Dubai censors Hollywood thriller for profanity

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Moviegoers in the United Arab Emirates saw the screen turn black as frazzled officials broke up the screening of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger's latest action flick after a character was heard cursing in Arabic in the movie.

The National, a state-backed newspaper, reported on Monday that the Dubai Media Council asked cinemas in the Emirates to halt the screening of the "Escape Plan."

Authorities quickly censored the profane words out of the movie, and the revised version was back in theaters within hours.

The movie features Stallone and Schwarzenegger trying to escape from a futuristic, fortified prison.

Before movies debut in local theaters, Arab governments around the region censor films for content, often cutting out sexual scenes and kissing, as well as comments deemed blasphemous.