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Big Brother To Certify Movies


sriracha john

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Big Brother to certify films

If things go as planned, the new Film Act will go into effect six weeks from now, on June 4. And though nothing ever goes as planned when it comes to the Culture Ministry (eg. the recent plan to clothe the pop-nymphs Girly Berry in prim 1900s robes ended in a saucy bitchfest between the glum minister and the vampish girl group), moviegoers should brace for the historic introduction of the rating system, which is likely to be accompanied by confusion and clamour. Filmmakers are shuddering at the reputation of our cultural watchdogs, since it is believed the last film they watched was King Kong in 1933, which they don't like because Fay Wray is too sexy and the hairy ape obviously carries a phallic symbolism.

- Kong Rithdee writes about movies and popular culture in the Bangkok Post real.time section.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/26Apr2008_news16.php

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I love living in Thailand and am a farang who rarely complains and accepts things as they are. But the one thing that really gets under my skin is the paternalistic and Victorian attitude of the Culture Ministry here. Perhaps it is my training as a librarian but I am very opposed to censorship in a so-called democratic society. The government here is so out of touch with the 20th century, let alone the 21st, and fails to recognize that censorship is not only antithetical to a free society but ultimately self-defeating. The censors pixillate and cut up films and block U Tube--and who knows what else--whilst endorsing violence and militarism. This is contradictory at best and self-defeating at worst. The creative arts in Thailand have been stifled by the government to the point that, until very recently, artistic expression has been limited to the traditional/historical and what I call "Buddha art". And most Thai films are not much different from what one is offered on Thai television. Sorry for the rant. I'll say no more.

Edited by popshirt
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I love living in Thailand and am a farang who rarely complains and accepts things as they are. But the one thing that really gets under my skin is the paternalistic and Victorian attitude of the Culture Ministry here. Perhaps it is my training as a librarian but I am very opposed to censorship in a so-called democratic society. The government here is so out of touch with the 20th century, let alone the 21st, and fails to recognize that censorship is not only antithetical to a free society but ultimately self-defeating. The censors pixillate and cut up films and block U Tube--and who knows what else--whilst endorsing violence and militarism. This is contradictory at best and self-defeating at worst. The creative arts in Thailand have been stifled by the government to the point that, until very recently, artistic expression has been limited to the traditional/historical and what I call "Buddha art". And most Thai films are not much different from what one is offered on Thai television. Sorry for the rant. I'll say no more.

Pretty well-considered rant, m8. :o Agree 100%. I'm tired of "pixellated" and totally sabotaged films myself. The "morality" of this silly "Ministry" is also arbitary and hypocritical, to say the least.

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The Culture Ministry isn't ALL bad. They did provide us with the opportunity for the eye-pleasing thread that was referenced in the OP....

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=178104

Sexy Girl Band To Promote Appropriate Dress During Songkran

Thanks for the link, SJ. I needed to refresh my memory on all the details of this case. :o

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The opening title shot in the Thai-release version of what has been judged one of the finest dramatic films of all-time and Best Movie winner of the both the Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals.... coming soon to a theatre near you...

(no soundtrack version will be released and only available in badly-dubbed Thai)

imagesCAM1U454.jpg

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  • 9 months later...
If things go as planned, the new Film Act will go into effect six weeks from now, on June 4, 2008.

UPDATE... things didn't go as planned... but they will try again this year...

Cabinet to pass 7 types of film rating regulation in May

The Cabinet has endorsed the drafting of 7 types of film rating regulation, which is expected to be put into effect in May this year.

Today (February 17), Teera Salakpetch, Minister of Culture, revealed after the Cabinet meeting that the Cabinet has decided to endorse the drafting of 7 types of film rating ministerial regulation 2008, which was previously proposed by the Culture Ministry.

The drafting thus would be submitted to the Office of the Juridical Council for their consideration before passing it on to the Cabinet once more for their final approval.

Teera asserted that Thailand has 2 more ratings than those in the western countries, which are ratings for educational promotion and prohibited films. He disclosed that such regulation should be enacted and put into effect by the end of May this year, while also urging parents to provide guidance to their children regarding film contents and their suitability for viewers based on age group.

- ThaiNews / 2009-02-17

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Just watch them on the net for free and let them play their silly games........ http://www.watch-movies-links.net/

With the rare exception of the Hollywood blockbuster that needs to be seen in a theater environment I get my television and movie content at MBK, Bangkok. Perfect picture and sound, not one pixel out of place and free from the regions censor scissors. My complaint is that they cut content for no good reason like fitting into a specific time block. The puritanical cuts we see on HBO, Star Movies, et al are distracting and foolish. Use 20 swear words and a few racist phrases then shoot the guy in the face six times from 20 feet is OK but pixelate the gun near the head while smoking a cigarette while blurring liquor bottles in the background is beyond stupid. In one weekly US offering there was a prominent movie poster showing Humphrey Bogart with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Every time the camera passed this very prominent poster Boggie's mouth was pixelated. Shear madness!

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  • 5 months later...
Big Brother to certify films

If things go as planned, the new Film Act will go into effect six weeks from now, on June 4.

And though nothing ever goes as planned when it comes to the Culture Ministry (eg. the recent plan to clothe the pop-nymphs Girly Berry in prim 1900s robes ended in a saucy bitchfest between the glum minister and the vampish girl group), moviegoers should brace for the historic introduction of the rating system, which is likely to be accompanied by confusion and clamour.

Filmmakers are shuddering at the reputation of our cultural watchdogs, since it is believed the last film they watched was King Kong in 1933, which they don't like because Fay Wray is too sexy and the hairy ape obviously carries a phallic symbolism.

UPDATE.... a little past June 4, 2008... but it's coming...

Film ratings start Wednesday

Foreign and local filmmakers will be required to submit their films to the Culture Ministry for rating on audience suitability from Wednesday, when the Film and Video Act (2008) takes effect, Culture Minister Thira Salakphet said on Monday.

The movies will be classified in seven categories, determined by the ministry committee responsible for inspecting films and videos, he said.

The categories are: films for educational purposes and general audiences, and films appropriate for people over 13, over 15 and over 18 years old. The committee will also decide which films cannot be viewed by people under 20 and films that cannot be released in the kingdom.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/15...start-wednesday

postlogo.jpg

-- Bangkok Post 2009-08-10

Edited by sriracha john
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Panel begins rating films under new act

Inglourious Basterds and three other foreign movies make up the first batch of films to be rated under Thailand's new ratings system. Quentin Tarantino's latest movie with a deliberately misspelt title, starring Brad Pitt as a Nazi scalper, was rated 18-plus by the seven-member committee set up under the new Film and Video Act.

United International Pictures, its distributor in Thailand, has been asked to place a rating sticker on the film's promotional materials.

There are seven ratings under the new law: "P" (for films deserving of promotion by the government), "G" (fit for all age groups), "13-plus", "15-plus", "18-plus", "20-plus" and, lastly, a ban.

The ratings function largely as guidelines. The law does not require cinema operators to check the ages of movie-goers, except for films which fall in the 20-plus category which forbids those aged under 20 from viewing them. The panel also rated

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2221...s-under-new-act

postlogo.jpg

-- Bangkok Post 2009-08-18

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I love living in Thailand and am a farang who rarely complains and accepts things as they are. But the one thing that really gets under my skin is the paternalistic and Victorian attitude of the Culture Ministry here. Perhaps it is my training as a librarian but I am very opposed to censorship in a so-called democratic society. The government here is so out of touch with the 20th century, let alone the 21st, and fails to recognize that censorship is not only antithetical to a free society but ultimately self-defeating. The censors pixillate and cut up films and block U Tube--and who knows what else--whilst endorsing violence and militarism. This is contradictory at best and self-defeating at worst. The creative arts in Thailand have been stifled by the government to the point that, until very recently, artistic expression has been limited to the traditional/historical and what I call "Buddha art". And most Thai films are not much different from what one is offered on Thai television. Sorry for the rant. I'll say no more.

Pretty well-considered rant, m8. :) Agree 100%. I'm tired of "pixellated" and totally sabotaged films myself. The "morality" of this silly "Ministry" is also arbitary and hypocritical, to say the least.

Fully agree, it is entirely incongruous that a nation should tolerate criminality in the police force, corruption from top to bottom in their government, bureaucracy and judiciary, and yet be very squeamish about showing a gun, knife or cigarette in films.

I remember the early 1960's. For anyone else who remembers the early 1960's; the fashions, the prim and proper attitudes, the horrendous (*zany*) comedy, the soaps on TV, have a loo at Thailand no. it is so much the same it is spooky.

As always, Thai are 40 years behind the rest of the world. So far behind they think they are in front because they lost sight of everyone else.

Kev

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Hello, I hope this will attract more of a variety of new films from America. There are many more films than go to Thailand in the theaters, but some make it to dvd early in the street markets. I fear the Thai government will try to keep more films out, but we can still look for them in the markets. Cheers.

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I just returned from a short trip to the US, and I saw "The Hangover" while there.  This was a very, very funny movie, if somewhat lowbrow at times, and with various scenes of male nudity, one brief glimps of a breast, and many references to drug use, drinking, violence, and out-of-control behavior.  Put together, the whole thing works, and it is not surprising that it was at the top of the box office for several weeks.  

As I watched it, though, I wondered how it would fare in Thailand.  Would the new rating laws let it come unaltered, or would it get cut to pieces?  Quite frankly, if it was cut up, it would lose too much to remain viable, in my opinion.

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