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Author Topic: "Not Rated" films
John Scott
Master Film Handler

Posts: 252
From: Oakdale, MN, USA
Registered: Jul 2000


 - posted 05-20-2001 12:47 AM      Profile for John Scott   Email John Scott   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I'm just curious what your theatres policies are for kids with regards to films that are "Not Rated"?

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Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000


 - posted 05-20-2001 02:14 AM      Profile for Sean McKinnon   Author's Homepage   Email Sean McKinnon   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
All the Cinemas I have worked for have handled them as "R" rated films

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

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James R. Hammonds, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 931
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Nov 2000


 - posted 05-20-2001 03:41 AM      Profile for James R. Hammonds, Jr   Email James R. Hammonds, Jr   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
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

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Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000


 - posted 05-20-2001 04:57 AM      Profile for Sean McKinnon   Author's Homepage   Email Sean McKinnon   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
im sorry thats righy we treated them nc-17 not R

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

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Gordon Hedges III
Jealous of everyone not me

Posts: 212
From: Severn, MD
Registered: Apr 2001


 - posted 05-21-2001 02:08 AM      Profile for Gordon Hedges III   Email Gordon Hedges III   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
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".


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William Hooper
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1879
From: Mobile, AL USA
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 05-21-2001 02:13 AM      Profile for William Hooper   Author's Homepage   Email William Hooper   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
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!

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Ky Boyd
Hey I'm #23

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


 - posted 05-21-2001 02:24 AM      Profile for Ky Boyd   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
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.

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Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001


 - posted 06-02-2001 02:46 PM      Profile for Charles Everett   Email Charles Everett   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
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.


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Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001


 - posted 06-14-2001 06:25 PM      Profile for Charles Everett   Email Charles Everett   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
An arthouse in Easton PA (Lehigh Valley) opens The Center of the World tomorrow as a "self-rated" NC-17.


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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 06-14-2001 06:38 PM      Profile for Mike Blakesley   Author's Homepage   Email Mike Blakesley   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
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!

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Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001


 - posted 04-06-2002 10:20 AM      Profile for Charles Everett   Email Charles Everett   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
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".

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Ian Price
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1714
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 04-13-2002 03:16 PM      Profile for Ian Price   Email Ian Price   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
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.



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Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001


 - posted 05-13-2002 05:43 PM      Profile for Charles Everett   Email Charles Everett   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
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.

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