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DIY DVD censorship causes storm |
gelfen
Joined: Nov 22, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Melbourne, Australia
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from ZDNet Australia
By Maria Lorente, AFP
31 May 2004
Imagine a bloodless Gladiator, a sexless When Harry Met Sally, a bowdlerised The Matrix and you've got ClearPlay, which copies DVDs that even the Pope could watch.
In the wake of singer Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction," retail giant Wal-Mart launched ClearPlay for US$79 (AU$110), which filters out scenes from more than 100 films, including Pirates of the Caribbean and Terminator 3.
To the cheers of the morally conservative and the jeers of film buffs, for a monthly subscription of US$5 (AU$7), a company based in Salt Lake City, Utah offers nearly 500 film filters, which can be downloaded from the Internet.
Matt Jarman and his brother Lee founded ClearPlay. They now have 11 employees. Jarman said there is no religious message to his work. He only wanted to watch films the whole family could enjoy.
"In the same way that airline or television versions aren't edited for any particular religion, ClearPlay provides filtering options in areas where there are general public sensitivities like graphic violence, strong language and sexually explicit content," Jarman said.
The marketing idea came after Jackson showed her breast to 100 million Americans during the Super Bowl halftime show in February, according to Dave Arland of Thomson, which markets the player under the RCA brand.
"I think there is a market for something that gives parents more control. The issue of indecency on television or films was obviously highlighted by the Super Bowl scandal. This seems to be of heightened interest.
"There are people who have pushed the limit and there are people who want to have that control. "It is also a good tool for parental control. They can screen out, they know what their kids are watching," he said.
However, that is not what the labour union for film directors thinks. It sued Thomson.
The suit was seconded by Disney, MGM, Warner Bros, Sony, DreamWorks, Universal, Fox and Paramount, as well as directors such as Steven Spielberg. They argued that the filters violate their ownership rights.
"ClearPlay software edits movies to conform to ClearPlay's vision of a movie instead of letting audiences see, and judge for themselves, what writers wrote, what actors said and what directors envisioned," the Directors Guild of America said in a statement.
"Ultimately, it is a violation of law and just wrong to profit from selling software that changes the intent of movies you didn't create and don't own."
However, the directors of ClearPlay deny that they have changed the film.
"Parents can screen out, it is not a requirement," Arland said.
"ClearPlay offers the tool."
In each case, the options are varied. There are three main categories: violence, explicit scenes and nudity, and language.
Then, there are 14 sub-categories: moderate violence, graphic violence, disturbing images, sensual content, crude sensual content, nudity, explicit sexual situations, vain reference to deity, crude language and humour, ethnic and social slurs, cursing, and strong profanity.
The critics, like USA Today, were harsh.
"Too often the cuts are clunky, eliminating portions of sentences and leaving only dead air, or speeding over objectionable items so they emerge almost as blips," the nationally distributed daily said.
"The awkward presentation could backfire as a way to sanitise mass entertainment and make it palatable for family audiences.
"Plus, the cuts are so obvious they could pique the curiosity of young minds. Sometimes a vivid imagination can be worse than the reality."
However, many in the United States applauded the idea.
"Every negative comment I've heard about ClearPlay included the word censorship," said Carl on KZION, a Mormon Internet radio station.
"How can that be, since no one is forcing the consumer to purchase this item? Despite the proliferation of vulgar speech and graphic sex and violence in movies, there are some of us who want no part of it.
"ClearPlay would allow us to relax and watch a film that we would normally consider off limits. "Would I buy a ClearPlay DVD player? Yes!!!"
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Rookwise
Joined: Mar 22, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: UK. Phone:Samsung Galaxy A54 5
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basically they rip away the plot and leave just a totally unwatchable film.
Just think. If they got their way there would be none of the classics. even old films had some degree of shooting,love,fighting in them.
If they got their way from the beginning there would not have been anything to watch when we were younger (classics like transformers, he man, gi joe, go bots/robo machine, knight rider, street hawk, tj hooker and loads more). we would have been left with the likes of button moon,padington bear and bagpuss for the whole of our adolesent lives.
Just think. endless re runs of the care bears or my little pony (eek)
even snoopy has some form of violence...and garfield. Topcat as well. in fact loads of them. imagine if your favourite programe/film had all the parts that made it good taken away. would you still like it as much ? not me.
people/perents have the right to choose what they want to watch/let their children to see. if they dont like it then they shouldnt watch it. simple.
personally i think a film/programe should always be viewed how it was ment to be. its more enjoyable. bits that are cut out spoil things too often.
the only + side is that a few years down the line is that when the cut/edited scenes have become acceptable they can be put back in and producers can make more money.
I tried sniffing coke once but didnt like it. The bubbles kept going up my nose  |
Lynx69
Joined: Feb 22, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: [ENGLAND]
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 >>*Wow 2100+ posts*<< |
mixin
Joined: Jan 26, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Notts, UK
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Button moon rocks 
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Access the forum with a mobile phone via esato.mobi
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Posted: 2004-05-31 08:30
>>*Wow 2100+ posts*<< 
urple t630:: 
