Sinister Yanked From Over 40 Theaters in France

More than 40 French theaters have called for the cancelation of any further screenings of Scott Derrickson’s new shocker Sinister. The picture opened in France on November 7th.

Having screened the film, it’s tough to swallow any logic in this maneuver. The picture, while rather entertaining, isn’t remotely near graphic in its violence or visuals in general, and in truth, doesn’t warrant the R rating delivered by the MPAA. Not only is the visual element of the film rather tame by today’s standards, the language is very, very controlled (I don’t recall a single F bomb being dropped, and even the almighty synonym for “crap” is dished out in controlled measure), but interestingly enough, the content of the feature isn’t even the reason behind the decision to boycott the film.

According to a statement issued by Wild Bunch, Sinister’s distributor, the flick was actually pulled due to viewer reception of Paranormal Activity 4, which opened the week prior. Apparently crowds became a bit riled up at PA4, which lead to "looting candy counters, insulting cashiers, urinating on seats, etc."

Wild Bunch hit their Facebook page to alert the masses, "Showing genre films in France is not easy, so we ask that our future spectators please be respectful of the rules of courtesy." They also included a note to "not hesitate to demand that local theaters show the film next week."

So, if you’re a bit perplexed by all this, join the club. France pulled this one due to the reaction to a completely different film. The only similarities to draw here come in the fact that both are supernatural films and both are categorized as horror films. Sinister was never even truly given a fair shake by the French.

Please, weigh in with thoughts on this revelation, especially if you happen to be French. This is something I think everyone would like to hear some insight on.