There’s a vast history of supposed movie-inspired violence, from NATURAL BORN KILLERS being partially blamed for the Columbine massacre, to A CLOCKWORK ORANGE being responsible for a wave of violence that mimicked the nasty shenanigans of Alex and his droogs
(which resulted in that film being banned in England). The question "can
violence in entertainment result in, and be held accountable for, violence in
real life" is once again being debated, this time in regards to
THE LAST HORROR MOVIE. Now, I’ve never heard of this flick, and maybe you haven’t either, but you’ll begin to hear a lot about it now. Whether or not you’ll ever be able to see it is another story…
UK-based distributor Tartan Video (known mostly for its Asian genre films) is immediately pulling all copies of
THE LAST HORROR MOVIE, as it was recently revealed that a young man in Yorkshire committed two brutal murders after viewing the film repeatedly over four days. The film, shot “cinema verite” style, is about a serial killer who chats with the camera as he goes about his killing spree (not unlike MAN BITES DOG, the great flick from Belgium that also got banned in some territories).
Tartan has released the following statement: “In the light of such tragic events it is only
right that Tartan ceases to profit from the sale of the film. Whether there is any link between watching violent entertainment and
committing of violent acts has never been proven, but we are taking these
actions as a mark of respect for the families of all concerned.”
So whattaya think? Hot topic… Personally, I am never for the banning or censoring of any art form. Yet in this context, when such a tragedy seems to be directly inspired by a particular piece of “art,” the issue doesn’t seem so black and white.
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What’s Not Allowed