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Original poster

should mumsnet help ban this film

141 replies

richrichrich · 08/01/2011 13:58

Hi all mumsnets

Just listened to Radio 4 debate re Eastender sstory line. It praised mumsnet for bringing attention to a storyline.

I saw a film last year called "Eden Lake". In it a bunch of teanagers tortured to death a young married couple, slashed their mouthes with a stanly knife tied them up with barbed wire, burned a small asian boy to death and laughed about it and recorded all on their mobile phones. I was so disturbed that I contacted my local MP. I complained that the film content should never be considered entertainment in a civilised society. He asked the film classification board to re check the film. The matter went no further. The board is however, I believe, funded by film makers!
The matter went no further. After writing to the papers, and TV journalist all to no avail, I have had to give up as nobody appears to agree with my point of view. My point is that If this film is considered good entertainment by our main stream cinemas,then I am not surprised that some youngsters do the things that they do. Not long after this film was released there was a story in the news where two small boys tried to torture two other small boys to death, one was left for dead in a ditch. Very similar to the film!! Please would you mumsnetters review, and if you feel motivated do what you do best

Many thanks to you all. You probably do need to watch the film to fully understand my point, but I warn you it is very unpleasant.

OP posts:
goldenticket · 10/01/2011 09:45

I agree with the censorship arguments on here but the one thing that has changed massively since we were children is the very easy accessibility of hardcore porn and incredibly violent films and games. Any child is a couple of clicks away from images they really shouldn't be seeing. I have no problem with adults viewing this material if that's what they want but I think it should be much harder to access (and nigh on impossible to get to via google and a couple of mouse clicks).

IMO

sfxmum · 10/01/2011 09:52

''then when they make the films in the first place directors would be mindful of not offending people''

there will always be people offended by something or other

and as for the case you mentioned I don't think it was these disturbed and children watching the film that caused them to murder, they were already quite disturbed and obviously no one was taking appropriate care of them

QODneystones · 10/01/2011 09:55

i watched it as I "love" horror. The difference being that you can dismiss SAW and things like that as just never happening.
Eden lake was too life like. Stamping on peoples heads..... really sick
I did email a complaint and bad mouthed it where i could. SERIOUSLY disturbing film

CabbagefromaBaby · 10/01/2011 10:04

Is this thread for the purposes of research?

mommmmyof2 · 10/01/2011 10:06

My sisters watched it and I always enjoy a good thriller/horror film but when they told me about it I decided not to watch it as it sounded barbaric.

We all watch films that put us out of our comfort zones sometimes but this actually sounded sick.My sister said it was terrible and she would never watch it again.

Just glad I never watched it first!!

LunaticFringe · 10/01/2011 10:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LittleBooks · 10/01/2011 11:56

It's all very much swings and roundabouts here. I think where 'Eden Lake' differs to something like 'Saw' is in the reality factor of the production. 'Saw' is blatantly fantasy - even a child can see that, but 'Eden Lake' is a drama, but horror in the sense of the vile nature of the moral content.

'Eden Lake' is also a scathing attack on class. It's essentially 'chavs' attacking the Guardian-reading middle-class couple. It's visualising and making acceptable and appropriate yet another form of prejudice. It is NOT okay to assume less-privileged working-class people are all 'chavs' who wield knives and are violent. It is very similar to films such as 'Straw Dogs' (which WAS banned), Deliverance and Michael Haneke's 'Funny Games'; the latter of which also featured adolescents being extremely violent towards a middle-class family.

It is the making acceptable by publishing the content, not the content itself, which needs to be considered.

Any child can get easy access to anything inappropriate, be that films, reading material or videogames. Please do not think your child can't, no matter how hard you try to prevent it. This is very often unintentional too; more often than not, the child doesn't go looking for it.

KalokiMallow · 10/01/2011 12:45

"Any child can get easy access to anything inappropriate, be that films, reading material or videogames. Please do not think your child can't, no matter how hard you try to prevent it. This is very often unintentional too; more often than not, the child doesn't go looking for it."

This is still a daft argument, and still ignores my question about whether or not you want all adult content film/media censored? Should we all only have access to Disneyesque material? Just in case children access anything else?

The certification is there for a reason.

porcamiseria · 10/01/2011 13:56

"It's just a bit sad that mums in the uk find images of kids torturing other kids entertaining. That's my point"

are you deliberately obtuse OP???? or just stupid?

I dont find it entertaining, at all. and like many people I dont watch stuff like this.

I am actually disturbed by your OP telling me this vile plot. thanks for sharing...not

anyway its a waste of keyboard strokes arguing this as you are being obtuse and ignorant

southeastastra · 10/01/2011 13:57

op is on wind up, surprised to still see it rrunning

Rebeccaruby · 10/01/2011 14:48

It's a disturbing adult horror film. It's not on after Teletubbies. Is the plot any more disturbing than,say, A Clockwork Orange?
Are you suggesting that A Clockwork Orange; the film version of Lolita; or The Blair Witch (which is supposed to be realistic, but fails), should be banned?

fairycake123 · 10/01/2011 14:53

Youn want the film banned but "You probably do need to watch the film to fully understand my point."

Good strategy.

DanceInTheDark · 10/01/2011 15:24

Society doesn't calssify films.....The BBFC do

this link gives details of the film synopsis extreme detail in that link

It was classified in 2008.

Is your issue with it that it was children (age 13 i believe from the BBFC link)?

MN stepped in to the EE storyline issue because some (note not all) posters suggested that the portrayal of a newly bereaved mum was unrealistic.

It is shown before the watershed meaning that anyone of any age would/could have seen it and there was nothing suggestive about it.

Ultimately, the BBFC could find no justifiable grounds to ban it but gave it the highest rating. It is a film that you would choose to watch, be that at the cinema or in your own home. A soap is on before the watershed meaning that anyone of any age would/could have seen it. They are not rated and are not regulated by a censorship body of any kind.

DanceInTheDark · 10/01/2011 15:27

BBFC guidelines for 18 rated films is interesting. It doesn't state that anyone under the age of 18 may not watch it in their own home (or anywhere other than a cinema)

KalokiMallow · 10/01/2011 15:30

I guess because you'd struggle to enforce that, but it puts the cert there so people can decide if they want to let under 18s watch it. (Though the cert also suggests that it would be inappropriate)

DanceInTheDark · 10/01/2011 15:40

Kali - I would have thought the cert AND the blurb would put people off tbh.

Whitethorn · 10/01/2011 15:46

Enough already with the banning. What is Mumsnet now - the new Mary Whitehouse.

Original poster
richrichrich · 10/01/2011 15:50

Really KallokiMallow. Nobody is saying ban everything! Driving a car fast can cause accidents, that doesn,t mean you get rid of all cars. You find speed limits. When speed limits were first imposed I would imagine they weren,t very popular. But we know now they are a good thing. Life doesn,t have to be black or white KallokiMallow, There are shades of grey. I just wondered if this film had exceded a reasonable speed limit, and so could cause accidents. I wanted to see what other people thaught.

OP posts:
KalokiMallow · 10/01/2011 16:24

It's an 18.

Therefore it's for over 18s.

You were the one who brought up under age children potentially watching it as a reason it should be banned.

So do you want it banned because children might watch it? Or do you want it banned because you personally don't like it?

KalokiMallow · 10/01/2011 16:25

You'd think so wouldn't you dance? Seems some people haven't realised that horror films contain, well, horror.

Ps. I keep meaning to ask, is your username from the Bjork film? Not that was a shocking film - but really good.

DanceInTheDark · 10/01/2011 21:59

My name Kali? No, i needed an emergancy name change and this song was playing at the time! (Lady Gaga)

Asteria · 10/01/2011 22:10

What disturbs me more is the minds of the people who create these films...

accidentwaitingtohappen · 10/01/2011 23:06

Was Straw Dogs banned, really?
I got thi on DVD about a year ago. Finally got round to watching it a couple of months ago (something to watch whilst ironing).
Had to turn it off after about an hour as it was sooooo boring!

MummyO3 · 10/01/2011 23:18

i dont normally post on here, just have a nosey tbh :)

but i wanted to comment on here, i know the film your talking about and yes i think it is very distressing, if you have a petition id be more than happy to sign it :)

MummyO3 · 10/01/2011 23:19

oh didnt realise there was 5pages, im talking about the origional film mentioned - eden lake :)