I gotta tell you, I'm getting pretty sick of talking about After Dark Films' Captivity, which we visited the set on a few weeks back. I have no problem posting stills, clips, trailers, posters... whatever, I just hate retarded publicity stunts with even more retarded consequences. The MPAA is a f-cking joke, we all know that, but what they're doing to After Dark Films and Lionsgate is just plain ridiculous. But I guess when you try and pull a fast one on the movie monopoly you're going to be in for some hard time. Read on to see what happened after-After Dark posted unapproved billboards across cities.
The Hollywood Reporter writes:
The MPAA on Thursday disciplined After Dark Films for its controversial outdoor advertising campaign for the upcoming "Captivity" by imposing a monthlong suspension of the ratings process for the horror film, which has not yet been rated. The move could make it difficult for the film to bow on its scheduled release date of May 18.
In an uncharacteristically harsh reprimand, the MPAA -- which had not approved After Dark's ads for general audiences -- also said that After Dark and its distribution partner, Lionsgate, will be required to clear all the "Captivity" promotional materials it uses going forward in addition to the locations and venues of all advertising buys relating to the film. It is the first time the MPAA has imposed such a sanction, though some observers questioned whether the MPAA will be able to monitor all the ad buys.
While the MPAA will review After Dark's promotional materials before May 1, "Captivity" will not be eligible for consideration by the ratings board until then and will not be given priority scheduling at that time. There is no set time period for how long it takes the MPAA to issue a rating. That is dependent on the number of films lined up for a rating. The sanction doesn't give After Dark much time to recut or re-edit the film if the company is not satisfied with the initial rating issued.
"The sanctions in this case are severe because this was an unacceptable and flagrant violation of MPAA rules and procedures," MPAA senior vp advertising Marilyn Gordon said. "After Dark Films presented their ads for approval, as all companies are required to do if they wish to receive an MPAA rating. However, their ads were summarily rejected for their graphic depiction of a woman's torture and death. Yet After Dark proceeded to post them on billboards anyway, and these ads appeared in some of the most prominent public locations in Los Angeles and New York. It is now up to After Dark Films to restore good faith with the MPAA."
The MPAA's decision could force After Dark to postpone the release date of the film, moving it further into the heart of the busy summer moviegoing period. The production company also could decide to release the film unrated, which would severely limit its distribution because many commercial movie theaters will not play unrated movies.
A public outcry against the movie's billboards and New York taxi tops led to After Dark quickly removing the posters last week (HR 3/20). But After Dark continued to advertise its movie with a message, "Captivity Was Here," on the billboard locations where the ads first appeared. The new advertisement displayed the film's release date of May 18 along with the film's Web site.
After Dark CEO Courtney Solomon said at the time that the billboards were a mistake, but the fact that the company continued to promote the film in the locations where the offending ads had been featured has led some competitors to question its sincerity.
"For a group of people who claimed this was a mistake, (putting up the second billboard) was essentially thumbing their nose at the very group of which they were trying to get back into the good graces," one industry insider said.
After Dark didn't return calls seeking comment.
"If the violation by After Dark Films is flagrant as alleged, then the MPAA response is appropriate," said Peter Wilkes, president of Lionsgate's investor relations. Lionsgate is co-releasing the film with After Dark. "However, we believe that the MPAA will rate the film itself on its own merits."
According to one marketing executive, who declined to be named, the two-week window between the date when "Captivity" may now apply for a rating and its release is too short to complete the ratings process. "These people tried to play the MPAA and the MPAA came back," the exec said. "The real question is, is this print campaign really going to put people in seats? No print campaign has that much power, so was it really worth all this?"
In order to receive an MPAA rating from the ratings board, it is required that all promotional materials that will be publicly displayed -- either in print, television, theaters or online -- must be cleared with the MPAA.
"MPAA reviews tens of thousands of promotional materials each year," Gordon added. "Our rules are important to moviegoers generally and parents in particular. The good news is that, as disturbing as this case has been, it marks a rare instance where a company has acted in such a clear and direct violation of our rules. The overwhelming majority of companies and filmmakers understand, support and abide by MPAA rules and procedures."
Apparently the MPAA thinks they're the friggin' Mafia and that all movies need to kiss their ass. Well they can kiss mine! I think I can be the judge of posters for myself, and most people can judge for themselves, weather or not the ad's are going to make us want to vomit with rage at the mere sight of them. It's a freaking movie, fake made up, false, NOT REAL LIFE!
Why don't movie studios just create a new ratings system and work out deals with the cinema chains to show the film under that rating which would be unrated otherwise but still give people an idea of what kind of film they are seeing... How about an "A for all" replacing the MPAA's G rating. A PGT replacing the PG. An M replacing PG-13. MA 16+ replacing R the 16+ meaning its restricted to anyone under 16 unless acompanied by a parent. And just use a HR (Hard R) to replace NC17.
The MPAA is a useless organization with a dinosaur mentality towards entertainment.
The entire group needs disbanded and rethought or just done away with completely.
I have never seen someone NOT go to a film or buy a film based on the rating the MPAA puts on it, and to be honest, the more publicity it causes, the more money the movie will make.
How many of you BUY the R versions of films when there is an UNrated version right next to it?
And since when did the MPAA get power over ads and posters? Now even the printed media has to go through them?
Big brother Christian storm-trooping nazis are here to protect us all from the nudity and from someone saying the F word.....PRAISE THE MPAA and bow to their almighty power.
Lick me penis!
i will watch what I want when I want and you guys can all die.
Most of you who have commented on this yet have tackled the subject at hand, you're only speaking about the (very TRUE) case about how the MPAA censors films too much.
Though they do, and you are right, the issue at hand is something different. That billboard up above is something I would not want my four year old looking at. Posters are something seen by the masses, a horror film is not. I say that posters SHOULD be edited and/or approved by the MPAA, because they are displayed in plain sight. And these idiots behind Captivity directly went against the MPAA's disapproval of their poster. If you ask me, they deserve it.
what bullshit. the MPAA are a bunch of uptight dick wads who think they can pick and choose for the public. of course people are going to find shit like this offensive but fuck, you have a choice whether to pay attention to it or to just let it run its course and not let it effect you. as far as children go, i really doubt a 4 year old would be able to grasp the concept that this poster is showing. its simple people, if you dont like it, you dont want to see it, then dont pay attention to it. i've done that enough with fucking hillary duff movies, the rest of the population could do the same with this. as for the MPAA, they're trying to play mommie and daddy to the movie industry, and they simply will not let it GROW UP.
I agree that After Dark shouldn't have done this. It was a stupid move. If you ask me the people running the company are stupid. They think they can just start releasing/marketing movies wide after one moderately successful film(An American Haunting). Nothing they put out is going to make money because they don't know how to market. If Lionsgate was smart they would take any good films they are letting After Dark handle(Borderland??) and take complete controll over their marketing.
The MPAA has been wrong oh so many times on oh so many things but in this regard they are right on the money.
This is not a case of censoring or supressing a movie. This is a case of pulling irresponsible MARKETING MATERIALS from public spaces. These ads were viewable by kids and sensitive types and therefore should have been pulled.
They did not go out and burn the camera negative of the film. They did not stop Lion's Gate and After Dark from releasing the film. (They are making it difficult for them, granted ...)
You can still see the R-rated cut of this movie if you wish. You can see the unrated DVD if you so desire. But if you think that kids should see material like this, well, then, you're just a tool. Responsible horror directors like John Carpenter and George Romero have said they don't want kids seeing their movies or being exposed to the stronger material in the movies out of context.
The After Dark guys aren't artists ... they're fast buck grifters looking to jump in on some of that money Hostel brought in and nothing else.
I hope this screws up their game something serious.
I might agree that this was appropriate if the billboards were half as bad as the people crying about them would like to believe. They weren't so it's just another case of the MPAA abusing their authority.
Stuff like this, plus seeing This Film Is Not Yet Rated, makes me believe more than ever that the MPAA needs to be burned to the ground and remade from scratch--starting by removing all anonymity from the people involved in the process of rating movies.
The MPAA can go fuck themselves.This poster is hardly offensive,especially in comparison to all the shit happening on the streets,in the world,in REAL LIFE.This group sits on their fat rightous asses all day wasting everyones time.Get a real job,you useless fat bastards.When after dark put up"Captivity was here",I think they were reffering to these assholes!HAR!
This is fucking ridiculous. As has been touched on many times before, the MPAA are a bunch of fucking jokes. I just wish "Captivity" would have the balls to forgo the MPAA rating process altogether, which would be a nice, final "fuck you" to the MPAA. But alas, that would confine it to a small theatrical release...Fuck that corporate bunch of cocksuckers.
I think this is one of those movies where we might just have to wait for the unrated version. I love unrated versions. They're a big "fuck you" to the MPAA.
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