Prior to 1984, to get an R rating, you had to say the f-word more than once (or use certain stronger words, like either c-word, etc.) or show graphic sex and violence scenes.
And by graphic, I mean that a lot of stuff that made it into PG films would get a film an R today. Also, lots of what got an R in the 1970s and early 1980s would get an NC-17 today. There are exceptions, but it was generally taken for granted at the time that children can handle stronger content, and that parents ultimately should chose what their kids should see.
The reason this film received a PG instead of an R was because the nudity was brief (and non-sexual), most of the gore was implied and the swearing was extremely mild. Today, it would have been released as a PG-13, and probably without the brief shot of Ms. Bollin getting out of the shower, nor the shot of the sheriff in the car.
Which makes me hope that no one tries to ruin this with a remake.
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chatanuga
14 years ago
Also, this movie falls into the same line as the PG rating for Jaws. with that movie, the R rating wasn't applied (despite some violent death scenes) because it wasn't people committing the violence, and the producers of Jaws said that the movie wasn't going to influence people to go out into the ocean and eat other people. Most likely, that's why this movie was given a PG rating as well.
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MonteCarloMan
14 years ago
Theres actually a bit of nudity in this movie when the blond doctor is getting ready to take a shower at the cabin
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preppy-3
14 years ago
The nudity was VERY brief and wasn't sexual in context so it was OK for PG. And seriously--this movie isn't THAT violent. There's only a few moments of blood, there's no gore and some of the tarantuals were obviously fake. I think the PG is fine. "Dracula Has Risen From the Grave" in 1968 had TONS of blood and violence and that got a G!
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thiscrazydancer
14 years ago
I thought all of the tarantula's were real in this film?
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preppy-3
14 years ago
SOME were but not all. If u watch you'll notice some of the "tarantulas" aren't even moving. And the scenes where actors stamp on them were obviously not real ones.
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MonteCarloMan
14 years ago
Actually some of those they stepped on were recently dead ones they used in film edit cuts (which is still allowed in hollywood) you could see the blood oozing out of those...those ones on the grass in daylight that Shatner was looking at through the window were fake though u could just tell in closeups
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