Brits Ban a Japanese Horror Film, and Japanese are offended by American Films

When Japan goes too far with torture, and America goes too far with ‘Jap’ jokes . . . Japan is a hot topic in cinema this week! Thought you’d might be interested. . .

1. Britain’s film board bans the sale of a Japanese horror DVD

The Board says the Japanese movie “Grotestque” is violence so extreme it’s inappropriate for audiences - quote, unquote, “An unrelenting and escalating scenario of humiliation, brutality and sadism.” Apparently filled with torture - including amputation, castration and evisceration (removal of internal organs, especially those in the abdominal cavity) -it’s now absolutely illegal to sell or distribute the film in Britain. Two other films have also been banned in the last four years.

2. Japanese-American group are demanding an apology over derogatory ‘Jap’ jokes

The Japanese-American Citizens League say the movie, “The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard” which stars Jeremy Piven includes a scene satirically depicting the mob beating of an Asian-American man. Piven’s character uses the racial slur “Jap”, acknowledging it was a hate crime, asking employees to say the Asian American was attacking them with a samurai sword. On their official trailer, Piven’s character is seen shouting at an Asian American employee at the dealership: “Don’t get me started on Pearl Harbor. We are Americans and they are the enemy! Never again!” As the Asian-American—played by Korean American actor Ken Jeong joins in chanting “Never again!,” an older white man says, “Let’s get him!” and the employees beat him up.

The League argues, it is offensive to the Japanese community because they painfully recall how slurs were used during the 1940s to vilify and demean them, resulting in a forced eviction from their homes.

History check: More than 100,000 Japanese Americans, most of them U.S. citizens, were sent to internment camps months after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. Over 22,000 Japanese were also sent to internment camps in Canada.

Check out the trailer for yourself -

Q: So do you think the Japanese went too far with torture, or did Americans go to far with the racial slurs?

*Source: www.japantoday.com