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Reel World Reality 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 MAR2011.133  (2003), PG-13 [R-13*] (1hr 44min) 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.)
 Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database Production (US): Witness Entertainment, Namesake Entertainment, Total Living Network, North by Northwest Entertainment Distribution (US): Fox Home Entertainment Director(s): Joe Goodman Producer(s): Steve Buhai, Rich Cowan, Joe Goodman, Bobby Neutz, Kelly Neutz, Frank Peretti, Jerry Rose, Ralph Winter Written by: Frank Peretti Screenplay: Kathy Mackel, Stan Foster Cinematography/Camera: Dan Heigh Music: David Bergeaud Film Editing: Mary Morrisey, Tiffany Wallach Casting: Dean E. Fronk, Donald Paul Pemrick Production Design: Vincent DeFelice Art Direction: Mike Cassell Viewed on Fox Home Entertainment DVD  While working up the Entertainment Media Analysis Report pages after watching this DVD ofHangman's Curse I felt it was reservedly acceptable but something about it was unsettling. I felt uneasy comfort with the film, comfort which was probably due to the fact there is no profanity, no one gets into bed with anyone and no teens scream obscenities at their parents which are all typical of PG-13s nowadays (which just goes to show you what Hollywood and the MPAA think of "teen"), but yet uneasy due to the presentation of teen suicide in and as entertainment ... again. I subjectively felt the content of Hangman's Curse was deserved of maybe a hard PG-equivalent score but not the PG-13 the MPAA slapped on it. But after crunching the numbers I find the content of Hangman's Curse earned scoring equivalent to many R-rated films; that it is indeed a strong R-13. This just goes to show you how the CAP analysis model (the Findings/Scoring section) could not care less about my personal opinion of a film. In the story select citizens are commissioned by the government to investigate strange happenings, crimes and other unusual circumstances including claims of paranormal activity. These undercover agents are known as the Veritas Project. "Veritas is Latin for truth." The Veritas team of this story consists of a family: the father, Nate Springfield (David Keith); the mother Sarah, (Mel Harris); the daughter, Elisha (Leighton Meester); the son, Elijah (Douglas Smith). Each is trained by the FBI to perform specialized services of crime fighting and tactics, hand-to-hand combat, arrest techniques and more. The Team is sent to John R. Rogers High School to investigate the strange death of Abel Frye (George Humphreys) who hung himself in the attic of the High School. Abel had reached his limit of hateful and brutal tormenting by the school "jocks." Ten years after Abel's suicide, students begin dropping ill in their tracks They first hallucinate and turn violently ill, thinking they are seeing Abel and call out his name then fall to unconsciousness requiring life support. There is one common thread to all the strange illnesses: each of the victims were tormentors. They tormented the class scientist, Norman Bloom (Daniel Farber) and a group of goth/punk kids who tried Satanism/witchcraft to protect themselves from the tormentors. But in their efforts to protect themselves, the goths became the prime suspects. Teenage Elijah and Elisha serve as infiltrators into the High School population to discover everything they could about the forces behind the mysterious illnesses. Dad became the school janitor to be in the perfect position to observe with relative invisibility. Mom is the research element of the team with the help of research lab specialist, Professor Dr. Algernon Wheeling (Frank Peretti - the author). Together Nate, Sarah and Dr. Wheeling discover and identify some strange substances in the lockers of the victims. Also found scratched through the paint on the inside of the locker of each victim is a stick figure image of a man being hanged: a hangman. One day a hangman appears in Elisha's locker. If you watch this film and the High School principal Debi Wyrthen seems to bear a resemblance to another performer, she should. She is John Travolta's sister, Margaret Travolta. Please inspect the individual content investigation area discussions below and the listing in the Findings/Scoring section before you decide whether to let your young ones watch this film. Is it not a Christian film any more than any other film that has a prayer or two and a token "Christian" song at the end. Salvation through the Gospel of Jesus is not even mentioned in the film. Following are brief discussions of the content per individual content 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 The film starts out with a long sequence of Abel carrying a noose through the halls of the High School to the attic to hang himself. That fairly well sets the tone for the sometimes submerged theme of the show but the content includes some matters of violence outside of suicide. In a subplot there are several firearms pointed at heads and faces, some of them teen. Bullying is a key element of the story. Additional elements of the violence content of this film include teens drawing images of hanging, talking of murder and suicide, physical assault and pursuit to do harm. There is enough violence content in this film for it to earn a zero out of 100 score, not so much because of the intensity of any particular portrayal of violence but because there are so many "lesser" examples of violence and violent matters. There are so many that the best way to learn of the violence content of this film would be to inspect the listing in the Findings section. This discussion area does not lend itself well to discussing all the examples. The reason I need some space here is to let you know of God's feelings about violence. Of the more than 50 verses where God speak darkly of violence, Proverb 16:29 is a good one with which to summarize. In Proverb 16:29 God warns that violence is "catching" and can lead one "into the way that is not good." Then, several hundred years after God warned us about violence, man plagiarized God's Word by four professional public health agencies jointly publishing their findings which warn that violence in and as entertainment can, among other things, lead the observer into real life violence and can lead the observer to feel that violence is an acceptable means of settling conflict. So, God warned us through His Word about violence. Professional public health agencies have, probably without knowing it, agreed with God's position regarding violence. But do we listen? Need more? Take a look at 1 Cor. 15:33. Impudence/Hate (I) - Zero out of 100 While no one speaks profanity, the film is filled with teens exhibiting arrogance and rebellion by embracing goth, Satanism and witchcraft. In the end, key goth practitioners indeed come around to their senses and leave the lifestyle, but we must always temper Hollywood's attempts at redemption with the understanding that a noble destination does not excuse an ignoble path. [Ps. 7:16, 2 Tim. 3:1 - 5, Gal. 5:19 - 21] Sexual Immorality (S) - 78 out of 100 There is no nudity in the entire 104 minutes of the film nor does anyone get in bed with anyone else. But one of the characters throws a booty call at Elisha. And there is dress on some of the High School girls that would get the wearer sent home to change into something less revealing and/or provocative. One of the male teachers puts his hands on a couple of the girl students. There is also a flash scene of a teen in his underwear. Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 90 out of 100 There is no alcohol or tobacco anywhere in the film but part of the beginning of the film is a drug bust of teens dealing in illegal drugs with felony intent to distribute. [Hab: 2:9] Offense to God (O) - 13 out of 100 Since goth embraces Satanic and unholy practices, any display of goth in the film is considered the same as display of witchcraft, sorcery, occultism and similar offences. The film is riddled with scenes of goth characters and goth practices, including a Satanic ritual and use of effigies hanging by the neck. [2 Tim. 3:1 - 5, Gal. 5:19 - 21] A teacher "teaches" moral relativism by telling his students that "right and wrong should be left up to the individual" as if there is no standard of right and wrong: as if God's Word is vapor. God's name is abused twice. [Deut. 5:11] Murder/Suicide (M) - 81 out of 100 Two students commit suicide. One by hanging (graphically) and another by poisonous spider bite. Some contend that suicide cannot be a sin because of whatever reasoning while no one seems to question murder as being wrong. Let me remind our readers that suicide, as heinous and as horrible a tragedy it is, is murder of the self. 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) - Zero out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - 78 out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 90 out of 100 Offense to God (O) - 13 out of 100 Murder/Suicide (M) - 81 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 |
