this horror film poster is too scary to be put up in general view on the street?

[theaub]

So as presumably you wouldn't take your preschool age child to see a 15-cert horror film... shouldn't they also be safe being frightened by an image from the film on a massive advert put up in their local street? It's a poster for a violent horror film called 'The Purge'.

The poster is here. ( www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/purge-2013-1) You might not find the grinning skull/mask pic too frightening as a little thumbnail pic but trust me, my husband and I were scared by it when walking past it when blown up to full size on a phone box! Luckily our DD happened to be asleep in the pram at the time. Also the strap line is really scary for kids that are old enough to read: ' for one night, ALL crime is legal'.. or something along those lines.

To me, showing this poster image on the street is valuing the commercial interests of cinemas showing scary films to adults, above the rights of kids (and adults like me who don't watch horror) to use our local streets without being frightened?

That horrible skull mask face is plastered full size all over a phone box on our local main road. its in full view of several bus routes, the ad is in front of residential blocks of flats which line the road, right near our local preschool and en route to the local primary. Lots of kids/people will not be able to avoid seeing it. As it is I will have to take a different route to my local shops to avoid freaking out my kid. I am livid- we have to go out of our way (literally) to avoid this.

I have complained to the Advertising Standards Authority via their website over the weekend, and await their reply. Just feel like ads on phone boxes in particular tend to stay up for months and the harm is being done already. Cant understand whoever passed this one as OK thinking its reasonable in a public environment. I know what is scary is subjective but surely where there is any doubt, protecting kids should come first?

The Purge is flawed as a concept because you could not contain all that vioplence in one 12 hour period. The consequences of any acts carried out on that night would have serious, long lasting repercussions to the point no govt would be able to enact such a law.

YANBU

I knew the one you meant before I read the thread.

There seems to have been a real slide into the showing or scary or sexual images on the street.

Small children should be protected from seeing disturbing images, and yes even the pathetic sensitive ones.

Some posters on here may have robust children or children who suppress there fears. Some have forgotten what it is like to be a small child.

their fears

I don't think that particular one is scary but I do think we are becoming too complacent with what we expose or children to.

I am a firm believer in desensitisation and fear the sexual and violent images our kids now see daily is the scariest thing.

So YANBU no imagery of anything over a u should be anywhere other than dedicated "adult" areas eg after watershed, in cinemas etc.

I agree SoftlySoftly

There is no longer a 12 certificate for cinema releases and I think this is a blatant tool for film companies to ensure they get the widest possible market for their films. Some of the material in 12A films is what I think would previously have gone in to a 12 or even a 15 film.

Since there is no lower age limit for an accompanied child to got to a 12A, you get parents who haven't looked closely at the guidance relating to that particular film (or who don't care) taking 6 year olds to some violent or disturbing films.

My 3yo was a bit freaked when she saw this ad on a phone box - I had to talk her down.

I shouldn't have had to, really.

Well, it's not pleasent is it?

The face does look sinister. I think some people read emotions in faces better than others, and for those people it may well be uncomfortable.

"One night a year all crime is legal."

Your average six year old could read this....I can see how it could be disturbing for a small child, and I certainly wouldn't want it on a phone box outside my house.

You jumped at this?

Are you a character from The Catherine Tate Show?

theres a company with vans that show mens butts on the image on the vans.
and when billie piper was doing that programme about the hooker her skimpy underwear holding a whip poster was a full blown poster on the local bus stand.

cant stand all this porny/horror stuff advertised blatantly in full view of children.

and dont get me started on the magazine stands with the lads mags at kids eye view.

Children should definitely be thought of when placing adverts. There are plenty of places you could put them where only the correct demographic can see them. And cinema ads are regulated re age rating so why not the posters?

I used to get really cross with an animal Rights group that used posters of skinned foxes. They were about 2 feet high by a foot and a half wide and were placed on the floor so right in a child's eyeline in the middle of town. They were handing out leaflets so could have had the image on those to ensure only (willing) adults saw them. Pretty graphic stuff.

Scary, not scary, meh.

It was an amazing movie.

Agreed that this is far too scary (especially for young children) to be posted in wide open public spaces such as on phone boxes etc. And if it's unlawful to advertise tobacco and alcohol and to use sexual images then why not images of weaponry (Chainsaws), of massacre and psychological terror (February 13th, Scream series and others)?

Like other authors in this thread we have now decided to take detours to avoid exposing our family to this type of image and hope that the ASA and local authorities and BT (where phone box ads are concerned) will eventually see sense over this and ban this. If movies are rated at 15/18 etc., then surely the ad should also be rated and not posted, of all places, outside primary schools.

We have also boycotted Blockbuster stores to avoid exposing the kids to similar images which seem to be mixed up around the family movies (especially when new releases placed together).

It's just a face, bit masky and smerky looking but not scary. None of my dc would be frightened by it.

Saying that I worked in a nursing home for 10 years and during that time plenty of children refused to come in to visit family members because they were scared of the why some of the residents looked and acted.

Ohh il definitely be watching that film. I love horror movies! The poster - I see what your saying, my Dbro had a poster if the joker in his room and my 2yo was terrified by it. I wouldn't really think about seeing it in the street though, just keep on walking

What are you, a wimp?

Any particular reason you reanimated a three year old thread? Or was it just to treat us all to your Socratic wit?

I love horror films but my children, even the teenagers, hate them. I don't like the poster either.

Oh weird!! I meant the new poster for the new purge!!

The first Purge film was so crap I have not watched any more.

www.google.co.uk/search?client=ms-android-hms-vf-gb&ei=tb7GV7qRGeKFgAbxm6CYAQ&q=purge+3+mask+kiss+me&oq=purge+3mask&gs_l=mobile-gws-serp.1.1.0i10k1l4.4437.4437.0.6260.2.2.0.0.0.0.298.298.2-1.1.0....0...1.1j4.64.mobile-gws-serp..1.1.296.6B7Y9Dni6aw#imgrc=nSZnUq8HHv1KjM%3A

I think sod the poster, what a truly horrific idea for a film!

I agree but there's already several purge films so obviously someone likes them.

Oh crap. Just noticed this is from 2013. Thought it was a new thread.

It looks like Tony Blair.

Ha ha yeah it does a bit!

Reminds me of when I was just about able to read - this was an AWFUL long time ago! - and we were standing on a station platform waiting for a train. There was a big poster for a Dracula film - this was before The Christopher Lee ones - and it showed a dreadful looking vampire with his fangs bared, about to,pounce on a terrified looking woman in her nightie.
And it said,
'Every night he rose from his coffin bed to seek the warm flesh and blood he needed to keep himself alive.' (Still remember X decades later!)

I found it horrifyingly scary. My father explained about vampires, and that they didn't exist, it was all a fantasy, but that image and the words haunted me for ages.
Didn't stop me going to see the first Chr. Lee when it came out - I would have been about 14 - but that scared me half to death, too. My granny had a very old copy of Dracula - even the Gothic script title looked scary - and I borrowed it, but became too scared even to have it in my bedroom in case it somehow summoned him, and he'd crawl in my bedroom window as a bat!

Totally agree OP.

I just can't watch horror films. I'd actually quite like to...I like the idea of snuggling up with DH to enjoy a horror film, with takeaway and ice-cream! The problem is that the horrific images stay with me and give me nightmares and I feel really unsettled and anxious for a long time.

So I heed the warnings and ratings and choose carefully -mild thrillers, 15 certs and avoid the worst.

I guess I just have a very vivid, visual and active imagination.

But then what's the point of the warnings if I can't avoid something horrific being advertised late at night or on a poster?