Without spoiling anything, this probably has something to do with the use of fried chicken in the film (KFC certainly didn't want this kind of product placement and the bucket is noticeably logo-free in the film.) Nevertheless, another appeal may be on offer, but part of me just hopes they put it out into the wild, NC-17 and let it build the cult slowly. You do NOT want to trim that scene, it's the signature moment of the film; one of several that elevates Killer Joe above and beyond its genre. But, is unique in that it tightrope (comedy/horror) walks the audience out over the moral abyss without any kind of safety net. There is a certain audience with a certain sense of humour that this movie is for, and everyone else will likely be scratching their heads or offended to their core. That poster has exactly the right kind of sensibility for the film. And te "graphic aberrant content" description by the ratings board is a delightfully phrased, if perhaps accidental, selling point; not a warning. It might be the first MPAA helper-description that prompts one to pull out a dictionary.
Killer Joe is a sun-soaked noir with black comedy as its nougat centre, and features one of those absolutely nutty Matthew McConaughey performances. The actor is about as far from studio-romantic-comedy mode as he ever has been, playing a Bad Lieutenant taking advantage of a family of Texas trailer-park denizens (Emile Hirsch, Thomas Hayden Church, Gina Gershon and Juno Temple.) The film was written by Tracy Letts' who gave us the equally culty indie-Friedkin movie, Bug.
"When 22 year old drug dealer Chris (Hirsch) has his stash stolen by his mother, he has to come up with six thousand dollars quick or he's dead. Desperate, he turns to "Killer Joe" (McConaughey) when he finds out that his mother's life insurance policy is worth $50,000. Although Joe usually demands cash up front, he finds himself willing to bend the rules in exchange for Chris' attractive younger sister, Dottie (Temple), who will serve as sexual collateral until the money comes in...if it ever does."