Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/760821
DGA QUARTERLY 83 PHOTOS: PHOTOFEST In 1966, the New Hollywood that would fully flower over the next decade was foreshadowed in certain releases that signaled a new creative freedom and permis- siveness associated with European art-house cinema, not to mention the tumult of our own changing times. Films like Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf ? and The Group pushed the boundaries of language and sexuality in major studio fare, while Blow-Up intro- duced a celebrated stylist from overseas to American audiences with his provoca- tive first English-language feature. Two years later, the MPAA would implement a ratings system, partly as a way of staving off government censorship, and to guide audiences about "mature" content in movies that were increasingly reflective of the complexities of contemporary society. WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? Mike Nichols It is in no way hyperbolic to say that Mike Nichols' directorial debut with Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was a sign of changing attitudes in Hollywood. With its controversial language and subject matter, the film was key in sealing the fate of the Production Code and helped usher in a more progressive movie ratings system.