Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: Sleazy R-Rated Movies for Your Kids

MOVIEGUIDE(R) ^ | May 23, 2003 | Tom Snyder

[Simi Valley Tom]

Despite the clear success of family-friendly, and even Christian, movies, such as MONSTERS, INC., MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, ICE AGE, THE ROOKIE, and SPIDER-MAN, Hollywood is rolling out a number of major R-rated movies this summer, including THE MATRIX RELOADED, TERMINATOR 3 and AMERICAN PIE 3.

The recent astronomical box office for MATRIX RELOADED proves that the core audience of teenage boys was not stopped by the movie’s R-rating and the strict admission policies at many theaters.

One teenage MATRIX fan, quoted by the Los Angeles Times on May 19, 2003, said she and her peers have to see such R-rated movies because a lot of people at school are talking about them.

MATRIX RELOADED and Pointed at You!

Unfortunately, some teenagers are also using THE MATRIX as a defense ploy to claim insanity in several brutal slayings, according to the Washington Post on May 17, 2003.

For instance, Washington sniper suspect John Lee Malvo, 18, wrote in his jail cell recently, “Free yourself of the matrix. You are a slave to the matrix control.” Also, 19-year-old Josh Cooke, who shot his father and mother to death in Oakton, Va., believes he lives inside the virtual reality of “The Matrix,” his lawyers say. Recently, a Ohio woman and a man in San Francisco were found not guilty by reason of insanity for killing their landlords because they thought that they, too, lived inside The Matrix.

Warners Bros., which distributes the MATRIX RELOADED sequel, released a statement saying there is no connection to their movies and these killings. “Any attempt to link these crimes with a motion picture or any other art form is disturbing and irresponsible,” the statement said.

This statement flies in the face of thousands of scientific studies showing that the depiction of violence in movies, videos and television programs incites violence among both children and adults. If someone did not make the connection between Hitler’s MEIN KAMPF or the Nazi film I ACCUSE and the Holocaust, that would be disturbing and irresponsible.

In the wake of all this awful news, funnyman Eddie Murphy’s most family friendly movie yet, DADDY DAY CARE, continued to do very good business, grossing $51.4 million after only its first two weekends. And, MATRIX RELOADED failed to break the opening weekend record set by SPIDER-MAN, one of the most Bible-friendly blockbuster movies in the last 10 years.

Why, then, is Hollywood taking a step backwards and trying to sell sex and violence to the nation’s families once again?

Especially since our statistics for the past 10 to 15 years show that the more sex, vulgarity and ultra-violence you put in your movie, the less money it makes?

The average child, by age 17, will spend at least 40,000 hours with the mass media, 11,000 hours at school, 2,000 hours with their parents, and only about 1,000 at church, if they attend every Saturday or Sunday.

Thus, the mass media may be far more influential than teachers, parents, and churches in molding a person's beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.

Whoever controls the media controls the culture.

It is up to us, therefore, to protect the culture from the malignant effects of the mass media, including the bias in the news media.

For more information on how to do this, call 1-800-899-6684, 1-800-577-6684, or write to movieguide@compuserve.com.

[Ajnin]

This statement flies in the face of thousands of scientific studies showing that the depiction of violence in movies, videos and television programs incites violence among both children and adults

I guess I took the wrong pill. Not only did I grow up watching violence on TV and video games, I watched it and particpated in it throughout highschool and the Marine Corps. I still see more than my fair share of violence as a law enforcement officer, yet I'm less violent than the boobs that are telling me that I'm supposed to me the most violent.

[Ed_in_NJ]

Just one more reason to:

BOYCOTT HOLLYWEIRD!!!

[DB]

Well I guess Ben Hur would fit the bill then...

Lots of pretty extreme violence...

Come to think of it the Bible is full of violence too...

We've all be corrupted I guess...

(I rather liked The Matrix, Dirty Harry and the like…)

[DB]

I hope Terminator 3 is a good as 1 and 2.

[pyx]

I guess I took the wrong pill. Not only did I grow up watching violence on TV and video games, I watched it and particpated in it throughout highschool and the Marine Corps. I still see more than my fair share of violence as a law enforcement officer, yet I'm less violent than the boobs that are telling me that I'm supposed to me the most violent.

< sarcasm on/ >You're right, ossifer ! Every moron knows that advertising doesn't really work and that a $100 billion per year spent to prop up the advertising industry is really wasted money down the $h!tter. I mean, all those tee vee[sic], raydio[sic] and print ads in magazines and newspapers are simply there to fill up space and have no effect whatsoever on people. And likewise, explicit sex movies, cop killer and gangsta rap music and prime time tee vee effluent that flows unebbed into our homes nightly has no effect on our nation because we're still livin' in the 1950's with Ozzie and Harriette Nelson.< sarcasm off/ >

Oooo.... the chill pill ...

[Mark was here]

< sarcasm on/ >You're right, ossifer ! Every moron knows that advertising doesn't really work and that a $100 billion per year spent to prop up the advertising industry is really wasted money down the $h!tter. I mean, all those tee vee[sic], raydio[sic] and print ads in magazines and newspapers are simply there to fill up space and have no effect whatsoever on people. And likewise, explicit sex movies, cop killer and gangsta rap music and prime time tee vee effluent that flows unebbed into our homes nightly has no effect on our nation because we're still livin' in the 1950's with Ozzie and Harriette Nelson.< sarcasm off/ >

Oooo.... the chill pill ...

So if Hollywood and advertisers are so effective I have an idea, the government can take our tax dollars, produce advertisements against Drunk Driving, Drug Abuse, Child Abuse etc, and poof all our "problems" will be solved!

[whereasandsoforth]

Didn't I read something here on FR yesterday about the Motion Picture industry's memo/guidelines to directors and producers about how to depict guns owners in movies? If indeed the media has no influence on culture, then why the guidelines about guns?

[whipitgood]

The rating is no indicator of what you will see. I made a BIG mistake taking my kids (ages 9,11,12) with me to see "Anger Management", which was rated PG13. We regularly watch PG13 movies at home, no big deal. Anger Management was sleaze, sleaze, sleaze. After twenty minutes we all walked out and I demanded, and got, a refund on our tickets. The kids all thanked me for taking them out. They, like me, think Hollywood is without excuse.

[maica]

You see real violence. I am sure that it has a sobering effect.

In a movie the results of a car thief driving straight into a blocking police car are not shown. So the teenage thug who decides to imitate the battle-by-car only knows about the 'action,' not the funeral that takes place after the dead officer leaves a widow and small children.


I do not think that the video games of your youth were the killer training videos (simulators) that are available to kids today.

[PatrioticAmerican]

I guess the parents of these kids have no say and its all Hollywierd's fault???

[tuna_battle_slight_return]

I hope Terminator 3 is a good as 1 and 2.

I thought T3 was released in 1991. No?

[DB]

Noooo....

It's planned release date is 7-2-03

[Jason_b]

Josh Cooke, who shot his father and mother to death in Oakton, Va., believes he lives inside the virtual reality of “The Matrix,”

If I were to be on the jury, he'll soon be believing he lives inside the actual reality of a prison cell.

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

how can it not be when the terminator is a hottie

[Jason_b]

Whoever controls the media controls the culture.

Does anyone person or group of individuals control the media and therefore the culture?

It could be argued that the media are part of a free market and the consumers demand the violence.

The comparison could also stand that certain individuals in the market of media suppliers and consumers are as drug pushers, pushing media dope to the weak and getting them hooked. As more people "sample" the vulgarity and are stimulated they lose the will to refuse. So they accept more degraded material, and demand it by buying it. So the media accomodates. A vicious spiral downward.

[Clintons a commie]

TERMINATOR 3 is rated PG-13, not R. I don't expect it to be any more violent than the average Comics Code approved Comic Book.

[mhking]

Yeah, I guess they're being shepherded into the theatres (with their insanely high prices) at gunpoint....

[RansomOttawa]

I hope Terminator 3 is a good as 1 and 2.

With no involvement whatever from James Cameron, I am skeptical (though I'm open-minded enough to give it a chance; I might be surprised).

[timm22]

Why, then, is Hollywood taking a step backwards and trying to sell sex and violence to the nation’s families once again?

I don't think they are trying to sell movies like The Matrix or American Pie to families. They are selling them to teenagers and adults. Single adults (like myself) like to watch movies, too.