If you have seen the movie Dead Ringers, PLEASE reply to this! (1 Viewer)

[John Randolph]

My parents still care what movies I watch, and I need to know why Dead Ringers is rated R. If you've seen it, PLEASE reply. Don't deprive me of a good movie

 

[Matt Pelham]

(This should probably be in the movies section by the way)

Well, where to start.

I'm sure there's some language in there (although I don't specifically recall any), and there is quite of bit of R-rated sex, as well as some goriness towards the end and a overall disturbing quality to the film.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

Any movie that uses the F word more than once or twice gets an R, and Dead Ringers qualifies. Aside from that there is lots of gore, weirdly bizarre medical instruments, heavy drug content, and this film can easily creep out even the most jaded viewer--it's one of my favorite horror films.

 

[Justin_S]

Well, they already covered it above, but I'll add that David Cronenberg is an absolute genius, and this is one of his best films! Cronenberg is a master of horror, and this classic is total proof of such a statement!

 

[Eric_R_C]

overall disturbing quality to the film.

Absolutely! It is a deep, psychological thriller, and a fantastic trip through the mind(s) of its main characters. I'm not sure how old you are, but this is a movie that really shows itself on multiple viewings.
If you need your parents to explain subtle inferences and nuance to you, then they would definitely need to watch this with you. That being said, I think you would actually find it irritating, since there is so much going on in each scene. Ergo, you might want to wait awhile before seeing this film, so that you can fully appreciate it (and not shock the hell out of your parents )

 

[Damin J Toell]

Lots of "weird" sex (bondage during sex, possibly homosexual contact between brothers, sex involving a mutant). There's also a rather violent gynocological exam, as well as rampant drug use. If your parents care about the presence of such depicitions as a general rule (no matter the quality of the film or the use of those depictions in that film), then Dead Ringers is sure to be a no-no for you. My father, on the other hand, thinks that Dead Ringers is too weird for him, but he could care less what I watch. Of course, I'm well above any age at which he could assert any control, anyway. That aside, my father took me too see many wonderful R-rated films when I was fairly young. It's one of the many things about him that I find so wonderful as I get older and consider my life with him thus far.
DJ

 

[James Zos]

Tell your parents you want to see Naked Lunch instead. Much better Cronenberg movie (maybe his best, apart from Videodrome, which definitely has a lot of sexual content that might give your parents pause ... )

 

[Damin J Toell]

Tell your parents you want to see Naked Lunch instead. Much better Cronenberg movie (maybe his best, apart from Videodrome, which definitely has a lot of sexual content that might give your parents pause ... )

I find Naked Lunch to be one of Cronenberg's lesser efforts, sadly. Anyway, I doubt that John's parents would be much more apt to like it over Dead Ringers as far as content goes - it has rampant drug use, sex (including homosexual sex and sex between bugs and humans), killing, lots of semen, and gory bug-squashing.
All of the Cronenberg films available on DVD are rated R (his one PG film, Fast Company is sadly unavailable; I've been blessed with having seen a theatrical exhibtion of it). The one that is perhaps the least graphically objectionable is The Dead Zone (which I find to be a stunning film).
DJ

 

[Mark Cappelletty]

How disturbing is this movie? I took my mother to this film -- in what has to be the stupidest move of my collegiate life -- and it took years of innocuous comedies (think the "Grumpy Old Men" films) to win her back to realizing I have good taste in film.

 

[Scott David]

Funny how this thread seems to have gone from whether or not a parent should let their kid watch this to whether or not a kid should let their parent watch it

 

[Michael Reuben]

My parents still care what movies I watch, and I need to know why Dead Ringers is rated R. If you've seen it, PLEASE reply.

Pertinent question: How old are you?
And I'm moving this to Movies.
M.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Everyone has pretty much covered why this movie gets an ‘R’. Actually a better discussion would be how it avoided an ‘X’.

Don’t get me wrong, as I think that this is a very fine movie indeed. For anyone interested in acting technique, Jeremy Irons puts on a tour-de-force performance. He plays both twins and also each twin pretending to be the other twin. The Criterion edition has an interesting extra on how Cronenberg and Suschitzky (DP) filmed Irons when both twins were in the same scene.

While I don’t know your age, I would find this film inappropriate for younger teens and some in the 15–16 year-old range.

 

[Chris Purvis]

Another bit of advice, John. If you get to watch the movie, never, ever, ever watch this movie with a date.

 

[Damin J Toell]

Another bit of advice, John. If you get to watch the movie, never, ever, ever watch this movie with a date.

I don't know if you'd call it a "date" anymore (given how many years we've been together), but my girlfriend and I have seen Dead Ringers together, along with most of Cronenberg's films. Although DR is perhaps a bit much for it to be conducive to date activities (making out, etc.), I have at least one female friend who finds Videodrome to be very sexy, and my girlfriend loves Crash for much the same reason. Maybe I just associate myself with an odd crowd.
DJ

 

[John Randolph]

Pertinent question: How old are you?

14.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

John,
You sound like a fairly mature 14 with an interest in film, so if your parents let you I think you might like Dead Ringers. It is one of those films that will stick in your mind for a few days after watching it.

One thing about this film is that it works on many levels and each viewing, especially if some months or years elapse between viewings will be almost like watching a different movie each time.