# "Monster House" - possible spoilers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 22, 2006, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-house-possible-spoilers/365594 "2006-07-22T12:01:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2006, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-house-possible-spoilers/365594/21 "2006-07-23T22:59:13Z")
[QUOTE=Walloon] You agree that G is for all ages? Ok. You agree that PG-13 means 13 and up? Ok. What’s the midpoint, then? About age 7. PG occupies the midpoint between G and PG-13. PG is not G! [/QUOTE] Yes, PG is not G, it means Parental Guidance. From the [MPAA website](http://www.mpaa.org/FlmRat_Ratings.asp): > [@](#): > > This is a film which clearly needs to be examined by parents before they let their children attend. The label PG plainly states parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children, but leaves the parent to make the decision. Parents are warned against sending their children, unseen and without inquiry, to PG-rated movies. The theme of a PG-rated film may itself call for parental guidance. There may be some profanity in these films. There may be some violence or brief nudity. However, these elements are not considered so intense as to require that parents be strongly cautioned beyond the suggestion of parental guidance. There is no drug use content in a PG-rated film. The PG rating, suggesting parental guidance, is thus an alert for examination of a film by parents before deciding on its viewing by their children. Obviously such a line is difficult to draw. In our pluralistic society it is not easy to make judgments without incurring some disagreement. As long as parents know they must exercise parental responsibility, the rating serves as a meaningful guide and as a warning. So the actual official definition is not the one you have personally been using. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2006, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-house-possible-spoilers/365594/22 "2006-07-23T23:00:41Z")
[QUOTE=Walloon] OK, what do YOU think is the difference between G and PG movies? What do YOU think the words “Some material may not be suitable for children” mean? [/QUOTE] I don’t, but many people think that PG material is going to be like the PG stuff in the “Shrek” or “The Incredibles” or “The Iron Giant”, all PG films that were rated that for cartoon violence or crude humor, but none of which would terrify children, although I did cry during “The Iron Giant”. My son did have a good laugh over the woman who watched the entire picture, then wanted to see another one because she “didn’t like that movie”. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2006, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-house-possible-spoilers/365594/23 "2006-07-23T23:05:44Z")
> [@the MPAA](#): > > There is no drug use content in a PG-rated film. Hey! What about that whole plan to knock the house out with cough syrup? Maybe the movie _was_ misrated after all. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2006, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-house-possible-spoilers/365594/24 "2006-07-23T23:08:29Z")
[QUOTE=Terrifel] Hey! What about that whole plan to knock the house out with cough syrup? Maybe the movie _was_ misrated after all. [/QUOTE] 😃 Yeah and Bones (voiced by Jason Lee) appeared to be underage drinking beer and a stoner to boot. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2006, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-house-possible-spoilers/365594/25 "2006-07-23T23:13:47Z")
Haven’t seen the movie, but I have to ask, was there any reason why this couldn’t have been done as live-action with computer-generated effects? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2006, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-house-possible-spoilers/365594/26 "2006-07-23T23:19:53Z")
[QUOTE=rjung] Haven’t seen the movie, but I have to ask, was there any reason why this couldn’t have been done as live-action with computer-generated effects? [/QUOTE] WAG only: There are scenes that probably would drive the cost way up for Live-action with CGI. I am sure it could have been done, but unlike the Harry Potter, Narnia, Star Wars, LotR or even Lemony Snickets movies, I do not think “Monster House” had a built in audience to allow for a very high budget. I cannot find the cost of making this film on the web. Perhaps someone else could. Jim ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-house-possible-spoilers/365594/27 "2006-07-27T03:04:02Z")
I liked it. It only took a few minutes to get used to the look of the humans. The doll eyes were the most noticeable for me. Can someone tell me where I’ve seen that long-nosed dog before? And Chowder – he reminded me of a real person, maybe the chunky kid in Stand By Me? I was looking for stuff from other Spielberg or Zemeckis movies, and the monkey jack-in-the-box from Poltergeist was the only thing I noticed. There were little kids in the theater, some definitely under six. I watched them as we were leaving, and none of them appeared to be upset or frightened, and there were no screams during the movie, or parents taking kids out. Of course that doesn’t mean the little buggers won’t all have nightmares tonight. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-house-possible-spoilers/365594.md?page=1)