City May Ask Theaters Not to Screen NC-17 Films

The City Council is talking about it. The school board is, too.

Sure, most members don’t plan to see the movie “Showgirls” but they fear that its tale of the rise of a Vegas dancer will “open the floodgates for similar films,” in the words of Thousand Oaks City Councilwoman Elois Zeanah.

The council will consider drafting a letter Tuesday asking that theaters in the city refrain from showing films rated NC-17.

Conejo Valley Unified School Supt. Jerry Gross said he has already received a number of letters from parents who object to the film.

“Our movies are pretty tough as it is,” Gross told school board members this week. “I’m not sure we need NC-17s.”

But officials with the American Civil Liberties Union say the quest by Zeanah and others to ban such films may backfire, as the controversy draws moviegoers who otherwise would not have attended the film.

“However well-intentioned their efforts are, this seems to us free publicity for ‘Showgirls’, “ said Ann Bradley, ACLU media director. “The people of Thousand Oaks can show their disdain by not attending the film.”

Zeanah’s proposal is in response to a plea from Thousand Oaks resident Roy Thorsen, who said he has collected hundreds of signatures of residents who support banning NC-17-rated movies in the city.

Thorsen told the City Council this week that the nudity, sexuality and violence in such movies would undermine the quality of life in the Conejo Valley.

This is not the first time Thousand Oaks residents and council members have crusaded against racy entertainment.

In June, Zeanah led a crusade to remove news racks holding X-rated publications from the sidewalks in front of the city’s post office. City officials decided to wait for a court ruling before removing the racks.

In 1993, about a dozen parents filed complaints, saying that the Spice Channel, a pay-per-view soft-core pornography channel offered on local cable stations, was not sufficiently scrambled.

And also in 1993, Thousand Oaks fire stations lost the Playboy Channel after a firefighter complained that he was offended by its sexually explicit offerings.

Mayor Jaime Zukowski said she supported the letter regarding NC-17-rated movies. But she acknowledged that the action may draw more attention to the film.

“That’s always something that occurs when something comes up for debate and discussion,” Zukowski said.

“But this is not going to go away. The whole debate about choice will always be there. And one does have a choice.”

In the case of “Showgirls,” Thousand Oaks is joining a growing number of communities speaking out against the first widely released NC-17 movie. Theaters in cities from Grants Pass, Ore., to Hattiesburg, Miss., have pulled the film in response to community complaints.

Local theater managers would not comment on the proposed letter from the Thousand Oaks City Council.

The city also has asked the Ventura County district attorney’s office to review and take appropriate action regarding the showing of “Showgirls.”

Chief Deputy Dist. Atty. Kevin McGee said his office has referred the city to the Sheriff’s Department.

“If they believe a crime is being committed, they will investigate and refer it to us,” McGee said. But McGee said crimes involving obscenity are difficult to prosecute.

Meanwhile, Zeanah said she will continue her quest to convince the theaters to give up their racy films.

“The public is well-aware that pornography can denigrate a community by promoting abuse and violent crime,” Zeanah said. “We have a strong commitment to preserving family values.”

But ACLU officials said family values cannot be at odds with the Bill of Rights.

“What is much more scary is that this would send a very scary message to children,” Bradley said. “That is, ‘We don’t think you parents have a right to make decisions. The city must make them for you.’ ”