Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2023 May 24

= May 24 =

Movie rating system

 * Transferred from Humanities desk

Why is there inconsistent terminology in the movie rating system of the United States?? That is, under 13 and under 17 for the PG-13 and R ratings but the NC-17 rating uses 17 and under rather than the consistent under 18?? Georgia guy (talk) 19:18, 24 May 2023 (UTC)
 * There's no explanation I can see in but one thing to consider is that some of the individual ratings were created at different points in time. <-Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots-> 22:57, 24 May 2023 (UTC)


 * When the system was first unveiled by the MPAA in the late 1960s, there were "G", "M", "R", "X" and that's it. "M" was soon renamed to "PG".  Notoriously, "PG-13" was created after numerous complaints about "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom".  "NC-17" was created so that there could be some method of advertising movies not suitable for adolescents without invoking the porny connotations of "X"... AnonMoos (talk) 01:02, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
 * AnonMoos, that response says nothing about the terminology of the ratings; it just talks about the ratings themselves. Georgia guy (talk) 11:47, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
 * It tells you that the ones with numbers came later, and were not part of the system as originally planned. AnonMoos (talk) 21:30, 26 May 2023 (UTC)


 * Somewhere here, we have a book on movie ratings and censorship that noted "XXX" is not a rating at all. It was used by the pornography industry to claim that a movie was more than just "X", it was "XX". Then, to be more than "XX", it was "XXX". For some unknown reason, "XXXX" never became popular. 97.82.165.112 (talk) 12:13, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
 * Oh, I think it's quite popular down under Chuntuk (talk) 15:21, 25 May 2023 (UTC)


 * There is not necessarily any reason. Sometimes, things happen in a certain way, and no one planned it out like that.  -- Jayron 32 15:08, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
 * Part of the reason it seems odd for it to be different is that you've only quoted bits of the rules. Our article says that the descriptor for R is "Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian." while NC-17's is "No one 17 and under admitted." I think Jayron is probably correct that it's largely happenstance, but starting the rule with a big "No" helps emphasize the restrictedness of the rating. From there, the minor word changes just make it flow a bit easier. Matt Deres (talk) 15:39, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
 * NC-17, at the time of inception, meant that no one under 17 (<17) was permitted admission. In 1995-96 (can't remember exactly when) the rating was changed to mean that no one 17 and under (<18) was permitted admission. They kept it NC-17 instead of changing it to NC-18 or something similar presumably because it was logistically simpler. Cessaune   [ talk ]   04:11, 31 May 2023 (UTC)

Name for a film technique
What's the name for the technique where you have a sequence of static shots of an object, each more zoomed out than the last? Sort of like a jump cut, but for spatial perspective rather than time. I've noticed it in two Nicholas Meyer films – The Wrath of Khan just before the Reliant blows up, and The Day After just before the first nuke goes off – and I'd almost want to call it an "explosion setup" for the spring-like sense of anticipation it produces. Lazar Taxon (talk) 22:43, 24 May 2023 (UTC)
 * I believe you are referring to an axial cut. 97.82.165.112 (talk) 12:06, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
 * Thanks, that's it. Lazar Taxon (talk) 16:15, 25 May 2023 (UTC)