DVDs Ruined Movies

Has anyone noticed how tame movies have gotten since the advent of DVDs? PG-13 movies now account for at least half of all revenue generated by box office sales. I can remember that only ten years ago, we still got a decent serving of R-rated entertainment. Back then, movies were targeted at specific groups loyal to specific genres, and it did not matter if the movies were kid-friendly or not. But since DVDs came into play, I think the studios use them as a way to make more money at the expense of the overall quality of the movies they produce.

VHS videos were often the same theatrical versions released by the studios-- hardly ever any "special editions" with deleted scenes. But DVDs offered new capabilities where one could have two versions of a movie on one disk, and it is this ability which enables the studios to water-down the theatrical cut in order to broaden their audience. Why excluded kids ages 8-12, when the studios can just release an "UNRATED EXTENDED EDITION" DVD "TOO EXTREME/TERRIFYING/HOT FOR THEATERS" with deleted scenes and an alternate ending? The kids get Live Free or Die Hard, and the core audience gets a middle finger.

I can understand why a studio would cut an NC-17 down to an R, but why cut an R down to a PG-13 if it will only alienate the fans? I think it should be the other way around-- release the good version in theaters, and the watered-down version on video.

Does anyone think I'm wrong?

it might seem like im nit picking, but the fact is, they killed die hard thoroughly, wtf was the point of making another die hard??

and only that. it felt watered down with a vengeance, call me what you want , but die hard isn't die hard with the bad language or a big old R on it

In all fairness, most decent films don't do that. Only trashy films do it to help generate sales. Samwel_X

[QUOTE="Samwel_X"]In all fairness, most decent films don't do that. Only trashy films do it to help generate sales. hip-hop-cola2

The Dark Knight excluded blood which is something that actually didn't come to my attention until someone pointed it out.

the only beef i got with dvds is this movie to dvd crap. for instance alladin 7 or something. i like dvds but seriously alladin 7?Tazzmission187

Really? The first 3 are great (even though 2 and 3 were direct to). Sad that it turned to something like Land Before Time. Oh and it's Aladdin just for future reference.

the only beef i got with dvds is this movie to dvd crap. for instance alladin 7 or something. i like dvds but seriously alladin 7?Tazzmission187

apparently there are loads of pokemon movies out there. Someone even pointed out they were planning this in advance, after all, the first movie was called 'Pokemon, the First Movie'

[QUOTE="hip-hop-cola2"][QUOTE="Samwel_X"]In all fairness, most decent films don't do that. Only trashy films do it to help generate sales. Nifty_Shark

The Dark Knight excluded blood which is something that actually didn't come to my attention until someone pointed it out.

would the film be better with no limit on violence? im not sure... Its aiming for realism, so it would make sense for there to be blood and swearing. but then would it lose some of its charm? i cant decide

[QUOTE="Nifty_Shark"]

[QUOTE="hip-hop-cola2"][QUOTE="Samwel_X"]In all fairness, most decent films don't do that. Only trashy films do it to help generate sales. hip-hop-cola2

The Dark Knight excluded blood which is something that actually didn't come to my attention until someone pointed it out.

would the film be better with no limit on violence? im not sure... Its aiming for realism, so it would make sense for there to be blood and swearing. but then would it lose some of its charm? i cant decide

I don't think it would make a difference one way or another.

On second thought it should of been like Gears of War. Blood spraying all over the place like a bucket of jello exploded.

it might seem like im nit picking, but the fact is, they killed die hard thoroughly, wtf was the point of making another die hard??

and only that. it felt watered down with a vengeance, call me what you want , but die hard isn't die hard with the bad language or a big old R on it

mlbslugger86

The unrated DVD of Live Free or Die Hard does have all the bad language and violence. What happened was, after they were done shooting, the studio took the movie to the editing room and censored the language and digitally removed the blood spatters and gunshot wounds. They did it all behind the director's back.

[QUOTE="mlbslugger86"]

it might seem like im nit picking, but the fact is, they killed die hard thoroughly, wtf was the point of making another die hard??

and only that. it felt watered down with a vengeance, call me what you want , but die hard isn't die hard with the bad language or a big old R on it

Martin_Stuart

The unrated DVD of Live Free or Die Hard does have all the bad language and violence. What happened was, after they were done shooting, the studio took the movie to the editing room and censored the language and digitally removed the blood spatters and gunshot wounds. They did it all behind the director's back.

So when he saw the premier he was like "what the heck. I don't remember it being like this"? If so then that's just hilarious finding out after it has been released.

In all fairness, most decent films don't do that. Only trashy films do it to help generate sales. Samwel_X

Yes...plus PG-13 now is different then PG-13 then.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/520177/highest_grossing_r_rated_movies_of.html?page=2&cat=40SpaceMoose

what rating is R in years?

[QUOTE="SpaceMoose"]http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/520177/highest_grossing_r_rated_movies_of.html?page=2&cat=40markop2003

what rating is R in years?

No one under 17 admitted without their parent/guardian.

[QUOTE="Samwel_X"]In all fairness, most decent films don't do that. Only trashy films do it to help generate sales. SaintLeonidas

Yes...plus PG-13 now is different then PG-13 then.

PG-13 now is wussified compared to PG-13 twenty-five years ago (when it was first introduced). In the 80s, PG-13 movies could have some pretty graphic violence, a few f-bombs, and, occasionally, some nudity. In the 70s, PG movies could get away with the same stuff. But now, a movie can get a more restrictive rating just for having too much on-screen smoking.

I think we can all agree that any movie starring Shia LaBeouf is immediately going to be more kiddy and worse than it would be without him. Right?dreDREb13

Who gives a ****. Do you really need all the blood and guts in a film to make it better for you?

On top of that, DVD's did not create this problem of studios intervening or "toning down" movies. When you are releasing a major film through a major producer to a huge audience you have to expect that the studio is going to have profit on their mind and that they are going to do what will get them the most success. Its been like this ever since movies went commercial, you may just be noticing it now more because of the fact that you actually get to see the version that they wouldnt release in theatres put onto a DVD, but that dosent mean it wasnt happening 20 or 30 years ago.

Besides, regardless of all this, if you havent noticed, movies are still getting more and more violent as we go along anyway. Compare horror movies from the 80's to today (the theatrical versions, i mean).Like someone else mentioned, directors will still find ways to get their uncut films into theatres.

Who gives a ****. Do you really need all the blood and guts in a film to make it better for you?

On top of that, DVD's did not create this problem of studios intervening or "toning down" movies. When you are releasing a major film through a major producer to a huge audience you have to expect that the studio is going to have profit on their mind and that they are going to do what will get them the most success. Its been like this ever since movies went commercial, you may just be noticing it now more because of the fact that you actually get to see the version that they wouldnt release in theatres put onto a DVD, but that dosent mean it wasnt happening 20 or 30 years ago.

Besides, regardless of all this, if you havent noticed, movies are still getting more and more violent as we go along anyway. Compare horror movies from the 80's to today (the theatrical versions, i mean).Like someone else mentioned, directors will still find ways to get their uncut films into theatres.

kdsns

Not every movie needs violence to be entertaining; it's a matter of context. That being said, don't you think that a movie with a target audience of males age 16-35 should have its adult content left in the final cut, instead of removing it so that the women and the children will enjoy it, too? Taking the violence out of an action movie takes away the substance of the movie.

Take the Alien and Predator movies for instance: the Alien series has a creature that bursts from a person's chest and grows into a giant walking penis that rips people apart; Predator has a creature armed with a variety of weapons used to kill it's game, which it then skins and/or decapitates for its trophies. Even though AVP wasn't as good as it could have been, why did they have to take out the stuff that made the monsters so cool (granted they did put that stuff back in the second one, which was lacking in story and characters)?

You're half-right about horror movies getting more violent-- Hostel and Saw barely escaped NC-17 ratings due to the graphic violence. On the other hand, a number of old slasher movies (whose original versions were R) are getting bloodless PG-13 remakes. Also, thirty years ago Jaws was released as PG, despite the fact that a kid gets eaten, Robert Shaw gets bitten in half (and coughs up blood), and the shark gets blown up into a bloody stew. Do you think that would get a PG-13 rating, today?

Oh, and you're going to love this: rumor is that Terminator 4 will be PG-13. The reason the studios gave: they want it to a little more commercial-- something that can be marketted to kids in the form of toys and video games. That was the same reason they chose to take the camp route with Batman and Robin.