The Kingdom
I watched The Kingdom yesterday at what has to be the worst movie theater here in London. Seriously what theater actually leaves the lights on during a movie? The movie itself was pretty decent but now that I watched it I am really surprised it was banned in Kuwait. Watching the movie you can tell that the producers tried their best not to make Muslims look bad and the Saudi police actually were heroes in this movie so why was it banned?
Oct 22, 2007
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23 Comments, add your own...
1. sar7an | October 22nd, 2007 at 9:06 pm
That’s the supervision of ministry of info in Kuwait. I don’t know if they even review the movies before they ban it.
2. SWOS | October 22nd, 2007 at 9:12 pm
go to Empire, in Leicester Square to watch movies, thank me latter.
3. This Lady Says | October 22nd, 2007 at 10:14 pm
Tried their best? Come on! There was only ONE Saudi hero in the movie (the one pictured above). As for the Americans, there were oh so many!
I don’t think that Kuwait should have banned it though - freedom of speech, y’all. I thought the action was good, the casting so-and-so. Decent storyline.
But really, they could have gotten Saudi-speaking actors. I mean the dialect was just plain funny!
4. Dana | October 22nd, 2007 at 10:34 pm
Hey Mark,
I’m assuming you went to Cineworld in (Shaftsbury Avenue) Trocadero, right? They ALWAYS leave the lights on!
The answer to why they banned it, is because our fellow Royals (aka The Government) thought its disrespectful to the Saudi Royal Family. I’m assuming they haven’t watched the movie, they probably think its another one of these Micheal Moore 9/11 movies.
Also to whomever said “Freedom of Speech”, do you even know what that phrase means? Freedom of Speech has nothing to do with banning a movie.
5. Marzouq | October 22nd, 2007 at 10:47 pm
If you want a good theater then go to Apollo Cinemas on Little Regent Street.. its a great theater, and high end!
6. Aziz | October 22nd, 2007 at 11:29 pm
ever heard of CHICKEN? we’ve got many. and we’re not even the owners of DU!!
7. Mark | October 22nd, 2007 at 11:44 pm
This Lady Says there were two Saudi heroes and 4 american which is pretty fair when u consider the 4 americans were hollywood stars and the 2 saudi’s unknowns.
I do agree about the dialect, it was a mixture of lebanese/egyptian/traditional and god knows what. pretty weird.
aziz what u talking about
8. Mark | October 22nd, 2007 at 11:51 pm
Dana I went to the Odeon theater in Marble Arch. Today I was going to the Leicester Square one but when i was booking tickets online i noticed the theater had literally like only 30 seats in total. Like it was a super tiny theater so I was like fuck it.
I wanted to book for Empire but out of the 4 movies they’re playing i’ve watched like 3.
I tried to book a movie at Vue theater but those fuckers wont let me choose the seats or see what seats are available until AFTER i pay so i was like fuck that.
Honestly, so far the movie theaters in Kuwait are much better than here.
9. Damon Dash | October 23rd, 2007 at 1:27 am
movie theaters in Kuwait are excellent it terms of quality, in terms of the movies they show it’s the worst in the gulf “not to mention the whole world”
the reason for banning the movie was why show it there are lots of cheap bad movies to show here like daddy day camp and people will still go see because they have no choice. this reminds of mtc before wataniya came out “why should they waste there time and energy if you have no choice but buying there services”
10. Dana | October 23rd, 2007 at 2:10 am
Most cinemas in London aren’t like Kuwait, Mark. You can’t choose seats in Vue cinemas, you can sit wherever you want. You’re talking about Odeon Mezanine, which is directly right next to Leiscter Square. Yeah, their cinemas are REALLY small, mostly with 4 or 5 rows. Vue by far is my favorite cinema.
Mark, I hope you’re having a great time, and if you want to know where the best places are for ANYTHING.. I’m always here.
Have fun!
11. Wer3Y | October 23rd, 2007 at 2:42 am
Ur lucky MARK!
12. Aziz | October 23rd, 2007 at 2:52 am
Dandy! whats up! :D
13. holla | October 23rd, 2007 at 9:03 am
dude the best thing about going to the cinema there is that u can drink a beer while u watch a film. that alone is worth the price of the admission.
14. STING | October 23rd, 2007 at 9:06 am
it was banned cuz u are in kuwait and there is a many of those who had big le7ya and short deshdasha
15. Armani Exchanger | October 23rd, 2007 at 9:25 am
Mark: the real reason behind banning it is that Islamic senators will attack the Minister of Media because of playing it here! Camel mentality what can you do with them chef!
16. AMQ | October 23rd, 2007 at 9:46 am
i watched the screening in may or march…i loved it.
i also thought that the producers tried their best to make the muslims (saudi arabians) the good people in the movie.
The ending is very powerful and the message is very clear. I dont want to say more because i dont want to ruin it for the pirated movie buyers in kuwait.
Kuwait shouldnt have banned it.
17. fabio | October 23rd, 2007 at 10:49 am
I think once a movie talks about real life in Saudi or the royal family it is automatically banned……talk about Democracy !!!!!!!!!!
18. Abdulaziz | October 23rd, 2007 at 11:47 am
mark there is a cinema on liecter square kinda of secraaab o opened during 1800 something o has part of its facade under renovation… but they give you a subscription … like you pay 30 pounds and for one month you can go to all the movies you want at any number of times you would like… just go…
or was it the tracedero movie theatre?
Anyways one them… check and see…
As for the kingdom, i saw it first day of 3eed in dubai… and frankly, the moview was good o i loved faris personality… fa why on earth would they ban it here? not one little thing to ban sara7a if anything it shown inah not all muslims are terrorists o as much as there are gangsters and outlaws in USA ako gangsters in KSA o everu where else shesawoon fehom b3d!
19. N. | October 23rd, 2007 at 2:15 pm
I wouldn’t know why they’d ban it. Probably because they wouldn’t want people to see that the Americans are doing a good job of actually trying to be fair? Who knows.
20. Bo Bader | October 23rd, 2007 at 7:01 pm
Unfortunately, we don’t have freedom of speech in Kuwait (Check out the new press law). The government is trying to show the world that we do, but we actually don’t. When you say freedom of speech, you mean You can say whatever you want about whoever you want. In the Middle East, royal families and presidents think of themselves as prophets and gods, you cannot criticism them. See what Dr. Alsane said in his 1990s interview with Michael Moore (and that was more than a decade ago before the new law).
21. Faaa6 | October 24th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
I watched it at the Odeon on Marble Arch on Friday night and yes this has to be by far the worst cinema I’ve ever been too. The whole screen-seats arrangement is lousy and what was with the lights? and £9.90 a ticket for a crappy theater? wtf
22. amer | October 24th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
The other gulf countries - who dont really have official democracy - have more freedoms than kuwait - cinemas, little censorship, no interference from information minis. in leisure/entertainment businesses such as Virgin or borders books (which recently opened in Oman), ramadan festivities (tents etc), new years parties etc — and most of all intellectual freedom (importation of the latest books, CDs etc) and financial/fiscal freedom (direct foreign investment, privatization etc)
Kuwaiti novelists and filmmakers such as Amer Al Zuhair cannot even get MOI to left their bans on their work.
There is a myth in Kuwait that we have freedom. Freedom in Kuwait is relegated to voting for 2 people from your district to parliament. That’s it. It means nothing. It changes nothing.
23. Nina | November 4th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
i saw the movie and i think the whole banning come as a result of the actual terrorists using the unifroms and desguising themselves as saudi military plus there was the whoel issue where the kingdom didn’t want the americans doing an actual invertsigation but actually wanted them to only watch the saudis do the investigating part.. it does give them a reason not to show the movie just to stay away from any ill intentions towards saudis.. i cant say i approve but again i dont; see what the big deal is cuz we an still see it and everyoen has access to it without even having to leave the country…
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