The Controversial "A Serbian Film" is Getting an UNCUT Release in the U.S.

[JamesG]

A Serbian Film Ignites Possible Child Porn Charges
By Alison Nastasi
Posted Mar 7th 2011


A Serbian Film was one of the most talked about movies of 2010 -- and well, ever -- which is a big feat for a film that has relied mostly on the festival circuit for its publicity.

The movie -- about a veteran porn star who is lured back into the business and eventually gets in over his head -- is a dark and incredibly depressing tale that deals with controversial topics like pedophilia and necrophilia.

Apparently this moved Spain's Catholic Confederation of Family and Student Parents (Concapa) to push the Barcelona public prosecutor to possibly press charges against Stiges festival director, Angel Sala, for exhibiting child pornography.











No official lawsuit has been filed at this time, according to Variety, but it raises all kinds of tricky questions about censorship, and the dangerous mixing of morality and art.

The prestigious Spanish film festival isn't the first group to face issues surrounding the controversial film. Spain's San Sebastian Horror and Fantasy Film Festival "would have screened 'A Serbian Film' uncut at half-past-midnight in an adults-only session," said former director Jose Luis Rebordinos, but blames the injunction for the reason why the horror fest cancelled the screening.

London's FrightFest pulled the movie from their lineup after the British Board of Film Classification demanded 49 cuts (over four minutes of film).

In general, the film has been labeled unsuitable for theatrical release in most countries. Festival leaders and others are supporting Sala as the case takes shape.











The buzz around A Serbian Film is a reminder that obscenity laws and community standards are not easily determined and should therefore be unenforceable.

While the imagery in Serbian Film is unpleasant, measures were taken to ensure that the movie was responsibly screened to adult audiences. Although the subtext about corruption surrounding the Serbian government was unsuccessful (to me, anyway) and has become lost in the obvious and sensationalistic subject matter that the people like the folks in Spain are shrieking about, obscenity charges surrounding the film are more shocking than the images of a child (a doll in one scene, and animatronics in another) being raped.






WARNING: The Trailer for 'A Serbian Film' is for Mature Audiences

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHfKHJ1jxGs&

[http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/03/07...-porn-charges/

[Torgo]

Still don't think I'll be watching this one, mainly because of the baby scene.

[JamesG]

Originally Posted by Torgo

Still don't think I'll be watching this one, mainly because of the baby scene.

I want to see this flick just to see what all of the craziness is about.

Video stores overseas were raided because they carried it, people are calling for it to be banned worldwide, Blockbusters here in the US took it off of the shelves...




It reminds me of that happened with Salo in the 70s of a director making a "sick movie" as a form of political protest.

Serbian Film director Srdjan Spasojevic called the film, "a diary of our own molestation by the Serbian government. We're giving this back to you."

[Torgo]

I've watched my fair share of extreme films over the past couple of decades- Category III films, porn-horror like Water Power and Forced Entry '72, films like Salo, Men Behind The Sun...but A Serbian Film is one film I think I will skip.

BUT I like seeing horror films having contraversy again - I can remember going into mom and pop video stores back in the 80's and seeing VHS covers claiming "Banned in over 30 countries!"...some films this was true, but most it was definitely just a ploy.

[robyrob]

shock value purely for the sake of shock value is worthless.

[JamesG]

Originally Posted by Torgo

I've watched my fair share of extreme films over the past couple of decades- Category III films, porn-horror like Water Power and Forced Entry '72, films like Salo, Men Behind The Sun...but A Serbian Film is one film I think I will skip.

BUT I like seeing horror films having contraversy again - I can remember going into mom and pop video stores back in the 80's and seeing VHS covers claiming "Banned in over 30 countries!"...some films this was true, but most it was definitely just a ploy.

Yeah, I recall seeing those "Banned" labels on old tapes of Cannibal Holocaust, Faces of Death; I think Caligula had them too.

[JamesG]

Exclusive: A Serbian Film U.S. release details & poster


After shocking audiences and outraging censors all over the world (with Sitges festival director Angel Sala recently charged with exhibition of child pornography for screening the movie last year), A Serbian Film finally sees official U.S. release this year.




Fango got the scoop from distributor Invincible Pictures that Srdjan Spasojevic’s movie will play select theaters across North America May 13—in an edited version.

The unrated film will be released exclusively via digital media distribution outfit FlixFling the same day.





“This is an excellent opportunity for FlixFling to offer something totally exclusive to our growing community,” says the company’s CEO, Tom Ashley.

“It was always our intention to release this film uncut, but given the recent charges against Sitges director Angel Sala, we have decided to release an edited version.

We believe this film deserves to be seen as the filmmakers originally intended and hope to be able to release A Serbian Film uncut in the future.”






A Serbian Film follows former adult-movie star Milos (Srdjan Todorovic) as he’s lured out of retirement to perform in an unusual underground movie production, and is plunged into a series of depraved and horrifying situations.

http://www.fangoria.com/index.php?op...ews&Itemid=167

[Retro4Life]

I read a bit about this film on Harry Knowles' film site.

I'm open to just about anything, but, uhm, this one is not for me.

[JamesG]

New Serbian Film sites now on-line


We broke the news yesterday about the forthcoming U.S. theatrical and digital-media distribution of Srdjan Spasojevic’s controversial shocker A Serbian Film.

Now, to pump those releases, an official website and Facebook page have been launched.




See Invincible Pictures’ site here - http://www.serbianfilmmovie.com/
Check out the official Facebook page here - http://www.facebook.com/ASerbianFilmOfficial


http://www.fangoria.com/index.php?op...ews&Itemid=167

[JamesG]

A Serbian Film Comes to Blu-Ray
July 29, 2011
by Alyse Wax


With depictions of hardcore sex, rape, and child pornography - all wrapped up in a dark, grimy package - A Serbian Film has joined the ranks of Salo, In A Glass Cage, and Cannibal Holocaust as one of the most disturbing and horrifying films in history.

It has been a long, uphill battle, but the flick is finally getting a DVD and Blu-ray release.




A Serbian Film has been available to stream online via FlixFling.com for the past few months, but on October 25th is hits tangible media.

The Blu-ray and DVD will be priced at $19.95 each, and each will come with a digital copy of the film. Pre-order yours at www.InvincibleFilms.com

http://www.fearnet.com/news/b23340_s...s_blu_ray.html

[JamesG]

Uncut Serbian Film To See U.S. Release; Exclusive Art
Posted by Michael Gingold
Apr 13, 2012


After enduring a couple of years’ worth of criticism and controversy, and edits as a result, Srdjan Spasojevic’s A Serbian Film will finally be seeing official uncut release in North America this spring.

We’ve got the exclusive scoop and disc art.





Invincible Pictures, which previously issued the movie in slightly trimmed form, let Fango know that it will make the uncensored version available via its FlixFling digital service May 1, with a limited-edition DVD released May 22.

The company had initially made the edits due to legal challenges surrounding the film’s extreme content, most notably exhibition of child pornography charges leveled at Angel Sala, director of Spain’s Sitges Film Festival.

(all of which were dropped this past February)





“Of course we would have preferred an uncut release last year,” says Invincible CEO Tom Ashley.

“Unfortunately, the charges brought against Mr. Sala were something we had to seriously factor into that release. Now that those charges have been dropped, we can bring 'A Serbian Film' to its fans as its director had intended.”

http://www.fangoria.com/index.php/ho...-exclusive-art

[UMFaninMD]

I watched a review of the movie and several of the controversial scenes were a part of the review. Those scenes alone are a major reason I'm not going to watch the whole thing. I've seen my share of "edge" but this is too much for me. Apparently the director made this as a protest film against the Serbian government. To quote the guy whose review I watched, "if you want to make a movie about the Serbian government, then make a movie about the Serbian government."

[MrCleveland]

No way in Hell I'm seeing this film. To me..."Salo" is "Fear Factor" before "Fear Factor", "Caligula" just looks too damn campy, and the ending looked sooooo damn fake!

But my brother is thinking of making a film called "Pornomentuary", and I think it should make fun of those shock films that I mentioned before, and even a joke about "A Serbian Film"...something similar to "Who's on First".