District-9: NZ Film rating system

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BlueToothKiwi

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# 40027 24-Aug-2009 06:57

Yesterday, I took my 15 year old (who will be 16 shortly) to watch District-9 [afer reading the IMDB parental guide], only to be refused entry at the door.

I walked away from the cinema with mixed feelings - part of me said - good on Sky City Cinemas for being vigilant. The other part of me said - this is a bit like the smacking debate - the state is taking away some of my parental rights: In this case, I read up the reviews and thought a mature 15.9 year old who reads widely and understood the horrors of apartheid and holocaust will be able to watch D-9 and walk away with a bit more understanding of humanity. But it is cool – we watched something else in the end.

What do you think? Do you think a 15.9 year old can handle the 134 'F' words and the graphic gore of alien mutilation in District-9 ?

It is interesting - the film is rated so differently in different countries:

UK: 15

Canada: 13

Finland: 15

NZ: 16 R

Tim M, Auckland
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# 249968 24-Aug-2009 07:20

Well good on Sky City for refusing Entry to your 15y.

I guess their is a line that goes from M (Any age) to R16 and D-9 crossed that so they put it as a R16.

jjnz1

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# 249974 24-Aug-2009 07:47

Same applies to buying alcohol, should we let a 17.9yrs old buy alcohol? I think not, the rule has to begin somewhere. The powers at be decide 18, and in your case the panel decided 16, not 15.9.

The film classification commision rates material based on social expectations, in NZ they are obviously different to US, Canada etc. Is that why they have more deadly killings over there?

BlueToothKiwi

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# 249980 24-Aug-2009 08:10

jjnz1: The film classification commision rates material based on social expectations, in NZ they are obviously different to US, Canada etc. Is that why they have more deadly killings over there?

Incidentally the film is also rated MA in USA!! but MA 15+ in Australia.

MA (USA) = means the film may be unsuitable for those below 17

MA 15+ (Australia) = means restricted to those 15 and over meaning those under 15 cannot legally view the film without being accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

I wonder if the 16 R rating in NZ is subjected to the same exception when the child is accompanied by the parent. The fact that I was accompanying the 15 year old made no difference. I rather a teenager watch something like this with a responsible parental guidance - than with a bunch of friends using fake ID's.
Just my 2c.

Tim M, Auckland
Blog: http://paddler.co.nz

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# 249989 24-Aug-2009 08:37

My boss had the exact same issue over the weekend taking his kids to see D9 and getting turned away.
What are NZ's cinema ratings these days anyway ?

G, PG, R16, R18 ?
I remember there used to be an R13 years ago....

Is M15 actually a NZ classification or we just following the Australians and everyones accepted it ?

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BlueToothKiwi

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# 249990 24-Aug-2009 08:42

xpd: What are NZ's cinema ratings these days anyway ?

I am a bit more wiser thanks to an offline email about the difference between R and R16 when it comes to NZ classification...

• M: Suitable for mature persons over 16 years of age.
• R: Restricted to persons over 16 years of age unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. (also sometimes called RP16)
• R16 Restricted to persons over 16 years of age only. No exception.

D-9 was a R16

Tim M, Auckland
Blog: http://paddler.co.nz

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# 250002 24-Aug-2009 09:09

Yup found it also....

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hellonearthisman

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# 250011 24-Aug-2009 09:39

I think that's a bad call, to be refused with parent/guardian is wrong.

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# 250014 24-Aug-2009 09:48

Find it amusing tho... as BTK pointed out, its 13-15 everywhere else in the world except here.
Although after looking at IMDB, Canada, Korea and Singapore have given it an 18+.

We are however in the country that makes it illegal to buy/watch "adult" material until 18, however you can go out and make your own at 16 :-p

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pageweon

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# 250017 24-Aug-2009 09:57

i say good on them, i dont know if i would agree with the R16 rating but since it is i'd condone a 15.999 year old being turned away.
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meesham

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# 250021 24-Aug-2009 10:05

xpd:
Is M15 actually a NZ classification or we just following the Australians and everyones accepted it ?

Actually the ratings system here is a bit more sensible, the system over there is moronic. For example there's no R18+ rating for games so anything that can't be rated M15 is banned, and even though there's PG/M15 etc for most types of media (books, magazines, TV, DVDs etc), the system they use to rate & ban the material is different for each media. A lot of movies that have been banned over there have been shown here, if you want a nanny state look to Australia. For any change to the ratings system they need agreement between the Attorney Generals of all the states, which is nearly impossible (the current South Australian AG is the one holding out, he feels no one needs to play violent video games, what's wrong with just playing Wii Tennis?) I can understand not letting in a minor to see certain material, but over there it's the adults too.

I'm an Australian ex-pat who's very happy to be living in a country with a more sensible ratings system (amongst other things)

astrobox

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# 250022 24-Aug-2009 10:09

I say good on the cinema too. It's good to see that we still have SOME standards.

I wouldn't mind a bit more censorship in TV shows these days too, call me old fashioned but I dont' think my five year old should be subjected to some of the crap they call cartoons.

I love family guy and stuff, but it's totally inappropriate for kids, and an inattentive parent could easily just glance at the tv and think "cartoons, cool" and leave the kids to it.

So I'm glad that at the cinema's at least, they're still being a bit discerning.

*rant over*

Good on you BlueToothKiwi, sounds like you are a pretty on to it parent :)

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# 250024 24-Aug-2009 10:16

astrobox:
I wouldn't mind a bit more censorship in TV shows these days too, call me old fashioned but I dont' think my five year old should be subjected to some of the crap they call cartoons.

I love family guy and stuff, but it's totally inappropriate for kids, and an inattentive parent could easily just glance at the tv and think "cartoons, cool" and leave the kids to it.

I have to take issue with that. Family Guy definitely isn't a show for kids but just because it's a cartoon it should be censored? It has a rating assigned to it and it won't be shown in the afternoon when kids' cartoons are shown, maybe instead of an inattentive parent just glancing at what their kid is watching they should actually pay attention? It's attitudes like that (it's OK, the government will censor whatever's not good for me or my kids) is what makes a nanny state.

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# 250030 24-Aug-2009 10:38

hellonearthisman: I think that's a bad call, to be refused with parent/guardian is wrong.

No, it's not. I am not talking about the ratings system being right or wrong, but the cinema has to follow the rules. If they don't they pay a fine.

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toprob

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# 250035 24-Aug-2009 10:53

freitasm:
hellonearthisman: I think that's a bad call, to be refused with parent/guardian is wrong.

No, it's not. I am not talking about the ratings system being right or wrong, but the cinema has to follow the rules. If they don't they pay a fine.

Yes, I was interested to know who was meant to make the call -- the 18 year old ticket seller? I find it very unlikely that a movie threatre would give their staff the choice of breaking the law. Maybe it could be company policy? Hey, we'll allow 15 year olds into R16 movies -- it just isn't going to happen.

On the original point -- nobody made a choice not to let your kid in, their was no choice.

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# 250039 24-Aug-2009 11:17

But in 6 months time you can goto the local video store and rent it out anyway.... a 12 yr old could probably rent a M+ movie with no questions asked.... "its for daddy to watch".

I let my 2 yr old watch Family Guy - she loves it - but not for the language content but just the characters, she loves Peter and screams " guy guy guy!!" when he comes on screen :) Id be worried if she started saying "whos leg around here do i have to hump to get a martini"......

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