As for the babysitter scarceness, yeah you're probably right about that. But I remember several parents taking their seven and eight year olds to see Menace to Society. And in that case, I'm pretty sure they were just being lazy and irresponsible. I don't think they were doing it to nurture their children with lessons in urban survival.

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The man with the magic hands.

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(Cinemark's policy is that parents must accompany any children under 17.)

We had one woman who came up to the podium and demanded to speak to the mgr. She wanted to know why we wouldn't let her kids in to see S.M. The manager hemmed and hawed about the policy but I stepped in and told her that I wouldn't want MY kids to see that movie. I "discreetely" told her that a guy "gets it on" with a vacuum cleaner and she just about died right there in the lobby!

She said that she saw the review on TV the night before and they said that it was "the funiest movie of the year." I said, "Yes, but for ADULTS."

I think I'll just have to keep my thoughts to myself on any further rating debates.

I'll just finish up by saying that we shouldn't just assume everybody is incapable and in need of sheltering from the world.

It is my opinion that people of any age should know that doing drugs and killing people is wrong REGARDLESS of what movies and television tells them. If they can't figure that out, then there's far more parental irresponsibility at play than allowing their children to see an R Rated film.

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Our policy is to require photo ID, or have a parent accompany those under 17. Once the family reaches the ticket taker they are asked: "Are you aware that this program is rated R...the management does not recommend this film for children". We are then promptly informed that their children see and hear all those things in school, or on the school bus, or on TV...so what difference does it make?

Christopher B. You couldn't of said it any better. I agree with you wholeheartedly. I believe that we do have a responsibility to our communities. Young children don't belong in to see R rated films regardless of what parents may think. Those parents are making a poor judgement call, and we are powerless to do anything about it. Of course it shouldn't be our jobs to police other peoples children, but as you said WE, not the parents, are the ones that will recieve the blame. Often, once in the theatre, the parents sit one place and the children another making it look to other patrons that we are leaving young kids in by themselves.

Because of those parents, and because of the theatres that don't enforce the rating system...we might face a government mandated rating system that WILL hold us responsible. I don't want to see that happen, but can't help think that maybe it is the only thing that might make Hollywood wake up to what they are doing.

Even putting the kids aside for a moment...the biggest complaint that I recieve from my adult patrons, is that there is way to much bad language in movies today. Is all this bad language, violence, sex etc. really needed to tell a good story...to make it real, to make it believable. Look at the thousands of great movies made during the thirties, forties and fifties without all this realism that still got the point across. Gangster films, war movies, horror shows...all making the story complete and enjoyable without the so called realism that is used today.

I'm often asked if I'm embarrassed by how I make a living. I reply that I'm a theatre operator and that at the present time movies are what I must exhibit to stay in business. If I could make a living presenting plays or concerts I would.

When informed the child was not allowed to enter the cinema, the woman pointed her kid towards the foyer-tv-advertising screens we have and told the kid to sit there until the movie finished!

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First, the independent owner of my theatre chooses not to enforce the MPAA ratings AT ALL. (meaning anyone, any age, can buy a ticket for any show!) I think that this is irresponsible (and have made this known), but I'm the one who has to hear the complaints, deal with the immature ones that can't handle the responsibility of watching a mature film in a respectful manner, etc. I also try not to pass the buck by saying, "Hey, I agree with you, Parent... call the owner and complain."
But it just kills me to sell Scary Movie tickets to not only unaccompanied teens, but even pre-teens! The first rated R movie I saw was Rainman, which I'm glad I saw when I did (I think I was 14 or 15), but I'm also glad my parents were there and that afterward, we all discussed the movie, what it was trying to say, and why the things that made it R were included. As opposed to when I saw Basic Instinct on video, unaccompanied by an adult, when I was 16 or 17. I still have images from that movie ingrained in my memory (and I've seen much "worse" things since then that I've since forgotten). Kids today wouldn't even think twice after seeing Basic Instinct because they've already all seen American Pie, Something about Mary, South Park, and they hear about sex in the plotline of almost EVERY popular sitcom in Primetime! (And it doesn't help that our president is getting hummers under his desk, but I'm not even gonna get into that!)
Anyway, suffice it to say, that I feel very helpless and sad for the generation that is being exposed to our current state of affairs. I wish I could say that I have high hopes for them ending up as "well-adjusted" (sarcasm) as my generation (X) has.
The argument I always hear is that it's the parents responsibility, not ours... and to a degree, I guess I agree. But when some parent doesn't care enough to shield their child from things that will shorten their childhood (in a negative way), this effects more than just THEIR child... it effects the children that that child hangs out with (that could be YOUR child you know), it effects the movies that are produced in the future (do people know that their ticket-money goes straight back into making more of the same?), and sadly, it effects anyone who is shot, raped, or verbally/physically abused by that child later in life (that could also be YOUR child, you know). Don't get me wrong... I'm not saying that there is some magic formula... CHILD + R-MOVIE = ADULT CRIMINAL LATER. I'm just saying that anyone who thinks that we're not affected by what we see is GROSSLY naive. If that were true, Madison Ave. would be just like every other street in the country. If we're not affected by what we see for two hours in a darkened movie theater... how come advertisers spend millions to get images and sounds in front of our noses for a mere 30 seconds of commercial time? BECAUSE WE'RE AFFECTED BY WHAT WE SEE AND HEAR, DUH!

Last point:
Hollywood always says that it just gives the people what they want to see... the ol' supply and demand approach to filmmaking. This works out great for the filmmakers because it takes all responsibility off of their shoulders and passes it on to the viewing public. "If they wouldn't pay to see it, we wouldn't pay to produce it." I even had a very educated, very accomplished, very respectable film professor say to a large class when speaking on this subject, "If people wanted Bible-Movies, Hollywood would give them Bible-movies!" Sounds great, Prof, but your logic's a bit skewed. Hollywood creates it's own demand and then produces a supply to fill it. Sure, every once in a while, someone comes along and makes a good movie that people go to see by word of mouth... buy 90% of the time, it's all about creating the demand, hyping it up, etc. Bruckheimer is the King of hyping movies. Cross-promotions and marketing schemes and the "trailer-guy" with the really deep voice... these are all proven ways to create in me, the viewer, the desire to see what THEY have DECIDED to produce. No one says, "I NEED a good vulgar comedy. Geez, I sure wish Hollywood would supply my demand for some good vulgarity... and how about some violence too, that'd be neat!" Then Hollywood, being the great supplier to the demand of the populous says, "Oh all right, golly gee, we had a remake of It's a Wonderful Life in the works, but we'll send it back for a few re-writes while we crank out the raunchy and violent piece of crap you requested. And since you asked so nicely, we'll make sure it gets an R-rating and then market it to the high school audience, just the way you like it!"

People on every level of the industry (that includes actors, directors, producers, grips, gaffers, AND US(!) ) need to start stepping up and taking on some of the responsibilities that we've been given.

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Scott A. Magie

Two years ago I'm seeing Run Lola Run at a local megaplex. It's a small turnout (Labor Day weekend). A couple came in with their child. They thought it was "family fare" but when they saw what it was -- arthouse movie in German with subtitles -- they quietly got up and left 3 minutes into the movie. They didn't make much of a fuss about it either.

Once it even went so far the an elderly lady went out into the mall and used their pay phone to call the police about it. The police came in and I expained to them that our policy is no one under the age of 17 is admitted into an R rated feature with out being accompanied by a parent and thats its not the law but a guideline that kids do not attened R rated features. The police officer laughed and kicked out the elderly lady for making such a fuss in the middle of the theater while a movie was running.

I've also had an elderly couple come behind my concession stand for the same reason....not to mention kids almost jumping over the stand because I would not let them in without an ID.