Film censor says ‘copy cat’ crime is a red herring
PA Wellington The Chief Film Censor, Mr Arthur Everard, said he believed film copy cat crime was a red herring.
Mr Everard told a group in Wellington that although films might have an effect on people, it did not mean they would copy what characters in films might do. “Copy cat crime is almost an urban myth,” he said. “After ‘The Deer Hunter’ was shown in the States about 30 young men blew their brains out
by playing Russian roulette, but how many people saw the film and did not play the game? "Some people are affected and some are not. “The problem is to work out who is affected and who isn’t.” Mr Everard said the stereotyping of people and lifestyles was “far more insidious” than the “copy cat” crimes. He suggested that many of the teen-age “fantasy” films appeared to be realistic to many young people.
However, Mr Everard said the message of films such as "Flashdance” and “Footloose” was that “you have to be young, goodlooking, rich and sincere.” “But what happens if you are thrown out on the scrapheap and the means of consuming is gone? "This is a more important area of concern,” he said. “We are very concerned with social attitudes. We are not setting moral standards in our job. "The Film Act requires us to assess and internret
and reflect the community’s standards.” Mr Everard said he was particularly concerned about the fantasy world, sometimes violent, appearing as reality. "Some of the Walt Disney features are absolutely horrendous viewing for young children. “There are some sequences in Disney that make Rambo look like kids’ stuff — close-ups of eye-balls, rending, gnashing teeth, close-ups of pathos like Dumbo’s mother in chains and crying. "It is very, very heavy stuff.”
Mr Everard said that that kind of violence was one of the reasons why the new RP certificate was introduced last year.
The P stands for parent or guardian, and its inclusion is a strong recommendation for parental guidance.
"The parent or guardian knows what that child can accept or consider is O.K. in a film.
"We are not trying to open the theatres on a technicality and get more kids in as some have suggested,” he said. Mr Everard said a problem with censorship was the release of the same film, uncut, on videos.
“Anyone can see them, there are no restrictions in the home and no control of videos. “As film censors we are
concerned only with videos for public screening.”
"Mr Everard said he would not be involved in the present moves to establish a video-recordings act.
“Anything that could possibly be contentious will go to a video authority for a decision. “There are signs of a moral backlash — the pendulum has gone too far, people are saying enough is enough. “It always goes in cycles.”
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Press, 24 July 1986, Page 14
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483Film censor says ‘copy cat’ crime is a red herring Press, 24 July 1986, Page 14
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