Deadpool stormed theaters to achieve both critical and financial success. The dirty little engine that could, it won over audiences the world over with its crude humor, gory action, and a holiday themed sex montage. It turns out that those are the things that Utah doesn’t like, especially when alcohol is involved. Utah movie theater Brewvies was sued after it screened Deadpool while serving alcohol, but now they’ve fought back in an unexpected way.
This report comes from the local news affiliate Fox 13 who acquired the documents that claimed Brewvies lawyer Rocky Anderson was filing a restraining order against Utah’s alcohol control authority. The temporary restraining order will keep the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control from enforcing action while the current lawsuit is pending. In the document, Anderson went on to claim that the fine was "unconstitutional" and the restraining order will help protect Brewvies from punishment for "showing films protected under the First Amendment and the Utah Constitution." The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has since stated that it "would not be taking any enforcement action against Brewvies during the litigation -- making a restraining order unnecessary."
Rock Anderson is further fighting the fine by claiming that the law in question is vague in its interpretation of nudity. The law doesn’t make the distinction from a recorded piece of nudity or live action at display like in a strip club. Anderson further argues that the law would "prohibit Brewvies from showing works of art like Michaelangelo's "David" or Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus." Furthermore, the law doesn’t elaborate on physically touching genitals or just over the clothes, so Anderson says by that logic you could ban watching baseball or soccer on soccer matches on television (there is a lot of butt smacking in baseball).
The Utah movie theater Brewvies has been battling the lawsuit for a few weeks now after it showed the movie Deadpool while serving alcohol. Utah has a strict law prohibiting business establishments from serving liquor during acts of nudity and sexual content, and Brewvies is facing a fine of $1000 to $25,000.
This isn’t the first time Brewvies has been sued for showing an R-rated movie. In the past, they have been fined $1,627 for showing The Hangover Part II. They’ve also had their liquor license threatened for showing films like Ted 2 and Magic Mike XXL. I can’t imagine much worse than almost losing your license over a movie as inane and unimportant as Ted 2.
Brewvies is currently raising money in preparation for the lawsuit. Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds as already voiced his support for the movie theater from his Twitter account and it’s rumored that he donated $5000 to help battle the fine.
