Cinema ban for sadistic horror film

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Distributors of Japanese movie Grotesque had hoped to be given an 18 certificate for the film, which involves torture such as amputation and eye-gouging.

But the British Board of Film Classification said the film featured sexual sadism for its own sake. It said that giving the film a rating would involve a "risk of harm" to those viewing it.

Selling or supplying the film would now be illegal.

The BBFC rejects films only rarely, preferring to give advice about how appropriate cuts would achieve the preferred certificate.

The decision was taken by BBFC director, David Cooke and senior colleagues.

The board said the majority of the film focused on the assault, humiliation and torture of two victims. The main character takes them prisoner, restrains, strips and sexually assaults them before inflicting horrific injuries until they die.

Mr Cooke said: "Unlike other recent 'torture'-themed horror works, such as the Saw and Hostel series, Grotesque features minimal narrative or character development and presents the audience with little more than an unrelenting and escalating scenario of humiliation, brutality and sadism. The chief pleasure on offer seems to be in the spectacle of sadism (including sexual sadism) for its own sake."

The BBFC rates around 10,000 films for DVD release each year.

The last film which the BBFC rejected for an 18 certificate was the 2004 movie Murder Set Pieces, which was turned down last year. Until that, it had not refused an 18 rating since 2005 when the film Terrorists, Killers And Other Wackos - made up of real clips of execution and torture - was turned down.