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A ministry of the ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP Ministry) A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Christian Ministry. www.capalert.com/ Entertainment Media Analysis Report A service to His little ones through you in His name by His Word MAR2011.114  (2004), NR [R-NR*] (1hr 42.4min) The #1 Christian entertainment media analysis service on the Internet. We give you OBJECTIVE tools NO ONE ELSE CAN to help YOU make an informed decision for yourself whether a film is fit for your family. Over 1300 analyses for parents, grandparents, pastors, youth leaders and more. |
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(While the Scriptural references are certainly not subjective, my commentary may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)
 Production (US): Majestic Productions, Signal Hill Productions Distribution (US): ChristainCinema.com (2004), Trinity Broadcasting Network (2006), Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) Director(s): Kevin Downes Producer(s): Paul Crouch Jr., Bobby Downes, Kevin Downes, Terry Hickey, Jeffrey Lee Hollis, Declan Joyce, Chipper Lowell, Coleman Luck III, Geoff Ludlow, Cosimo Michael Occhipinti, D. Gunther Tarampi, Dan Wells, Marta Wells, David A.R. White Story by: Kevin Downes, David White, Fletcher Grayson Written by: Fletcher Graywon, Chipper Lowell, David A. R. White Cinematography/Camera: Philip Hurn Music: Stefan Fantini, Mark Fantini Film Editing: Jeffrey Lee Hollis Production Design: Laird Pulver Art Direction: Niko Vilaivongs Viewed on ChristianCinema.com Home Video  This is the first R-equivalent movie I have seen that does not contain at least profanity and nudity. I didn't know it could be done, but it has now. In a futuristic pre-Armageddon setting, a man called The Leader, who claims to be God [2 Thess. 2:4], using high-tech surveillance has destroyed the order of things we have known and imprisons all who do not comply with the new order, the Community. Death by guillotine awaits anyone who resists the Community and the conformity it requires - that all must accept the mark of the beast by receiving an implant on their right hands or on their foreheads. [Rev. 13:16 - 18] Car thieves Brody (David White) and Jerry (Kevin Downes) are captured by the Community Police Force (CPF) and sent to prison. Brody and Jerry have not accepted the mark of the beast on their right hands or foreheads and are sentenced to death unless they agree to deny Jesus as Lord. Interspersed with this activity, ex-LA police officer Tom Newman (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is introduced as he peddles his smuggled contraband. Newman has not accepted the mark either and is tortured instead of killed because the CPF wants to use Newman to infiltrate a renegade Christian group led by Elisha Cohen (Cosimo Michael ) to assassinate him. In the prison the quintessential trio meet dozens of believers in Christ who worship together as their two weeks to live grow shorter day by day. The walls of every cell are plastered with verses from the Bible. All the prisoners must do to be set free is to accept the mark of the beast - a microchip implant. But they won't. They are not afraid to die since they know where they are going after death. And that irritates the CPF - the fear of being killed is their key control tool but it doesn't work with the Christians. A fellow named Luke (Steven Baldwin) serves as the jailbird "pastor" of the prisoners. Luke claims to speak with God and knows many things about the newcomers before they even open their mouths. Luke also provides a path for the escape of Brody, Jerry and Tom much like the angel who enables Peter's escape from Herod's prison [Acts 12:7], even the opened iron gate [Acts 12:10] These are just a few of the several subplots woven together in an intricate cinematic fabric too complex to summarize here ... but definitely R-equivalent. SIX: The Mark Unleashed is another end-times thriller bearing a common thread with and an added perspective of the Bible's accounting of how life in the end-times is expected to be [2 Tim. 3:1 - 5]. One of the interesting things the story portrays is that people must choose to accept the mark of the beast: that if it is forced on someone s/he will either die or "go bananas." That is a clever device that points well to personal accountability. Just a quick note about one matter of attention to detail in the film. The jailhouse guards in this film carry firearms in the dayroom of the cell pods. I have served as a jailhouse medic for a large county jail with more than 3000 inmates and can tell you that carrying firearms around the inmates is not done. In any jail. The pod guards must oversee 40 to 60 inmates (they are not prisoners ... yet) and at any time the 40 to 60 inmates could easily overpower a guard ... and if s/he has a firearm... The Sheriff would not even let me carry scissors or a penlight to check pupil response. Following are brief discussions of the content per individual CAP investigation area. As always the Findings section of this report is the best source for discovering the full accounting of the content of this film. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100 Several times a six-bay guillotine with blades hoisted above six men with their necks in the stocks and the blades falling is seen, then off camera are the sounds of the six blades slicing and six heads falling into baskets. These are just examples of the violence in this clearly R-equivalent film. The extent of the violence content is too great to summarize here. A full accounting of the violence content is provided in the Findings section. It might be advisable to remind our readers of God's Word about violence: that violence is "catching" and can lead one "into the way that is not good." [Prov. 16:29] Since God "published His findings" about violence, man has chimed in on His Wisdom by four professional public health agencies jointly publishing their findings which warn that viewing violence in and as entertainment, especially by the young, can (among other behavioral aberrations) lead to real life violence and can lead the viewer to believing violence is an acceptable means of settling conflict. Impudence/Hate (I) - 87 out of 100 There is not one instance of profanity or the most foul of the foul words in the entire 102.4 minutes of the film. But a lengthy oration of licentious and anarchical freedoms, avarice, population control, concupiscence, death, murder and more plus some talk of taking visceral pleasure in torture stole a few points from the starting 100 points in this investigation area. [2 Tim. 3:1 - 5] Sexual Immorality (S) - 97 out of 100 Part of the lifestyle of the new order portrayed as acceptable and even encouraged is pansexuality. Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 80 out of 100 Drinking alcohol is seen twice. Smoking is seen once. Offense to God (O) - 25 out of 100 In a film about the end-times it can be expected to see and hear a number of violations, corruptions and counterfeitings of His Word. Such is true for this film as well. A long oration about the new order and its licentious freedoms is heard. Extreme corruption of the Gospel of Jesus is presented. Denial of Heaven and Hell is noted. Calling Salvation a bad influence is used as well. As each of these may be "necessary" to what the writers wanted said, simply that they are said might cause that which God warned us of about such: that "smooth talk" and vain philosophy may cause some, or even one to walk away from Jesus and embrace the freedom from accountability, freedom from authority and freedom from consequences the lifestyle of the end times will nurture. [Zech. 10:2, 2 Tim. 2:16 - 17, Rom. 16:18, Col. 2:8] Murder/Suicide (M) - 22 out of 100 Three shooters are seen gunning down seven helpless Christians. There are at least ten gunfire murders in this film. There is no gore but the impact of such behavior does not necessarily need gore to be potentially corruptive. In such a cinematic event, the influence is made. Gore would be little more than eye candy to them who like gore. Nothing more. One technique used by the filmmakers to "sanitize" demonstration of cinematic murder is to show the victim with the shooter aiming a gun at him/her then breaking away to just the shooter discharging the firearm or breaking to the next scene while just hearing the firearm discharge. The influence of such a display under such a technique is hardly minimized. As long as the discharge of the firearm is heard, whether seen, it is clear what has cinematically happened. SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION(S) If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ] or bold. If you wish to have full context available, the Blue Letter Bible is a convenient source. If you use the Blue Letter Bible, a new window will open. Close it to return here or use "Window" in your browser's menu bar to alternate between the CAP page and the Blue Letter Bible page. CHAPTER/VERSE --> Children who see a lot of violence are more likely to view violence as an effective way of settling conflicts. Children exposed to violence are more likely to assume the acts of violence are acceptable behavior. --> Viewing violence can lead to emotional desensitization towards violence in real life. It can decease the likelihood that one will take action on behalf of a victim when violence occurs. --> Entertainment violence feeds a perception that the world is a violent and mean place. Viewing violence increases fear of becoming a victim of violence, with a resultant increase in self-protective behavior and a mistrust of others. --> Viewing violence may lead to real life violence. Children exposed to violent programming at a young age have a higher tendency for violent and aggressive behavior later in life than children who are not so exposed. Further, God speaks darkly of violence 56 times in the Old and New Testament of the KJV.] 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. |
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(The objective heart of the CAP Analysis Model, independent of and insulated from the Summary / Commentary section.)  Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - 87 out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - 97 out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 80 out of 100 Offense to God (O) - 25 out of 100 Murder/Suicide (M) - 22 out of 100 |
| 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." And "Viewing violence may lead to real life violence." I applaud these associations for fortifying 1 Cor. 15:33. Read the rest of the story. From our years of 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 "rest of the story" and our findings. |
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| For G rated Films with G equivalence: G PG equivalence: PG-G PG-13 equivalence: 13-G R equivalence: R-G< | For PG rated Films with G equivalence: G-PG PG equivalence: PG PG-13 equivalence: 13-PG R equivalence: R-PG | For PG-13 rated Films with G equivalence: G-13 PG equivalence: PG(13) PG-13 equivalence: PG-13 R equivalence: R-13 | For R rated Films with G equivalence: G-R PG equivalence: PG-R PG-13 equivalence: 13-R R equivalence: R | For NR rated Films with G equivalence: G-NR PG equivalence: PG-NR PG-13 equivalence: 13-NR R equivalence: R-NR |