Posted Sep 22nd 2006 5:21PM by TMZ Staff
The upcoming documentary "Deliver Us From Evil" will be released without a rating, after its trailer -- which makes reference to specific acts of child molestation by a priest and shows that priest watching children on a playground -- was given a "redband," or restricted, rating by the Motion Picture Association of America.
"Deliver Us" examines the child-molestation scandal that scarred the Catholic Church, and hones in particularly on the story of Father Oliver O'Grady, the northern California priest who has admitted (and does so on camera in the film) that he sexually abused numerous children over the course of 30 years. In the trailer, O'Grady talks about feeling "aroused" by the sight of children naked and in their underwear, and specifically mentions one incident with a victim.
The MPAA told Lionsgate, the film's distributor, that "the content is adult in nature, with overt comments about child molestation throughout," according to the Hollywood Reporter. And with its red-band rating, the organization, in effect if not by edict, excluded the trailer from playing in most theaters, which usually won't screen trailers with the tag.
Thus, Lionsgate has decided to release the film on October 13 without a rating. Says Lionsgate president Tom Ortenberg, "We're not looking to pick a fight with anybody...We owe it to our filmmaker, Amy Berg, and to the film to do whatever we can to get this movie seen."
Filed under: Movies, The Biz
Tags: Deliver Us From Evil, DeliverUsFromEvil
Posted Sep 20th 2006 6:07PM by TMZ Staff
For two decades, Father Oliver O' Grady, by his own admission, molested scores of boys and girls in various parishes in California, becoming one of the most notorious pedophiles amongst the priests defrocked in the scandal that rocked the Catholic Church. A powerful new documentary tells O'Grady's story, and suggests that while his crimes were monstrous, the alleged cover-up perpetrated by the church was truly unforgivable.
"Deliver Us From Evil" tells the story of how the Catholic Church moved O'Grady from parish to parish in order to avoid liability and deflect criticism. Internal church documents prove that, beginning in 1973, Church superiors knew of O'Grady's actions and lied to parishioners and local law enforcement to protect him.
Some of the most remarkable moments of the film are the interviews with O'Grady himself. His dispassionate account of the hundreds of children he molested is disturbing enough; combined with the stories told by the survivors, filmmaker Amy Berg creates a moving, powerful, and unforgettable narrative. A never-before-seen taped deposition given by Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony and his former second-in-command Monsignor James Cain is also featured in the film.
The documentary has a limited release on October 13th and goes wide October 27th.
Filed under: Movies
Tags: catholic church, CatholicChurch, cover-up, deliver us from evil, DeliverUsFromEvil, documentary, lionsgate, molestation, oilver o'grady, OilverO'grady, pope
