Have you ever come across how absurd is our cinema’s rating, this applies to Malaysia only as I don’t know about the rating in other countries. The reason behind this article is because I went to the movies with Alvyn yesterday but 90% of the movie are rated 18 years and above. We wanted to watch Eagle Eye but we arrived late and the tickets were sold out. So we opted for the next available movie which was “The Vampire Who Admires Me”. I was watching plenty of vampire movies when I was a kid and it wasn’t censored nor does it have any age rating. Judging by the name of the movie it looks more like a comedy then horror movie. Yet the movie is 18PL rated. We ended up watching Mama Mia which was enjoyable but a little too matured for Alvyn’s age to be watching these types of movies.

I was thinking then soon all the kids in Malaysia will be staying home instead of heading to the cinemas. Our censorship board has been ridiculous at times and I don’t mind that they ban movies like Saw V but the ratings given by them are driving people crazing. Kids not only are barred from watching movies but the movie is also being snipped here and there. What fun is there when all the best part (so called) are being removed? This is why our pirated VCD / DVDs are selling so damn well!

Anyway, ASTRO will also be offering the movies at a later time at HBO. Kids will get to watch them too regardless of the ratings. People at the censorship board have to be more logical at times. Most of the movies do not have sex scenes or does the violence scenes are too excessive at times. Labeling movies with a little kissing 18SX or a little horror in a comedy movie as 18PL is way too crazy.

Did the censorship board think about the elderly too? What is suddenly they laugh too much and the horror scene appears suddenly and the audience died. Isn’t the movie suppose to contain regulations like not for the weak hearted, pregnant women and etc. The funniest is that an Indian movie is also 13 rated. Localized movie is already slow in ticket sales and generate very little income from the people and yet it is being labeled with ratings instead of U (Universal). The censorship board should also start banning animated cartoons too. Madagascar movies show signs of cruelty to animals and most of it contains violence in cartoon form. Kids learn quickly and those are bad for their minds too. Mickey Mouse should be the preferred choice!

I think I’ve rant enough and you gradually get my points. Well, I guess that they’ll not change the procedure. Kids have to grow faster and wait till their 18 for their freedom of movies still with censorship!