Kirby Dick’s gleeful assault exposes the hypocrisy, inscrutability, cronyism and downright wackiness of the all-powerful unregulated, United States film censorship board, the MPAA.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2006
This Film is Not Yet Rated 2006
In most western democracies film censorship is a governmental operation and citizens are well advised to guard the processes from the direct interference of politicians. In the United States film censorship stays in the hands of those who produce the most profitable films. The MPAA film ratings board is a secret, unregulated organisation whose studio-appointed members claim no qualifications other than being ‘American parents’. Kirby Dick’s gleeful assault exposes the hypocrisy, inscrutability, cronyism and downright wackiness of the all-powerful board. Their decisions and processes definitely favour the studios, as South Park producer Matt Stone can testify, having challenged them from both inside and outside the system. Dick stalks board members, illustrates the board’s misogyny and homophobia in artfully compared clips, and rounds up a posse of filmmakers and industry insiders. They regale us with their injuries and their insights into a system that treats freedom of speech as a market commodity of dubious value. — BG
“Kirby Dick is our fucking hero.” — Eric Campos, Film Threat