Atkinson at it again but .... with a twist.

[zidine00]

The twist is that its not video games hes trying to censor but now movies.

The South Australian government is at it again, but this time it's hit movie distributors and retailers with a restrictive new law on packaging that some are claiming was kept quiet until it was too late to be challenged.

The new law forces stores that rent or sell videos in South Australia to display movies rated R18+ in plain packages showing nothing but the film's title. Restrictions against "posters, pamphlets or other printed material" have also been put into place, with fines of up to $5000 ($4632 US) awaiting anyone who displays this stuff out in the open. As a result, films like Taxi Driver, Apocalypse Now and even the home-grown classic Mad Max will only be available in the unmarked packaging unless they're kept in a segregated "adults only" section.

Critics say the blank packaging will prevent viewers from making informed decisions about what they watch and also point out that the vagaries of Australia's rating system means that the packaging for Saw, which prominently displays a bloody severed foot on its cover but somehow earned an MA15+ rating, will be legal to display, while Fight Club, featuring a photograph of actors Brad Pitt and Edward Norton, will not.

Even worse in the eyes of some in the industry is the fact that the law was apparently ushered in very quietly, leaving many of them unaware of its existence until it was too late to debate or contest it. Mark Spratt, the managing director of Australian independent film distributor Potential Films, was "gobsmacked" when he heard about the law, saying, "It's gone completely under the radar."

"It's certainly discouraging people to look for these films, discouraging shops from stocking them and [creates] an extra hassle for [distributors]," he added.

The law was announced by the office of South Australian Attorney General Michael Atkinson, notorious among gamers for his opposition to an R18+ rating for videogames. It wasn't Atkinson who introduced this one, however, but Family First Member of Parliament Dennis Hood, who claimed his goal was to have the offending videos "quarantined, so children could walk into the store without being exposed (to R-rated titles.") Posters, stand-ups and other such materials in theaters, however, will remain unaffected.

To tell the truth it isnt just atkinson but hell, i really should make myself a atkinson warning meter some time.

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There's many things to fear: Vampires, Gods, Godlike Vampires, Magical Servants, People with eyes that can literally kill anything, and, oh yes, worst of all.... the goddarn maid.

[Noja87]

Aussie government are the new Nazis of entertainment.

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Tell me where it hurts

[koko]

Poor Aussies. Don't forget, There are our beloveds called torrents.

[Radix865]

Ha Ha!!!

Suckers!

Ah, now I can sit through this boring day at schools that I heard this... Thanks!

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[Cid Highwind]

Normally I'd associate Atkinson with comedy, but this is more of a tragedy. Ironically, it will only promote piracy.

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[zidine00]

i really should just dedicate a thread to atkinsons ideas,

anyway heres some stupidity

South Australia Attorney General Michael Atkinson says the upcoming public consultation on videogames will likely show "overwhelming" support for an R18+ rating because the only people who care enough to get involved in the debate are gamers.

The Australian government began a "public consultation" in December 2009 on the question of implementing an R18+ rating for videogames, which has been hung up for years at the state level thanks largely to the efforts of Atkinson. The creation of such a rating requires the unanimous assent of the country's state-level "censorship ministers," effectively meaning that as long as Atkinson remains as the state's Attorney General, Australia will be a nation in which videogames are strictly kids' stuff.

But with the public consultation nearing, Atkinson appears to be hedging his bets somewhat. Speaking to GameSpot AU, he predicted that the process will show high levels of support for a "mature" videogame rating but suggested that such a result would be pretty much invalid because the average Australian won't care enough to speak out about it. Furthermore, he claimed the discussion paper is biased because it doesn't clearly present to people what sort of content they're voting for.

"I don't think the discussion paper presents a fair and balanced view of the issue without pictures of the games that would be rated R18+," he said. "I think the majority of the population are unfamiliar with these games and without images, they won't be able to imagine them in their mind's eye. They'll have no idea how violent or sexually depraved they are, and what kind of torture, drug use, and blood spatter they include."

"I also believe that very few people outside the gaming community will have a say in this public consultation, which will mean an overwhelming response in support of R18+," he added.

It's amusing to hear Atkinson accuse Australian voters of being ignorant about videogames when it's been demonstrated time and again that he has very little idea about them himself. His favorite videogame target remains RapeLay, which he has repeatedly held up as an example of the every-day depravity of games and those who play them despite the fact that it's not available for sale outside of Japan.

Atkinson said that it's unlikely he'll give up his crusade against R18+ videogame ratings, particularly while gamers continue to abuse and threaten him and his family. "I'll consider changing my mind about all this when the gaming community decide to behave in a civil fashion and apologize for the threats to me and my family," he continued."But I don't plan to back down from the fight. I started my mission and I plan to finish it."

__________________
There's many things to fear: Vampires, Gods, Godlike Vampires, Magical Servants, People with eyes that can literally kill anything, and, oh yes, worst of all.... the goddarn maid.