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» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Ground Level   » Parents bringing their children to R rated films (Page 1)

 
This topic comprises 3 pages: 1  2  3 
 
Author Topic: Parents bringing their children to R rated films
Christopher Barahona
Film Handler

Posts: 19
From: North Conway, NH, USA
Registered: Jul 2000


 - posted 07-12-2000 10:36 PM      Profile for Christopher Barahona   Email Christopher Barahona   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
What is wrong with parents today? I've had way too many brainless adults bringing their kids to films such as "Matrix", "Road Trip" and "American Pie".
While none of these films are considered cutting edge parents need to have a clue. What their children are seeing affects their development. I am appalled that children with ages ranging from 5 -13 are seeing these movies.
My next door neighbors kid went to see "Scream 3" with her mother. Something her exhusband would never allow her to see.(she's 6). I was truly conflicted as to selling the ticket but I had to. I've known the kid since she was born.
Extremely dismayed.
Further proof that you should obtain a license to have children.

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Brian Potts
Film Handler

Posts: 59
From: Lexington, North Carolina, USA
Registered: Apr 2000


 - posted 07-12-2000 11:13 PM      Profile for Brian Potts   Email Brian Potts   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
In North Carolina, the law says that you have to be 18 or accompanied by a parent. The problem we run into is the parents buy tickets and go into the movie with the child. But when the movie starts, the parent leaves and comes back to pick the child up after the film is over. We have even gotten complaints from other patrons wanting to know why we allowed children into such movies as Me Myself & Irene. We have to explain to those patrons, that the parents bought the tickets and were in the movie with the child. There has even been a few times where the parents came back to the theatre and complained about the content of the movie that the child watched. Seems like just another example of how you can never win in this business.

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Russ Kress
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 202
From: Charleston, WV, USA
Registered: May 2000


 - posted 07-13-2000 12:26 AM      Profile for Russ Kress   Author's Homepage   Email Russ Kress   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
WV uses the MPAA designation. There is no law and theatres voluntarily comply.

The ticket must be purchased by the parent or legal guardian.

The phone calls amaze me.

"Can my kid watch Patriot?"

"Well sir, it posesses graphic violence... arms, legs and heads violently seperated from bodies, much screaming and death".

"So?"

"Okay sir, it also has implied violence where innocent women and children are corraled into an enclosed structure and slowly burned alive".

"Um, nobody gets naked, right?"

"No sir, they don't".

"Okay, sell me a ticket for each of my kids".

... Folks, you just can't legislate against stupidity.

Russ

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Scott D. Neff
Theatre Dork

Posts: 919
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Oct 1999


 - posted 07-13-2000 01:06 AM      Profile for Scott D. Neff   Author's Homepage   Email Scott D. Neff   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Out here in California nobody seems to care except old people.

Parents know what their kids have already seen, and they don't mind them seeing more. It's the Senior Citizens who have the problem, who come out and yell at me and ask me why we allow this to happen.

I usually have to reply with "How would you react if we told YOU your child can't do something you feel is perfectly okay?" They usually stop right after that...

The only problems we have are the unattended kids running around making idiots out of themselves. So we warn all parents who give permission to their kids, that if we get ONE SINGLE COMPLAINT, justified or not, we will kick their kids out without warning. ZERO tolerance...

That usually works.

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Phil Connolly
Film Handler

Posts: 80
From: Derby, England
Registered: May 2000


 - posted 07-13-2000 02:53 AM      Profile for Phil Connolly   Author's Homepage   Email Phil Connolly   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Fortunatly in the UK, its simple for films rated, 12, 15 or 18, you have to be that age to see it, parental consent dosen't come into it.


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Tom Ferreira
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 203
From: Conway, NH, USA
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 07-13-2000 07:04 AM      Profile for Tom Ferreira   Email Tom Ferreira   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Chris, just thank God you're not playing Scary Movie; it's the kiddie hit of the summer-a must see for the ten to fifteen year olds.
I had a woman in her early thirties come out of Scary Movie the other day outraged that we would sell tickets to soo many small children. I explained to her that anyone between the ages of 12 to 16 had to have their ticket purchased by a parent, and under twelve had to be accompanied by a parent. I also agreed that I didn't like it either; don't get me started on Jack Valenti and the ratings system. In Joel Siegel's review of Scary Movie on GMA, while admitting that it was funny, he also stated that it should be rated NC17.
Two women walked out of Scary the other day with two little girls, both under ten. It was too Scary for the smaller one. Geez, are people getting stupider, or what.
I've been dealing with this for years-it just keeps getting worse and worse.

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Christopher Barahona
Film Handler

Posts: 19
From: North Conway, NH, USA
Registered: Jul 2000


 - posted 07-13-2000 08:02 AM      Profile for Christopher Barahona   Email Christopher Barahona   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I like the idea of not allowing childrens' tickets into the theater unacompanied by parents. And I am glad that we didn't get "Scary". No hassles here about somebody's daughter seeing multiple penises for the first time.
The answer I like best when the parents are told, "hey. You understand that that film is Rated R?" is "He/she sees that on HBO all the time."
My reply is, "Why?"
Since when can't parents control or monitor what their children watch on television? Jeez, my mother used to forbid us from watching "Brady Bunch" because she thought it was damaging to children to watch a television show so out of touch with reality. We watched it anyway but at least she thought about the impressions images gave to us.
I saw "Rocky" in 76 at a drive-in in MA where the markee said Rocky and co-feature. Well the co-feature came on first and it was "Lipstick" with Margaux Hemmingway about a model who was repeatedly stalked and raped by an obsessive fan. I was 8. My mother was mortified and I watched her rip that manager to shreds... verbally.
They are already starting to accuse movies of influencing massacres such as the one at Columbine. Idiot parents are feeding them the ammo and then nodding their heads saying,
"How can something like that happen?!"

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Evans A Criswell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1579
From: Huntsville, AL, USA
Registered: Mar 2000


 - posted 07-13-2000 08:40 AM      Profile for Evans A Criswell   Author's Homepage   Email Evans A Criswell   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The only time I've seen parents with small children get up and leave because of a movie's content was when I saw "The Story of Us". A couple had brought two children that looked to be around age 6 or less and when the scene came up when the women were sitting in the restaurant talking about the roles of the sex organs ("the penis is the thruster", etc), the parents got up and took their children out. I heard several people in the theatre laugh about it as they walked out. Hmmm, a movie about a couple and their marriage struggles and it is rated R. Anyone with any sense would know not to take young children to see that.

I think "South Park" was a movie that shocked a lot of parents if they were unfamiliar with it. "Oh, an animated movie; it'll be perfect for the kids." I saw it several times but never saw any parents leaving with small children.

The showings of "Scary Movie" I've attended have had great audiences: ones composed of nobody under teen age and mostly adults. I've heard practically no stray talking or crying babies in these two audiences -- just a lot of appropriate laughter. I believe everyone who came to see this movie knew exactly what to expect, and based on their reactions, most seemed to enjoy it thoroughly.

Believe it or not, "Dinosaur" has been the worst movie ever for terrible audiences. Parents brought their kids and babies, the dinosaur action scenes scared them, and they cried all through the movie. Simply awful. Many parents had to take their children out of this one for misbehaviour and crying. Either go to the latest available showing for this one (fewer kids) or wait for the DVD.

Evans


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Scott D. Neff
Theatre Dork

Posts: 919
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Oct 1999


 - posted 07-13-2000 01:28 PM      Profile for Scott D. Neff   Author's Homepage   Email Scott D. Neff   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I firmly believe that it is not my role as a theatre manager to censor what parents allow and forbid their children to see. I grew up on a healthy dose of G-R rated films, in theatres, on Cable, wherever, I turned out JUST FINE.

My concern is, that if parents allow their children in to see an excplicitly "R" rated film, then they should KNOW why it's rated R so they don't come back and get high and mighty to me about why their kid is walking around singing "You're a dirty Uncle F*&!er!".

My other concern is that when the kids ARE in the theatre, they behave themselves and maintain an atmoshpere worthy of the film that they are seeing. SCARY MOVIE = RAUCUS LAUGHTER is fine by me. A serious adult film, kids who wish to see it should remain quiet as a church mouse, if they can't do that, then I will kick them out.

I think what people are forgetting, is that MOVIES aren't REAL. Allowing children to believe that it's OKAY to go shoot people because they saw it in a movie is simply idiotic; and that is EXACTLY what critics have been doing. Movie violence doesn't cause people to do stupid stuff, stupid parents and stupid people who don't have a firm grip on reality and make believe - THEY do stupid stuff.

Arrghh -- it can be so frustrating. Luckily I haven't had to deal with any REALLY tough customers lately.


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Ky Boyd
Hey I'm #23

Posts: 314
From: Santa Rosa, CA, USA
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 07-13-2000 03:39 PM      Profile for Ky Boyd   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Ahh yes, the MPAA ratings. Isn't it amazing how many members of the public (especially seniors) seem to think that the ratings are law? I love telling them that compliance is entirely voluntary. Let me tell you a little story that happened to us earlier this year.

We were winding down from a rather lengthy run of Boys Don't Cry and after the show one day, an older couple approached our cashier and demanded to speak to a manager. Since I was busy starting a movie (good thing as it turned out) I told the cashier to call Ian. So Ian went down to find out what was up. This couple were outraged that we had let a father bring his 8 year-old son to see Boys Don't Cry. They thought it was totally inappropriate and we should firmly police who attends what movie. Ian thanked them for their comments and explained that the ratings weren't law and as long as the kid was accompanied by a parent niether we, nor they, had any grounds to object.

Apparently the couple must have made some comment to the parent as he had hung around and was sitting in the cafe when the couple pointed he and his son out. Ian went over to talk to them and the first words out of the father's mouth were - "So what was that about?" Ian congratulated the father on being voted pariah of the day - much to their amusement. Turns out the kid is 11 and the father specifically brought him to see this movie because it dealt with homophobia and harassment - which is apparently an issue at the kid's school. Ian thanked the father for supporting our theatre and gave him some passes. Oh, and the kid piped up that he had seen far more violence and sex on tv than were in Boys Don't Cry.

I applaud the father for bringing his son to the movie. As theatre owners, managers, and staff I firmly believe we are not in the business of passing judgement on if its ok for kids to see this or that R rated movie when accompanied by a parent or guardian.

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Lance C. McFetridge
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 135
From: Penn Yan, New York
Registered: Jul 99


 - posted 07-13-2000 05:45 PM      Profile for Lance C. McFetridge   Email Lance C. McFetridge   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Ky,
I salute you. We can not be responsible for the morals of the community. But rather it is the parents, who should use their judgement.
lance

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Barron Dripp
Film Handler

Posts: 15
From: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Registered: May 2000


 - posted 07-14-2000 01:27 PM      Profile for Barron Dripp   Email Barron Dripp   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
with movies getting more and more edgy every day, it is such an amazing feat that parents don't have the slightest clue as to what the hell they are allowing their children to see. With movies that are animated and are R rated (such as south park) if they were the least bit concerned before hand then they should have asked why the movie was rated R. THere were so many people at my theatre who complained because they didn't like the things that were in SOuth Park. Well no kidding...Ever seen the show? Besides the fact that the title is Bigger, Longer and UNCUT...doesn't mean anything. But there I feel that there are exceptions to the rules when it comes to R rated films and kids. IT also depends on the child. Movies such as The Hurricane, JFK or Shindlers list, although quite violent and have very graphic scenes among them, at least have some sort of value when they are watched. I would probably watch these movies first, and then consider taking my child to see them, this saying that they are maybe 14, 15 years old and are mature enough to handle it. Nowadays though, I think that it is the parents who is the one not mature enough to handle a sex scene in a movie while their 12 year old kid sits their munching on popcorn not caring in the slightest.

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Randy Loy
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 156

Registered: Aug 1999


 - posted 07-14-2000 03:18 PM      Profile for Randy Loy   Email Randy Loy   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
This topic comes up frequently when my wife and I visit various movie theatre owners and managers, either as part of our work with the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association or just for fun. Many of them are amazed at the pure lack of concern some parents have for the influence certain films may have on their childrens' development.

One drive-in owner we spoke with last summer told us that an elderly lady, apparently the grandmother of a van full of children, pulled up to his box office just before a screening of "South Park." When he advised her of the
film's content she became angry and said, "Now you've ruined it! Now that the kids know what the movie contains I can't take them in!"

Apparently granny had an inkling of what the movie was about and wanted to see it, got stuck baby sitting the grandkids, and hoped to get them inside before they realized how filthy the content was. I guess she figured that once the movie started she could have then just told the children to cover their ears while she finished watching the movie. Amazing!

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Dwayne Caldwell
Master Film Handler

Posts: 323
From: Rockwall, TX, USA
Registered: Apr 2000


 - posted 07-14-2000 03:44 PM      Profile for Dwayne Caldwell   Email Dwayne Caldwell   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I'll bet a lot of the problem is that the parent(s) want to see the movie but are to damn lazy to get a babysitter for their children while they go to watch the show alone. Pretty irresponsible. But then again, we are talking about theatre customers here.

------------------
The man with the magic hands.

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Ky Boyd
Hey I'm #23

Posts: 314
From: Santa Rosa, CA, USA
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 07-14-2000 08:41 PM      Profile for Ky Boyd   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The parents may be lazy - but babysitters may also be hard to come by. Here in Northern California we are at full employment and that trickles down to even 16 year-olds. Getting a job at the mall and a discount on clothes can be alot more appealing than babysitting. Plus, kids today know that as babysitters - if they are good - are in demand and can pick and choose whose kids they want to sit.

And what makes movie theatre customers a lower class of people than say playgoers? I'm curious at the reasoning behind the statement "we are talking about theatre customers here."

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