Now, nobody get too excited. We're just testing the waters here to see what YOU guys think about the POSSIBILITY of including rated R movies. We're making no guarantees either way, but be assured that if we do allow them, we'll take a very hard look at WHY a movie is rated-R before it's allowed to be put to the vote AND we will keep our discussion of the movie PG, as always.

Please vote in the poll and feel free to make your case for or against including rated-R movies in the film club in a post. Heck, feel free to go ahead and ad lib on movie ratings and their general good or evil-ness while you're at it-- that'll give the thread some "legs."

I´ve voted for the first option (like everyone else so far). I think we can manage a way so that the club won´t be unfair to underage kids.
Like, we can keep some genres as comedy and adventure under PG-13. Or maybe if a rated-R movie gets selected by votes, we could all agree that the next category nominations would have to be PG-13 or under.
I´m defending this because rating can sometimes keep a really good movie out of the discussions. It was kind of easy finding PG13 in comedy, but I think it will be harder once to the drama nominations for example.
Well, that´s what I think. Feel free to disagree!!!



Tati

I think the "why" behind a rating is a pretty important factor. I was sort of embarrassed last year when we ran into friends with smaller kids at the movie theater and talked them into going to see "Bewitched" (A PG-13) with us. There were a lot more sexually charged double entendres than I expected, because I was thinking of the nature of the old television series. Maybe I wouldn't have been so embarrassed if some of the humor hadn't seemed so sophmoric.

Not that anyone who is active on this board needs their sexual innocence protected, but some of the younger members might have parents who think they do. And as for myself, I will not see an R-rated movie that has realistic-type gratuitous violence. Body counts are not entertainment in my book.

Not that it matters all that much, since I don't have time to participate. I've been online more this week than I have in ages just because I've been home sick.

First, keep in mind that I, like Soli, have very little time/funds to watch or rent the films selected. My comments are more from a general perspective.

I believe the purpose of this film club, correct me if I'm wrong, is to watch and intelligently discuss good films. This being the case, it would be difficult to completely rule out a great film solely because of an R rating. The rating has nothing to do with the quality of the movie, just with the content.

Tati seems to be on the right track with her suggestions. While the majority of us may want to watch an R-rated film, it wouldn't be fair to anyone underage or otherwise opposed to watching those films to have multiple movies in a row of such a rating. Perhaps a different category for R-rated movies would be a good solution, or Tati's suggestion that no two films in a row could be R-rated.

Aww, and Soli? It's too bad you don't like the violence (not that I usually do). Now I'd feel guilty suggesting we watch Boondock Saints

Basically just reiterating what others have said here. There are some excellent movies that are R-rated and worthy of the film club, in addition to some genres where it's really hard to avoid R-rated films (horror, anyone?).

I like the idea that if an R-rated is picked, next time around they be excluded so those who can't or won't watch R-rated films are still getting a fair shake at the film club.

I do think that if R-rated movies are given a go-ahead, it's extremely important that it's pointed out why it's R-rated; some people are abject to violence, some people are abject to sex, or some to language.

If someone cannot or chooses not to participate because the chosen film is R-rated, then it becomes their decision.

I think the rotation time between movies is sufficiently short that we could allow R-rated movies one time out of two. Some of my favorite movies are R-rated. Mind you, I have no problem with the extreme violence/gore as I am a horror movie fan, but the rest of the R-ratedness doesn't bother me much either. I mean, let's not rent near-pron...

That said, I totally understand some people not wanting certain types of movies, regardless of the rating, really. So I think rotating one time out of two would be great, OR to have a category R-rated, so we can suggest those movies once in a while.

Wow. That's easily the most one-sided poll I've ever seen! We seem to have a clear bias in favor of allowing rated R movies. We'll take this up in staff.

If anyone does object, speak NOW!

Or forever hold your peace.

Actually, if you have any objections, feel free to PM the staff instead of posting here for fear of, well, I dunno what exactly. But yes, you are more than welcome to contact the staff about it if you have a contrary opinion.

I think that the majority of our underage members have demonstrated a certain maturity in their posts. Enough, at least, to say that they can judge for themselves what they can and can't watch.

Parenting being what it is, I suspect that it will be different in each household, dramatically different. My Mom, for example, wouldn't let my sister and I watch Mtv (early 80's - G rated compared to today) in the house, but my friend could see anything put to film, X-rated being the exception.

Plus, the music that's being listened to these days (by the way I'm 157 years old) is hardly "kid friendly", so really ... who are we kidding? They've heard it all already ...

My favorite films of all time (True Romance, Braveheart, Cool Hand Luke) are not for the faint of heart, to be sure, but each has it's own cinematic merits.

How would you check for age anyway? Just curious.

~AC

Personally I voted for the last option. There are lots of rated-R movies which would survive without (or even, perhaps, be better without) some of the rated-R scenes.

But, well, I'm old enough, and mature enough (and modest enough, you can see) to watch a rated-R movie if it is of my interest.

NOW...
I do not think that putting in a R-movie recomendation and making reviews to it here would be inapropriate. It's not like we are uploading the video here so anyone could watch. It's a choice to be made by the users. Like everything on the net.

And, if that's not too much trouble for the Mods you could always create a Movie Review Restricted Section, just as there are those for FanFic nad FanArt.

Nothing in the net is safe enough, and parents must know that before letting their children gain access to a pc. =)
I don't think you should be affraid of discussing R-rated movies here because of underage users.