipco misleadingly tried to pass off their version as 'complete'

Re-released on Diskline video in 1999 with most cuts restored but still 23s missing

Finally passed uncut in 2005 and is released as part of the Box of the Banned set of DVDs from Anchor Bay
 

Promotional Material

They will rise to suck the blood of the living!

From the sleazy video nasty vaults comes a movie so stained with controversy and moral indignation that the very mention of its name sends shudders down the spines of the weak stomached and censorious Zombie Flesh Eaters. A gut-munching, shark wrestling, eye-gouging orgy of topless skin divers, mud-caked undead terror and Italian splatter from the dark imagination of horror genius Lucio Fulci (The Beyond, City of The Living Dead).

An abandoned boat in New York Harbour unleashes a deadly flesh crazed Zombie cargo... A Young American woman and a journalist investigate a tropical island where a deadly disease is making the dead walk... Soon, thoughts of getting to the bottom of the murderous curse will be forgotten, as Fulci s walking corpses overwhelm the living and reports come in that the Big Apple is swarming with the living dead...

After over thirty years, Zombie Flesh Eaters still has the power to shock and offend the unwilling... Check out this classic sadist video and revel in a wonderfully tasteless movie that once helped usher in a moral panic!

String Uncut Version

• Brand new high definition restoration of the original negative.

• Optional English SDH subtitles on the feature

• Audio commentary with screenwriter Elisa Briganti moderated by Calum Waddell

• Audio commentary with Fulci biographer Stephen Thrower and horror expert Alan Jones

• UK exclusive introduction to the film from Ian McCulloch

• ALIENS, CANNIBALS AND ZOMBIES: A TRILOGY OF ITALIAN TERROR: Actor Ian McCulloch remembers his three classics of Latin horror lunacy - ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS, CONTAMINATION and ZOMBI HOLOCAUST

• FROM ROMERO TO ROME: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE ITALIAN ZOMBIE FILM: Veteran Fulci screenwriters Dardano Sacchetti (THE BEYOND) and Antonio Tentori (CAT IN THE BRAIN), celebrated UK critic Kim Newman and filmmakers Luigi Cozzi (CONTAMINATION), Ruggero Deodato (CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST) and Russ Streiner (NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD) share memories of the genesis of corpse-crunching cinema - from Romero's early templates to the gory glory days of Fulci and his many successors.

• THE MEAT MUNCHING MOVIES OF GINO ROSSI: The special effects magician behind many Italian splatter classics talks about his most famous gore-drenched greats - and shows props from many plasma-packed masterworks - including ZOMBIE FLESH-EATERS, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY, CANNIBAL FEROX, BURIAL GROUND and PIRANHA II.

• MUSIC FOR A FLESH-FEAST: Composer Fabio Frizzo - Live Q&A from the Glasgow Film Theatre

• ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS: FROM SCRIPT TO SCREEN. Dardano Sacchetti shows key pages from his original ISLAND OF THE LIVING DEAD screenplay.

• Trailer and radio spots

• Collectors booklet featuring contributions from Calum Waddell, Stephen Thrower, Craig Lapper and Jay Slater.

• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys

About 200 women's rights groups are calling for laws to make paying for sex a crime across the European Union.

Campaigners will present key policy recommendations for legislation to MEPs in Brussels on Wednesday. A campaign spokeswoman claimed:

Prostitution is a form of violence, an obstacle to gender equality and an open door for organised crime to develop.

The European Women's Lobby (EWL), which leads the campaign, wants EU member states to implement six key policies, including the criminalisation of all forms of procuring, and the creation of effective exit programmes for sex workers.

EWL spokeswoman Pierrette Pape ludicrously claimed to the BBC that even in totally consensual transactions:  imposing sexual intercourse with money is a form of violence that shouldn't be accepted,

So far 36 European MEPs are already supporting the proposal, Pape said.

Initial response by the English Collective of Prostitutes

Selected points from article from iusw.org

• At a time of economic crisis when poverty among women and children is rising throughout Europe (see EWL own research [1]) and more women, particularly mothers, are working in the sex industry to survive, the EWL chooses to mount an initiative against prostitution. To criminalise prostitute women's clients when all the evidence shows that this will push prostitution more underground and make it harder for sex workers to get protection from rape and other violence, shows a total disregard for the lives of women in the sex industry. Criminalising clients will not stop prostitution, nor will it stop the criminalisation of women. But it will make more dangerous and stigmatising for those of us who work as prostitutes.
   
• Faced with no benefit or job, or only the lowest-waged jobs, many women will sell sexual services. Are we less degraded when we have to skip meals or beg in order to feed our children; stay with a violent partner to keep a roof over our heads; or work 40 hours a week for under ?5 an hour unable to pay our bills? Is it surprising that many women would rather make three times as much working part-time in a brothel? Those who rage against prostitution have not a word for mothers struggling to feed their families. Since student fees were raised, many more women students are paying for their education by working in the sex industry. If governments are offended by the work we do, they should stop welfare reform, abolish student fees, reinstate resources for women fleeing domestic violence and bring in pay equity. With the urgent economic need women across Europe are facing, have women politicians nothing better to do than to attack sex workers?
   
• The EWL proposal for the prohibition of the purchase of a sexual act (accompanied by the suppression of repressive measures against prostituted persons ) follows the example of legislation introduced in Sweden which decriminalised sex workers and criminalised clients. Yet evidence shows that discrimination and stigma against sex workers has increased, that sex workers have been put more at risk of attack and are less able to call on the protection of the police and the authorities: We have also found reports of serious adverse effects of the Sex Purchase Act -- especially concerning the health and well-being of sex workers -- in spite of the fact that the lawmakers stressed that the law was not to have a detrimental effect on people in prostitution. Where is the outrage at the fact that a quarter of single mothers in Sweden now live in poverty, compared to 10% seven years ago.
   
• Existing legislation in all EU countries already prosecutes anyone who forces or coerces anyone into the sex industry. Why extend it to consenting sex? The EWL proposal for the criminalisation of all forms of procuring will result in anyone associated with sex workers being at risk of prosecution. Here in the UK there are laws against brothel-keeping, controlling and causing and inciting someone into prostitution, all of which are most often used against people who associate with sex workers rather than people who exploit sex workers. For example, women who place an advert on the web for another sex worker or who pass on a client.

An unholy row has broken out between the Catholic Church and impersonator Mario Rosenstock over an RTE sketch about Olympic champion Katie Taylor that appears to mock Holy Communion.

The Catholic Communications Office (CCO) has formally complained to RTE and demanded an apology over the boxing-themed sketch set in a church, which showed a man spitting into a bucket -- in the manner of a prize fighter -- before receiving Holy Communion. Church spokesman Martin Long wrote in a letter to RTE

Any objective viewer would certainly see the offence caused in ridiculing the reception of Holy Communion, the Eucharist, which is the Body of Christ. To make fun of this sacred act is sacrilege and is offensive to the core belief of every Catholic.

Rosenstock said he was disappointed with the church's reaction. He denied that the parody shown on his Mario Rosenstock Show last Monday night was aimed at the church.

It was clearly based on the phenomenon that is Katie Taylor and how her success has permeated every facet of Irish life.

On a more serious note, it seems to me that there is a bigger game afoot. After the Prime Time Investigates controversy over Fr Reynolds, does the church now believe it can go around and start telling RTE what they can and cannot show?

Further comments on Rosenstock's website noted:

Mario Rosenstock has put himself on a collision course with the Catholic Church by refusing to apologise for a sketch which prompted complaints to RTE. And he predicted the church will be upset further by a skit involving Mother Teresa to be aired tonight.

The clip will recreate the historic interview the venerated nun gave to broadcaster Gay Byrne during the early 1970s, but with the major Catholic icon behaving less than saintly during commercial breaks.

If they thought we went too far with the last sketch, I dread to think what they will make of this, Mr Rosenstock told the Irish Independent in reference to a boxing-themed sketch which aired on last week's show.

Ted is a 2012 USA comedy fantasy by Seth MacFarlane.
With Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and Seth MacFarlane.

UK: The Unrated/Extended Version was passed 15 uncut for very strong language, strong sex references, drug use and nudity for:

• UK 2012 Universal [Theatrical + Extended] Steelbook RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 26th November 2012
• UK 2012 Universal [Theatrical + Extended] RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 26th November 2012
• UK 2012 Universal R2 DVD at UK Amazon released on 26th November 2012

See pictorial version details from movie-censorship.com . 6:12s of extra plot featuring more strong language. This is not a major update to the film but is worth having.

UK: The Theatrical Version is 6:12s shorter and was passed 15 without BBFC cuts for strong sex references, language, drug use and brief nudity.

Germany: From IMDb. There are locally dubbed versions where Ted speaks with Bavarian and Berlin accents.

Promotional Material

Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane brings his boundary-pushing brand of humour to the big screen for the first time as writer, director and voice star of Ted. In the live action/CG-animated comedy, he tells the story of John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), a grown man who must deal with the cherished teddy bear who came to life as the result of a childhood wish... and has refused to leave his side ever since.

The Hunt is a 2012 Denmark drama by Thomas Vinterberg.
With Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen and Annika Wedderkopp.

UK: Passed 15 uncut for strong language, sex and violence and a brief strong sexual image for:

• UK 2012 cinema release

The BBFC commented about a rare example of a hardcore image appearing in a non-documentary 15 rated film:

In one scene teenage boys look at a pornographic image and show it to a young girl. The image in question is only briefly seen and depicts a woman holding a man's erect penis. The young girl and the image are never shown together and there is no suggestion the child actress was ever exposed to the image. Although graphic, the image has an important contextual justification in the narrative because when the young girl explains what she's seen, the audience is aware that she's describing this image rather than a real life situation with her teacher.

An actress who claimed she was duped into appearing in the anti-Islam film, The Innocence of Muslims , lost her second legal bid to force the video off YouTube.

Denying a request by actress Cindy Lee Garcia for a court order requiring the popular online video site to remove the 13-minute clip, a federal judge found she was unlikely to prevail on her claims of copyright infringement.

Garcia's lawyer, Cris Armenta, told Reuters she planned to appeal the decision.

The lawsuit claimed copyright on Garcia's performance in the video and accuses Google of infringing on that copyright by distributing the video without her approval via YouTube.

But in his ruling the judge questioned the validity of such a claim. He held that even if she could prove a legitimate copyright interest in her film performance, she effectively relinquished her rights to producers of the film. Fitzgerald also ruled that Garcia failed to show that she would suffer irreparable harm without an injunction.

Texas Chainsaw 3D is a 2013 USA horror mystery thriller by John Luessenhop.
With Alexandra Daddario, Tania Raymonde and Scott Eastwood.

The BBFC have just passed the film 18 uncut for strong bloody violence and gory images for cinema release with a running time of 91:50s.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a 2012 US fantasy adventure by Peter Jackson.
With Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen and Richard Armitage.

The BBFC have just passed the film 12A uncut for moderate violence for cinema release with a running time of 166:00s

The Last of the Mohicans is a 1992 US adventure by Michael Mann.
With Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe and Russell Means.

UK: The Director's Definitive Cut  looks set to be 12 rated for:

• UK 2012 Warner R0 Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 26th November 2012

See pictorial version details from movie-censorship.com . The changes are uncontroversial in terms of censorship.

Promotional Material

In mid-18th century America, woodsman Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis) lives amongst British colonists in New York state, but shares the cultural values of his adopted Mohican father, Chingachgook (Russell Means). At the height of the French-Indian war, Hawkeye is asked to lead two British sisters, Cora and Alice (Madeleine Stowe and Jodhi May), through dangerous territory to their father's fort. With the French-allied Hurons on their trail, one of whom has a personal vendetta against the daughters, Hawkeye and his companion Uncas still find time for romance with their charges, much to the chagrin of the accompanying Major Duncan Heyward (Steven Waddington), who has set his cap at Cora.

The Reform Section 5 campaign has taken a major step forward with the tabling of an amendment in Parliament to remove the word insulting from section 5 of the Public Order Act.

The amendment, to the Crime and Courts Bill, was made by Lord Dear, former Chief Constable of the West Midlands police, and countersigned by three prominent lawyers, former Lord Chancellor Lord Mackay of Clashfern, former Director of Public Prosecutions Lord (Ken) MacDonald and Baroness (Helena) Kennedy QC.

The amendment has been welcomed by the incoming Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Baroness Onora O'Neill, who said:

There is evidence that police are using this power to arrest and fine people for exercising their fundamental human right to freedom of expression.

Limitations on free speech to deal with offences such as incitement to hatred and violence are clearly necessary. However, a blanket ban on the use of any insulting words or actions is dangerous because it could criminalise anyone who speaks their mind, regardless of their intention.'

A legal change is vital to protect free speech along with better guidance on equality and human rights, to help police find the right balance between legitimate free speech and taking justifiable action against abusive words or conduct.'

The influential Joint (Parliamentary) Committee on Human Rights has also recommended that:

We understand the sensitivities with certain communities on the issue of criminalising insulting words or behaviour, but nonetheless we support an amendment to the Bill which reduces the scope of Section 5 Public Order Act 1986 on the basis that criminalising insulting words or behaviour constitutes a disproportionate interference with freedom of expression.

The campaign to reform section 5 has been led by the Christian Institute and the National Secular Society who last week wrote to every peer asking them to support the change.

Keith Porteous wood, Executive Director of the National Secular Society said:

Given the high level of support, especially with such prestigious names, we are highly optimistic that this campaign will be successful. The deadline for the Government to respond to the consultation passed many months ago and there is no credible opposition.

It looks like the Spring 2013 follow-up to the Zombie-themed action-RPG Dead Island has been banned in Germany. In a recent interview with PCGamesN, Dead Island: Riptide creative producer Sebastian Reichert said this was due to the country's strict guidelines on the sale of violent media:

We have no censored version of the game so we cannot release it in Germany. It feels fucking awkward to have one of the most successful games in years and nobody in your country knows it.

German rules on violent media say that it cannot contain violence against human-like characters and mutilation of corpses. Games often have to be censored so as to be made acceptable for release in the country.

The Welsh Government has lodged an official complaint over an episode of Welsh language soap Pobol y Cwm on S4C.

It claimed that the programme breached BBC and Ofcom guidelines with a storyline in which characters protested about the lack of a badger cull to curb TB in cattle.

The formal complaint demanded that the BBC - which makes the soap - and S4C pull a planned repeat of the episode and also prevent internet access to it.

One of the character in the show, fictionally based in west Wales, said the Welsh government doesn't have the backbone to cull badgers. The character Cathryn Richards, known as Cadno , says the Government does not care about the countryside because there aren't enough votes here .

A Welsh Government spokesman said:

Following last night's episode of Pobol y Cwm, we have made an official complaint to the BBC and S4C following what we believe to be a serious breach of BBC and Ofcom guidelines.

We have asked the BBC and S4C to take swift action to address our concerns.

The BBC's editorial guidelines are clear that programmes are expected to ensure that 'controversial subjects' are treated with due impartiality in all their output.

We do not believe this to be the case in this instance.

S4C's director of content Dafydd Rhys said the episode would not be pulled and it would still be available online: We're satisfied that the drama includes a variety of viewpoints which refer to the public debate about plans to eradicate Bovine TB.

The BBFC has updated its website with a bolder and more colourful affair with lots more pictures.

There are new front page features providing a list of classification information for new cinema releases and for the latest DVD classifications.

Most, if not all data items are still available. A slight problem is that when a title search results in a long list of matches, these are presented in endless unordered subpages to click through, rather than a long list that previously was quick to scan through.

In terms of depth of data, the website is way ahead of any other similar site, and now it has better decorated with film posters and colour.

Update: BBFC Insight

The BBFC is pleased to announce the launch of its new website which brings together the main BBFC website, the BBFC website for parents (PBBFC) and the BBFC education website for students (SBBFC). With improved search functionality, the new look BBFC website places film content information at its core, making it easier for the public, parents in particular, to find detailed BBFCinsight information about any film rated by the BBFC.

David Cooke, Director of the BBFC says:

We designed the new website to make it easier for parents to make informed decisions about the films their children see whether at the cinema, on DVD or via download. BBFCinsight is designed to be clear and unbiased, giving details about the age rating issues in a film, but also other details parents have told us they like to be aware of, such as examples of mild language, or even themes such as divorce or bereavement that may not impact on the age rating, but might upset some children. Parents can find a short summary of BBFCinsight on DVD boxes and cinema posters and more detailed BBFCinsight is published on the website and the BBFC iPhone and Android Apps.

All BBFC film age ratings come with BBFCinsight, which combines the BBFC's previous Consumer Advice and Extended Classification Information (ECI) under one memorable name. BBFCinsight begins with a summary sentence (like Consumer Advice) then goes straight into a longer explanation about the classification of the film and why it got the rating it did. The new BBFC website also allows users to watch trailers* for new films and sign up to receive regular BBFC newsletters.

John Carr, key adviser on internet safety to the UK Government and Executive Board member of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) said:

BBFCinsight and the new BBFC website will prove incredibly useful to parents navigating the wealth of online film content available to them and their families. By providing detailed information about a films' rating before it's released, the BBFC is equipping parents with tools that are timely, intuitive and provide information at a glance, as well as a more in-depth explanation about what their children are going to see. Parents should not have to struggle to find out whether a film or DVD might upset their child or another family member and the BBFC is helping to ensure this is something all families can prevent.

Verity Gill, Founding Director of Grannynet said:

Here at Grannynet we are delighted with the new BBFCinsight tool which we feel adds an invaluable dimension to the already vital support that the BBFC offers to grandparents. Any way in which our members can feel more confident about what their grandchildren are watching will ensure the film selection process is easier and more enjoyable for everyone concerned.

Putting ratings information online

Independent research carried out for the BBFC in 2011 found that 85% of respondents said it is important to have consistent BBFC classifications available for Video-on-Demand content, rising to 90% amongst parents with children under 16. As well as providing detailed BBFCinsight for every film classified, the BBFC's service for streamed and downloaded content, which launched in collaboration with the home entertainment industry in 2008, also provides trusted classifications, category symbols and BBFCinsight to set-top box, video-on-demand and other online content providers. Key affiliates using the BBFC service include Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Europe, Warner Bros., Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Universal, BT Vision, Tesco/Blinkbox, TalkTalk, Picturebox and Netflix.

Education

The new BBFC website features all the BBFC's educational content, previously available on the Students' SBBFC website. This includes case studies about controversial films, competitions for kids and information about how to book BBFC educational visits. The BBFC has established a number of partnerships with the film industry and cinemas to increase its contact with parents and children. Dialogue with the public both online and through education seminars, is integral to the work of the BBFC and helps inform the issues raised at each review of the BBFC Classification Guidelines. As part of this education and outreach work, the BBFC visited around 130 schools, colleges and other institutions in 2011, speaking to around 12,000 students.

Ninja Scroll is a 1993 Japan animation action adventure fantasy thriller by Mamoru Oshii.
With Kôichi Yamadera, Emi Shinohara and Takeshi Aono.

UK: Passed 18 uncut after previous BBFC cuts waived for:

• UK 2012 Manga Steelbook RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 26th November 2012
• UK 2012 Manga (RB) Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 26th November 2012
• UK 2012 Manga R2 DVD at UK Amazon released on 26th November 2012

See review from cine-vue.com

Censorship History

UK: Passed 18 after 53s of BBFC cuts for:

• UK 1997 Manga VHS
• UK 1995 Manga VHS

See pictorial cuts details from movie-censorship.com . The BBFC were deleting sights of martial arts weaponry at this time:

• The first cut occurs during the scene where Tessai kills the ninjas in the forest. A scene where all the ninjas simultaneously throw Shurikens at Tessai has been cut.
• The next cut occurs during the scene where Tessai sexually assaults Kagero. He rips off her top and proceeds to lick her breasts, legs, and crotch. She then wakes up and he grabs her throat and says 'Shut up and perhaps I'll let you live just a little bit longer. Don't let it cross your mind that I wouldn't mind raping a dead girl'
• The only other cut is made to a close up of the Poison Shiuriken as it impales Jubei.

UK: Passed 18 uncut after previous BBFC cuts waived for:

• UK 2004 Manga R2 DVD

Summary Review : Fantastic

A ninja-for-hire is forced into fighting an old nemesis who is bent on overthrowing the Japanese government. His nemesis is also the leader of a group of demons each with superhuman powers.

Ninja Scroll is usually one of the first anime films people see along with Akira and Ghost in the Shell , and with good reason too as it's fantastic!

The plot is very good, it moves along at a sensible pace with a good balance between dialogue and action and unfolds cleverly, giving the viewer snippets of what's going on along the way and piecing it together thoroughly at the end.

The film fully deserves it's 18 certificate as Ninja Scroll is very violent and has many other scenes and themes of an adult nature as a warning to those who decide to watch it lightly.

When BBC News correspondent Nick Higham suggested Daily Mail readers had prejudices it prompted a complaint that went to the corporation's highest levels.

The BBC Trust's editorial standards committee convened to decide whether Higham, in a report about Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre's evidence to the Leveson inquiry, had been unfair to readers of the newspaper.

A single complainant contacted the BBC to say that Higham's report including the prejudices claim had done readers a disservice.

But the trust's editorial standards committee (ESC), the final arbiter of appeals at the BBC, rejected the charge. The ESC said Higham's report was accurate and had not breached guidelines on due accuracy or impartiality.

Higham's report began: He's (Paul Dacre's) the man who runs Britain's second biggest daily with ferocious drive and a natural feel for his readers' prejudices -- though he prefers to call them anxieties.

The BBC, in its response, said the word prejudiced had not been used and was not the same thing as having prejudices , which could be mildly pejorative .

The BBC Trust decided that it was reasonable for the word to have been used, reflecting a certain set of preconceived views held by readers of the Daily Mail.

A spokesman for the Daily Mail confirmed that it did not make the complaint.

Aussie lads' mag Zoo Weekly has been forced to remove several pictures from its Facebook page after they were ruled exploitative and degrading to women by the Australian advert censor.

One picture, posted in October, showed a bikini-clad woman chopped in half across her stomach, along with the caption: Left or right? The other depicted a woman's bottom with a Nintendo logo on it and the caption: What would you call this console?

Both posts caused 'outrage' among Facebook users and online feminist websites.

The Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) ruled both posts were in breach of two sections of the code of ethics relating to discrimination or vilification on the basis of gender, and of objectifying, exploiting and degrading women. It also ruled that comments posted by Zoo's fans on the pictures were in breach of the code for using strong or obscene language .

Since July the ASB has considered the content of commercial Facebook pages, including comments from fans, to be a form of advertising and have subjected them to the Advertising Code of Ethics.

However Zoo has criticised the ASB's decision, arguing that its Facebook page is simply an extension of its printed product and therefore should be considered editorial:

To describe Zoo's Facebook page as a 'marketing communication' is to misunderstand the nature of modern media organisations and the way in which they use social media to engage with their audience.

Australia's TV censor has thrown out complaints made against Channel Nine for broadcasting live phone sex content on its infomercial channel.

BabeTV Live went out on Extra in Queensland and regional NSW after 10pm on 8 October, with some viewers complaining that the exploitative and degrading content should have come with a (softcore) R18+ adult rating.

BabeTV Live features two scantily clad female presenters who encourage viewers to call in at a cost of $4.75 per minute, using provocative language and suggestive actions. Before it begins, the message the following program is for ADULTS ONLY appears on screen.

In its findings on its website, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) ruled that BabeTV Live is advertising, since the presenters continually refer to the phone number displayed on the screen, including direct verbal requests to the camera to phone in, using phrases such as 'call me'. Even though BabeTV Live aired for four hours and 43 minutes, ACMA maintained that the content was advertising.

This is considerably longer than the usual duration of a televised advertisement. However, the Act does not specify the minimum or maximum duration of content to qualify as advertising or sponsorship material.

To the point of Nine airing explicit content on Extra, one complaint read:

I would have thought it breaches the general licence conditions that state 'licensees will not transmit datacasting content that has been classified as RC or X18+ by the Classification Board, and that R 18+ must be modified or subject to a restricted access system'. This program is clearly in the 18+ category supported by the fact that you need to be 18+ to participate!

The broadcaster said that BabeLive TV had not been classified because it was live-to-air content -- so the Classification Board could not have seen it before it went to air.

Nine said that BabeLive TV followed MA 15+ guidelines, and had taken steps to ensure this sort of content did not get any racier than material suitable for viewers above the age of 15.

Nine stated its rules for presenters of this sort of content to ACMA:

• They must be wearing no less than bra and panties/swimwear/etc. and no see-through underwear or nipple covers.
• Breast cleavage may be visible but not the whole breast, no nipples and no nipple shadow.
• No pubic hair or nude genital area.
• No nude rear.
• No actual or implied sexual activity between the Presenters.
• May include sexually suggestive touching or position but cannot include the handling, kissing, licking or sucking or sex toys or phallic-like objects.

Nine also said that it had introduced new, stricter rules for presenters, as follows:

• The Presenters must not touch each other at any time, including kissing.
• The Presenters must not mention, talk about or refer to any sexual acts or sexually [suggestive] acts.
• The Presenters must not consume any drink or food on camera.

Even though Nine did not breach any of ACMA's rules, the broadcaster has since stopped airing BabeTV Live.

A Moscow court has ruled that the video of Pussy Riot's performance in Russia's main cathedral is 'extremist' and ordered it to be removed from the internet.

Three protesters were found guilty of hooliganism supposedly motivated by religious hatred.

The Moscow court banned the video of their February performance and said it should be removed from all websites.

The California man behind the Innocence of Muslims, the movie that wound up violent thugs in the Middle East, was sentenced to death in absentia in an Egyptian court.

Mark Basseley Youssef was among the seven Egyptian Coptic Christians as was Terry Jones, the Florida-based American pastor associated with burning Korans.

The case was seen as largely symbolic because the defendants, most of whom live in the United States, are all outside Egypt and unlikely to ever serve the sentences.

Egypt's official news agency said the court found the defendants guilty of harming national unity, insulting and publicly attacking Islam and spreading false information, charges that carry the death sentence.

Tarantino XX Box Set

UK: Released with an aggregate 18 rating for:

• 2012 Lions Gate RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 26th November 2012

There is also a US Release

Reservoir Dogs is a 1992 crime film by Quentin Tarantino.
With Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth and Michael Madsen.

Never cut but was the centre of a censorship controversy in the UK

The work was submitted to the BBFC in 1993 for its home video classification, but the video release would be delayed until 1995 because of the introduction of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill in 1993 and its lengthy passage through Parliament.

In response to concerns about the effects of media violence, largely in the wake of the James Bulger murder in 1993, part of the Bill's remit was to make amendments to the Video Recordings Act 1984 which established a specific harm test. This harm test required the BBFC to pay special regard (among the other relevant factors) to any harm that may be caused to potential viewers or, through their behaviour, to society by the manner in which the work deals with [such issues as] criminal behaviour [and] violent behaviour and incidents .

Reservoir Dogs was finally granted an uncut 18 video certificate in May 1995, a considerable time after its video release in all the other major international markets, which did not prove too disconcerting for Tarantino who was reported to be delighted that the delay had given the film an extended theatrical life in the UK.

True Romance is a 1993 USA/France crime thriller by Tony Scott.
With Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette and Dennis Hopper.

UK: The cut R Rated Version was passed 18 after a further BBFC cut of 3s for:

• UK 1995 Warner VHS
• UK 1994 Warner VHS
• UK 1993 cinema release

The original rental version carried a sticker claiming incorrectly that the video was uncut. This was replaced for sell-thru by the more accurate sticker "Original Cinema Version". (This was from an era when cinema versions were being routinely further cut for home video).

The BBFC cut was:

• to remove a very brief shot of Alabama being thrown through a glass shower curtain in the hotel room assault by Virgil.

UK: The Director's Cut/Unrated Version was passed 18 uncut for:

• UK 1999 Warner VHS

Pulp Fiction is a 1994 US crime film by Quentin Tarantino
With John Travolta and Uma Thurman.

UK: Passed 18 uncut for:

• UK 1994 cinema release

UK: Passed 18 after 3s of BBFC cuts for:

• UK 2008 Buena Vista DVD and Blu-ray
• UK 2002 Buena Vista Collector's Edition R2 DVD
• UK 2001 Buena Vista R2 DVD
• UK 2000 Buena Vista VHS
• UK 1995 Buena Vista VHS

The BBFC explained:

• 3 seconds were reframed on the Buena Vista video versions of 1996 to remove a close up of heroin injection. The BBFC cut this on the grounds of potential harm to viewers: the injection image is known to be hypnotically seductive to some potentially addictive young people and is nearly an advertisement for the pleasures of heroin injection.

UK: Passed 18 uncut with previous BBFC cut waived for strong violence, sex references and hard drug use for:

• UK 2011 Lions Gate Video

Jackie Brown is a 1997 USA crime thriller by Quentin Tarantino.
With Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Forster.

No censorship issues

Kill Bill: Vol 1 is a 2003 US action film by Quentin Tarantino.
With Uma Thurman, David Carradine and Daryl Hannah.

The Japanese version, which will also be screened in other Asian countries, is only a minute or two longer than the American one, but according to producer Lawrence Bender, it packs a bigger punch. There are a few extra shots in different scenes, the anime sequence of O-Ren Ishii's (Lucy Liu) childhood is longer, and the entire House of Leaves scene, where the Bride (Uma Thurman) slices and dices the Crazy 88, remains in color throughout (as opposed to cutting to black and white and then back to color in the American version). In addition, the dedication in the opening credits to the late Kinji Fukasaku, the king of ultraviolence and one of Tarantino's great influences, is not included on the American version.

Kill Bill: Vol. 2 is a 2004 USA action thriller by Quentin Tarantino.
With Uma Thurman, David Carradine and Michael Madsen.

There is an Asian Version that is 46s longer but the extra material is totally uncontentious and uninteresting.

Death Proof is a 2007 US action film by Quentin Tarantino.
With Kurt Russell, Zoe Bell and Rosario Dawson.

The Extended Version includes a complete lap dance show played over Baby, It's You performed by Mary Elizabeth Winstead. There are also changes to the dialogue in a drunken conversation in which Shanna falls down on her butt.

Also available with edits as part of a US Theatrical Double Feature, Grindhouse, with Planet Terror and fake trailers

Inglourious Basterds is a 2009 USA/Germany adventure drama war by Quentin Tarantino.
With Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger and Eli Roth.

The Theatrical and International Versions differ only in using a different mix of spoken language and subtitles

Two posters promoting the film Total Recall:

• a. A poster, seen on an outdoor billboard, featured two women dressed in bikinis and standing on a yacht. One woman was looking away from the camera with her arms above her head, the other was looking at the camera. Text at the top of the ad stated: TELL US YOUR FANTASY. WE'LL MAKE IT REAL* . Text at the bottom of the ad stated: REKALL WelcomeToRekall.co.uk Follow @WelcomeToReKall *Side effects may include sleeplessness, headaches, memory loss, paranoia, delusions, schizophrenia, and possible death .

• b. A similar poster appeared in a tube carriage. The ad featured a cropped version of the same image of the two women with the heading TELL US YOUR DREAM. WE'LL MAKE IT REAL* . The same supplementary text as the billboard ad appeared at the bottom of the ad. Issue

1. The complainants challenged whether the ads were offensive, because they were sexist to women and portrayed them as merely sex objects; and

2. One of the complainants also challenged whether ad (b) was irresponsible because it was unsuitable for display in an untargeted medium where it could be seen by children.

ASA Assessment: Complaints Not Upheld

1. Not upheld

The ASA considered that most viewers would not be aware that the ads referenced the film Total Recall and would not understand what REKALL was. We noted however that in both ads the Sony Pictures and Columbia Pictures logos appeared, and although we considered that individuals might not recognise those logos, we acknowledged that the text Side effects may include sleeplessness, headaches, memory loss, paranoia, delusions, schizophrenia, and possible death meant that most consumers would understand that the content was fictitious.

We understood that the same image of the women was used in both ads, but that in the ad which appeared in a tube carriage, the image was cropped so the women's legs were not shown in full. We noted that, although in both ads the women's poses accentuated their hips and their faces showed seductive expressions, we nevertheless considered that the image was only mildly sexual and the text Tell us your fantasy/dream. We'll make it real would be understood to refer to living a fantasy lifestyle of someone rich, attractive and with a yacht and therefore did not present the women as sexual objects.

Because we did not consider that the women in the ads were portrayed as sex objects, we concluded that the ads were unlikely to cause widespread offence as a result, even though they were in an untargeted medium.

On that point, we investigated the ads under CAP Code rule 4.1 (Harm and offence), but did find them in breach.

2. Not upheld

We noted the complainant's concerns that ad (b), displayed in a tube carriage, could be seen by children. We considered that children would not understand the reference to REKALL and might not be aware that the ad was promoting a film. We noted that CBS had sought Copy Advice from CAP prior to circulating the ad, and, as a result, had amended it to state Tell us your dream rather than Tell us your fantasy because that was judged to be less sexually suggestive.

We considered that the phrase Tell us your dream. We'll make it real , when read in conjunction with the image of the two women, would be understood to refer to living a fantasy lifestyle of someone rich with a yacht rather than that they were sexually available. Because we considered the ad was only mildly sexual in nature we considered that it was not unsuitable to appear in an untargeted medium likely to be seen by children, and concluded that it was not irresponsible.

On that point, we investigated ad (b) under CAP Code  rule 1.3 (Responsible advertising), but did not find it in breach.

The Dutch parliament has accepted a motion that will scrap an archaic law making it a crime to insult the religious character God.

A majority of parties agreed that the nation no longer needs the law, which hasn't been invoked in the past half-century.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to postpone the adoption of legislation criminalizing blasphemy and acts that offend religious believers until spring.

In the meantime, authorities hope to engage the public in a serious discussion on the repressive legislation, which would impose maximum penalties of three years' imprisonment, a 300,000 ruble ($10,000) fine or 200 hours' community work for publicly offending believers' feelings.

At a meeting of Putin's oxymoronic human rights council earlier this month, prominent activists criticized the blasphemy bill for its vague wording, which they said could result in miscarriages of justice. 'Feeling' is vague term, not a legal one, liberal politician Irina Khakamada told Putin at the meeting.