What about Caligula, out of curiosity?

I think Amy was going by the Box Office Mojo numbers here: [link] They're only broken down by MPAA. Wikipedia says that NC-17 was introduced in 1990, and their list of NC-17 grossers includes Matador from 1998, so I dunno what's up with that. But that's the earliest film on their list.

NC-17 is seen to be some sort of kiss of death in a way that I don't think Midnight Cowboy or Clockwork Orange was blest with--but my ages at seeing those movies makes it confusing. Was X so very scandalous as NC-17 is supposed to be now? And is NC-17 living up to its hype? I just watched that movie, and I don't even remember the deets.

I think X is still considered more scandalous than NC17, but I also think it's not really about the morality of any it, but the fact that one of the biggest movie-going audiences is too young to see it. If America suddenly decided that its kids really should be watching porn, Hollywood would jump right on the bandwagon.

Was X so very scandalous as NC-17 is supposed to be now?

Yes. That's why NC-17 was created; X was interpreted as "porn." Similar to the way G is taken to mean "for kids." A lot of theaters wouldn't show X rated movies, and TV & newspapers often wouldn't accept advertising for them. So they thought a new code might not have the same stigma. Incorrectly, it turns out.

Now an X means that it wasn't submitted it to the MPAA for a rating; they don't use that code. If it's not actually porn, I think the SOP is to say "unrated" instead.

Last Tango in Paris was definitely seen as scandalous.

Caligula made $23 million. But it cost $22 million; Midnight Cowboy, Clockwork Orange, and Last Tango were all made for a couple million each.

Just saw Safety Not Guaranteed today and OH MY GOD! so good. I loved it more than I have loved a movie I've seen in the theater in a long time.

200+ posts back, lisah said exactly what my friend and I said last night.

I absolutely adored Safety Not Guaranteed. It was completely satisfying. The script was terrific and every performance shone.

It reminded me of my favorite Dogme 95 and similar films:

• Italian for Beginners
• Mifune
• Wilbur Wants of Kill Himself
• A Slipping Down Life

I would happily see it again, in the theatre.

I sort of interpret "NC-17" as arty porn. But the only NC-17 movie I have ever seen was Henry and June. I ended up buying it at a flea market because I was too embarrassed to rent an NC-17 movie in a small town. Also I am pretty sure they kept it in the "back room".

Although, come to think of it, I cannot imagine being an adult in a small town renting porn from high school kids who work in the video store. Who used the "back room"????

I did when our local Premiere Video had a backroom.

Beau and I are watching "Bullitt."

We watched something with an actress who'd been in Strictly Ballroom. So now I'm making the husband watch Strictly Ballroom, thanks to Netflix.

Can you make Amy watch Strictly Ballroom? I tried, but it didn't work.