Psychologists, child health professionals and parents yesterday joined calls for The Hunger Games to have its rating raised to a 15 because of its violent content.
Children who see the controversial film are at risk of having its disturbing scenes ‘hard-wired’ into their brains, one expert warned.
The movie – about teenagers in a totalitarian future being forced to kill each other in gladiatorial combat – was initially given a 15 certificate by the British Board of Film Classification but this was lowered to a 12A after producers agreed to make several cuts.
However, with concerns about the film’s adult themes growing, a BBFC insider has admitted that it remains a ‘borderline’ case for a 12A rating – which means children aged 12 and over can see it alone, while younger children can see it if accompanied by an adult.
Some parents claimed their children had been left so distressed by the film that they had to leave the cinema early.
One mother said: ‘The fact that you actually see kids killing other kids is something I would not want a 12-year-old to watch.’
Even Zygi Kamasa, chief executive of Lionsgate, the company behind the film, said he would not let his ten-year-old daughter watch the movie, which he admitted had a ‘lot of adult themes’ and ‘frightening and gory scenes’.
Geoffrey Beattie, professor of psychology at Manchester University, says watching teens killing each other will have a stronger effect on young people than adult battle scenes.
He said: ‘If you identify with the characters then it is going to seem more familiar and ... the things that happen will feel more visceral and have a stronger emotional impact on you.
There is a danger that there is so much death or violence that teens become desensitised.’
Many have defended the film, insisting it reflects the difficult content of the Suzanne Collins book on which it is based.
But writing about the film on her website, best-selling author and paediatrician Dr Meg Meeker said: ‘Kids process images they construct in their minds from written words differently than they process large, hyper-real images on a screen.
‘During the preteen and teen years, children’s minds are mentally pliable. They are being hard-wired... So, when an image comes into a teen’s brain it melds into that wiring and sticks.’
The BBFC said it had received a small number of complaints from people who have seen the film.
The Hunger Games, which stars Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson and Donald Sutherland, has grossed £5million in the UK in its opening weekend, twice as much as the opening instalment of another teen favourite, the Twilight Saga.
Lol, it's silly. If you don't think your kid can handle a bit of watered down violence and a splash of blood, don't let them see a film about 24 kids fighting to the death in an arena.
Lol, it's silly. If you don't think your kid can handle a bit of watered down violence and a splash of blood, don't let them see a film about 24 kids fighting to the death in an arena.
Wait, am I getting this right? People want the ALREADY CENSORED kiddie version of the movie to be raised to a 15? LMAO the BBFC can't win, the same fucking idiots whose approval they were seeking when they slashed the blood from the movie just spat in their faces! :))
Seriously, I don't have a clue what these folks are kicking up a fuss about. The movie I saw in theatres was horrendously tame. Like, go back a decade or so and I could find a PG movie with more violence probably. Children will certainly have absolutely no problems with the censored UK version.
In fact I hope it does get raised to a 15, just to completely piss off Lionsgate for agreeing to cuts in the first place. Would serve them right. Then maybe we'd get the proper movie released on DVD.
Guys I'm really worried about Mpckingjay being split in two parts :-|
why? I mean if its split, ok, if its not even better. I would prefeer one film so that we have a trilogy, but if its split theres nothing to be done right? :s
Anyways, I don't remember a single shot with the same color palette of the the poster in The Hunger Games. The colors in the cinematography palette of The Hunger Games are totally cold, dominated basically by blue, gray and green. That's why I find odd the posters, which they used hot colors. It was just an observation. Not common.
I think it's kinda funny that the posters doesn't match the cinematography.
Is that a rule in poster making? Just curious. :-B
Not a rule, but it's not common. Posters are a promotional material that also cause an impression. If you do a research, you'll see that most of the posters are montages of scenes or photoshots. I just think it's funny that The Hunger Games posters uses a color palette that is actually the opposite from the color palette of the movie. Posters are also a movie reference. It was just an observation ^^
Exactly, Mau! It's not common. I can't wait to see how Catching Fire's posters are going to look like! I don't know if the cover of the book caused this impression, but I always picture the cinematography and all the promotional material with a color palette similar to the poster of The Hunger Games. Even the logo of Hunger Games reminds me of Catching Fire. Can't wait to see :D
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0 • Off Topic Insightful Disagree Agree Awesome LOLChildren who see the controversial film are at risk of having its disturbing scenes ‘hard-wired’ into their brains, one expert warned.
The movie – about teenagers in a totalitarian future being forced to kill each other in gladiatorial combat – was initially given a 15 certificate by the British Board of Film Classification but this was lowered to a 12A after producers agreed to make several cuts.
However, with concerns about the film’s adult themes growing, a BBFC insider has admitted that it remains a ‘borderline’ case for a 12A rating – which means children aged 12 and over can see it alone, while younger children can see it if accompanied by an adult.
Some parents claimed their children had been left so distressed by the film that they had to leave the cinema early.
One mother said: ‘The fact that you actually see kids killing other kids is something I would not want a 12-year-old to watch.’
Even Zygi Kamasa, chief executive of Lionsgate, the company behind the film, said he would not let his ten-year-old daughter watch the movie, which he admitted had a ‘lot of adult themes’ and ‘frightening and gory scenes’.
Geoffrey Beattie, professor of psychology at Manchester University, says watching teens killing each other will have a stronger effect on young people than adult battle scenes.
He said: ‘If you identify with the characters then it is going to seem more familiar and ... the things that happen will feel more visceral and have a stronger emotional impact on you.
There is a danger that there is so much death or violence that teens become desensitised.’
Many have defended the film, insisting it reflects the difficult content of the Suzanne Collins book on which it is based.
But writing about the film on her website, best-selling author and paediatrician Dr Meg Meeker said: ‘Kids process images they construct in their minds from written words differently than they process large, hyper-real images on a screen.
‘During the preteen and teen years, children’s minds are mentally pliable. They are being hard-wired... So, when an image comes into a teen’s brain it melds into that wiring and sticks.’
The BBFC said it had received a small number of complaints from people who have seen the film.
The Hunger Games, which stars Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson and Donald Sutherland, has grossed £5million in the UK in its opening weekend, twice as much as the opening instalment of another teen favourite, the Twilight Saga.
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0 • Off Topic Insightful Disagree Agree Awesome LOLSeriously, I don't have a clue what these folks are kicking up a fuss about. The movie I saw in theatres was horrendously tame. Like, go back a decade or so and I could find a PG movie with more violence probably. Children will certainly have absolutely no problems with the censored UK version.
In fact I hope it does get raised to a 15, just to completely piss off Lionsgate for agreeing to cuts in the first place. Would serve them right. Then maybe we'd get the proper movie released on DVD.
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0 • Off Topic Insightful Disagree Agree Awesome LOLI just love what/how she says at the very end of this video.
BTW, NEW POSTER...
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0 • Off Topic Insightful Disagree Agree Awesome LOLThey used vibrant reds and oranges
for the posters, which weren't in the
film at all.
I like the posters, but I think they
could have gone for a grittier colour palette.
G.G.
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