The Office of Film and Literature Classification have classified a New Zealand International Film Festival film to Festival-only screenings, restricting it from further release in New Zealand.
Maniac, a serial killer horror starring Elijah Wood, will not be allowed to screen outside of film festivals in New Zealand. It is the first film to receive the special Festival-only classification since The Bridge in 2007 and means that the film cannot be released on DVD at a later date.
The horror remake has been classified as objectionable “except if the availability of the publication is limited for the purpose of study in a tertiary media or film studies courier or screened as part of a film festival”. The full restricted classification note is: R18 graphic violence, sex scenes, content that may disturb.
Maniac has been programmed for NZIFF Incredibly Strange section by Ant Timpson, with screenings scheduled for Auckland and Wellington only. The film is shot entirely in first-person point of view, with Elijah Wood playing the role of a serial killer originally made famous to genre cultists by Joe Spinnell in the 1980s.
“The OFLC decision says that the film may be ‘injurious to the public good’ if it goes out on a wider release. It's saying that the POV nature of the film mixed with the psychopathic behaviour of actor Elijah Wood is more than disturbing, that it’s potentially dangerous in the hands of the wrong person (that is, a non-festival goer). It's only my opinion but I simply don't agree with this decision,” says Incredibly Strange programmer Ant Timpson.
“I can see the thought process behind it but I think it’s rather big leap to make. I think it's interesting to see where the OFLC draws a line on this dangerous POV material because it could also segue into a discussion about the graphically realistic and violent first-person video games,” says Timpson.
The film is owned by Australian distributor Monster Pictures, who are now unable to release the film in New Zealand.
“Maniac is one the finest horror films in recent years, as its selection into the Cannes Film Festival (Midnight screenings 2012) would suggest. Banning the film beyond festival screenings is an insult to the intelligence of the adult population of New Zealand and does little more than to serve as an open invitation to illegally pirate the film. We are flabbergasted,” says Neil Foley, Monster Pictures.
By law, NZIFF must classify all films being screened at the Festival with exemptions only for documentaries that do not contain restricted content. NZIFF is currently screening in Auckland until 4 August, and screens in Wellington from 26 July to 11 August.
In Auckland, Manic screens on Saturday 27 July 10.30pm at SKYCITY Theatre and again on Thursday 1 August, 8:45pm at SKYCITY Theatre. In Wellington, Maniac screens on Friday 9 August, 4.00pm at Paramount and again on Saturday 10 August, 10.00pm at Embassy Theatre.
Review: Anonymous, The Debt, Beautiful Lies, The Thing, Conan the Barbarian and I Don't Know How She Does It[more]
Yes, that is the Skytower, and yes, those Mini Coopers are racing through the Wellington train station. The new Bollywood action film 'Players' was filmed here in New Zealand earlier this year. Although we are still...[more]
I think it’s fair to say that Rise of the Planet of the Apes surprised a great many people. (Myself included.) Powered by a nuanced performance from Andy Serkis as the ape Caesar and cutting-edge effects wizardry from WETA, Rise ...[more]
As indie filmmakers continue to try new ways to get their films out—with or without conventional distribution—Five Star Day, an astrology-themed feature that overemphasizes the significance of place and time, premiered...[more]
Dan Slevin's latest reviews: Drive, In Time, One Day, Fright Night and The Inbetweeners Movie[more]
Today it was announced that Logan’s Run, which is set to begin filming next year, has hired a new writer. Andrew Baldwin, who penned 2008 Black List script The West Is Dead, has been brought onto the project to redraft...[more]
Adding another nod in the direction of a best actress Oscar nomination, Glenn Close won best actress at the recently wrapped Tokyo International Film Festival for her gender-bending role in Rodrigo Garcia’s period drama Albert...[more]
Metallica is evidently looking to self-finance its own film, which may be a 3D feature of some sort.[more]
In 1984 Tim Burton made a short called Frankenweenie, about a kid who uses Frankenstein-like science to bring his deceased pet back to life. Deemed too dark and family-unfriendly to release, the black and white short cost...[more]
William Shatner is back and is boldly going into new realms of self-parody. [more]