Page 2 June 17, 2021
Entertainment
‘Censor’ is Vintage Horror Fun
For the VHS Era
By Ryan Rojas, Cinemacy
Before going into the fun new horror film
Censor, you should know what a “video
nasty” is. A colloquial term coined in the
United Kingdom in the 1980s “video nasties”
were films distributed on video cassettes that
were criticized for their violent content by
the press and various religious organizations.
In her directorial debut, Prano Bailey-Bond
puts these graphic films at the center of the
story about a film censor (Niamh Algar)
who, after viewing a strangely familiar video
nasty, sets out to solve the past mystery of
her sister’s disappearance and embarks on a
quest that dissolves the line between fiction
and reality.
While operating within the familiarities
of the horror genre that fans will hope for,
Prano Bailey-Bond also flexes her deeper
knowledge and appreciation of the genre
with the plot’s central connection to video
nasties. The fun that Bailey-Bond brings to
the screen with the video nasties’ campy
kills, titles, and even videocassette jackets
are going to be some of the film’s most
memorable moments. And on a more personal
level, it’s clear that Bailey-Bond is
expressing her voice through the central
character Enid (Niamh Algar), a young and
beautiful woman who is more interested in
losing herself in her career of grisly fantasy
than following a more traditional life path.
Censor has a strong and empowering female
perspective about being a woman both in the
workplace and in danger, which Algar is as
equally game for the whole time.
For a film that is so knowledgable about
video nasties and the fun that’s had in staging
violence in film, though, Censor‘s disturbances
are aimed at the more heady paranoia of mental
instability rather than blood-spurting horror
sequences. There are only one or two jump
scares and a few moments of grisly slasher
fun, all handled rather mildly. I wonder if
Censor had allowed itself to indulge in the
genre’s more bloody mayhem what further
fun could have been had within this set-up.
Censor actually ends up hitting on the softer
side in terms of an all-out gorefest. However,
the deeper human truth that Bailey-Bond
expresses here is even more terrifying in its
relatability. It’s telling that after her sister
goes missing during childhood, Enid grows
up to become a film censor, choosing to submerge
herself in such gruesome and violent
content, striving to single-handedly extricate
the most horrific moments from the public’s
(and specifically children’s) consumption. But
when a particular video nasty becomes the
center of a national headline for an inspired
real-life murder, Enid is left shaken, and the
trauma of her horrific past haunts her again.
Bailey-Bond shows the unconscious ways
that we try to stave off events that are too
hard to make sense of in a disturbing moment
and what worlds we then create for
ourselves to cope. In asking the audience
Film Review
Censor, courtesy Magnet Releasing.
El Segundo Herald* • Hawthorne Press Tribune*
Inglewood Daily News* • Lawndale News*
EL SEGUNDO OFFICE • 531 MAIN ST, # 1160 • El Segundo • CA • 90245
Ad Sales / Legal Notices / Marketing: (310) 322-1830
Classifieds / Real Estate: (310) 322-1831 • www.heraldpublications.com
Staff and Departments
Editor-in-Chief: Heidi Maerker
Classifieds: Clara Nilles • class@heraldpublications.com
DBA: Debbie Waite • dba@heraldpublications.com • For Fictitious Business Name (DBAs) filings
Display Ad Sales: Debbie Waite • marketing@heraldpublications.com
Production: Michael Gonzales • ads@heraldpublications.com
Legals: Debbie Waite • legalnotices@heraldpublications.com
For legal notices, name changes, obituaries
Letters to the Editor: letters@heraldpublications.com
Marketing: Debbie Waite • marketing@heraldpublications.com
Real Estate: Clara Nilles • graphics@heraldpublications.com • For new realtors, contracts, ads
General Inquires: web@heraldpublications.com • For general questions or announcements
Our website can no longer take inquires or emails
* Our newspapers are adjudicated of general circulation accordance with the laws of California. El Segundo Herald, Case Number 372819;
Hawthorne Press Tribune, Case Number 187530; Inglewood Daily News, Case Number 601550; Lawndale Tribune, Case Number 479346.
Business Briefs
Free Dementia and Alzheimer’s Support
Groups for New Awareness and Early Stages
Maybe you’ve noticed a decline in your
memory that is concerning. Maybe an actual
diagnosis for yourself or a loved one. Either
way, this discovery can be daunting. As
questions abound, one of the best first steps
may be to walk the path with others who
are sharing similar experiences. At Family
Connect Memory Care we call this Memory,
Coffee & Compassion, a gathering of people
that share support, tips, and authenticity – a
place where everyone can feel at ease and
welcomed. Our group includes those in mild
stages, or those caring for a loved one with
dementia, Alzheimer’s or other forms of cognitive
decline. And now, as our groups meet
online over Zoom, anyone from around the
globe can join – including friends or family
members. Not sure this is right for you? Other
concerns? Call Lauren Mahakian, Certified
Dementia Practitioner, for a complimentary
15-minute chat. Join us on Tuesdays (10-11am
PST) or Wednesdays (10:00-11:30am PST).
Learn more at www.FamilyConnectMemorycare.
com/support-groups/, email Lauren
at Lauren@FamilyConnectCare.com or call
(310)383-1877. You are not alone.
Remember to sign up for our Live.Love.
Art Summer Program. This exclusive FCMC
program taps into Paint, Poetry, Literature,
Music, Movement and Movies as a form of
cognitive stimulation for those experiencing
dementia, Alzheimer’s or other forms of
cognitive decline. Meetings are Tuesdays and
Thursdays for 8 weeks. Lunch included. Sign
up by June 25th at FamilyConnectMemory-
Care.com to receive your enrollment package.
Second Vaccination Site at LAX
LAX has added a second COVID-19 Vaccination
Site at Terminal 1 Extension. On Tuesday,
LAX officials announced the addition of a
second site where guests can receive COVID-19
vaccinations free of charge. The new site is
located on the Lower/Arrivals level of the new
Terminal 1 extension on its far west end. Both
vaccination clinics are open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Saturday, and currently offer
one-dose vaccinations from Johnson & Johnson
to anyone age 18 or older. Vaccinations are
administered by the Los Angeles Fire Department
and are available without appointments.
There is no cost for the vaccine and no proof of
insurance is required. The Johnson & Johnson
vaccine requires only one dose, so those who
receive it will be considered fully vaccinated
two weeks after receiving the shot.
Wells Fargo awards
$1.25 million grant to Together for L.A
Wells Fargo has awarded a grant of $1.25
million through their Open for Business
Fund to Together for L.A., the Los Angeles
collaborative for small business recovery
and resilience, to address the COVID-19
economic crisis by significantly expanding
business technical assistance services to LA
County’s small businesses and microenterprises
led and owned by women and Black,
African American, Latinx, Asian American,
American Indian, and Alaska Native people,
focused on those in low and moderate income
(LMI) communities.
The founding members of LA Collaborative
include the grant’s lead applicant
and fiscal agent Los Angeles County Economic
Development Corporation (LAEDC),
The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce,
Local Initiatives Support Corporation
Los Angeles (LISC-LA), The Dr. Lucy Jones
Center for Science and Society, and The
Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD),
which are working together to advance a
more equitable, sustainable and resilient
economic recovery.
Together for L.A. will serve businesses with
multilingual and multicultural programs and
resources critical to small business survival,
reinvention and recovery via substantial outreach
and engagement campaigns, webinars and workshops
to teach best practices, and will provide
one-on-one technical assistance which will be
delivered both online and in community. This
program will be one of the largest efforts, not
just in Los Angeles or California, but across
the nation, to reach and serve LMI BIPOC
businesses and help them reopen, reinvent
themselves and recover through the provision of
various forms of technical assistance. In close
coordination with the County of Los Angeles
Department of Consumer and Business Affairs
and the City of Los Angeles Economic and
Workforce Development Department, the five
Together for L.A. partners have been serving
thousands of diverse small businesses since
the inception of the pandemic.. This new,
Wells Fargo-funded phase will launch in July
2021 and continue for a full year. Businesses
are encouraged to request assistance at the
Together for L.A. webpage. •
Classifieds
The deadline for Classified Ad submission and payment is Noon on Tuesday to appear in Thursday’s paper. Advertisements must be
submitted in writing by mail, fax or email. You may pay by cash, check, or credit card (Visa or M/C over the phone).
Errors: Please check your advertisements immediately. Any corrections and/or changes in an ad must be requested prior to the following
Tuesday deadline in order to receive a credit. A credit will be issued for only the first time the error appears. Multiple runs will only
be credited for the first time the error appears. No credit will be issued for an amount greater than the cost of the advertisement.
Beware: Employment offers that suggest guaranteed out-of-state or overseas positions may be deceptive or unethical in nature. If
you have any doubts about the nature of a company, contact the local office of the Better Business Bureau, (213) 251-9696. Herald
Publications does not guarantee that the advertiser’s claims are true nor does it take responsibility for those claims.
For Sale
BOAT Trailer/Outboard Motor.
$1,000 or best offer. 310.365.1481
or 310.641.2148.
For Rent
2 bedrooms, 1 bath, appliances,
garage, immaculate in El Segundo.
Ready July 1st. $2400/mth.
310.365.1481 or 310.641.2148.
House for Rent
4BD/3.5BA. Executive Tri-level
ES home, 4-car garage, 3100 sq
ft. $7,850/mo. Avail. July 10th.
310.989.5469 or 562.260.5926.
Wanted
WANTED. Vinyl, records, vinyl,
anything musical. Collectibles/
antiques. Typewriters, sewing
machines, military, silver, Japan,
records, stamps, coins, jewelry,
Chinese, ANYTHING. Buy/Sell/
Trade. We sell for you on EBAY. Studio
Antiques, El Segundo. 310.322.3895.
To appear in next week’s paper, submit
your Classifed Ad by Noon on Tuesday.
Late Ads will incur a $20.00 late fee.
“Dads are most ordinary men turned
by love into heroes, adventurers,
storytellers, and singers of song.”
– Unknown
See Film Review, page 6