The attempt of a conservative group to have Out Takes' film LA Zombie banned has bitten the dust. The Society for Promotion of Community Standards complained about the gay zombie porn flick and won leave to appeal the R18 classification from the Secretary of Internal Affairs. The film's classification has been reviewed and amended slightly so it reads "R18 - horror, violence, sex scenes and graphic content that may disturb," instead of "horror, violence, sex scenes and content that may disturb". Reel Queer Incorporated, the non-profit community group that presents Out Takes, says it's pleased that common sense has prevailed and that its confidence in the Censor's original decision has been borne out. La Zombie is a Bruce LaBruce film starring porn star Francois Sagat as an alien zombie who roams the streets of Los Angeles in search of dead bodies and gay sex, an activity that reveals a gift of ''shagging'' the deceased back to life. The film was banned by Australian censors in a move which was considered incredibly over-zealous by the Melbourne Film Festival's organisers. A rebel screening was ultimately held. Out Takes Chief Programmer Simon Fulton was always confident LA Zombie won't be banned. He told GayNZ.com Daily News it's definitely for a certain taste: "It's grimy and grubby, some people will love it and some won't. It's a silly sort of zombie horror porn thing, but it's loads of fun to watch." LA Zombie will screen in Auckland on 6 Jun 4:20pm at Rialto Cinemas in Newmarket and in Wellington on 10 Jun 10:25pm at Paramount Theatre, as advertised.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Saturday, 4th June 2011 - 6:09pm