Norway Lifts Ban on Forbidden Films

Yahoo News ^

[KantianBurke]

OSLO, Norway - Norway's national film board lifted a ban on hundreds of films that were deemed too sexually explicit or violent since 1913, including the 1994 Steven Seagal (news) action movie "On Deadly Ground" and the 1990 gangster epic "Miller's Crossing."

The decision came after several of the films, banned between 1913 and 1999, were deemed not so objectionable to the Nordic country of 4.5 million which has deep roots in Lutheran piety.

"Many of these films were banned in different times. Historically there was an emphasis on moral criteria in censorship. Today professional criteria have become more important for the classifiers," said Tom Loeland, director of the Norwegian Board of Film Classification.

The board reviewed nearly 14,000 films since 1955, and banned 300. Those films, including the French movie "Lune Froide" by Patrick Bouchitey which was banned in 1992 for depicting necrophilia, can be shown now.

The board will also release many of the films censored by its predecessor, the Government Film Control, from 1913 and 1995.

The board changed its policy after its 1999 decision to ban the Japanese movie "In the Realm of the Senses" by Nagisa Oshima was overturned by its complaints panel in 2001. The film was deemed off limits because of its intimate depiction of sexual acts and sadomasochism ending in murder.

Earlier this year, the film was shown on Norwegian television, uncut and uncensored.

Loeland said the board "today makes a clear distinction between obvious pornography on one hand, and film with sexual or erotic elements on the other." He said the law still forbids hardcore pornography in theaters, on television or on videos or DVDs. It is also banned in print.

Other films that were previously banned include 1990's "Robocop 2" for violence, "Halloween 2" and "Return of the Living Dead," as well as the urban crime film "New Jack City."

[KantianBurke]

Wonder if this movie made the cut...

[martin_fierro]

Those films, including the French movie "Lune Froide" by Patrick Bouchitey which was banned in 1992 for depicting necrophilia...

Figures.

[BenLurkin]

"The film was deemed off limits because of its intimate depiction of sexual acts and sadomasochism ending in murder. "

IMHO that is a very good reason for banning a film, or at a minum restricting its screening. Showing it uncut on brodast TV really does a dis-service to the community.

Loeland said the board "today makes a clear distinction between obvious pornography on one hand, and film with sexual or erotic elements on the other." He said the law still forbids hardcore pornography in theaters, on television or on videos or DVDs. It is also banned in print.

Ah, there's the rub. The smut peddlers in Hollywood (and elsewhere) will always dance right up to the line and constantly test the sensibilty of what is "art" versus what is porn. Selling out to the "its OK if its art" argument will always be a losing game for society.

Other films that were previously banned include 1990's "Robocop 2" for violence, "Halloween 2" and "Return of the Living Dead," as well as the urban crime film "New Jack City."

With the possbile exception of "New Jack City", these are all movies which should be banned simply for lack of taste.

[BenLurkin]

Ping for the Unblinking Eye.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

What about "The Hot Loves of an Oslo Dentist"?

[KantianBurke]

[jmc813]

With the possbile exception of "New Jack City", these are all movies which should be banned simply for lack of taste.

I really hope you're joking.

[SengirV]

Some how I don't think they will be watching Scarface anytime soon. - 'Say hello to my little friend'

[Charles Henrickson]

Soon to be seen for the first time:

"Sven and Ole's Excellent Adventure"

"Dude, Where's My Lefse?"

"There's Someting About Lena, Don't Ya Know?"

"The Lutefisk That Ate Pittsburgh"

[TopQuark]

It's nice that the government gets out of the way. But what will replace it in helping people to keep sanity?

[Prodigal Son]

Radical concept. Letting the individual decide what is best for him.
We'll have to see how this one works out before trying it elsewhere...

[presidio9]

...and these people have Sweden for a next door neighbor?

[sticker]

sadomasochism= watching any Steven Segal film

New Jack City????????? do you remember who played the female lead?

[Clemenza]

Wasn't it Vanessa Williams (NOT the former Miss America, another one)?

[sticker]

I don't know, that was why I asked. Whoever the woman was she seemed older that martin sheen's kid. Of course Jagger seemed older than anybody else in the movie

[Clemenza]

Mick Jagger and Emilio starred in Freejack, not New Jack City, a gangsta flick with Wesley Snipes, Ice-T and Mario Van Pebbles.

My favorite line in Freejack: "let's get that big lipped bastard!"

If you think Mick was creepy in that flick, he was even scarier (in terms of appearance more so than acting) in The Man from Elysian Fields

[sticker]

Thanks, I was confused of course according to many people that is nothing new.:)

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Didn't that movie star Hillary Clinton as one of the love interests?

[Billthedrill]

Well, it's nice to know necrophilia's back on the A list. Personally I would never approve of eating human corpses onscreen unless it were necessary to the plot...

[Billthedrill]

Uh..."eating" would be cannibalism, wouldn't it? Well, I would never approve of...of...uh...

...never mind.