No matter how hard I may try, I just can't see every movie that's released theatrically in Utah.

Sometimes there are scheduling conflicts with film screenings. Sometimes I take some needed time off. Or even more often, the film in question is not pre-screened in time for an opening-day review ... or it isn't pre-screened at all.

So, that's why you may see other, less-familiar names credited for movie reviews that run in the Deseret News. When possible, we prefer to use reviews that come from The Associated Press, either by David Germain or Christy Lemire.

We also run a few by Roger Moore of The Orlando Sentinel, whose critique of the spoof "An American Carol" upset a few readers.

However, he seems to be more punctual and more diligent about seeing things and reviewing them than most national critics. And his sensibilities and mine seem to be in line most of the time.

There also seem to be a few lingering questions as to why some of our movie reviews — well, mine in particular — have considerably more in-depth content ratings than those in the Motion Picture Association of America's listings.

For example, the MPAA advisory for the supernatural/romantic comedy "Ghost Town" says the film received a PG-13 "for some strong language, sexual humor and drug references."

But my three-star review of the film featured a content listing of "scattered strong profanity (including a couple of uses of the so-called 'R-rated' curse word), some vulgar slang and digestive humor, drug content and references (anesthetics and narcotics), brief violence (auto-pedestrian collisions), some derogatory language and glimpses of nude statues."

That doesn't exactly sound like the same film, does it? The MPAA, in my estimation, doesn't go far enough in its content ratings a lot of the time.

And I believe that my Deseret News readers will be better-served if they know exactly what is in a movie. You tell me, am I wrong?

• A 'RAUCOUS CAUCUS?'

The Salt Lake Film Center's "Films to See Before You Vote" series continues next weekend with screenings of documentary features with strong political themes and commentary.

The screenings are co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Utah, High Road for Human Rights and the Utah chapter of the ACLU. Special guests include talk-show-host-turned-filmmaker Phil Donahue, author Naomi Wolf and Michael Kirk, producer for PBS's "Frontline" series.

The events run Friday through Sunday at the Rose Wagner Center, 138 W. 300 South. Featured movies are "Body of War," "Cheney's Law," "Endgame," "The End of America," "The Lost Year in Iraq" and others.

More information on the screenings and other film center programs is available at www.slcfilmcenter.org.

---

E-mail: jeff@desnews.com