Hatchet II, Unrated Horror, and YOUR CHANCE to CHANGE the Rules
Steve Barton
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We’ve all been there. Come with me back to 1988. Sitting in a darkened theatre waiting for Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood to begin. There was lots of butchering that went on in this film, but it wasn’t Jason doing it. Fast forward to Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan. Throats get slit but don’t bleed. Heads get knocked off dry and clean. Was it Mr. Voorhees that was bloodthirsty, or was it the MPAA?
These are just two examples of how this group of people have been collectively neutering not only some of our favorite movies but also the visions of many great artists out there who are proud to be working in our genre.
Working on various sites over the last ten years and finally ending up here at Dread Central, I’ve had the benefit of working with and listening to a lot of fans and professionals. Everyone complains about the same things …
“I’m sick of PG-13 horror.”
“Ugh! Another remake?”
“Screw going to the theatre, I’ll just wait to see the unrated edition on DVD or Blu-ray.”
How many of you have said such things? The sad part is we’ve gotten used to it. The MPAA has beaten back the genre countless times with their double standards and self given right to deem for us what is acceptable and what is not. No one dared to challenge them, no matter how much we bitched, cried, and moaned. We were never afforded the chance to do anything about their rule over the horror genre, something they clearly do not even understand.
Until now.
This Friday for the first time in over a quarter of a century a movie is coming out in a pretty damned wide release (all things considered) at AMC theatres across the country unrated and untampered with by the film group for whom cool began and ended with the Fonz on “Happy Days”. Adam Green’s Hatchet II isn’t looking to reinvent the wheel. That was never the intention. Adam and company just made the film that they wanted to make. He was content with it going straight to DVD unrated. Better that than seeing his flick get butchered again. But then Dark Sky and MPI Films got behind it full force. AMC loved the movie enough to grant it a wide theatrical release. This wasn’t an act of defiance of the MPAA on anyone’s part who are directly connected to the film, but you know what? It can be for us. We can take the reins here. We have an opportunity to make our voices heard and possibly change the rules in the process.
If we as horror fans make it a point to make sure that Hatchet II is successful at the box office this weekend, we can take back some of the power that the MPAA has been unmercifully wielding for so many years and do so in a way that Hollywood understands … with cash! Theatre chains would always shy away from unrated horror releases because they didn’t think it would be profitable for them to bother showing a film without the ratings board’s blessing. We have a unique chance right now to prove that’s bullshit!
Here’s the thing … this is so much bigger than just Hatchet II, though the movie is without question the impetus for this movement. Like the film or not, like Adam Green or not, if we as horror fans go see the movie if it’s in our area and take our friends, and have their friends take their friends, the box office dollars will speak for themselves. Even if the movie is not playing by you, wouldn’t it be worth it to spend ten measly bucks to buy a ticket online for any show anywhere just so that you can finally show these bastards that have been holding us all down that we have a voice and that there is a market for this kind of thing? Ten bucks to be heard. Most of us spend ten bucks just walking by a 7-11.
If this movie is successful this weekend, other theatre chains will be more receptive to the idea of giving indie filmmakers their shot to reach their audience. No one wants to miss out on something profitable. And for the filmmakers the hassle of having to go on trial in front of the MPAA to get their movie rated so it can get out there just may not seem so necessary anymore, and we can FINALLY start getting what we crave the most: Our movies. Our way. Does it get any more punk rock than that?
It’s truly time to stop complaining and start acting. Stop bitching and start doing! You’re sick of the way things are? Then stand up for what we love the most. If this actually works and the rules do start to change, how cool would it be to be able to say that you were a viable part of making history, and make no mistake this is very much an historic occasion. If we drop the ball, we may never get this chance again. Carpe diem, folks. There’s work to be done. Time to go to war. Check out theatre listings after the break, including special showings with the cast and crew for this weekend. See you at the box office.
Take the graphic below. Put it on your Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. Spread the word. Tweet. Retweet. Then retweet again. No more excuses. Don’t go quietly into to the night. Make some friggin’ noise! Hatchet Army, let me hear you ….
APPEARANCE LOCATIONS
KANE HODDER
TAMPA — 10/1 for midnight showings at 12:01am
AMC Veterans Expressway 24 (9302 Anderson Rd)
ORLANDO – 10/1 for prime evening showing
AMC Pleasure Island 24 (1500 E Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL)
Q&A to follow film
TONY TODD
CHICAGO – 10/1 for midnight showing at 12:01am
AMC Crestwood 18 (13221 Rivercrest Dr, Crestwood, IL)
Q&A to follow film
ADAM GREEN
LOS ANGELES – 10/1 for midnight showing at 12:01am
AMC Universal CityWalk 19 (100 Universal City Plaza)
Q&A to follow film
R.A. MIHAILOFF
DETROIT – 10/1 for midnight showing at 12:01am
AMC Livonia 20 (19500 Haggerty Rd, Livonia, MI)
Q&A to follow film
DANIELLE HARRIS
NEW YORK CITY – 10/1 for midnight showing at 12:01am
AMC Empire 25 (234 W 42nd St)
NEW YORK CITY – 10/1 for prime evening screening
AMC Empire 25 (234 W 42nd St)
Q&A to follow film
HATCHET II THEATRICAL LOCATIONS
ALABAMA
Eastern Shore Premiere Cinema (30500 State Highway 181, Spanish Fort, AL)
Tannehill Premiere Cinema (4801 Promenade Parkway, Bessemer, AL)
Gadsden Premiere Cinema 16 (1001 Rainbow Drive Suite 2, Gadsden, AL)
ARIZONA
AMC Foothills 15 (7401 N La Cholla Blvd, Tucson, AZ)
CALIFORNIA
– LOS ANGELES:
· AMC Universal CityWalk 19 (100 Universal City Plaza)
· AMC 30 at The Block (20 City Blvd, Orange, CA)
· AMC Ontario Mills 30 (4549 Mills Circle, Ontario, CA)
· AMC Burbank Town Center 8 (201 E Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, CA)
· AMC Norwalk 20 (12300 Civic Center Dr, Norwalk, CA)
· AMC Covina 30 (1414 N Azusa Ave Covina, CA)
· MANN Chinese 6 (6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA)
– SAN FRANCISCO:
· AMC Bay Street 16 (5614 Shellmound Street, Emeryville, CA)
– SAN DIEGO:
· AMC Palm Promenade 24 (770 Dennery Rd, San Diego, CA)
CONNECTICUT
AMC Plainville 20 (220 New Britain Ave, Plainville, CT)
FLORIDA
– MIAMI / FT LAUDERDALE:
· AMC Mall of America (19501 Biscayne Blvd, Aventura, FL)
· AMC Sunset Place 24 (5701 Sunset Dr South, Miami, FL)
– JACKSONVILLE:
· AMC Regency 24 (9451 Regency Square Blvd, Jacksonville, FL)
· AMC Orange Park 24 (1910 Wells Rd, Orange Park, FL)
– ORLANDO:
· AMC Pleasure Island 24 (1500 E Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL)
· AMC Universal Cineplex 20(6000 Universal Blvd, Orlando, FL)
– TALLAHASSEE:
· AMC Tallahassee Mall 20 (2415 N Monroe St, Tallahassee, FL)
– TAMPA:
· AMC Veterans Expressway 24 (9302 Anderson Rd, Tampa, FL)
· AMC Regency Square 20 (2496 W Brandon Blvd, Brandon, FL)
GEORGIA
ATLANTA METRO:
· AMC Barrett Commons 24 (2600 Cobb Place Ln NW, Kennesaw, GA)
· AMC Southlake Pavilion 24(7065 Mount Zion Cir, Morrow, GA)
ILLINOIS
CHICAGO METRO:
· AMC Crestwood 18 (13221 Rivercrest Dr, Crestwood, IL)
· AMC Pipers Alley 4 (1608 N Wells St, Chicago, IL)
LOUISIANA
NEW ORLEANS:
· AMC Elmwood Palace 20 (1200 Elmwood Park Blvd, Harahan, LA)
· AMC Westbank Palace 16 (1151 Manhattan Blvd Harvey, LA)
MASSACHUSETTES
BOSTON METRO:
· AMC Boston Common 19 (175 Tremont St, Boston, MA)
· AMC Liberty Tree Mall 20 (100 Independence Way, Danvers, MA)
· AMC Methuen 20 (90 Pleasant Valley St, Methuen, MA)
MARYLAND
AMC Owings Mills 17 (10100 Mill Run Cir, Owings Mills, MD)
MICHIGAN
DETROIT METRO:
· AMC Livonia 20 (19500 Haggerty Rd, Livonia, MI)
· AMC Southfield 20 (25333 W 12 Mile Rd, Southfield, MI)
· AMC Great Lakes 24 (4300 Baldwin Rd, Auburn Hills, MI)
MISSOURI
AMC West Olive 16 (12657 Olive St, Creve Coeur, MO)
NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY
– NEW YORK CITY:
· AMC Empire 25 (234 W 42nd St, NY, NY)
· AMC 34th Street 14 (312 W. 34th St, NY, NY)
· AMC MJ Harlem 9 (2309 Frederick Douglas Blvd, NY, NY)
· AMC 84th Street 6 (2310 Broadway, NY, NY)
· AMC Village 7 (66 Third Ave, NY, NY)
– NEW JERSEY:
· AMC New Brunswick 18 (17 Route 1, New Brunswick, NJ)
· AMC Jersey Gardens 20 (Jersey Gardens Mall, Jersey City, NJ)
– NEW YORK STATE:
· AMC Palisades Center 21 (4403 Palisades Center Drive West, Nyack, NY)
NORTH CAROLINA
AMC Carolina Pavilion 22 (9541 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC)
AMC Concord Mills 24 (8421 Concord Mills Blvd, Concord, NC)
OHIO
– CINCINNATI:
· AMC Newport on the Levee 20 (1 Levee Way, Newport, KY)
– COLUMBUS:
· AMC Easton Town Center 20 (160 Easton Town Center, Columbus, OH)
· AMC Lennox Town Center 24 (777 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH)
PENNSYLVANIA
– PITTSBURGH:
· AMC Waterfront 22 (300 Waterfront Dr W, Homestead, PA)
– PHILADELPHIA:
· AMC Cherry Hill 24 (2121 Route 38, Cherry Hill, NJ)
· AMC Hamilton 24 (325 Sloan Ave, Hamilton, NJ)
TEXAS
– HOUSTON:
· AMC Studio 30 (2949 Dunvale Rd, Houston, TX)
· AMC Gulf Pointe 30 (11801 S Sam Houston Pkwy E, Houston, TX)
– DALLAS:
· AMC The Grand 24 (10110 Technology Blvd E, Dallas, TX)
· AMC Mesquite 30 (19919 Lyndon B Johnson Fwy, Mesquite, TX)
VIRGINIA
AMC Hampton 24 (Town Center Way, Hampton, VA)
WASHINGTON
SEATTLE METRO:
· AMC Alderwood 16 (18733 33rd Ave West, Lynnwood, WA)
· AMC Uptown 3 (511 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA)
WASHINGTON, DC METRO:
· AMC Hoffman Center 22 (206 Swamp Fox Rd, Alexandria, VA)
· AMC Potomac Mills 18 (2700 Potomac Mills Cir, Woodbridge, VA)
WISCONSIN
AMC Mayfair Mall 18 (2500 N Mayfair Rd, Wauwatosa, WI)
CANADA
– TORONTO:
· AMC Yonge & Dundas 24 (10 Dundas Street East, Toronto)
– MONTREAL:
· AMC Montreal: Forum 22 (2313 Ste-Catherine Ouest, Montreal)
Hatchet II – Trailer
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