At exactly this point things become interesting: Some R-rated versions appear neither in announcements of the labels, and hence on the usual DVD-websites either, nor are those R-rated versions mentioned in the catalog of or any other send away company. DVD websites or the most exact and complete source, 's media catalog.

If and when a movie is released in both an R- and unrated version can usually be known by viewing U.S.

Being that angry, many people then assume that Blockbuster censor DVDs by themselves. Especially in the rental section, where the majority are R-rated versions in order to maintain the family-friendly environment, this often leads to customers getting angry. It seems like the R-rated versions are more likely to be offered in the (online) rental section, whereas in the Blockbuster Stores the unrated versions usually can be obtained, too. Though there is no complete proof of this theory, it still remains one of the most plausible explanations.Įspecially at Blockbuster this can be seen more clearly. One explanation could be that this issue is handled differently in different regions of the States: Whereas stores in the more conservative parts of the country are offering mainly the R-rated version, this is not necessary in other parts of the country. So one can only guess why there are two versions of those movies released. Nevertheless, the R-rated versions of these movies are offered by these companies as well, but not in all cases and not more often than the unrated counterpart. This also and above all affects movies of which two versions are available. Unrated films not containing material suitable for all audiences are designated by BLOCKBUSTER as restricted and marked with a YRP sticker.Īt Walmart, too, both online and in the individual stores unrated versions can be found. In order to provide a wholesome environment for you and your family, we generally do not carry films with ratings of NC-17 or X. In the FAQ of Blockbuster for example, you can explicitly read about this issue:Īll films carried by BLOCKBUSTER stores and BLOCKBUSTER Online carry ratings that have been established by the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. But since unrated versions have become a mass phenomenon and the sales are not to be ignored any more, those politics changed. Those two companies jumped on the unrated-bandwagon a bit later than rival companies as or Best Buy and sometimes explicitly refused to offer certain unrated versions, such as e.g. Unrated versions that would have gotten an NC-17 if presented to the MPAA are no problem for those stores and can be found there en masse on the shelves. Only the very rarely occurring NC-17-movies are not offered there. However, both chains have been offering unrated DVDs for quite a long time.

Scream no more censorship rare