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‘Klovn’ poster too raunchy for some Danes

The Danish comedy film ‘Klovn Forever’ is a hit in the theatres but not everyone is happy about a provocative image promoting the film in the public sphere.

'Klovn' poster too raunchy for some Danes
Appropriate?
The 2010 Danish film ’Klovn the Movie’, a squirm-inducing comedy relying heavily on sex jokes and one awkward situation after the other, was a domestic hit in Denmark and earned a re-release on the US market in 2012. 
 
Expectations were thus high for the 2015 follow-up ‘Klovn Forever’, which takes its premise of overly-hormonal sex-obsessed humour to new awkward levels. The movie has been a hit at the box office, with the third largest opening weekend in Danish film history. 
 
But the film’s attempts to push the limits of good taste have not been without criticism. A number of critics have said that the movie is more embarrassing than funny and the Media Council for Children and Young People (Medierådet) slammed the film as “bordering on pornographic”.
 
“The film has a humorous mood that is dominated by sexualized language and contains a number of scenes with explicit and very direct sexual depictions. In several scenes adults are seen having intercourse in different positions in many of the scenes are bordering on pornographic,” the council said according to the website Ekkofilm.dk
 
An image promoting the movie that features stars Casper Christiansen and Frank Hvam naked from the waste down and posed in the sexual position known as ’69’ has also led to complaints. 
 
A censored version of the poster. Click on the image for the uncensored version.
 
A censored version of the poster. Click on the image for the real deal.
An Aalborg woman successfully lobbied to have the explicit image removed from a bus stop that her three children, aged six to 12, use everyday. 
 
“I think it’s a half-pornographic photo that is shoved in your face. When you are out in public, the posters that are hanging at bus stops should be something acceptable for both children and adults to see,” Elisabeth Knudsen told regional broadcaster TV2 Nord
 
Knudsen succeeded in getting the poster removed from her local bus stop and filed an official complaint to the Danish Consumer Ombudsman (Forbrugerombudsmanden).
 
The tabloid Ekstra Bladet also ran a recent article with reader complaints about the poster. 
 
“I lost my sunglasses and almost threw up when I saw the giant poster with the guys from Klovn hanging here in Søborg. I’m normally not a prude but this crossed the line. And you should also think about the children,” 77-year-old Åse S wrote in to the paper. 
 
“They’re lying there looking into each other’s rear ends. It is pure porn and it isn’t fun to drive by it with my grandchildren, who curiously ask me: ‘What is that all about?’,” another reader, Kirsten, wrote. She filed an official complaint with Greve Council over the poster. 
 
Despite the assorted complaints, the ad in question is still displayed throughout Denmark and tickets for ‘Klovn Forever’ continue to sell briskly. 

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FILM

French films with English subtitles to watch in November

As days get shorter and temperatures drop, November is a great month to enjoy a warm and comforting moment at the cinema. Here’s a round up of the French movies with English subtitles to see in Paris this month.

Cinema in France
Photo: Loic Venance/AFP

The cinema group Lost in Frenchlation runs regular screenings of French films in the capital, with English subtitles to help non-native speakers follow the action. The club kicks off every screening with drinks at the cinema’s bar one hour before the movie, so it’s also a fun way to meet people if you’re new to Paris.

These are the events they have coming up in November.

Friday, November 5th

Boîte Noire – What happened on board the Dubai-Paris flight before it crashed in the Alps? In this thriller Matthieu, a young and talented black box analyst played by Pierre Niney (star of Yves Saint-Laurent among other movies) is determined to solve the reason behind this deadly crash, no matter the costs. 

The screening will take place at the Club de l’étoile cinema at 8pm. But you can arrive early for drinks at the bar from 7pm. 

Tickets are €10 full price, €8 for students and all other concessions, and can be reserved here.

Sunday, November 14th

Tralala – In the mood for music? This new delightful French musical brings you into the life of Tralala (played by Mathieu Amalric), a 48 years old, homeless and worn-out street singer, who one day gets mistaken for someone else. Tralala sees an opportunity to get a better life by taking on a new personality. He now has a brother, nephews, ex-girlfriends, and maybe even a daughter. But where is the lie? Where is the truth? And who is he, deep down?

The night will start with drinks from 6pm followed by the screening at 7pm at the Luminor Hôtel de Ville cinema. There is also a two-hour cinema-themed walk where you’ll be taken on a “musicals movie tour” in the heart of Paris, which begins at 4pm.

Tickets cost €10, or €8 for students and concessions, and can be found here. Tickets for the walking tour cost €20 and must be reserved online here.

Thursday, November 18th

Illusions Perdues – Based on the great novel series by Honoré de Balzac between 1837 and 1843, this historical drama captures the writer Lucien’s life and dilemmas who dreams about a great career of writing and moves to the city to get a job at a newspaper. As a young poet entering the field of journalism, he is constantly challenged by his desire to write dramatic and eye-catching stories for the press. But are they all true?

The evening will kick off with drinks at L’Entrepôt cinema bar at 7pm, followed by the movie screening at 8pm. Tickets are available online here, and cost €8.50 full price; €7 for students and all other concessions.

Sunday, November 21st

Eiffel – Having just finished working on the Statue of Liberty, Gustave Eiffel (played by Romain Duris) is tasked with creating a spectacular monument for the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris. It’s ultimately his love story with Adrienne Bourgès (Emma Mackey) that will inspire him to come up with the idea for the Eiffel Tower.

After a first screening last month, Lost in Frenchlation is organising a new one at the Luminor Hôtel de Ville cinema, with pre-screening drinks at the cinema bar. 

Tickets cost €10, or €8 for students and concessions, and can be found here

Thursday, November 25th

Les Héroïques – Michel is a former junkie and overgrown child who only dreams of motorbikes and of hanging out with his 17-year-old son Léo and his friends. But at 50 years old, he now has to handle the baby he just had with his ex, and try not to make the same mistakes he has done in the past. 

The film will be followed by a Q&A with the director Maxime Roy who will discuss his very first feature. 

Tickets cost €10, or €8 for students and concessions, and can be found here.

Full details of Lost in Frenchlation’s events can be found on their website or Facebook page. In France, a health pass is required in order to go to the cinema.

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