But they're *French* chicks with guns. Much less schmaltzy than the American variety...
The film itself I can take or leave. What gets me is the insult of being told I am not allowed to watch it because John Howard and Fred Nile want to save my soul. The fact that I have seen it once and would be unlikely to see it again is irrelevant; it's the principle that counts.
OTOH, if it makes Australia look like the Texas of the Southern Hemisphere, and our wise leaders as buffoons, it may be ultimately good. Now when will Senator Alston set up his mega-high-power radio transmitter to Christianise south-east Asia?
Baise-Moi, given an R rating and screened privately. But what about "American Angels: Baptism of Blood", given an R rating and screened on free-to-air, the nine network, in Melbourne late last Sunday night?
(What indeed about the dross available to all and sundry over the age of 18 at the local 'Shaft', 'Crazy Horse' etc?)
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0096799
I'd say AA:BB was the more pornographic and exploitative, and it was available to anyone with a TV and/or a VCR. From the twenty or so minutes I saw of it, it exploited or made fun of women in general, obese women, 'dwarfs', and threw in an awkward 'erotic' sequence where the cast sprayed whipped cream and beer over each other, while forcibly removing bras and other upper garments.
I am reminded of certain senators getting their knickers in a twist over 'Lolita' when 'Happiness', a hundred times more explicit and confrontational, slipped under the radar.
I'd also like to throw my lot in with those arguing that 'fuck me' is a more appropriate, a
I'd also like to throw my lot in with those arguing that 'fuck me' is a more appropriate, accurate and less offensive translation than 'rape me'. I haven't seen the film but it seems to me there's a lot more (consensual) fucking than (non-consensual) raping.
Bugger Star Wars Episode II: where can I get a 'screenie' of 'Baise-Moi'?
The laughing stock of the cultural world:
Well, and I thought it was only Americans who forgot about
Rudy Giuliani's call for "decency standards" for art
at publicly funded museums. But he's a hero post-Sept 11...
The New Victimology - The Catholic League depicts critics as
prejudiced and their ideas as hate crimes.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2001/02/16/catholics/
And the Catholic League's self-righteousness was *before* the
pedophile priest scandal became so public.
That thing about the high-powered transmitter to broadcast jesus-centric programming into Asia is deadly serious, and I seem to remember the organisation behind it got the go-ahead (at least in terms of transmission rights, dunno about construction approval but that can't be too hard in the Kimberly). Might have to look for more information on that. Sounds a bit like "Radio Free Europe" to me... "Radio Convert Asia".
Re: screenies. You can always import a Region 2 DVD. Mind you, doing so would be an extremely serious crime. (Importation of material refused classification is legally the same as trafficking in child pornography or snuff films.) If you did so, and Customs found you, you would get a criminal record, and very likely some jail time.
There seems a serious trend towards conservatism going on here gives me cause for concern. Listen to the comments of talkback radio and you can easily detect it. As far as this film is concerned I havent seen it, as evidently many of those who complained about it. But I would not prevent anyone else from watching it if they want to. I believe it is far better to allow consenting adults to choose what they want to watch, or listen to. To do otherwise is censorship, and the first step on a slippery slope into a society easily manipulated, where dissent isnt tolerated. There is a concerning overlap with the new proposed legislation re: terrorism. Where are the voices of reason and dissent?
If a movie such as Bais-moi is considered as demenaing to human beings, why isnt a film like "Dumb & Dumber" (which played on TV recently)? Admittedly one is deemed "entertainment", which is another point. What about films that are supposed to deal with serious issues, so should be considered as Art. Final point, even if the sex is real, as I understand it is, it's not an actual rape, it is a depiction of a rape - by actors. So it is consensual sex, and therefore no different to what porn actors do, is it? I understand it cant be rated X because of the violent content, but the violence isnt real, so it isnt a snuff film either.
The underlying theme that disturbs me about this situation is that we, as adults, have been denied the ability to decide whether we want to watch this film or not.
The growing trend in conservatism will only lead to an over-sanitised environment where all forms of diversion, whether moral or otherwise will be punishable.
In this case, perhaps, the censors have done us a favour... Chicks with guns. Yawn.