NEWS: Bruno Gets NC-17 Rating...

So, this news really comes as no surprise, at least to me. Sharon Waxman has reported that the destroyers of creativity, The MPAA, have decided to place the dreaded NC-17 rating on the first cut of Sacha Baron Cohen's next film, Bruno.

Universal’s ”Bruno,” the widely anticipated Sacha Baron Cohen docu-comedy opening in July, has been slapped with an NC-17 rating on its first submission to the Motion Picture Association of America because of numerous sexual scenes that the ratings board considers over the line, according to the studio releasing the film.

Among the objectionable scenes is one in which Bruno -- a gay Austrian fashionista played by Baron Cohen -- appears to have anal sex with a man on camera. In another, the actor goes on a hunting trip and sneaks naked into the tent of one of the fellow hunters, an unsuspecting non-actor.

A Universal spokesman confirmed the rating on Sunday, saying: "On its first submission the film did not receive an R but it is far too early to say that there is any struggle to get there as the process is only at its inception.”

Now, I'm not opposed to studios cutting films to get a specific rating, say from an R to a PG-13. However, the idea of a studio cutting a film from NC-17 to an R, kinda feels a bit weird, for a few reasons.

First off, the budget for Bruno is not large. 20-25$ million is what was reported early on in the start of production, and even if it ups a bit, it's not to much. Hell, Borat cost 18 million, and grossed 128$ million. For a small budget, from a big studio anyways, there would be little to no loss. The only difference between the rating is that if a film is an NC-17 rated film, then no one under 17 can be admitted, where as an R rated film can be seen by anyone, with a guardian (don't even get me started on parents who bring their kids to see R rated films like Last House On The Left). Also, it takes away the films overall creativity. If a film is cut due to time, then you can mess around with what to cut, but being cut for content seems to always leave a wierd film on the screen. Take Lust, Caution for example. That was the last film of note to be released with an NC-17 cut, and it faired well, not like gangbusters, but it wasn't a bomb either.

That said, there are monster problems with an NC-17 Rating. Most influential is the lack of any promotion by mass media. With an NC-17 film, you can't release tv spots, mainstream print ads, or really any trailers that will be seen by the mass public, ones that would need to know that this film is being released.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I see both aspects of this cut. What do YOU think?

Go see something good!