Basket Cases at the MPAA…Director Frank Henenlotter’s anecdotes about the BBFC and MPAA

Read more BBFC News at MelonFarmers.co.uk

See interview from theskinny.co.uk

Frank Henenlotter recalls: When we brought Frankenhooker to the MPAA the head of the board at the time called up our company and the guy said to the secretary, Congratulations, you’re the first film rated S. And she said S? For sex? And they said No, S for Shit. And this is the ratings board! … When we premiered Bad Biology [2008] in London I had dinner the night before with a bunch of people and one was a member of the BBFC. I said to him, ‘I’d love to know your opinion after the film, unofficially of course.’ I said, ‘How much trouble are we in?’ And he said, ‘Oh Frank, you’re not in any trouble at all, this is hilarious and harmless.’ Then he said, ‘But if this was 20 years ago we would have had you arrested.’ …Read the full interview

Rated R for Terse Comments…MPAA introduce a new layout for film ratings

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See article from huffingtonpost.com

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has announced presentation changes to its movie rating system. The new system, rolled out as the Check the Box campaign, will include prominent descriptions explaining why a movie received its rating. Films that might previously have been stamped PG-13 with a sentence beneath the rating will now feature those same descriptions in large type next to the ratings code. The White House has called on the movie industry help parents monitor violence in media since the elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. CEO Chris Dodd announced the industry’s plan at the annual movie-theater convention CinemaCon and spoke generally about the need to help parents: so they can make the best choices about what movies are right for their children to watch. MPAA spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield spoke about the change in presenting rating descriptions eg, An intense scene of war violence, some images of carnage, brief strong violence. She said: We’re changing the way they’re presented so that they’re easier to read. The MPAA now requires that: a public service announcement is to be shown before movies, posters in theaters across the country will adopt the new ratings description format green band trailer screens will clarify that the trailer is approved for the audience viewing the main feature. Nutters had hoped Dodd might use his keynote address to signal to the industry that the MPAA would begin assigning R ratings to a wider spectrum of violent movies, but this was not to be.

Slippery Sloping…Chris Dodd of the MPAA speaks against restrictions of violent films and games

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See article from denofgeek.us

Reports say MPAA chairman Chris Dodd has warned against efforts to regulate violence in films and instead suggested that the film industry will work with the White House on voluntary steps to help parents decide what movies and TV shows are appropriate for children. Campaigners and state lawmakers have been suggesting that the marketing of violent movies and videogames should be restricted. Asked whether Hollywood there is too much violence in videogames and movies, Dodd said the industries give people enough choices across the spectrum, but warns that if you start to get into the business of trying to regulate content, that is a very slippery slope. Dodd said that the focus should be on giving people the information they need to make their choice of what to watch, adding that we are working to provide whatever support and assistance we can to the White House. Dodd said more attention should be paid to mental health, noting that is the space where we really need attention.

High Noon…MPAA president forewarns White House that Hollywood will oppose any proposals to censor films in the name of gun control

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See article from hollywoodreporter.com

On the eve of the entertainment industry’s White House meeting to discuss gun violence in films and video games, Motion Picture Association of America president Chris Dodd told The Hollywood Reporter that his industry will consider voluntary guidelines but will vehemently oppose any government restrictions on content. Dodd and spokesmen from various sectors of the entertainment industry will meet with Vice President Joe Biden, who has been charged by President Barack Obama with recommending legislation to curb gun violence. Dodd said: We want to explore what we can do to provide parents and others with the information for them to make choices on what they want to see and what they want their children to see. That’s a legitimate space for us to be in. It’s all voluntary. What we don’t want to get involved with is content regulation. We’re vehemently opposed to that. We have a free and open society that celebrates the First Amendment.

Raaz 3…The first Indian film to get an R Rating in the US

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See  article from  hollywoodreporter.com

The first Indian film to receive an R rating (17A) from the MPAA, this third installment in the RAAZ (Secret) series offers up relatively tame sexual content and campy violence. The film was rated R for some violent content. Meanwhile at the BBFC See article from bbfc.co.uk The BBFC rated the film as 15 uncut for strong horror and gory images. The BBFC further explained: RAAZ 3 is a Hindi language horror thriller about a fading film star who places a black magic curse on another actress who has stolen her limelight. It is rated 15 for strong horror and gory images. There are a number of scenes in which the victim of the curse is terrorised by the supernatural. In one scene, a hand bursts out of a TV screen and grabs her by the throat and in another scene she is pursued by a scary clown character inside an empty film studio. The sense of tension and threat is increased by a loud, jarring music score. In a further scene, the woman is attacked by swarms of flying cockroaches inside the bathroom of a party mansion. She screams in terror and is forced to rip off her clothes and run outside. None of the threat is sadistic or sexualised in nature. There are also some gory images, including a witch doctor being decapitated when he is thrown backwards by a demon, a man being stabbed in the throat, and acid being poured over a woman’s body, which causes her flesh to burn. There is also sight of demonic hands, covered in deformed flesh and maggots. RAAZ 3 also contains three uses of strong language and two scenes of implied sexual activity. Meanwhile in the UAE See  article from  mid-day.com The Censor Board of the group of seven UAE emirates has banned the film from being released there. Sources say that sexually explicit scenes and the portrayal of the spiritual world in the film apparently didn’t go down very well with the officials of the Censor Board. Vijay Singh, CEO of Fox Star, producer and distributors of the film confirms the news and states:  The board has an issue with the film over its adult content. But we are in talks with them right now.

Killer Joe…Passed 18 uncut for upcoming UK DVD and Blu-ray release

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See  article from  bbfc.co.uk See trailer from youtube.com See also Shopping List: Future Releases : What’s Cut and What’s Not See also Shopping List: Recent Releases

Killer Joe is a 2011 US crime thriller by William Friedkin. With Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch and Juno Temple. See IMDb UK: Passed 18 uncut for strong bloody and sadistic violence and sexual threat for: UK 2012 Entertainment One RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 22nd October 2012 UK 2012 Entertainment One R2 DVD at UK Amazon released on 22nd October 2012 Censorship History Never cut, but it is notable for being one of the few films to accept the uncommercial option of an MPAA NC-17 (ie 18) rating for its US release. Promotional Material When drug dealer Chris (Emile Hirsch) has his stash stolen by his mother, he plans to dispatch of her and cash in on her $50,000 life insurance to repay his debts. He hires Detective Joe Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a dirty cop who moonlights as a contract killer, who sets his sight on Chris’ innocent sister Dottie (Juno Temple) as collateral for the job. But the agreement turns complicated when Dottie forms a bond with Killer Joe and everything begins to unravel. Killer Joe is a controversial and shocking black comedy thriller from director William Friedkin (The Exorcist, The French Connection).

The Perks of Being a Wallfower…Originally R Rated in the US but 12A rated in the UK

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See  article from  bbfc.co.uk

The Perks of Being a Wallflower briefly made the news in the US over its rating. Originally, the Classification and Rating Administration assigned the movie an R rating for teen drug and alcohol use, and some sexual references. However this was downgraded to PG-13 by the Classification and Rating Appeals Board of the MPAA. The movie stars Emma Watson, of Harry Potter and is about 15-year-old high school freshman who is taken under the wings of two seniors while he copes with his first love, the suicide of his best friend and his own mental illness. The movie has now been passed 12A uncut by the BBFC for moderate sex references, drug use and one use of strong language. The film ix expected to open in UK cinemas on 3rd October 2012.

Fluffed Rating…Romcom Dorfman rated PG-13 after appealing R Rating for the word ‘fluffer’

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See article from latimes.com

The independent romantic comedy Dorfman has won a battle to have its R rating changed to a PG-13, the appeals board of the Motion Picture Assn. of America has said. The movie had been assigned an R rating because of some sexual content , specifically the word fluffer, which refers to an employee on an adult film set who prepares male actors for performing sex scenes. The appeals board heard statements from both the film’s producer, Leonard Hill, and its writer, Wendy Kout, as well as MPAA chairwoman Joan Graves. After conferring briefly, the board unanimously overturned the rating, 12-0. Hill commented: We were basically told that unless we replaced the word in question with a term less noxious — like ‘hooker’ or ‘stripper’ — that we had to keep the R rating. It seems so bizarre and arbitrary. Still, we made a determination to appeal it, even though we had to waste two months and $300 for the right to appeal, which isn’t nothing for a small production like we are.

The Woman in Black…US release the uncut version on DVD and Blu-ray

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See trailer from youtube.com See also Calendar: Coming Soon : What’s Cut and What’s Not

The Woman in Black is a 2012 UK/Canada/Sweden ghost story by James Watkins. With Daniel Radcliffe, Janet McTeer and Ciarán Hinds. See IMDb US: Uncut and MPAA PG-13 rated for: US 2012 CBS RA Blu-ray via UK Amazon and at US Amazon just released on 22nd May 2012 US 2012 CBS R1 DVD at US Amazon released on 22nd May 2012 UK Releases UK distributors are not very forthcoming about whether cut or uncut versions will be released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on 18th June. Both the cut and uncut versions have been passed by the BBFC so all options are open to the distributors. UK: Passed 15 Uncut for: UK 2012 Technicolor/Momentum video UK: Passed 12A after 6s of BBFC category cuts for intense supernatural threat and horror for: UK 2012 Technicolor/Momentum video UK 2012 cinema release The BBFC commented: Distributor chose to reduce moments of strong violence / horror in order to achieve a 12A classification. Cuts made in line with BBFC Guidelines and policy. A 15 classification without cuts was available. In addition to the 6 seconds of visual cuts, substitutions were also made by darkening some shots and by reducing the sound levels on others.

Brave in a Kilt…Pixar film gets an MPAA PG rating for kilt raising humour

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See article from scotsman.com

Brave from the makers of Toy Story and Finding Nemo is getting a lot of attention in Scotland in the hope of a tourism boost from a hit film. But American censors have dealt cinema giants Disney and Pixar a box office blow after imposing a PG rating on their eagerly-awaited fantasy set in the Highlands. Scenes of kilted characters lifting up the traditional Scottish garb are thought to have earned the film the rating, with an MPAA warning: contains rude humour. In one scene featured in Brave trailers, one character is seen lifting his kilt and loudly declaring: Feast your eyes. Pixar’s teaser, said to promote a new product by Ruff McLauren, states: What makes a man feel like a man, is it tossing logs, is it fighting bears, or is it freedom — the freedom a man feels when he is wearing a small plaid skirt? One film blogger, John Young, said: It’s definitely worth a laugh, but for me, the movie’s advertising campaign is starting to raise some concerns. I feel like Disney’s trailers and ads have emphasised the rude humour aspect. A spokeswoman for VisitScotland, which is spearheading a ฃ7 million campaign to promote Brave, said: The Scots are very good at laughing at themselves and we think the film captures our sense of humour perfectly. It all looks harmless fun.