Does an R rating help make a horror film better?

[countchocula]

There was recently a discussion in the Current/Upcoming forum about 13 Ghosts possibly being slapped with a PG-13 rating. As it turns out, the IMDB was wrong and the film will be released with an R rating. Some said that if it was PG-13, that would kill any chance of the movie being good. Others stated that the rating wouldn't matter much. There have been some solid horror flicks in the past that have had either a PG or a PG-13 rating. What are some of your favorites and do you think that a rating correlates with a film's quality? Personally, I think that it depends on the movie itself. If it's a haunted house film like 13 Ghosts, then it shouldn't need excessive amounts of gore, profanity, or nudity to peak my interest. Instead, it should rely on mood, atmosphere, and suspense. It must have a strong psychological backbone to it. However, if we're talking about a cheesy b-movie like Slumber Party Massacre or Silent Night, Deadly Night, then by all means, include as much blood and T&A as you want.

Some of my favorite horror films that aren't rated R...

Poltergeist(PG)
Anaconda{PG-13)
The Island of Dr. Moreau(PG-13)
Beetlejuice(PG)
Tremors 2: Aftershocks(PG-13)
Killer Klowns From Outer Space(PG-13)

[SteveSzyk]

I agree with you completely. If we find out that House of 1000 Corpses was cut down to a PG-13 rating, then I think it'll be fair to start a riot. But, a ghost story like 13 Ghosts should not be effected by it's rating.

[SteveSzyk]

I'm transferring this to General Horror Movie Talk.

[pedro]

I believe it does. I watch horror movies to be horrified, and gore horrifies. I am a gorehound and will always be. Poltergiest i thought was not sensored well and i can imagine hundreds of poor little kids shitting themselves when that guy tears his face apart. Apparently it was given a harsher rated but Spielberg (who helped write) bitched and pulled some strings. I just consider myself lucky her in Australia that our censorship isn't as hardcore as the Americans (most of your R rated films are only restricted to kids over 15 here)

[Kit]

Surely you want an R rating as a sign that it's totally terrifying and disturbing on psychological level?

[pedro]

In answer to your question kit, of course! All i was saying though is that good gore is absent from most non-R rated films (except poltergeist). I love all that is macabre and disturbing! Gore is not the only reason i watch film, but it helps me decide which ones to watch. Especially in the horror genre.

[izombie]

I agree with the Count, about the ratings it seems that movies with a good story don't need to add gore and nudity some of my favorite movies without an R+ rating

Ring
The Others
Poltergeist
The Haunting (original)
Beetlejuice
Tremors
The Sixth Sense

I don't think that an R rating is a sure "sign of sign that it's totally terrifying and disturbing on psychological level" I find anything with Barney or Teletubbies able to fill that description....


[This message has been edited by izombie (edited 10-12-2001).]

[Seph]

I'm the guilty party on the 13 Ghosts post in upcoming.... but I feel it's because a movie like 13 ghosts just wasn't meant to be PG13. Like House on Haunted vs. The Haunting. Which is better? Neither is great, but it's plain to me that the reason House on Haunted is better is because they took it over the line and said "let's just go all out with it." Haunting tried to go all psychological, failed miserably, and then had nothing to fall back on. It's pretty clear that 13 Ghosts isn't planning on being The Shining (which was rated R), Changeling, The Others or original Haunting, so as a haunted house flick it's on a more visual, visceral level. And if we're gonna get visceral, show me the viscera... I see both sides...

[EDsoulsurvive*]

i dunno about the ratings, i mean, what lies beneath and the others were two of the scariest movies i've seeen in such a long time and those were pg-13. but some movies like seph said, are better off R like House on Haunted Hill. im pretty much split up on this topic.

[Green]

There are good and bad movies in every rating, but lesser ratings force you to be more creative because you can't rely of shock and graphic scenes. I like both. Some other PG and PG-13 flicks not mentioned include Jaws, Gremlins 1 & 2, Poltergeist 2 & 3 and Tourist Trap.

[countchocula]

I forgot to add one to my list. Unbreakable(PG-13)

[HannibalGuy]

Take Titanic for example. I know it's not horror but it's got tits, language, and violence. One F-Word can get a PG-13 but if if it tits in in it should get a R. 13 Ghosts is a ghost story so it's shouldnt get an R. Another example is Hannibal. It shows tons of gore and 2 F-words but no nudity. The only nudity in it is the drawings. Titanic has nude drawings to!

[APzombie]

What i hate is when the whole rated R thing is used when it doesnt have to be as a publisity stunt to get an audience.

[SUPER LOVER MAN]

A flower is only as good as its pedals.

[Pennywise]

If a film gets a PG then it will not have enough gore or all of the murders will appear off screen totally fucking it up...

[countchocula]

A horror film doesn't necessarily need gore to be good.

[Seph]

Okay, I think my point is being missed (or my posts not read)....

I'm not saying that a ghost story has to be rated R to be good, but once a script is completed, you have to direct it true to the story. 13 Ghosts obviously isn't trying to be your classic psychological ghost story with spooky, creepy, eerie atmosphere and all that. It's intending to go for the jugular....VERY MINOR SPOILER one of the Ghosts is called Breaker, he's 7 foot plus and he's the ghost of a serial killer who literally "broke" his victims and ripped them apart with his bare hands, and he's still trying to do this from beyond the grave.VERY MINOR SPOILER ENDS Now....with a character like this, can you make the movie PG-13. I think not, cuz all we'd have is a bunch of close calls and cutaway shots, no payoff. For that matter, I'd take it back to The Shining.... had it been PG-13 it would've ruined Stephen's book and been just an awful film. It's a haunted house story, but it's not meant to be PG-13, the story is already written and for it to be completely effective it needed the R rating. Otherwise you're left with the mini-series...

[ERIN_LoJ]

Horror is generally considered an adult genre, thus enter the R rating. If horror made it to PG 13 it would need to be watered down quite a bit, ruining the effect. Yes , I think it does make a big difference.

[Flagg]

13 Ghosts' radio ad really uses its R rating to its advantage. It focuses on the content of the movie (blood,gore,nudity,intense terror).
While there are some good PG horror movies out there, its an exception to the rule. When I see a horror movie I want blood,gore and nudity. the more the better. So if I see a PG rating attached to a horror movie I'll take a pass and wait for it on video.

[Wwl66]

This is just for some of you commenting on some horror being PG.And I also felt that I should throw it out since you're talking about ratings,even though it's not what the topic is really about.The only reason that movies like Jaws 1 -3 and Poltergiest are PG is because the PG-13 rating didn't exist until 1985.Notice how Jaws 1,2,and 3 are PG but 4 is PG-13.Just look at the language and violence in the first Jaws.A severed leg and head a kid getting eaten and when Quint died.No way it would get PG today if it came out.Also Ghostbusters 1 is PG but part 2 IS PG-13.And those are pretty much the same content wise.(In case you're wondering the first movie to recieve PG-13 was Red Dawn).So lots of movies got a PG because they just weren't graphic enough for an R.And as for language,you can say fuck or whatever and get a PG-13,there's just a limit to how much you can say.And for nudity,you can have that and get a PG-13 as long as there is no contact,both physical and sexual and there is not a lot of it.Ever seen Critters 2.Big titties,but still PG-13.Also,I think when you do that,you still have to balance it out with milder language and violence.

[OvWrathvO]

A horror film doesn't need an "R" rating to be good, but now a days, they will give anything that has the 'f word' & 's word' more than twice in the movie an "R" rating. Do I look at the rating for the film, however? No.

[Ender]

Well, as big of a Hitchcock fan I am (ie, as much of a psychological horror fan I am), I just don't think PG-13 cuts it these days. Sure, there are some good PG-13 horror movies, but every one of them could have in some way been improved by including more R-rated material.

[Cyclonus]

Well, in a lot of cases, yes, because gore is an inherent part of the subject matter.

[ParileseMonster]

We have all been brainwashed by the rating system. I personally will not watch a horror movie unless it is an R. Rarely will I go Pg-13 but I have been known to see some movies with that rating but I will not run to the theatre to see a horror movie unless it is an R and unrated is always good.

[Jimmy Da Gent]

I like the whole idea of PG-13 horror movies.....

Well, I'm not really scared by excessive gore, because it's not scary.

Last time I checked a good story, suspense and creepy music doesn't add up to R. Too much gore sucks and you could make a good PG-13 horror movie, the Gore can go!

Just my two cents!

http://www.joblo.com/ubb/wink.gif

[Gore 4 All]

Of course I would rather not see a PG-13 rating on a horror flick because I love a good gorefest, but if the flick makes up for it in plot, acting, andoverall film-making (i.e. The Changeling) then I'll make the exception)

On the other hand I love an ole-fashioned unrated because if the box says Fulci or Argento I know I'm in for some juicy red stuff

[Kim_EZ]

I kinda agree...

If a movie intended for a rating of R is slated to PG-13, there would prolly be a lot of edits that could take away from the total outcome. I never saw Soul Survivors (looked awful after it finally got released), but wasn't it intended to be rated R?