To urge parents not to take their underage children to see the FNAF movie?

[Ahsoka2001]

Today it was announced that the new "Five Nights at Freddy's Movie" has been classified 15 by the BBFC for "strong threat, violence" - https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/five-nights-at-freddys-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdeznzy4

I know there's a large fanbase for the FNAF franchise aged 10-14. I'm sorry that they won't be able to see the highly-anticipated movie version on the big screen. But at the same time - as someone who works in a cinema - reading this news has me dreading the release of this film.

A 15 certificate means that NOBODY who has not reached their 15th birthday is allowed into the auditorium. This is enforced by UK law and applies even if the parent accompanies their child. No one underage being in the screen is a condition of the cinema operating. It's just like alcohol - sell alcohol to anyone underage, the venue loses its license and won't be able to remain in operation.

So, if I turn away your under-15 from the FNAF film, I am just following the law. Underage patrons being let into the screen could mean not only legal action against the cinema, but legal action against me - I could also potentially lose my job.

Many people think, "It's not like it's alcohol, it's just a film." No. It's treated almost just as badly as alcohol and other age restricted products. Please be kind to cinema workers who have no choice but to turn away underage customers. It's a shame I have to say this but please don't become aggressive or verbally abusive (it's happened to my colleagues before). I'm sure this isn't the vast majority of people but it's one of the prime sources of customer aggression in the exhibition sector.

Oh - and if your child genuinely is 15 or over, please make sure they bring valid photo ID :) If you don't want them taking valuable documents like passports out then a clear photo of these should suffice. The last thing we want to do is turn away people who ARE within the law but if we do have to...we have no choice and it's absolutely nothing personal.

Just watched the trailer.

May as well take your kids to watch Saw X after, make an afternoon of it.

Much the same as here then

We have:

• 18 = your R18
• 15 = your MA15
• 12A (12 on non-cinema releases) = nearly your 15 (but with younger cut off, and u12s must be accompanied by a responsible adult in a cinema)
• PG - you have no equivalent, but means anyone can be admitted, but might be too much for very young children
• U - universal/unrestricted - suitable for any age

My mum recently told me that when I was a kid and we were in Spain on holiday they (DM, DD and younger DBS) left me on my own in a basement bar or our hotel so I could watch Jaws when they went out for dinner (apparently I'd been going on and on about watching it) under the supervision of a waiter, a man they'd never met.

I love them dearly and nothing bad happened but fuck me was that abysmal parenting

The film is a PG-13 in the US - specifically as that's the target age. They are also far more relaxed about violence as long as nobody shows a nipple.

//

I mean, a nipple. Go out and buy guns and take your kids to watch gratuitous violence but PUT THOSE BOOBS AWAY!

Madness

I saw the trailer yesterday (while at the cinema to see Saw, an 18) and it didn't appear to be marketed at kids at all.

It also looked pretty terrible.

Oh and for the entire film I told them no one else came in I had the whole place to myself and unlimited coke and popcorn from the nice man.

I mean I'm sure he was lovely and I was indeed fine. But still.

They should have made it an 18 if it's that bad. Making it a 15 sounds to me like not too bad but might upset delicate souls. Maybe the guidelines need to be changed.

The biggest problem when faced with these problems is, you are talking to a customer, you have no idea who that person is, I face it every day in the gaming business, the person acting up could be a plant just to see if you are doing your job as required,it’s not worth the risk

🤣🤣

Two of my DSs are big fans of FNAF. Certain bits I don’t like, but on the whole it’s just a jump scare horror game that hasn’t done them any harm. I think there is a big difference between the game and the film. The film is a real life version.

My kids have loads of the FNAF plushies and Funko Snaps too. Which they sell shit loads of in Smyths, right next to the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog and Pokémon toys. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Or ok for mid teens but not young teens??

I worked in a video rental shop as a teenager and this post is giving me horrible flashbacks. SO many parents boasting about how their young kids loved horror and other adult films.

I had a Cool Parent myself and she was embarrassed by how scared her kids were of everything, so prescribed a diet of inappropriate films in the hope of desensitising us. Weirdly it didn’t work.

I genuinely get scared at how people can just… have kids and do whatever they want to them.

So where do you draw the line on when pedophilia becomes 'acceptable'?

I take it you wouldn't be condoning the act?
Want to live next door to one?
Marry one?
But you are ok with your child having plushies linked to a game about the souls of dead children killed by pedophiles? And happy to spend money on those ?

Smyths selling them is shameful- anything for money, capitalism at it's worst.Anyone making games/films/toys based on the series- for adults or children- has real questions to answer in my view.

I just wondered where you draw the line? How do you really justify it?

For anyone who thinks the games are fine for younger children, and are just 'jump scares' and also have 10 minutes to spare:

Where is the reference to peodophiles? Child killers yes, but sexual interest?

To be fair on me I didn’t know it had anything to do with Paedophiles. So no need to have a go at me pretending that I knew.

I will do my research and go from there. If the games are as bad as what people are saying, then they should be PEGI 18 and not 12. You can’t really blame parents for thinking the games are ok and appropriate when pre teens can buy them. Some parents do rely on the rating as an indicator and don’t have time to look at the ins and outs of everything their kids play on.

This thread is good though. Because these discussions are useful in helping parents maybe re think their choices when they didn’t realise.

Children yeah, but why can't adults play these games? People are allowed to enjoy different things than you.

It's really not. I've seen the trailer at the cinema about 5 times and it's marketed similarly to some of the tongue-in-cheek Blumhouse or Blumhouse-esque stuff. "Freaky" and "Happy Death Day" come to mind.

@RancidOldHag Much the same as here then
Thats not what I’m reading here from UK posters. Seems that the 15 there means 15 and up only, not under 15 as long as they are accompanied by a parent/teacher/guardian. Plus there seems to be a 12 rating where kids need to be accompanied by adult? Here the only need for kids to be accompanied is if it is a 15, and they are under 15, that’s it.

British ratings explained: https://www.bbfc.co.uk/about-classification

@SleepingStandingUp So your one rating says isn't suitable for under 15s but we'll let them in unaccompanied anyway, and the other is parents can take any aged child in regardless. And you think that's a good thing

????? Yes, of course it’s a good thing. It works as it’s about knowing your individual child, not believing kids are like the Borg, it’s never a one size fits all. My kids were all completely different. What one would have happily seen as a tween and not have been disturbed at all, another would never have been able to and still isn’t even able to watch the mildest of horror in their 20’s. My others were all at different points along the scale but I definitely had ones at completely opposite ends of the spectrum for what they could cope with and enjoyed for film entertainment. Different kids so why should they have been treated exactly the same when it comes to classifications? So it is great that parents, who know their child best, can make decisions based on their child. I’m very happy with our system, thanks.

My younger boys have both loved Fnaf but only age appropriate viewing on youtube. They have collected the toys and plushies and while I find them eerie they absolutely don't. They aren't allowed the game for their switch as it's not age appropriate and obviously will not be watching the film as they are underage.
They're both oblivious to the adult themes as young children should be and simply enjoy the toys for what they are. Toys.

Clearly, it’s because the right to buy, and bear, guns and allow children to shoot other children in school is just so much worse than the same children maybe seeing a nipple and becoming deranged with lust /s

@HoppingPavlova the problem with that is so many parents are utter fuckwits that let their kids watch stuff that’s entirely unsuitable for the age of the kid 🤬

FFS! What kind of adult enjoys games about the ghosts of dead children murdered by pedophiles?