By Chris Kavan - 12/20/17 at 09:42 AM CT
It's good to know that the ratings board is going all out before Christmas. There is a massive amount of ratings being handed out. Yes, a lot of ratings, but a bit light on substance. I have just two actual wide releases to talk about, one has Helen Mirren in a real-life haunted house tale as the widow of the Winchester fortune and maybe one hell of a curse. On the other hand, the animated Peter Rabbit is a talk on the classic book from Beatrix Potter about a wily rabbit trying his best to get into sweet, sweet vegetable garden run by Mr. McGregor. There are plenty of other films on a rather long list but, alas, nothing else major.
Horror has been a hot topic of late from the high-grossing franchise of The Conjuring to amazing indie gems like It Follows, The Babadook and Raw. But can horror go high class? I think it can, if Winchester is any indication. Helen Mirren, perhaps an actress you may have heard of, adds some gravatis to the tale of the heiress of the Winchester fortune. A fortune she believes is tainted by the many deaths caused by the firearms that made the family name famous. She believes in order to appease these restless spirits, she must construct a house - a house filled with dead ends, doorways that lead to nowhere and odd angles - meant to confuse the evil and save her own life. As with the best stories, truth is stranger than fiction as The Winchester House is very real - as is the story behind it. Was the Winchester widow a bit mad or pragmatic? Probably a bit of both, but it's a story worthy to be told - and will probably be plenty scary. Rated PG-13 for violence, disturbing images, drug content, some sexual material and thematic elements.
For something not as heavy, the family can be happy with Peter Rabbit. The classic children's tale has been adapted before, but this is by and large the most high-profile version of Beatrix Potter's beloved story. And the they're pulling out all the stops - director Peter Gluck has already produced an updated version of Annie, so this should be no problem. The cast includes James Corden as Peter Rabbit, Daisy Ridley as Cottontail, Domhnall Gleeson as Mr. McGregor and Sam Neill as the older version of the farmer, Margot Robbie and Elizabeth Debicki play Flopsy and Mopsy and Rose Byrne rounds out the main cast as Bea. The film looks like it should be a hit with families, young and old alike. It's not Pixar, but I think it will do just fine. Rated PG for some rude humor and action.
Those are the two big profile films, but there are a lot more films to process, so don't be shy - check out the full MPAA Ratings Bulletin below:
THE 15:17 TO PARIS
Rated PG-13 on appeal for bloody images, violence, some suggestive material, drug references and language. (Re-Rating, original "R" Rating from Bulletin 2505 voided on appeal)
BAJA
Rated PG-13 for sexual content, thematic material and language.
BEAST OF BURDEN
Rated R for language and brief violence.
BRAVEN
Rated R for violence and for language throughout including some sexual references.
THE CURED
Rated R for violence, bloody images, and language.
DEATH HOUSE
Rated R for strong horror violence and gore throughout, language, sexual references and nudity.
GOLDSTONE
Rated R for language and violence.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ANDRE
Rated PG-13 for some thematic and suggestive content.
THE LITTLE MERMAID
Rated PG for action.
THE LODGERS
Rated R for some violence, sexuality and nudity.
LOOKING GLASS
Rated R for sexual content, violence and language.
MADTOWN
Rated R for violence, language and some sexual references.
MY PERFECT ROMANCE
Rated PG for mild thematic elements.
PETER RABBIT
Rated PG for some rude humor and action.
PICKINGS
Rated R for violence and language throughout, and for some drug use.
PINOCCHIO
Rated PG for thematic elements and some peril.
SURVIVING THE WILD
Rated PG-13 for language, some suggestive material, and thematic elements.
TREMORS: A COLD DAY IN HELL
Rated PG-13 for creature violence, gore, crude humor and language.
WINCHESTER
Rated PG-13 for violence, disturbing images, drug content, some sexual material and thematic elements.
