9 Songs in high street stores! WTF!?

[HM Murdock]

When it comes to film I'm not often offended or find anything too shocking but today I must admit I was stunned to find the movie 9 Songs in my local HMV in the new releases section (next to the childrens titles)!

For those of you who don't know about this movie, 9 Songs is basically a crappy flick that revolves around a music concert and a couple who get together to have sex (that's it really). The movie features some very explict sex scenes, many of which boarder on actual pornography. In the course of the movie we see several cases of actual penertration and a scene in which the girl gives the guy head who blows his load over his body (ergh). Strangely this movie got a 18 certificate in the U.K and as a result can be sold in high street stores. Although there is a warning on the box (only a small one) I do find it quite irresponsible that this movie can be sold on the high street when other titles (featuring tamer and simulated sex) are band. What was the BBFC smoking on that day, they usally cut the crap out of movies especially if it contains a head-butt but this movie they let pass. Surely a movie with real sex involved such be classed as a R18 (certificate for sexually explict titles) and it should no way be sold on the high street. How the hell did this movie get a genral high street release? Do the stores actually know what is in this movie? Is this a sign of things to come (no pun intended)?

[Tony_Montana]

1) The BBFC rarely cut headbutts unless it's a kids/family movie. Batman Begins had like 3 head butts and that was 12A uncut. As of 2001 they changed the rules so don't be going on anything they did before then.

2) They do say that real, graphic sex can be passed at standard categories if there is some kind of justification for it (read: not in a way that's supposed to arouse you). From what I've read the stuff in 9 Songs is no way meant to be arousing so it's all good.

3) From what I've read 9 Songs is shit and deserves to be banned.

4) You can get porn in mainstream shops like HMV so long as it's not R18 (as in you can actually see penetration). Stuff like Playboy or whatever.

[SAI]

Originally posted by Tony_Montana

2) They do say that real, graphic sex can be passed at standard categories if there is some kind of justification for it (read: not in a way that's supposed to arouse you). From what I've read the stuff in 9 Songs is no way meant to be arousing so it's all good.

3) From what I've read 9 Songs is shit and deserves to be banned.

4) You can get porn in mainstream shops like HMV so long as it's not R18 (as in you can actually see penetration). Stuff like Playboy or whatever.

2: Thats partially right, hardcore sex has to be thematically justified and important to the story to qualify for an 18, Nine Songs certainly qualifies there.

3: on the 'deserves to be banned issue, why? Ban it because it's explicit or because it is shit?
Oh and it's not shit, my review...

Nine Songs
Dir: Michael Winterbottom
Cast: Kieran O'Brien, Margo Stilley
Michael Winterbottom's new film is a relationship drama which charts the year long romance of Matt (O'Brien) and Lisa (Stilley) almost exclusively through two events: sex and concerts.
Bill Hicks once noted that the supreme court of the United States defines pornography as something 'without artistic merit which causes sexual thought'. This makes those who have decried Nine Songs as pornography legally wrong. Twice.
For a film so occupied with sex (about 35 of its 69 (obvious joke alert) minutes are explicit scenes, occasionally hardcore in content, of sex) Nine Songs is curiously unsexy. It's almost distancing, after the initial shock value watching sex that, while artfully and beautifully shot by Winterbottom, is actually pretty ordinary. And that's the interesting thing about the sex scenes, they may not be arousing but, more than any porn, they feel real, like sex you or I might have and so they are at once a strength and a weakness of the film.
The biggest problem with the film is that the structure works so totally to the exclusion of character that Matt and Lisa could really be anyone, neither develops much of a personality and the film needs to be longer so that the actors (O'Brien in particular, who is rather good) can develop their characters more.
What works best though is the music. The selection of bands is peerlessly cool and all are on form in the footage we get, which ranges from the Von Bondies ripping through C'mon, C'mon to Michael Nyman playing a gorgeous concert. The footage from Brixton Academy conveys the feeling of a gig better than any other film, it's messy, people get in the way, you can't always see the band, but it's still brilliant.
There's enough in Nine Songs that is interesting and well carried off to recommend it (though, clearly, it's not for everyone) but it's far from Winterbottom's best work, which is a shame as one gets the sense that, if the running time were longer, and thus allowing some character development rather than merely a chep laugh, it would be up there with his magnificent Jude.
3/5

4: The R-18 issue caused deleted scenes to be dropped from the 9 Songs dvd. They passed through BBFC uncut but because they were shown out of the context of the film as a whole they passed at R-18 and, clearly, only having the DVD available in sex shops wouldn't do wonders for its commerciallity.
It ought to be noted, also, that 9 Songs is probably not the most explicit title passed at 18. That's probably still Nagisa Oshima's The Realm of the Senses (only just, mind)

[HM Murdock]

Even though the movie has just scraped by with an 18 certificate doesn't mean it should be sold in such a general environment. In my local HMV it was next to the children's section. Only large HMV stores stock less hardcore adult titles because it would not be right to sell them in every store in the country. Surely they could have moved the title to a top shelf or a specialised section (even behind the counter if needed). I know I'm being a little padantice on this but it just doesn't seem right to be selling what is basically hardcore porn amongst family titles.

[Tony_Montana]

Hey, I didn't mean that 9 Songs should be banned. I was just kidding. ;)

Anyways it's not like the kiddies will be able to buy it anyway so what's the issue here?:confused:

[HM Murdock]

True but I have honestly seen kids about 15 buying 18 rated material. The people who work in my local HMV don't seem the sharpest tools in the shed and they never seem to check for age.

One thing that I can imagine taking place is that some inocent music fan buys the DVD thinking it's about music as the cover states The Dandy Warhols, Elbow and Franz Ferdinand all appear. The sexual content warning is quite small so they could miss it but when they popped it into their DVD player they would see all that graphic porn.

Ah forget it, I'm quiting my Mary Whitehouse trip. Back when I was a teen I would have done anything to see that kind of stuff anyway.

[Bullet Tooth Tony]

Originally posted by HM Murdock


Ah forget it, I'm quiting my Mary Whitehouse trip. Back when I was a teen I would have done anything to see that kind of stuff anyway.

Hah ha. Very true.

I can still remember finding a porno mag on the playground at school. Twas a glorious day.

Mind you I'd be more worried for a 15 year old buying such a shitty movie. The best thing about the DVD is being able to watch the gigs by themselves. :D

[Moviefan02000]

Oh my god, what is the big deal? It sounds like you're a big proud, not to be rude or anything. It's SEXUALITY, who cares? Violence is worse. Who do you think you are, Jesus?

[HM Murdock]

Originally posted by Moviefan02000
Oh my god, what is the big deal? It sounds like you're a big proud, not to be rude or anything. It's SEXUALITY, who cares? Violence is worse. Who do you think you are, Jesus?

Violence in movies is fake. We don't see somebody actually getting killed. In 9 Songs, the sex is real. We see everything, no holds barred. the actor's really have sex and really get eachother off. Anyway, I've quit compliaining, If someone buys this not expecting the sex then they deserve to be surprised.

[Tony_Montana]

Actually you do see a real-life murder in JFK when they look at archive footage in the courtroom.


Anyway it's not like 15 year olds haven't seen porn already (I'm 15 BTW

[HM Murdock]

This is the last rant I'm going to have on this matter but last night I found the DVD in Sainsburys! Surely they don't really know what is in this movie, Sainsburys is a family supermarket and I wonder if they know they are now stocking hardcore pornography.

[Moviefan02000]

Originally posted by HM Murdock
Violence in movies is fake. We don't see somebody actually getting killed. In 9 Songs, the sex is real. We see everything, no holds barred. the actor's really have sex and really get eachother off. Anyway, I've quit compliaining, If someone buys this not expecting the sex then they deserve to be surprised.

No need to tell me, I've actually seen the film. On the other hand, sex is natural, VIOLENCE ISN'T. I hate close minded people like you.

[bourahioro]

Originally posted by Moviefan02000
No need to tell me, I've actually seen the film. On the other hand, sex is natural, VIOLENCE ISN'T. I hate close minded people like you.

I think you should rephrase yourself, as the person you "hate" was simply voicing his opinion, you don't have to like it, but then you also don't need to use words like "hate", nor do you need to use words like "close-minded" when someone is merely speaking his mind.

considering this is a public board, if you had an issue, you could have sent him a private message, noone needs to read that crap.

[HM Murdock]

Thank you bourahioro. Moviefan02000, please read the rules of these threads, don't go getting personal. I'm not close minded, I am only expressing my views, that's what we are here for.

Sex is natural and so is violence. Every living creature on this planet does both, what I am saying is do we have to see a movie with such graphic images sold in family orientend stores like supermarkets? I know the movie did get a 18 certifcate but it does contain some heavy duty stuff, normally found in pornos. What I am saying is that stores like the ones I have seen this title in will not sell DVDs about men and women whiping there bits out because it is not suitable for selling in that type of environment. Titles that are rated 18 and even 15 are not sold because these stores say they are too explicit when they only show body parts and simulated sex. So why are stores who will not stock these, stocking a movie which is much harder?

I've got nothing against the film, I honestly don't see anything wrong with porn either, but I do have a problem with a movie like this being sold next to children's titles, it just seems a little irrisonsable to me. Nothing like this has ever happened before, I was just shocked to find it on the bottom shelf of a family shop.

[Tony_Montana]

First of all i've yet to see a store that doesn't sell 18 or 15 rated movies.

And so what if it is sold next to kids movies. There's nothing explicit on the cover, and no clerk can sell an 18 movie to an 8 year old legally anyway.

[Psychocandy]

Originally posted by HM Murdock
This is the last rant I'm going to have on this matter but last night I found the DVD in Sainsburys! Surely they don't really know what is in this movie, Sainsburys is a family supermarket and I wonder if they know they are now stocking hardcore pornography.

I see no difference between this being available in Sainsbury's and any other 18 rated movie being available in Sainsbury's.

You can buy cucumbers and melons in Sainsbury's and we all know what they can be used for. ;)

[Moviefan02000]

It's not like I was bad mouthing someone or something :rolleyes:

[Moviefan02000]

Originally posted by bourahioro
I think you should rephrase yourself, as the person you "hate" was simply voicing his opinion, you don't have to like it, but then you also don't need to use words like "hate", nor do you need to use words like "close-minded" when someone is merely speaking his mind.

considering this is a public board, if you had an issue, you could have sent him a private message, noone needs to read that crap.

I have never said I hated him, I said I hate it when people are close minded. That is NOT an insult to anyone.

[JCR]

A slightly redundant complaint imo; the likes of hmv have stocked far worse than 9 songs, hell I bought salo 120 days of sodom from HMV. As well as that they've stocked "comedy" videos by chubby brown, bernard manning etc next to the kiddies tapes (example of the comedy: "They think they're british because they were born here? Jesus was born in a stable but that doesn't make him a fucking donkey.") And that's assuming you don't think all those action movies where violence is the answer to all the heroes problems are worse than 9 songs.

[HM Murdock]

Originally posted by Tony_Montana
First of all i've yet to see a store that doesn't sell 18 or 15 rated movies.

And so what if it is sold next to kids movies. There's nothing explicit on the cover, and no clerk can sell an 18 movie to an 8 year old legally anyway.

I meant stores that don't sell pornography titles. Even if they are rated 15 some stores refuse, including Sainsburys.

As for other pornographic 18 titles being sold, many don't feature actualy sex with penertration and money shots over here in the UK. Until now the BBFC have always said they would not let this kind of content be shown at that certificate (it's normally MA18). For the first fully pornographic title to pass as a 18 to be sold in high street stores, it's a little surprising, considering there a movies soley in sex shops that feature tamer material. I've honestly got nothing against the movie or it's content, I was just taken aback at the prospect of buying hardcore pornography at my local "family-driven" supermarket. Then again, I did see the boxed set of Confessions of a.... in Sainsburys, perhaps the company is embracing a dirtier image.

[Psychocandy]

Originally posted by HM Murdock
I meant stores that don't sell pornography titles. Even if they are rated 15 some stores refuse, including Sainsburys.

As for other pornographic 18 titles being sold, many don't feature actualy sex with penertration and money shots over here in the UK. Until now the BBFC have always said they would not let this kind of content be shown at that certificate (it's normally MA18). For the first fully pornographic title to pass as a 18 to be sold in high street stores, it's a little surprising, considering there a movies soley in sex shops that feature tamer material. I've honestly got nothing against the movie or it's content, I was just taken aback at the prospect of buying hardcore pornography at my local "family-driven" supermarket. Then again, I did see the boxed set of Confessions of a.... in Sainsburys, perhaps the company is embracing a dirtier image.

Pornography = noun: creative activity (writing or pictures or films etc.) of no literary or artistic value other than to stimulate sexual desire

Whatever your opinion (or anyone else's for that matter) of 9 Songs...it's not pornography.