PSU's Dime a Dozen

Getting inked? Spell check is worth the time

Chicago Sun-Times July 22, 2008 | Richard Roeper Every once in a while, I hear from a disgruntled reader/viewer telling me:

“Your an idiot.” (Oddly enough, when someone writes to say, “You’re hilarious,” or, “You’re a genius,” it’s never misspelled. Hmmmmm.) I’d think the level of caution would be infinitely greater when it comes to inking your skin. Yet for the second time in less than a year and a half, a patron is suing Jade Dragon Tattoo and Body Piercing for misspelling a word. go to site online spell check

Alfonse Wingfield, 30, says “Tomorrow” was misspelled as “Tommorrow.” The tattoo artist says Wingfield came in with the word written that way on a piece of paper, and he simply copied it as is.

I don’t know. If I’m getting inked or if I’m inking someone, I’m doing the spell- check thing once or twice. Then again, I haven’t inked anybody in years.

I’ll bet you anything (well, five bucks) there are more than a few people out there with tattoos that say “YOUR” when they meant “YOU’RE,” and vice versa.

WHEN KIDS ARE OUT AT ‘KNIGHT’ Sometimes when I’m watching an action film in the screening room, I’ll be thinking, “Well, THAT scene just nailed down an ‘R’ rating”– but after the screening I’ll discover the movie is a PG-13.

Excessive language? That’s going to get you the “R” for sure. Anything more than a glimpse of nudity and/or a hint of hip-grinding sexual contact? You’re an R. But with violence, action, blood — assessing ratings based on those elements seems a bit more arbitrary. You can depict multiple car crashes, murders, brutal fistfights and endless punches to the groin, but as long as you don’t linger on shots of open wounds or spurting blood, you’ve got a shot at a PG-13.

“The Dark Knight” is an example of a film that walks the tightrope between a PG-13 and an R. There’s no way the studio was going to release a summer action film this huge and limit the size of the potential audience with an R rating, so you figure they tailored the violence, the language and the intensity to get a PG-13.

When people die or get hurt in the film, you don’t see much blood. The Joker likes to run his knife across potential victim’s faces — but we don’t see that knife plunging into anyone’s face or neck.

As for the sex: When a couple is caught trysting at a fund-raiser, they’re disheveled but dressed.

I’d say a PG-13 for “The Dark Knight” is appropriate — but that PG-13 rating means “some material might not be suitable for children under age 13.” A mature 12-year-old could probably handle the intensity onscreen, but an 8-year-old? I don’t think so.

Over the weekend I heard from the Rev. Sean Ferrell of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Jackson, Tenn., who wrote:

“I saw ‘The Dark Knight’ [and] was saddened to see [children as young as] four years old leaving the theater at the end of the movie. As a parent and clergy person, I was pleased to hear you and your co-host make mention of the significant amount of violence and the inappropriateness of ‘The Dark Knight’ for younger viewers. Please remind the viewers again next week! While I am aware that the caution you deliver by no means will prevent every parent from making poor decisions about what is appropriate for their children, every little bit helps.” You’re right about that last part, Rev. I could hire Randy Couture to stand in front of a theater marquee advertising a movie called “Blood Spurts Non-Stop as Mutants Shout the F-Word While Having Actual Intercourse,” and he still wouldn’t be able to prevent some clueless parents from bringing in their young children.

A HALL OF FAMER PASSES The late Jerome Holtzman was the chief architect of the “save” rule, which was instituted in 1966. A lot of relievers out there may never have heard of Holtzman, but they owe him a tip of the hat. site online spell check

MOVING ON, BUT NOT OUT As you may have heard, I’m leaving “At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper” next month, which means it won’t be called “At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper” any more, what with no Ebert & no Roeper.

Thanks to the hundreds of viewers who have sent good wishes since the announcement. You guys just overwhelmed me with your kind words.

And just to clarify, since the question came up more than once: I’m staying in Chicago and I will continue to write four columns a week for the Sun-Times. I’ll also continue to send Twitter updates.

Any future TV program will also be produced right here. This is my home. Unless I’m tapped to play Jack’s long-lost brother on the next season of “Lost,” I ain’t moving anywhere for a TV show.

Comment at suntimes.com.

Richard Roeper