Elastgirl, saving the day. Image: Disney/Pixar
When Incredibles 2 showed up at theatres this week, it appeared without one potentially very important detail: an epilepsy warning.
Over the past few days, reports have been mounting that certain scenes in the film could trigger seizures in members of the viewing population who are sensitive to strobing, flashing lights due to epilepsy and related conditions.
HEALTH ALERT I haven’t seen this mentioned in a lot of places, but the new Incredibles 2 movie (#incredibles2) is filled with tons of strobe/flashing lights that can cause issues for people with epilepsy, migraines, and chronic illness. This thread is spoiler free
— Veronica Lewis (@veron4ica) June 15, 2018
Since appearing a couple of days ago, these warnings have spread over the internet, such that Disney has now issued a directive to theatres to place epilepsy warnings outside of screenings, and according to Cinema Blend these warnings have begun to appear.
Bring the kids! This notice sent to exhibitors today from Disney #incredibles2 “INCREDIBLES 2 contains a sequence of flashing lights which may affect customers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy or other photo sensitivities.” pic.twitter.com/N2g0vQ8lsL
— Colin Geddes (@colingeddes) June 16, 2018
Important note: INCREDIBLES 2 contains a sequence of flashing lights which may affect customers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy or other photo sensitivities. Please see a manager if you have any questions or concerns!
— Alamo Drafthouse NYC (@AlamoNYC) June 16, 2018
So far as I can tell, there have been no verified reports of an actual epileptic seizure occurring during the film, but it’s good to keep in mind nonetheless.
No word on how a film with a major sequence of screen-filling flashing lights managed to not receive an epilepsy warning in the first place, though.
[Twitter]
Comments
25 responses to “PSA: Some Scenes In Incredibles 2 Might Be A Problem If You’re Epileptic”
Yep, absolutely could not believe the lack of warning. Super intense strobing. I guess the Australian Classifications Board is too busy protecting adults from drug use in video games…..
I didnt see the peanut warning at the cinema either.
What about all those with a allergy?
Im just as outraged as you are for not being catered/pandered too
Don’t be ridiculous, it’s perfectly reasonable to expect a movie that contains content unsafe for people with epilepsy is accompanied with warnings that it has content unsafe for epilepsy.
Look, I’d agree with you, but all those Chocs and such have the warnings on the packets themselves, unlike the movie, which comes with no such warning… Surely you’re not that stupid?
I think he is.
I wonder if Mucktard with a F over here sees gluten free options in the supermarket and gets outraged that they are pandering to celiacs.
Given it’s a mandatory warning required by video games I was quite surprised as it is the most intense strobing I’ve experienced in a cinema and far greater than anything i’ve seen in a game.
But you’re right – a 5 second warning before a kids movie is way too inconvenient. 20 minutes of ads is fine though.
You seem to exhibit the increasingly common mindset of “if it doesn’t affect me it doesn’t affect anyone”.
Pandering isn’t a thing when it comes to actual medical conditions that could affect someone.
Do you tell people in wheelchair’s to suck it up if a building doesn’t have wheelchair access?
This is one of the worst takes i’ve ever seen.
Thankfully I don’t get epilepsy but I get severe migraines from strobing lights so yeah I’d actually like to get a warning before hand that the movie has them in it.
If the movie *forced* me to eat peanuts I’d want a warning about that too.
For what it’s worth, I have the same problem but didn’t have any issues with Incredibles 2, obviously YMMV though.
Definitely should have a warning though, lots of strobe effects in the film, I could see at least one or two scenes being an issue for some.
Thanks for the info. Good to know.
Under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code – Standard 1.2.3 you will find that the cinemas are absolutely required to display food allergen information in relation to nuts if they are selling them.
You either didn’t look for them, didn’t see them or the cinema is breaking the law.
Riiight.
Because a parent not wanting their kid to die is outrageous in your eyes?
Grow the fuck up.
Have you realised how bad you fucked up yet or nah
do you realise how funny it is watching all you sad sad forum posters get so outraged and so upset?
who are the fools here?
hahaha keep it up guys
Ah yes, “I was just pretending to be retarded”. Solid defense.
Honestly, seeing the 0-13 up/downvotes is funnier than your comment was offensive, so it’s more of a net gain than anything.
I thought, in Aus at least, there were some rules around this. Like, Vid Games need them, as far as I know. How did the Rating Board not pick up on it either is another thing?
Because it isn’t law.
Photosensitive warnings aren’t mandatory in Australia. Other countries like the US they are, hence seeing them as part of the intro to games.
Really? Wow, I fully expected Aus would require a photosensitive warning.
Yup, really.
What a stuff up on Pixar’s part. It was Disney corporate who probably saw the lawsuit potential and issued the advisory notice, which isn’t something they’ve had to do before either.
Design and story wise, the strobe effects didn’t have to be in the film either. They could have used any number of other effects to have the same sort of impact without full screen flashing that’s been out of use since the Porygon episode of Pokemon back in 1997. The fact that the director outright ignored it and let it blast through blows my mind. From the looks of it, they’ve cheated the Harding test by lowering the frequency, passed it on a technicality, but not bothered to consult any medical professionals before putting the film out in a true stroke of genius. The end result is that it still triggers epilepsy and migraines. A+ work there on the director’s part. /s Truly taking reasonable care with film making practices, especially a in a kid’s film targeted towards vulnerable people by default.
The good news is, that like the Porygon episode, that the flashing should be removable or substantially dimmed for the Blu-ray and DVD releases and if Disney is smart, that’s exact what they’ll do.
As least Disney corporate owned up to it in America once people started complaining about it and sent out the advisories. That director will get more than a slap on the wrist with the sort of lawsuits such stupidity can trigger when there’s so many other ways of doing that story element that don’t involve risks of seizures or migraines.