Violence In Movies...

[tweedledee]

youre at wrong thread, pal. Were not discussing deviants here, but a "regular" movies for "regular" people.

Oh, you mean movies about brutal murders,people blown up, gratuitous sex, drug taking.multiple killings etc, and all that "regular" stuff? Don't they call that "the news" over there?

Make up your mind, you want ALL censorship banned or just some of it.
It's easy to dismiss my comment with a smart remark, pal, but some movies are treading a fine line between "regular" and "deviant" and do we trust YOU to protect us?

[DereX888]

Oh, you mean movies about brutal murders,people blown up, gratuitous sex, drug taking.multiple killings etc, and all that "regular" stuff? Don't they call that "the news" over there?

"over there" means where exactly? I don't live in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel nor any other dangerous place... yeah, I know you tried to pick on good 'ol US of A with this remark, but you missed, pal, coz Im not from US either. But anyway - had any of the above mentioned countries had 300+ million of people with as many guns per capita as it is in USA, Im pretty sure they would have killed each other and themselves very very quick, while US of A still exists, and is still a safer place than any of them

Make up your mind, you want ALL censorship banned or just some of it.
It's easy to dismiss my comment with a smart remark, pal, but some movies are treading a fine line between "regular" and "deviant" and do we trust YOU to protect us?

You either didnt read what I said earlier, or just fooling around trying to pick on me?

1. I repat - we are talking about movies. Movies, no matter how bloody, are always work of fiction. So called "snuff' movies you've mentioned are supposed to be real murder(s), and AFAIK they are illegal/forbidden in most of the countries, so what they (or "kiddie porn" etc) what they have to do with "regular" movies at all?? Just because they are stored on a same discs, tapes or celluloid as well?

2. Dude - really read again. I clearly said I dont want anyone to trust any censor and everyone should judge the movies themselves, in their uncut/unedited versions - thats why movies rated "for adult/grown ups only" (and only those) should NOT have been censored at all - as last as they are not some sort of criminal activity caught on tape ofcoz (there goes the answer to your really idiotic comparison with "snuff movies" or "kiddie porn" by the way). They should have been simply labelled or described as extreme violence or sexuality etc etc and that should be enough warning for those adult purists who don't wanna see a splattered brain or sex on screen, yet it would let others who dont mind seeing it on a screen simply see it uncut - exactly as the director intended it to be seen.
There is lots of great movies that needed the vivid violence and even gore to achieve right level of artism (i.e. Saving Pvt. Ryan), and there are those movies that didnt need it in my and others opinion, but anyway it was the director's vision to include them, so he/she did. Its not MPAA's or anyone elses business to cut them differently - again: as last as the movies are for the right audience. Because when it comes to movies rated "PG" (or with any other age restriction in general) *obviously* they should not have any inappropriate content for such age, and that is where freaking MPAA and other wordly censorships should play their role. When someone is making a PG-13 kid's flick then they shouldn't include there such scenes as blow jobs or splattered brains, thats where censorship *have to* step in, isnt it obvious?

[Fluffbutt]

You are all making good and valid reasons for censorship.

The trouble we, as a society, have is that human nature will not let those with the censor-power just make a set of rulings and then just leave things alone.

Power has to be used to be noticed (and lets face it those with power want to be known to have it!) - and the power to say "No" is vastly greater then the power to say "Yes".

So what ends up happening is these petty minds keep thinking up more reasons to use their power, and they seek greater expansions of the power.

Hence we don't just have a set of laws and guidelines for life, we have stupid pointless rules and laws (like banning the use of the words "Master" and 'Slave" to describe hard drives!). These people run around creating situations where they can insinuate their false morality into our lives.

Instead of parents educating children with ethics and a sense of right and wrong, these petty minded shits have made silly rules and laws to take over those responsibilities - and parents let them do it because it's and easy way out of their responsibilities (and I agree it's NOT an easy job to do, all I say is it's a job that HAS to be done by parents, not by action groups with power kicks).

Disavow yourself of the notion that humans are born with morals, ethic or knowledge of right/wrong - when we pop out we are empty of these things.

It's our experiences and teachings that give us these ideals - a basic proof of this is the facts of, for eg, a 15 year old with 208 car stealing offences (happened here in WA) who is given yet another rap on the knuckles and set free. He's learnt that nothing happens if he nicks and burns a car, therefore it's OK for him to nick & burn!!

If this kid was taught from birth (well, give it a year - LOL!) to respect property and rights of people, there'd be a high chance he'd not turn out like this.

And to end with a thought - a 5 year old now IS the future in 20 years time, when its parents are 45 ish, and on the way out - it's our job to ensure that this 5yr old makes the right future for himself and us.

We can't do that by passing over our responsibility to quasi-government wankers with delsuions of grandeur and power hungry action groups.

[kurtis388]

Ok, I grew up on cartoons as well as every other person. Im not racist or sexist, but you have to admit that all the really funny stuff in cartoons is now censored out by the yentas who are so offended by the jokes that were portrayed. For example, all the episodes with the black maid yelling THOMAS with Jerry running around, or the mouse with Mexican dialect. There are so many things you will never see again because a few people didnt see the humor. Think of it this way, In Europe they show r-rated nudity on TV and were worried about someone getting offended from the accent of a cartoon character.

[Thorn]

and that is where freaking MPAA and other wordly censorships should play their role.

Sadly, a lot of films want to get the lowest age group rating for their flick so they can maximize their audience. Therefore, some PG-13 films have the absolute maximum amount of sex and violence that the MPAA would allow and still let them release as PG-13 (or such). The MPAA doesn't censor anything, they simply wont' license you to use their name unless you meet their standards.

Actually, the US gov. doesn't really censor anyone (what with free speech and all). A lot of it is self-censorship, fueled by today's public that's simultaneously desensetized and more easily offended than ever.

I've seen a lot of stuff from WWII era that I can totally understand sweeping under the carpet. It's just sad how overboard people have gone. Make no mistake, though, it's the idiot public that drives this. People like Spielberg may have personal problems that cause them to do things like take the guns out of E.T., but I think that affliction is becoming more common.

[Capmaster]

Then we see uniqie phenomena like the McCarthy "un-American activities" hearings of the '50s and the blacklisting and presumption of guilt. We assure ourselves today that one man doesn't have enough power to do much harm, but look at all the lives he ruined in that dark chapter of our history.

[Fluffbutt]

Actually it scares me here in Australia when the Tv news, and politicians, say something or someone is "un-australian". They use mass media as a form of social conditioning - telling people that something is un-australian, so that they won't question the motives or methods (usually something the Govt. wants to hide).

[BJ_M]

hollywood is tame -- go watch 'lies' (Korean) or 'In the Realm of the Senses' (Nagisa Oshima's sensational, 1976 film) ..... only thing comes close maybe is a film like 'Leon: version integrale' (LEON -- uncut version) -- oh wait , that not an american film .. and a few others ...

[Capmaster]

Actually it scares me here in Australia when the Tv news, and politicians, say something or someone is "un-australian". They use mass media as a form of social conditioning - telling people that something is un-australian, so that they won't question the motives or methods (usually something the Govt. wants to hide).

The media has always acted, in effect, like a censor. They report what they think ought to go out and ignore news that might not help their ratings or readership numbers. They also put a political spin on "news" to make a statement. I'm reminded of one news report that said "another gun kills a city resident". I can picture a gun becoming animated, jumping up and shooting someone, laughing an evil laugh, and then laying down and pretending to be merely an inanimate object again :P . They stated that the guilty gun was a "semi-automatic revolver". Hahahaha

[indolikaa]

Guns don't kill people. Bullets do.

[Thorn]

Or the t-shirt from Happy Gilmore: "Guns don't kill people, *I* kill people!"

As for Leon, I it doesn't seem very violent to me. I was thrilled when we got the uncut version. On the other hand, certain poorly done flicks (some Stephen Segal movies spring to mind) seem absurdly violent without much merit. It's all about the appropriateness of it, and how skilled the director is.

[Capmaster]

Or the t-shirt from Happy Gilmore: "Guns don't kill people, *I* kill people!"

As for Leon, I it doesn't seem very violent to me. I was thrilled when we got the uncut version. On the other hand, certain poorly done flicks (some Stephen Segal movies spring to mind) seem absurdly violent without much merit. It's all about the appropriateness of it, and how skilled the director is.

I really think it's a matter of being appropriate. I've seen poorly written movies that seem to be a series of ultra-violent scenes with filler between them. This includes most martial arts movies. However, I jealously defend the use of violence in such immortal classics as the Three Stooges and Tom & Jerry. Maybe it's because I'm male and was raised on it. And I DO know the difference between actors/cartoons portraying violence and the real thing. Maybe some don't.
I've also noticed there is a real gender division on this topic. I'd rather have my genitals run across a table saw than sit through a Shirley Temple movie or an Elvis Presley movie, ("chick-flicks"), but women love those. On the other hand, I love revenge movies, Steven Seagal movies, Bruce Lee movies, anything with nukes in it, you get the picture ("dick-flicks") I love action movies, and the spectacular scenes where somebody gets blown up or thrown off a building usually crack me up because I know they're not real ...just a clever trick of hollywood. I don't for a minute think that other real people getting hurt is funny. But this is hollywood ...come on. Latex, pyrotechnics and paint ......It's entertainment and that's all ...not a social commentary.