MovieChat Forums > It's Alive (1974) Discussion > The PG rating

The PG rating

posted 19 years ago by WarpedRecord
34 replies | jump to latest

I love this film, but I have to say that for some reason I have a bias against horror movies that aren't rated R because, in my mind, they're not for adults. I watched "It's Alive" again today, and while I don't think its violence quite merits an R rating, it seems to come close at times. Maybe if it were rated R it would just have more gore, which this film does fine without.

I can't name that many other really good horror films that were just rated PG, other than perhaps "The Stepford Wives," which wasn't totally a horror film anyway.

Any thoughts?

[–] NaturesMistakes 19 years ago

Poltergeist, Duel, Jaws, Twilight Zone The Movie, and a slew of others.

[–] AlbertTheFlasher 18 years ago

Race With The Devil, a 1975 satanic horror flick, was rated PG and it delivered the goods. Probably one of the best PG-rated horror flicks I've ever seen.

Kingdom Of The Spiders also comes to mind.

[–] ColinHarvey 18 years ago

It always surprised me that "IA" got a PG, especially considering that its two sequels got R ratings.

But check out the ratings in other countries...it was actually banned in Finland!

[–] TOMNEL 18 years ago

I dont consider Twilight Zone the movie horror, more like fantasy.

[–] Groovy_ghoulie 18 years ago

here in the UK the film is rated 15. But several scenes feel like cuts have been made to reduce the violence

[–] space_invader64 18 years ago

Watcher in the Woods is a spooky PG rated jewel. And it was a Disney movie. I still think it's scary!

[–] movieperson113 18 years ago

Well most of those movies were made earlier when the PG rating could push the envelope just enough and still keep the rating lower. Then this was also before PG13 and PG got away with much more in the 70's.

Though a little more blood and a few extra "harsh" words make an easy R.

Of course a lot of the current "horror" movies that are PG13 aren't as scary as PG movies like "It's Alive".

[–] TOMNEL 18 years ago

there was not much violence in this. not much language either.

[–] Katz5 18 years ago

PG-rated horror films of the '70s--there were many.

Jaws (the king of them all)
Burnt Offerings
Jennifer (a cheesy "Carrie" clone)
The Swarm
The Pack (which was actually re-rated R for video release)
Kingdom of the Spiders
Frogs
Duel (was made for TV but released on video as PG)
Trilogy of Terror (see above)
Tourist Trap
Orca--the Killer Whale
Grizzly
Prophecy

That's all I can think of but there were plenty more.

Human Beings...Wow

[–] SULLYvan65 18 years ago

I never knew Jaws was rated PG

[–] preppy-3 16 years ago

"I never knew Jaws was rated PG"

It was but the original release had a warning saying it may be to intense for young children. One of it's copies "Grizzly" was a LOT more bloodier. A little boy was mauled, plenty of blood poured out as people were killed and a horse had its head knocked clean off (it's shown) and THAT got a PG! Back in the 1970s you could get away with a lot more violence in PG movies then today. Still though "It's Alive" would probably get by with a PG-13 today. It's not that violent and--seriously--didn't anybody else find that shot of the baby killing the guy at the end kind of funny? I can't help but laugh every time I see it.

[–] skiop 15 years ago

Jaws and Jaws 2 both were PG material. Any kid trying to watch Jaws would probably be asleep before any blood is shown. Now, what shocks me is that Jaws 3 got a PG. Even if it was before there was a PG-13, it should have been R.

[–] preppy-3 15 years ago

"Jaws 3" wasn't THAT bad. With the exception of that partially eaten corpse it was PG all the way. The original was a LOT more violent than the 3rd one.

[–] skiop 15 years ago

3 was the only one that ever freaked me out, but I guess we should just agree to disagree.

[–] preppy-3 15 years ago

I agree to disagree with you:) I'm glad "Jaws 3" scared u though. I saw it in 3-D but (unfortunately) the 3-D work was pretty bad.

[–] user-1147 16 years ago

tentacles and invasion of the blood farmers are rated pg.

[–] user-1147 16 years ago

tentacles is rated pg.

[–] WarpedRecord 16 years ago

Oh yes, how could I forget "Invasion of the Blood Farmers"? Someday I hope to get my hands on a copy.

And here's another excellent PG-rated shocker that no one's mentioned yet: "The Baby."

[–] scribe1964 16 years ago

According to Screen World, the John Willis book that recaps the films that come out every year, "It's Alive" was rated R when it was released in 1974. However, it was re-released in 1977 (which is when I saw it) and had a PG that time. I'm not sure if any cutting was done or it was just resubmitted. Maybe some else knows more about this . . .

[–] WarpedRecord 16 years ago

I could have sworn that it was originally rated R, and thank you for confirming this. I don't know whether it was trimmed to accommodate a PG rating, but it is rather violent for a PG film (though rather soft for an R).

[–] scribe1964 16 years ago

It's possible that it was just resubmitted to the MPAA and received the different rating. I remember reading that this happened with "The Wild Bunch" when it was being re-released at some point and they gave it an X.

[–] WarpedRecord 16 years ago

Good example. The same thing happened with "Midnight Cowboy." It was initially rated X (which is basically just a rejection by the MPAA), then later resubmitted without cuts and received an R. I think that may have been the case with "It's Alive."

[–] smidget28 15 years ago

OMG I love MC. It's one of the greatest films ever.

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[–] waynealanblood 9 years ago

I saw it in ’74 and I was 11, my brother was 13.
We would not have gotten in if it was rated R.

Dude, it’s Beacon Hills.

[–] WarpedRecord 16 years ago

Yes, it was rated R initially when it was released in 1974, then it was re-released in 1977 with a PG rating. It's pretty hard for PG, but soft for R.

[–] CALICOWBOY1017 15 years ago

Another PG-rated horror movie from the '70's no one's mentioned is SALEM'S LOT (1979) (originally made for TV, but rated PG). Also -- though this one's from 1982 -- POLTERGEIST -- is rated PG. Both were directed by Tobe Hooper.

[–] WarpedRecord 15 years ago

Yes, you're right. "Poltergeist" is really quite intense for a PG-rated movie, but it's not quite R-rated material. "Poltergeist II" was even more intense (tequila, anyone?), and it's rated PG-13 (that rating didn't exist until 1984).

[–] smidget28 15 years ago

LOL. My son was SO SCARED of Salem's Lot we had to shut it off. He still talks about this now.

Now Playing: Lost, Season 5

[–] FirstSight 15 years ago

I feel the same way where I prefer films like this to be R instead of PG

[–] smidget28 15 years ago

oh there are tons......and many are mentioned. I know this was posted three years ago, but why not!!!

Now Playing: Lost, Season 5

[–] BoxOfficePoison 15 years ago

Nobody's mentioned "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark", which was made for TV. Granted, I haven't seen the movie since I was a little kid, but for what it's worth, it scared the hell out of me then!

[–] smidget28 15 years ago

Oh wow, you're really after my heart. That one scared the beegessus (sp) out of me.

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[–] drhackenstine 10 years ago

Tales From The Crypt had a PG. Surprised no one has mentioned that.

[–] 9 years ago

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