Question for parents

[potioncat]

 "Carol" <justcarol67 at ...> wrote:> 
> I can see a PG-13 rating for HBP, but the violence in DH is almost R
> level. At any rate, I don't see how it can be faithfully translated 
to a screenplay (minus the slow parts) and still be suitable for 
younger children, especially that first Nagini scene when she emerges 
from the corpse of Bathilda.


Potioncat:

I've read this thread...wish I'd seen it earlier! So this is a 
general reply to everyone.

GoF wasn't suitabe for younger children. I completely creeped out at 
the opening! I know what you mean though. Chapter 1 of DH is an R by 
itself. The movie-makers can probably do some things off screen to 
keep the ratings PG-13. OTOH, they might want an R. It'll bring in 
the teens.

Jurasic Park was never for small children (was it R or PG13?) but 
they marketed toys to the kids. I wouldn't let my dinosaur loving 5-
year-old son go see it, but I rented it later and watched it with him 
and my 4-year-old daughter. I fast forwarded through the worst 
scenes. Less one.

It's 13 years later and when L Dern goes into the generator we start 
laughing about how we all jumped and screamed when the velociraptor 
lept out.

Carol:
 My own view is that the
> movies should not be edited to make them suitable for younger 
children (we need most if not all of those scenes), but they should 
definitely come with a warning label since HP still has a reputation 
as a series for children. There's a huge difference between the first 
two films and the last two, especially DH.

Potioncat:
I don't think it should be changed to keep a lower rating, and I'd 
almost bet money the studio would prefer a higher rating. Your idea 
of a warning is brilliant! That'll bring in the crowds!

My youngest is 13, so I don't need the movie edited for children. 
Because it should be based on the book, I'd rather it not be "calmed 
down." I think if my kids were too young for the sorts of things in 
the books, I'd wait till the movie came out on video. Or I'd go see 
it first and take them if I thought it was OK. 

There are HP movie fans who never read the books. So they only know 
what they get from the screen. I've had to explain the last two 
movies to my older son. I saw OoP after it had been out quite a 
while, and there was one scene that got a genuinely suprised reaction 
from the audience. I don't remember what it was, but I had been 
expecting it. Clearly the others hadn't.

As for the screenplay, none of the movies have included certain 
scenes that I thought were important. I'm afraid to guess at what 
will or won't be included. Or what lines will be given to someone 
else. Or what will be added. Or how much Snape will be omitted. 


Potioncat, who --seeing it in writing--cannot believe she allowed her 
FOUR-year-old to watch JP and now understands her (not my) love of 
horror movies.