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"For parents who would like
to monitor their child's intake of violence in movies, there are
several Internet sites that review the content of feature-length
films for material that may not be suitable for children. For
example, the Web site 'Kids-In-Mind' provides a concise summary
of a film's content and a rating, on a scale from 0 to 10, for 3
categories including violence/gore."
Journal
of the American Medical Association
"Parents concerned about
the movies their children see will want to turn to Kids-In-Mind,
an extensive collection of movie and video reviews, which
accurately describe on-screen material that may be objectionable
or inappropriate for kids. Kids-In-Mind goes the MPAA rating
system several steps better by counting and describing in detail
the incidence of sex and nudity, violence and profanity in
current theatrical and video releases. You will not find a
“thumbs up” or “thumbs down” at the site. Kids-In-Mind's goal,
at which it succeeds admirably, is to objectively provide data
without making judgments on a film's moral or artistic merit."
Apple iReview
"Most parents know the
feeling: You see the MPAA rating of PG or PG-13 on a movie, but
you don't know if the film's really offensive, borderline or OK
for kids until you watch it. By then, it's too late – which is
just what the movie industry hoped . . . help is available
online from Kids-In-Mind: The Parents' Guide to Movies & Video
(www.kids-in-mind.com). The independent service has been praised
by many U.S. publications, and has even received the
morality-conscious Singapore government's blessing on its
official website . . . This is an excellent resource for
families. Kids-In-Mind merits two thumbs up."
Cincinnati Enquirer
Editorial
"[A]n excellent Web site.
It rates movies on a scale of one to 10 for sex, violence and
profanity. "Gladiator" scored a 10 in violence - one of only 17
movies to receive that rating since the service began in 1992.
Kids-in-mind critics give detailed, but neutral, summaries of
the content of movies. I found its ratings much more useful than
the industry's ludicrous system."
Philadelphia Inquirer
"Another excellent tool for
conscientious parents is Kids-In-Mind, which also reviews movies
and new video releases. It covers sex/nudity, violence/gore and
profanity. It also enumerates adult themes (for example, greed,
curiosity, lust) and sums up the movie's or video's message."
NetGuide
"A very helpful resource
for parents is Kids-in-Mind. This website uses a numbered rating
guide to measure how much sex, violence and profanity you will
see in any given movie . . . The ratings do not just include the
sex, violence and profanity factor. The adult issues and message
are also clearly defined. This is really convenient when talking
to your child about what the movie meant to them. Most of us
don't need every single questionable item in the movie explained
to us. When our children are approaching the PG-13 age though,
you may really appreciate the excruciating details this website
provides. Bookmark this site and check it before visiting the
video store."
Stretcher.com
"The site offers a database
of 1,300 movies dating to 1992, reviews of new movies and
provides the details on how much sex, nudity, violence, gore,
and profanity is contained in each of those movies . . .
[A]nother example of the evolution of the Internet and how it
can be put to use to better our society. We congratulate [this]
effort."
The Times-Reporter -
New Philadelphia, Ohio
"As children mature and
want exposure to a wider range of movies, the Motion Picture
Association of America's ratings system doesn't always tell
parents what they really want to know. This site attempts to
describe the nature of a movie's content in three areas –
sex/nudity; violence/gore and profanity – rating each on a scale
of 0 to 10. It also describes potentially problematic scenes in
some detail, so that parents can make up their own minds about
what's suitable for children of varying ages. The site's not in
the business of condoning or condemning movies – just describing
the content. Thus, a new "R" movie such as "Girl, Interrupted,"
gets a 7.6.10, which means it is heavy in profanity, while the
new "R" video release "Lake Placid" gets a 1.8.6, which means
it's heavier in gore. If you want to find out why, then look up
the movies on the site for detailed descriptions."
The Detroit News
"Frustrated that movie
ratings don't give you the real picture when it comes to flicks
your kids want to see? A great new Web site will tell you tons
about a movie's content. Kids-In-Mind (www.kids-in-mind.com)
rates movies on a 0 to 10 scale in three categories: sex and
nudity; violence and gore; and profanity. Then it gives you
details - lots of them. (For example, the stomach-churning
description of the gore in the R-rated teen horror flick "Idle
Hands" contained such juicy tidbits as, "His head is eventually
reattached with a barbecue fork.") Such specifics will help you
determine whether a movie is suitable for your kids."
Chicago Tribune "Tips
and Deals"
"These days, kids want to
see just about anything on the big screen. And while parents
have ratings to rely on, some say they're too vague. Now parents
can check out the content of movies, like "The Haunting,"
through this website. It's called www.kids-in-mind.com. The site
ranks the level of sex, violence and profanity in thousands of
movies – new and old. Parents get a description of each category
including specific scenes that may cause concern . . . Last
month President Clinton cracked down on movies by seeking
mandatory I-d checks on R-rated films. But for some parents this
website helps them go a step further, and even save money."
KVII-ABC Amarillo
Texas
"For parents who are
looking for some help in choosing non-offensive movies for their
children: Kids-in-mind assigns ratings for levels of sex,
violence and profanity. http://www.kids-in-mind.com"
USA Today "Hot Site"
"The reviews are objective,
non-critical assessments of the potentially objectionable
material contained in movies and are primarily addressed to
parents. http://www.kids-in-mind.com"
GO Network - Highest
Rating
"Picking which films to let
young kids see is not easy. A film that might be rated PG may
have material that you wouldn't want your 8-year-old to see, but
some PG-13 films may be just fine. Kids-in-Mind at
http://www.kids-in-mind.com rates films solely by the type of
content – those things to which some parents might object. The
site does not try to review movies based on artistry or
political value – it's strictly whether there's sex, violence or
profanity in them. Each film gets a three-number rating – the
first number for sex, the second for violence and the third for
language. For example, the film At First Sight, with Val Kilmer
and Mira Sorvino, gets a 5.1.3. It's got some sex and nudity, a
tiny amount of violence and a little rough language. (The motion
picture ratings board rates it PG-13.) The site, which began on
America Online in 1992, features ratings of both new movies and
videos, making it an excellent resource."
Houston Chronicle
"Forget about TRUSTING
movie ratings – who the heck can even UNDERSTAND them? Next time
you want to make sure a movie is safe for your kids (or for your
refined sensibilities), turn to Kids-in-Mind, at
http://www.kids-in-mind.com. Here, instead of a secret code, you
get a detailed description of each incidence of sex, violence,
and profanity in every currently playing film, in every new or
recent video release, and in many not so recently released
videos. And as a bonus, you get to read the mordant, one-line
"message" of each film (said summary of Mel Gibson's Payback:
"Revenge can be sweet"). One of the most useful movie Web sites
we've seen in a while."
Dummies Online
"There are many Web sites
devoted to movies and several good ones that provide details on
the type and amount of violence, sex and profanity in a movie.
The easiest and one of the more comprehensive sites I found was
www.kids-in-mind.com, a parent's guide to movies and videos. You
can read a plot summary, which is followed by a breakdown of
sex/nudity; violence/gore; profanity; adult issues; and the
movie's message. The first three categories are rated on a scale
of 1-10. The higher the number, the stronger the sex, violence
and profanity. For example, Never Been Kissed, starring Drew
Barrymore, received a rating of 4 for sex/nudity; 2 for
violence; and 3 for profanity. The numerical ratings were
followed by details. Under the sex category, "lots of sexual
innuendo. Kissing, often passionately." Other details included a
note that students put condoms on bananas and a woman simulated
fellatio. Under violence, the review noted that a boy throws
eggs at a girl, a woman is knocked out when she runs through a
door and a girl is heard throwing up. The movie's profanity
included anatomical and scatological references, name calling
and mild obscenities."
The Louisville
Courier-Journal
"This site reviews movies
that are currently playing in theaters and what is out on video.
It rates them on sex and nudity, violence and gore, and
profanity. It also tells you what adult issues are in it and the
message of the movie. This is a fantastic parenting resource!"
About.com
"Going to the movies is
often a family affair. Because each family has different
standards as far as what is suitable for children, the Web can
come in handy. Here's an example of what you might find at this
site. For the film As Good As It Gets, here are edited
selections from the site's review: Sex/Nudity: A woman is shown
from behind wearing only a towel around her waist. Violence:
There is an intense scene in which a gay man is brutally beaten
by three thugs. Profanity: Several scatological references,
several anatomical references, several racial and sexual slurs,
several mild obscenities. The actual review goes into much more
detail...A web hot spot."
The Fresno Bee
"In Analyze This, there are
85 uses of the word for which movies get rated PG-13. (Mix in a
little sex or violence, and you get an R.) In Good Will Hunting,
that word is used 150 times. We could only find one recent film
at the movies or on video that tops that: American History X has
more than 200 uses of the word. We admit, though, that we didn't
sit in the theater marking down each swear word. The staff of
the Web site "kids-in-mind" is the best source for such
statistics. It also offers objective, non-critical assessments
of material parents or sensitive moviegoers might find
objectionable. If you want to check it out, you can find it at
www.kids-in-mind.com. It's a Web site parents will want to
bookmark."
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