PRESS: Filmmaker Magazine interview

This strange little interview (to promote the New York premiere of Cleanflix) with Mary Anderson Casavant focuses almost exclusively on Mormon culture and ends very abruptly. Still, it is in filmmaker Magazine, so I won't complain too much. Direct link to the original post at the Filmmaker Magazine site here.

Mary Anderson Casavant » 04.28.10 »

Cleanflix is Stranger Than Fiction

Despite being born and bred on our shores, Mormonism is still something of a fringe religion. For a lot of Americans, there’s something vaguely worrying about its army of clean-cut, nametag wearing missionaries. Neither Hollywood nor the independent film scene have helped the Mormon case for normalcy – their portrayals tend to fixate on the church’s checkered history with polygamy.

Last night’s Stranger Than Fiction featured Cleanflix, a sympathetic look at the more mainstream side of Mormon culture. Directed by Andrew James and Joshua Ligairi, two filmmakers who grew up in the tradition (James is no longer practicing, but Ligairi still is), the documentary follows the rise and fall of a chain of small Utah-based video stores, who specialize in editing “objectionable” material out of R-rated movies. Hollywood finds out, and the lawsuits start flying.

A third act scandal reveals that even the most “clean” business has its own fair share of cads and perverts. Luckily for us, the filmmakers avoid exploiting the scandal for tabloid fodder, concentrating instead on the sadness at the core of the scandal. By focusing on the Mormon side of the fight, the filmmakers humanize the bright and shiny faces behind the fastest growing faith group in American history.

I spoke to Andrew James and Joshua Ligairi before the screening.

Filmmaker: What’s the biggest misconception about Mormon culture?

James: I think there’s this perception that they are in buggies like the Amish. Mormons aren’t as old-fashioned as everyone thinks, and that’s what Cleanflix touches on.

Filmmaker: Like CleanFlicks, your film re-edits footage from major Hollywood films. What’s the difference between what you do and what CleanFlicks did?

James: We didn’t not pay attention to the rules. We hired a lawyer and went through a rigorous process to make sure the clips were legal and obeyed fair use.

Ligairi: We were using movie clips in a journalistic way to illustrate a point and tell a story within a historical context. The sanitizer were simply censoring content and claiming fair use because they happened to sell the DVDs to some schools. There is a huge difference.

Filmmaker: There’s a sex scandal that involves one of your main characters late in the film. Did you have any inkling about what was going to come out?

James: We heard rumors all along…We weren’t sure how that was going to play out in the narrative in the film…It took him getting arrested for us to put it in.

Ligairi: It was a big revelation to the public. All the information we presented matter-of-factly in the film wasn’t presented that way to the clientele. I think it was a huge surprise to people who spent money at the store.

Filmmaker: The main voice of in defense of Hollywood in the film is Neil Labute. Did you approach any other directors?

James: We tried, but at that point, it was who are you, you don’t have any big films… We did get a few responses, but the schedules didn’t quite work out…We decided to really go after Neil Labute because of the Mormon angle.

Filmmaker: What has been the Mormon response?

James: The film hasn’t played in Utah…There are a lot of people within the Mormon community that wouldn’t watch the film.

Ligairi: It’s something we’ve kind of joked about, but we’ve also really thought about doing a clean version so we can present these ideas to them. Ironically, I think the film is something Mormons could point to, something positive that humanizes them to a Christian audiences…At screenings, other Christians have been surprised by how much they had in common with this community.

James: I think they (Mormon viewers) might like the fact that the perspective is even handed.

Read the original article on the Filmmaker Magazine websiteor follow @FilmmakerMag on Twitter.

PRESS: Fused Film Cleanflix review

A stellar review of Cleanflix from Fused Film contributor Hunter Camp as part of his Nashville Film Festival coverage. Direct link to the original post at the Fused Film site here.

Hunter Camp » 04.26.10 »

NaFF Review: Cleanflix

Cleanflix is a documentary about the phenomenon of editing out objectionable or offensive content in the state of Utah. This film dealt with various companies that would literally rip DVD’s and remove any kind of foul language, sexual content, and explicitly violent scenes from any movie they see fit. The reasoning for these edits were based on the Mormon code that says that Mormons should not expose themselves to this kind of content, but they still wanted to see movies like Goodfellas and The Matrix. While hinged on this concept, it also focused on the life of one of the distributors of these “clean” films who was eventually convicted of deviant sexual acts with two minors.

Overall, Cleanflix was one of the more insightful documentaries that I have seen that clearly stated the problems with editing these films, but also being sensitive to the cause and lack of logic that studios would not provide television cuts , which are also edited, to the people of the United States that are basically begging for copies of these movies without having to risk breaking the law. The film is completely filled with hypocrisy, but that’s one of things that is great about it. It doesn’t stick to one side, so it was refreshing to see a documentary that felt completely unbiased.

Everything about Cleanflix from content, editing, soundtrack choice, and subject matter all provide an excellent viewing experience and I would absolutely suggest this film to anyone reading this right now.

Direct link to the review at FusedFilm.com. Follow Fused Film on Twitter @FusedFilm or Hunter Camp on Twitter @MK2Fac3.

PRESS: Cinema Funk Cleanflix review

A wonderful review of Cleanflix by Cinema Funk Editor, Aaron Weiss. Direct link to the original post at the Cinema Funk site here.

Aaron Weiss » 04.18.10 »

A Righteous Battle Over Censorship

Cleanflix examines the battle between companies who edit DVDs to remove violence, profanity and nudity, and Hollywood. Leaders of the Mormon church have strongly discouraged their followers to view R-rated films and many often comply.

However, Mormons are interested in seeing these films, creating a niche market. This documentary does not just portray another battle between Hollywood and censorship. This time, the Mormons have a solid case.

It is perfectly acceptable for consumers to want to avoid material and it is not just Mormons who would prefer to view edited movies. We are subjected to movies edited for content often on airplanes and network and cable viewings. As a matter of fact, many large studio releases often film alternative takes and scenes where profanity is replaced with another superlative. Hollywood, however, does not offer these edited copies to the consumers. Their reason: there is no market.

But they are wrong.

It appears that there is a strong and loyal market of not only Mormons, but traditional consumers and even educational institutes who are very interested in obtaining movies that have been edited for content. Cleanflix explains that this niche of consumers believe that the removal of violence and sex does not impair the storyline, and this may often be true. One interesting detail: violence is edited less than sex scenes.

After each judgment and lawsuit that closes a loophole and closes businesses, another loophole is discovered and new companies pop right back up. One question posed in the documentary that has some ironic weight is that Mormons are circumventing R-rated films by obtaining edited movies that are illegal.

"The film does not offer any specific answers and instead objectively reveals the issues and leaves the discussion open to the audience."

Cleanflix reveals many of the hypocritical aspects of Mormons purchasing edited movies, and the film finds itself in an ironic twist of fate regarding one of the main characters of the film.

Directors Andrew James and Joshua Ligairi navigate through the legal battles, the competition between retail companies, hypocrisy and irony that ensues between movie editing companies. Cleanflix is wonderfully produced and highly educational documentary with an ironic twist that poses strong cases for both sides of the issue. The film does not offer any specific answers and instead objectively reveals the issues and leaves the discussion open to the audience.

Direct link to the review at CinemaFunk.com. Follow Aaron Weiss on Twitter @CinemaFunk.