Prepare yourself for another spate of stories about how closed-minded Utah is - and, again, we have Larry H. Miller's Megaplex Theaters to thank for it.

As I reported in today's Tribune, the Utah movie chain - which operates 70 screens at five locations from Lehi to Ogden - has opted not to book the comedy "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" (opening nationwide on Friday) because managers there believe the R-rated movie is too close to an NC-17.

The New York Post's infamous Page Six gossip column broke the story on Monday (or, more likely, was fed the story by The Weinstein Company in a bid for free publicity). From there, the story spread across the Internet, including this commentary from one Wes Lawson, a student journalist at Southern Illinois University (Go Salukis!):

"I really can't believe we still live in a country where such blatant censorship and restriction is still accepted. It's doubtful anyone in Utah will read this, but I expect there to be protests and debates among the people who live near this theater chain as to what the owners are doing to them."

Wes, don't fear too much - the movie has not been banned in Utah. Every other chain that has theaters in the Beehive State (namely, Cinemark and Carmike) have booked "Zack and Miri" here, and so has the Broadway Centre Cinemas, Salt Lake City's downtown art-house multiplex. So Utah will not be suffering for a lack of Kevin Smith comedy.

The bigger point is the Megaplex chain's hypocrisy. Movies with sexuality - like "Zack and Miri" or, three years ago, "Brokeback Mountain" - are over the line for the Megaplex chain. But "torture porn" horror movies that show people being gruesomely maimed and killed (this week it's "Saw V," during the "Brokeback" incident it was "Hostel") are okey-dokey. That's a double standard, any way you slice it.