Sony Pictures Is Releasing Clean Versions of Its Movies to Ward Off Would-Be Copycats

[Initech]

Sony Pictures launched a feature on Tuesday allowing movie viewers to opt for "clean" versions of their films purchased through iTunes, VUDU, and FandangoNOW. The movie studio's new "Clean Version" Initiative will bring airline or broadcast edits of films like 50 First Dates, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and Easy A to streaming customers, according to a report in Yahoo News.

The new service launched with clean versions of 24 films. In a promotion video, Sony showcased its promise to edit out "adult scenes" and "violence & language" by screening two versions of the same scene from Grown Ups 2: one, the original, features actor Kevin James calling a group of teenagers "douchebags"; the "clean" version shows him deeming them "little punks."

Sony's move comes at a time when major studios continue to battle third-party family-entertainment companies over unauthorized edits of copyrighted works. While copyright law prohibits third parties from selling edited versions of copyrighted Hollywood films, 2005's Family Movie Act, signed by President George W. Bush, allows companies to sell films edited by software that removes nudity, profanity, and graphic violence.

Ensuing lawsuits between Hollywood and third parties have resulted in losses on both sides. In 2005, a federal judge cleared one of these third-party companies, ClearPlay, of charges of trademark and copyright infringement put forth by both the Directors' Guild of America and 13 individual directors including Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. In 2006, a Colorado judge ruled that a third-party competitor, CleanFlicks, must stop "producing, manufacturing, creating, designing, selling, [and] renting" edited movies; that same year, CleanFlicks went out of business. Meanwhile, Disney, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Bros. remain locked in a legal battle with third-party company VidAngel.
https://psmag.com/news/sony-releasing-clean-versions-movies

I don't have kids, but if I did, I can guarantee that they wouldn't give a shit about seeing Easy A, or Grown Ups 2, or 50 First Dates. I don't care about seeing these movies. There's plenty of family friendly movies out there that are made for kids. That kids would actually, you know, want to see. And Seth Rogen really hates the idea:

Seth Rogen has long enjoyed a fruitful relationship with Sony Pictures. The comedian and the studio have worked together on a number of movies, from the controversial The Interview—which led to the studio getting hacked in 2014—to last year’s surprise blockbuster Sausage Party. But Rogen apparently draws a hard line when it comes to making his hits a little more family-friendly.

Sony announced Tuesday, per Yahoo, that it is starting a “Clean Version” initiative featuring select movies in its catalogue, which will allow viewers to watch movies “free from certain mature content.” Viewers can currently purchase “clean,” edited versions of several of those films on iTunes, VUDU, and FandangoNow. Rogen, however, isn’t fond of the concept in the slightest.

“Holy shit, please don't do this to our movies. Thanks,” he tweeted on Tuesday, quote-tweeting a link to the Yahoo article.
http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/06/seth-rogen-sony-clean-movies

[MattP]

1. Part of growing up is seeing R rated movies when you're young

Otherwise you turn out like a Dugger

[Initech]

4. Yup!

I think the first R-rated movie I saw at home was the Terminator (when I was like 8), and the first R-rated movie I saw in the theater was either True Lies or Demolition Man (when I was 13 / 14), both relatively tame by today's standards.

[Hekate]

2. Interesting. On the one hand, as a (grand)parent I'd like to know something about content...

...before popping in a DVD (or CD, thank you Tipper Gore) for the kids -- and since I am no fan of excessive violence myself I tend to read movie reviews to see if there's a plot in there before heading out with my friends.

On the other hand, my late mother lived in Salt Lake City the last 15 years of her life, and was pretty contemptuous of the level of censorship and bowdlerization that was standard for television and movies there.

Just give us a choice, but clean it up for captive audiences like airplane passengers.

[exboyfil]

3. I refuse to watch nudity and sex scenes with my daughters

I made it through Game of Thrones with my wife, but I would prefer to not have dealt with it. I cannot imagine how you could do this with something like Game of Thrones where important plot points are wrapped up with the sex. Also traditional movies usually built up the sex. With Game of Thrones you cut immediately to the action.

I can handle violence with no problem, and a reasonable amount of swearing (Joe Pesci levels are too distracting).