It’s rare for a film exhibitor to discourage people from seeing an upcoming movie, especially one that has gotten critical acclaim and is expected to be a big moneymaker, but Alamo Drafthouse, which operates 40 cinemas throughout the country, has issued a warning for parents who might be thinking about bringing their children to see ‘Joker’, based on the popular DC Comics character. Via a Facebook post (which has now been deleted), the theater chain shared a poster for ‘Joker’ with a warning plastered across the top, reading:
“Parental warning (this is not a joke). Joker is Rated R and for good reason. There’s lots of very, very rough language, brutal violence, and overall bad vibes.
“It’s a gritty, dark, and realistic Taxi Driver-esque depiction of one man’s descent into madness. It’s not for kids, and they won’t like it, anyway.”
The message ended with the statement:
“(There’s no Batman.)”
This was the poster that the chain originally posted:
This may seem unnecessary, as nothing about the marketing for ‘Joker’ has suggested that this is a Marvel-style romp, or that it even has anything to do with superheroes. But the cluelessness of some parents never ceases to amaze me, and I know that there were probably hundreds (thousands? Millions?) of parents who were planning to take their kids to see this movie this weekend.
RELATED: Movie Review: ‘Joker’ Is An Enthralling Film We Can All Identify With
Remember a few years ago when parents launched a petition for 20th Century Fox to edit ‘Deadpool’ down to a PG-13 rating for the kids? Nevermind the fact that this would have resulted in a 20-minute movie.
To be honest, I don’t consider the Nolan ‘Dark Knight’ movies to be suitable for kids, but maybe that’s just me. But basically, just because a movie is based on comic books and superheroes doesn’t necessarily mean it’s for all ages. Kids don’t even read comic books anymore.
If you are an adult, feel free to check out ‘Joker’, which opens this weekend.
