Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: "Not Rated" films

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Posted by John Scott (Member # 520) on 05-20-2001, 12:47 AM:

I'm just curious what your theatres policies are for kids with regards to films that are "Not Rated"?

Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 05-20-2001, 02:14 AM:

All the Cinemas I have worked for have handled them as "R" rated films

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--Sean McKinnon
Asst. Manager/Projectionist
Gloucester Cinema 1-2-3

Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 05-20-2001, 03:41 AM:

Thats a good question. The only non-rated film I can remember playing at an AMC in Houston was KIDS at the Meyer Park 14. In the paper it said it was NC-17.

I dontk now if any AMCs are playing Center of the World, so I cant answer that question.

What I would do is find out if there was anything objectionable for children and make my decision based on that.

ok for children = anyone can see it.
objectionable material = 17& up...period

Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 05-20-2001, 04:57 AM:

im sorry thats righy we treated them nc-17 not R

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--Sean McKinnon
Asst. Manager/Projectionist
Gloucester Cinema 1-2-3

Posted by Gordon Hedges III (Member # 863) on 05-21-2001, 02:08 AM:

How can a "Not Rated" film be treated as an "NC-17" film? I can understand that it would seem beyond the R rating for some, but maybe not all. I agree enforcing something similar to the R rating, though, if the film is objectable in part.

I have been told, but correct me if I am wrong, that most "Not Rated" films were posted that way because they did not want to get the NC-17 rating. Placing an NC-17 would limit their audience, since most people would quickly be turned off by such a rating. I know I would want to just jump into my speedster (grocery getter) and catch the next showing for an NC-17... but I changed my mind when I watched "Showgirls".

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 05-21-2001, 02:13 AM:

It's probably illegal to advertise an unrated film as "NC-17" or "R".

I believe those abbreviations are copyrighted by the MPAA, & can be used only with those films to which the ratings have been assigned.

"X" was purposely left uncopyrighted, so that anyone could apply it if they wanted. You could advertise it as "X", & probably pull more ticket sales & publicity!

Posted by Ky Boyd (Member # 23) on 05-21-2001, 02:24 AM:

If a film is "not-rated" it simply means that the film did not get a rating from the MPAA. While some films such as CENTER OF THE WORLD and REQUIEM FOR A DREAM are not rated due to graphic content others are not rated simply because the distributor didn't submit the to the MPAA for a rating. Each studio that is a member of the MPAA, which is all the big studios, is required to submit its films to the MPAA for ratings. Studios/Distributors that are not MPAA members (also known as signatories) are not required to submit their films to the MPAA. Some do and get a rating and then return the certificate of rating if they decide not to go with the rating, which is I believe what happened with Center of the World and Requiem for a Dream.

A bit of history - prior to being bought by Disney, Miramax used to release many of its films without ratings. However, once they were purchased by Disney all Miramax films became required to carry ratings. Because Miramax did not want Larry Clark's film KIDS to carry a rating and they couldn't release it unrated, the Weinstiens set up a separate, non-Disney owned distributor (Excalibur) to release the film.

As an art house we treat every unrated film individually. If the distributor requests no one under 17 admitted as Artisan did with Center for the World and Requiem for a Dream, we enforce that policy. However, restricting admission on all unrated films is not, in my opinion, prudent policy. Why would anyone want to restrict anyone from seeing THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HANK GREENBERG, which was an unrated documentary about baseball great Hank Greenberg.

There may still be some newspapers out there that won't accept advertising for unrated films and its probably highly possilbe that some mall theatres (those few that are left) still have covenants restricting the playing of unrated films, but I believe they are getting rarer.

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 06-02-2001, 02:46 PM:

AMC Hamilton (New Jersey) ran Requiem for a Dream as a "self-rated" NC-17. AMC Empire (New York) ran The Center of the World unrated with Artisan's "no one 17 and under admitted" warning. A Regal theater in New Jersey ran The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg unrated.

BTW, Artisan is not an MPAA signatory.

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 06-14-2001, 06:25 PM:

An arthouse in Easton PA (Lehigh Valley) opens The Center of the World tomorrow as a "self-rated" NC-17.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-14-2001, 06:38 PM:

Charles E. said:

quote:
An arthouse in Easton PA (Lehigh Valley) opens The Center of the World tomorrow as a "self-rated" NC-17.

They can't do that...all the ratings are owned by the MPAA (copyrighted). Wonder if anyone from the MPAA is lurking here!

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 04-06-2002, 10:20 AM:

Bumping this up thanks to the references in another thread about Y Tu Mama Tambien.

Even without an MPAA rating IFC Films has gotten Y Tu Mama Tambien into most of the major chains and more theaters than expected. In the NYC metro Loews and Landmark opened Y Tu Mama Tambien; AMC, Clearview, National Amusements and UA picked it up on the regional/national break. All ads and one-sheets clearly state "No One Under 18 Admitted".

I'm looking forward to Y Tu Mama Tambien because it's said to deliver what The Mexican promised -- "love with the safety off".

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 04-13-2002, 03:16 PM:

I was duped by my virginal staff. There is nothing in Y Tu Mama Tambien that I haven't seen in an "R" rated film.

I have now seen Y Tu Mama Tambien. There are five sex scenes and the masturbation scene. No place in the movie to you see a turgid penis or a vagina. The sex scenes never go beyond the two scenes at the beginning of the movie. Also, and it's a plot point, none of the sex scenes go on too long.

This film in no way compares to the graphic nature of a film such as Romance. I have seen sex scenes like these in many "R" rated films.

I am slightly pissed at the boys for blowing the nature of this film out of proportion.

I have lifted the restriction on this film and will now treat it as an "R" rated film.

By the way, I thought the film was very good and thought provoking. It is also the exact type of film that a mature 16-18 year old should see. Obviously we don't have any of those mature 16-18 year olds on staff.

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 05-13-2002, 05:43 PM:

Ian: The AMC Hamilton just picked up Y Tu Mama Tambien and is running it with an R rating. They must have peeped your post above!

Unfortunately the AMC Hamilton will drop Y Tu Mama Tambien after only 6 days -- to pander to the imbeciles who want their Star Wars Episode 2 on the very first day.