So, over the last couple weeks, I've sprinkled a PG-13 rant in with some other crap. Like you, I'm sort of bored with the subject, but finish I must.
First of all the real title of this story should be Why was Johnny in a PG-13 movie? That's part of the evil of the PG-13 rating, is parents think it's okay, 'cause it's not 'R'.
The problem is, all PG-13 does is show all of the violence and scare, aside from the little details like blood or knife into flesh stuff.
I don't automatically believe that movie violence numbs people to real violence... I think parents are the most important resource for that discussion... but the rating allows parents to be more lazy than most of them already are.
Anyway... I like movie violence. I like to see the 'real' consequence of violence in movies (the blood and horror) and that is my main concern with the rating. A more important concern, though, is besides not having a clear guideline about what is considered PG-13, the rating is the dumping ground for 'blockbusters'.
Now, I like some blockbusters, but when you have a lower profit margin (such as 'R'), you tend to be a little more careful with script and story and you respect whatever your target audience is.
A PG-13 action movie, for the most part, doesn't have a target audience. They know the video game kids will check it out because they don't know any better; they know the adults will check it out, because nothing else is coming out.
It's a self abuse cycle.
But, let me conclude by asking a question, which, I hope, sums it up. Aside from a few Spielberg flicks and maybe the X-Men/Spiderman duo, can you really name a memorable action scene in a PG-13 movie? The same way you remember Terminator, Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Saving Private Ryan, etc.? Can you remember a John Woo action sequence in MI 2 or that Ben Afflect movie the same way you can the Killer or Hard Boiled? Hell, even Hard Target and Face/Off had some awesome action in them... both rated 'R'. Ten years from now are we going to remember AvP, or the chestbuster coming out of Kane? Think Aliens or AvP has more staying power?
And that's the main point, I guess. PG-13 action movies are cotton candy and I can't live on a diet of it. I want a big, red, bloody steak of stab and shoot when I go see an action flick. I don't want to see two monsters fighting or killing folk with random jump cuts and pan aways with the killin' starts.
And don't get me started on teen comedies. Who wants to see Animal House or American Pie without the language or naked boobs? You get White Girls.
Bah!
First of all the real title of this story should be Why was Johnny in a PG-13 movie? That's part of the evil of the PG-13 rating, is parents think it's okay, 'cause it's not 'R'.
The problem is, all PG-13 does is show all of the violence and scare, aside from the little details like blood or knife into flesh stuff.
I don't automatically believe that movie violence numbs people to real violence... I think parents are the most important resource for that discussion... but the rating allows parents to be more lazy than most of them already are.
Anyway... I like movie violence. I like to see the 'real' consequence of violence in movies (the blood and horror) and that is my main concern with the rating. A more important concern, though, is besides not having a clear guideline about what is considered PG-13, the rating is the dumping ground for 'blockbusters'.
Now, I like some blockbusters, but when you have a lower profit margin (such as 'R'), you tend to be a little more careful with script and story and you respect whatever your target audience is.
A PG-13 action movie, for the most part, doesn't have a target audience. They know the video game kids will check it out because they don't know any better; they know the adults will check it out, because nothing else is coming out.
It's a self abuse cycle.
But, let me conclude by asking a question, which, I hope, sums it up. Aside from a few Spielberg flicks and maybe the X-Men/Spiderman duo, can you really name a memorable action scene in a PG-13 movie? The same way you remember Terminator, Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Saving Private Ryan, etc.? Can you remember a John Woo action sequence in MI 2 or that Ben Afflect movie the same way you can the Killer or Hard Boiled? Hell, even Hard Target and Face/Off had some awesome action in them... both rated 'R'. Ten years from now are we going to remember AvP, or the chestbuster coming out of Kane? Think Aliens or AvP has more staying power?
And that's the main point, I guess. PG-13 action movies are cotton candy and I can't live on a diet of it. I want a big, red, bloody steak of stab and shoot when I go see an action flick. I don't want to see two monsters fighting or killing folk with random jump cuts and pan aways with the killin' starts.
And don't get me started on teen comedies. Who wants to see Animal House or American Pie without the language or naked boobs? You get White Girls.
Bah!
VIEW 10 of 10 COMMENTS
delusion:
that was awesome.
juliana:
That ant link was shuddershudder.