Globalisation…The US film censor, the MPAA, becomes MPA America

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See article from motionpictures.org See new logos from mpaa.box.com

The organisation that was previously well known as the MPAA has changed its name a little. The Motion Picture Association of America has become The Motion Picture Association.The trade group, representing Hollywood’s major studios + Netflix, then adds a regional identify to this generic name. So in the US the organisation will be known as MPA America whilst in the far east it will be known as MPA Asia Pacific. The MPA name has been used outside of the US for sometime, so that will be familiar already. The updated version of the iconic globe and reel logo that is so familiar to American moviegoers will now be used by all regional offices. Previously used versions of the logo will be phased out in the coming weeks and months. The MPA writes: Unifying the Motion Picture Association brand is the latest initiative under Chairman Rivkin’s leadership, which has also included the addition of Netflix as a member studio earlier this year and the elevation of Gail MacKinnon to Senior Executive Vice President of Global Policy and Government Affairs, overseeing all government affairs functions around the world. This month, the Motion Picture Association returned to its newly renovated headquarters in Washington and will begin hosting screenings and other events this fall.

The House that Jack Built…The US film censor is not impressed by a special one night screening of the uncut version

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See  article from bloody-disgusting.com

The House That Jack Built is a 2018 Denmark / France / Germany / Sweden horror thriller by Lars von Trier. Starring Matt Dillon, Bruno Ganz and Uma Thurman. Lars von Trier’s upcoming drama follows the highly intelligent Jack (Matt Dillon) over a span of 12 years and introduces the murders that define Jack s development as a serial killer. We experience the story from Jack s point of view, while he postulates each murder is an artwork in itself. As the inevitable police intervention is drawing nearer, he is taking greater and greater risks in his attempt to create the ultimate artwork. The MPAA is Going After distributors IFC over a one day special screening of the  Director’s Cut of The House That Jack Built. Ahead of the general release of the cut R rated version of Lars von Trier’s new film on December 14, the Director’s Cut of the film played select theaters, for one night only, and it looks like those screenings have landed IFC Films in trouble with the US film censors of the MPAA. The MPAA has rules allowing only one version of a film to be shown in cinemas at a time. Ratings can in fact be changed but only after a certain time has elapsed, and with the previous rating being revoked. As reported by Deadline, IFC now faces potential sanctions over the screenings. The MPAA said in a statement that they have: Communicated to the distributor, IFC Films, that the screening of an unrated version of the film in such close proximity to the release of the rated version — without obtaining a waiver — is in violation of the rating system’s rules. The effectiveness of the MPAA ratings depends on our ability to maintain the trust and confidence of American parents. That’s why the rules clearly outline the proper use of the ratings. Failure to comply with the rules can create confusion among parents and undermine the rating system — and may result in the imposition of sanctions against the film’s submitter. A hearing in the very near future will allow IFC to plead their case, and it’s possible that the MPAA could revoke the rating they had issued to the film.

Parents TV Council recommends…Eighth Grade screened at events where the R rating age restrictions were relaxed

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See  article from w2.parentstv.org See article from indiewire.com

Eighth Grade is a 2018 USA comedy by Bo Burnham. Starring Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton and Emily Robinson. An introverted teenage girl tries to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth grade year before leaving to start high school. Eight Grade is a US film aimed at 8th graders but its 8th grade strong language has resulted in it being rated R by the MPAA. The R rating means that with graders cannot see the film at theatres unless accompanied by their parents. The film makers from A24 Studio are not impressed by their target audience being disallowed so organised nationwide screenings where the R rating was not enforced (age restrictions are legally voluntary n the US). 50 no-rating-enforced screenings were organised on August 8. The studio partnered with one theater in every state across America for the screenings. But US moralist campaigners were not happy. The Parents Television Council called on the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to hold the A24 Studio accountable for those under 17s admitted without a parent. PTC President Tim Winter whinged: Subjective declarations such as the one by A24 — that some content is ‘too important’ to be labeled in accordance with the standards set forth by the MPAA and understood, trusted and relied upon by parents — undermine and negate the entire purpose of having the content rating system in the first place. In this instance, and based upon empirical data of this film’s content, the Hollywood studio at issue here is grotesquely and irresponsibly usurping parental authority. Either the standard means something or it means nothing. Those who are openly violating both the spirit and the letter of the age-based content ratings system for this publicity stunt should be held to account by the MPAA.

A bloody battle with the MPAA…Blood Feast remake fails to get an MPAA R rating after 3 submissions

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See  article from dreadcentral.com

Blood Feast is a 2016 Germany / USA horror by Marcel Walz. Starring Robert Rusler, Caroline Williams and Sophie Monk. Fuad Ramses and his family have moved from the United States to France, where they run an American diner. Since business is not going too well, Fuad also works night shifts in a museum of ancient Egyptian culture. During these long, lonely nights he is repeatedly drawn to a statue representing the seductive ancient goddess ISHTAR. He becomes more and more allured by the goddess as she speaks to him in visions. The Blood Feast remake is struggling to get an R rating from the MPAA. The producers have now submitted the film 3 times presumably with ever increasing cuts but the MPAA is still refusing an R rating. Director Marcel Walz told DreadCentral: Big, big mess at the MPAA… for the third time Blood Feast didn’t pass the MPAA screening. It’s horrible. I think the horror fans need to know what’s going on. We need an MPAA rating to make Blood Feast available to all main markets in North America. A friend made a petition , and any support will be appreciated.

Abusive lawmaking…MPAA protests against overbroad revenge porn legislation being considered in Minnesota

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See  article from bbc.com

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has opposed draft revenge porn legislation that is being considered in Minnesota. The MPAA said the Minnesota draft law could restrict the publication of items of legitimate news, commentary, and historical interest .Revenge porn refers to the sharing of intimate images after the end of a relationship, but the definition is being ‘stretched’ a broader sense to describe any publication of explicit images without consent, for example when private photographs of a celebrity are leaked online. Opponents of revenge porn legislation have argued that some of the new laws are too broad in scope, and that existing copyright, communication and harassment laws sufficiently cover the subject. ‘Intent to harass’ The MPAA, which represents six major Hollywood film studios, said the Minnesota law could limit the distribution of a wide array of mainstream, constitutionally protected material . It cited images of Holocaust victims and prisoners at Abu Ghraib as examples of images depicting nudity which are shared without the subjects’ consent. The MPAA called for the legislation to clarify that images shared without consent only broke the law if they were shared with an intent to harass . In a statement, the organisation said: The MPAA opposes online harassment in all forms. While we agree with the aims… we are concerned that the current version of the bill is written so broadly that it could have a chilling effect on mainstream and constitutionally-protected speech.

Michael Moore invades the MPAA…US cinema chain overrules MPAA R rating and releases Where to Invade Next? with a 15 rating

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See  article from cinemablend.com

Michael Moore’s latest film, Where To Invade Next , is a documentary journey across the globe to borrow traits from different countries for America to use.Cinema chain Alamo Drafthouse, with cinemas in 13 states, has decided to relax its R-rating policy for the film. CEO Tim League said in a statement that the company can’t believe the film was ever rated R in the first place: For the first time ever, we are relaxing our 18-and-up age policy for one film. Why? We simply don’t believe Where to Invade Next should have received an R rating from the MPAA. We don’t want that rating and our own age policies to get in the way of teens and their parents seeing this film. So, for the run of the Where to Invade Next we will allow teens age 15 and up on their own…yes, it’s that important. Tim League, who is also one of the distributors for Where To Invade Next, insisted that this decision wasn’t about selling tickets. Instead, it’s about making sure that young American voters get to see the film’s message. Michael Moore had previously gone above and beyond in his attempt to get Where To Invade Next’s R-rating rescinded. He wanted it to receive a PG-13 so that it had a better chance to succeed at the box office. However, last year, he lost his appeal after he refused to make any cuts to the film, which the MPAA decreed were necessary. The MPAA decided to provide Where To Invade Next with an R-rating because of its use of language, some violent images, drug use and brief graphic nudity. But Tim League decided to elaborate on these offences, revealing that Where To Invade Next includes some use of swear words, students enjoying free college education, children eating healthy food in school, Italians on holiday, bloody violence in American prisons, and a naked German man leaving a hot tub.

Bar Talk…Deadpool film makers speak of a bar scene that was too ‘offensive’ for an R rating

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See  article from movieweb.com

Deadpool is a 2016 Canada / USA action Sci-Fi adventure by Tim Miller. Starring Morena Baccarin, Gina Carano and Ryan Reynolds. Uncut and R rated in the US. Banned in China Deadpool has been rated R by the US film censors at the MPAA. Now there is little hype suggesting that the once scene in the film had to be toned down to achieve that R rating. The director Time Miller recently held a Q&A session at a Los Angeles fan event where he offered some details on some of the things they had to cut. One particular fight has an extended version with a couple more beats of violence that I liked, but the biggest scene they had to pare down was a bar scene. he explained: In particular, there was a bar scene that was too vulgar for even the R-rated Deadpool . That bar scene was particularly mean and offensive to a lot of people because T.J. [Miller] and Ryan [Reynolds] got together and wrote a version of the scene that we just said, ‘Oh my God, this is too far.’ I mean there were so many people offended, it would have really been – we couldn’t do it. It was just mean and so I said, ‘No. We don’t have to do that.’ The director added that fans shouldn’t expect the full version of this scene to show up on the impending Blu-ray and DVD release. T.J. Miller added that they did get carried away with this offensive stretch of dialogue and said: We did kind of go back and forth and it just got more and more hateful. Ryan’s a very, very good improvisor, and he’s very funny and, like, one of the sweetest guys. It was very… heavy duty. There were some riffs that I don’t think – ‘You look like a trucker took a shit on your shoulders and then shaped ears onto it.’ So it’s like, we’re missing some of those things. Update: 15 rated by the BBFC 2nd February 2016. See article from bbfc.co.uk The BBFC has just passed Deadpool 15 uncut for strong bloody violence, strong language, sex references for UK cinema release.Deadpool is released in UK Cinemas 10 February. Update: Director’s Cut 2nd February 2016. See  article from morningnewsusa.com Director T.J. Miller revealed that there would be a Deadpool director’s cut to be released this year, which would even be more raw than what fans will see onscreen in the current US R rated/UK 15 rated theatrical version. Miller commented: [The Director’s Cut’s] going to be even more raw, that’s pretty heavy duty.

More Destructive Weaponry…The Hobbit: Battle Of The Five Armies. The Extended Cut Again Displays The Uselessness Of The MPAA. By Eric Eisenberg

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See  article from cinemablend.com

I had the opportunity to see The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Extended Edition during the special Fathom Events screening that was held nationwide last night, and while I can honestly say that I enjoyed the experience, it also left me scratching my head. With a running time of 164 minutes, the movie is 20 minutes longer than its theatrical predecessor, and as you might have guessed considering the original cut is 75% war scene, much of the additional footage is battle-related. This includes dwarves charging into battles against orcs, wargs, and various other kinds of monsters with all kinds of weapons, including a ram-driven sled featuring scythe-covered wheels and a crank-operated arrow launcher. As enemies are taken down, small splashes of black blood occasionally appear, and I’ll admit that some of the deaths do rank on the gnarly scale, but the idea that it actually crosses any kind of line from PG-13 to R is entirely ridiculous. The change truly suggests that the line between ratings is so thin that it might as well not even bother existing, and paints a perfect picture of the entire methodology’s arbitrary nature. …Read the full article from cinemablend.com

Fifty Tame Shades of Grey…US film censors pass new Fifty Shades of Grey movie as suitable for older children.

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See CARA Rating Bulletin [pdf] from filmratings.com

Fifty Shades of Grey is a 2015 USA sexy romance by Sam Taylor-Johnson. Starring Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan and Jennifer Ehle. Literature student Anastasia Steele’s life changes forever when she meets handsome, yet tormented, billionaire Christian Grey. The US film censors of the MPAA have awarded the film an R rating for: Strong sexual content including dialogue, some unusual behavior and graphic nudity, and for language. An R rated film is considered suitable for children aged 17 and above. The rating also means that younger children may see the film in a theatre if accompanied by a parent or guardian. Clearly this openness to children rather restricts the amount of sex allowed in an R rated film and means that Red Shoes Diary type chocolate box erotica is about as sexy as these films can become. Of course the marketeers will now have a damn good try at convincing you otherwise.

MPAA needs to grow up…IFC cinemas set to override the harsh R rating for the movie Boyhood

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See  article from  cinemablend.com

Boyhood is a 2014 USA drama by Richard Linklater. Starring Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke. US : Rated R (17A) for language including sexual references, and For teen drug and alcohol use. UK : Rated 15 uncut for strong language, sex references, drug use The USA lacks a rating for mid teens. There is a PG-13 rating for young teens but the next step is an R rating which is in UK terms a 17A rating. So movies that are 15 rated in the UK have to be overrated with a 17 rating in the US. It is often cited as a criticism of the US system that something as trivial as a couple of ‘fucks’ tips a movie from a 13 rating to a 17 rating. One such example is Richard Linklater’s Boyhood. Richard Linklater’s Boyhood was given an R-rating, despite the fact that it quite realistically charts the growth of a contemporary suburban child up until his college years. Naturally, the MPAA wants to protect any kid who might actually watch something that, critics say, accurately depicts their own lives. But distributor IFC Films isn’t having it. In response to the R-rating, IFC tweeted about Boyhood , which is playing at the IFC Center in New York, as well as five other locations: Though the MPAA has rated BOYHOOD R, we feel the film is appropriate for mature adolescents & will be admitting teenagers at our discretion. — IFC Center (@IFCCenter) July 11, 2014 The indie film from director Richard Linklater follows a young boy named Mason, who makes it through a rocky childhood with an alcoholic father (Ethan Hawke) and, eventually, a single mother (Patricia Arquette) as he attempts to define his identity over the course of twelve years. Boyhood carries an R-rating attached to crude language, including sexual references, and teen drug and alcohol usage. There are several implications of spousal abuse as well as domestic unrest, which are no doubt intense for the viewer. Which is sort of the point: it’s almost as if the MPAA is penalizing Linklater’s movie for being honest.