'Mature content' of modern films poses problems for movie channel

Turner Classic Movies shows movies from '70s, '80s, '90s with caution

By Scott Leith
ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
Thursday, January 05, 2006

ATLANTA — "The Killer Elite" is an old film that almost has what it takes to appear on Turner Classic Movies: solid reviews, a renowned director (Sam Peckinpah) and a cast that includes James Caan and Robert Duvall.

Too bad the violence in the 1975 spy thriller keeps the film off-limits for the basic cable channel.

"The Killer Elite" is far from the only movie that poses a dilemma for TCM, which is available to 70 million cable subscribers in the United States. As the Atlanta-based channel ages and gradually expands its lineup to include more films from the 1970s, '80s and even '90s, it finds many of those movies have so much mature content — language, graphic violence, nudity or sex — that they can't be shown.

The network is hemmed in, of course, by its choice to show only movies that haven't been cut.

"On one hand, we have this very lofty goal of being the 'official record' of film history," said Tom Karsch, executive vice president and general manager of TCM. "But you do reach a point where content becomes an issue."

There is no easy solution. Though much of the network's programming leans on clean classics that were filmed in a far different time — think of Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 "North by Northwest," in which censors eliminated Eva Marie Saint's use of the phrase "make love" in a scene with Cary Grant — TCM has no bias against adding newer films.

For example, Karsch and his programming chief, Charlie Tabesh, agree that the 1997 spy spoof "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" would be a fine addition to TCM someday.

Yet what to do about bits in "Austin Powers" that wouldn't be appropriate for prime time? And what of R-rated modern classics such as "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan"?

Tabesh said one tactic is to air movies with grown-up material late at night. The downside is that few viewers are up in the wee hours, although some might watch such films using digital video recorders.

Another option: Use introductions to explain why a movie with mature content is being shown. The network did that before airing Martin Scorsese's classic "Raging Bull," a 1980 film with harsh language and violence.

One easy solution isn't on the table, however — TCM has no plans to show movies that have been cut.

Although some watchers fuss about bad words or glimpses of nudity, Karsch said viewers had gotten far more upset when TCM accidentally showed edited films.

"We'll get way more calls on that," Karsch said.