PG-13 Horror and Thriller

[DRG]

Project Greenlight just posted the rules for their latest contest. Of importance to me is that teh script 1) has to be a horror movie or thriller, and 2) should likely be a PG-13 film (they'll dock points or eliminate a script can't be made into PG-13). I am 90% done with a script I've been working on, but I had an R in mind while I was conceptualizing it, and I don't know if I can 'PG-13ize' it or not. The problem isn't content per se, as the overall theme of the story is very disturbing.

So I'm trying to get a list of fairly recent (last 5 years or so) horror movies/supernatural thrillers that got PG-13 ratings, so I can better ascertain what they will allow. So far I have:

The Ring
Signs
Darkness Falls
Willard
They
Sixth Sense
The Others
Bats (Theatrical)
Soul Survivors (Theatrical)
What Lies Beneath
The Mothman Propechies

I knew about the horror angle for the contest last month, but the PG-13 stip has thrown me for a loop. Thanks.

[Julie Walker]

While it is possible to make a nice little suspenseful horror film by being as creative as possible with lighting,cinemetography & so forth.

I still think a 'PG-13' limit is rather pathetic & pointless. As long as the person does not make a porno,it should be ok...& judged on its merits or lack thereof.

Since horror is not just one tiny little portion of a subgenre. It is very diverse.

You have your Hauntings & Psycho,but also your Cannibal Holocausts or Evil Deads. All four masterpieces of the genre,despite some being subtly creepy & others being extreme.

So I think it is best to not have such strident restrictions on a director,as that may severely hamper their original vision whatever it may be.

That is just my opinion of course,your mileage may vary:)

[Julie Walker]

Oh as for non-R rated horrors......
Salems Lot
Poltergeist
Invasion of the Body Snatchers:1978
Gremlins ...& that is all I can recall at the moment(I am sure more exist,yet can't think of any right now). Pretty restricting in my opinion:)

[Me007gold]

gremlins? thats a comedy! idont like the idea of a pg-13 horror, i just love lots of gore. suspense/thriller can be done, but it seem much easier if its 'R'

[Julie Walker]

Gremlins is more of a dark horror comedy. The sequel is an all out comedy;)

So yes the original film deserves a mention.

[Me007gold]

heh yeah.... :-D

[Anblue]

The Eye? Can't remember if that's R or PG-13

[El-Kabong]

Originally posted by Julie Walker

Gremlins ...& that is all I can recall at the moment(I am sure more exist,yet can't think of any right now). Pretty restricting in my opinion:)

Surely Gremlins CANT count as a non-PG13 movie! It's 50 percent of the reason (along with Temple of Doom) as the reason for the creation of the rating.

On a similar thought - I wonder what rating Jaws would get these days? That's the most graphic, intense PG horror movie ever commited to film.

[lesterlong]

Just remember that the good horror films are PG-13 and you'll be ok. :)

[Julie Walker]

Jaws & Tremors are other great non-R rated horror films. Oh yeah,Arachnaphobia is awsome as well.

Yet the list of great non-R rated horror films since ratings began is pretty slim in my opinion.

Now if you want to include pre-ratings films,then the list would be massive,though quality of films would be hit or miss.

Since for every Bride of Frankenstein,you also have ten Robot Monsters:)

[Groucho]

I personally think that the best horror films are the ones that don't rely on gore and shock, but instead depend on suspense, good dialogue, and convincing actors.

[lesterlong]

Originally posted by Groucho
I personally think that the best horror films are the ones that don't rely on gore and shock, but instead depend on suspense, good dialogue, and convincing actors.

<img src=http://www.csua.berkeley.edu/~azarm/images/bud-true.jpg>

[POWERBOMB]

From the previews I thought the Ring would be an R movie. I'm surprised it isn't (and up until now I haven't seen the movie).

[Squidhead]

Were Jaws released today and under an moniker not Spielberg, I doubt it would be rated PG-13.

[DRG]

Thanks for the input. I guess the problem I'm having is in trying to determine how to rewrite my story into a 'PG-13 horror script'. I realize that means cutting out gore, sex, heavy language, and drug use... although I really only had gore and language, and not a lot of it anyway. What I have problems with are the grey areas. What makes The Sixth Sense a PG-13 but The Eye an R? I don't have a problem with using suspense in place of gore and violence. My current script has only a few scenes of actual violence, but the general theme is dark enough to probably send it into R territory nonetheless. Can anyone think of any examples where truly horrifying and violent things are hinted at or discussed (but not shown), yet the movie is rated PG-13? It doesn't even have to be horror.

[TREX1993]

Originally posted by POWERBOMB
From the previews I thought the Ring would be an R movie. I'm surprised it isn't (and up until now I haven't seen the movie).

Agreed. And once I saw it I decided it was the "scariest" PG-13 movie I've ever watched.

[Julie Walker]

DRG,I fully agree with you & know what you are getting at.

The Sixth Sense based on the content alone felt more like R rated terroritory than PG-13. R to me,is something like Sixth Sense that feels really dramatic,realistic,powerful & not 'safe' as a non-R rated film where they feel more like unreal movies that you never get truely involved with.

In fact with some of the shock & tension filled moments of The Sixth Sense. I wonder how the hell it did get a PG-13 in the first place? I mean movies with a small amount of language get R ratings easily. You would think something dealing with mature subject mature in the tone of The Sixth Sense would also get an automatic R?

This is also why I think the 'PG-13" limit is worthless & highly restricting.

I would say it would be nice to talk to the people of Project Greenlight & bring this dilema up & see how they react:)

Then again I suspect they may be in the Groucho mindset of taking all horror films dead seriouslly & expecting everything to be left to the imagination....meanwhile they look at anything that shows a drop of blood as 'unimaginative talentless garbage!'.

Heck The Sixth Sense while not being a gory films does rely on shock moments,which are graphic in terms of showing the ghosts with the wounds they had when they died. Yet everything praises that film?

So you see,it IS possible to use gore & graphic images correctly depending on the tone you are going for with your film. Yet it seems alot of critics are too uptight to loosen up & have fun while expecting everything to be Citizen Kane. Thus there film experiance & knowledge is severely limited in scope in my honest opinion.

[Groucho]

Originally posted by Julie Walker
Then again I suspect they may be in the Groucho mindset of taking all horror films dead seriouslly & expecting everything to be left to the imagination....meanwhile they look at anything that shows a drop of blood as 'unimaginative talentless garbage!'.You're putting words in my mouth. I didn't say anything close to that.

DRG,

There are simple ways to turn your script from R material to PG-13 material. If we see a girl remove her top, add the phrase "from behind." If a character says "What the ****?" change it to "What the hell?" or "Holy shit!"

Watch Halloween to see some fairly horrific killings portrayed in a less graphic manner. Keep your killings in the shadows a bit, and you can get away with a lot. Without the nudity and language, that film could easily get a PG-13 today.

[Julie Walker]

Groucho I was just saying it sounded like what I hear from everyone else who praises left to the imagination horror films only & seem to always disregard anything remotely graphic.

[DRG]

The system is baffling. Some comparisons:

Whale Rider (2003)
Newmarket Films
PG-13 Rated PG-13 for brief language and a momentary drug reference.

Ring, The (2002)
Dreamworks Distribution Llc
PG-13 Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, disturbing images, language and some drug references.

Anyway, I think I'll just say 'screw it' and enter it with just minor surface changes (taking out the f-bombs, making all violence occur offscreen). A heavily-watered down version would be terrible and wouldn't be selected anyway. Plus, I can re-edit my old script from PGL2 as well (it made top 250), as that one was designed to be PG-13 in first place.