Arena Of The Unwell: August 2008

Friday, August 8, 2008

daily male.

If you're suffering from a touch of the blues why not head on over to the webs(h)ite of the permanently morally outraged film critic for that bastion of liberal views (for anyone reading outside the UK that was ironic) the Daily Mail, Christopher Tookey.

Tookey: multi-chinned
moralistic moaner.

It’s called Tookey’s Film Guide (original I know) and it's fantastic search engine enables you to have hours of fun checking thru' his reviews for films that he reckons will corrupt us all and which the Guardian reading liberals of the BBFC should be put up against a wall and shot for allowing thru' the countries moral decency net.

Pearls of wisdom from Mr. Tookey include…

On David Cronenberg’s Crash:

Though I am not normally in favour of banning movies, I couldn’t see how the British Board of Film Classification could - with even an appearance of consistency - award Crash an 18 certificate.

Rosanna Arquette's arse and a pair ofcalipers?
What's not to love?

On Eli Roth’s Hostel:

Many people seem baffled as to why we are raising a generation of desensitized yobs, who see nothing wrong with torture and mutilation, and indeed use these things to foster a bizarre, and evil, sense of community. Barely a week goes by without some new, real-life horror – most recently, the revolting, mindless attack by six youths who abducted, raped and stabbed to death Maryann Leneghan.

Allison Pearson posed one question in the Mail on Wednesday Who are these people? But it seems to me that an even more important question is Why do these people think they can act this way?”

This film is not worthy of an 18 certificate, for it is not suitable for audiences of 48 and over, let alone those aged 18, but it will be seen by millions of people – including children on whom it will make an indelible impression.

Hostel: yes we know it's shite,
but for completely different reasons.

I asked at the start why violent yobs think they can act this way. It is also relevant to inquire who is encouraging their culture of sadism.

Well, let me name names. One is this film’s writer-director, Eli Roth. Another is Takeshi Miike, who contributes a cameo performance to Hostel. A third is Roth’s mentor, Quentin Tarantino, who also appears briefly in the film, and enabled it to be made and released by being its Executive Producer.

Serious questions should be asked of Mr Roth, but I would like to know what Sony Pictures are doing releasing such a picture. Is making money their only motivation? Have they no shame? No sense of social responsibility? No values?

I would also like to know who, apart from our pusillanimous and negligent censors, thinks this kind of evil, pernicious trash truly warrants an 18 certificate.

Enjoy!