Freg Vogel arrested for importation of "obscene" movies!

[DVD Connoisseur]

From Toetag's site:

On the 26th of August Fred Vogel was arrested at the Canadian border for importation of Obscene films. The DVD's were TOETAGS own films August Underground and August Underground's Mordum.Fred was released after spending 10 hours in a Canadian Jail but was unable to bring the films into the country and due to the decision of the film being sent to Ottawa for an official verdict of the films in question.

TOETAG PICTURES was originally planning on unleashing the new DVD of August Underground for the first time at Rue Morgue's Festival Of Fear. But due to the arrest and further investigation both DVD's unfortunately won't be available at the convention.

Unbelievable. I know that Australian and UK customs are quite keen with this sort of stuff but I'm amazed about the Canadian customs' reaction.

Is Canada strict about what's allowed on DVD? :(

[dwatts]

What with the recent tough decisions about cover art for Cannibal Hoocaust and Aftermath, I think even the US is starting to tighten up a little. Waves of censorship are cyclical I'm afraid, let's hope it doesn't get any worse!

[SaviniFan]

That's fucked up. What's next, they gonna raid the convention?

[mcchrist]

Hahahahahaha

[MrVess]

Too bad that this character wasn't arrested for making obscene unwatchable inept garbage instead, as that would give one hope that, some day, Paul W. S. Anderson might join him - and his new close friend Bubba.

Sadly, however, it will only increase sales of those antifilms, unless they're all confiscated and destroyed.

[BloodMan]

Last year at the festival, cops showed up bcuz some dude was selling swords and the like. They had the place sorta blocked off and the guys were packing the stuff away. It was weird.
I could not make it to the festival of fear this year... sorta pissed but there's always next year I guess.

[Swearboy]

Unbelievable. I know that Australian and UK customs are quite keen with this sort of stuff but I'm amazed about the Canadian customs' reaction.

Is Canada strict about what's allowed on DVD? :(

You would think that with a Liberal government you wouldn't be hearing about things like this, but yes, the border "service" agency is strict. They follow their own set of rules to deem what is obscene and what isn't (meaning: their criteria doesn't have to match what Canadians, or the courts, would consider obscene). Even something that is already available inside Canada can be stopped at the border for being obscene. They don't have to watch the movie either -- That's something you would have to appeal a ruling to have them do. Guilty until proven innocent.

It's nice to know that there is a goverment body responsible for deciding what make-believe entertainment adults can and cannot watch. Our own taxes pay for this protection.

How long before this shows up on gomorrahy.com (http://www.gomorrahy.com/)?

I haven't seen any of Fred Vogel's movies but I wish him luck.

[CubeOfTheDead]

Never have I been more embarrassed for being a Canadian.

[dwatts]

I don't know guys, I think maybe the Canadians are simply ahead of the curve. Installing film critics at borders could have the positive effect of keeping a lot of romatic comedies and the like out of Canada. Think about it ;)

[maskull]

I just wish they'd kept Alex & Emma out of Canada. All the other movies being stopped would've been worth it if only they're stopped that one as well. My poor, poor brain.

[VideoViolence]

If only they could've kept Uwe Boll out of Canada, then you'd be pretty much all set, no?

[Big Bobby D]

I agree with MrVess about Paul W.S. Anderson being a shitty fimmaker. I absolutely hate the guy. I mean, all he does are shitty video game movies just like that asshole Uwe Boll. I don't understand how these two "filmmakers" continue to get financing to produce more crap.
And about Fred Vogel. I don't know anything about him or his films but I wish him the best of luck. If he can make a better movie than the two aforementioned assholes than keep makin' 'em and spreading them around.

[MrKateB]

This is just like when they had all of those mass executions in the 70's of kids selling seeds and GRIT magazine.

[HAEMORRHAGE]

If it was porn it'd be OK with them.

[Nemesis]

Maybe they just haven't revisted the original August Underground after revising their stance and so it's still a banned movie.. as such they have to enforce their strict customs laws otherwise what's the point in having them

[jak]

Strange, was he flying into Canada or what? Because I remember when I drove up to Toronto the border patrol waived me by without batting an eye.

[henrychinaski]

I loved the movie...actually have it on right now. Fuck censorship. The films not even that bad. It's just a movie, geesh.

[ScreamerClauz]

Something like this happened to me recently. One of my crappy music videos made it onto a underground compilation DVD over in germany and after a year of distribution the cops raided the distro's office and siezed every copy and tried to put the distributor on trial for mass producing a "Snuff film". I had to submit behind the scenes photos proving that the movie wasn't a snuff.... though anyone in their right minds could just watch 4 seconds of it and know that not only was it fake, but it wasn't even well faked, by any means.