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Topic: "Audience Appropriate" green-band trailers

Chase Taylor
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 175
From: Troy, Alabama, USA
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 07-03-2009 02:27 PM

If you will look up Tennessee Code 39-17-907 you will see where some theatres are under the understanding that this law could be forced on them for selling a ticket to someone under 18. I'm not a lawyer and certainly don't know if this could be used against anyone but I knew of the story nevertheless. You can decide for yourself?

Chase

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Martin McCaffery
Film God

Posts: 2481
From: Montgomery, AL
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-03-2009 03:14 PM

You appear to be correct that it got into a law in TN. The first google hit brings up a TN tv news segment that grossly takes the law out of context. Here's what I hope is an accurate transcript of the relevant section of TN code:

quote:
(b) Each theater at which two (2) or more motion pictures are shown in the same building shall maintain adequate supervision of the customers to prevent minors from purchasing a ticket or admission pass to a motion picture designated by the rating board of the Motion Picture Association of America by the letter “G” for general audiences or “PG” for all ages, parental guidance advised, and then viewing a motion picture designated “R” for restricted audiences, persons under eighteen (18) years of age not admitted unless accompanied by parent or adult guardian, or “X,” persons under eighteen (18) years of age not admitted.

You'll notice, besides the law being way out of date as far as the ratings go, it is really to prevent a kid from buying a ticket to one movie and going to another. Nothing in it says they can't sell and R ticket to a minor. Interesting law (and kinda off topic at this point). I wonder if it has ever been enforced?

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-03-2009 06:41 PM

quote: Martin McCaffery
You appear to be correct that it got into a law in TN.

But the law has nothing to do with the question at hand. As you point out, it requires theatres to monitor and stop "screen switching."

The rating system continues to be voluntary in the U.S.

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Michael McGovern
Film Handler

Posts: 57
From: New Britain, CT, USA
Registered: May 2008

posted 07-03-2009 08:51 PM

As far as I've ever seen, most trailers for films that are rated PG-13, R, or are currently unrated, that also contain inappropriate material usually have a label right on them instructing the projectionist not to program the trailer on G or PG Rated films. Of course this assumes the person programming the trailers can read the label, which from what I've seen is a bit much to ask.

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Jeremy Weigel
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1062
From: Edmond, OK, USA
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 07-04-2009 12:54 AM

When I worked for Regal(TN based) I was told that there were sting operations done (similar to stores selling alcohol to minors) to make sure theatres were not selling "R" rated tickets to anyone under 17 and if caught the theatre was fined.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-04-2009 01:52 AM

Jeremy - that's what we call "bullshit" in the industry. Some higher-up just trying to make sure his people toe the line.

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Justin Hamaker
Film God

Posts: 2253
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 07-04-2009 03:17 AM

I'm no lawyer, but I do think local and or state governments would be within their right to require theatres to enforce the MPAA ratings. I think such laws would fall under the same rules that allow for local decency standards to be imposed and enforced.

I don't think it would be a copyright infringement for government(s) to require theatres to enforce industry created standards and guidelines. The caveat being that the government is not taking any action to define or modify the ratings.

In all honesty, there are times when I actually wish enforcement of the ratings was law. That would make it easier for us to defend not admitting someone to an R rated movie. Theatre policy is not nearly as strong of a statement as local law. And for that matter, I would be ok with legally prohibiting children under 12-13 from watching R rated movies - at least without the parent present.

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Martin McCaffery
Film God

Posts: 2481
From: Montgomery, AL
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-04-2009 09:25 AM

Have to totally disagree with you Justin, as would the MPAA. The ratings system was created specifically to keep/get the gov't out of the movie rating business.

Furthermore, as the MPAA is a private entity, it is no more accountable to the public than SMPTE and therefore should never be in a position of setting standards that will be enforced by the Gov't. Though I would enjoy a few police raids on out of focus theatres [evil]

All states already have decency laws they can enforce at will. The ratings system in no way parallels the language of the law. The ratings are without definition by design, and therefore completely arbritrary and indeed fluid over time. We all know of plenty of older movies with R ratings which would now be PG or PG-13. They still have the R rating and would have to be "enforced" as such.

And what do you do about movies that choose not to pay the MPAA for a rating?

Just to get this somewhere back to the original topic, preview the trailers yourself, and if you are afraid they will offend your audience, don't show them. Otherwise, treat them like adults and let them deal with it.

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Chad Souder
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 962
From: Waterloo, IA, USA
Registered: Feb 2000

posted 07-04-2009 10:02 AM

quote: Jeremy Weigel
When I worked for Regal(TN based) I was told that there were sting operations done (similar to stores selling alcohol to minors) to make sure theatres were not selling "R" rated tickets to anyone under 17 and if caught the theatre was fined.

That is mostly true. There are sting operations done at theatres of all sizes nation-wide, but they are done by NATO or other groups to test compliance with the rating system. Our governments have done these stings too. They keep these stats state-by-state, circuit-by-circuit, however you want to look at it. The only thing you were told that was wrong was that fines would be issued. You won't even know you've been visited. When the government gets bored, they look at what else they can control, so NATO wants these stats to show a nice, high compliance so they can convince them they don't need to worry about movies.

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John T. Hendrickson, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 889
From: Freehold, NJ, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 07-04-2009 04:37 PM

Back on topic.

I received the NATO Advisory from our principal owner. Needless to say, this is going to be an ongoing problem, as the advisory states that: the "updates can vary by the week, and sometimes by the day". [Eek!]

Now lets suppose that somebody who is making up the trailer pack doesn't ( for whatever reason) check the update. Bingo! you have a potential problem on your hands.

Is this a CYA move on the part of NATO? Judgement calls by reasonable people (i.e. Mike Blakesley et al) will catch the potential problem, but I just don't see that happening everywhere.

Just one more thing for theatre owners and management to deal with. And let's not forget- what is acceptable in one area of the country may not fly in another area. I used to refer to an old saying when I was teaching American Government and we were discussing censorship: "But will it play in downtown Peoria?" Sorry, no slight intended to the good folks in Illinois. [Smile]

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Jonathan M. Crist
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 531
From: Hershey, PA, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 07-05-2009 10:44 AM

It will be interesting to see how this affects the deals that some chains have to exhibit a given studios trailers. For example there was time when each screen at an AMC multiplex was required to play at least one trailer from Universal. Supposedly Universal was compensating AMC for this deal. I know it was sometimes difficult for my local AMC manager to find an Universal trailer to put on each screen - and now they must be age appropriate trailers to boot. Good luck with that one.

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Darryl Spicer
Film God

Posts: 3250
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 07-05-2009 01:05 PM

quote: Jonathan Althaus
G or PG films with G or PG trailers, 13 and R films with 13 or R trailers is Cinemark's guideline. Even though I have no problem with Harry Potter on an R film.

The policy is G or PG trailers can play on anything G, PG, PG-13, R. PG-13 and R trailers are based on approval. Basically, the film companies may approve a PG-13 rated movie like Transformers 2 or Star Trek to play on certain PG rated movies by creating a PG friendly version of the trailer. Otherwise they are only do go on PG-13 and R rated features. No red band trailers to play on anything and if the movie has not been rated yet then the placement is based on content and what the film companies are shooting for on the rating.

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Justin Hamaker
Film God

Posts: 2253
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 07-05-2009 04:02 PM

quote: Darryl Spicer
PG-13 rated movie like Transformers 2 or Star Trek to play on certain PG rated movies by creating a PG friendly version of the trailer

Universal did this with Land of the Lost and the practice really bothers me. I think it's deceptive marketing which leads people to believe the film is something it's not. In the case of Land of the Lost, they made it look much more kid friendly than it actually was.

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Martin McCaffery
Film God

Posts: 2481
From: Montgomery, AL
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-05-2009 08:44 PM

Giving a meager benefit of the doubt to the studios, trailers are often in the theatres before the film is even finished, much less rated. The green/red bands are awarded (sold) by the MPAA based on the trailer submitted by the studio, rather than the final film.

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Chris Slycord
Film God

Posts: 2986
From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 07-06-2009 03:39 AM

But in the case of Land of the Lost, they did edit the dialog to be "PG-rated" specifically for the trailer.

The "Matt Lauer can suck it" line was changed to "Matt Lauer can eat it.

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