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Posted: Mon., Jan. 8, 2007, 7:23am PT

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'Apocalypto' gets restricted rating in Italy

Courts rule kids under 14 prohibited from pic

By NICK VIVARELLI

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ROME -- A national outcry in Italy over the release of "Apocalypto" with an unrestricted rating prompted a Rome court to rule Monday that Italo kids under 14 will not be admitted to see the Mayan blood-and-guts saga.

Consumers association Codacons had taken legal action last week after the Italian censorship board gave the Mel Gibson pic the local equivalent of a G rating, sparking a storm of protest and calls from Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli for an overhaul of the country's quirky ratings system.

Monday's ruling made the evening newscasts, since the fact Italy was the only country worldwide where the pic was unrestricted had received prominent media play.

Meanwhile, amid the brouhaha, "Apocalypto" opened strong in Italy over the weekend, grossing $3.1 million on 316 screens and securing the No. 2 spot via local distrib Eagle Pictures.