I've always found it incredibly nauseating that such powerful imagery is deemed unacceptable (for the chiiiiildren!!) and yet utter tripe like Captivity and Hostel * are readily allowed to have multiple, widely viewed billboards for movies which are all tortureporn with no discernable message.

The MPAA needs its top blown off; an open, and accessible, layout of the guidelines and rules they use to determine what is and is not acceptable for each of the ratings. (No, the bible does not count.) This cloak and dagger schtick is getting old.

The OFLC (Office of Film and Literature Classification in Australia) may make the occasional fucked up decision, but at least we know who makes the decisions, what the restrictions are for each rating, why the decisions are made, where we can get a copy of the guidelines, and that there is a possibility of getting the ruling overturned.

And never once have we had a movie released with the warning: "Rated PG-13 for intense depiction of very bad weather."

W. James Au: Where on the Taxi to the Dark Side poster does it depict torture? Could be 2 soldiers leading their buddy to a surprise bachelor party...