The pre-release pirating of Sicko has already had one effect on the film's reception in theaters - it's opening a week early.

Variety reports the documentary will bow a week earlier than planned in New York, followed by sneak previews at 43 theaters in more than 30 markets Saturday. The film will then expand to an undetermined number of screens on its original release date of June 29. No word on whether or not you'll be able to watch it on your new iPhone, set to be released the same day.

Tags: Movie Theft

Entertainment Weekly posts a provocative dissection of the movie rating system from its June 22 edition online.

Writer Mark Harris, prompted by the extreme and sexualized violence of Hostel II receiving an R rating, puts his finger firmly on some of the weaknesses of the rating system as it now exists:

The hypocrisies of the ratings system are familiar: Indies have it harder than studio films, naked men are naughtier than naked women, and almost any sex is worse than almost all violence. But the problem runs deeper. The MPAA has never decided whether its job is guidance or rule making. As a result, four ratings - G, PG, PG-13, and R - are merely advisory: The raters tell parents what's in a movie and let them decide whether to take their kids. But the fifth rating - NC-17 - carries the force of law: It's the only stage at which raters decide their judgment should overrule yours. It's a sharp distinction, and Hostel II's R rating proves that they're manifestly incompetent to make it.

NATO has repeatedly called for the proper rating of films - particularly films that merit an NC-17. At ShoWest in March, NATO president John Fithian stated

Speaking of the NC-17 rating, we call again for efforts to revitalize that important category through the release of significant movies under the NC-17 rating. Contrary to often-repeated myths, most theatre companies will play NC-17 movies that are appropriate for their markets, and most newspapers will run advertisements for the pictures. NC-17 movies on average make $3.9 million, while unrated films on average make $1.8 million. Serious filmmakers need to take NC-17 seriously. Everyone in the industry should resist any temptation to treat NC-17 as a negative judgment, rather than an integral part of the rating system that contemplates entertainment for both children and adults.

This approach is simple, but it is not easy. NATO General Counsel Kendrick Macdowell's column in Boxoffice magazine's May issue makes the point:

We do not pretend that simply saying "NC-17 is not a negative" can suddenly alter entrenched public perceptions. But we know that better educating the public begins with more precise communication. We also know that the vast majority of exhibitors will play NC-17 movies, if otherwise appropriate in content to their communities, and that virtually no exhibitor has a categorical policy against playing NC-17 movies. The same holds true for the vast majority of newspapers and their policies about ads for NC-17 movies.

We further do not pretend that there is no consequence whatever from an NC-17 rating. Yes, there is a consequence. Per above, patrons under 18 need not apply. But if I might paraphrase a Supreme Court ruling on the limitations of government regulation of free expression, we rue the day that all entertainment is reduced to the level of what is suitable for children.

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Tags: Laws, Ratings

June is Ratings Awareness Month, so it might be of interest to find out just how aware parents are of media ratings regarding sex and violence.

The Kaiser Family Foundation, demonstrating excellent timing, has released a report detailing the findings of its survey Parents, Children & Media: A Kaiser Family Foundation Survey.

They report that "Sixty-five percent of parents say they "closely" monitor their children's media use, while just 18% say they "should do more." This may help to explain why since 1998 the proportion of parents who say they are "very" concerned that their own children are exposed to inappropriate content - while still high - has dropped, from 67% to 51% for sexual content, from 62% to 46% for violence, and from 59% to 41% for adult language."

Some of the key findings:

Media Ratings

• Parents' use of the TV and video game ratings has stayed virtually the same since 1998 at about 50%, while use of music advisories has gone up (from 41% to 52%), and use of movie ratings has declined (from 86% to 77%).
• Among parents who have used any of the media ratings, the proportion who say they find them "very" useful has increased over the years, from 43% to 58% for video game ratings, 45% to 56% for music advisories, and 42% to 49% for the TV ratings.
• Many parents still don't understand what the TV ratings mean. Among parents who have children ages 2-6, only three in 10 can name any of the ratings used for children's shows, including TV-G, or G, which means "general audience." Only 11% know that the rating FV indicates violence (it stands for "fantasy violence"), while 9% think it means "family viewing." And only 11% know that the rating EI means educational or informational programming. Among parents with any child ages 2-18, 61% know that TV-14 means the show may be inappropriate for children under age 14 and just over half (54%) know that TV-MA means for mature audiences.

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Tags: Ratings

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Michael Moore is backtracking somewhat from his support of bootlegging. You may recall he supported the idea of stealing movies for private use at Cannes and if you don't,  YouTube will remember it for you:

He has a slightly different perspective now:

"Every filmmaker intends for his film to be seen on the big screen," Moore said. "This wasn't a guy taking a video camera into a theater. This was an inside job, a copy made from a high-quality master and could potentially impact the opening weekend boxoffice. Who do you think benefits from that?"

When asked about accusations that he may have leaked the film himself for publicity purposes, Moore scoffed at the notion:

"Oh no. The (Weinstein) brothers are devastated."

There, see? Totally different.

Tags: Movie Theft

One of the big hopes for digital cinema is the opportunity it provides for alternative content.  If it can be digitized, it can be shown in a digitally-equipped movie theater.

The L.A. Times takes a look at one of the early movers - Bigger Picture (a division of digital cinema aggregator AccessIT) - in what may prove to be an important source of revenue for theater owners.

The technology also enables theaters to easily switch what's being shown in a theater, opening venues up to specialized shows so they can sell tickets and popcorn when they aren't showing Hollywood's latest blockbusters. Although major studio movies attract big crowds on weekends, Dern said that over the course of a typical week auditoriums are often filled to only 10% to 15% of capacity.

"If we can move the dial 1%, that's a big number," Dern said.

Bigger Picture started three years ago, when Dern and Rutkowski came up with the "Kidtoons" animation programs. A typical program might include a G-rated feature, such as this spring's "Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Blossom Festival," plus cartoon shorts, music videos and singalongs.

Concerts, opera and sports have all taken a turn at the alternative content turnstile, with live theater simulcasts from New York's Metropolitan Opera proving a surprising success. Still, we're early in the exploration of just what sort of content will drive audiences to movie theaters in off-peak hours. As digital cinema grows and approaches a critical mass, well see a lot more companies looking to turn alternative digital content into a sustainable business.

Michael Karagosian, a Calabasas-based consultant to the theater industry, sees several challenges. Niche offerings may end up playing best in rural areas where access to concerts and other events is limited, he said, but prove a tough sell in cities.

Competition is heating up, he notes. National CineMedia, for example, a digital theater advertising company, distributes concerts and other events under its Fathom brand.

Still, Karagosian said, what Access is doing boosts the appeal of digital technology to exhibitors.

"Content will drive the business more than equipment," Karagosian said. "It's recurring revenue, and a company like Access IT is looking to sell razor blades, not just razors."

Tags: Marketing

As noted last week, Michael Moore's documentary Sicko has been pirated and put on various p2p sites. Now it's on YouTube.

The Hollywood Reporter reports today that the entire film is available in bite-sized chunks. This was news to the Weinstein Company, which seemed rather sanguine about the whole affair:

When sought for an official comment from Weinstein Co. late Sunday evening, a spokesperson was unaware that the entire film was on YouTube. A Lionsgate executive and a YouTube spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment at deadline.

The spokesperson issued a statement also given to other media outlets, saying that "[w]hile virtually every movie released these days faces a similar situation, 'Sicko' is more than just a movie, it is a call to action. We are responding aggressively to protect our film but from our research it is clear that people interested in the movement are excited to go to the theater so they can be part of the experience and fight to reform health care."

How the leak of a version apparently taken from a DVD copy will affect the film's theatrical boxoffice remains unclear. Moore's anti-Bush documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" was widely bootlegged and available in a pirated version online around its June 2004 opening, but went on to earn $119 million at the domestic boxoffice.

We'll see how they really feel about the issue in about two weeks.

 

Tags: Movie Theft