I just watched this 2006 documentary on DVD a couple of nights ago, and I found it fascinating. It is about how movies get rated by the MPAA, with a proper rating essential to the success of any movie. Yet, as the documentary shows, the rules are vague, arbitrary, and inconsistent. The ratings board operates in complete secrecy and is very frustrating for filmmakers, especially independent filmmakers, as it is in effect a censorship board without clear rules as to what is being censored or why.
The documentary itself apparently was originally given an NC-17 rating by the board, which it rejected, so it’s now available as “unrated.” Indeed some scenes are explicit (though black boxes are used in strategic areas) as is some language. It’s well made and insightful in my opinion, and interviews with dozens of well-known filmmakers, directors, and actors are very interesting. The interview with John Waters was especially good as well as funny.
If you watch this, be sure to also watch the 30 or 40 minutes of deleted scenes. Not sure why they were deleted, other than perhaps to keep the movie to a reasonable length, because they are just as fascinating as the other parts.
