The magazines Escapade and Dude were found not obscene by the Supreme Court in 1962, in a significant ruling affecting censorship in Canada.
Category: Censorship in Canada
Ontario Film Authority Gone – Now What?
The Ontario government announced last Friday that it is shutting down the Ontario Film Authority. This is the provincial government agency that classifies films and home video distributed in Ontario. The plan is to create “a modern framework for film classification.” Meanwhile, films still require classifications. Ontario will temporarily use the classifications from British Columbia.… Continue reading Ontario Film Authority Gone – Now What?
Provincial Right to Ban Films confirmed by Nova Scotia Ban of “Last Tango in Paris”
All provinces and territories in Canada have the legal right to ban any film, for any reason. This was confirmed by a Supreme Court case in 1978. The case started in 1974, in Nova Scotia, when the Nova Scotia Board of Censors banned Last Tango in Paris. The late 1960s and early 1970s saw a… Continue reading Provincial Right to Ban Films confirmed by Nova Scotia Ban of “Last Tango in Paris”
What Price Glory (1926) banned in Nova Scotia
What Price Glory? is an anti-war comedy, along the same lines as M*A*S*H. It’s a silent film, made by Fox in 1926, and re-released in 1927 using new technology to include sound effects and music. It was adapted from a successful but controversial 1924 play. The language and disrespect for military traditions caused offense. The… Continue reading What Price Glory (1926) banned in Nova Scotia
Why Restructure the Ontario Film Review Board?
According to news stories in the Toronto Star and on CBC, the Ontario government is planning to restructure the Ontario Film Review Board, as part of a larger project involving the hundreds of provincial government boards. The expression “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” comes to mind. The Board has operated more or less… Continue reading Why Restructure the Ontario Film Review Board?
Dracula Sucks – The Cartoon and the Court
Dracula Sucks was an ambitious 1978 adult sex comedy parody. Legend has it that the original version was edited into two shorter films, one containing explicit sex and distributed under various other titles, and the other shown at theatres. When it came to Canada, additional cuts were made for Ontario, and the cut version eventually… Continue reading Dracula Sucks – The Cartoon and the Court
Being Respectful
Sony has decided not to release “The Interview,” after multiple exhibitors, including 17 theatres in Toronto, cancelled screenings. The cancellations were announced after an unknown organization, possibly linked to North Korea, threatened attacks on theatres showing the film. North Korea doesn’t like the film, a comedy about assassinating Kim Jong-un, for obvious reasons, but denies… Continue reading Being Respectful
Maen Striit Massacre
Some folks in Vancouver are all in a tizzy over a new online game featuring a shooting rampage on their transit system. Developed and posted by a construction worker, the first person shooter is a construction worker caught up in transit delays. Vancouver’s transit system recently had two lengthy delays in one week, so that’s… Continue reading Maen Striit Massacre
Censorship During World Wars I and II
Film censorship is a provincial matter in Canada, except in times of war. The British government managed censorship of military matters until 1915 when Canada passed the War Measures Act. Among other things, the Act allowed for a federal Chief Censor, also known as the Chief Press Censor. As the title implies, the primary goal… Continue reading Censorship During World Wars I and II
Censoring the Sizzle
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, is due for release in August. The Weinstein Company has released a series of promotional posters featuring each of the stars, but the sixth, featuring Eva Green’s character in a transparent top, was deemed inappropriate by the MPAA. Take a look for yourself. Apparently a new poster is… Continue reading Censoring the Sizzle
Tim Covell 
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