Just a note on Abel's story.. (NC-14? I'd go higher.)

[Hermie]

Call me conservative in my ratings, but I wouldn't call that 14.. I've seen R that was softer than that.

Pretty dark stuff there, Amber...

[Netrogo]

Amber's currently in Canada. Movies that are rated R in the US are often rated 14+ here.

[Fuyudenki]

NC-14 is the R rating used outside of Hollywood.

Except if you're reading manga or playing video games, where it's "16Up" and "M" respectively.

Manga also has the additional "OT 18+" rating for the stuff with really blatant nudity.

[Amber Williams]

Ratings are one of those things that tends to vary based on personal opinion...which is usually why a board of multiple people will decide a rating.  However, as the creator, its up to me alone to decide what I feel is the best suited rating.

I opted for 14 because

A: A definite increase in swearing.
B: Slightly more innuendo.
C: An increase in violence.

I deliberately left out showing anything overly graphic in the violence...which is what I feel would have warrented a M rating.  Devin's death, Xander's Death, even Hennya's death were all toned down and I never really went in for in-depth view of the gory details. 

[Netrogo]

I'd also be curious to ask what R rated movies you've seen that were worse then Abel's Story. My film history teacher made a point of showing us how ratings have changed over the years. Some films from the 60s and 70s that were rated R in their time, nowadays are the equivalent of pg-13 films.

[Dannysaysnoo]

I'd also be curious to ask what R rated movies you've seen that were worse then Abel's Story. My film history teacher made a point of showing us how ratings have changed over the years. Some films from the 60s and 70s that were rated R in their time, nowadays are the equivalent of pg-13 films.

I've noticed that with "The Shining", its kinda tame in the gore department, but we still got Halloween at 18.

[Cogidubnus]

Devin's death, Xander's Death, even Hennya's death were all toned down and I never really went in for in-depth view of the gory details. 

  Oh?

Really, I jest. I hardly think Abel's Story is too violent for its rating, or corrupting today's youth or somesuch. I could be incorrect, but I think I recall SAW being rated R (A fairly equivalent rating, from what I understand), and I'd imagine that's a lot gorier and more disturbing than this.

[Eibborn]

Ah, see, but that's why it's a silhouette.

[Azraelle]

Agreed.  No flying entrails, then it can safely be NC-14.

[Hermie]

Ah, Canada. That would explain it.

You guys are a lot more lax than us uptight paranoid Americans. I remember seeinga movie once (can't remember which, though, because I was a kid) that was rated R because of one f-bomb.

Either way, it's good stuff. I just didn't expect that much dark stuff with that rating...

[Netrogo]

Yeah, mentioning farflenapple in anything is grounds for an R rating, damn review boards.

[Caswin]

You guys are a lot more lax than us uptight paranoid Americans. I remember seeinga movie once (can't remember which, though, because I was a kid) that was rated R because of one f-bomb.

You're sure?  I was of the understanding that one f-word was PG-13 material; you either needed a stronger dosage of profanity or otherwise more offensive material to hit 'R.'

[techmaster-glitch]

uptight paranoid Americans.

Quoted for truth.

[Kenji]

uptight paranoid Americans.

Quoted for truth.

Not all of us are. Just the r-tards who whine and complain about censorship. Oh, and the other r-tards who give in to it.

[techmaster-glitch]

uptight paranoid Americans.

Quoted for truth.

Not all of us are. Just the r-tards who whine and complain about censorship. Oh, and the other r-tards who give in to it.

I'm american too, if you didn't know I see it all the time, and it really bugs me.
That's why I quoted for truth.

[bill]

americans are dumb lol

[Kenji]

uptight paranoid Americans.

Quoted for truth.

Not all of us are. Just the r-tards who whine and complain about censorship. Oh, and the other r-tards who give in to it.

I'm american too, if you didn't know I see it all the time, and it really bugs me.
That's why I quoted for truth.

Who said I was speaking for anyone else, anyways? Heck, half the people who are "against censorship" are just as guilty, wanting to censor a few things they don't like.

[Alondro]

In Japan, this would be about rated G.   

[bill]

In Japan, this would be about rated G.   

that is because japan is the best and nothing they do is ever wrong ever

[Kuari]

In Japan, this would be about rated G.   

Actually it would be rated PG, or in their terms, PG-12

Heh, oddly enough, two of the Pokemon movies had that rating over there, despite being G in the US :p

[Kenji]

In Japan, this would be about rated G.   

Actually it would be rated PG, or in their terms, PG-12

Heh, oddly enough, two of the Pokemon movies had that rating over there, despite being G in the US :p

But is that because, as in the case with the first movie, they cut out 30 minutes worth of animation because it contained a death?  30 minutes which, I might add, brought the entire story together and showed why everything happened.... ¬_¬;

[techmaster-glitch]

In Japan, this would be about rated G.   

Actually it would be rated PG, or in their terms, PG-12

Heh, oddly enough, two of the Pokemon movies had that rating over there, despite being G in the US :p

But is that because, as in the case with the first movie, they cut out 30 minutes worth of animation because it contained a death?  30 minutes which, I might add, brought the entire story together and showed why everything happened.... ¬_¬;

Dang, that reeks of Never Say Die...

[Kuari]

In Japan, this would be about rated G.   

Actually it would be rated PG, or in their terms, PG-12

Heh, oddly enough, two of the Pokemon movies had that rating over there, despite being G in the US :p

But is that because, as in the case with the first movie, they cut out 30 minutes worth of animation because it contained a death?  30 minutes which, I might add, brought the entire story together and showed why everything happened.... ¬_¬;

Actually no, that movie isn't one of the ones that got the PG rating..

They were Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew
and
Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea

[Goatmon]

Actually it would be rated PG, or in their terms, PG-12

Heh, oddly enough, two of the Pokemon movies had that rating over there, despite being G in the US :p

But is that because, as in the case with the first movie, they cut out 30 minutes worth of animation because it contained a death?  30 minutes which, I might add, brought the entire story together and showed why everything happened.... ¬_¬;

You can thank 4Kids productions for that.  You know, those people responsible for the English version of One Piece?

[Kuari]

But is that because, as in the case with the first movie, they cut out 30 minutes worth of animation because it contained a death?  30 minutes which, I might add, brought the entire story together and showed why everything happened.... ¬_¬;

You can thank 4Kids productions for that.  You know, those people responsible for the English version of One Piece?

Oh yeah, we ALL remember them....  and how even with a new company taking up One Piece, they won't fix anything for one reason or another...  they'll just continue where 4Kids left off..

[Netrogo]

I was at Otakon for the One Piece panel with the new creative team. It was pretty cool, the director, a writer, and a couple of the actors. They were talking about what would and wouldn't be fixed, and going on about how big fans of One Piece they were. They had the whole audience sold, even responded to every question perfectly... Until one fan asked them what they would be doing in regards to the word Nakama. They looked at each other for a moment then in the same confident voice asked 'What is that?' The looks on their faces when their entire audience just suddenly went 'Ooooooo' was priceless. In one single answer they killed the entire mood in the room.

The reason for this as the question asker explained was because Nakama is pretty much THE most important word in the series. Luffy says it atleast eight times a freaking episode. I don't remember how they responded to that. Everything after that point was lost in a sort of haze of disappointment. Personally I felt lied to. The fact that someone would go on about how great a fan they were yet not know the single most important thing about it. That'd be like saying you're a huge fan of Batman and not knowing who Bruce Wayne is.

[Caswin]

In Japan, this would be about rated G.   

Actually it would be rated PG, or in their terms, PG-12

Heh, oddly enough, two of the Pokemon movies had that rating over there, despite being G in the US :p

But is that because, as in the case with the first movie, they cut out 30 minutes worth of animation because it contained a death?  30 minutes which, I might add, brought the entire story together and showed why everything happened.... ¬_¬;

Details!  I desire details!

[Naldru]

I was at Otakon for the One Piece panel with the new creative team. It was pretty cool, the director, a writer, and a couple of the actors. They were talking about what would and wouldn't be fixed, and going on about how big fans of One Piece they were. They had the whole audience sold, even responded to every question perfectly... Until one fan asked them what they would be doing in regards to the word Nakama. They looked at each other for a moment then in the same confident voice asked 'What is that?' The looks on their faces when their entire audience just suddenly went 'Ooooooo' was priceless. In one single answer they killed the entire mood in the room.

The reason for this as the question asker explained was because Nakama is pretty much THE most important word in the series. Luffy says it atleast eight times a freaking episode. I don't remember how they responded to that. Everything after that point was lost in a sort of haze of disappointment. Personally I felt lied to. The fact that someone would go on about how great a fan they were yet not know the single most important thing about it. That'd be like saying you're a huge fan of Batman and not knowing who Bruce Wayne is.

According to Wikipedia, Nakama means colleague, compatriot, or comrade.  I assume that this is the meaning that you are referring to.  I'd have to look at a few episodes to see how this is being translated, but my first guess would be "crew".   If I was watching a film about sailors and naval actions, the fact that word "crew" or "shipmates" was used frequently wouldn't indicate to me that that word was the key concept in the movie.

[Fuyudenki]

(long version)
I'm gonna freak all the anti-censorship people out, and say that I'm actually in favor of certain forms of censorship.  There are some things that young children simply should not see.  What, exactly?  Well, I leave that up to the parents of said child.  There are things, for example, which I really don't want to see, and Saw is one of them.  The Matrix, rated R, was fine.  Saw, also rated R, I don't want to see, from what I've heard.

The odd thing is that you can show me pretty much anything in an animated context, and it won't bother me.(bloody dismemberment and dissection of live bodies), but violence in a live-action setting makes me want to turn away.  There was a presentation in one of my classes at University which involved a Yakuza movie wherein one of the characters did the whole self-disembowel thing.  I quietly looked at my desk and doodled through the whole thing.

Now, this isn't to say I'm against releasing movies which contain... shall we say "objectionable" content.  I just think that, like they're doing now, we should be told exactly what we're in for, and honestly, I'd say what we've got on the boxes now is a bit vague.  "A scene of nudity?"  Does that mean a character is naked in one scene, and you get to see it all, or does that mean that a character is naked in a scene, and is obscured by tricky camera angles and L-shaped bedsheets?  "Strong language?"  Does that mean that the F-word is used twice, or is there a scene in the movie where a character goes on a Tourettes spree?

I'm actually quite irked at Hollywood for shutting down businesses like "Clean Films," which would re-edit the objectionable content out of movies.  If you didn't know what was missing, you didn't miss it, and for the most part, the movies(Hitch, Office Space) were still good(dare I say BETTER) in their edited format than unedited.  Others(The Matrix: Reloaded and Chronicles of Riddick) were not worse, per-se, but without all the gratuitous swearing, boobies, and bloody dismemberment, it suddenly became very clear that the movie was just a big CG fest or a special-effects orgy.  Mostly, though, it was Hollywood's claim that the re-edits were ruining the story, which was supposed to be Hollywood's property.

Excuse me?

The story belongs to who, now?

If you're going to be pulling stuff out of your (rectum) like that, why don't you start with your horrifically bloated HEAD!   It's not your story, it's my story, it's my mother's story, it's my sister's story.  Every single viewer or reader will experience a story which is uniquely theirs, and theirs alone, and trying to be a Nazi about it is just stupid.  You don't want me to watch your movie?  FINE, I won't watch your movie, but if you're going to then turn around and complain about low theater turnout, don't come whining to me.

This, in short, is why IMO, the executives at Hollywood need sodomize each other with porcupines and broken glass, and why if someone wants to detonate a small-yield nuke and wipe the place off the face of the planet, I will openly donate money to the cause.


(short version)
TL/DR

Side note, which I find interesting: porn in Japan must be censored by law.  That same porn in the "uptight and censorship-happy" USA does not need censoring.

[Netrogo]

I watched bloodsport and just about every old Clint Eastwood western when I was ten. I watched the original Child's Play (Chucky films for the unenlightened around the same time. Did I get all hyped up and play punch and kick my way around the house after watching Bloodsport? Yeah, I was a ten year old boy I'd have done that anyways. Did Child's Play scare the bejesus outta me? Heck yeah, I had a My Buddy doll at the time. When I went to bed that night I stuffed the bugger away in the closest cuz I was worried he'd kill me.

Did I go running out and beat try to beat people up? No, Dad made a point of making sure I knew that it was a movie and should not do what I saw on it myself. Did the fear last? A little while but not very, it wasn't long before I was snuggling my favourite toy at bedtime once again.

The reason people think this stuff shoudl be censored nowadays is because lazy/slow/retarded/I'm not taking any of this back regardless of who it offends/neanderthal parents won't take the ten minutes out of their 'oh so important' fucking lives to teach their kids the difference between fiction and reality. I don't care how realistic something looks. If you teach a child the difference they'll KNOW THE DAMN DIFFERENCE. Baby them and they'll just wind up sissy little douches when they're older who will then turn around and try to censor things even more, and the chain will go on.


Don't get me wrong I think alot of movies need to tone stuff down. Violence, cursing, and sex just for the sake of violence, cursing, and sex is for frat parties not film. Film is about a story, if your story doesn't require someones head being ripped off and thrown at the back of someone's head while he nails some chick he met in a bar five minutes ago all while spouting off the entire ghetto dictionary of vulgarity, then DON'T DO IT.

However if it does happen to require that, by all means do it. It'll probably be a horrible film (or possibly hilarious) but by all means go nuts.