In 1992 there was a massively publicised trail of two 11 year-olds, who were eventually convicted of murdering a baby. It was alleged that they had seen a video of 'Child's Play 2', and that this was what inspired them to carry out the murder.

As a result of this, one member of parliament proposed that all 15 and 18-rated titles should be totally banned from rental or retail video, i.e. they could only be shown in cinemas. He actually got quite a lot of support, until someone pointed out that (i) this would involve banning highly-regarded films like'Schindler's List', and that (ii) a lot of other people also saw 'Child's Play 3' without then going out and murdering a baby.

As for Mr. Bush, I get the impression he will probably follow the example of Tony Blair's government over here and go with whoever gives him more money (the film industry, or the 'ban it' moralisers).
 

If violating rating rules is criminalized, then I am going to become a criminal. Every now and then I feel it is correct for a young person to see an R rated film if it has relevance in their lives. Also I have been reading murder mysteries since I was a lad of 8 or 9 years old. (OK I was a late bloomer.) I see very little difference between film and literature.

I tend to get indignant when a right is taken away from me. I have had friends in the projection union tell me about when Managers would get arrested for showing porn. I can't wait to be arrested for showing an un-rated French film.

 

Ian:

There is a huge difference between a French unrated movie and a dirty filty XXX porn movie. Would you allow your children of 8 or 10 years old to watch a XXX rated movie with a bunch of perverts in a theater on Sleeze Row ? Of course not.

We must, as an industry, regulate ourselves, or the government will do it for us. It is that simple. In order to keep a right, you have to protect it. Nothing is free.

I say it ONCE MORE: Let's protect out movie rating system by enforcing it - ourselves. We don't need the government to take away what was our responsibility in the first place.

We also showed Requiem for a Dream which was released un-rated to avoid an NC-17 rating. We were advised to not let anyone in under the age of 17. So we didn't let anyone in under the age of 17. When teenagers would come to the box and ask for that film, we asked for ID and sent them away if they’d didn't have any, or were under age. I did have a judge call up and ask if he could bring his drug prevention class to see the film and I heartily agreed. He had seen the film and felt it would have relevance in their lives.

Then we have Best In Show. It was rated PG-13. It has some crude humor, gay themes and dogs engaged in sexual simulation with a human leg. But it is rated PG-13. We had several parents come out and complain that this film wasn't appropriate for their children. One lady said, "this film is totally unsuitable for my 9 year old." I told her that was what PG-13 meant, that some material was unsuitable for pre-teenagers. She left in a snit.

So I am not impressed with the rating system. But I am not inviting the government in to control it either. It is up to parents to decide what is and what isn't appropriate for their children. And as for the children who see whatever they want, well, I believe in the resilience of human nature and that healthy children will shake off whatever they see on the screen. After all, it's only the movies.

I am with you 100% when you said, "It is up to the parents to decide what is and what isn't appropiate for their children." And when that lady left in a snit when you tried to explain what PG-13 meant, it makes you wonder what kind of parents they are, doesn't it? I also agree with you 100% when you indicated "....healthy children will shake off whatever they see on the screen, After all, it's only a movie."

Unfortunately, there are tons of unhealthy children out there. I just read an article last week that cited 10% of our children have a mental illness of some sort and are in need of desperate help. Only a small fraction of those are getting help. Those people, young and old alike, might not be able to shake off what they see on the big screen. That's why I wish Hollywood would tone it down a notch or two. I think it would help a little.

As Manuel said, "Censorship and ratings will help a little but it doesn't stop the wrong people from seeing the movies."

Unfortunately, nothing will stop the wrong people from seeing the movies.

The rating system leaves much to be desired, but what we have is better than nothing. Some parents are responsible enough to use it as a guide, and that is what the rating system was intended to be.

The hypocricy we've witnessed in recent months is quite amazing. Last summer there were people who were outraged that something like Scary Movie was playing at neighborhood movie theatres. But nobody seemed to bat an eye when the same movie with added, outrageous scenes became available on DVD and VHS at "all-American, family" stores like Wal-Mart. Where was the outrage for that? Well, by then the election was over, I guess.

I recently read a quote where Keanu Reeves was upset about his upcoming movie's sex scene being edited down to a PG-13 rating. He said, "It's OK if you just see our heads above the water. But the breasts that we suckle as infants are R-rated, and showing a nice intimacy between two people is R-rated."

Give me a break, "dude!" You can't convince me that the scene was about celebrating motherhood and the breasts infants suckle. It was about sexual intimacy among adults and YES, it's appropriate to restrict who's going to watch that in a movie theatre!

The source of the quote was http://mrshowbiz.go.com/news/Todays_Stories/11501/keanucharlize011501.html

Should Bush or anyone else in the government try to invade the MPAA and declare martial law, I will be one of the first to shout in protest. I think the bottom line is it's up to us to know what is showing in our theatre, and respond accordingly.
 

Nice sight.

I have two children. One is 11 and the other is 17. The oldest will become an Eagle Scout next month. The younger one worships the older one and will probably follow in his brother's foot steps.

They both watch "Jack Ass" regularly (along with yours truly).

To date, neither of them has attempted a criminal act.

The media is not corrupting our youth. Parental indifference is.

Ya know? The three stooges were poking each other's eyes out before you or I were even born.

The fact is.... *People were not looking for an excuse to neglect raising their children back then* They watched TV together.

If I am mis-reading you, I will apologize, but it really sounds like you are trying to tell me how to raise my kids here.

I would take offence at the MPAA being anything other than voluntary (Even if I wasn't in the movie biz). I take even more offence at people who stick their noses into my family's TV room.

How many Eagle candidates do you got?

Russ

I am not trying to tell anybody how to raise their children. Only the parents of the children themselves can do that. What I am concerned about here is that too many parents shirk their responsibilities when it comes to raising their children. You are very fortunate that you have children as you described. My respect goes to you for being able to raise your children correctly.

I, too, would take offense to the MPAA being anything other than voluntary. I want it to remain voluntary. But to keep it that way, we must police ourselves.

You can be assured I would certainly take offense towards people who would stick their noses into the family's TV room.

However, when I read about people who mimic what they see on the big screen and TV, it does make me sick.

Recently, some teen-ager blew apart another teen-ager's head with a .44 magnum. Then he laughed about it and thought it was cool. It was a random shooting, and didn't even know the kid he killed. Something is definately wrong here.....This is just one example of many I read about in the newspapers. What is frightening is the trend is getting worse. Who would be next?

I have been a victim of an armed robbery in one of my theaters. I can tell you that when I was looking down the business end of a .357, that was the biggest gun I have ever seen in my life. And, that guy meant business. There were four of them in that band, and they were very well organized.

When something like this happens, you do get a different outlook on certain things. I have a concealed weapons permit, and I do carry a weapon when I go to remote broadcasting industry transmitter sites in the middle of nowhere. You never know who or what you might meet up with.

Apparently, you were never in the position of being a victim of a violent crime. And, naturally, I hope you never do.

When Tipper Gore was holding her "Congressional Hearings" on banning filthy lyrics from records, a whole bunch of famous people testified before the committee, like Ted Nugent and Frank Zappa.

Frank Zappa made the following statement:

"I wrote a song about DENTAL FLOSS. Did anybody's teeth get cleaner?"
 

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Greg Mueller
Amateur Astronomer, Machinist, Filmnut
 

Kids need role models and clear boundaries. If they have them, they can watch anything on TV.

All I was trying to say was that no amount of legislation will ever replace the need for people to take an active role in teaching their children right from wrong.

You'll get no argument about your gun from me. We have one too.

No hard feelings,

Russ

 

Now, that young boy of 11 that was stabbed to death in a Regal Cinema really set me back on my heels. It really is a shame. Where was the supervision, and how did they get in?

We really have to wake up.

Keep up the good work in raising your children. We need more like you.
 

I wonder how those same parents who kick and scream about their kids watching movies would feel if they caught them smoking and drinking beer? To me it's about the same thing. Why don't they see it that way?
 

What I think should happen is that the parents of the dead kid should sue the parents of the other kid for criminal negligence!

Then the theatre should send them BOTH a bill for having to clean up the blood!