Should "too scary" be an acceptable reason for an R rating?

[KManX89]

As we all know, The Conjuring infamously received an R rating from the MPA "simply" for being too scary. According to producer Walter Hamada, the MPA told them it was too scary and there was nothing they could cut to get a lower certificate. This, of course, was met with its share of criticism on the interwebs (facetiously misspelled), and so I ask you:

should horror movies devoid of excessive (or any) gore, profanity, nudity, nonetheless still be given an R rating simply for being too scary/intense?

I'd say yes. Dead Silence was another film (ironically also directed by James Wan) that featured no gore (all deaths were offscreen), nudity or F-bombs and was given an R for being too scary, which I wholeheartedly agree with. I don't care if there is no gore, boobs, or F-bombs, if you'd seriously show/allow this to be seen by a 12-year-old, I'd say it's bad parenting. I was messed up from watching it and I was 19 at the time, and I watch gory movies of just about every size, shape and color (except exploitation films, that's where I draw the line), then and now! Also, Reddit posts like these show that even some horror movies devoid of blood and guts can be traumatic for kids. Even adults reported having unrest from The Conjuring.

The original TCM didn't have those things, either, and it absolutely earns its R rating. And this was despite Tobe Hooper's best efforts to earn a PG from the get-go (just like Wan did The Conjuring, go figure).

[Monterey Jack]

If a movie can potentially give the under-13 set nightmares, they hell YES an R rating is justified.

[Bugg]

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

If a movie can potentially give the under-13 set nightmares, they hell YES an R rating is justified.

PG means Parental Guidance suggested, not "Hey folks take your kids to see this" If your young kid is going to be bothered by scary movies, then you should not be taking him/her to see scary films regardless of rating. I mean some kids can get nightmares from Scooby Doo

[Cruel Angel]

Originally Posted by Bugg

PG means Parental Guidance suggested, not "Hey folks take your kids to see this" If your young kid is going to be bothered by scary movies, then you should not be taking him/her to see scary films regardless of rating. I mean some kids can get nightmares from Scooby Doo

Exactly, and the reverse works as well.

If a kid is NOT bothered by scary movies, then there really isn't a need to have then escorted by an adult for 'guidance', 'support' or whatever. But that is the key, knowing what might be problematic and what isn't.

I grew up in a small town with one theater with 3 screens. No new releases, it would take about a month after a release date to get a 'new' film.

I didn't pick up any of my interests from my parents, it was all on my own... and of course the best martial arts and horror films had that R rating. I'd watch them on pay cable, never any issues. Then once I hit around 5th or 6th grade, I wanted to not wait for that and actually watch them if they came to our theater.

My mom had zero interest in any of those types of films, and definitely did NOT want to have to sit through my horror stuff. She had a talk with the theater manager, essentially saying- look, he has my permission to watch these films. It doesn't matter if they are R, he watches them all the time at home... all I want to do is drop him off, and pick him up afterward. If you want me to come in to pay for his ticket, fine, but that's it.

The theater was good with that, so I was a happy horror camper

[DR Herbert West]

No.

[StarWarsIsAwesome123]

Meh, I don't think The Conjuring is that much more frightening than Insidious, which is PG-13.

[kylor]

Nah.

[KManX89]

Originally Posted by Bugg

PG means Parental Guidance suggested, not "Hey folks take your kids to see this" If your young kid is going to be bothered by scary movies, then you should not be taking him/her to see scary films regardless of rating. I mean some kids can get nightmares from Scooby Doo

But if they’re dropped off, they can’t just walk into it, that’s the thing.

And there’s a significant difference between the OG Grudge or Signs and, say, Dead Silence. A freaky ghost woman constantly terrorizing people in a desolate house littered with creepy killer dolls in an attempt to get them to scream so she can rip their tongue out is naturally gonna get you an R no matter how bloodless.

And if you want to take your hypothetical 12-year-old, you can still do that. It might say something about your, umm, parenting skills, but you can.

[Canada]

No. Who determines what is to scary, I certainly don't want to give the MPAA more power.

[Markgway]

Yes, otherwise Texas Chainsaw Massacre would be a PG/PG-13.

[KManX89]

Originally Posted by Markgway

Yes, otherwise Texas Chainsaw Massacre would be a PG/PG-13.

Yep, and do you really want to explain to a kid what the Sawyers were eating and forcing Sally to eat at the dinner table? And subject him her to all the Leatherface scenes?

“Some kids can handle scary stuff at a young age” some kids can handle gore at a really young age, but we don’t let them into the latest Saw or Halloween movie without an adult for obvious reasons.

[drush9999]

How do you judge scary?
Kids should go grow up experiencing being scared anyway.

[oubukibun]

Scare everyone and everything.

Let them all rot in their nightmares.

That being said, an R rating for being "too scary" only makes kids want to see it more, so I say keep it.

And bring it.

[Bugg]

Originally Posted by KManX89

Yep, and do you really want to explain to a kid what the Sawyers were eating and forcing Sally to eat at the dinner table? And subject him her to all the Leatherface scenes?

“Some kids can handle scary stuff at a young age” some kids can handle gore at a really young age, but we don’t let them into the latest Saw or Halloween movie without an adult for obvious reasons.

The problem is that in the initial post you mention TCM in the same context as The Conjuring. Those two movies are apples and oranges. There is a massive difference between a film that uses mood and atmosphere to present a traditionally spooky story and one that is knee deep in torture, sadism and seeing a screaming woman treated in such and ugly dehumanizing manner as they attempt to bleed her out by cracking her skull open with a sledgehammer while holding her head down in a bucket. Texas Chainsaw Massacre is an obvious R Rated film, The Conjuring should of been PG-13

[pab1219]

Yes

[JediJones77]

Abso-freaking-lutely not. Offensive content should not be up for interpretation. The filmmaker should be able to know exactly what or how much language, nudity and violence is acceptable. We all know there are notoriously scary scenes in Disney cartoons, Willy Wonka, Superman movies, Ghostbusters, Roger Rabbit, etc. Being scared is not something that is for "adults only." It's simply an emotion.

[Dark City Denizen]

I am baffled by the poll results. What is even the point of any restriction if not to acknowledge the limitations for what children can handle. Of course a film deeply frightening to most people should be restricted for just that reason. People will counter me with, “Who decides what is scary,” but such questions are another topic entirely, really.

[djzero]

No

[JediJones77]

Why should we have restrictions on society on children being scared? Don't we have Halloween and haunted houses as traditions for children? As well as fairy tales and fables with a lot of scary stuff, kids being eaten, etc.? Wizard of Oz in addition to the other movies I've mentioned has stuff that is quite scary to children.

[Dark City Denizen]

Originally Posted by JediJones77

Why should we have restrictions on society on children being scared? Don't we have Halloween and haunted houses as traditions for children? As well as fairy tales and fables with a lot of scary stuff, kids being eaten, etc.? Wizard of Oz in addition to the other movies I've mentioned has stuff that is quite scary to children.

There is nothing wrong with children seeing scary stuff - in fact I’d argue it’s beneficial, akin to a vaccine (no, not the ones everyone’s talking about today) exposing you to a certain level of virus to help your body cope with the real thing. There is clearly a line, though. Imagination is just about the most powerful force in the known Universe & it takes time to develope control over it.

As I imagine most of us could, I can provide a personal example. As a kid I watched films like The Terminator & T2, the first two Robocops, the first two Predators, as well as Aliens & Alien3. No trouble with endless rewatches of these at a very young age, but there was one film that left me beyond traumatised, & that was Jaws. & I do mean traumatised. Not only could I not get into our 5ft deep freshwater pool, I remember at least one night where I lay in my bed crying because I expected Jaws to come through my bedroom window. In air.

Now I’m sure some kid around the same time watched Jaws unaffected but couldn’t handle Aliens, or Predator. The point is, kids are unpredictable with what they can & can’t handle, but what they all have in common is limited ability to distinguish reality from fantasy. It’s irresponsible to give that no regard.