No I’m not joking.

The thin skinned authoritarians in the CCP gave Fight Club an alternate ending where the police manage to stop “operation mayhem”.

Interestingly the CCP ending is closer to the books ending....kinda except without the dark twist. The Narrator still pulls off killing his imaginary friend Tyler Durden, but the exploding building scene that follows is replaced with a black screen and the following text: “The police rapidly figured out the whole plan and arrested all criminals, successfully preventing the bomb from exploding”. They even go as far as to say Tyler Durden, a figment of the narrators imagination is sent to an insane asylum and later discharged. Wait...huh?

The book also didn’t have the bombs detonate but only because they mixed the explosives incorrectly. In the book the narrator (Ed Norton’s character) is arrested BUT when he is put in a crazy house he quickly runs into people who work there that are part of his organization and express that they expect him to return.

China’s alternate ending to Fight Club

Full article:

The first rule of Fight Club in China? Don’t mention the original ending. The second rule of Fight Club in China? Change it so the police win.

China has some of the world’s most restrictive censorship rules with authorities only approving a handful of foreign films for release each year — sometimes with major cuts.

Among the latest movies to undergo such treatment is David Fincher’s 1999 cult classic “Fight Club” starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton.

Film fans in China noticed over the weekend that a version of the movie newly available on streaming platform Tencent Video was given a makeover that transforms the anarchist, anti-capitalist message that made the film a global hit.

In the closing scenes of the original, Norton’s character The Narrator, kills off his imaginary alter ego Tyler Durden — played by Pitt — and then watches multiple buildings explode, suggesting his character’s plan to bring down modern civilisation is underway.

But the new version in China has a very different take.

The Narrator still proceeds with killing off Durden, but the exploding building scene is replaced with a black screen and a coda: “The police rapidly figured out the whole plan and arrested all criminals, successfully preventing the bomb from exploding”.

It then adds that Tyler — a figment of The Narrator’s imagination — was sent to a “lunatic asylum” for psychological treatment and was later discharged.

-‘Too outrageous’ –

The new ending in which the state triumphs sparked head scratching and outrage among many Chinese viewers — many of whom would likely have seen pirated versions of the unadulterated version film.

“This is too outrageous,” one viewer commented on Tencent Video.

“‘Fight Club’ on Tencent Video tells us that they don’t just delete scenes, but add to the plot too,” a user wrote on the Twitter-like Weibo platform.

It is not currently clear if government censors ordered the alternative ending or if the original movie’s producers made the changes.

Tencent did not comment on the matter.

Hollywood studios often release alternative cuts in the hopes of clearing Beijing’s censorship hurdles and getting lucrative access to millions of Chinese consumers.

In 2019, multiple scenes in the film “Bohemian Rhapsody” referencing iconic musician Freddie Mercury’s sexuality –- a pivotal part of his biography -– were dropped in its China release.

Under President Xi Jinping, Chinese authorities have pushed to purge society of elements deemed unhealthy, including within movies, television, computer games.

They have also launched sweeping state crackdowns on tax evasion and perceived immoral behaviour in the entertainment industry, a tightening that has already targeted some of the country’s biggest celebrities.

On Tuesday, the Cyberspace Administration of China announced it was launching a month-long “clean” web campaign to create a “civilised and healthy” atmosphere online over the Lunar New Year holiday.

This is my shocked face…



.

Networks here still censor scenes, language and important areas of film and songs for public consumption. Social media scrubs entire content, creates bias and conflict, banning content, admonishing entire sides thoughts, Apple bans applications that don't comply with their rules on how content is to be presented keeping them away from the public using their rules.

So are you saying we’re just as bad?

If so I respectfully reject that argument. We still have the ability to get around censorship and are able to have an open debate on the subject. Can Chinese citizens do the same?

I'm saying we have censorship here, from networks on movies cutting scenes, to film companies with different endings, songs with different lyrics for different platforms.

Albeit different the levels of consumer interaction post censorship discussions, however the fact that this story is out, and that it made international news, shows that the internet is changing the control that china has on it's peoples ability to call them out on things like this.

Private companies playing political sides is a whole lot different than the central government censoring and deciding what you can watch.

It's not just that they censor, but the original version will likely be illegal. That's considerably different than a film company editing a movie to fit the rating category it wants for maximum viewership.

Or you can just be rounded up for being the wrong religion and put into camps.

"Well we're not far from that here"...incoming in 3...2...1...

In some ways we are just as bad. We have the tolerant progressives and “woke” corporations engaging in censorship, black listing people, and even trying to ruin people for daring to have a different opinion. It’s a big problem and it infuriates me but there is at least a mechanism in place for us to push back and correct mistakes.

The CCP goes to great lengths to make sure it is VERY VERY VERY difficult to effectively push back against the party or say things that contradict their narrative. They benefit from getting to study the collapse of the USSR and learn from their mistakes. This is why the CCP has come to view transparency and openness as not only a weakness but an existential threat to the party.

They are well aware of the unintended ramifications of glasnost (openness/transparency) in the Soviet Union and how it opened Pandora’s box. Once you were able to speak critically about the failure of the government in one sector it opens the door to criticism of other massive government failures.

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised at their alternate ending but it caught me by surprise. This really comes off as a petty and VERY thin skinned thing to do. It’s somewhat stupid of them to do this to such an old movie that’s been around so long because the original ending is well known by people globally.

Are they really THAT scared of it inspiring someone to blow up whinnie the poo or a bunch of buildings? That is so lame.

Anyone with a computer and a VPN in China watches unedited bootlegs, often first run or pre-release movies. My Chinese friends are amazed that anyone would pay to stream or buy discs when you can watch anything for free.

I haven't seen any Tencent streaming movies but they are probably seen through WeChat which is the universal social media application in China.

I did see Iron Man 3 in a theater in Beijing - it has the English soundtrack with Chinese subtitles so it was fine, except the heart surgeon scenes and Chinese surgeons speaking Chinese with no English subtitles. The US version had black doctors, so....

China does not allow rated R movies and does not allow nudity. Movies basically have to be the equivalent of TV-14.

From an entertainment point of view the US is nothing like China. And all the TV and all the news in China is government propaganda - ALL of it. We have a biased MSM, but we do have Fox, WSJ, Newsmax and talk radio to counter it.

On the other hand, China is never going to get mired in transgender silliness...

https://youtu.be/IFTR2JJcKUg


I never thought I'd compare Ned Flanders to China yet here I am.

Do you not approve, Comrade?

If you disagree, please go to Government building 1563, floor 7, suite A, and file a complaint.

Party members will be with you shortly to assist you in either falling in line, or dying.

(seriously, does this surprise ANYONE?)

I thought we aren't supposed to talk about Fight Club.

I am Jack’s complete lack of surprise.

quote:

Originally posted by kz1000:
I thought we aren't supposed to talk about Fight Club.

Boom winner of the day....

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:
I am Jack’s complete lack of surprise.

Good one!

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
I'm saying we have censorship here, from networks on movies cutting scenes, to film companies with different endings, songs with different lyrics for different platforms.

Albeit different the levels of consumer interaction post censorship discussions, however the fact that this story is out, and that it made international news, shows that the internet is changing the control that china has on it's peoples ability to call them out on things like this.

Private censorship and government censorship are two VERY different things.

I don't remember the ending of Fight Club. I can see how China's ending gives the feel good that government keeps society safe. But, still, I'd like to give Chana a chance at doing over GOT's last season and, especially, the final episode.

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:
But, still, I'd like to give Chana a chance at doing over GOT's last season and, especially, the final episode.

Yeah, but that'd mean they'd just end it at Season 6 with an endplate reading:

"And then the common folk of the Seven Kingdoms rose up and threw off the yokes of their masters, executed the nobles, seized the means of production, and pledged eternal loyalty to the Communist Party of Westeros. The End."

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
I'm saying we have censorship here, from networks on movies cutting scenes, to film companies with different endings, songs with different lyrics for different platforms.

Albeit different the levels of consumer interaction post censorship discussions, however the fact that this story is out, and that it made international news, shows that the internet is changing the control that china has on it's peoples ability to call them out on things like this.

Private censorship and government censorship are two VERY different things.

Yes they are, never said they were not, just that it does exist here, it exists in many forms, and since in the USA and worldwide we have billions looking to social media for information, their censorship may be more powerful than Chinas changing the ending of a film.

They reversed their decision.

Good job poo bear. That alternate ending sounded lame. I’d be open to the CCP doing an alternate ending to Game of Thrones. I don’t think they could F it up more than HBO.

Fight Clubs original ending restored in China

They should be happy Tyler and Operation Mayhem blew up the banks and stuck it to the capitalists. Perhaps they realized that is part of the stated goals of statist socialists. Even that communist Biden nominee wanted to eliminate private banks...