Ireland will prevent original I Spit on Your Grave from being sold in stores!

September 21st 2010, 10:30am

Last Updated on July 23, 2021

Oh Ireland, why must you be so difficult? We just got word that Ireland has placed a strict hold on any sales of the original 1978 version of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE or DAY OF THE WOMAN. The press release states that the film’s re-release on blu-ray will not be sold in stores due to “acts of gross violence and cruelty.” I’ll let you soak that in for a little bit.

While blu-ray sales will stagger across the great pond, it’s no surprise that admirers of the first film will still get their hands on the the re-released copy somewhere else. Online sales perhaps? Check out the press release and see for yourselves.

From the press release:

The Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO) has banned the DVD re-release of the highly controversial 1978 horror film I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE starring Buster Keaton’s granddaughter, Camille Keaton, in Ireland. UK fans of the infamous cult film, originally released under the name Day of the Woman in 1978 and later re-titled to I Spit on Your Grave, will be able to purchase the ultimate collector’s edition on DVD and Blu-ray as of today. However, Irish fans of the cult “video nasty” will be prohibited from purchasing locally, forcing them to import UK versions from Internet retailers.

The decision to ban the DVD re-release of the cult classic film was due to the film depicting “acts of gross violence and cruelty (including mutilation and torture) towards humans.” I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE has gained a reputation as an extremely graphic and violent film as well as one of the most talked about film in cinema history. It tells the story of Jennifer Hills (Camille Keaton), a magazine writer from New York who retires to a secluded cabin in the woods to write her first novel. There she is brutally assaulted, raped and left for dead by four country boys.

Director Meir Zarchi commented on the ban: “It doesn’t surprise me that Ireland have decided to ban the film. It has relentlessly continued to shock and offend audiences since 1978 when it was first released, and it still does to this date. However, with the level of graphic violence and horror available these days, it’s surprising that IFCO sees this 1978 film more offensive than some of the most daring and empty of content torture porn available today.”

“Since the birth of the Internet all censor boards around the world have instantly become irrelevant. IFCO included. Anyone anywhere in the universe can simply push a button on any video website store and order a disc of I Spit on Your Grave. There are no iron curtains in the skies that can stop it from landing at his or her door.”

“Are we going through the Lady Chatterley’s Lover syndrome all over again? The bottom line – thank you, IFCO, for promoting the film in Ireland.”

Eoghan Burke, Sales Director, Lace DMS Ltd (Eire), said, “Disappointed and saddened that the IFCO have taken this decision, I thought we had moved on from these times. It just drives business away from bricks and mortar and into the hands of online, denying much needed revenue to traditional retail!”

The original version on Blu-ray is here as the ultimate collector’s edition with the following exclusive material:

DUAL FORMAT EDITION

• Format: BD + DVD

• Running Time: 200 mins approx

• Certificate: 18

• Retail Price: £19.99

• Cat Number: 101FILMS001

• Barcode: 5037899028513

Disc 1 (Blu-ray): Feature Film – new cut

Extras:

UK Exclusive video interview with Director Meir Zarchi • Trailers • TV Spots • Radio Spots • Sleeve and poster Image Gallery • Image Gallery from Director’s Personal Collection • Reviews & Articles from Around the World • In-Depth Essay – What Do People Think & Say About ISOYG • DVD Monthly Interview • Filmographies • Audio commentary by Director Meir Zarchi & Film Critic Joe Bob Briggs

Disc 2 (DVD): Feature Film – new cut

Extras:

DVD EDITION

• Running Time: 200 mins approx

• Certificate: 18

• Retail Price: £15.99

• Cat Number: 101FILMS003

• Barcode: 5037899028537

Extras:

Jenna Dewan