This weekend I had the chance to see 'This Film is Not Yet Rated' by documentary filmmaker Dick Kirby. You might remember the slight controversy about the MPAA making unauthorized copies of the film after Kirby explicitly said that no copied were allowed to be made.

I love cinema. There was a point in my life that I was going to the theaters two or three times a week to see a different film. It didn't really matter how good or bad the film was, I wanted to see as many as possible. That's why I got involved with the fight for information policy. As much as I love cinema, I hate having how and when I watch a film dictated to me by a cartel locked behind a gate in Encino California. This unelected, unrepresentative, and unaccountable group of less than a dozen people decide for the entire country what is and is not acceptable viewing.

I understand the need to have some sort of guide to inform parents and other people sensitive to adult themes about the content of a film beforehand, but because of the vertical monopoly on film, from development to distribution any film rated NC-17 is dead on arrival. I'm not going to recount all the stories from film makers about how their films were censored or how independent film makers without a major studio backing them up have no chance of getting a 'R' rating. If This Film is Not Yet Rated is not playing in your area, and if you're not living in a large city with an independent movie theater you're out of luck as this film is not rated, you can see a quick history of the MPAA's censorship and control of the movie industry.

While the film's main theme is film making, it delves into the history of the MPAA, the rating scheme, and even how the Hollywood cartels have abused their clout to impose an innovation tax by buying terrible legislation. Even geek matinee idol Prof. Lawrence Lessig is featured. The film catalogs all the abuses of power going back to using the Red Scare to bust the creative unions that were forming. Quickly the Hollywood cartels realized that to survive they needed the blessings of Washington.

Setting a trend that continues to this day, the MPAA hired a political hack. Jack Valenti was a special assistant to President Lyndon Johnson. You can see Valenti hiding in this famous photo of Johnson being sworn in. He's the head poking out on the far left. Valenti was tapped to head the MPAA and fight off government censorship, but also to ensure that the Hollywood cartels' control continued in perpetuity.

Since then, the MPAA has had perhaps the most successful lobbying effort ever. Until recently every single piece of legislation that the MPAA wanted was passed quickly and without scrutiny regardless of the political party that was in power. From the Mickey Mouse Protection Act to the DMCA Valenti's pals in Congress didn't ask questions.

The most telling sequence from the film is Valtenti, nearing the end of his reign, tearing up as he thanks his friends in Congress. He mentions one by name for his dedication to the Hollywood cartels' cause, Senator Ted Stevens. Stevens as you may remember is author of the omnibus communication bill that not only guts the internet, but forces technology mandates in the form of the Broadcast and Audio Flags. Cinema, as Jean-Luc Godard noted, is the truth 24 times per second. That has never been more true than this section of the film. Valenti's passion for his partners in Congress is raw, deep, and extremely telling. It's a man that dedicated his life to serving the MPAA and all he has left is the hollow friendship of politicians.

If you live in a city that is showing This Film is Not Yet Rated, I strongly recommend taking the time to see it. I should point out that the film contains very graphic depictions of sex, violence, and language. If that's not your cup of tea, you might want to pass on it.