Quesion about releasing DVDs "Unrated"...
 

With the trend of releasing a film unrated when it come's to disc, Team America, The Seed of Chucky, how is it possible for a PG13 rated film, the 2 examples that come to mind are The Grudge and Cursed, to be released and tout itself the unrated version? Wouldn't this just be the "R-rated version"? Does it have to do with the MPAA? Primarily, I guess I'm hung up on the semantics of R-rated/unrated/NC17, because unrated means that the MPAA has not given it a rating, correct?

You have correctly answered all your own questions.

Unrated means exactly what it says. The MPAA hasn't given it a rating, of the distributor has chosen not to use the rating.

"Unrated" does not mean it's any more rauncy than the original--it just means the MPAA didn't watch it before you did.

ANYTHING that doesn't go through the ratings board of the MPAA is unrated. Heck, even Pirates of Silicon Valley, when it first came out, was unrated because it was a made for TV movie. Subsequently, Blockbuster Video slapped youth restriction viewing stickers on their copies.

All it takes for any theatrical release to get an unrated version is for the director to add anything they want to the cut and they don't have to pass the new cut through the MPAA, making the movie unrated. They can add two minutes of talking about bagles and donuts, as long as that dialogue wasn't in the original cut, if they don't submit it to the MPAA, they can call that cut unrated.

In other words, unrated is often just used as a gimmick to get people to buy another version of the film on the usually empty promise of more violence or whatever.

Usually, a small bit of content is inserted into the film, making it, in essence, a whole new film. This cut of the film isn't typically submitted to the MPAA for a rating, so therefore, the studios can call it "unrated" without being entirely dishonest.

When it's called "unrated" after an extra 30 seconds is re-inserted (see: the upcoming Dodgeball re-release), then you have movie and DVD purists sounding off about the validity of the lack of a rating.

In fact, the term 'unrated' is less of an inuindo of what the content will be like than it is a dirty, dirty marketing ploy designed to exploit hapless DVD buyers looking for worthwhile added content.

Unfortunately the major studios have sucked the appeal out of unrated releases. Since back in the day of VHS. Smaller companies like Vestron would regularly release rated & Unrated versions of their films. Only this was not a 'gimmick' and was the real deal. ie-the unrated versions were the only way to go,since the R versions were so heavily cut in the sex/nudity and violence arena to avoid X ratings at the time.

Today some unrated versions are a tiny bit more explicit than the rated versions. But not to the extent that those old Vestron unrated releases were(along with other companies).

It's even more sad when studios do their best to make sure the 'unrated' content does not go higher than R at best. The article on unrated releases posted here alittle bit ago was a good example. One studio exec mentions making sure the unrated version of Anchorman would not be higher than PG-13 if rated. Well that is a crock of shit since the added language in the film would give it an R rating. But still,you can see how the studios are being ******* and trying to play it safe while pretending to be 'daring' and 'risk taking'.

So yes unless the film was originally threatened with an NC-17 and then cut to get an R rating. Then definitely go for the unrated release. Also if the film were heavily cut from an R to a PG-13(King Arthur,Cursed,Darkness among others). Yes go for the unrated version.

But if all that is added is a couple cuss words like in Dogeball. Fuck it and stick with the PG-13 version if you own it:D

I've talked plenty about how this market gimmick will eventually get old. Much like "special edition" and "limited edition" the masses will realize that it's all a market ploy and then slapping the tag on a dvd will not be enough to sell it. You'll actually have to see some significant detail on how it became "unrated" in the sense that they want you to believe other than in the sense of it not being submitted for another grade after new material is added in.

Hopefully less and less people will be taken in by this ploy.

Think about it - add a 10-second scene of Mother Theresa praying, and you've got your <i>unrated</i> edition.

It may be a strange thing to be pleased about, but I am glad that studios have ruined the "Unrated" moniker instead of the term "Director's Cut." I know that "Director's Cut" is still somewhat ubiquitous (even back in the days of VHS), but at least when something's labeled as a Director's Cut, it generally has to be contractually cleared with the director. Let them ruin "Unrated," "Extended Cut," etc., but at least Director's Cut still has a little bit of meaning (a little...).

No blessing = NO SALE. :)