I don't see any reason at all for censorship, anywhere.
well I do respect this point of view, but I don't share it. I tend to think that often things are more complicated. Censorship IS highly problematic (who's to decide?), and can only ever be an expedient. But there are more difficult things than Edwige's tits or Barbara Bouchet's seducing a minor. I mean, I certainly don't mind that someone like Beenie Man is punished for his attitude (quote: "I'm dreaming of a new Jamaica, come to execute all the gays") by not being allowed into the UK, and this IS a form of censorship, too. Of course it's questionable as to what positive effect this will have, but on the other hand you can't just let things like that go on.
It's a highly unpopular point of view especially in circles like this, but I often feel that the whole fuss about violent films being cut is a bit gratuitous/automatic. I know that most will disagree, but personally I'm often rather indifferent to the question whether I can see some zombie's head explode in minute detail, or whether the scene's been cut - we're not talking about some Antonioni film but products that were spiced up with sex and violence for the sole reason of maximizing the commerical returns. "Saw part 85" or "Hostel" being cut? so what??
It often seems a lot like a predicatble game - directors put in some in-your-face violence to give a film a commerical boost, which is then being cut by the censor. next thing is that fans start to go rabid, and talk of "art" and all that. though a lot of it has more to do with cold calculating (and greed) than with freedom of speech, or art.
So consequently I couldn't care less if some Lenzi cannibal flick is being cut to shreds (though I quite like Lenzi), while at the same time I feel totally offended when somethig like "The Devils" is being cut, or withdrawn from release so as not to provoke possible outrage.
As I said, I know this is highly unpopular and I'm unlikely to make new friends this way, but I just can't help it.
