Today's revelation that Saw III has sparked mass walkouts and faintings in cinemas across Australia has continued to strengthen recent statisitics which show that the majority of Australian adults are more offended by violence rather than 'actual' sex. (ACNielsen, Sept 2006).

What makes this even more resounding is the fact that Saw III, part of the now notoriously grisly and graphically horrifying trilogy directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, is only rated MA15+, meaning teenagers as young as 15 can legally watch the film in all cinemas across the country without parental guidance.

 If something so torturously foul as this can be screened to such young, impressionable minds, how is it that "depictions of actual sex between consenting adults" is considered "offensive to the reasonable adult" and thus restricted for sale throughout the States of Australia?

An extremely violent movie such as Saw III is classified MA15+ and can be viewed by minors as young as 15 years of age, yet movies containg actual sex between consenting adults with no violence is classified X18+ and is therefore illegal to retail in the States of Australia! What are your thoughts?

I agree! How can a movie such as Saw be classified MA when it highlights graphic and extremely disturbing scenes of torutre and violence - and made available for children to watch at the cinema without parental guidance!

 Surely sex between 2 adults is more natural than a person being tortured, or falling into a hole full of needles followed by a scene of them being beheaded.

It sickens me to think that my children can purcahse a ticket to see this film without an adult present, yet an adult cannot purchase an X18+ film which does not highlight any type of violence of torture.

 

 

I'm a fan of horror films, but I haven't seen the Saw films in their entirity. My personal view is that they should probabaly have been rated R18+ - not available to unsupervised minors, but available to adults who wish to view them. Saw isn't my cup of tea, but it doesn't offend me that someone else is happy to watch it and I think this applies exactly to sex films too.

I fully agree that the Saw movies should have been R18+ I've watched Saw 1 and 25mins of Saw 2 and have no desire to watch Saw 3 due to the brutality displayed in all of them. I found them to be disturbing and was quite disgusted at the horrific acts of torture in them! Definitately not for the faint hearted and as a parent not a movie I'd like my children viewing without my knowledge due to the possible psychological effects it could have on them. So am totally confused at that rating....... And yet for adults 18 and over we have someone who makes a choice on what we can purchase and view! Whats next are we gonna be told what time to go to bed?????

You know I remember watching Nighmare on Elm Street when I was young, and not being able to sleep for nearly a week after it scared me so much. Now as an adult I never have issues with sleep after watching adult movies! it does not scare or offend me to see a film of two people making love. It does scare and offend me to see people being ripped up and open in horror movies.

no they the ratings are fine, they were given the ratings based on context.

but i aslo think porn should not be banned.

the guidelines for porn movies to follow to be able to get an R are insane and unreasonable, and why we need 2 damn 18+ ratings when R should be sufficient . i just can't figure it.

 

OK I have actually seen the movie in question, and a good, solid horror film it is. These movies are made for fans of the horror genre, not for general mainstream tastes. The content of the film made is quite clear...if you don't like this kind of thing, don't see it.

 

Regarding the MA 15+ rating, I also think it is appropriate. You have to remember that:

 

(a) All films carry consumer advice on posters and video packaging. The OFLC have gone to great lengths to make these legends easy to spot, to the detriment of spoiling advertising artwork, but I'd prefer that than having films unfairly classified or banned. The consumer advice for SAW III is "Strong horror violence, Blood and gore, Strong coarse language". That's pretty clear I think.

 

(b) Do some homework on Australian censorship. The MA 15+ rating means that persons under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult parent or guardian. It is a restricted entry rating. If you're afraid of your "children" seeing movies like SAW III, then you have issues with control over your kids' behaviours or that of adults they know who would let them see SAW III. This is not an issue for the OFLC or the government.

 

(c) The SAW movies are indeed strong horror films, but much of their violent content is implied or stylised. The absence of sex probably also kept them out of the R category. SAW III has some female nudity but that's it. And everything is relative. R 18+ films like CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST are true R films and deserve the strongest restriction. The OFLC sees all movies and grants ratings relative to the bandwidth of tame G fare to horrific kiddie porn. On this continuum SAW III just happens to slot into the MA guidelines.

well said Boschy.

then don't watch them.

as far as watching as a kid, it's part of growing up and expelling fears by watching them represented in a film.

horror movies addresss fears u may already have . it's a cathartic experience.

nothing wrong with watching horror films. 

Neen:

You know I remember watching Nighmare on Elm Street when I was young, and not being able to sleep for nearly a week after it scared me so much. Now as an adult I never have issues with sleep after watching adult movies! it does not scare or offend me to see a film of two people making love. It does scare and offend me to see people being ripped up and open in horror movies.

wrong. no they shouldn't.

the markings are on the posters so u can take note before u see them, easy to be warned with the new markings, not the OFLC's fault you didn't ask about the content.

and the filmmakers make no effort to hide the fact that these are bloody and gory.

 

all4xr8d:

I fully agree that the Saw movies should have been R18+ I've watched Saw 1 and 25mins of Saw 2 and have no desire to watch Saw 3 due to the brutality displayed in all of them. I found them to be disturbing and was quite disgusted at the horrific acts of torture in them! Definitately not for the faint hearted and as a parent not a movie I'd like my children viewing without my knowledge due to the possible psychological effects it could have on them. So am totally confused at that rating....... And yet for adults 18 and over we have someone who makes a choice on what we can purchase and view! Whats next are we gonna be told what time to go to bed?????

What makes me sick is the people that winge and carry on about how gory this and that is and we shouldnt be able to watch people have sex etc.... these people that winge STOP watching then!!!! Knowone is tieing you to a chair and making you watch them....I think you watch them just so you can have a winge!! Get a life... I love watching these movies, if I didnt then I wouldnt watch, maybe you should grow up and do the same...TURN THEM OF!!!!!!

Hi shell,

 

It's not that simple. Certainly some people do like to "whinge" and grandstand, and think that because they don't personally like these types of material that nobody else should be alllowed to view them either. These people  *should* stop whinging because all they are doing is trying to force their opinions on others.

 

However, what young people (children, teens, even young adolescents) watch is another matter, because of concerns that some types of material may adversely affect them behaviourally. That's why we need an effective classification system.

 

Adults able to watch whatever they like? Absolutely, provided they are pre-warned of any potentially "offensive" material.

 

Regarding violence v sex: I've never understood why consensual sex is still treated as more "dangerous" than graphic violence. I assume there's still some religious influence, or at least residual religious bias? Not saying I'm anti-violence for adult viewing; I've had a "healthy" (!) dose of horror movies myself in my time, but some of the stuff available now with an MA rating is far more realistic and disturbing than anything that used to be available as an R. Meanwhile anything with actual sex in it still gets locked away and given this ridiculous special treatment.

 

What sense does it make that two people (even two 16 year olds - or younger??) can legally have sex but not watch a video of someone else doing it? Pft.

yes, restricting R and X from public view, mainly adults too, is Wrong!, Wrong WRONG!,

The censor board's attitude to X  and other erotica is wrong!, wrong! , WRONG!

adults over 18 should be allowed to watch these erotic movies.

and what gets these erotic movies banned nowadays is ludicrous. a knife on the table, just being there??

f--k this country, i am not proud to be an Australian if this is how adults are treated, like children who have no mind and can't make our own decisions, need them made on our behalf. 

Hahahahaha, This is absolutely amusing.

 Please apply what I say here to all the forum boards, All I will say is why don't you all book a trip over to Europe or South America and see how open minded the rest of the democratic world is!

This country of ours is run by religious morons inflicting their will onto others. THEY are PRUDES.

They would rather your children watch people's heads being blown off instead of watching something that your children and their children will most likely do at some point in life!

Nudity is virtually everywhere over there on public beaches and no one gives a ***.

Some local pubs you go to even have full on pornographic movies playing on the tv screens above the bar, Men and Women watch as if it were a normal tv show, Absolutely amazing. Just makes you realise how backwards we are here in Australia, The government needs to Friggin' GROW UP!

The only thing offensive is the fact that minority/religous groups influence the government and impose THEIR views onto the Australian population which is meant to have freedom of choice.

Ban religion and half the world's problems are solved, Ban sex and we are all doomed!  Think about it.....   

 

Macca:

Ban religion and half the world's problems are solved,

 I completely agree with that!!!