'Torture-porn'

More problems for Captivity, the upcoming torture movie starring Elisha Cuthbert whose marketing campaign's heavily misogynistic elements inspired numerous protests, including a campaign to have the MPAA remove the film's rating.

From all indications, it looks like the 6,300 screen-strong Regal Cinemas chain is will not screen Captivity. NOW and various other women's groups launched write-in campaigns to Regal and other cinema chains protesting the film. Director Joss Whedon called the movie "torture-porn" in his blog and we can't really disagree. Billboards for the film featuring a bloodied, tortured Cuthbert were placed at numerous high-traffic locations throughout Los Angeles; many of which were near schools and shopping malls. New York City taxis wound up pulling 1,400 Captivity ads from the tops of their cars. Prior difficulties in obtaining a rating led to the film's delay from an initial May 18 launch date.

If the loss of income from Regal isn't enough, our sibling FishbowlLA is reporting that the MPAA has threatened to pull the film's rating again. Billboards of a bloodied Cuthbert were featured outside of the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Laurel Avenue, outside Captivity's well-publicized release party, which featured Suicide Girls and cage fighting.

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