Tarantino

I was watching Parenthood last night. Steve Martin had a flashback in which he 'failed' his son for making him play second base and at his graduation, his son was shooting up the school with a sniper rifle from a clock tower. My first thought was..."they could never get away with a scene like this now".

So what other scenes from older movies would (general) audiences these days be too sensitive to?

foofighters7

Most movies from the 80's that were marketed towards a younger viewer have material that would not be allowed in todays 'kids' movies.

The language in 'Bad News Bears' comes to mind.

The film 'Pretty Baby' would probably not even be made today and if it were it certainly would be MUCH tamer or have an older girl playing a younger one.

Several scenes in films that show a terrorist in a comedic situation. (although I think it's moronic to take that out simply because of peoples fears)

just a few that came to mind.

bluetoast

Wait doesn't that last part in the OP happen in If... as well? If so, that may be a candidate.

zeez

I haven't paid much attention to television lately, but after Sept. 11 i did wonder whether James Bond The Living Daylights would ever be shown on tv again. Has it ?

foofighters7

Yeah actually just watched 'If....' and I actually said to my wife "there is no way in hell they could make this today". Certainly a good choice.

Mabuse

The scene in Parenthood would still be in a movie today. The scene is referencing the Charles Whitman shooting in Austin, TX that took place in 1966. That tragic event didn't stop them from putting it in Parenthood to begin with, why would Columbine or Virginia Tech stop someone today?

In regards to "...If" what makes you think they wouldn't make a film with a scene like that today? "...If" was a controversial film in its day. That scene would not have been put in a mainstream, studio, big budget film back then. It was so controversial in it's time that it got an X rating in England I believe. But they can and would make a film with a scene like that today...and they'd probably only get an R

islandclaws

All of Freaks?

foofighters7

I don't quite agree.

If....'s end scene was done with a kind of giddy zeal, slightly downplaying the horrific nature of the actual event and instead presenting it as a heroic action to a degree.

I do feel the end scene could, in fact, be made today but they would need to 'send a different message'. Of course, independent cinema has many films that stretch bounds (to some people) but in today's day and age, I doubt they would get much backing with the kind of message 'If....' may send to some people.

Simply showing them doing what they do at the end isn't quite the only issue, it's how the film presents it.

Matthew Chmiel

A school shooting can be done in a motion picture post-Columbine. Yes, the film is inspired by the events of that day, but the last ten minutes of Elephant show all the graphic details of what a school shooting looks like.

I don't think there's material that would not be allowed by a studio today. I just don't think it would pass by with its current rating under the MPAA.

The Bad News Bears has language that can't even be said in a PG-13 film today (and you all know which specific scene I'm referring to). The language, sexual and drug content all involving young teenagers in Over the Edge wouldn't get a PG, let alone a PG-13, in today's society. Jaws? It would easily get a hard PG-13, if not an R.

It's interesting that on the flip side, a lot of films that had to be edited down to an R (from an NC-17 or X rating) years ago would probably secure an R rating in its original, uncut state if released now. Thanks Lionsgate and the Weinsteins.

Mabuse

I will conceed that the kind of "revolutionary" zeal of the scene in "If..." would probably be absent from any Hollywood version of the movie. Hollywood doesn't do revolutionary. But an indie film would and could make a scene like that today.

Here's a great example of something I don't think you'd see today: A performance like John Mills in Ryan's Daughter. He plays a villiage idiot character that is so broad and over the top (yet I think he won an Oscar) that it would be deemed offensive to retarded people today.

Same thing with Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's. A film can have ethnic humor today, but not something this broad and stereotyped.

Also, scenes with animals being used roughly. Disney's 20,000 Leagues and Swiss Family Robinson both use animals in ways that would not be permited in an American film today.

writer106

I agree the Parenthood scene would still be in the movie if it had been made today.

School shootings have still happened in films and TV shows post Columbine.Elephant is a good example.

One thing that I found to be really ridiculous was an omitted scene from the 2001 movie Sugar and Spice. The original script called for a woman to kill her husband after giving birth because he had sex with a nurse in the hospital. The studio and the producers decided to take that scene out of the movie and their excuse was the "Columbine shooting." That issue lead to falling out between the screenwriter and producers.

Giles

the frog hat scene in Bertolucci's 1900 wouldn't cut the muster either.

Draven

I'd say a fair amount of Blazing Saddles wouldn't make the cut today.

CloverClover

The entire movie Batman Returns is ridiculously dark and violent, no way would they let that in now.

Pizza

I was going to say the same thing.

JumpCutz

The crucifix masturbation scene in The Exorcist. At least the way it's filmed and edited would be much different today. But more than likely excised completely. Also the opening dialogue by the demon when Father Merrin enters Reagan's the room for the first time.

davidh777

Al Jolson in blackface. The first time I saw Swing Time on network TV, they cut the Fred Astaire blackface scene.

Yeah, Robert Downey Jr....

Trout

Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie in "Don't Look Now"...you know the part...

majorjoe23

Did you see the Dark Knight? I don't think Returns would have any problems today.

inri222

1900

The scene with Donald Sutherland and the little boy.
The threesome scene.
And a couple of others.......

foofighters7

1900

The scene with Donald Sutherland and the Little boy.
The threesome scene.
And a couple of others.......


oh weird man!

DarthVong

mcnabb

First movie that came to mind.

Gdrlv

I highly recommend that you watch Four Lions. It's hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGk2TojOd-4

foofighters7

looks pretty good, i'll check it out. I had heard of it before but never looked into it.