'Cleaning' of movies may be made legal

Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 4/19/05 | Vince Horiuchi

[colorcountry]

For Mark Kastleman, "Titanic" was not only a disaster epic, but a disaster as a movie-going experience. "I had my teenage sons with me . . . and everything's going great, and then all of a sudden you have this scene where this woman was topless," said the Cottonwood Heights father of six. "My sons were embarrassed and I was really shocked." Kastleman and his family have since become fans of edited movies, a controversial subject that will play out in Congress today when the House votes on the Family Movie Act, which would legalize technology that edits DVDs as they are being watched. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, has already passed the Senate. "This is not about directors or producers," Smith said. "It's about families and parents and the rights of parents to raise their children the way they see fit." The technology that would be legalized by passage of the Family Movie Act is just one side of a simmering controversy over who has the right to edit copyright material.

About the Family Movie Act: * It is sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas.
* It would legalize technology like Clearplay DVD players, which skip over objectionable material.
* It has passed the Senate and heads to the House today for a floor vote.
* Detractors say it could lead to altering other forms of artistic work, including books and paintings.

[JennysCool]

SHEESH -- the broadcast networks have been editing movies for decades. Why this big hooraw about consumers doing it at home?

[theFIRMbss]

>The bill, sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas . . .

Yeah, this will be fine . . .
Republicans don't want to
ever win again . . .

[Doctor Stochastic]

Didn't Lot play Scrabble with his daughters?

[randog]

Detractors say it could lead to altering other forms of artistic work, including books and paintings.

Oh, you mean like Cliff Notes, prints, TV movie that have been edited for "time and content"? I watched 'Me, Myself, and Eileen' on cable last weekend. The black kids' foul language was edited out or replaced with other less foul language. "Oh, the humanity", I lamented.

[mlc9852]

I think this is wonderful. I refuse to see R movies because most are just gratuitous and pandering. However, I think there are some good ones that I would enjoy if they took out what made them get the R. I'm all for it. This way people would have a choice and the movies would get a much wider audience.

By the way, how would this affect the Republicans running for office?

[colorcountry]

Didn't Lot play Scrabble with his daughters?

I don't get it - does Scrabble create offspring??

[proxy_user]

They have a contract with the copyright holder allowing them to do it.

[Lazamataz]

Oh, you mean like Cliff Notes, prints, TV movie that have been edited for "time and content"? I watched '[Edited for Time and Content]' on cable last weekend. The [Edited for Time and Content] was edited out or replaced with other [Edited for Time and Content]. "[Edited for Time and Content]", I lamented.

[TheBigB]

I have no problem with this process. That being said, I'd be more worried about those teenage boys who weren't enthusiastic about seeing Kate Winslet's nekkid boobies.

[rwfromkansas]

Anything that pisses off a loser, er..artist....is worth it.

Pass this law.

"Detractors say it could lead to altering other forms of artistic work, including books and paintings."

[soundandvision]

I don't mind people doing this with their own product if they have purchased it. But these video stores that have been popping up over the last few years and doing their own editing and then renting the copies...

Uh, I don't think so.

[dead]

Illegal? How can you have a law that tells people they have to watch the boobies if they want to see the Titanic model sink?

It’s pretty lame to even watch Titanic. It’s twice as lame to want to watch Titanic without a free shot of some boobies. But it really isn’t the business of the government to get involved either way.

[rwfromkansas]

This just allows consumers to have their movies edited if they want for family viewing.

It doesn't FORCE movies to change at all.

I sure would miss my Eurotrip without all the needless sexual humor.

But, this is a good bill that will allow people some rights to protect their families in today's sex and filth-obsessed Holywood culture.

[StuLongIsland]

Well, personally I believe there should be maybe some synopsis of whats in the movie before people see it, so they know not to take their kids to it or play it on DVD, if it does not suit their taste or view of morality. It is the parents responsibility to do the research before hand. Perhaps theaters before entering have sheets available # of sex scenes, curse words, etc.

Everyone has his or her view of what is tolerable, don't need come censor company deciding for me what I should and should not see. At the same time I do not need Hollywood imposing scenes on me that I don't want to show my kids if I find out before via research what is in the movie. Should be up to the consumer to decide, buyer beware.

[soundandvision]

Another point..we wouldn't let a pharmacist 'water down' prescriptions would we? Then why should we allow rental places to make edits and rent out edited product?

Now, again, if people want to do this in their own home, who gives a rip?

[Tax-chick]

But these video stores that have been popping up over the last few years and doing their own editing and then renting the copies...

Uh, I don't think so.

Why? If the video outlet owns the film, and the customer knows that he is renting an edited copy, who is harmed?

[Mr Dutch]

Is this the same guy who was watching the superbowl and suddenly saw Janet Jackson naked breast and now thinks his children are to be mentally helped because they saw a naked breast? Yeh..sure...what is it that some people think it's better to see news or movies where people get killed in a violent matter than showing a naked breast, hell it's not that a total naked body was exposed.

[killjoy]

"I had my teenage sons with me . . . and everything's going great, and then all of a sudden you have this scene where this woman was topless," said the Cottonwood Heights father of six. "My sons were embarrassed and I was really shocked."

Let me guess. He thinks his teenage sons are virgins also. This guy needs to get a life.

[rwfromkansas]

The problem is that finding and skipping through the scenes at home is much more of a hassle than having them just removed completely.

It should be an option for those who want it.

Comparing it to prescriptions is rather stupid.