MovieChat Forums > Imagine: John Lennon (1988) Discussion > Reasons For R-Rating, Etc.

Reasons For R-Rating, Etc.

posted 20 years ago by BAHicks
10 replies | jump to latest

I'm a huge Beatles / John Lennon fan and have always wanted to see this film ever since I learned of it's existence. Unfortuantely, it has always eluded me. Hopefully, I'll be able to put it on a DVD-R when it's shown on one of the pay movie channels on satellite August 29th. (Check your local listings for showtimes. :-]) I think it may be the True Story channel or something, not really sure.

But, anyway, I'm rambling. The purpose of this post was to ask why the film was rated R. I imagine they show the cover to John & Yoko's "Two Virgins" album at some point. And language. Just curious.

"I can't so much as drink a damn glass of water around a midget or a piece of antique furniture."

[–] LeddyBs 20 years ago

That's pretty much it, although if memories serves me there's also an odd 'sex' scene between the two of them.

It earned its 'R' rating, I think.

Daily Records

[–] onvinyl 19 years ago

John and Yoko have a sort of rolling-on-bed-naked scene. There isn't really sex. It's basically R because there's penis. And, as we all know, Penis = R.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] Apple Scruff 19 years ago

In addition to the nudity/pseudo-sex already mentioned, the R rating is also for language. John was known to have a bit of a potty mouth at times. =P

[–] Meven_Stoffat 18 years ago

Really? Well, there are many movies that show the cover of TWO VIRGINS, uncensored, but the Anthology DVD has it censored out.

Put THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE XMAS on the top 250:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107688/

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] jonathan_grindrod86 18 years ago

I don't know if anyone's still interested or not... but during the recording or How Do You Sleep, Lennon shouts, "how do you sleep, ya C U N T?!" - pretty sure that's why it'd get an R rating - although I'm from the UK so not too sure what warrants censorship in the US - but it's a '15' here I think.

[–] thefabslv 18 years ago

Yep... The "C" word definitely earns an 'R' rating in the U.S.

The full-frontal on "Two Virgins" does, too...

The drug use - not so much. Could go either way - I don't think passing a joint would earn an 'R'.

[–] jack324 18 years ago

There's also some drug use, if I recall correctly - I seem to remember John and Yoko passing a joint while on their bed.

"What knockers!"
"Oh, thank you doctor."

[–] 18 years ago

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