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Movie Exhibitors Feeling Political Heat

By Pamela McClintock and Carl Diorio

WASHINGTON (Variety) - Got ID? Theater owners across the country are increasingly asking this question as pressure mounts to make sure America's kids aren't watching R-rated pictures, absent an accompanying adult.

Already this year, four states have considered legislation making it a crime to allow anyone under the age of 17 into theaters showing such films without a legit chaperone.

Arkansas defeated a measure to criminalize the movie ratings system -- for this year, at least. Same goes for Utah. Legislation is still pending in Massachusetts.

On March 20, the Virginia legislature passed a measure making it a Class 1 misdemeanor for a person or theater to sell a ticket for certain movies to kids under 17.

For Hollywood, Virginia's sting was softened by the fact that the final version of the law doesn't talk about R-rated movies, but rather movies "harmful" to juveniles, an extremely difficult legal standard to meet.

Even if most proposals don't become the hard-and-fast rule,

they are a troubling sign for National Assn. of Theater Owners (NATO) president John Fithian, who said that exhibitors have lost millions of dollars in revenues with the latest Hollywood freeze-out.

'SCARY PROPOSITION'

"I think it's serious when you have four different state legislatures saying, 'We're going to take your voluntary ratings system and attach criminal penalties.' It's a scary proposition. I don't remember a year in recent history when four pieces of legislation were introduced that essentially do the same thing." Fithian told Daily Variety. "The issue hasn't gone away, it's just shifted from the feds to the states."

Legally, there is no official sanction against theaters allowing kids into R-rated movies without an adult present.

These days, Fithian is repeatedly instructing member exhibitors to card, period. Never mind that a trip to the movies might feel more like going through U.S. Customs.

No one wants the situation to get so out of hand that they face a fine or jail time for letting a 15-year-old into the latest hit flick, or for that matter, an adult guardian who really isn't 21 years of age.

AMC Entertainment -- which recently pulled out of NATO -- has taken the additional step of carding any guardian who appears to be in their early 20s, said Rick King, spokesman for the Kansas City, Mo.-based circuit.

REPORT RESULT

Most everyone said the latest flurry is a direct result of last fall's fierce debate in Washington over the marketing of violent R-rated movies to teens and kids. A Federal Trade Commission report criticized the MPAA and NATO for doing an end-run around the ratings system, which they jointly administer.

MPAA president-CEO Jack Valenti, who developed the ratings in the 1960s, immediately drew up a 12-point initiative changing the way the seven major studios pitch their pictures to young audiences. At the same time, NATO got dead serious about enforcing age restrictions.

"In tightening up our enforcement procedures and being as vigilant as we can be, we absolutely lose business. But it's the right thing to do," Fithian said.

But lawmakers like Arkansas legislator Mark Smith aren't mollified. Smith introduced a bill this year that would make it a misdemeanor for theater owners to either sell a ticket for an R-rated movie to an unaccompanied youngster, or allow such kids to jump theaters. Legislation was defeated in committee, but Smith continues to call on Arkansas theater owners to do a better job among themselves.

VOLUNTARY SYSTEM

"I think a lot of parents are shocked to find out that the rating system is absolutely and totally voluntary. Theaters are not required by any law to restrict ticket sales. I think most places do a fair job at the door, but once kids get into a multiplex, that's it," Smith said.

MPAA senior vice president for legislative affairs Vans Stevenson said bills attacking the movie ratings system are introduced year in and year out at the state level. He said the proposal to make the sale of tickets to certain customers a crime has come up before, but not in recent years.

Stevenson said the Constitution is ultimately on Hollywood's side.

"At this point, no ratings enforcement legislation has any traction," Stevenson said.

MPAA and NATO have lobbied hard at the state level in recent weeks, extending an olive branch to lawmakers in Arkansas, Massachusetts, Utah and Virginia. Efforts paid off, particularly in Utah and Arkansas.

General Cinemas spokesman Brian Callahan said it's inappropriate to target exhibitors with criminal penalties, considering the extra steps they are taking. General Cinemas posts lobby signs in all theaters stressing that a "guardian" who escorts minors into R-rated movies must be 21 years old, and has sent out reminders to make sure theater managers are keeping staff informed.

Massachusetts state Rep. Brad Hill said he recently introduced a measure to clamp down on video stores and movie theaters after constituents claimed that their children routinely gain improper access to R-rated material. Legislation has yet to be acted on.

"Believe me when I tell you that I'm not trying to blow up the movie industry. Most theaters do a very good job, but clearly there are some video stores and theaters that don't," Hill told Daily Variety.

04:37 04-12-01

Copyright 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

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My staff tells me that this jerk went ahead and blatenly walked into Blow and glared at them as he did. This is why the got me to ask for his ticket. They knew he would be trouble. As soon as I askfor stubs he starts dropping F-bombs in the auditorium in front of the customers. I, of course, just ask him to leave and he can pick up his refund at the box office on his way out. This is when he starts his little tantrum of insults and threats as he walks out. Luckily Las Vegas metro police made it to my site in time to have the guy trespassed off the property.

The guy turns out to be 22 years old but he did not want to show his ID. Last time I checked, it is unlawful in NV to go around without proper ID if you are older than 18. Mr. Officer was kind enough to re-iterate this to Mr. Jerky. The last time I had problems with carding I had one guy spit on my window and another on my lobby floor. ??!!??!!

I just don't get it, I feel more like a babysitter than a manager.

Maybe there should be maturity ID's as well as age ones. One with the lack of maturity, will be barred from public...aahhh. Just a pipe dream, oh well.

Course then you've got the idiot parents that walk in the door with their two 5 & 8 yr old daughters, and buy 4 tickets to the film that deserved it's R rating the most.

I just thought of a cool idea. We should start branding the patrons with a white-hot iron poker when they produce an ID. That way, if they come back to your theatre they can just show you the nice scar. The brand can be your company logo or a GM's initials. You won't have to worry about "I left my ID in my car 200 miles away" or "You didn't card me last time" crap.

He backed off and left. I am not sure if it was the prison or the sex remark, but both made him realize that this scrawny little fella had more balls than he did.

I think it should be enforced by law.

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