From: Pat Inniss (inniss@sprynet.com)
Date: Sat Jun 14 2003 - 01:53:43 MDT
In some ways, however, Egypt might not be that different from the USA 50
or 60 years ago. I haven't seen Matrix Reloaded yet, but it is obvious
that this film would have never been produced in the USA until a few
decades ago (speaking of the social/legal restraints, not technical or
dramatic ones), and if it had been produced anywhere else would have
likely not been widely shown here, if at all. It would have been
censored, just as Egypt censors it today. Back then there were quite a
number of European films that you couldn't see in the USA because of a
patchwork of industry regulations and government film censors.
Under the Production Code observed by the American industry, to some
extent even into the '60s, any movie challenging conventional religious
belief was verboten. Some states such as New York required films to be
licensed before they were shown, and the licensing authority did not
hesitate to withhold authority from any film containing "sacrilege."
They were, apparently, much influenced by church leaders, especially
Catholics. These clerics and laymen didn't give up anything to the
current crop of mullahs in their zealotry to control what ideas were
presented. Religious issues would have almost certainly shot down The
Matrix back in "the good old days."
The Matrix would also have also been unproduceable and unscreenable in
the USA because of its use of black characters in leadership roles. And
finally the suggestion of drug usage when Neo is offered the pills would
have violated a strict prohibition against even dealing with that whole
subject, however obtusely.
Regards,
Pat Inniss
inniss@sprynet.com
http://home.sprynet.com/~inniss
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-extropians@extropy.org [mailto:owner-extropians@extropy.org]
On Behalf Of Paul Grant
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2003 9:07 PM
To: extropians@extropy.org
Subject: RE: CENSORSHIP: Matrix Reloaded banned in Egypt
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-extropians@extropy.org
> [mailto:owner-extropians@extropy.org] On Behalf Of Ramez Naam
> Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2003 8:35 PM
> To: extropians@extropy.org
> Subject: RE: CENSORSHIP: Matrix Reloaded banned in Egypt
> <snip>
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