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Entertainment Media Analysis Report A service to parents and grandparents MAR20084 The Crew (2000), (PG-13) CAP Score: 21 CAP Influence Density: 2.00

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Christian Banner eXchange ALERT: To fully understand this report you should first visit the topics suggested by the CAP Table of Contents. For FREE text-only versions of our media analysis reports as they are calculated, open this email then click "send." If your browser does not handle this URL format properly, send us a request to add you. NOTE: We make no scoring allowances for Hollywood's trumped-up "messages" to excuse, or its manufacturing of justification for aberrant behavior or imagery. This is NOT a movie review service. It is a movie analysis service to parents and grandparents to tell them the truth about movies using the Truth. If you do not want the plot, ending, or "secrets" of a movie spoiled for you, skip the Summary/Commentary. In any case, be sure to visit the Findings/Scoring section -- it is purely objective and is the heart of the CAP Entertainment Media Analysis Model applied to this movie On July 26, 2000 the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry released a joint statement regarding the dangers of violence in entertainment. I applaud these associations for fortifying 1 Cor. 15:33. An exceptionally important statement in the release that deserves your earnest attention is "There are some in the entertainment industry who maintain that 1) violent programming is harmless because no studies exist that prove a connection between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior in children, and 2) young people know that television, movies, and video games are simply fantasy. Unfortunately, they are wrong on both accounts." [Emphasis is mine] Another statement in the report is "Viewing violence may lead to real life violence." From our five-year study, I contend that other aberrant behaviors, attitudes, and expressions can be inserted in place of "violence" in that statement. Our Director - Child Psychology Support, a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist concurs. For example, "Viewing arrogance against fair authority may lead to your kids defying you in real life." Or "Viewing sex may lead to sex in real life." Likewise and especially with impudence, hate and foul language. I further contend that any positive behavior can be inserted in place of "violence" with the same chance or likelihood of being a behavior template for the observer; of being incorporated into the behavior mechanics and/or coping skills of the observer. In choosing your entertainment, please consider carefully the joint statement and our findings. If Scriptural references appear, the full text appears at the end of the Summary / Commentary likely using a mix of KJV and NIV. SUMMARY / COMMENTARY: The Crew (PG-13) -- another R-13, a hardcore R-13. As four geri-mobsters plan to upgrade the run-down motel/hotel they live in to a swanky Beach Bunch establishment (said with the eyes closed eyebrows raised and nose in the air), the new cinematic technique of using tons of "lesser" items of extreme impoliteness and other unacceptable behavior instead of the "traditional" few bold items which typically make an R-rated movie makes this "R-13" rampant with violence, sexuality, and foul language. Bobby Bartellemeo (Richard Dreyfuss), Mike [The Brick] Donatelli (Dan Hedaya), Joey [Bats] Pistella (Burt Reynolds), and Tony [Mouth] Donato (Seymour Cassel) are the Crew of once heavy weight bad guys. Bobby heads up the aging crew into planning to use a murder on the premises to boost the popularity of it. But instead of murdering someone, they decide to shoot a corpse and stage it as a murder. With the corpse in place, none of the boys can shoot the old dead man. But when one of them finally drops the illegally purchased shotgun, it discharges into the body of the dead man. Viola! A murder victim without the murder. The murder victim, instead of being a "nobody" is the body of a crimeboss's father and the crimeboss launches a comical vendetta to find those who desecrated his father. How did they get the body? I'm glad you asked -- by theft from a morgue at which The Brick (Donatelli) works parttime. It seems the old fellow had Alzheimers and wandered out of the care facility and died (without any clothes on, I might add). So, yes, there is nudity, not just of the old man either, in this flick to fortify the summer of 2000 series to push smut to teens, very young teens at that. A lot of 13 year old kids (and younger) now know what grandpa looks like without any clothes. And forty-seven uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary and God's name in vain both with and without the four letter expletive honors the trend of PG-13 movies to teach your youngsters how to cuss. Oh yeah! The most foul of the foul words are there, too in this 79-minute waste of time. As connectivity to more sexual programming, Mouth (Danato) blabs the caper to a stripper, Ferris (Jennifer Tilly) who happens to be the stepdaughter of Pepper Lowenstein (Lainie Kazan), a past TV commercial personality of a deli the Crew used to frequent back in New York. And into the fray comes a couple Miami PD detectives, of which one has connections with the Crew and the other has connections with the crimeboss. Not to mention the desensitization of crime [Hab. 2:12; Isa. 33:15, 16] and murder [Luke 18:20] by planting them into a comedy routine, the flagrant disrespect for sexual relationships will undoubtedly have some impact on the viewer [Prov. 16:30; 1Ths. 4:3]. There is much, much more to the ignominy for your 13 year old in The Crew. Please review the Findings/Scoring listing below to gain the most complete assessment of this "entertainment" as possible. ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 1 Cor. 15:33 (KJV) Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. (NIV) Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character. Hab. 2:12 Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town [reign] by crime! Isa. 33:15, 16 He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects gain from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil - this is the man who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. His bread will be supplied, and water will not fail him. Luke 18:20 You know the commandments: `Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.' Prov. 16:30 He who winks with his eye is plotting perversity; he who purses his lips is bent on evil. 1Ths. 4:3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo As always, it is best to refer to the Findings/Scoring section -- the heart of the CAP analysis model -- for the most complete assessment possible of this movie. FINDINGS / SCORING: NOTE: Multiple occurrences of each item described below may be likely, definitely when plural. Wanton Violence/Crime (W): firearms Illegal firearm purchase planning robbery theft of a corpse hit contract (verbal) breaking and entering kidnapping crooked cop firearm threats abductions face kicks molotov cocktails multiple gunfire to kill tripe death by crushing abduction with firearm flight to avoid legal capture attempted murder by firearm firearm injury Impudence/Hate (I)(1): two uses of the most foul of the foul words 32 uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary public urination Sex/Homosexuality (S): threat to do harm specifically to male parts female nudity, full and partial toe sucking camera angle to force viewer on private parts dressing to maximize the female form and/or skin exposure excessive cleavage prostitution man and woman in bed male nudity, rear sexual comments, innuendo, talk, insults, anatomical references strip bar suggestive eye movement inappropriate touch Drugs/Alcohol (D): drinking booze smoking Offense to God (O)(2): seven uses of God's name in vain with the four letter expletive and 6 without "I'm in Heaven" while in a strip bar Murder/Suicide (M)(3): multiple murders by gunfire murder by drowning

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(1) As noted in CAP Special Report-001, "Investigation Area and Scoring Trend," of the six CAP Investigation Areas, Impudence/Hate was the strongest presence in all four movie classifications. It has a strong revelation about the entertainment media.

(2) The use of the three/four letter word vocabulary without God's name in vain is incorporated into the Impudence/Hate Investigation Area. The use of God's name with or without the four letter expletive is incorporated into the Offense to God Investigation Area. There is no duplication.

(3) Only portrayal of successful murder or suicide are incorporated into Murder/Suicide. Portrayal of attempts to commit murder or suicide and deaths by police action or war are incorporated into Wanton Violence/Crime.

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Thomas A. Carder
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ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP)

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