{"id":1954927,"date":"2023-06-22T23:57:02","date_gmt":"2023-06-23T03:57:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oscar-winning-film-undergoes-mysterious-ex-post-facto-censorship\/"},"modified":"2023-06-23T00:00:34","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T04:00:34","slug":"oscar-winning-film-undergoes-mysterious-ex-post-facto-censorship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oscar-winning-film-undergoes-mysterious-ex-post-facto-censorship\/","title":{"rendered":"Oscar-winning film mysteriously censored after release."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">12<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Foscar-winning-film-undergoes-mysterious-ex-post-facto-censorship%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1954927&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Is Censorship Creeping In?<\/h2>\n<p>Are we witnessing another camel\u2019s nose under the tent moment? If so, no one appears willing to \u2018fess up\u2019 to the latest blast of censorship. Not even the person whose work got tweaked for modern sensibilities.<\/p>\n<p>Even worse? The folks who should be outraged by it have gone silent.<\/p>\n<h3>The Quiet Censorship of &#8220;The French Connection&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cThe French Connection,\u201d the 1971 cop classic that snagged a Best Picture Oscar, has quietly gone under the cinematic knife. Gimlet-eyed film blogger Jeffrey Wells of Hollywood Elsewhere fame reported that a <a href=\"https:\/\/hollywood-elsewhere.com\/french-connection-refresher\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">scene from the film<\/a> where star Gene Hackman\u2019s Popeye Doyle uses the n-word is no more, at least with versions of the film distributed by several major outlets.<\/p>\n<p>The Criterion Channel. Turner Classic Movies. iTunes downloads.<\/p>\n<p>The sequence in question captures Popeye Doyle\u2019s anti-hero nature, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/michelle-wolf-anatomy-of-woke-comic-fail\/\" title=\"Michelle Wolf: Anatomy of Woke Comic Fail\">deeply flawed soul<\/a> willing to do anything to collar a heroin smuggler.<\/p>\n<p>Film scribe Glenn Kenny <a href=\"https:\/\/decider.com\/2023\/06\/20\/who-censored-the-french-connection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dug into the matter<\/a> via Decider.com but came away with few answers. \u201cFrench Connection\u201d director William Friedkin of \u201cThe Exorcist\u201d fame, now 87, isn\u2019t publicly addressing the subject despite numerous attempts to reach him.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_574877\" style=\"width: 734px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-574877\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A suspect is shot by Jimmy \u201cPopeye\u201d Doyle (Gene Hackman) during a scene from the 1971 police drama The French Connection. Hackman won Best Actor for his role, and the film won Best Picture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Criterion, renowned for its commitment to cinema and film preservation, shared this response with both Kenny and customers who have inquired about the sequence\u2019s trim.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>We do not censor any content presented on Criterion Channel, though in some instances we present a content warning in the description of select films. We also frequently present films in directors\u2019 cuts and other alternate versions as their makers and our licensors may require.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The company put the onus on Disney, which <a href=\"https:\/\/thewaltdisneycompany.com\/disneys-acquisition-of-21st-century-fox-will-bring-an-unprecedented-collection-of-content-and-talent-to-consumers-around-the-world\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">purchased<\/a> the 20th Century back catalog in 2019.<\/p>\n<p>Disney is no stranger to panic moves to appease the easily offended types. The company <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/GMA\/Travel\/iconic-disney-ride-splash-mountain-closes\/story?id=99736448#:~:text=The%20company%20said%20in%20April,Disney%20World%20Resort%20in%20January.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">scrapped<\/a> its Splash Mountain attraction due to its connection to \u201cSong of the South,\u201d the 1946 Disney film sent down the memory hole for its upbeat depiction of slavery.<\/p>\n<p>It also <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2020\/film\/news\/disney-plus-dumbo-peter-pan-content-warning-1234806732\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">slapped<\/a> trigger warnings on its own product, like the animated \u201cPeter Pan\u201d and \u201cDumbo,\u201d due to allegedly dated material.<\/p>\n<p>Was anyone actually offended by the \u201cFrench Connection\u201d scene in question? Anecdotally, the opposite was once true.<\/p>\n<p>Veteran film scribe Joe Leydon offered intriguing context to the film\u2019s original release and audience reaction to the snipped exchange. He says co-star Roy Scheider recalling black audiences <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JoeLeydon\/status\/1671330785121431552\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cheering<\/a> the sequence in question.<\/p>\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was the 1st time they <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oscar-winning-film-undergoes-mysterious-ex-post-facto-censorship\/\" title=\"Oscar-winning film mysteriously censored after release.\">heard movie cops talking<\/a> like real cops.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I vaguely remember Roy Scheider saying \u2014 in A DECADE UNDER THE INFLUENCE, maybe? \u2014 that he was amazed when heard black audiences in New York laughed and cheered at that use of the N-bomb. Then a black person explained to him: It was the 1st time they heard movie cops talking\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Joe Leydon (@JoeLeydon) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JoeLeydon\/status\/1671330785121431552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 21, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Many rage against cops in 2023 despite monumental advances in racial acceptance. In the early 1970s, racism reared its head early and often, and it impacted how black Americans interacted with law enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>Hollywood giants, and those a few rungs down the A-list ladder, routinely weigh in on most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/10-ways-to-save-the-modern-awards-show\/\" title=\"10 Ways To Save The Modern Awards Show\">hot-button issues<\/a>. Yet, the vast majority haven\u2019t whispered a public word on the subject. Not even Steven Spielberg, who recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/steven-spielberg-regrets-removing-guns-from-e-t-that-was-a-mistake\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">admitted<\/a> to regretting his decision to remove the guns from FBI agents in 1982\u2019s \u201cE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial\u201d to make them less scary for younger viewers.<\/p>\n<p>A possible excuse? Most media outlets have ignored the issue, even sites like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, which cover entertainment matters exhaustively.<\/p>\n<p>This reporter reached out to multiple groups dedicated to film preservation, including an organization founded by the legendary Martin Scorsese. None <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodintoto.com\/film-preservation-scorsese-silent-on-french-connection-censorship\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">responded<\/a> to those queries.<\/p>\n<p>One of the biggest ironies on the matter? Tom Six, director of the notorious \u201cHuman Centipede\u201d films, is one of the few \u201cname\u201d directors to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/tom_six\/status\/1666123329151938583?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1666123329151938583%7Ctwgr%5Ebcaffc828462e081031786a5d4499e5b0cb6cd4c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&#038;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hollywoodintoto.com%2Fhuman-centipede-tom-six-french-connection-censorship%2F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lash out<\/a> at the censorship.<\/p>\n<p>Should modern censors want to eliminate the n-word in feature films, they may have their hands full, of course. It\u2019s been used frequently over the decades, both to highlight character sins and for more casual, problematic reasons.<\/p>\n<p>The word in question has always been toxic, but it\u2019s still used throughout pop culture. Hip-hop songs by black artists lean into it without hesitation. Dave Chappelle uses it as a vocal crutch on stage. The all-black cast of the new horror-comedy \u201cThe Blackening\u201d utters it from start to finish.<\/p>\n<p>In 2014, Kevin Costner insisted the word be included in a pivotal scene from \u201cBlack or White.\u201d The drama follows a grandfather (Costner) fighting for custody of his black granddaughter. In a crucial moment the grandfather utters the word at the child\u2019s biological father, a terrible, drug-addled person he feels is undeserving of staying in the young girl\u2019s life.<\/p>\n<p>Director Mike Binder said Costner <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreaker.com\/episode\/54400531\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fought<\/a> to keep the word in question, understanding it was important to the character and the film\u2019s racial themes. That was despite news of celebrity chef Paula Deen uttering the word in question hitting the press the very day that scene was shot, according to Binder.<\/p>\n<p>When he was initially asked if he wanted to \u201ccover\u201d it, meaning shoot an alternate version where he used a different word, Costner refused. The subject came up again.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe producers said, \u2018maybe you should cover yourself,\u2019 and he said, \u2018I already said I wasn\u2019t gonna cover it,\u2019\u201d Binder recalled, capturing Costner\u2019s raised voice.<\/p>\n<p>Will that sequence be \u201ccovered\u201d in the near future, deleted to \u201cprotect\u201d future generations? If so, it\u2019ll happen with little outrage from the press or the Hollywood community.<\/p>\n<p>Again.<\/p>\n<p>We shouldn\u2019t be surprised if it keeps happening following \u201cThe French Connection\u201d incident.<\/p>\n<p><em>Christian Toto is an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/star-of-new-pro-life-movie-says-pro-choice-screen-actors-guild-attempted-to-crush-their-production\/\" title=\"Star Of New Pro-Life Movie Says Pro-Choice Screen Actors Guild Attempted To Crush Their Production\">award-winning journalist<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/west-wing-creator-aaron-sorkin-says-woke-identity-based-casting-is-mother-of-all-empty-gestures\/\" title=\"West Wing Creator Aaron Sorkin Says Woke, Identity-Based Casting Is \u2018Mother Of All Empty Gestures\u2019\">movie critic<\/a> and editor of\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.hollywoodintoto.com\/\">HollywoodInToto.com<\/a>.\u00a0He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News\u2019 Big Hollywood. Follow him at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HollywoodInToto?lang=en\">@HollywoodInToto<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is this another camel&#8217;s nose under the tent? No one admits to the recent censorship, not even the artist whose work was altered. What&#8217;s worse? Those who should be outraged remain silent. The 1971 film &#8220;The French Connection&#8221; is at stake.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":279,"featured_media":1954928,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1954927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1954927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/279"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1954927"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1954927\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1954928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1954927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1954927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1954927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}