In the wake of Damien Leone’s slasher sequel Terrifier 3 making waves over in the United Kingdom after multiple people walked out of the premiere, the Classification Committee over in France is drawing a line and quite literally banning minors from seeing Terrifier 3.
A first for the horror genre since the release of director Darren Lynn Bousman’s Saw 3 back in 2006, the Classification Committee in France has recommended a ban on the film for minors under 18, distributors ESC Éditions, Shadowz Films and Factoris Films have let us know.
In other words, anyone under 18 is not admitted into theaters to see Terrifier 3.
This particular rating is very rarely used, and it’s the equivalent of the MPA’s NC-17 rating here in the United States. In the States, Terrifier 3 will be released in theaters fully UNRATED.
The film’s French distributors tell Bloody Disgusting, “We can only deplore this unexpected final decision, which will seriously hamper the release of the film, awaited by tens of thousands of French viewers and scheduled for October 9 (and of course maintained). Terrifier 3 is a film d’auteur in the purest tradition of the slasher genre, with perfectly “grand-guignolesque” and unrealistic violence. The film never takes itself too seriously, and we know that viewers will have the necessary distance and maturity to understand and appreciate this artistic approach.”
“In addition, for over 2 years now, we’ve been working daily and tirelessly to defend free, creative and radical genre cinema, systematically acclaimed by the press and audiences alike,” the teams continued. “The audience for these films, even teenagers, is a passionate cinephile, respectful of the works and the cinemas that show them.
“The history of genre cinema, its excesses and outrages, is intimately linked to the history of cinema itself. Restricting access to audiences will always be a serious decision with a disturbing message, isolating authors and distancing them from their public.”
We reached out to Saw 3 director Darren Lynn Bousman, who has lived this very experience, for comment. He tells Bloody Disgusting, “Hell yes! Wear this like a badge of honor!”
Bousman adds, “‘Art’ should make people uncomfortable.”
The third installment of the Saw franchise was banned for minors back in 2006 by France’s minister of culture, who declared that the movie contained “incessant and unbearable sadism.”
Reuters described, “The 18-plus rating is used only in exceptional cases judged too extreme for the 16-plus rating normally applied to mainstream films containing sex or strong violence.”
Terrifier 3 hits U.S. theaters October 11, 2024. Grab your tickets now.
In Terrifier 3, directed once again by Damien Leone (Terrifier, Terrifier 2), Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) is set to unleash another round of chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.
“After surviving Art the Clown’s Halloween massacre, Sienna and her brother are struggling to rebuild their shattered lives. As the holiday season approaches, they try to embrace the Christmas spirit and leave the horrors of the past behind. But just when they think they’re safe, Art the Clown returns, determined to turn their holiday cheer into a new nightmare.
“The festive season quickly unravels as Art unleashes his twisted brand of terror, proving that no holiday is safe.”
Returning cast includes Lauren LaVera (Sienna), Samantha Scaffidi (Victoria Heyes), Elliot Fullam (Jonathan Shaw) and AEW superstar Chris Jericho (Burke), with Daniel Roebuck set to debut as Santa Claus. Makeup effects legend Tom Savini, Jason Patric, Antonella Rose, Krsy Fox, Clint Howard, and Jon Abrahams also appear.
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