Who really needs this much information?

[Axxon]

I'm not going to bash a site like this. I can understand that people want to protect their kids and if that's what they want, and someone wants to help them, great. It's a big world and there's room for everybody even though it's hip to bash things like this.

I just can't imagine someone needing this much information though.

the site is http://www.screenit.com/ . I'm quite sure this one doesn't need to be hxxp'ed. ;)

Here's some examples from the Rocky and Bullwinkle review.

Under the Sex/Nudity category we learn:

We very briefly see a real woman in a bikini.

Under Alcohol or Drug Use we learn:

We briefly see some miscellaneous characters in a bar who appear to be drinking.

My point is that they analyze waaay to much to be practical. It's truthful and balanced. They're not trying to be judgemental it seems.

From the same review.

Boris and Natasha celebrate with some champagne and later pour more for themselves (but don't drink it).

Cartoon rifles: Carried by a cartoon soldier/guard and briefly aimed by a cartoon firing squad preparing to shoot some prisoners (but that never happens).

A few of those scenes and others may be a bit suspenseful to the youngest of viewers, but all of them are played solely for laughs or action and not to be scary. The villains obviously have bad attitudes, but in a cartoon-like way, various weaponry in present at different points of the film, and a few characters drink and smoke.

It seems they are trying to be factual and providing a guide for families but if you read these reviews for this much detail you might as well see the movie.

Also it's weird that they review R rated movies too. If you're worried about drinking, smoking, nudity and basic bad behavior, shouldn't the fact that a movie is rated R be a giveaway that you should avoid it?

The site is interesting though. For example it rates American Beauty a 9 out of 10 even though it's details page is a novel. :) Lot's of bad behavior to report in that one. :)

[DanGarion]

Oh NOES!

Won't someone please think about the CHILDREN!

[AgustusM]

I personally use this site:

http://www.kids-in-mind.com/

and find it to be very informative on what I allow my kids to watch.

[Axxon]

I personally use this site:

http://www.kids-in-mind.com/

and find it to be very informative on what I allow my kids to watch.

On a very quick look it seems to present the same basic information but it doesn't include an actual review. I found the first site while googling a movie review and actually, I'm enjoying their reviews. It's an interesting site.

Since it presents the same information as the site you listed you may want to include it in your reading when researching a movie if you like reviews.

[EagleFan]

People have waaaayyy too much time on their hands. Here's a quick sn ippet of the "sexual" content of Over the Hedge from that last site linked:

A squirrel asks for help to "find my nuts" and later talks about "finding my nuts." A turtle talks about its "tail tingling" (when it thinks something might be dangerous).

And there's "substance use":

Animals drink a caffeinated beverage and it makes them all move much faster.


And The Wild has such sexual scenes as:

A male squirrel swoons when it sees a female giraffe that it likes romantically, and it offers a candy necklace as a gift.

and:

A giraffe kisses a squirrel, and a squirrel kisses a giraffe.



Sorry, I just have zero tolerance for people and places that have to over-analyze everything to try to find something that is "wrong" with it. I went to a school like that, where every year we had to sit through a day of "Rock and Roll" is evil lectures. They used to find things that weren't even problems such as misinterpretting a freaking Barry Manilow title "This One's for You". It's about the freaking song you idiots. I hate admitting that I knew the song but my sister listened to his music constantly and I couldn't escape it.

[EagleFan]

dola: now if the squirrel offered a pearl necklace then they may have an issue with it.... ;)

[Axxon]

People have waaaayyy too much time on their hands. Here's a quick sn ippet of the "sexual" content of Over the Hedge from that last site linked:

That's actually my point. Waaay too much time on their hands.


Sorry, I just have zero tolerance for people and places that have to over-analyze everything to try to find something that is "wrong" with it. I went to a school like that, where every year we had to sit through a day of "Rock and Roll" is evil lectures. They used to find things that weren't even problems such as misinterpretting a freaking Barry Manilow title "This One's for You". It's about the freaking song you idiots. I hate admitting that I knew the song but my sister listened to his music constantly and I couldn't escape it.

See, here's the strange thing. I don't think they're actually trying to find something wrong with it. Anybody who rates Secretary a 6.5 out of 10 isn't doing that. I think 6.5 is a little low to me but it's fair and I understand their complaints with the movie and it isn't content. That's what's interesting about the site to me.

[edited to add]

They gave Boogie Nights an 8 out of 10. I really don't see the trying to find something wrong with it argument applicable to this site.

I still think the content section is serious overkill, especially to someone who would enjoy the reviews they offer. Again, I wonder, who really needs this much detail to determine if a film is watchable by their family. That's my basic question.

[TroyF]

From the second site in a review of cheaper by the dozen two, in the sex/nudity category:

A boy kisses a girl on the cheek, and a boy puts his arm around a girl's shoulders in a movie theater. A man and a woman dance together.

I'll tell you right now no kid of mine is ever going to see this trash.

[Axxon]

From the second site in a review of cheaper by the dozen two, in the sex/nudity category:

A boy kisses a girl on the cheek, and a boy puts his arm around a girl's shoulders in a movie theater. A man and a woman dance together.

I'll tell you right now no kid of mine is ever going to see this trash.

Hey, at least you don't briefly see a real woman in a bikini.

[DanGarion]

I love the message of the moive at the end of the review. Like this one for "Body Shots" which is a 10.7.10

MESSAGE - When looking for love we often find casual sex instead, but sometimes we end up hating the consequences of our actions (especially after lots of drinking).

[Axxon]

I love the message of the moive at the end of the review. Like this one for "Body Shots" which is a 10.7.10

Looks like we've moved on to the second site now. I hadn't noticed the message thing since I closed the link pretty quick. The formatting on that site is hard to really read.

I remember Body shot's though and that message is laughable. :)

Hey, the first site's review actually references Akira Kurosawa's Rashoman which I've seen. I'm still trying to figure out that connection since Rashoman was great and this movie, not so much.

[Joe]

I think it provides very good and detailed information that is quite helpful to many people.

[Axxon]

I think it provides very good and detailed information that is quite helpful to many people.

Which site?

Oh, and why do you need that much detailed information? That's my question.

[DanGarion]

Which site?

Oh, and why do you need that much detailed information? That's my question.
Becuase I might not want to let me kids see things that are so sexual, like the holding of hands and hugs, I mean they might end up in porn or something if I do!

[Axxon]

Becuase I might not want to let me kids see things that are so sexual, like the holding of hands and hugs, I mean they might end up in porn or something if I do!

Ok, now, can we get someone who actually does use sites like this to answer? We're all quite familiar with the sarcastic opposing view. :)

[Joe]

Which site?

Oh, and why do you need that much detailed information? That's my question.

I need detailed information because I don't want to waste my time watching a movie expecting full frontal nudity and they end up not showing any muff.

[DanGarion]

I need detailed information because I don't want to waste my time watching a movie expecting full frontal nudity and they end up not showing any muff.
Haha, now that's what I'm talking about :)!

[Axxon]

I need detailed information because I don't want to waste my time watching a movie expecting full frontal nudity and they end up not showing any muff.

So, just rent pron.

I mean, watching Rocky and Bullwinkle or Over the Edge looking for full frontal human nudity seems a time waster anyway. No need for someone to point that out to you I wouldn't think. ;)

[Joe]

So, just rent pron.

I mean, watching Rocky and Bullwinkle or Over the Edge looking for full frontal human nudity seems a time waster anyway. No need for someone to point that out to you I wouldn't think. ;)

I don't like to rent porn. They look at me funny. :(

[Axxon]

I don't like to rent porn. They look at me funny. :(

You're shopping at the wrong stores then.

Or you could try

[link removed in the interest of preserving over the top censorship]

Haven't used a service like this but I knew they existed. This way no one looks at you funny but maybe the mailperson but you can avoid them. :)

[AgustusM]

I like the level of detail.

90% of it I simply say - no biggie they can watch, but having every little thing in there means that I can see what is in a movie and make a decision ahead of time instead of being blindsided. and because the list everything I can make decisions that matter to me. For example I don't mind characters kissing or the like, but I don't particularly care for my kids to see graphic violence - others might be more concerned about the sexual content. This site allows the parent to make the decision.

there have been movies that I thought would be OK, and then weren't and those I would have not taken them to that turned out OK - this sites level of detail makes those decisions easier.

I would imagine most of the sarcastic comments come from those who are not parents, which I get because I was exactly the same way - until I had kids.

[Buccaneer]

Question. How is this different than the the rules of behavior and what is taught (and not taught) in many elementary schools?

[DanGarion]

Haven't used a service like this but I knew they existed. This way no one looks at you funny but maybe the mailperson but you can avoid them. :)
You might want to remove that link, I don't think an HXXP is enough, just say the name instead U RENT DVDS.

[Axxon]

Question. How is this different than the the rules of behavior and what is taught (and not taught) in many elementary schools?

I don't get the question. Did the rules of behavior mention not to ever wear a bikini as an adult or kiss?

This is a guideline for viewing, the former is a guideline for living. I don't see how they're remotely the same as the rules for living are different for adults and children and what's acceptable for adults may or may not be appropriate for a child to see.

[Axxon]

You might want to remove that link, I don't think an HXXP is enough, just say the name instead U RENT DVDS.

I didn't know we went that far. It seems that channelchooser was ok. Still, I'll remove it. Thanks.

[Axxon]

I like the level of detail.

90% of it I simply say - no biggie they can watch, but having every little thing in there means that I can see what is in a movie and make a decision ahead of time instead of being blindsided. and because the list everything I can make decisions that matter to me. For example I don't mind characters kissing or the like, but I don't particularly care for my kids to see graphic violence - others might be more concerned about the sexual content. This site allows the parent to make the decision.

there have been movies that I thought would be OK, and then weren't and those I would have not taken them to that turned out OK - this sites level of detail makes those decisions easier.

I would imagine most of the sarcastic comments come from those who are not parents, which I get because I was exactly the same way - until I had kids.

That makes sense.

[Buccaneer]

I don't get the question. Did the rules of behavior mention not to ever wear a bikini as an adult or kiss?

This is a guideline for viewing, the former is a guideline for living. I don't see how they're remotely the same as the rules for living are different for adults and children and what's acceptable for adults may or may not be appropriate for a child to see.

But isn't that exactly what the intent of the sites are? In some cirriculums and families, there can be no mention of or exposure to violence, or sexual intent, or of any harm to the body. If families (and educators) strive to keep these out of the classroom, they would also strive to keep them away from the children outside of the classroom.

Fwiw, I only know about these sites (I think one of them is done locally) but really don't care to know that much information or care to use it as a guide.

[Axxon]

But isn't that exactly what the intent of the sites are? In some cirriculums and families, there can be no mention of or exposure to violence, or sexual intent, or of any harm to the body. If families (and educators) strive to keep these out of the classroom, they would also strive to keep them away from the children outside of the classroom.

Fwiw, I only know about these sites (I think one of them is done locally) but really don't care to know that much information or care to use it as a guide.


If the site is a rules of behavior site then a lot of what it shows isn't against the adult rules of behavior so that wouldn't be valid. If it's a guide of whats appropriate for a child to view, that's a different story.

I'm saying the two aren't exactly the same thing.

[revrew]

Note from a HUGE www.screenit.com advocate who uses the site regularly:

I, frankly, love screenit. It's one of my top-ten most visited sites. I've recommended it on the radio, to friends, and so forth I use it because:

1. It's completely non-judgmental. Many parental sites say, "oh, this has too much profanity, or the quality of this movie doesn't outweigh it's violent premise." I don't want that. I want to make the calls myself. Screenit it tells you EVERY potentially objectionable element in a film and then--most importantly--lets you decide for yourself.

2. Yes, it's thorough down to the most minute detail. Obnoxiously so. But this way, I KNOW they didn't miss anything. Again, there's no judgment call on their part--only on yours. I don't want the site to say, "Ahh, everybody wears miniskirts, who cares if there's 35 minutes of closeups on the hottie's legs?" No, that's a call I want to make myself. So tell me everything and let me make the call.

3. Beyond just content ratings. For example, some sites say "this one scores a 4 out of 5 for profanity." That's not good enough for me. What constitutes profanity in your book? How am I supposed to know? Screenit dodges all that by listing...i.e....12 s*** words, 3 f*** words and 2 uses of O my God. Thank you. I can handle that. But I can't stomach even a good movie with 72 f*** words. It just irritates me. Screenit, again, lets me make my own call armed with all the information.

Now, a few notes about how I use it:

1. There are 15 categories of potentially objectionable content (though I wish they'd add a 16th--occultic content). There is a rating at the top for each category. I DON'T read the summary, but only the actual listing of content below.

2. I don't read every category. OBVIOUSLY, a horror movie has scary scenes. What do I care? MI-3 is obviously going to have violence. I don't need screenit to tell me this. I typically only read profanity and sexual content, then imitative phrases for children's movies. This way, I know that when my 3-year-old watches Madagascar, he's going to blurt out in public "You just bit my butt!" I appreciate being warned, so I know what Jr. is talking about.

Screenit's actual movie reviews are, I think, overly critical, especially of genre movies like romantic comedies. To read the entire site is, I agree, having way too much time on your hands. But as a resource to research the areas you are sensitive to and make your own judgments, screenit is one of my favorite sites on the web.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I like reading Screenit and Kids-in-Mind just to see what kind of stuff is in the new movies that are out. I don't even go to movies, and I end up watching very few on television, but these sites are one way to waste time for me. Anyway, I like how revrew stated things. Screenit, in particular, is not trying to say that things like women in bikinis are bad. The site's not trying to say that anything is bad. Even movies with extreme amounts of violence or sexual content don't have Screenit saying things like "KEEP YOUR KIDS AWAY FROM THIS MOVIE!!!" The folks running the site are just trying to keep people informed.

I accept that it looks funny to see "A man and a woman dance together" listed among much more objectionable content, but I'd rather have this kind of site include too much information rather than too little.

[JonInMiddleGA]

... and because the list everything I can make decisions that matter to me. ... This site allows the parent to make the decision.


Good post, I think you really summed up the usefulness pretty well.

What you really highlight is that parents with concerns don't always have the same concerns. I'm a good example, as language is one of the big hot buttons for a lot of parents but it's an area that I'm extremely relaxed about.

Somehow (thankfully) my son has managed to correctly assign categories of "words I shouldn't say" vs "words that I hear daddy say". In 8 years we've only had two words that slipped through his internal filtering, one that was at toddler age (and was actually quite funny) and another recently which was cleared up with a quick,quiet, simple discussion. He's even so good at it that he appropriately self-censors when singing along with certain songs.

With that in mind, I'm able to be very lenient when it comes to what he hears in something like, say, Some Kind of Monster or even the Pantera episode of Inside the Music.

Other areas of concern, my lines are much more strictly defined, so sites with this level of detail would really let me make the most informed decision possible.

[MJ4H]

I also use sites like this, but I use it in my role as teacher. It inevitably happens that we are thrust into a situation at school where there is nothing to do but busy work or show a movie (large swaths of the class are missing, for instance, or grades are required to be turned in before school is actually dismissed for the end of a semester -- in that case, I prefer showing a movie to starting something new one or two days before a break or giving obvious busy work).

And what occassionally happens is someone will show up and say "can we watch this movie instead?" and hand me a movie. Well I can look it up on a site like that and make a determination for ANY grade level of students whether it would be appropriate. And I am WAY overly cautious about what I allow to be shown, since I don't want to over-ride a parent's decision of what types of materials their children should be exposed to. It isn't a matter of being prude or over-protective, it is a matter of it not really being my decision how a parent chooses to shelter their child.