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Harry on Day One of SXSW, Texas Filmmakers Hall of Fame and why THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED should when Best Doc 2007!!!
Hey Folks, Harry here… Day One of SXSW. For the last 4 years of SXSW, I haven’t been able to see the opening night film… in this case the world premiere of Robert Altman’s PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION with the brand spanking new Picturehouse nifty animated logo… but never fear, Quint and Annette Kellerman were on that like a pig in shit trying to scratch its back.
Why haven’t I been seeing a film on the first day of SXSW, cuz the Austin Film Society chooses that very same day and moment to host their extravaganza called THE TEXAS FILMMAKER’S HALL OF FAME. This year they were inducting JoBeth Williams, Kris Kristofferson, Lyle Lovett, Matthew McConaughey and the film THE LAST PICTURE SHOW with Cybill Shepherd accepting. Presenters included SR Bindler, Lawrence “I fucking wrote EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, fuck you” Kasdan and John “No fuck you, I wrote BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS and a killer alligator beneath the streets flick!” Sayles. The original Emcee was going to be the fantastic Ann Richards… but at the last minute Ann had to pull out due to basically having throat cancer. Which sucks unholy amounts of ass. She’s one of the coolest citizens of this great city, you should see her recent spot she shot for the Alamo Drafthouse. It’s genius.
Anyway, it’s a high falootin’ affair where they raise ungodly sums of money through auctions and other tricks to add to the fantastic Texas Filmmaker’s Production Fund, among other great causes. Tonight I was attending with Father Geek, his mother Granny Geek, the love of my life and me in my Dracula shoes. Had a brief discussion with one of the talents that wants to partake in GHOST TOWN and he’s anxious to get to work on it, talked with the head of Picturehouse for a bit. Granny Geek blew Kris Kristofferson a kiss and reportedly, he blew one back. She was in Granny Geek heaven for like… well, let’s face it, she’s still beside herself. I swear to god, the guy sitting next to PapaSan heard his life story and the birth and life of AICN over the dinner portion.
As for the actual event…. This year was decidedly lower key than last years. For one, Lauren Bacall added such an infinite amount of class to the evening that I couldn’t even begin to convey the utter coolness of being in her presence, much less getting her to sign my original KEY LARGO half sheet movie poster (not at the event, but the day before) and a great conversation about Lionel Barrymore I had with her. Anyways, this year… the first several acceptance and introduction pieces were just too quick. I love John Sayles, but he’s a brevity fellow when it comes to speaking in front of high fallutin affairs. To induct Kris into the Hall Of Fame, I would’ve preferred Guillermo Del Toro who would have had the audience in fucking stitches through his tales about Kris and perhaps he could have been convinced to screen PAN’S LABYRINTH (ahem) . JoBeth Williams was presented by Lawrence Kasdan, which was great… but there’s a part of me that would have loved to have had Tobe Hooper present hers… if nothing else than to get some damn POLTERGEIST stories told. (ahem, I’m a geek, I know) Cybill was fantastic, but brief.
Don’t think the event wasn’t great – it was. I mean holy Christ – you had Lyle Lovett performing one hell of a set… and then a 40 minute acceptance speech from Matthew McConaughey which just went real far toward me declaring that Matthew is the quintessential Austin celebrity. It isn’t just that he’s famous. Hell Linklater, Mike Judge and Robert Rodriguez are outstanding. But Matthew is just Austin through and through. The way he speaks in a low key Zen sense of childlike enthusiasm tempered with sage bits of eclectic Austin wisdom sprinkled with a worldly understanding. He was absolutely captivating as he detailed not only what Texas means to him, but Austin in particular. His “Just Keep Living” mantra is very much a backbone ideal for Austin. Nobody moved during his amazing acceptance speech – and it, in and of itself is what is remarkable about not having a minute and a half acceptance window like some goddamn award shows…
The best part of the evening was being incredibly gay with girlfriend talking about the Austin fashion at this affair – as well as conversing with a few people I’d never met that had interesting tales of people we mutually know telling versions of stories that I participated in. Very fucking funny stuff. Specifically the Richard Elfman one.
THE BEST PART OF THE NIGHT THOUGH…
Was the fact that I was actually able to see an opening night film!
THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED
Do you hate the MPAA? Do you loathe this system by which filmmakers are forced to edit their films to a specific rating in order to hit a certain demographic? Do you hate that you’ve no idea who the people that rate these films are like, though they’re described as being safe normal family folks that have kids in the young impressionable range? Want to really know who the people in this STAR CHAMBER of Hollywood are?
See THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED.
The man, Kirby Dick… director and owner of the biggest brassiest set of balls these eyes have ever worshipped. Apparently set to be released by IFC FILMS around Labor Day, Kirby Dick’s film is genius. It completely reveals the hypocrisy of the system, and pulls back the curtain to reveal a sacred set of lies that the industry’s “wizard” had been operating behind.
How?
Kirby Dick hired the coolest goddamn Private Investigator in the history of cinema. A Lesbian that has been happily raising a perfectly normal cool girl with her life partner… whom she operates her Private Eye company with. This isn’t some KISS KISS BANG BANG action scenario… but watching how she stakes out the MPAA’s fortress of solitude… systematically writing down the license plates of every car that went in and out of the building. How she got the company directory… it’s like ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN, but instead of fucking Nixon, it’s goddamn Jack Valenti! And they cornhole him like Ned Beatty over a log. It’s fucking awesome. The thrill of the chase, the investigation, the bagging of these goddamn raters one after another. It's like a thousand times better than Elmer Fudd hunting Bugs Bunny!
The investigation techniques are rock solid – and you come out knowing that there’s an aspiring would-be screenwriter on the ratings board and about 80% of the Parents of impressionable children have kids in their 20s or OLDER…. One didn’t even have kids and these people have terrible taste in food. They literally go to dives of fast food. Yuck. Very indicative of the MPAA.
If you love cinema – yet the ratings board drives you fucking bat nuts… this is the film for you. In addition to the investigation aspect… there’s interviews with raped filmmakers like Kevin Smith (fucking hilarious as usual), Wayne Kramer, Matt Stone (fucking hilarious as usual), Darren Aronofsky, Allison Anders, Atom Egoyan, Kimberly Peirce, John Waters (fucking hilarious as usual – his felching bit was great), Bingham Ray, Mary Harron and many others. Hell – just seeing Maria Bello defending her right to bare pubes vs the stabbed breast implant in one of those SCARY MOVIE flicks. To find out more about the film, check out: the official site where folks are sharing MPAA horror stories and lots more. Fantastic movie – a great way to kick off my SXSW. Now it’s time for sleep, got 4 more tomorrow!
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when is it out in UK?
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OH and in what capacity? Movie? TV? Video? I cannot find any information about it being shown besides a few minor venues and events.
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I've been dying to see this ever since AICN first posted about it. But I imagine the only way I'm seeing it is when IFC aires it on their network later this year or if/when it gets released on DVD.
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Don't be so reliant on spell check. Sorry, it's a pet peeve.
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pubes are exactly like seeing a piece of silicon stuck on a knife. i love watching her naked, but that's just more self-aggrandizing celebrity asshattery.
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L-I-V-I-N.
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SXSW, the most overrated event known to mankind.
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Seems like everyone was talking about how this movie goy an X rating (whatever, I don't remember the exact rating now, but 'X' is catchier:), but nobody knew why.. Now that a bunch of people are reviewing it, does anyone mention anything that could possible justify it? Do they show exessive violence? sex? drugs? anything? I can't belive it's just because it's about them, at least the would have come up with an excuse to save face.. I love a good 'evil corporation conspiracy theory', but this is just too good to be true.
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The only reason I've heard is because in the doc they show scenes from other movies that got them an NC-17 ratings and then compare the scenes to ones very similar inside of mainstream films that received an R. So the MPAA gave THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED an NC-17 because it has the scenes in it, even though it's using them in a manner that shows the public how two faced the MPAA is. That's the only reason I've heard.
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I think id love to go to sxsw.. but it seems the only option to see the movies is a 300.00 pass. [thats probably sold out]
I guess I'll just have to hope I can see it when they release it later. -
Flight leaves at 11:50am pst. Better go. Can't wait. "Wise one out!"
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Mar 11, 2006 1:28:07 PM CST
If Matthew McConaughey is the quintessential Austin...
by industrykiller
celebrity, then god damn I feel bad for the people of Austin.
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So what is wrong with the rating system? Is it where the boundaries are drawn, or just the fact that someone gets to set the boundaries? Obviously boundaries and ratings are a good thing, what is the alternative they are offering?
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No comment
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quote: "A Lesbian that has been happily raising a perfectly normal cool girl with her life partner"
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I guess they just went for the "zOMG they gave an X rating because their evil!!1!" angle to get some publicity (worked for me tho.. I can't wait to see it)
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John "Fuck ME, I wrote the silliest sounding fuckin script this side of a sci-fi channel movie i.e. Jurassic Park 4" Sayles?
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How many seconds must pass between typing out copy to placing it on this website? Is it just totally impossible to have a blinking proofreader?? Argh! :-|
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She can't help it. She was born with a cancerous spoon in her mouth. Ironic, huh? Nonetheless, prayers go out to her and her family. She is truly an iconic Texan. On a side note, Harry, give us a break with the whole MPAA bashing bit. Boo freakin' hoo! Filmmakers aren't tortured into complying with the MPAA. They're free to not have the film rated. They just won't make any money because few theaters will then carry the product. Additionally, I assume by filmmaker that you mean "director" cause most producers and investors in the film want to see a healthy return on their investment. That's just the nature of capitalism. You invest money; you want to see it back, plus some. Otherwise, it's a loss or simple charity. And losses and charity can only continue to exist as long as someone else is making enough return of his investment to be able to sustain a loss or be charitable. Oui? Additionally, one has to "LOVE" your description of the daughter of the two lesbians. I'm sure that she's just fine, but "a perfectly normal cool girl?" How the hell would you know how "perfect," "normal," or "cool" the girl was? Please. Give us a break. You know what you see in a movie, but do you also believe that Hayden Christensen can move heavy objects with the powers of the Force. Oh, I get it. You're trying to make a point here, a socio-political point using a movie as your example. Weak, Harry. Very weak. One also has to be amused at your "just keep living" orgasm at the "sage" bits of homespun homilies of Matthew McConaughey juxtaposed against your weak little criticisms of the MPAA members. Gee whiz, an aspiring screenwriter and people with kids in their twenties who have terrible taste in food!!! Gosh, I guess only Zen-like psedo-cowboys who spout vagueries like "just keep living" (as opposed to what, Harry? Just start dying?) are allowed to do that. Everybody else, including those horrible raters, can just die and go to hell, huh? Terrible taste in food! Wow! There's an indictment. Egads and gadzooks! Maybe we should just kidnap 'em all, take 'em to Austin, and force 'em to listen to the "Sage"-brush Cowboy himself for a couple of hours! That'd sure straighten those bastards with poor taste in food out. By the way, as a liberal, how the hell do you square criticizing one's taste in food with multi-culturalism, live and let live, "our diversity is our strength," and "just keep living?" I'm really curious. Is it because these people dare to belong to a group which performs a "service" that you abhor? Is that why it's okay to criticize their taste in food? Because they "force" you and filmmakers to accept their subjective ratings? If so, how is that any different from any other group who doesn't practice multi-culturalism, live and let live, "our diversity is our strength," and "just keep living?" We accept you as long as you're like us and agree with our values. Not very multi-cultural, live and let live, diverse, or "live and ley live," huh? Finally, I didn't know that Kevin Smith was raped. Did he know Teri Hatcher's uncle or did he just go visit Saddam Hussein's Iraq? If your statement, however, was in regards to the MPAA and Kevin Smith's beef with them, you do a serious, serious disservice to any actual rape victim. An argument with the MPAA and your producers, studio, and investors is NOT the same as rape. Best wishes to Ma Richards.
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Yes, their agenda is apparently to expose the poor taste in food of the members of the MPAA as well as their utterly ordinary lives - an object of derision UNLESS YOU'RE BEING RAISED BY TWO LESBIANS. In that case, it's apparently a badge of honor. One has to be amazed at the prowess of these two "life partners" (as opposed to "bank robbing partners" and "car theft partners," I guess). I haven't seen a "perfectly normal cool girl" raised by ANYONE (hetero, homo, or unclassified) in more than twenty years! Somebody get these girls a badge of honor. Oh, wait, I forgot. They already have one. They're lesbians. Never mind. By the way, I'll be that this "perfectly normal cool girl" has GREAT taste in food.
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The people of Austin are, for the most part, normal, ordinary folks. The people that tend to stand out in Austin are the loud-mouthed and over-exposed who spout liberal homilies or homespun truisms. So much pot got smoked in Austin in the 60s that "just keep livin'" is now seen as the wisest, smartest thing that anybody ever said in the whole history of thought and philosophy.
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Why is there outrage over Jack Valenti and the ratings system but never any outrage over the Theaters that won't NC-17 movies or the newspapers or TV that won't take the ads for these films.
Harry gets pissed off that theaters won't show these movies and the person he gets pissed off at is Jack Valenti.
A system that tells people what is in a movie bad, the theaters that won't show the films ... no real problem with. Keep fighting the good fight Harry. -
Theoretically, theaters will make more money running R or less films. Parents are stupid, they'll bring their kids to R rated films, thus guaranteeing extra tickets sold. NC-17 you can NOT bring a minor into. So they can only sell to a "smaller" group, namely the 18+ crowd. Besides, you'll get to see the NC-17 movie on DVD eventually. Regardless, the good fight is indeed against the MPAA. Explain to me why it's ok to show insane levels of violence in a movie, but not nudity? Hard nipples on a woman, ok, hard penis on a male? NC-17!!! Ah whatever, go see the movie, it'll explain it far better than I can.
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I just don't understand why Jack Valenti is the devil because parents can't bring kids to a adult movie. More NC-17 are not released theatrically because theaters won't show them. I can't blame a rating for the actions of a theater or media outlet.I don't have a problem with some movies being just for a adult audience.
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Just saying is all. I stopped buying Australian DVD's because the ratings signs ruin the covers.
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Let me take a moment to quote directly from the MPAA homepage: The movie ratings system is a voluntary system operated by the MPAA and the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO). The ratings are given by a board of parents who comprise the Classification and Rating Administration (CARA). CARA
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Anyone know how to use spell check at AICN? Sloppy, just sloppy.
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Less documentarys, more moneen, big guy.
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Ya know, with that name this movie was right up his alley. I kid, I kid. I loved Chain Camera, and I sure wish more of his stuff would get released on DVD.
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because no matter how much he raves about movies all year, he'll fill his end of the year list mainly with movies we didn't hear about all year or movies that don't open til next year.
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Win is it coming out? Can't wait! Sounds like a whenner.
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Its a little early to say it will when 'Best Doc' this year, not win there are so many other pics yet to be seen that could when that honor.
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V for Vendetta is rated R. Someone please? I wrote this at Annette Kellerman's review of "This Movie is Not Yet Rated". V is a MUST SEE movie for everyone over 10 who loves movies and great stories, IMO.
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I am looking forward to This Film Is Not Yet Rated, but let's face it...the MPAA serves a purpose. You may not agree with every decision they make, but I really do not buy into the "conspiracy theory" crap. I had a chance to meet Kirby Dick and think he's a great guy. This subject is very interesting, but the MPAA is flawed like any other governing body. Take a movie like 1980's Looker....Rated PG. Features full frontal nudity, profanity and some graphic death scenes. Now take Fantastic Four. TAME as fuck movie. Nothing at all scary. No real violence. No profanity. Rated PG-13? There are 1000 more examples, but like any organization, people come and go and attitudes change. Make the movies you want and bypass the MPAA..........
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News to me--I thought he grew up in Longview, Tx (for those of you outside of tx, thats almost in Louisiana).
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I really was surprised he was from Austin--I never knew that.
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I'm going to be the next Charles Whitman if he keeps on making crap like "ready to launch" what a turd
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While I am looking forward to THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED, I have to question Harry's praising of the tactics of the Private Investigator. Following them? Taking down their license plate numbers? Going through their garbage? Isn't that worse than giving a violent movie an NC-17 rating?
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Hypocrisy makes me sick, Harry. Throw up a stereotype and then later throw up your agenda with the comment about the lesbian PI raising the normal cool daughter. When are people going to realize what a big phony you are? You are such a poser. It's my turn to throw up.
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The MPAA's doing just fine running roughshod over the creativity of filmmakers without the sadassed apologists stinking up this talkback. Note a double standard in what's allowed to be shown on film? Watch some gay porn. Fucking brilliant! Quick, spit in Jack's palm and maybe it won't hurt as much. Asshole.
Wow, I met Kirby Dick, so the MPAA is fucking all right with me! The rest of us don't need it, don't want it. I for one am tired of having to wait for a DVD release to see what a director intended to show in the first place. Fuck the MPAA, and if you think they're doing their job (which parents should be doing anyway) well, then fuck you too. Aw yeah. -
i can't believe there are people on this TB actually sticking up for the MPAA. Yeah no fucking you don't have to submit your film to the ratings board, that is of course, you want people to actually see your film. And yes it is possible to have 100% artistic integrity and still want a large audience to get the chance to see your film. And no you silly paranoid conservatives, the 1960s are not the root of all our problems. What a laugh.
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Can someone explain the difference between "Horror violence and gore", "strong gruesome violence," "strong horror violence," "terror violence/gore" and "pervasive strong brutal violence"? I love how they have infinite levels of categorization for violence and gore. Can you imagine the same standards for nudity? "Strong sexual nudity." "Pervasive full frontal nudity." "Strong breast-oriented nudity and partial genital-oriented nudity."
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LOL the movie.
Pure Genius - watch the trailer here:
http://tinyurl.com/qj8d2
Oh and Air Guitar Nation rocked. -
They make my life so much easier. Why should I have to decide what my kids can or can't watch? It's so much easier in this hectic day and age to just leave the thinking to other, more qualified folks. 197fg4uoihbnmffd aqw Sorry, my kid just threw a lamp at my head! Tyler! What did daddy tell you about throwin- /riiiing/- oops, thats my cell phone, /click/ Hello? No I told you 25% Murray, 25% fucking percent not 8%!!! ARE YOU DEAF OR DID I STUTTER, CALL ME BACK WHEN YOU GROW A BRAIN, MURRAY, YOU FUCKING TWIT!!!!! /click/ Sorry about that, what was I saying? Oh yes, Tyler, go sit in the naughty chair, the naughty chair Tyler, go now, 1.....2.....2 and a half, NO! Put that down this instant, you are hurting daddys feelings because you are not listeni- Tyler where are you going? Do not leave the room when I am speaking to you! TYLER!!! Oh well, what are you gonna do? Kids will be kids! Anyway, violence and sex in films is just getting out of hand! I took my kids to see that film, 'The 40 Year Old Virgin', hoping maybe it would have some good tips and lessons on how to abstain from sexual activity for such a long time, and the entire film was filth, absolute rubbish! The main charachter was actually TRYING to lose his virginity! BEFORE MARRAIGE!!! It should have been called 'The 40 year old Deviant', or 'The 40 year old Pervert', maybe 'The 40 year old Devil Worshipping Masturbator'. An angel told me that I should listen to President Bush when he tells me that the MPAA is doing good things for the good, (white/Christian), people of this country.
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...the movies was when we went to see Saw II, and when the lights came up, we see that some stupid couple had brought their 4-5 year old daughter. I hadnt heard a peep from her the whole time, 'cause she was probably too scared to breath or move. I bet she loved the scene when the guy gets cooked alive in the oven. Or when the other guy cuts the flesh from the back of his neck to see the number! AWESOME!! Great parenting! BTW I cant wait for the next sequel, 'See-Saw: The Playground of Death'
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