MPAA Bans Taxi to the Darkside Poster
A good deal of buzz has been in the air surrounding the MPAA’s decision to ban Taxi to the Darkside’s film poster for it’s not being “suitable for all ages.” The offending part of the poster (since, clearly, such a decision begs the question) is the hood over the face of the prisoner.
If you are thinking the picture is vaguely familiar - as I did - you may also have found it down the memory hole. Variety.com reports that:
The “Taxi” ad art is actually an amalgam of two pictures. The first, taken by Corbis photographer Shaun Schwarz, features the hooded prisoner and one soldier. Another military figure was added on the left. Ironically, the original Schwarz photo was censored by the military, which erased his camera’s memory. The photographer eventually retrieved the image from his hard drive.
According to the MPAA, the issue is wholly not one of politics: “We treat all films the same,” said an MPAA spokesman, “Ads will be seen by all audiences, including children. If the advertising is not suitable for all audiences it will not be approved by the advertising administration.” However, as many others have been apt to point out, posters for The Hills Have Eyes 2, Saw IV, Hostel Part II and The Eye seem to be suitable for children.
