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| Movie Review: This Film is Not Yet Rated Alternate Title: It's the Sex, Stupid!
Story: This revealing documentary
is mandatory viewing for anyone who cares about the movies. Your chances
of being able to see this muckraking film are slim because it received
the dreaded NC-17 rating from the MPAA. Director and writer Kirby Dick
(yes, I laughed at his name too) methodically covers the process a film
maker goes through in order to get a rating from the Motion Picture
Association of America. Why does a film need a rating you ask? Without
a rating the financial backing for advertising is minimal and the film
gets limited release in theaters. The bottom line suffers. So who the heck is the MPAA? That is one part
of the story. Dick hires a private investigation firm (I loved the two
female PI's ) to find out who is on this secret board. The MPAA is an
self- regulated industry organization that is funded by the big studios
(you know who all of those conglomerates are). The secret board members
are supposed to be your average parent (whatever that means). Their
rating system is arbitrary, secretive, hypocritical and smacks of moralizing
Puritan values. The other part of the film involves Dick's personal
experiences in trying to get this film rated. Director Dick dissects some of their decisions
by interviewing film makers who have run into problems with the MPAA
like Kimberly Pierce (Boys Don't Cry), John
Waters (A Dirty Shame), actress Maria Bello
(The Cooler) Mary Harron (American Psycho), Kevin
Smith, Matt Stone and more. His investigation clearly shows that the board
favors violence over sex. They especially frown upon females enjoying
sex, homosexuals having sex, or any sexual position other than missionary.
They do seem to like violence against women however. And slasher films
are okay in their minds. Aurgh! Dick has done movie goers everywhere a service
by unveiling this group of uptight, moralistic, old world creeps. The
appeals board of the MPAA even has two members of the clergy (Episcopal
and Catholic only) as part of the process. Gasp! See the film, have a few laughs, get angry and
above all - always support your Independent film maker. Otherwise we
will all have to watch the same crap that is spewed out year after year. Acting: The film is a documentary so this category
does not apply.
Predilection: I like documentaries and hate censorship
of any kind.
Visual Art: There are some wonderful clips from films
gone by.
Theater Audience: I saw this film in my new favorite
theater. The IFC on 6th Avenue. It used to be the Waverly but has been
reincarnated. It now shows only independent films with absolutely no
annoying advertisements. They show a short film before each movie and
the popcorn is excellent.
Weather: Sunny and 72 (it takes place in Los Angeles).
Sappy Factor: 0
Squirm Scale: I squirmed whenever creepoid Jack Valenti
came on screen.
Drift Factor: I did not drift for a second.
Oscar Worthy: Yes
Soap Box: Censorship sucks. Don't tell me what I
can't see, read or watch. The five ratings a film can receive are G
(usually boring), PG, (usually drift worthy), PG-13 (usually big movie
studio productions that appear on airplanes first), R (that means sex
and violence) and NC-17 (the rating formerly known as 'X').
Big Screen or Rental: Please go to the big screen
for this one. Length: 100 minutes
LOBO HOWLS: 9
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