Full Frontal Nudity..........

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: : (For anyone who has not seen it, there may be slight "Gladiator" spoilers contained within.) : : Yeah, I know that was corny, but what a great line. Russell Crowe is the most foxirific thing I've seen since Jason Lee let his facial hair run wild. Not to mention he spends two and a half hours running around in get-ups very close to buckskin kilts, homina homina. The man's thighs are like steel. But I digress. : Umm perhaps I will wear my kilt to Vulgarthon... : : Obviously I went to see "Gladiator", my first time back in a huge multiplex (the little art-house cinema down the street is good enough for me) since the whole debacle known as "The Beach" (but we shall speak no more of this now, or ever). Gorgeously done, I must say, but I expect no less of Ridley Scott; the man is a master of the visual medium. I definitely recommend it to all, except small children... : Yep the next thing you know those pesky kids will be running around with swords whacking each others heads off... : : Which brings me closer to my point; Gladiator earned a deserved "R" rating for all its blood & gore. It was quite a trip to sit there enjoying this movie, quite a spectacle of violence in and of itself, whose plot revolves around the very birthplace of violent spectacles, and whose main character suffers as a result of being forced to provide violent spectacles to the masses. Are they not entertained? Not yet, Russell, not until they can see the white of the brain stem when you whack the next five gladiators' heads off. Anyways, it got me thinking, and it suddenly occured to me that all of Smitty's movies have gotten "R" ratings, not that I didn't know that but it never seemed contradictory to me before. : ok.... : : What's more appropriate for a thirteen-year-old kid to see, let me ask you -- two and a half hours worth of bloody head-chopping or a fortune-teller with three nipples? Doesn't the rating system seem rather worthless if such a range of things can be included in the same category? Is the adult content in "Dogma" really comparable to that in "Gladiator" or "Saving Private Ryan"? Or are we just a culture that embraces violent spectacles and reviles provocative language and ideas? : Yes but the aforementioned movies are historical in content...Plus the average 13 year old can watch the latest installment of WWF smaketh downeth and get his/her violence content for the week....Yes, we as a culture love violence...but mention....the words dick sucking or cunt...and well the shit hits the fan...people are still scared of sex....but beheadings...bring it on... : : : It's no news to anyone that Mr. Smith's movies are pretty tame in terms of showing action, only adult-oriented in language and overall themes. All the Askewniverse flicks got the old "strong language" mark, and Dogma had the additional stigma of containing "crude humor" according to the MPAA (took me a good five minutes of pondering over that one before I finally exclaimed, "Oh, they mean the SHIT DEMON!"). : yep... : : : Wouldn't it be easier, and more helpful to parents, if instead of ratings they could just read the commentary that the MPAA puts out? Two movies that get a "PG-13" or an "R" could be entirely different. : It would be easier if the MPAA went bye bye...but alas I dont see that happening...Hell I learned more about sex and violence on the playground at school then I did anywhere else.... : : : But back to the point, my question for Mr. Shaft is...I understand that "Clerks" original NC-17 rating (given for language/dialogue alone) was appealed down to an R, but did any cuts have to be made in order for that to happen? In fact, have you ever had to cut anything from one of your movies because of MPAA standards and not reasons of length or pacing? If so, what scenes from which movies? : No cuts were made as I understand it..pretty landmarkish if you ask me. I think there were homosexual overtones in Mallrats that were toned down and bit and a few fucks taken out....also...when Brodie refers to the Thing's dick as a dork....It was orginally called his dick... : : : Also, does the MPAA provide filmmakers with any sort of guidelines prior to filming a project as to what might or might not garner which rating or do you just have to submit a finished product and cross your fingers that they approve? And, I'd appreciate any insight from this crowd, the rating system is supposedly voluntary but is it really? I mean, do you have a chance in hell of getting your movie shown anywhere if its unrated or are all movie chains pretty much the same in demanding a movie be rated before they'll pick it up? : I am sure they do...but it probably reads like Clarence Thomas' disposition at an all night strip club...... : : I'm not even complaining about censorship, I think the rating system is not a bad idea; it helps parents to monitor their kids' environments and it helps those looking for titillating material to find it easily. But it all seems rather arbitrary. : : -- Isis : : Rated "X" for "Extra fun!" : MK : rated "R" for randy........baby........ : : P.S. Hey Chiusano & other redblooded American males, guess what..."Coyote Ugly" is rated PG-13. Tits and no bush, as Jay says. Nothing worse than a movie that promises spectacle and delivers "sensuality". : I like boobies better anyway...If I had boobies...not bitch tits like in Fight Club...I would never leave the house....

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