Cause for Concern (2002) (V)

Director:

Ryen McPherson

Genre:

Reality-TV

Plot Keywords:

Violence | Alcoholic | Exploitation | Controversial | Handheld Camera

Cast

Donald Brennan	...	Himself
Donny	...	Himself
Rufus Hannah	...	Himself
Peter LaForte	...	Himself
Todd Richard Lewis	...	The Bumhunter

Also Known As:

Bumfights: Cause for Concern (USA) (DVD box title)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Canada:18A (Manitoba) | Canada:(Banned) (Quebec) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Canada:R (Ontario) | New Zealand:(Banned) | UK:(Banned)

Filming Locations:

La Mesa, California, USA

Company:

Indecline Productions

Trivia:

Banned in the UK for a video release. BBFC justifies this with the following statement: Bumfights - Cause for Concern consists substantially of camcorder footage of homeless people ('bums') being abused, assaulted, and humiliated. These scenes are intercut with footage of street brawls and soft pornography. Under the Video Recordings Act 1984 the Board must have special regard to any harm to those likely to view a video and to any harm to society through the behaviour of those viewers afterwards. The Act singles out particular elements as being potentially harmful including criminal behaviour and violent behaviour or incidents. The BBFC guidelines for '18' rated works state that the Board may "cut or reject... any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts which is likely to promote the activity" (page 16). The Board's guidelines for violence also state as particular concerns "callousness towards victims, encouraging aggressive attitudes[and] taking pleasure in pain and humiliation" (page 9). In the Board's view, the video breaches these guidelines by exploiting the physical and other vulnerabilities of homeless people. The Board considered the possibility of cuts. However, given the extent of the unacceptable material, cuts were not considered a viable option on this occasion.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Date Movie (2006)

No unifying theme. Tomorrow you will have forgotten about it

If only the writer had driven home a message underlying what was filmed. As it is its a mangle of images with no unifying theme to hold it together. The feat it excelled at was reminding society of the filth it creates and that however hard it tries, civilization is underpinned by the animal in man. And it stops there! By tomorrow you will have forgotten about it, just like when you pass by the bum in the street.

Personally I found some bits really amusing but overall dull. The first 15 minutes sum up the documentary's progression. The writers had an unpolished gem in their hands and left it as is. Bums acting like bums, street brawls, drugs and a chick in a bikini. Nothing more! Stick with Jackass or Dirty Sanchez as the amusement factor is higher and at least they're not exploiting people who have nothing to lose but their lives.