http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/industry-alarm-at-r-rated-cover-up/story-e6frg6nf-1225819431495

FILM distributors are alarmed by new laws that quietly came into effect in South Australia this week restricting the promotion and display of R-rated movies.

 

Adults aged over 18 seeking to buy or borrow a copy of Mad Max, the acclaimed desert war drama Three Kings, starring George Clooney, the Brad Pitt classic Fight Club or the 2009 Blu Ray release of Sasha Baron Cohen's fashion parody Bruno will now find them in plain packaging displaying nothing more than the film's title.

 

The rule will apply to titles for sale or rent unless those titles are quarantined from all other audiovisual materials, in an area signposted with a warning.

 

Under changes to the state's classification act, which came into effect on Sunday, businesses will face fines of up to $5000 for displaying a "poster, pamphlet or other printed material" for films classified R18+.

 

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The new law applies to general outlets containing films with classifications lower than R18+, and not adult-only premises.

 

Several distributors expressed surprise at the announcement of the law coming into effect, saying they had learned of it only yesterday. Potential Films managing director Mark Spratt, who has distributed numerous R-rated titles, including the contentious French drama Romance, said he was "gobsmacked".

 

"It's gone completely under the radar," Mr Spratt said.

 

Plain packaging would prevent consumers making informed decisions about these films, including critically acclaimed titles such as Taxi Driver and Apocalypse Now, he said.

 

"It's certainly discouraging people to look for these films, discouraging shops from stocking them and (creates) an extra hassle for (distributors)," Mr Spratt said. It also had the potential to harm retailers in South Australia as consumers who wanted to buy the titles with their packaging intact would shop interstate or online.

 

The law was announced by the office of South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson, whose conservative campaigning is well known to the film industry.

 

Foyer stands and posters, cinema ads and billboards for R-rated films are unaffected.

This is almost as ridiculous as Ireland's new anti-blasphemy law. :rolleyes:

The law was announced by the office of South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson, whose conservative campaigning is well known to the film industry.

 

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If he keeps this up, he'll have thousands of angry Aussie consumers prepared to firebomb his house...

Kind of related to this, they are thinking about bringing out R games in Australia. If you're Australian, fill out the discussion form.

http://www.ag.gov.au/gamesclassification

On topic, Atkinson has poisoned everyone which is a real shame. Get him out of office and this kind of crap will go away.

He's officially gone too far this time.

I can see it from both points of views, but in the end I find it a little ridiculous the measures Australia (I don't know who specifically) goes to censor the media because its not removing it from public view but just limiting its promotion which isn't going to stop people from see it in its entirety.

That's South Australia for you.

So stupid.

 

Thank god america isnt that dumb yet

They killed the dingoes! :cry:

 

Dog murderer!

Wonder how long before NSW gets this law too. <_<

 

The law was announced by the office of South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson, whose conservative campaigning is well known to the film industry.

 

-.-

 

If he keeps this up, he'll have thousands of angry Aussie consumers prepared to firebomb his house...

He has nearly every Aussie gamer want him dead, how much worse can it get for him?

Wonder how long before NSW gets this law too. <_<

 

The law was announced by the office of South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson, whose conservative campaigning is well known to the film industry.

 

-.-

 

If he keeps this up, he'll have thousands of angry Aussie consumers prepared to firebomb his house...

He has nearly every Aussie gamer want him dead, how much worse can it get for him?

 

Well, if they actually kill him. Then that's about as worse as it can get for him.

Michael Atkinson has a history of being completely [bleep]ing insane.

So stupid.

 

Thank god america isnt that dumb yet

Well don't worry, we're gettin' there.

 

Though I dunno; conservatism is going to come back quite powerfully soon, but they do claim "free enterprise" and stuff.

Censorship = bad

Christ sake.

I thought Germany were going to start acting like this (since in the last couple of years some fools have been wanting to crack down on violent games/movies). Which is weird, when you think of the weird movies that comes from that country.

 

But Australia huh, hm.

I don't really see why everyone like these types thinks a pair of [bleep] (fun bags), a machine gun and a blown off foot will permanently hurt a kids/adults mind.

I find censorship more "offensive" than sexual or violent themes. And I'm not really a fan of either of them in the media.

I hope Australia's still like this when I reach my film aspirations.

 

Because my movies will pretty much give those guys heart attacks.

I hope Australia's still like this when I reach my film aspirations.

 

Because my movies will pretty much give those guys heart attacks.

 

Inglourious Basterds X 10 times the gore.

*facepalm*

 

Time to start sending out letter bombs again aye? Start with the cotton wool parents who push for this junk... then the [wagon] people in office who actually make it happen

...What.

That is the most ridiculous law I've ever heard, and I've heard of some pretty dumb ones...

Michael Atkinson has a history of being completely [bleep]ing insane.

 

He really seems to be a serial pest on issues like this.

 

The law is rediculous. What's it going to do? Kids can't legally hire R18+ vids without ID anyway. All it will do is piss off responsible adults that want to watch films intended for them.