Does the MPAA have it in for Kevin Smith? It’s beginning to sound like it. First they made the filmmaker remove an unapproved red band teaser trailer (which featured no footage from the actual film) from the web, and not it looks like Smith is having issues getting Zack and Miri Make a Porno by the ratings board.
“The MPAA is gunning for us, I think. It’s a really filthy movie. I hear they are having some problems getting an R rating from an NC-17 rating, which is never good,” Seth Rogen told MTV. “A guy f—ing a donkey, they ain’t got no problem with. But a man and a woman having sex they seem to have real issues with, for some weird reason. It’s insane. It’s completely insane.”
I knew when the title was first announced that Smith and company would probably have a few hurdles to jump when it came time to go up against the MPAA. I doubt The Weinstein Co is willing to release the film with an NC-17 rating, which means that Smith likely have to make cuts to get a theatrical R-rating. But don’t worry, Smith always includes a ton of extra footage on his DVD releases. If anything is cut, you can expect to see it on the DVD. As for the MPAA, I highly recommend everyone rent or buy the documentary This Film Has Not Yet Been Rated. I understand the need for ratings but the whole MPAA process is beyond ridiculous.
June 20th, 2008 at 3:05 am
eh, my comment got moderated?
June 20th, 2008 at 4:12 am
I will never understand rating boards. They seem to have no specific guidelines and just make decisions on a whim.
Might wanna proof read your posts before you hastily press publish, too… just a suggestion ;o)
June 20th, 2008 at 4:27 am
You think that’s harsh? I used to live in Malaysia (I now reside in London, thank god for that), where the censorship board disallowed DAREDEVIL from screening in the country, not because it was utter shite, but because it contained the word ‘DEVIL’ in its title. DEVIL. Yeah, that’s definitely going to flip me to the darkside. Idiots.
Additionally, they actually managed to CHANGE THE TITLE of Hellboy (because of the extremely dangerous reference to HELL in the title) to SUPER SAPIENS, which led to it flopping at the box office. YET, they allow lesbian kisses in V For Vendetta, and Bart Simpson’s cock to be screened.
Twats. //end rant
June 20th, 2008 at 5:02 am
Comedies like this one, are always rated for 12 years old in Germany.
You can see nude people, copulating people all the day in our TV. It’s absurd, that the americans are SO prude.
Sex is the most normal thing in the world.
June 20th, 2008 at 5:05 am
smith has already accomplished so much, i think an nc-17 film would be a great new addition to his collection.
TFHNYBR (whew!) was a poignant flick, but the private eye/stalking part got me pretty pissed off - i never support invasion of privacy shit, and i can’t remember the exact details but that PI crossed some fucking lines. i’ll just have to watch it again: first to get pissed at the mpaa for their hipocracy, then at the filmmakers for cashing in on their own form of paparazzi.
June 20th, 2008 at 6:06 am
Yeah, it’s crazy.
June 20th, 2008 at 6:30 am
Didn’t Clerks get an NC-17 the first time around as well?
June 20th, 2008 at 6:31 am
Yeah Americans are prudes when it comes to sexual content but have blood lust when it comes to violence. Doesn’t make sense, I’ve watched the film Peter mentioned and it’s insane how these ratings are developed. I think the whole idea that bunch of housewives and people who have no background in film are telling studios and directors to cut their films to appease them. I knew that having “Porno” in the title is going to cause problems, Smith will have fun trying to get ads on TV with it. Network TV is just as bad when it comes to censorship. Watch the title will get trimmed down to “Zack & Miri”. I’m a huge fan of foreign films like most of the other readers here and sex comedies are staples in most countries they’re more extreme than this one could be. Kevin’s crudeness comes from speech and I think that might be where the MPAA has issues with just look at the internet teaser. They freaked out and the footage wasn’t even in the movie.
I understand the need to protect children from sensitive material but to the point of protecting adults from content is a little insane. I’d like to know how many stupid parents are taking 8 year olds to a hardcore sex comedies or splatter gore horror flicks. Parents should be the ones censoring what children see not the other way around. People just seem to be on edge these days believing that movies influence behavior.
June 20th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Don’t care. Probably just part of the hype to market the film. Smith sucks.
He probably just turned in a cut he knew would get this rating so people would discuss it to promote the film.
June 20th, 2008 at 7:16 am
Robert, you’re probably right. Thanks for contributing.
June 20th, 2008 at 7:53 am
So, did the MPAA Ratings board ever see Good Luck Chuck? I’m a 21 year old, normal male, and I saw this movie with a good female friend/peer of mine. We felt embarrassed throughout most of the movie during the sex scenes. I mean, this movie only had an R rating and they showed everything except for penis and insertion.
I’m definitely no prude, but, my God, why are they trying to give Zack and Miri an NC-17 when that horrible movie got an R rating? Sympathy, maybe, for bad comedy?
June 20th, 2008 at 8:42 am
I think this is beyond the opinions of kevin smith
this is about the MPAA
Personally, I hope that this is a film that does get the NC-17 rating. I hope that it still has distribution. Most importantly? I want to see the film community do their part in promoting a film by using the most powerful form of advertisement; Word of Mouth.
this would be the downright best way to send a message to the MPAA
I can’t say I know of any film that has had success from no real air time advertising and just word of mouth that had this “taboo” rating.
I think it would a first and a step in the right direction.
yay? nay?
June 20th, 2008 at 8:47 am
Kevin Smith may be the most overrated filmmaker of all. His stuff is really quite idiotic. And, yes, an NC-17 rating might kill the film since it likely speaks best to the average 13 year old.
June 20th, 2008 at 9:00 am
sorry dude but there are more overrated directors out there.
I like Smith. Mostly because he wouldn’t care what anyone would have to say
June 20th, 2008 at 9:03 am
I don’t know crude this movie is yet, but I think if Boogie Nights can get an R rating while being basically all about sex and showing it, then why can’t this movie get an R rating. I highly doubt we’ll see as much sex in this as in that movie.
June 20th, 2008 at 9:13 am
And why not skip the stinkin’ theater system and release an unrated DVD?
June 20th, 2008 at 9:48 am
I think he deserves this kind of treatment for treating porn as some kind of cute, everyday subject.
June 20th, 2008 at 10:22 am
I’ve never figured out why sex is worse than murder/torture and shit according to the MPAA.
June 20th, 2008 at 11:01 am
fuckit,
Because the MPAA has a bunch of soccermoms and a couple of catholic priests who work there rating films.
June 20th, 2008 at 11:57 am
In all reality, does anyone even care about ratings anymore? If there’s a movie a 13 year old wants to watch that is rated R they’re going to watch it regardless. Ratings on movies mean just about as much as ratings on video games, which is jack squat. After all, GTA4 was rated M, wasn’t it? I seriously doubt that made 500 million by selling it only to the 18 plus.
Thankfully, box office doesn’t mean much to Kevin Smith. His films have never done very well in theater but have exploded once on DVD. He has a very dedicated following and he treats them like gold. I think that if he were to prune it down to a R rating he would just go ahead and release the original cut on DVD and be done with it. After all, that’s how most people are going to see it.
June 20th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Smith gets alot of shit but there are far, far, far, worse and more unoriginal comedic directors working today. I really believe it has to do with Smith’s personality. Directors whose personalities are bigger then their actual work tend to get alot of shit ala Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, etc. Personally, I love Smith’s comics work and can’t wait to see what he has to say with Red State. That’s by far one of the most intriguing projects floating around out there. Hope it gets funding.
June 20th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
MPAA blows.
June 20th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Orgazmo and Choda Boy need to do something about this.