Rated X | | Cast : | Emilio Estevez, Charlie Sheen | | Director : | Emilio Estevez | | Studio : | SHOWTIME ENTERTAINMENT | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned | | Released Date : | January 01, 2000 | | DVD Released Date : | February 06, 2001 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | Unrated | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 05, 2005 | | Summary | Entertaining DVD nicely sums up an era | Content
 | This is another example of a product delivering a pretty good movie but a very good DVD. "Rated X" is watchable and engaging, but ultimately doesn't add anything new to the often-seen story of would-be movie moguls finally making it big but then being brought down by the excesses of the high life (in this case, cocaine). Of course, if that's what really happened to the Mitchell Brothers, I guess viewers can't complain much about seeing it all before. In any event, what puts this DVD over the top are the bonus materials: we get several generous interview segments with the Mitchell Brothers' famous discovery, Marilyn Chambers, who elaborates on the action in the movie (no pun intended), and equally generous interview segments with an assistant district attorney integrally involved with all the legal troubles the Mitchell Brothers had in their 1970's heyday. Between the movie and extras, one gets a comprehensive and satisfyingly entertaining snapshot of the characters in question and the overall mood of the era. |
| Rating | | | Date | January 18, 2004 | | Summary | Good til the end. | Content
| I saw it on cable and knew something about them but I didn't know that they were pioneers of the porn industry. They put a soft-core actress Marylin Chambers on the map. The brothers Artie and Jim Mitchell went through ropes with the government and the mob to produce their movies. Their personal lives are another story. Jim was a bachelor while his brother was twice married and divorced. Jim Mitchell was the brother who kept things afloat despite his drug use. His brother Artie, was into parties, guns, and sex. After the courts decided to end porn films, they went into the live sex business. However, Jim needed to get away which did him some good. He had to kick his drug habit once and for all. Meanwhile Artie who had a second wife and two sons was still destructive to himself.
Throughout the movie it was Jim who was his brother's keeper which he could no longer do. It's one thing to help a family member who will help himself. It's another when that member is destroying himself intently while hurting others around him. Artie felt like he was always in his brother's shadow. Jim, as always is there to protect him. Both Sheen and Estevez, real-life brothers, do a good job at portraying the characters and their attitudes. It is a good role for the both of them because Estevez has his head above the water like Jim, while Charlie Sheen has been known for being reckless and has a past drug history. This was a good role for the both of them. |
| Rating | | | Date | January 20, 2003 | | Summary | The rise and fall of the Mitchell Brothers | Content
| I stumbled across this film accidentally, and picked it mainly because it starred real-life brothers Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez. I was curious--especially since the Mitchells originated in the small town I now find myself in (although everyone here is in denial). Jim (Estevez)and Artie(Sheen) Mitchell were in the right place at the right time--San Francisco in the 70s--when they began building their empire founded on pornography. Artie's vision was to "make the product and sell the product" and, thus, make and control more money in the process. They opened the O'Farrell Theatre in San Francisco's Tenderloin district, and wrote, directed, and produced their own pornographic films--including the film considered an "adult" classic: "Behind the Green Door." In fact, the Mitchell Brothers "discovered" Marilyn Chambers, and she catapulted to fame as an "adult" actress--thanks to her performance in "Behind the Green Door." Plagued by arrests for obscene materials, the Mitchell Brothers battled any and all charges brought against them by claiming their right to free speech. When "Behind the Green Door" was released, the millions rolled in--but only a relatively small amount of money came their way as pirated copies popped up in adult theatres all over the country. So then the Mitchell Brothers took on organized crime to protect the copyright of their products. The most fascinating aspect of this film was the brother's relationship--there was a little background family information, and the brothers were almost abnormally close. Even their wives were shut out of Jim and Artie's relationship. I also found the brothers extremely interesting--their approach to the business aspect of the porn industry was--quite frankly--brilliant. They were flexible, innovative and ready to respond market change. Unfortunately, when given oddles of money, and endless drugs and alcohol, the chemicals inevitably created a highly explosive situation which was exacerbated by money squabbles. Like most partnerships--things soured. Estevez's direction was marvellous, and my only complaint has to be the bald-skull caps the brothers wore. They looked cheap. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 25, 2002 | | Summary | Brothers Play Brothers | Content
| Real life brothers Emilio Estevez, who is a film maker as well as an actor, and Charlie Sheen, who has been through addiction hell, play the real life brothers Jim Mitchell, a film maker, and Artie Mitchell, who goes into a downward spiral from addictions. I found the parallels interesting and perhaps that is what motivated Emilio to tell this story. The love between both sets of brothers seems very real, and watching Charlie (who has been clean and sober for three or four years now) act out the misery of addiction as Artie was unsettling. I didn't notice any distractions with the skullcaps, and I appreciate Emilio's original film-making style. A thought-provoking movie, and if you are a fan of the Sheen/Estevez clan, definitely check it out. Emilio's son Taylor plays Jim Mitchell as a teenager. |
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