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'Too much sex' in Bruno film for Malaysia
2009-09-29
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Muslim-majority Malaysia has banned British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's raunchy comedy "Bruno" because it contains "a lot of sex," a senior official said Tuesday. The film, which stars Cohen as a gay Austrian fashionista, has been a box office hit in some countries while being banned elsewhere for over-the-top scenes including sex acts and full-frontal nudity. "The movie has been banned in Malaysia because of the sexual content. It was decided by a three-man committee. (There is) a lot of sex in it," an official with the National Film Censorship Board told AFP. He said the panel judges movies based on whether they feature violence, horror, sex or counter-cultural themes. "In the case of Bruno, the ban is based on its sex and counter-culture content," he said on condition of anonymity. The government confirmed the ban, saying the movie contained pornographic scenes and touched on the sensitivities of Christians. "The National Film Censorship Board found the film produced by Universal Picture Productions was not in line with the culture and ethics as well as way of life in the country," the home ministry said in a statement. Following the same format as his 2006 movie "Borat," Cohen's character travels to the United States where bizarre scenarios unfold including one where he mimes sexual activity while visiting a medium. Other controversial scenes include Bruno and his boyfriend engaged in sexual acts and couples having sex at a swingers' party. "Borat" was also banned in Malaysia, a conservative country with a multicultural population including 60 percent Muslim Malays. Since last year alone, Malaysia has banned five movies, the most recent being US horror film Halloween II, written and directed by Rob Zombie.
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