Sony sanitising films row - the story so far

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Instead of Sony making arbitrary decisions about content of films, why don’t they just show films rated below R, and let the parents decide if their child/children may watch it on airplane flights? Seems like a reasonable idea to me. 🤷
 
Instead of Sony making arbitrary decisions about content of films, why don’t they just show films rated below R, and let the parents decide if their child/children may watch it on airplane flights? Seems like a reasonable idea to me. 🤷
Knowing a bit about how Hollywood works, such decisions are not arbitrary. Someone in management has to be shown data that is convincing. And apparently, someone or a group of someones, has determined which scenes and words are objectionable to the audience in question. In the privacy of your home, or after looking at content information for movies playing now, parents can decide. On an airplane, the situation involves a captive audience. They can’t turn it off but they can complain.

Ed
 
Knowing a bit about how Hollywood works, such decisions are not arbitrary. Someone in management has to be shown data that is convincing. And apparently, someone or a group of someones, has determined which scenes and words are objectionable to the audience in question. In the privacy of your home, or after looking at content information for movies playing now, parents can decide. On an airplane, the situation involves a captive audience. They can’t turn it off but they can complain.

Ed
I haven’t been an a plane in years–certainly not a long flight in which some kind of entertainment would be welcome, but still, the airlines ought to run family friendly films if everyone has to watch it. I would think that would be a “duh” moment for anyone. 🤷
 
I haven’t been an a plane in years–certainly not a long flight in which some kind of entertainment would be welcome, but still, the airlines ought to run family friendly films if everyone has to watch it. I would think that would be a “duh” moment for anyone. 🤷
Apparently, some filmmakers want an opt out guarantee for their movies. While others can choose to opt in. The fact is, what was rated R 10 years ago is not what rated R means today. “Family friendly” means nothing to some filmmakers. And a review of films over the last 10 years shows an increase in sexual situations, profanity and graphic violence. “The Dark” is the big thing across a lot of media today. And Hollywood continues to sink further and further into a dark pit that continues to get more and more extreme and graphic.

There are some family friendly films out there. But there are also animated films out there where the cute little bunny rabbit is a psycho and an anarchist.

Ed
 
Personally, making clean versions available seems like a fair compromise, people can choose which they want to watch.
 
Haha like in The Secret Life of Pets? I saw that one on a plane.😃
That’s the one. I would prefer “family friendly” animated movies to portray a cute little bunny rabbit in a way kids would find friendly - not a psycho/weirdo.

Ed
 
That’s the one. I would prefer “family friendly” animated movies to portray a cute little bunny rabbit in a way kids would find friendly - not a psycho/weirdo.
“Watership Down”? “Charlotte’s Web”? I remember those quite well from my childhood - both very ‘dark’ for kids movies. As was “Annie” (the Carol Burnett one).
 
I haven’t been an a plane in years–certainly not a long flight in which some kind of entertainment would be welcome, but still, the airlines ought to run family friendly films if everyone has to watch it. I would think that would be a “duh” moment for anyone. 🤷
On airplanes today you have a huge selection of movies to choose from. No one forces you to watch anything–you choose.
 
On airplanes today you have a huge selection of movies to choose from. No one forces you to watch anything–you choose.
I was wondering about that. Don’t they have selections for each seat now days? Or am I wrong about that? Thanks. 🙂
 
On airplanes today you have a huge selection of movies to choose from. No one forces you to watch anything–you choose.
I don’t fly much these days, but my memory of airplane movies is that little screens would descend from underneath the baggage compartments and all the screens would play the same movie. It was impossible to avoid seeing the movie because no matter which way you turned your head, you would see the same thing (unless you were lucky enough to have a window seat and could glue your face to the window, and even that would be uncomfortable after a while). I have a vivid memory of being on an airplane and it seems like half of the in-flight movie featured the leading actress walking around in a bikini. As a young, unmarried man at the time it made me crazy. And there was no way I could avoid seeing it.

Maybe it’s all different now. I know that on the big planes they use for international flights, they have screens built into the rear of the seat in front of you, and there’s a control in your armrest that you can use to change programs. Last I recall, domestic flights didn’t have that but again, I don’t fly often, so I could be all wrong.
 
Haha like in The Secret Life of Pets? I saw that one on a plane.😃
I doubt many adults would want to sit thru some animated kids movie on a flight though.

Back when we were kids and taken to the movies, parents would have us in a kids movie and then go see a more adult movie in the same theater, this was fairly common for many families to do back then.
 
I bring my kindle fire to watch. I haven’t flown on a flight with a movie since the flight that was supposed to show one, but turbulence prevented that…it was 1996…
 
Maybe it’s all different now. I know that on the big planes they use for international flights, they have screens built into the rear of the seat in front of you, and there’s a control in your armrest that you can use to change programs. Last I recall, domestic flights didn’t have that but again, I don’t fly often, so I could be all wrong.
Most larger planes used in domestic or international flights have those “back-of-the-seat” screens with a wide variety of programming on offer. The only time I don’t see screens is in planes used for short regional routes.
 
Instead of Sony making arbitrary decisions about content of films, why don’t they just show films rated below R, and let the parents decide if their child/children may watch it on airplane flights? Seems like a reasonable idea to me. 🤷
A bit of a side note: Elizabeth Berkley once was on a flight where the in-flight movie was “Showgirls”. The guy sitting in the seat next to her didn’t recognize her. 😛
 
A bit of a side note: Elizabeth Berkley once was on a flight where the in-flight movie was “Showgirls”. The guy sitting in the seat next to her didn’t recognize her. 😛
I’m not surprised. 🙂 I took film classes–I know that what is put on film is illusion, not reality. Sure reality might be the scenario, but even then, what people are hearing and seeing is made-up by an author, portrayed by actors, and shown from one person’s point of view–the director. For anyone to take on the task of censoring films is too try to deny the reality of film–that it’s an illusion. To judge what is violent or portrays certain negative characteristics denies that it an illusion–one the storyteller is conveying.

When I was a kid I watched all kinds of cowboy, sci-fi, fantasy, “reality” movies and TV shows, etc. that had a lot of content that the person censoring these films would think unsuitable for children. But it had no negative effect on me. Even though I watched murder mysteries, I grew up with no desire to murder people. I saw portrayals of criminals, but I didn’t desire to be like them. I saw sci-fi warlords attacking planets, but didn’t gain any longing to conquer the universe. :rolleyes:

It’s ridiculous, and unnecessary, interfering busy-body-ism, IMHO, for anyone to make moral decisions for any audience by censoring films. It’s up to parents to decide what their kids may see, not some do-gooder censor. After all, that’s what the rating system is for. 🤷
 
A bit of a side note: Elizabeth Berkley once was on a flight where the in-flight movie was “Showgirls”. The guy sitting in the seat next to her didn’t recognize her. 😛
“Showgirls” is like “The Exorcist” or “Mommy Dearest”: It’s not that great in its original form, but re-cut as a campy comedy, it’s quite a hoot. (Yes, I just put “The Exorcist” & “Mommie Dearest” in the same sentence.)
 
“Showgirls” is like “The Exorcist” or “Mommy Dearest”: It’s not that great in its original form, but re-cut as a campy comedy, it’s quite a hoot.
You mean it isn’t already a campy comedy? 😛 What about inserting a laugh track after every groan-worthy line? 😃
 
I was wondering about that. Don’t they have selections for each seat now days? Or am I wrong about that? Thanks. 🙂
Yes, they do. I suppose there are a few airlines out there that don’t, but generally each person has their own screen inset into the seat in front of them. Then there’s a menu–TV shows, new, movies, etc. A huge choice.
 
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