The World Beyond BetterMost > The Culture Tent
Bully
Mandy21:
Got an email this morning from the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services (I'm on their mailing list):
HHS and the Department of Education have unveiled an enhanced StopBullying.gov.
The site encourages children, parents, educators, and communities to take action to prevent and respond to bullying.
Visit StopBullying.gov now.
Mandy21:
--- Quote from: ifyoucantfixit on April 02, 2012, 02:35:39 pm ---
If I got my statistics correct. Bully was in third place this weekend. After The Hunger Games, and Clash of the Titans. That is pretty good.
--- End quote ---
"Bully" pushes its way to $23K per-screen opening
By Joshua L. Weinstein | Reuters – 21 hrs ago.........LOS ANGELES, April 1 (TheWrap.com) -
"Bully," the Weinstein Co. documentary that sparked controversy after the MPAA rated it R -- and refused to change the rating even after nearly a half-million people signed a petition asking for the movie to be rated PG-13 -- opened to a remarkable $115,000 at five locations over the weekend.
That works out to $23,000 per location -- the strongest opening of any documentary in 2012.
The Weinstein Co. released the movie without a rating, rather than with the R that the MPAA gave it. Even as an unrated movie, it generated significant interest.
"We're going to expand April 13 into the top 50 markets -- at least 100 theaters, maybe more," Erik Lomis, the Weinstein Co.'s head of distribution, told TheWrap Sunday. "We're going to focus on a lot of group sales -- we got calls from churches and school groups and the Boy Scouts. You name the groups, we've got them all over the country calling us and requesting information."
He also acknowledged that the company remains in talks with the MPAA.
"We're always in contact with the MPAA," he said.
Lomis said that the Weinstein Co.'s lawyer for this matter is David Boies, one of two attorneys who argued the case that successfully overturned California's Proposition 8, which would have banned gay marriage.
Lomis said that "Bully" "is a hard watch, but it's a very moving film -- and we only had 10 percent of the audience under 18. Maybe that was because of the ratings issue, I don't know, but it leads me to be very optimistic about the potential of this film."
He said he is especially optimistic because exit polls showed that the movie played best among teens.
Shakesthecoffecan:
--- Quote from: ifyoucantfixit on April 02, 2012, 02:35:39 pm ---
If I got my statistics correct. Bully was in third place this weekend. After The Hunger Games, and Clash of the Titans. That is pretty good.
--- End quote ---
That is amazing for a documentary.
Sheriff Roland:
Bully had it's Canadian premiere at the new Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) buiding called Light Box earlier this week. It will be released nationally 'in selected cities' on Friday with a PG rating.
Director says move by Canuck censors pushed U.S. theatres to show 'Bully'
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/movies/director-says-move-by-canuck-censors-pushed-us-theatres-to-show-bully-146137565.html
Mandy21:
The director considers this a victory? Seriously? Thousands and thousands of people had to get involved, and in the end, those very few F-bombs were cut anyway. That doesn't sound like victory to me. Why didn't he just cut them to begin with, and not waste people's time? Publicity stunt anyone?
~~~
Weinstein Co. cuts 'Bully' F-words for PG-13 rating
April 5, 2012, 7:46 PM EST
By Tim Kenneally
TheWrap
The Weinstein Co. has backed down on "Bully," cutting F-words from the documentary to get a teen-friendly PG-13 rating ahead of its April 13 expansion into 55 markets.
The MPAA originally gave the documentary an R rating for language, holding firm despite a grass-roots campaign for a PG-13 rating. After the campaign by Weinstein co-chair Harvey Weinstein, various celebrities and online petitioners failed to sway the MPAA, the company decided to release the movie unrated instead.
At a point in time when bullying in America has reached epidemic proportions, Emmy-winning director Lee Hirsch invites viewers to spend a year in the lives of five students who contend with public torment and humiliation on a daily basis.
The film premiered last week.
The unrated release posed a challenge for theaters chains: one opting not to screen the film at all, two others treating it as if it were rated R, and the AMC theater chain allowing viewers under 17 to see the movie unaccompanied if they brought a permission slip.
"Bully" director Lee Hirsch said he felt "completely vindicated" by the new rating. "While I retain my belief that PG-13 has always been the appropriate rating for this film, as reinforced by Canada's rating of a PG, we have today scored a victory from the MPAA."
The new rating will also allow various schools, organizations, including the National Education Association and the Cincinnati School District, to screen the film for children as they had hoped.
The new rating came with "great support" from MPAA chairman Chris Dodd, the Weinstein Co. said in a statement. During a screening in Washington prior to the documentary's release, Dodd suggested trimming a few of the curse words to get the lower PG-13 rating.
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