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Fans fume as classic film undergoes censorship treatment

Film fanatics are in outrage after discovering an unannounced edit in William Friedkin’s 1971 classic movie, The French Connection. The scene causing the trouble comes just 10 minutes into the drama, when two characters - Gene Hackman’s ‘Popeye’ Doyle and Roy Scheider’s Buddy ‘Cloudy’ Russo - are having a conversation, and one of them uses a racial slur. The sequence was removed, and the new edited version cuts to the latest in the conversation, omitting the part with the slur. Disney has been the subject of blame for the move - as the company took over Fox in 2019 and subsequently the rights to the film - with fans accusing them of censoring the scene in the United States, while in the United Kingdom and Canada, the unedited version of the film is still available for streaming on Disney+. Most took to social media to share their complaints, with the majority in agreement that Disney had missed the mark, and The Film Magazine’s Joseph Wade even calling it “corporate vandalism”. “In cases such as this, ‘Censor’ takes the place of ‘Vandalise’,” he tweeted. “They have vandalised a piece of art.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Disney Censor 'The French Connection' (1971) In cases such as this, "Censor" takes the place of "Vandalise". They have vandalised a piece of art. This is corporate vandalism no matter how said corporation spins the language. <a href="https://t.co/yxl1o2RsMU">pic.twitter.com/yxl1o2RsMU</a> — Joseph Wade (@JoeTFM) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeTFM/status/1666327940072722434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2023</a></blockquote> “At the risk of being like ‘nooo, my precious n-word,’ the uncensored FRENCH CONNECTION should be the only one in circulation, whether on TV or in theatres,” one user said. “I don't think it's a stretch to say that Friedkin knew exactly what having his detective protagonist use it said about him.” One user went on to share a clip of Hackman discussing the scene - and slur - in question, in which the actor claimed he “protested somewhat”, before sharing his belief that it was part of “who the guy is”. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Gene Hackman speaking in 2012 about the controversial line from French Connection. <a href="https://t.co/l45DBP9DvD">pic.twitter.com/l45DBP9DvD</a> — oneilla (@oneilla828) <a href="https://twitter.com/oneilla828/status/1666439477403811840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2023</a></blockquote> “The censorship of The French Connection is shameful if true,” another agreed. “Thank God,” a frustrated - and sarcastic - fan added, “now I can finally show my 6 year old child The French Connection without any worries”. One Twitter user wrote of how “it speaks badly for film preservation that even a Best Picture winner isn't immune from the clutches of Disney”, and how they’d prefer to watch the film “the way it was intended to be watched, thank you very much.” Images: Twentieth Century Fox

Movies

Qantas passengers left fuming on hold

Customers have been left fuming after being kept on hold for 8.5 hours with Qantas. Despite borders being open for a while now, flyers are still confused about what is needed with travelling such as masks, vaccinations and isolating. Katrina was one of those confused passengers who said she is embarrassed at having to wait on hold for an excruciating 8.5 hours with Qantas. “I took the call to a meeting, I took the call to an eatery,” Katrina told 2GB. “It was a two-hour meeting and we had the music playing in the background the whole time.” Others took to Twitter to share their horror hold-time stories, saying it is unacceptable to wait that long. “I was on hold for 6hrs 46mins and the customer service agent cut me off. This is easily the worst customer service I’ve experienced - all while trying to fix an error Qantas has made on a booking!! So unacceptable,” someone wrote. “@Qantas total of 6 hours on hold across 2 calls with no answer. Almost $750 taken from my account with no flight to show for it, $300 locked up in your "Qantas pass". Still unresolved. Australia's worst airline for sure,” another commented. “Three HOURS on hold @Qantas what world are we living in?” someone asked. “Hey @qantas I’ve made four phone calls over the past week and been on hold for over 10 hours in total and I’m still waiting to hear back from you,” another comment read. Qantas chief customer officer Stephanie Tully apologised to customers and said they are looking to fix the issue. “I want to sincerely apologise to our customers, the wait times are not acceptable at all and it is our top priority to fix this,” Ms Tully said. Images: Twitter

Travel Trouble

"I'm so angry": Man fumes after threatened with fine for sleeping in his van

A Queensland man has taken to social media to share his fury at the local council after he was issued a move-on directive while sleeping in his van.Mark Pemberton shared his story on the Facebook page Van Life Australia, recounting how council workers shone a torch into the window of his van which was parked on a suburban street.“I’m so angry,” he wrote.“Last night (Tuesday) I parked in a very quiet spot at around 8pm. (Gold Coast) 10.50pm, council came around and knock (sic) on the door.“They were very nice, but told me it was a $680 fine for sleeping in the street in a van and I had to move.”He then questioned why he had been approached while countless other people who were sleeping rough in Surfers Paradise were left alone by Gold Coast Council workers.“Now the thing is, I live in a unit in Surfers Paradise. I was in the van for various reasons,” he continued.<img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/53992333-10492397-His_Facebook_post_on_the_page_Van_Life_generated_plenty_of_discu-m-1_1644461096527.jpg" alt="" width="634" height="476" />Image: Daily Mail Australia“I see the homeless drunk, swearing, begging and sleeping in the street on a daily basis in the middle of Surfers.“I also see a guy who I won’t name, but is semi-famous and walks around in a bikini, sleeps in the street cuddling a teddy.”Mr Pemberton questioned why the council thought it was acceptable to let that individual walk around in public in front of kids, when he wasn’t allowed to sleep “down a dark street in a registered vehicle”.“This is ridiculous. This is not about an individual, this is about the stupidity of the Council,” he concluded.Though his post generated plenty of discussion, it has since been deleted by page administrators.The former business executive who once earned a $200,000 salary is now unemployed, with the pandemic and other personal circumstances seeing him “lose everything”.“My van is registered and roadworthy and was also legally parked on a street in Paradise Point,” he told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10492397/How-fined-sleeping-car-Australia.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail Australia</a>.He recalled being almost asleep when two council workers shone a torch into his van. “I explained my situation and I will say they were sympathetic, but I was told I had to move on elsewhere,” he told the publication.“I understand they are doing their job, but surely the council could focus on other issues at hand?”<img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/217397376_1146034059251748_5444362758567874310_n.jpg" alt="" width="652" height="960" />Mark Pemberton was inspired to take up living the van life after his travels through Europe. Image: Herc the Merc (Facebook)Mr Pemberton said the council should focus on addressing issues such as “homelessness and mental health”, rather than “people minding their own business in a registered van”.Having lived out of a van during his previous travels through Europe, Mr Pemberton is convinced it is the lifestyle for him.“After my personal dramas, van life was great for mental health,” he said.“I understand it isn’t for everyone, but in my eyes it is a great opportunity to see the world differently.”Image: Mark J Pemberton (Facebook)

Legal

Barty fumes as match suspended

Barty was well on her way to victory against Vera Zvonareva with some sizzling tennis in the first set which she won 6-1. But in the second set, the match was briefly suspended after the controversial electronic line-calling system crashed on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the centre court at the Flushing Meadows venue in New York. The 25-year-old spoke to the umpire after the annoying delay was announced and was heard on court microphones asking if human line judges could be brought onto court to replace the electronic system. Her request was denied as a result of the tournament not using any line judges this year. Barty was left shaking her head as she sat down waiting for a resumption of play. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Play has been suspended on Arthur Ashe due to an issue with the electronic line-calling system. Ash Barty is shaking her head & asking if they can bring out, you know, the humans that used to do it? The answer, unsurprisingly, is no. <a href="https://t.co/RvCBxMMlXA">pic.twitter.com/RvCBxMMlXA</a> — The Tennis Podcast (@TennisPodcast) <a href="https://twitter.com/TennisPodcast/status/1432782740886331397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2021</a></blockquote> In the end she was only forced to wait a few minutes and quickly broke her opponent’s serve minutes later. However, the match took several more dramatic turns from there with Barty failing to serve the match out before it headed to a tiebreak. Barty prevailed 9-7 in the breaker, but had to defend set points in a very nervous few minutes at the end. More relaxed after the match Later, when Barty was interviewed on the court after her match, she seemed much more relaxed and talked about her recent winning streak. “It has certainly been really enjoyable right from the start,” she said. Barty will now play 18-year-old Clara Tauson in the second round. The world No. 1 is chasing back-to-back grand slam titles after her historic win at Wimbledon. She is in fine form after also winning a WTA title two weeks ago at Cincinnati. Image: Getty Images

News

Passengers are fuming after being left on tarmac in “boiling plane” for four hours

Qantas passengers are demanding compensation after their flight was diverted to a military base after a mechanical failure and were left on the tarmac for four hours. Flight QF171 left Melbourne at 9 am and was bound for Wellington, New Zealand, but the mechanical issue meant its intended landing at 2:35 pm was aborted. The plane was diverted to the Ohakea air base, which is 150kms north of the New Zealand capital, but passengers were unable to disembark due to no customs officials available. Passengers were unable to leave the plane until 7pm. "Sitting on the tarmac in the sun, getting extremely hot in the plane. Many passengers visibly distressed," one man wrote about his experience. Those on board complained that the plane was too hot, and they went without food after 11 am New Zealand time, which was when breakfast was served on the plane. Passenger Tracy Johnson spoke to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/117478058/passengers-stuck-on-qantas-flight-diverted-to-ohakea-air-base" target="_blank">Stuff NZ</a> and said that she felt ill by the time they disembarked and that she couldn’t understand why passengers weren’t allowed to wait in a room at the air base. "An elderly lady hugged me when we got off, she thought she was going to faint ... we all did," she said. "We need compensation." Passenger Ryan Newington from Melbourne said that people were “visibly distressed” on the flight. "The cabin staff have been very kind and considerate which is helping, but lots of people [are] understandably frustrated." New Zealand customs has since apologised for the delay. "We needed to divert staff from the Napier office to attend, so obviously there's a timelapse before they can get there physically," said Terry Brown, group manager board of operations with New Zealand Customs. "We did look to pre-clear the passenger process, we have pretty advanced information systems around the passengers that are on board the aircraft so were able to do that," he told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/travel/2019/11/qantas-flight-from-melbourne-to-wellington-lands-at-rnzaf-base-in-ohakea.html" target="_blank">Newshub</a>. Qantas has apologised as well. "We apologise to our customers for the disruption but safety will always be our first priority."

Travel Trouble

Queen “fuming” over David Cameron's tell-all memoir

The former British Prime Minister David Cameron has landed himself in hot water with the monarchy over his admission about his relationship with the Queen in his new memoir. The politicians For The Record was published on Thursday, causing a stir as it is the first time the former PM has spoken about the 2016 Brexit referendum and its aftermath. The lengthy autobiography, spanning over 703 pages, has dished out a number of juicy details from his six years in office - from the internal workings of the Conservative Party to the rise of ISIS. However, what left the Queen “displeased” in Mr Cameron’s work was his comments about the 93-year-old Monarch. In a BBC interview which accompanied publication, Mr Cameron said he sought the sovereign’s guidance and help ahead of the 2014 Scottish independence vote. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7830978/david-cameron-queen-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/6fde0c8726684ab6a241a887ded780e8" /> Queen Elizabeth greeting David Cameron, 2010. He said he’d asked the Queen whether she could “raise an eyebrow” about what leaving the UK might mean for the Scots. According to Mr Cameron, the discussion with the Queen’s officials was not “anything that would be in any way improper … but just a raising of the eyebrow even … a quarter of an inch.” A royal source stated conversations between Queen Elizabeth and the PM being made public would “serve no one’s interests”. “It makes it very hard for the relationship to thrive,” the palace source said. This wasn’t the only detail to slip about the private affairs between the 93-year-old and the former PM. Mr Cameron wrote details about holidaying at the Queen’s “summer haven,” <a rel="noopener" href="/travel/travel-trouble/a-full-royal-household-how-is-balmoral-castle-handling-all-their-guests" target="_blank">Balmoral Castl</a>e - a place where she would drive at “breakneck speed” across the countryside. His book also said Prince Philip would host barbecues and flip burgers, before cleaning up himself. “Literally, the Queen of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth Realms topping up your drinks, clearing up your plates and washing up,” he wrote. The politician revealed the key preparations for the famous “audience” the Queen has held with every Prime Minister since Winston Churchill. “One: always check the BBC headlines, in case you’ve missed something (I usually turned up just after the 6 o’clock news, and in any event, she is phenomenally well-informed). “Two: always check what’s going on in the horseracing world. A quick call to Tom Goff, my racing expert friend, would bring me up to speed on whether one of the Queen’s horses had won that week, or another had recently had a foal. Her knowledge of the turf is prodigious. “During a separate conversation, the week after my father died, the Queen said how sorry she was, and asked if his horse was running at Windsor that evening. It was. I had absolutely no idea about it, and was completely lost for words.” Mr Cameron added Her Majesty was “better informed than most politicians” and wrote he would always leave with a “spring in his step”. The former country’s leader admitted in an interview with John Humphry, some of his comments about the monarch - particularly the one where he said the Queen “purred down the line” to him after informing her Scotland had voted no to independence - was a “terrible mistake”.

Travel Trouble

Why this 60 Minutes interview has PM Jacinda Ardern fuming

60 Minutes by its very nature is <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/2018/02/robbie-williams-stuns-60-minutes-reporter-with-shocking-admission/" target="_blank">designed to cause a bit of controversy</a>, and last Sunday’s episode was no different after an interview with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden and veteran reporter Charles Wooley left the Kiwi leader fuming. The interview has opened a raft of controversy both here and across the pond, after Wooley’s interview with the 37-year-old was criticised as “creepy” and “sexist”. “I’ve met a lot of prime ministers in my time,” says Wooley, during the opening, “But none so young, not too many so smart, and never one so attractive.” Wooley’s comments continue to be eyebrow-raising as the interview progresses, with the 60 Minutes journo saying like the rest of NZ he is “smitten” with the PM, describing her as a leader “like no other”, who is “young, honest and pregnant”. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F60Minutes9%2Fvideos%2F1536004706468839%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> “Admittedly, although somewhat smitten just like the rest of her country, I do know, that what’s really important in politics has to be what you leave behind,” Wooley says. “How did a nice person like you get into the sordid world of politics?” Wooley asked Ardern at one point. “Nice people go into politics,” replied Ardern, smiling. The questioning took an especially awkward line when Wooley asked about Arden’s pregnancy, making Arden and her partner Clarke Gayford, visibly uncomfortable. “One really important political question that I want to ask you,” Wooley said. “And that is, what exactly is the date that the baby’s due?” Arden said her baby was due on 17 June. Wooley replied: “It’s interesting how many people have been counting back to the conception... as it were.” Gayford laughed uncomfortably, responding, “Really?” <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F60Minutes9%2Fvideos%2F1537972866272023%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> Wooley continued: “Having produced six children it doesn’t amaze me that people can have children; why shouldn’t a child be conceived during an election campaign?” Ardern appeared to roll her eyes, responding: “The election was done. Not that we need to get into those details.” Wooley has been widely criticised for his archaic interview style, but he defended the piece in an interview with New Zealand radio station Newstalk ZB. “It’s a bit Orwellian, you know I think. You’ve got to be so careful now with newsspeak and thought crime and everything else. We suffer the same thing in Australia. It’s not a good time to be a journalist,” he said. “If you say somebody is attractive, my thesaurus defines it as 50 choices from good looking to gorgeous to likeable, there is so many different meanings.” What do you think? Did Wooley go too far with his questions?

Legal

How to clean your oven naturally

If you’ve ever read the ingredients list on a bottle of oven cleaner (or, worse, suffered the after effects in a poorly ventilated kitchen) you’ll know that it can be made up of some pretty nasty stuff. Luckily, there is a natural alternative that will give you the same result without any dangerous chemicals. It’s a win for you and for the environment. Here’s how to do it. 1. Remove everything from the inside of the oven, like the racks, thermometer or any baking trays. 2. Make up your cleaning paste. Mix half a cup of baking soda with a few tablespoons of water until you have a thick paste. 3. Spread the past all over the inside of the oven (avoiding the heating elements). Don’t worry when the paste turns brown – that means it’s working. 4. Leave the oven coated in the paste overnight. 5. In the meantime, clean the oven racks. Line the bottom of your bathtub with old towels, put the racks on top and fill halfway with very hot water. Add half a cup of liquid or powder detergent and leave to soak overnight. 6. In the morning, wipe out as much of the paste from the inside of the oven as you can. Use a damp cloth or a spatula for the hard spots. 7. Put some white vinegar in a spray bottle and spritz the inside of the oven. The vinegar will react with the remaining baking soda to form a foam. Wipe out the foam with a damp cloth. 8. With a clean damp cloth, wipe any baking soda residue from the oven until it is clean and shiny. You can use a little more vinegar if need be. 9. In the bath, the racks should wipe clean easily. Then put them back into the clean oven.

Home & Garden

‘Building site’ conditions have cruise passengers fuming

The world's biggest cruise ship has been labelled a floating "building site" by furious passengers on its first voyage. Harmony of the Seas, which cost US$1 billion (AU$1.5 billion) to make, embarked on a four-night "pre-inaugural" cruise from Southampton in England on May 22, ahead of its official maiden voyage to Barcelona, Spain on May 29. But some of the approximately 6000 passengers onboard the initial sailing have slammed operator Royal Caribbean, saying the ship was "dangerous" and a "building site". Matthew Wickens of Lancing, West Sussex told the Mirror he paid £1100 (AU$2405) to take his wife and daughter on the cruise to Rotterdam that was not fit to set sail. "People were walking around getting covered in black soot and it was even landing on their dinner," he said. "We were told everything was ready but the waterslides and the waterpark were not working. "I spoke to some people and they found metal shards in the kid's water zone. It was dangerous. "There was no hot water and it took the best part of three days to get the showers fixed." Wickens said passengers were compensated with an envelope left on their bed containing a 20 per cent discount off their next cruise, which had to be used within a year. David Mitchell, a former hotel manager, told the Telegraph: "It was totally chaotic – they were overwhelmed and under-prepared. There were workmen crawling all over and lots of the features and amenities were closed." The 73-year-old, who has polio, said he suffered a "nasty fall" as he walked through an unfinished door. "In front of the door was a trough, about four inches deep and I just didn't see it. I fell down and luckily there was carpet but it really shook me up." Other passengers shared images of the problem-hit Harmony of the Seas on social media, showing overflowing urinals, wet paint and missing safety glass panels. One went so far as to describe the ship: "Calamity of the Seas". A Royal Caribbean spokeswoman told the Telegraph passengers on the initial trip had been offered discounted tickets to "allow for any finishing touches that were being made on the ship before the official maiden voyage." "Royal Caribbean can assure its passengers that the incidents reported have been isolated incidents, most occurring more than four days ago and they were all immediately dealt with," she said. "The ship has been cleared for operations and the majority of her features are being enjoyed by guests. Royal Caribbean will continue to monitor the safeguarding of the ship to ensure that passengers are safe at all times." The "vast majority" of guests on the pre-inaugural sailing had returned home "very happy" with their holiday on Harmony of the Seas, the spokeswoman said. Have you ever encountered a problem like this on a cruise? Let us know in the comments. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/cruising/2016/07/14-candid-photos-show-what-a-mega-cruise-is-really-like/">14 candid photos show what a cruise is really like</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/cruising/2016/07/royal-caribbeans-ovation-of-the-seas-in-numbers/">Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas in numbers</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/cruising/2016/07/new-royal-caribbean-cruise-ship-announced/">World’s largest cruise ship to get a sister</a>

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Fans fume as classic film undergoes censorship treatment

Qantas passengers left fuming on hold

"I'm so angry": Man fumes after threatened with fine for sleeping in his van

Barty fumes as match suspended

Passengers are fuming after being left on tarmac in “boiling plane” for four hours

Queen “fuming” over David Cameron's tell-all memoir

Why this 60 Minutes interview has PM Jacinda Ardern fuming

How to clean your oven naturally

‘Building site’ conditions have cruise passengers fuming