http://cinematters.today.com [because the industry and the art are always at odds.] Sat, 03 Jan 2009 05:35:29 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Due to the scarcity of time machines, it cannot be completely ascertained whether our culture would have the same perspective of explicitness if the Code had remained in place until the present day.  Still, it is a reasonable assumption that a larger portion of the population would appreciate movies in ... http://cinematters.today.com/2009/01/03/cracking-the-code-part-9/ This philosophy of “lead us not into temptation” seems as though it would be beneficial today, especially in light of incidents like teens being injured attempting to imitate scenes from “Jackass: The Movie.”  Something important is lost when there are no limits to what can be seen and, by extension, ... http://cinematters.today.com/2009/01/02/cracking-the-code-part-8/ The Code stated that “the technique of murder must be presented in a way which does not inspire imitation,”  and continually emphasized the importance of attempting to display dramatic criminal situations realistically without making the antagonist seem commendable. Hays desired that no illegal activities should ever be “presented in such a ... http://cinematters.today.com/2009/01/01/cracking-the-code-part-7/ Fortunately for the modern observer’s analysis, the Production Code was abolished in 1966, due to numerous factors.  The combination of graphic television news, an onslaught of foreign films, and new freedoms within the mediums of print and theatre spelled the demise of the Hay’s Code long before it was officially ... http://cinematters.today.com/2008/12/31/cracking-the-code-part-6/ 2.    Correct standards of life, subject only to the requirements of drama and entertainment, shall be presented. 3.    Law, natural or human, shall not be ridiculed, nor shall sympathy be created for its violation. Within these parameters, the Code went on to be more specific to movie situations, leaving little room for ... http://cinematters.today.com/2008/12/30/cracking-the-code-part-5/ In 1945, the name of the organization was changed to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), a title that it has retained to this day.  As president of this high-profile company, he determined to create a code of propriety for all future movies to adhere to. The Production Code, or ... http://cinematters.today.com/2008/12/29/cracking-the-code-part-4/ The 1930’s saw the advent of the notorious Production Code, also known as the “Hay’s Code.”  Studio executives brought in Will H. Hays to remedy the situation.  Hays had been the campaign manager for President William Harding, and effectively dealt with the Teapot Dome scandal and other discrepancies of Harding’s ... http://cinematters.today.com/2008/12/28/cracking-the-code-part-3/ In addition to the discrepancies in the personal lives of film’s new celebrities, issues arose within the products themselves.  The debate about whether or not to portray sexual scenes in American film became a “lightning-rod issue,”  along with spirited arguments about how much—if any—language to allow in movies.  How much ... http://cinematters.today.com/2008/12/27/cracking-the-code-part-2/ Cracking the Code: Will Hays and the Pursuit of Hollywood Morality The so-called “Roaring Twenties” brought the film industry into a state of uproar.  Barely beyond its infant stages, the new, experimental medium threatened to collapse in the face of scandal. Gossip columns went wild upon discovering that actress Mary Pickford, recently christened ... http://cinematters.today.com/2008/12/26/cracking-the-code-part-1/ Life is like an indie movie. You push hard to get noticed. You invest all of your time, effort, and resources into making it the best that you think it can or ever will be. Then you step back and let other people judge it, giving them the power to accept it or ... http://cinematters.today.com/2008/12/25/life-is-like-an-indie-movie/