Hollywood producer disciplined for gruesome ads
By Nicole Sperling
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A Hollywood production company was punished Thursday for a movie advertising campaign that depicted a woman's torture and death.
The Motion Picture Assn. of America, the administrative arm of the major Hollywood studios, imposed a monthlong suspension of the ratings process for "Captivity." The move could make it difficult for After Dark Films to release the film on its scheduled release date of May 18.
The company could be forced to move the film further into the heart of the busy summer moviegoing period. It also could decide to release the film unrated, which would severely limit its distribution because many commercial movie theaters will not play unrated movies.
After Dark earlier this month took out billboards across Los Angeles that featured four frames with captions above each one. "Abduction" shows star Elisha Cuthbert with a gloved hand over her face; "Confinement" features the actress behind a chain-link fence with a bloody finger poking through; "Torture" depicts Cuthbert's face, covered in white gauze, with tubes shoved up her nose; and "Termination" shows her with her head thrown back, seemingly dead.
After Dark, its theatrical distribution partner Lionsgate Films and the MPAA received a barrage of phone calls objecting to the ads, and After Dark said last week it would remove the ads.
In an uncharacteristically harsh reprimand, the MPAA -- which had not approved After Dark's ads for general audiences -- also said that After Dark and Lionsgate will be required to clear all the "Captivity" promotional materials they use going forward in addition to the locations and venues of all advertising buys relating to the film. It is the first time the MPAA has imposed such a sanction, though some observers questioned whether the MPAA will be able to monitor all the ad buys.
While the MPAA will review After Dark's promotional materials before May 1, "Captivity" will not be eligible for consideration by the ratings board until then and will not be given priority scheduling at that time. There is no set time period for how long it takes the MPAA to issue a rating. That dependes on the number of films lined up for a rating. The sanction doesn't give After Dark much time to recut or re-edit the film if the company is not satisfied with the initial rating issued.
"The sanctions in this case are severe because this was an unacceptable and flagrant violation of MPAA rules and procedures," MPAA senior vp advertising Marilyn Gordon said.
"After Dark Films presented their ads for approval, as all companies are required to do if they wish to receive an MPAA rating. However, their ads were summarily rejected for their graphic depiction of a woman's torture and death. Yet After Dark proceeded to post them on billboards anyway."
After Dark didn't return calls seeking comment.
According to one marketing executive, who declined to be identified, the two-week window between the date when "Captivity" may now apply for a rating and its release is too short to complete the ratings process.
"These people tried to play the MPAA and the MPAA came back," the exec said. "The real question is, is this print campaign really going to put people in seats? No print campaign has that much power, so was it really worth all this?"
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
