“I’m back. [belch!]”
Oh yes, to be bathed in ketchup-colored red by an R-rated movie trailer inside a cinema. It’s been nearly a decade since the largest theater chain in North America, Regal Entertainment Group, showed its last restricted movie trailer but times are a changing. Regal will reintroduce the kid hating trailers before R-rated and NC17-rated films, with other exhibitors expected to follow suit.
Be sure to thank Judd Apatow, whose open endorsement of filthy dialogue and red band trailers for Knocked Up and Superbad, which were posted exclusively on the Internet and turned into outright sensations, helped jump start the decision. And, while you’re at it, thank Peter at Slashfilm, who lead the ‘Net charge and got rid of those pesky age restriction gates to many squares’ chagrin.
Back in 2000, a report by the Federal Trade Commission spanked the entertainment industry for marketing violence to children, even though back in those “wild days” red band trailers still weren’t supposed to be shown in front of a PG or G films. The red promotional tide was soon gone from mainstream theaters, and looking back on it, crowd pleasing R-rated films also went the way of John McClane spouting profanity at evil doers. So, lovers of R-rated films, Sexman and those in between: dance.
Discuss: Now that R-rated films are easier to market to wide audiences, do you think Regal’s decision will have any impact on studios making R-rated flicks? If PG-13 was a person, would you hang out with him?
Source Links: HR / First Showing
March 17th, 2008 at 9:12 am
If pg 13 were a person, i would probably hang out with him every so often, but make fun of him the whole time for being such a wimp. I would defend him from other r rated movies, but when they left, i would tell him, they make fun of you for being a bitch, so grow a pair and be r rated, little bitch. and i would ask him for 5 dollars but never pay him back.
March 17th, 2008 at 9:25 am
I can just picture the collective “oooooooh” from the crowd when a red R screen pops up before a trailer. Its like a big red “brace yourselves motherfuckers” right before some cool shit. Go Regal.
March 17th, 2008 at 9:28 am
it’s about time.
March 17th, 2008 at 9:31 am
I SAW THE PATHOLOGY RED BAND TRAILER AND THAT WAS PRETTY GRAPHIC, SO IM PRETTY SUPRISED TO HEAR THAT THEY ARE GOING INTO THEATRES. REGAL THEATRES WERE ONE OF THE STRICKTEST THEATRES ON THE WHOLE AGE / R-RATED MOVIE THINGS IN MY AREA WHEN GROWING UP, SO I GUESS THATS THE REASON THEY CAN SHOW THE TRAILERS. HANGING OUT WITH PG-13 WOULD BE LIKE HANGING WITH A BIBLE PUSHER, I THINK.
March 17th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Wow. Dude, Cap Locks..
March 17th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Good news.
March 17th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
As long as the keep the Twenty!
March 17th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Nothing wrong with Rated R trailers, and its great that Regal is taking it on.