Cinema Canada (Nov 1981)

Ontario Censors change mind, ruling Hard times for Humungus? TORONTO — The Ontario Censor Board has reversed its earlier decision and allowed Pixote, Brazilian director Hector Babenco’s controversial study of abandoned street children, to be shown uncut — but only at one Toronto movie house, not throughout the province, sources at the Board confirmed to Cinema Canada. Pixote began its theatrical release October 9 at the Inter national Cinema. It had one previous screening in Ontario, at the Toronto Festival of Festivals in September. Initially, the Censor Board wanted to make seven cuts from scenes which graphically depict sexual experimentation by children and sexual exploitation of children by adults, two areas which the Board considers sensitive. Previously, the Board had banned Louis Malle’s Pretty Baby and cut Volker Schlondorffs The Tin Drum for scenes not nearly as graphic as those depicted in Pixote. An appeal by Pixote’s Ontario distributor, Pan Canadian, asking the Board to pass the film uncut on the basis of its seriousness and its critical acclaim, led to the compromise decision. The film is restricted to audiences 18 years of age and older. Also passed by the Board for screening in Toronto was Caligula, the Penthouse Films and Bob Guiccione paean to sex and violence, which opened in Toronto October 9. However, this is not the hardcore version which played uncut in Vancouver and with a one-minute cut in Montreal, but a softcore ver-. sion which Guiccione intends to release in markets that pose censorship difficulties. The Caligula playing in Toronto is similar to the British version, which had ten minutes of hardcore material edited from the original. The Censor Board has made one oneminute cut as well, a scene of the tying of a man’s penis prior to castration. Distributed by Citadel Films, Caligula is playing at two Tor onto theatres to restricted audiences at the admission price of $7.00, believed to be the highest ticket-price ever in Toronto movie-house history. Meanwhile, distribution of Bonnie Sherr Klein’s documentary examination of the pornography industry, Not A Love Story: A Film About Pornography, produced by the National Film Board, has been delayed until the Censor Board and the NFB can work out an agreement on public screenings. Because it contains several depictions of hardcore pornography, the Censor Board will permit only private screenings of the film. Not A Love Story had one public screning at the Toronto Festival of Festivals, but a scheduled screening at Toronto’s St. Lawrence Centre October 6 had to be cancelled. Pierre Lamy honored MONTREAL Pierre Lamy has been awarded the Prix Albert Tessier for his contribution to filmmaking in Quebec. Lamy, a partner with Michael Spencer in Lamy Spencer and Company, is one of Quebec's most prolific producers. His most recent film, Francis Mankiewicz’s Les Beaux Souvenirs, opened in Montreal in early October. He is currently supporting the Premiere application for a pay-TV license, and would become director of French production there, should Premiere be awarded the license. TORONTODespite the low budget rate agreement, signed between the Directors Guild of Canada and the production of Humungus before the shoot Legan, the DGC voted on October 19 to consider the feature a high budget picture. No further comment was forthcoming from the DGC, and another meeting is expected to decide on what action, if any, is appropriate in the circumstances. The DGC had agreed to low budget rates when the production presented it with a budget of $1.2 million for the film. According to the agreement, retroactive penalties could be applied by the DGC if the film went over budget. When the production filed its preliminary prospectus, it became clear that “direct costs” of the film (as defined by the new national film policy, issued by the securities commissions) , were $1.2, but that the entire budget of the film ran to $2 million, Other costs included the expense of the issue ($77,500), cost of financing ($286,800) and agent’s commission ($180,000), among other items. In a letter to the DGC, the producers Anthony Kramrei Budget presents THE WORLD premiere of ‘KINGS OF THE ROAD” STARRING -Budget Hy-Cubes Budget 16, 18 & 20 feet trucks CO-STARRING A complete range of Budget vehicles. INTRODUCING Budget Mobile Homes Budget Custom Campers Budget Vans Budget Cadillacs For intormation write to: Budget Kent -A-Car co Mr Steve Kobins OS Michel Jasmin, Montreal, Que H9P 1C5 or phone (514) 636-0798 Lelex «09 821-677 ther and Mickey Stevenson argued that low budget status should be granted the production on the basis of the onscreen costs, according to DGC president Lew Lehman. Kramreither further confirmed to Cinema Canada that the producers were ready to make sacrifices in order to see the picture completed. As outlined in the prospectus, the producers’ fees of $170,000 can be deferred, as can production costs of $75,000 and financing fees of $150,000 (the latter, both due to Manesco Films Ltd., the firm which has produced Kramreither’s previous films) should the issue not sell out. Commenting before the Oct. 19 DGC meeting, Lehman said, “Either they have a point or they don’t. If they don’t, they pay the higher rates. If they won't that’s another story.” Although the DGC has decided the production doesn’t have a point, it has yet to comment on whether it will require payment of higher rates. Earlier, the Association of Canadian Film Craftspeople (ACFC) had turned down the shoot after a series of unsuccessful negotiations with the (cont. on p. 43) 4/Cinema Canada-November 1981 ,