Britain's film censors on Wednesday banned the Japanese sadistic horror film "Grotesque", saying its tale of extreme torture featured unrelenting brutality and minimal narrative. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) rejected the DVD, meaning it is unclassified and therefore cannot be legally supplied anywhere in Britain, with anyone doing so risking a heavy fine and imprisonment.
"Grotesque" focuses on the sexual assault, humiliation and extreme torture of a male and female victim, the board said. The protagonist inflicts serious injuries on the restrained couple, including amputation, eye gouging, castration and disembowelment. The board rejects films only rarely, preferring to give advice about how appropriate cuts would achieve the preferred certificate.