Babylon: British movie banned in America comes to Netflix...

[HipChick]

Babylon': The Film Banned in America for Being Too Honest

In 1980, a small British film about Jamaicans reveling in reggae, parties and sound systems hit the UK, and within that same year it received an X rating in London, and was banned from the US for being too controversial.

Of course, these weren’t the actual reasons for Babylon’s ban. It was the look of black Londoners living their honest every-day’s that truly frightened most distributors. From a plot perspective, former child actor, musician and MBE (Order of the British Empire) honoree Brinsley Forde played Blue; a black soundsystem DJ among a crew of DJs living it out in the early 80s—arcades, public housing and tunes—with the standard of police shakedowns, racial slights and internal rage. Despite the ban however, it still became a cult hit, resonating with reggae heads and black Londonites far before America experienced similar honesties with Do the Right Thing (1989) .

https://www.vice.com/en/article/yw84kb/babylon-the-film-banned-in-the-us-for-being-too-honest

[StarfishSaver]

1. Who banned the film?

The story doesn't say.

[PatSeg]

3. Maybe in theaters?

Back then, most films were released to theaters.

[StarfishSaver]

5. From what I read, the NY Film Festival declined to include it in its lineup

But it doesn't seem that any other attempts were made to release it in the US.

That's not the same as being 'banned."

[PatSeg]

12. That's true

Some people get carried away with their headlines. "Banned" sounds sexier than "declined to include".

[HipChick]

4. Read the article, banned by American censors..

Movie was originally made in 1980...


Here's another link....

https://www.dmovies.org/2020/06/17/babylon-has-risen/

[StarfishSaver]

6. I read the article. It doesn't say that "American censors" banned it

It just says it "was banned" but provides no explanation.

Saying a movie was "banned" doesn't make it so. I haven't seen any story that offers any proof that the film was actually banned. From what I've read, the New York Film Festival declined to show it and the producers made a choice not to release it in the States. That's something altogether different.

FyI, there's no such thing as "American censors."

[HipChick]

11. It was banned by BBC as well..

for fear it would incite riots

[StarfishSaver]

13. But it wasn't banned in the United States

[HipChick]

16. Maybe take it up with the journalist who wrote the article?..

[StarfishSaver]

18. Or I could point out that the article in the OP contains erroneous information

Which I just did

[HipChick]

21. Knock yourself out...

and watch the movie

[StarfishSaver]

24. I would, but it turns out you linked to a 2-year-old article ...

The film is no longer on Netflix.

But thanks for sharing.

[HipChick]

25. Reading is fundamental..

Netflix UK
Amazon
and coming to Netflix US..

Article is linked only to provide context for US...Most folks outside UK would not even known about it..

[Codeine]

9. That link shows it wasn't "banned"

but that film festival circuit simply declined to show it.

We really don’t have “censors”, btw. We’ve got a rating system, but we can’t actually ban anything that’s legal to show.

[Codeine]

7. It wasn't banned.

The NY Film Festival refused to screen it; it didn’t receive any further release in the US. “Banned” is clickbait to build enthusiasm for the Netflix release.

[StarfishSaver]

8. Exactly

[HipChick]

22. Not exclusive to Netflix...

[malaise]

2. Watching tonight

[RainCaster]

10. I can't find it on Netflix

It doesn't show up in my searches.

[HipChick]

14. It's on Netflix UK...

If you know how to get there....

not sure what dates are for Netflix US yet

[RainCaster]

17. Ahhh, thanks for the clarification

Now I can stop looking.

Added on edit:
I may try to view on my laptop using a VPN connection to London.

[HipChick]

20. Only VPN that seems to work correctly for that

is nordvpn..

[RainCaster]

26. IPVanish seems to work but there are issues...

Since my account was started in the US, it will only let me watch content available in the US. otherwise, it reacts exactly like it does for UK folks. I get the GB ratings, etc.

[Codeine]

15. Probably because the story linked

is almost two years old. It’s probably come and gone.

[StarfishSaver]

23. Wow. Good catch

Oh, well.

[mopinko]

19. available on amazon.

will watch tonight.

[cwydro]

29. The only one I found on Amazon is not this movie.

[mopinko]

31. .

https://www.amazon.com/Babylon-M-B-Brinsley-Forde/dp/B07V1PT2W8/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=babylon&qid=1607716362&s=instant-video&sr=1-3

[cwydro]

32. Thanks! No idea why my search brought me to different movies.

Good to know.

[mopinko]

33. who knows what evil lurks

at the heart of the google.

[cwydro]

34. Lol!

Yes indeed!

[cwydro]

27. Not impressed with that reviewer's writing.

“Living their honest every-day’s.”

Yeesh.

[USALiberal]

30. Lol, ok! Nt