‘Celsius’ producers appeal R rating

Producers of “Celsius 41.11: The Temperature at Which the Brain Begins to Die,” billed as a rejoinder to Michael Moore’s Bush-bashing “Fahrenheit 9/11,” are appealing the “R” rating given the documentary by the Motion Picture Assn. of America on Tuesday. Details of a planned theatrical release next Friday are being worked out.

Lionel Chetwynd and Ted Steinberg, who produced the film, and director Kevin Knoblock knew upfront that two instances of profanity on the part of war protesters and a graphic image of Saddam Hussein’s torture of an Iraqi soldier would decrease the chances of a PG-13 rating. Citizens United, a conservative grass-roots organization, funded the $1 million film.

“Lots of PG-13 movies with fraternity house antics and gross humor go much further than we did -- and don’t deliver anything educational,” said David Bossie, president of the group and an executive producer of the film.

An R rating bars anyone under age 18 from seeing the movie unless accompanied by an adult.

Opening with the original Larry Gatlin tune “John Boy” -- a reference to the Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts -- the 75-minute film begins with footage of the World Trade Center attack followed by a sequence featuring footage of Moore saying, “There is no great terrorist threat.”

Interviewing sources such as syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, the documentary attacks “Fahrenheit’s” allegations about the Patriot Act, weapons of mass destruction and black voter disenfranchisement in Florida.

“Sixty percent of our film is about debunking the heated voices on the left and the rest is establishing the Bush doctrine versus the Kerry doctrine -- such as it is,” said Steinberg, a registered Democrat. Knoblock, for his part, is an independent who finds himself right of center in light of the war on terrorism.

“Celsius” faces a sizable task in trying to blunt the effect of “Fahrenheit,” which has made $115 million domestically, becoming the highest-grossing documentary ever. Last week, it also became the top documentary video rental of all time, surpassing Moore’s own “Bowling for Columbine.” Earning more than $4.7 million on DVD, it ranked No. 3 on the video rental charts, according to Rentrak’s Home Video Essentials.

But Chetwynd, one of Hollywood’s more vocal Republicans, noted that most of “Fahrenheit’s” business was in the first four weeks of play, so “Celsius” could still influence the presidential election on Nov. 2. “Our film is about the difference between those with a 9/10 mind-set -- people such as Sen. Kerry who say the world is no different since 9/11 -- and those who realize that dark forces are at work to destroy us, not for what we do but for who we are,” he said. “We’re aiming it at the few remaining people who know that old approaches don’t work anymore and are figuring out where to go.”