There seems to be a common thread of movie posts on here as of late which has got me thinking about something that has been really irritating me for the past few years, so I figured I'd write it down and get it off my chest and who knows maybe someone out there will agree with me. I HATE HORROR MOVIES THAT ARE RATED PG-13! There are seriously few things that erk me in this life as much as seeing a trailer for a horror film that looks mildly interresting only to reach the end of the trailer to see it has been slapped with a rating that does not belong in the genre of film that i have grown to love.
This may sound somewhat harsh and possibly irrational but I firmly believe in it. The word "horror" is denfined as- "An intense, painful feeling of repugnance and fear." To translate that feeling and emotion on to film is obviously going to require a lot of visuals and depictions of unpleasantries that in my feeling should not be inhibited to accomodate the needs of persons thirteen years of age. I'm not saying I'm some type of violence obsessed nut job, but I feel like you are very limited to what you can and can't do in a PG-13 film and I feel out of any movie genre out there, horror should be the group with the least amount of limitaions.
The main reason why this has been brought to the forefront of my mind is because on the 30th of this month New Line Cinema is scheduled to release a remake of Wes Craven's classic 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' and last I had heard, the studio and executives were pushing for a PG-13 rating. I'm uncertain if they are still trying to stick to that plan or if the final cut of the film will have that rating but even the fact that it was not only considered, but PUSHED to have a PG-13 rating agitates me greatly. The original 1984 'Nightmare' and the 7 sequels that followed were all given Restricted ratings, and rightfully so. It seems a bit ridiculous that the remake should be watered down and made less fierce and abrasive then the original. If anything you would think that the director and executives in charge would want to make it more harsh and try to push the envelope much more then what the 1984 version did!
Perhaps I am alone in my way of thinking, or perhaps I really have become desensitized, as my family and the conservative media keep telling me but when I watch a horror movie I want it to be shocking, gruesome, terrifying and maybe if I'm lucky, groundbreaking. PG-13 just doesn't cut it for me.
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I feel like, in the majority of cases, the MPAA rating system has ruined art, or at most it has set clear and necessary conditions for a movie not qualifying as good art. It's not sufficient, mind you. There have been many an R movie that has been wretched and there has been many a G movie that's been great: just not Horror, which is the point of your blog.
ReplyDeleteHorror has got to be R!!!!! This applies to a big chunk of Sci-Fi too! This was my main objection to Terminator Salvation. Why in the freaking crap is it PG13!?!?!? Why!?! Even PG13 war movies are a waste of time.
And why in the name of all that is decent is Nightmare on Elm Street being released with a PG13 rating!?!? Are you talking about the one Michael Bay (I think?) is producing? Are movie studios just completely out of touch with the fan base? Why don't they just go ahead and make Saving Private Ryan the sequel with a beach-head scene that involves paintball guns!!!!
Huge fan of Freddy, btw: got the box set.