{"id":137706,"date":"2019-11-24T16:44:01","date_gmt":"2019-11-24T13:44:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-7719803\/Boy-13-five-teenagers-arrested-police-officers-attacked-machete-brawl.html?ns_mchannel=rss&amp;ito=1490&amp;ns_campaign=1490"},"modified":"2019-11-24T16:44:01","modified_gmt":"2019-11-24T13:44:01","slug":"vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/so\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Vue Cinemas BANS gang violence film Blue Story"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Vue has banned gang film Blue Story from all its cinemas after a mass brawl in Birmingham last night.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A recorded message on its answerphone said the movie will no&nbsp;longer be screened at any of its venues.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Families were at the Nechells multiplex in Star City for the first&nbsp;opening Saturday of Frozen II when the machete-wielding gang turned up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">People were evacuated as Vue cinema managers decided to close the venue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A girl aged 13, a girl and a boy who are 14, and a man who is 19 were arrested by police after they swooped at around&nbsp;5.30pm.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">They also seized two machetes and a knife from a nearby roundabout.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-830fe38faa32575\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-1.jpg\" height=\"740\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Vue has banned gang film Blue Story from all its cinemas after a mass brawl in Birmingham last night. This shocking picture shows a young gang armed with a weapon and was circulated on social media after police descended on cinema complex Star City in Birmingham\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-830fe38faa32575\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-1.jpg\" height=\"740\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Vue has banned gang film Blue Story from all its cinemas after a mass brawl in Birmingham last night. This shocking picture shows a young gang armed with a weapon and was circulated on social media after police descended on cinema complex Star City in Birmingham\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Vue has banned gang film Blue Story from all its cinemas after a mass brawl in Birmingham last night. This shocking picture shows a young gang armed with a weapon and was circulated on social media after police descended on cinema complex Star City in Birmingham<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-99069c9f8a3aa70b\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-2.jpg\" height=\"352\" width=\"634\" alt=\"A brawl broke out at Star City cinema in Birmingham last night after a 'group of people arrived with machetes'. Pictured: Crowds inside the cinema\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-99069c9f8a3aa70b\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-2.jpg\" height=\"352\" width=\"634\" alt=\"A brawl broke out at Star City cinema in Birmingham last night after a 'group of people arrived with machetes'. Pictured: Crowds inside the cinema\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">A brawl broke out at Star City cinema in Birmingham last night after a &#8216;group of people arrived with machetes&#8217;. Pictured: Crowds inside the cinema<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\">\n<div class=\"splitLeft\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-b931eecb57e6b11b\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-3.jpg\" height=\"447\" width=\"306\" alt=\"Police rushed to the scene with guard dogs where they found a crowd of 100 people where fighting had started 'in pockets'\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-b931eecb57e6b11b\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-3.jpg\" height=\"447\" width=\"306\" alt=\"Police rushed to the scene with guard dogs where they found a crowd of 100 people where fighting had started 'in pockets'\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"splitRight\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-90da51106634838\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-4.jpg\" height=\"447\" width=\"306\" alt=\"It is also claimed that officers were carrying tasers. (Pictured: A group of people at the Birmingham cinema last night)\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-90da51106634838\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-4.jpg\" height=\"447\" width=\"306\" alt=\"It is also claimed that officers were carrying tasers. (Pictured: A group of people at the Birmingham cinema last night)\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Police rushed to the scene with guard dogs where they found a crowd of 100 people where fighting had started &#8216;in pockets&#8217;. It is also claimed that officers were carrying tasers<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-3679916ea6a56624\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-5.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"The message from Vue reportedly said: 'We regret that we will no longer be screening the film Blue Story (pictured) at any of our venues'\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-3679916ea6a56624\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-5.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"The message from Vue reportedly said: 'We regret that we will no longer be screening the film Blue Story (pictured) at any of our venues'\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">The message from Vue reportedly said: &#8216;We regret that we will no longer be screening the film Blue Story (pictured) at any of our venues&#8217;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">According to <a target=\"_blank\" class=\"class\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.birminghammail.co.uk\/news\/midlands-news\/exclusive-vue-bans-blue-story-17307755\">Birmingham Live<\/a>, the message from Vue said: &#8216;We regret that we will no longer be screening the film Blue Story at any of our venues.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Should you have a booking for this film, please say cancellation when&nbsp;prompted and a member of our team will be with you shortly to assist you&nbsp;with your booking.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A spokesman added:&nbsp;&#8216;We can confirm a decision was made to remove the film.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;The safety and welfare of our customers and staff is always our first priority.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Blue Story is a tragic tale of a friendship between Timmy and Marco, two&nbsp;young boys from warring postcodes in London, who become friends but get caught up in gang violence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Pockets of fighting erupted in a 100-strong crowd at the cinema after a &#8216;group of people arrived with machetes&#8217;.<\/p>\n<div class=\"art-ins mol-factbox floatRHS news\" data-version=\"2\" id=\"mol-e9d336d0-0ebe-11ea-8c41-79c4239a01de\" data-permabox-url=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-7719803\/Boy-13-five-teenagers-arrested-police-officers-attacked-machete-brawl.html\">\n<h3 class=\"mol-factbox-title\">What is Blue Story about?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"ins cleared mol-factbox-body\">\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Blue Story is a tragic tale of a friendship between Timmy and Marco, two&nbsp;young boys from opposing postcodes in London.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Timmy, a shy, smart, naive and timid&nbsp;young boy from Deptford, goes to school in Peckham where he strikes up a friendship with Marco, a charismatic, streetwise kid from the local area.<\/p>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-adf390b5d5ff62fe\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-6.jpg\" height=\"114\" width=\"274\" alt=\"Blue Story is a tragic tale of a friendship between Timmy and Marco, two young boys from opposing postcodes in London\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-adf390b5d5ff62fe\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-6.jpg\" height=\"114\" width=\"274\" alt=\"Blue Story is a tragic tale of a friendship between Timmy and Marco, two young boys from opposing postcodes in London\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Blue Story is a tragic tale of a friendship between Timmy and Marco, two young boys from opposing postcodes in London<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Although from warring postcodes, the two quickly form a firm friendship until it is tested and they wind up on rival sides of a street war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Blue Story depicts elements of Rapman&#8217;s own personal experiences and aspects of&nbsp;his childhood.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The messages he aims to send through his works are positive ones, aimed at inspiring kids from difficult backgrounds to turn away from&nbsp;local gangs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Police officers were assaulted as they descended on the scene armed with guard dogs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It has also been alleged they were carrying tasers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Shocking footage shows young women appearing to push each other as officers try to get control of the situation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Flashing blue lights are also seen as a group of at least eight officers stands on the pavement outside in front of a large crowd.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">One witness said &#8216;a young boy was crying on the floor with his mother&#8217; as a number of young people started fighting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Rachael Allison said: &#8216;The police told everyone to leave the cinema as they held Taser guns in their hands and started to bring in guard dogs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;I spoke to a policeman who told me it is unclear whether the kids had weapons and also stated when kids fight they bring their group of friends.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Another witness described it as &#8216;one of the scariest moments of [her] life&#8217;, as she queued to watch the new Frozen film with her daughter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Choleigh McGuire said: &#8216;Armed police come, Tasers come, all of the people that were fighting ran off into the cinema, hiding. I am shaking.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A woman, who claims she was at the cinema with her sister and niece on social media, said she was evacuated by police with tasers and dogs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Horrendous being in that situation when it&#8217;s just you but when you&#8217;re with children, your family, absolutely terrifying&#8217;, she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Sickening to have to be evacuated by police with tasers and dogs when all you wanted to do was watch Frozen.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Another woman told the Mirror:&nbsp; &#8216;That&#8217;s probably one of the scariest moments of my life.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Me and my daughter were in a queue to watch frozen, loads of little kids there, all dressed up and everything, then these girls jumped on another girl and loads of these kids just started fighting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Armed police came with Tasers. All the people that were fighting run off into the cinema. There&#8217;s about 15 to 20 police cars. I&#8217;m shaking.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;The police were very aggressive there was lots of little kids there.&#8217;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-d7d7e77d12408cf7\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-7.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"West Midlands police said some of the police officers were arrested when they arrived at the scene. They&nbsp;flooded the site as the major incident unfolded and cops put the cinema on lockdown\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-d7d7e77d12408cf7\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-7.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"West Midlands police said some of the police officers were arrested when they arrived at the scene. They&nbsp;flooded the site as the major incident unfolded and cops put the cinema on lockdown\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">West Midlands police said some of the police officers were arrested when they arrived at the scene. They&nbsp;flooded the site as the major incident unfolded and cops put the cinema on lockdown<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-1f6c8c09d81d0af0\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-8.jpg\" height=\"354\" width=\"634\" alt=\"A group of at least eight police officers were pictured standing on the roadside at the cinema after police cars blocked off access to the venue\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-1f6c8c09d81d0af0\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-8.jpg\" height=\"354\" width=\"634\" alt=\"A group of at least eight police officers were pictured standing on the roadside at the cinema after police cars blocked off access to the venue\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">A group of at least eight police officers were pictured standing on the roadside at the cinema after police cars blocked off access to the venue<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">On Sunday morning, there were 50-minute waits for refunds for cancelled&nbsp;tickets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A former Birmingham cinema manager has said the film&#8217;s distributor should&nbsp;consider pulling Blue Story out of all of the city&#8217;s cinemas in the wake of the fight last night.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Blue Story, a 15-rated film which came out on Friday, is a London gangland drama about two boys from different postcodes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"art-ins mol-factbox floatRHS news\" data-version=\"2\" id=\"mol-5ce4eab0-0ebf-11ea-8c41-79c4239a01de\" data-permabox-url=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-7719803\/Boy-13-five-teenagers-arrested-police-officers-attacked-machete-brawl.html\">\n<h3 class=\"mol-factbox-title\">Did YOU see the fight?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"ins cleared mol-factbox-body\">\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Email james.gant@mailonline.co.uk<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The 91-minute film was directed by Andrew Onwubolu aka rap artist Rapman.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Cineworld Broad Street and Odeon Broadway Plaza have also been screening&nbsp;the film but neither has said whether that will change.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Former city cinema manager Michael Mclean said: &#8216;If I was still running a&nbsp;cinema in Birmingham, I would personally make the call to London asking my&nbsp;bosses to pull this film &#8211; and the distributor should consider pulling it&nbsp;out of the city, too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;At the very least, only show it in daytime.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Cinema staff have an obligation to try to do the right thing (whenever any&nbsp;incident arises).<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;But they are not paid to deal with this kind of situation and if I was a manager I would not want to put them at risk &#8211; never mind families who just&nbsp;want to see Frozen II.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Young children should not be seeing this sort of behaviour in cinemas.&#8217;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-f1d7a6a7effd0d54\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-9.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Groups were seen leaving the cinema complex which was evacuated and children who were at the cinema were being collected by worried parents\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-f1d7a6a7effd0d54\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-9.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Groups were seen leaving the cinema complex which was evacuated and children who were at the cinema were being collected by worried parents\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Groups were seen leaving the cinema complex which was evacuated and children who were at the cinema were being collected by worried parents<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-f1d7a4ca7e484e3a\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-10.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"A number of police officers rushed to the area after being called at 5.30pm. There were reports of machetes being wielded at the cinema\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-f1d7a4ca7e484e3a\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-10.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"A number of police officers rushed to the area after being called at 5.30pm. There were reports of machetes being wielded at the cinema\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">A number of police officers rushed to the area after being called at 5.30pm. There were reports of machetes being wielded at the cinema<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Blue Story was given a 15 certificate by the BBFC which included the following ratings info: &#8216;Very strong language, strong violence, threat, sex, drug misuse.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It said the film was &#8216;a drama in which a friendship between two boys is&nbsp;jeopardised by gang violence&#8217; and that it has &#8216;passed the work uncut.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The BBFC added there was infrequent use of very strong language (&#8216;c&#8217;) as&nbsp;well as strong language (&#8216;f&#8217;) and other terms.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">As for the violence, the BBFC said there were &#8216;shootings and stabbings, with resultant bloody detail. It is implied that two men hold a victim&#8217;s&nbsp;arm, while a third attacker breaks it with a stamp.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Recalling his own fears about trouble in his cinema a decade ago, Mr Mclean said he had such doubts about Penny Woolcock&#8217;s film 1Day (2009) putting his&nbsp;staff at risk that he advised various cinemas across the city not to screen&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The film explored rivalry in Birmingham and Mr Mclean had understood some&nbsp;real life gang members had been paid to be &#8216;advisors&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;I called our London office and told them what I thought the risks were,&#8217;&nbsp;he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;I also rang round all of the city cinemas and, in the end, nobody showed&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8221;I knew what could happen if anyone did.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;The night it opened in Wolverhampton, there was a stabbing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;If I was told I had to a show a film where I thought there was potential for trouble (inside the cinema) I would increase security at the door and&nbsp;only let in peoole who I thought would not be a problem.&#8217;<\/p>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-c81185bf95ad6e54\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-11.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Five police cars pictured next to Star Cinema in Birmingham last night. It is understood that families and children had been there to see Frozen 2\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-c81185bf95ad6e54\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-11.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Five police cars pictured next to Star Cinema in Birmingham last night. It is understood that families and children had been there to see Frozen 2\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Five police cars pictured next to Star Cinema in Birmingham last night. It is understood that families and children had been there to see Frozen 2<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group mol-hidden-caption\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-d2143e09fd82730f\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-12.jpg\" height=\"267\" width=\"634\" alt class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-d2143e09fd82730f\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-12.jpg\" height=\"267\" width=\"634\" alt class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Mr Mclean saw Blue Story on November 15 during an Unlimited screening at Cineworld Broad Street a week before its release.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;The film is about gangland violence in London where two friends end up on rival sides and hunting each other down in a bid to kill the other,&#8217; said Mr Mclean.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;It is better made and with better performances than I expected, but I&nbsp;generally don&#8217;t like that kind of film.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Though not as violent as Joker, I felt that Blue Story glorified the violence and that there was no redemption &#8211; just when we have a massive&nbsp;crime situation going on across the country and in Birmingham city centre.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Having been in made in London along streets where I have walked, it seemed too close to home, to me.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;I am surprised that something like this has happened at Vue Star City in one sense, but if there has been violence associated with this film then I am also not surprised.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Mr Mclean added: &#8216;I can remember two previous massive incidents years ago at Star City including one when the cinema had to be shut down then.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Although some screens have been mothballed, the complex was Britain&#8217;s biggest cinema with 30 screens.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Warner Village opened it on July 21, 2000, when director Wolfgang Petersen&nbsp;and stars George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg briefly flew in for the premiere&nbsp;of The Perfect Storm.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The site was later taken over by Vue Cinemas which launched a multiplex price war in May, 2018 when tickets bought on site were reduced to \u00a34.99.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-26118464eb75ba81\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-13.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Two police cars pictured blocking off the entrance to Star City. The complex was then evacuated\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-26118464eb75ba81\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-13.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Two police cars pictured blocking off the entrance to Star City. The complex was then evacuated\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Two police cars pictured blocking off the entrance to Star City. The complex was then evacuated<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-38c1823b9adb35e3\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-14.jpg\" height=\"610\" width=\"634\" alt=\"A policeman pictured at the Star City around 5.30pm yesterday following reports of a group wielding machetes at the venue\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-38c1823b9adb35e3\" src=\"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story-14.jpg\" height=\"610\" width=\"634\" alt=\"A policeman pictured at the Star City around 5.30pm yesterday following reports of a group wielding machetes at the venue\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">A policeman pictured at the Star City around 5.30pm yesterday following reports of a group wielding machetes at the venue<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">In May this year, an inquest jury recorded a verdict of accidental death&nbsp;after father-of-one Ateeq Rafiq, 24, died of a catastrophic brain injury after his head became wedged in an automatic footrest at the Vue Multiplex.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Mr Rafiq and his wife Ayesha Sardar went to the complex at 4.30pm on March&nbsp;9, 2017, and had been sitting in Gold Class seats, screen 17.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Leading film magazine Empire said of the film: &#8216;It&#8217;s well told with a worthwhile, if not especially revolutionary message &#8211; gang wars are not worth dying for, and&nbsp;you don&#8217;t have to follow the cycle.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">International magazine Sight &amp; Sound said Blue Story offered &#8216;Sobering scenes from the postcode wars* it&#8217;s confident work that crucially doesn&#8217;t&nbsp;condescend to the youth audience best placed to receive its sobering&nbsp;pacifist message.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Industry magazine Screendaily.com said: &#8216;There&#8217;s something about Blue Story&nbsp;which is infectious. It might catch on. There&#8217;s a message in here, and if&nbsp;only the target audience shows up, Rapman&#8217;s job will have been done.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Meanwhile, he seems destined for bigger things.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Blue Story is a tragic tale of a friendship between Timmy and Marco, two&nbsp;young boys from opposing postcodes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Timmy, a shy, smart, naive and timid&nbsp;young boy from Deptford, goes to school in Peckham where he strikes up a friendship with Marco, a charismatic, streetwise kid from the local area.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Although from warring postcodes, the two quickly form a firm friendship until it is tested and they wind up on rival sides of a street war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Blue Story depicts elements of Rapman&#8217;s own personal experiences and aspects of&nbsp;his childhood.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The messages he aims to send through his works are positive ones, aimed at inspiring kids from difficult backgrounds to turn away from&nbsp;local gangs.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"mol-bullets-with-font\">\n<li class=\"class\"><span class=\"mol-style-bold\">Did YOU see the fight? Email james.gant@mailonline.co.u<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vue has banned gang film Blue Story from all its cinemas after a mass brawl in Birmingham last night. A recorded message on its answerphone said the movie will no&nbsp;longer be screened at any of its venues. Families were at the Nechells multiplex in Star City for the first&nbsp;opening Saturday of Frozen II when the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":137707,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_10221280388112155_325455220908133":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-137706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Vue Cinemas BANS gang violence film Blue Story - Wardoon<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/wardoon.net\/so\/vue-cinemas-bans-gang-violence-film-blue-story\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Vue Cinemas BANS gang violence film Blue Story - Wardoon\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Vue has banned gang film Blue Story from all its cinemas after a mass brawl in Birmingham last night. A recorded message on its answerphone said the movie will no&nbsp;longer be screened at any of its venues. 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