Anyone seen "This Film Is Not Yet Rated"?

[keg in kc]

Caught it on IFC over the weekend, just curious if anyone else had.

Pretty interesting documentary look at the MPAA and their ratings board. Entertaining bit was that the filmmaker hired detectives to track down and identify members of the super-secret rating board, which in the end revealed the falsehood of a number of statements made by the MPAA. Essentially showed the way (caveat: in the opinion of the filmmaker, who was clearly pursuing his agenaa...) the board was designed to serve at the behest of the major studios, and how they act to censor what the public is going to see.

[Adept Havelock]

No I haven't, but I think I'll make the time. Sounds interesting. Thanks.

[KcMizzou]

As much as I dislike the MPAA, I'm afraid if they didnt exist, it would be left up to the government.

The devil you know... ya know?

I haven't seen the film either. Sounds interesting though.

[keg in kc]

As much as I dislike the MPAA, I'm afraid if they didnt exist, it would be left up to the government.

The devil you know... ya know?That was part of what was covered in the movie. Apparently it's not really the devil we know. They don't give specific criteria for what they use to rate films, particularly independent movies, and (before the names were discovered via the detective) nobody had any idea who was screening the movies. I won't give anything away, but it was very interesting to discover who was on the ratings board, and even more interesting to see who was involved with appeals.

Related to the indy experience versus the major studio treatment, one of the creators of South Park was on early in the movie, and he talked about how different his experience was when Orgasmo (indy) was rated, how they were given virtually no information. But when South Park's movie (studio) was rated, they received a specific list of why the film was given an NC-17 and what needed to be cut to get it an R.

There was also a bit of coverage on the acceptability of violence versus sex, which is something I've always had trouble with, long before I ever saw the film.

[Deberg_1990]

I TIVO'd it off of IFC the other night...havnet watched it yet unfortunately....

My only problem with the ratings system is that those fools have no problem with violence but are way hung up on anything too sexual...

[ZootedGranny]

It was interesting, and sometimes slightly disturbing, especially the revelation that the MPAA has clergy present for the appeals process.

[keg in kc]

It was interesting, and sometimes slightly disturbing, especially the revelation that the MPAA has clergy present for the appeals process.Blew me away how many things, if the movie is accurate, that the MPAA simply lies about. And since the process is secret, they answer to absolutely nobody.

From a creative standpoint, I found it appalling that they apparently try to make movies "better," rather than simply rate them, too. Hell, if you're going to do that, might as well populate the screening room with film students and critics. Although I guess they may not have the..."appropriate" morality.