This Film Is Not Yet Rated parents guide

Q: Why is this film is not yet rated rated NC

(Ironically, the original cut of This Film is Not Yet Rated received an NC-17 rating from the MPAA - due to its inclusion of sexual scenes that had caused other films to get NC-17s -- and was ultimately released in theaters, true to its title, without a rating.)

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Is It Any Good?
Why is this film is not yet rated rated NC
What does it mean when a film is not yet rated?
Is there nudity in the movie cooler?
Is Ma appropriate for kids?

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Certification
Sex & Nudity (7)
Violence & Gore (4)
Profanity (1)
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking (1)
Frightening & Intense Scenes (2)

Sex & Nudity

Severity? 1 1 4 25

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Hardcore
Rather explicit but for a purpose.
The opening credits montage shows snippets from a variety of different sex scenes with black bars visible on sensitive areas, including a threesome from Where the Truth Lies.
A brief snippet of an oral sex scene from The Cooler is shown, with nudity and movement visible.
The infamous anal sex scene from Storytelling is shown(with a red bar over what's supposed to be penetration), with a meter on the side of the screen counting the amount of thrusts for comedy.
In addition, scenes from Orgazmo, American Psycho, Henry and June, and Eyes Wide Shut are shown, plus several other films. Plenty of frank sex talk.
All Of The sexual content is an educational format to show how many sexual movies will be likely rated NC-17 as opposed to hyper violent R films

Violence & Gore

Severity? 0 2 10 4

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Shows a few violent images from various movies though the blood and gore is kept to a minimum.
Shows examples of dismemberment from "Sin City" briefly. The main character from "Boys Don't Cry" is shown being shot in the head with blood exiting the back of the head onto a wall behind him.
The violence is quite graphic but very brief in every instance.
Both of these movies have been rated R by the MPAA Ratings Board.

Profanity

Severity? 0 4 5 11

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Around 20 f-words, and the counts for other obscenities double that, leaving the count at around 60-80.

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking

Severity? 3 9 3 2

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Very slight. Some conversation regarding drugs.

Frightening & Intense Scenes

Severity? 0 8 3 4

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A brief clip from "Saving Private Ryan" may be disturbing to some.
The film addresses adult subject matter, and the politics and corruption within the American film industry.

Is It Any Good?

This Film Is Not Yet Rated is intelligent, funny, and provocative. On one hand, it is a standard talking-heads documentary, with experts explaining the ratings system while seated before book shelves and fireplaces. (Tellingly, even ex-board members suggest that the route to decisions is unclear and inconsistent.) On the other hand, the film energizes and embodies the investigation in the form of Becky, the private detective hired to discover the identities of the ratings board members. She and "junior investigator" Lindsey Howell (daughter of Becky's partner Cheryl) sit in their car outside the ratings board screening room, looking for license plate numbers and following possible members to restaurants during their lunch hours. Extremely personable, the detectives do sometimes seem to be part of another, more Michael Moore-ish project, equally interesting, though not always cohering.

Some interviewees specifically point out absurdities in the system, as when Kevin Smith, who comically says the board's rating of his film Jersey Girl as an R probably resulted from their upset at a mention of masturbation by "Arwen the Elf" (Liv Tyler). As funny as some of these examples seem in this context, however, they do make the documentary's point that the board charged with protecting children is, according to Ansen, turning all viewers into children. This Film Is Not Yet Rated doesn't get into the subject of family film ratings (the much-discussed slippage among measures of what makes a film PG, PG-13, or R), but it makes a crucial, related point. Specifically, it traces the connections between ratings and studio interests. The ratings system, according to This Film, is less invested in measuring content or providing information for families than it is in serving corporations.

Why is this film is not yet rated rated NC

(Ironically, the original cut of "This Film is Not Yet Rated" received an NC-17 rating from the MPAA - due to its inclusion of sexual scenes that had caused other films to get NC-17s -- and was ultimately released in theaters, true to its title, without a rating.)

What does it mean when a film is not yet rated?

If a film has not been submitted for a rating or is an uncut version of a film that was submitted, the labels Not Rated (NR) or Unrated (UR) are often used.

Is there nudity in the movie cooler?

Sexually explicit dialogue is present, as are several sexual encounters (with movement, nudity and related sounds). Bare breasts of several women are seen in nonsexual contexts.

Is Ma appropriate for kids?

The MPAA rating has been assigned for “violent/disturbing material, language throughout, sexual content, and for teen drug and alcohol use.” The Kids-In-Mind.com evaluation includes a couple of scenes of oral sex, references to oral sex, kissing and petting, and male genitals and cleavage; several violent scenes ...