August 22, 2014

The MPPA Gives Another "Instant R" To A Film With Gay Leads

Today my friend and colleague Ira Sach's film LOVE IS STRANGE opens in New York and LA. This festival favorite, which has received some amazing reviews (and awards buzz too!), is about a mature gay couple played by John Lithgow and Alfred Molina. Yet, once again, the MPAA slapped an "instant R" on the film due to the fact that the lead characters are gay. Earlier this year, it happened with another friend of mine's movie G.B.F., which had no explicit sex or nudity but also centered its story on a character who happened to be gay.  

Predictably, there has been yet another outcry over this persistent problem, both on Slate and other entertainment sites. There's also a great essay on NJ.com where the critic Stephen Whitty sizes Ira's film up against other offerings this weekend that are also rated R, like Frank Miller's SIN CITY sequel and JERSEY SHORE MASSACRE(!). Both feature a lot of nudity and explicit gun violence and somehow they have the exact same rating as a story about a gay couple and their families?! The MPAA is truly getting absurd with this sort of classification that equates the simple fact of homosexuality as shocking as the violent and sexually exploitative material of these two unabashed B-movies. 

With gay marriage becoming more common and now legal in a third of the United States, I think it's safe to say that the general public would not find this sort of story that shocking. Even more ironic is the fact that those under 17, who recent polls and studies show have a greater understanding and acceptance when it comes to LGBT issues, are actually banned from seeing the film due to it's restrictive rating. So the question is when will the ratings board stop this sort of institutional inequality when it comes to films with gay content and characters? Hopefully soon as they seem more and more out of touch with the reality of American audiences today.

1 comment:

  1. One cannot deny the direction mainstream Hollywood "horror" films are going in, not a direction of true horror, but one of teen screams and cheap scares. And even though PG-13 Hollywood horror has created some gems like The Conjuring, for the most part they have disappointed this horror veteran. This film was no different, it just plain old wasn't scary, or thrilling, or suspenseful. To be fair I liked some the kills but other than that I could not find anything redeeming. happy death day online Its another sad attempt by Hollywood at horror, it just isn't scary. Like many other mainstream horror films, I found myself being bored, waiting for the next scare/kill, only to be disappointed by it. But I suppose if you are a 14 year old girl, like the majority of the theater was, then I suppose it might scare you, but for a man who has been a horror nerd since childhood, this just didn't do it at all for me, I was truly disappointed. the devil's candy release date

    The acting was just so generic it ruined many aspects of the film. Not only did I not relate with these characters, I didn't care if they died or not, which can be an essential aspect of such a horror film as this. Also in the tense moments of suspense, their acting wasn't convincing enough to make the scene actually suspenseful. watch Avengers Infinity War online free hd And another thing I just cant stand is that stupid CGI face-morphing that goes on. Not just in this movie, but in all movies, where the face screams but its mouth is CGI'ed to make it look bigger. Ugh it just sooooooo takes me out of the scare and honestly makes me laugh in embarrassment for whoever thought it looked good. As a horror veteran, these films make me sad, If you are an easily frightened child, go see it, but if you are a horror veteran like myself, this will only disgust you.

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