MovieChat Forums > Cleanflix (2012) Discussion > Clean filx had it coming to them.

Clean filx had it coming to them.


As soon as anyone finds out I'm a "Mormon" or that I'm a "Return Missionary" the people in my industry often will ask "What do you think about this Clean Flicks thing?"

Just a little back ground, Clean flicks is a video store chain that sells or rents movies that have been edited to take out any material that they would describe as objectionable. (ie. sex, drugs, nudity etc.)
So this guy in Colorado who owned these stores that are described as being a Utah based business, hears that these Directors from the DGA are going to sue him for altering their work.

This guy decided to take them to court to insure the right to do what he was already doing. I think he didn't understand what was happening at the DGA. I also think he was taking himself too seriously. If he would have just kept his head down and continued his work I really do think the DGA would have looked the other way. The DGA doesn't care what some cowtown fundamentalist does with his own DVD collection. Regardless he didn't, he made the first move in a game that he could not possibly win.

My take is this, his approach has no integrity. If he believed so strongly that Hollywood should not be as salacious or carnal, so strongly that he pored millions of dollars into his business editing other peoples work he should have secured the rights to it first (1).

I also believe he was out to make a quick buck off of a specific regional demographic(2).

I also know for a fact there is plenty of movies that would have met his rigid requirements without cutting a frame (3).

(1) Business 101 would tell you to never invest in a business that's product's intellectual property rights have not been secured!!! It's insanely stupid. You have no product!!!

(2) There is a disturbing trend among the Mormon parishioners that have come to maturity it the past ten years. This new crop of entrepreneurs who try to prophet off of beliefs I hold sacred. I've seen temples, handcarts, Golden Moronis, made of just about every material. I've seen cookies for missionaries, Dearelder.com, specialty stores who offer designer temple clothes, vendors that echo Mormon mantras (ie. Choose the Right, Families are Forever, Hold To The Rod, & Return With Honor) painted, printed, etched, and silk screened on everything from T-shirts, bumper stickers, rings, and planks of wood. Don't get me started on Mormon Movies!!! I think this is destructive, materialistic and definatly anti spiritual.

(3) Mormons are entreated by their Church Elders not to attend or view "Rated R" movies. They are taught that this will allow there mind to be free from inappropriate thought. We believe serious sin is first committed in the mind before it is committed in the flesh. Because "Rated R" movies generally have objectionable content they ask the question, is it worth it? There answer would be no. This would be a major motivating factor to Clean Flicks. They beleive they are offering an alternative to the "Rated R" market. It's a cake and eat it too priciple. I believe however that if they truley believed they were morally obligated to provide an alternative to the mainstream "Rated R" film they should promote the movies out there that fit there criteria. I have worked for the International Family Film Festival from the very first year it was created in 1994 until 2000, when I had proffesional obigations I could no longer contribute. They I.F.F.F. had thousands of submissions, If Clean Flicks really wanted to offer truly Family oriented entertainment they would do the work to get those films out that need the distribution and exposure of like minded Filmmakers.

But they didn't, they ripped off the Big Directors, Big Actors, Big studios, and now they're screwed. No account hacks!!!

reply

I find what you're saying very interesting, but how is a R-rated movie making a human impure? As a Christian, I've seen many R-rated films. There are movies such as Saving Private Ryan and The Passion of the Christ that have zero sexual content, but deal with very real, very violent subject matter. You speak of R films like they're porn. Yeah, messing with copyrighted materials and exploiting one's religious convictions is asking for trouble. For a more humorous, non-religious take on copyright infringement watch Be Kind, Rewind. I believe it's PG-13 for some mild language.

"Let's go down in that cellar and carve ourselves a witch"-Ash,Evil Dead 2

reply

What the hell are you talking about, agentJ8? Did you even read his post? Why are you going off on a little rant that's completely irrelevant? I wasn't going to bother asking until you threw in the "I believe it's PG-13" smart arse remark at the end.

reply

I'm a little late to the conversation, but I can clarify the Mormons-and-R-rated-movies thing. Mormon leadership advises (as opposed to "commands") its members to avoid music, movies, etc that would "drive away the Spirit" and whatnot. Since there is no list of officially "approved" material, the titles that would be disqualified would vary greatly from person to person and family to family.

In the name of simplicity, anything you hear from the pulpit regarding movies is usually dumbed down to "Don't see R-rated movies," because, of course nuance and encouraging thoughtful consideration are pesky annoyances. "Good" Mormons just take this at face value and decide that "R" means "bad." How this relates to unrated directors cuts I will leave for you to wrassle with.

The "Saving Private Ryan," or "Schindler's List" or "The Passion of the Christ" arguments are often made by slightly rebellious Mormons, though an alarming number just stick with "Well, the Brethren say I shouldn't watch R-rated movies, and that's that."

Then there's me, a member and film nerd who has checked out of the church but is still superficially active. I assign zero importance to ratings except to give me the heads up to look into a film's content before letting my young kids see it. Ratings are actually counterproductive, in my view, as the studios tend to trim bits and pieces to wedge what is essentially adult material into PG-13 boxes to maximize BO potential.

In reality, movies are, for the vast majority of people, not that important. They're a leisure-time diversion, and these people are only looking for cinematic comfort food. For someone who only wants that, I say do what you will. Any arguments I would make about some of the greatest movies ever made being R-rated would fall on uninterested ears. Me; I'll teach my kids that a rating applied to a movie by some faceless, mysterious group of strangers (the MPAA) who may or may not share their sensibilities or moral center has nothing to do with the quality of the film or their own spirituality.

-------------------------

I have meddled with the primal forces of nature and I will atone.

reply