Kevin Smith Wins NC-17 'Porno' Appeal

18 Comments »

1. No, Harvey, somewhere up in heaven George Carlin is saying, “Shut the fuck up, Harvey! If you wanna invoke my name in the selling of Kevin Smith’s shitty movie you should’ve told the MPAA to shove it up their asses and taken the NC 17.”

   Comment by The Right Coast — August 6, 2008 @ 3:02 pm

2. Please Harvey, no more Kevin Smith movies.

   Comment by A Dena — August 6, 2008 @ 3:46 pm

3. Let’s hope this rating change does not further degrade our current ratings system. At some point the board members of the MPAA need to stand their ground. And there’s nothing wrong with them holding onto an original decision. I just don’t want the board to give into ratings changes for political reasons. Does anyone have insider information that would point to this being a political move rather than simply an error?

   Comment by Working Actor — August 6, 2008 @ 3:52 pm

4. Actually, George didn’t believe in God, so it’s twice as thoughtless of Harvey to say what he said. A simple “If George Carlin were here, he’d–” would have done.

   Come to think of it, Harvey doesn’t believe in Heaven either. Can we just pass a law to gag him for good?

   Comment by uncle vanya — August 6, 2008 @ 4:54 pm

5. Good for Harvey. Good for Smith. Good for artists. Bad for jackbooted thugs and the mind police. Too bad.

   Comment by TLA — August 6, 2008 @ 5:50 pm

6. Over-rated Kevin shd just stick to what he know best and that does not include directing movies

   But for the NC17, we shd just remove all this rating system and let everyone decide for themeslves what they want and do not want to see. Why? Not as if our children can’t get hold of the X-rated movies or stuffs themselves. It’s a big joke this movie rating system. We try so hard to keep our children away from watching porn/mayhem/violence in the cinema but no control outside it.

   Comment by Armand — August 6, 2008 @ 5:59 pm

7. George would be saying, “Kevin had me sucking off a trucker in Jay & Silent Bob and THAT didn’t get an NC-17″

   Of course, in order for George to say that would imply that he believed in an afterlife.

   Comment by 40yearoldstitzer — August 6, 2008 @ 6:00 pm

8. I like Kevin Smith and most of his movies… I’m not sure why uncle vanya hates him. I saw a scene from the movie at Comic-Con and I have to say, it was hilarious! I’m looking forward to seeing it.

   Comment by Daily Actor — August 6, 2008 @ 6:04 pm

9. I’m surprised it’s getting an R considering I’ve read the script and every second word is “fuck”. Just goes to show how the MPAA bends over backwards when it comes to a studio film. I can only imagine them slapping the film with an NC17 if the director was a nobody and it was some indie flick.

   Comment by Anonymous — August 6, 2008 @ 6:18 pm

10. Anonymous, have you ever seen “This Film is Not Yet Rated”? It really shows that the MPAA is horribly consistent with trimming sexual content in movies in movies to snag an R-rating, while approving gratuitous violence (provided there’s no blood). In fact, some gay sex scenes in indie films get slapped with an NC-17 rating when they’re no less provocative or shot differently than R-rated straight sex. And let’s not forget that “Team America” debacle involving the puppet sex scenes.

    I think Joan Philo should stick it and pick some fresh newcomers to work for the MPAA (such as single, minority, and gay people and not just parents with grown/teenage children) in order to ensure a more diverse and less uptight approach to rating movies in America. The fact that Kevin Smith won his third appeal in a row is a victory for filmmakers in general.

    Comment by Matt — August 6, 2008 @ 7:21 pm

11. @Working Actor:

    Watch This Film Is Not Yet Rated and ask yourself if there’s *anything* about MPAA ratings that isn’t political.

    Comment by Ratings Skeptic — August 6, 2008 @ 9:12 pm

12. @Daily Actor: I love Kevin Smith movies. And I’m glad they won the appeal. I just can’t stand that loudmouth Harvey Weinstein.

    Comment by uncle vanya — August 6, 2008 @ 11:06 pm

13. Hey, Anonymous! Keven Smith essentially is a “nobody”.
    How he is even considered a second- or third- tier director is beyond me. Has he ever made a movie anyone (other than fanboys) has ever heard of?

    He should stick to writing comic books. I understand he’s a god among the geeks.

    Comment by Here In Flyover — August 7, 2008 @ 5:11 am

14. Without actually having to do any research on my part, can someone please explain what the MPAA issue with “Jersey Girl” was?

    Comment by TorontoTodd — August 7, 2008 @ 7:49 am

15. My guess is the scene in which Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler brutally raped Sweeney Todd.

    Comment by uncle vanya — August 7, 2008 @ 9:41 am

16. (Actually, Smith lobbied successfully to get Jersey Girl reduced from R to PG-13)

    Comment by uncle vanya — August 7, 2008 @ 9:47 am

17. TorontoTodd, the MPAA originally gave “Jersey Girl” an R-rating because there was a scene where Liv Tyler’s character talks about how she masturbates two times a day. Smith appealed for a PG-13 rating, and he got it. The scene is nowhere near as graphic as the sex talk in “Clerks” — very mild at best.

    Comment by Matt — August 7, 2008 @ 9:54 am

18. TorontoTodd, the MPAA objected to a frank conversation about masturbation between Liv Tyler and Ben Affleck in Jersey Girl, initially giving the film an R solely because of the one scene. Obviously, it stayed in the final cut, which was given a PG-13 on appeal.

    Anyway, glad that Kev got the R for Zack and Miri. I really hate the MPAA and think they’re useless censors. If parents want to be careful about what their kids are watching, then they should use their head and talk to their child.

    Comment by Arlo J. Wiley — August 7, 2008 @ 9:56 am

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