With few adults still in the house at RIOC, the beleaguered state agency’s summer movies series rolled out a line up of mostly R-Rated films kids shouldn’t see.
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
RIOC’s 2021 Summer Movies Kids Should Not See
In years past, RIOC enhanced community relations, welcoming families to Southpoint Park with movie watching fun for all ages.
But Southpoint’s been sacrificed in a Brooklyn Bridge Park North remodeling that may never end. And the films are now violent and profane, 4 out of 7 R-Rated. There’s plentiful nudity and a man executed by a shot through the back of his head…
Here’s what Common Sense Media says about one, Eddie Murphy’s Beverly Hills Cop:
“Violence is not pervasive, but when it appears, it’s rendered realistically — fistfights leave marks and gunshots produce blood and/or death. A man is shot and killed in the back of the head at close range. There’s a strip club scene featuring female nudity.”
Ready to bring out the gang for family entertainment?
In 2019, When Grownups Still Managed RIOC
For the record, here’s the poster from 2019 before the pandemic interrupted the series.

This year, RIOC’s overstaffed Communications Team posted a bulleted list, numbingly unaware that packing it with Rs cut off much of the community.
- Saturday, July 10th: Mad Max: Fury Road (Rated R)
- Friday, July 23rd: Black Stallion
- Saturday, July 24th: Beverly Hills Cop (Rated R)
- Friday, June 30th: Minari
- Friday, August 13th: Bridesmaids (Rated R)
- Friday, August 20th: Rocketman (Rated R)
- Saturday, August 21st: The Mighty Ducks
Conclusion
RIOC’s loss of internal control or, more accurately, turning authority over to unqualified amateurs, is serious.
From the brutal mishandling of scarce 4th of July Fireworks tickets to taking over Blackwell House for office space, the state agency, almost daily, confirms itself as the worst group ever overseeing Roosevelt Island.
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily
- A Week Rooted in Community: Daily Life and Neighbor Connections on Roosevelt IslandThis week, daily life and neighbor connections on Roosevelt Island come into focus with stories of parks, transit, public safety, and community rhythms shaping the summer.
- NYC Health + Hospitals Data Breach Lawsuit: What Roosevelt Island Readers Should KnowA proposed class action says millions of NYC Health + Hospitals patients, staff and family members may have had deeply sensitive information exposed. Here is what Roosevelt Island readers should know.
- Queens Community News and Events: How Local Stories Echo on Roosevelt IslandQueens community news and events shape daily life on Roosevelt Island and beyond. From park reopening and fundraisers to public safety and local transit, catch up on the stories echoing across both neighborhoods.
- How Roosevelt Island Connects with Queens This Week: Community, Safety, and Neighborhood CelebrationsHow Roosevelt Island connects with Queens is clear in this week’s stories of community, public safety, celebrations, and neighborhood life in both boroughs.
- Connecting Roosevelt Island Community Life with Local Transit, Safety, and Business InitiativesConnecting Roosevelt Island community life with local transit, safety, and business initiatives, this week’s Beat explores how citywide stories shape our days and routines.
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There was a time when representation felt like the answer.










