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Movie Answer Man (07/18/1999)

Q. Thank you for speaking out about the travesty that Warner Brothers is perpetuating with "Eyes Wide Shut." I originally read about the digitally altered 65 seconds in Richard Schickel's Time magazine article. This is truly a sad day for film enthusiasts. I believe that it is time for someone to step in and deal with the MPAA's perversion of their power. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to their decisions. For example, the original tagline of the "South Park" movie, "All Hell Breaks Loose," was rejected due to the use of the word "hell." The MPAA claims the rating system is only to inform potential viewers about objectionable subject matter, but it is farcical for them to act as if their rulings have no effect on a film's box office potential, especially the stigmatized NC-17. I will