12 Years A Slave Popular With Police

Cops love it!

The searing slavery drama 12 Years A Slave is proving remarkably popular with the police who’ve organized special screenings because they claim ‘It’s a really enjoyable film with lots of good bits’.

The film follows the life of free African American Solomon Northup from his capture by Southern kidnappers through his harrowing treatment at the hands of a brutal slave owner to his rescue and return to his loving family.

LAPD Detective Mark Leatherman, who claims his colleagues use the film for training purposes as well as for recreation, said: “There’s so many interesting techniques to learn from the film and we really feel for the hero Master Epps as he struggles to maintain order among his workers. We feel this mirrors our struggle keeping order on the streets.”

NYPD Officer John Bemmings was even more specific about why he loves the film: “I laughed all the way through from beginning to end. It’s great fun. A real feelgood movie. It’s best to come in about twenty minutes into the film though when it starts to get good then leave about fifteen minutes before the end when it turns boring again.”

The police it seems hate the film’s introduction until the moment Solomon gets captured. They love the scenes of brutal violence and humiliating treatment which make up the main body of the film right up to the point he gets rescued. Then they leave the cinema before the heartfelt ending when Solomon is once again a free man.

This method of viewing the film has encouraged police forces up and down the country to lobby the film company to release a special 12 Years A Slave: Police Cut with the beginning and the ending removed.

“If they release a better version of the film,” Bemmings said, “I would happily show it to my wife and kids but in its current form I think it sends out the wrong message.”

Since the film’s release various police forces across the country have issued their officers with new whips to maintain order as well as special heavy duty ankle and wrist chains instead of the usual handcuffs.

The film has had a positive effect according to Detective Leatherman with some officers finding renewed interest in maintaining ‘law and order’ right after a screening although cases of police brutality and murder have skyrocketed.

Leatherman said he hoped for more films: “I can’t wait for the sequel 80 Years A Slave or perhaps a family saga like 350 Years A Slave. That would be great. As long as they leave out the ending.”