1. What are your basic thoughts about the MPAA?

-From an adult point of view, they’re useless. I don’t see why a group of bitter old men and women locked in a room, forced to watch movies should decide on what I should or should not watch. I am mature enough to know what I want to see and know what I can endure violence/nudity wise. Being a major horror buff, they’re particular grudge against the genre has frustrated me on many occasions over the years. Friday The 13^th Part 7 for example was severely butchered by the MPAA and in consequence the film winds up negating its reason to be. Genre fiends don’t watch Friday The 13th movies for a layered narrative or an exploration of the human psyche; we watch them for gratuitous blood and guts.

Who are the MPAA to tarnish our movie going experience? I thought this was a free country! Now don’t get me wrong I do believe that some kind of efficient system should exist to prevent younger viewers from witnessing material that is inappropriate for them, but censoring a film that’s aimed at a mature audience and that’s Rated R feels trivial to me and reeks of dictatorship. I’m an adult and I should be able to see what I want to see and not have these nitwits mess with the director’s vision or the overall experience that the film should deliver.

2. How do you feel about the MPAA's renewed zealously when it comes to horror films?

-To me horror films are the biggest scapegoat on the block. Its easier and cheaper for a politician to blame violent movies for the unfortunate acts that take place in this world (Columbine for example) then actually addressing the problem hands on and doing something about it. How many copies of Basketball Diaries were taken down from the video shelves after Columbine? Too many. Did that type of censorship help the cause or solve the problem? No. Maybe if the people in charge would concentrate on the real reasons behind the madness instead of always taking the easy way out and blaming it on movies, things would be different. Issues such as poverty, education, security, parenting; how about putting some money and attention there instead of wasting everybody’s time by pointing the finger at horror/violent films?

As for the MPAA’ relentless bitterness against the horror genre? It’s unfortunate cause it reinforces the ludicrous stereotypes that are out there and gives the politicians more fuel to blame it all on the movies. I’ve been watching horror movies since I was 13 and no I haven’t killed anybody. When will they stop hiding behind genre films and address the real issues? Probably never…too expensive and time consuming. I don’t know how they sleep at night…

-3. What do you think about major films like Hannibal going nearly uncut, while independent films such as Cherry Falls are destroyed by the MPAA?

-I’m furious about that. It just goes to show the hypocritical stance the MPAA takes when they approach a film in terms of censoring. I don’t have a deep insight on how the system works but I would think its probably money driven to a certain extent. Its probably profitable in some way for them to be lenient on a film like Hannibal which sports a big director, huge stars and that’s distributed by a major studio. The smaller films don’t have that kind of clout or exposure and therefore get screwed. If Cherry Falls would’ve starred Brad Pitt and was distributed by MGM, I’m sure it would’ve gone through the MPAA barely touched. Just look at SEVEN, which was one grisly movie! It got away with so much! If SEVEN would’ve been a 5 million dollar picture, released by a small company, I’m sure the MPAA would’ve axed it all over the place. This is just another case of the little guy getting the shaft cause he’s the little guy. It makes me sick really; how can I respect a system that’s so inconsistent and unfair?  

4. As an upcoming director, how do you think the MPAA will affect your films?

In terms of my film The Red Hours, I’m not actually too scared of them cutting anything graphic gore/nudity wise nor do I really care. The film does have some visually extreme sequences but I purposely want to communicate them in a subtle manner in order to not drown out the subtext of the picture. My main concern is that the MPAA will not or won’t want to understand what I’m trying to communicate. The Red Hours deals with touchy social issues such as extreme feminism, bi sexuality, man’s place in today’s society, the rave scene, sex, drugs and its all wrapped up in a horror movie motif. I’ve got all the ingredients here to offend the MPAA and yes I feel they’ll have me tinker with my film so much that it might hurt what I’m trying to say or maybe even decrease the impact the film should have.

I think the MPAA needs to understand that the more brutal elements in Cinema are fished out of real life. I didn’t take these themes out of my hat? They’re very present in our society. I don’t see anything wrong with commenting on what’s going in the world via celluloid while trying to also entertain the viewer at the same time. This is a crazy world we live in, why should we ignore what’s going on and not be able to express our views on the subjects at hand through art (yes film is an art form)? Now don’t get me wrong, The Red Hours is meant for an adult audience and I don’t think kids should see it but butchering the picture wont change a thing in the world or protect anybody from what’s going on. All they have to do is switch on the news and they’ll know. Having said that, what’s important to me is the integrity of the message that The Red Hours has and I’ll fight the MPAA till the bitter end to retain it.