A pornographic video distributed by the producer who wants to film a woman giving birth for an X-rated movie has been banned by the Classifications Office.
Porn filmmaker Steve Crow must dispose of all copies of The Matador Series 2, which has been distributed by his company Vixen Direct Ltd for
more than two years, after he refused to make changes to it.
Crow planned to produce a hardcore film -- Ripe -- featuring a former stripper and her soon-to-be-born baby.
Child, Youth and Family sought a court order to prevent filming of the baby's birth.
Matador Series 2 was given a general R18 classification by the office in June 2000, but a complaint by the Society for the Promotion of Community Standards has led to its reclassification as objectionable.
The Classifications Office asked for several scenes from the video to be removed, but because Crow had refused to do so uncut versions were now effectively banned.
Society president Gordon Dempsey said the reclassification was a "landmark" decision.
Mr Dempsey said the video was one of three pornographic films viewed by 153 volunteers for a study commissioned by the Classifications Office last year. Most participants had found aspects of the video objectionable.
"It should have been more than obvious to chief censor Bill Hastings ... that this publication should be banned or cut."
Mr Hastings said today he had given leave for the video to be re-examined.
Only 53 people involved in the study had watched the video -- 28 agreed it could be harmful to young people.
Of the other videos in the Matador series the office had ordered cuts to five, one was banned and two classified R18.
"The law doesn't specify any particular sexual activities as acceptable or not acceptable. Our job is to assess the depiction of any activity," Mr Hastings said.
He said Internal Affairs now had responsibility for ensuring the video was not being distributed.
- NZPA
