British Government Says "No!" To Muder Set Pieces

It has been a long time since I have read about a film being banned. Generally, films are just cut until they are "acceptable" to the mass audience (rather, what some arbitrary group deems to be suitable for the public at large). I am just as shocked as you are to discover the British Government has outright banned writer/director Nick Palumbo's Murder Set Pieces in a column over at CHUD. Could this be the start of a new era of "video nasties"? Don't get too excited.

Like CHUD's Devin Faraci states, this only helps the film. If someone wants to get their hands on a film, they will find a way be it through eBay or other import site, or the less savory pirate option. The only thing the ban does is draw attention to the title and make it more desirable in the eyes of the potential fan.

Okay, before this gets too far, let me nip this in the bud right now. Banning does not translate to good. Some group of anonymous folks deciding that this is not suitable for mainstream viewing does not necessarily make it more desirable. If it had been just about any other film an argument could probably be made in support of the film, like the famous flap over Sam Raimi's Evil Dead back in the day. Believe me when I tell you, Murder Set Pieces is no Evil Dead.

If you have followed my writing for any amount of time, you may be aware of my little "altercation" with Palumbo regarding his crappy little movie. Frankly, he should be thanking the British for bringing some attention to his "film." Without this fabricated "controversy" it is likely that no one would have paid it any mind.

To refresh your memories first be aware that Palumbo and some cronies spammed message boards around the net promoting the movie. Just explore the thread about it at DVD Maniacs. Now, step beyond this and take a look at my review of the movie itself.

From the review:

Murder-Set-Pieces is a movie that only real hardcore horror fans who
eagerly await anything to get their hands on. As for the more discerning horror
buff, this is one that you could safely skip without really missing much. Far be
it from me to tell you what to and what not to see, please, see it for yourself,
make up your own mind. Frankly, I was bored and on the verge of sleep a couple
of times. I finally started it over and made it through to the bitter end. It is
a movie that really doesn't offer much to the genre, it strikes me as something
of a demo reel of an amateur filmmaker desperately trying to get ahead by going
over the top.

And a note on the commentary track:

This track features the director, Nick Palumbo, the star, Sven Garett, and
couple of others whose names escape me. The track is rather humorous, it exposes
Palumbo as being an amateur who prides himself on his knowledge of horror films
and overestimates his own abilities. He attempts to rationalize the inclusion of
the 9/11 footage by saying it is to show how the world is falling apart. I don't
know, I am just not terribly impressed with the man behind the madness, and this
track pretty much solidifies my opinion. It was also revealed that many of the
strippers and prostitutes were not actresses, they actually were strippers and
prostitutes.

Finally, let me bring your attention to his response to my review and my open letter back to him, which can be read at Draven99's Musings.

Now I must bid adieu. I fear I have already given this terrible film more press than it deserves. While it may be banned, not something I agree with at all, it is not a movie worth getting all excited about.