Michael Moore (Sicko) has reignited his constant battle with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). The director’s latest documentary, Where to Invade Next, recently earned an ‘R’ rating and Moore is not happy.
Moore is currently appealing the rating which the MPAA cited as being for “language, some violent images, drug use and brief graphic nudity.” Where to Invade Next follows the director as he visits several countries including Portugal, Iceland and others to see what they do better than the United States and if that would make them worth invading. While Moore is appealing the rating, he conceded that all those things are in the movie and even listed them all himself.
The aforementioned violence is reportedly from the infamous cell phone footage of police beating Eric Garner last year that led to a debate about police brutality. The drug use stems from a section of the film highlighting Portugal’s decision to decriminalize narcotics while the language comes from Icelandic citizens using the word “fuck” to protest the 2009 Icelandic bank collapse. Moore claimed the nudity is two seconds of naked Germans going into a Jacuzzi as they benefit from government regulated de-stress treatments. Moore claimed the film doesn’t have anything that isn’t seen in an evening broadcast.
The MPAA doesn’t want teenagers to see these things without parental supervision,” said Moore. “My advice to the teenagers of America is you know what to do and you know how to get in.
Moore’s films have always been subject to controversial ratings. The director fought ‘R’ ratings for Fahrenheit 9/11, Roger and Me and Bowling for Columbine only to lose the appeal each time. His look at the healthcare industry, Sicko, was rated “PG-13.”
Where to Invade Next will release in limited theaters December 30, just in time to be considered for awards.
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