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    Invelos Forums->DVD Profiler: Contribution Discussion Page: 1  Previous   Next
Criterion & Film Ratings
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DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorDanae Cassandra
Registered: Apr 11, 2004
Registered: May 26, 2007
Reputation: Great Rating
United States Posts: 2,877
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Criterion does not list a film's rating on the cover of most of its releases.  This is true whether or not the film has an official rating. 

The rules tell us:
Quote:
Use the Rating shown on the DVD cover
and
Quote:
Use "NR" for DVDs which do not qualify for the "Unrated" rating, and which have no rating or are marked "NR" or "Not Rated"


Which implies to use the NR for all Criterion's releases, since no rating is given on the cover.

But the rules also tell us:
Quote:
Enter rating details as shown, excluding the rating itself and trailing period. e.g. "Rated R for sci-fi violence and brief language." is entered as "Sci-fi Violence and Brief Language". Obtain the rating details in order of preference from:

DVD case, usually on the bottom rear
Rating page displayed on-screen
Filmratings.com, or the equivalent region-specific ratings information website


Which could theoretically result in a profile reading NR Explicit Sexual Content (Blue is the Warmest Color rated NC-17 in the USA) or NR Strong Graphic Violence (Man Bites Dog, also NC-17)

Am I interpreting this correctly?  Or is it permissible to take the rating itself from a site such as filmratings.com?  (Currently I simply take the rating from the site and lock down at the local level and do not contribute.  But it seems a silly contradiction here, to be able to take the details but not the rating.)
If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantCinemOpera
Registered: June 2, 2021
United States Posts: 91
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"All" is not right I think it depends on the licensing agreement.  It is true that they typically don't.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar Contributorrdodolak
Registered: March 18, 2007
Reputation: Superior Rating
United States Posts: 1,601
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I think the following is the distinguishing factors here between being able to take the rating details from a third-party site, like filmratings.com, and not the rating:

1) If the rating is known (listed on the release) but the rating details isn't provided by the publisher then it's safe to pull the rating details from the MPA site since the details go hand-in-hand with the rating.  That is, you won't have different rating details for the same film rating.

2) If no rating is provided, then there is a level of uncertainty of what the rating of the film included on the release is.  In other words, how do you prove the film on the disc is of said rating.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorObiKen
Registered: October 22, 2015
Reputation: Superior Rating
Australia Posts: 260
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My understanding is that the UK Criterion releases are legally obligated to display the rating and rating descriptor on the covers, however, for the United States, the CARA (filmratings.com) rules (Article II) state that non-MPA members may submit the motion picture for a rating, but it is not obligatory to use that rating when exhibiting or distributing the film in the United States.

The CARA rules define a motion picture is "distributed" if it has been made commercially available for sale or license to members of the public for personal home use. Did Criterion ignore the original rating or did Criterion believe the film version on the disc was not rated?

The proper use of ratings is covered in Article III of the CARA rules, in particular:
"If a rated version of a motion picture is distributed in the home
entertainment market with audiovisual material in addition to the rated
motion picture, such as deleted scenes, interviews, commentary, bonus
material or other similar materials ("unrated content"), the distributor must
comply with the Advertising Administration Rules with respect to such
product and must include on the packaging of the product the following
legend: "This product contains the _-rated motion picture and additional
unrated material" or a similar legend acceptable to the Advertising
Administration."

Since Criterion do not include the above statement in their packaging, I can only conclude that the film version on the disc was not the same as the original rated version.

As per CARA (Article II) rules:
"A rating certified by CARA for a motion picture may not be used in
connection with the exhibition or distribution of any different version of
that motion picture."

Hence, as per Invelos rules, Not Rated with blank rating descriptor in the profile.

Hope that helped.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorGSyren
Profiling since 2001
Registered: March 14, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
Sweden Posts: 4,525
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Adding rating details for something that is listed as Not Rated doesn't make sense. If it isn't rated it cannot have rating details.
It's like saying that you got graded for a course that you didn't take. 
My freeware tools for DVD Profiler users.
Gunnar
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