Just a G dressed up as an R

Well. "Movie rating system out of date?" by Michael Rechtshaffen (QMI Agency) run on the Ottawa Sun website Nov. 9 cites the film rating classification system of the Motion Picture Association of America (http://www.mpaa.org/) as unfairly lumping movies such as the upcoming The King's Speech that contain bad language in with those featuring bad language and nudity, torture and such.









 http://www.ottawasun.com/entertainment/movies/2010/11/09/16050296.html

The King's Speech is rated R, says the MPAA. Is that bad? Oh, okay. It's not too bad, but it looks bad. So, do people still pay attention to a film's rating anymore? Really?! Besides, so what if the MPAA gets it right or wrong? It's The States.

Checking in online with the MPAA's Canadian counterparts that regulate such nasty evil tasty cinematic sins for the Ottawa-Gatineau region leads to the provincial government sites of the Ontario Film Review Board (http://www.ofrb.gov.on.ca/English/default.htm) and the Régie du cinéma Québec (http://www.rcq.gouv.qc.ca/).

I keyed in The King's Speech at the MPAA's ratings site (http://www.filmratings.com) and it indeed is Rated R, meaning "Restricted. Children Under 17 Require Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian." I did the same at Ontario's OFRB site, which rated that same film at PG. In Ontario, a PG rating means, "Parental guidance is advised. Theme or content may not be suitable for all children." Quebec's RCQ site gave it a G, which its English version describes as "The film is appropriate for viewing, rental or purchase by persons of all ages."
 

 

Confusing. Oh well. Enjoy.


As an aside, has anyone else here in Ottawa attempted to use the new AMC site for Kanata movie listings there? Here's a time-saving shortcut for you to try instead: amctheatres.com/Kanata/

http://www.amctheatres.com/Kanata/


Downtown, the Free Thinking Film Society is hosting its inaugural Free Thinking Film Festival Nov. 12-14 at the Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington St. I like how the acronym for this "alternative to the alternative" film fest somewhat resembles the sound of a raspberry: FTFF.









http://www.freethinkingfilmfest.ca/


There's also an Anime convention here in town this weekend. Naru 2 U runs Nov. 12-14 at the Travelodge Hotel And Convention Centre, 1376 Carling Ave., and includes film-related featured guest speakers Barbara Goodson (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0329361/) and Spike Spencer (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0818111/).

http://naru2u.com/


Thanks for checking in.