Not-at-all biased article

[Vermin Boy]

I was looking at www.capalert.com (a fanatical "parents beware" review site that's always good for a laugh), and I found this article that I thought you guys would get a kick out of.
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Ex-Porn Film Screenwriter Roger Ebert Pans Christian Movie Review Site
 
 
Tuesday, January 29 @ 17:09:51 EST  


Washington, DC - In a recent newspaper column Q&A, film reviewer Roger Ebert responded to a question from a filmgoer who was deeply offended by movie reviews produced by the Child Care Action Project (CAP), a Texas-based ministry headed by Thomas A. Carder. The filmgoer said that CAP is "the most insulting movie site on the Web. Their lust for demeaning a film solely on its content (violence, sex, profanity) is annoying." Ebert agreed. He noted that "At www.capalert.com, few films seem innocent" and recommended another movie review site that offers "sane advice" about movies. Ebert apparently considers it "insane" for a Christian movie review site to consider profanity, explicit sex, and anti-Biblical messages in its analysis of films.

CAP provides what may be the most thorough analysis of films available on the Internet. Carder carefully analyzes each film to give parents a detailed overview of objectionable content. Parents can then make up their own minds about what films their children may see. Carder's site can help parents pinpoint films that may seem innocent on the surface, but that contain messages or images that violate the Christian beliefs of those parents.

It is not surprising that Roger Ebert would be immune from concerns over explicit sex, violence, anti-Christian messages, or profanity in movies. Ebert was a screenwriter in the 1970s for Russ Meyer, one of the pioneers of mainstream pornographic films.

Ebert wrote the screenplay for Meyer's "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls," a sexually explicit film that ends with a bloody Charles Manson-like massacre. He also penned "Vixens," "Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens," and "Up." Writing under a pseudonym for "Up," Ebert created a pornographic film that featured a violent double rape scene that was apparently too disturbing even for Meyer's hard-core followers.

Given Ebert's love of pornography and violence, it would seem far more appropriate for concerned parents to consult the Child Care Action Project for movie reviews, than to depend upon Ebert for allegedly "sane" reviews of today's films. Ebert has obviously been desensitized to the point where he cannot clearly distinguish between right and wrong or good and evil. It is disheartening to think that so many filmgoers depend upon his advice for what they will see. Fortunately, CAP and Ted Baehr's www.movieguide.org web site offer other movie review options for parents.
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I doubt these people have actually seen any of Russ Meyer's films; BVD is hardly porn, and the end massacre is only "Manson-like" in the sense that people are killed. I love how they decide that Ebert "cannot clearly distinguish between right and wrong or good and evil" simply because he disagrees with their style. Oh, and I didn't know Ebert wrote other movies for Meyer; Learn something new every day!

[jmc]

I always think it's funny whenever anyone digs up Ebert's screenwriting work.  I think it's only been in recent years when he's been willing to talk about his work for Meyer.

I think those fanatical sites are a hoot...they're as bad as teenage boys who only watch movies for the "dirty" parts!

[Chadzilla]

What is sad is that these people truly BELIEVE this to be true and that they are on the side of the truly Right.  Just as long as they do not block MY right to watch morally repugnant anti-Christian pornosmutsex and/or violence laden crapfests then it's alright with me.

A while back there was a movie called "A Walk in the Park" or "A Walk to Remember" about some sweet Christian girl and some bad boy falling in love with each other (as opposed to themselves).  Ted Baehr said "It might have too much romantic content" but that it was still "special".  I think in his context romantic content refers not to the love story stuff, but the 'follow your heart' ideology instead of following the Word of God.

Besides, Jesus will be showing up real soon and kicking the sinners off the marble to make way for the meek or something.  Enjoy it while you got it.

[Foywonder]

Actually, Ebert has always been rather open about his writing of BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. Usually he'd joke about it. How many people can claim they wrote a Russ Meyers' movie and won a Pulitzer Prize?

[Foywonder]

And Christian Conservatives wonder why they are so reviled? The moment any criticism comes their way they make it personal. Of course Roger Ebert didn't like their site because he's an evil, wicked man! And they wonder why Ebert and so many others think they're insane.

[systemcr4sh]

I read some reviews there and I didn't see one movie that they thought was good. Even some of the pg-13/pg movies about christianity and stuff they gave wrong I think.those "biblical thriller" type movies. hehe.

[J.R.]

I myself am a Christian, but these people are insane! I really don't think any of us will wallow in the pits of damnation for watching a film with swearing in it. Everyone swears, the violence and sex on screen isn't real and have you ever seen a film produced by one of these fundamentalist groups in-house? God wouldn't even like them.

[J.R.]

Here is their reviw for Idle Hands-

Wanton Violence/Crime (W):

cat licking up blood
police brutality
police corruption
cat licking a human eyeball
dead bodies with gore
body parts
burial of bodies in back yard
a hit to the face with a shovel
arrogant driving through a collection of mourning flowers
gunshot to the head

Impudence/Hate (I)(1):

7 uses of the most foul of foul words
27 uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary
arrogance toward mother
vulgar talk about mother
vulgar hand gestures
a general attitude of "It ain't good enough, not matter what 'it' is."
hateful reaction
death metal video

Sex/Homosexuality (S):

heterosexual couple in bed in nightclothes
teen underwear, and in public
inappropriate touch
vulgar self-touch
vulgar sex talk
video clip of sadomasochism
vulgar dance video with partial nudity
exposing self in underwear to entice a visitor
sexual references
unmarried couple in bed

Drugs/Alcohol (D):

smoking dope
drug dealing
drug paraphernalia

Offense to God (O)(2):

bloody evil imagery
Halloween (all hallow's eve - a satanic holiday) decorations
tattoos, repeatedly (Lev. 19:28)
pentagram symbol and unicorn horn (see
unholy presence throughout
devil song
resurrection of the dead
talking decapitated head
search for knowledge of Satan

Seems similar to the review template of this site. A heterosexual couple in bed, in nightclothes does not instantly mean hanky-panky, so that shows you the mindset of this guy. If watching this sort of "filth" is sinful, why does this guy carefully inspect these movies for the dirty parts?

[jmc]

I dunno, but he sure makes the movie sound better than it probably is!  Maybe he works for the studios.

[Squishy]

Yes, Ebert brought up "Beyond..." back when he and Siskel were doing the original "Sneak Previews" and did a special on "Blue Cinema."

Frankly, Siskel was the bigger pervert; he once clamored for "more sexy teenaged Latino girls in movies" (yipe, Gene, get a raincoat) during one review, yet was forever unapologetic about publicly posting the names and addresses of Betsy Palmer and Adrianne King (and calling upon all the weirdos out there to harass them out of Hollywood*) for offending him with "Friday the 13th." (He did not list similar information for the producer, director, or any male cast members--not even Paramount Pictures.)

*Which the weirdos gladly did.

As for this "Christian" review site: like the Bush administration, psuedoreligious organizations use constant fear of culture--foreign and domestic--to keep the "flock" loyal. Remember how Pat Buchanan, George Will and their ilk always talked about "the Culture War(s)?" That kinda dried up on 9/11, but the principle remains in play. "If you don't send all your money to Pat Robertson/Oral Roberts/Benny Hinn/the GOP right now, the ********s will GET YOU!" (Fill in the ethnic/sexual/political/whatever affiliation of your choice. All that matter is: they're DIFFERENT, and therefore EVIL.)

[Steven Millan]

                     I fully agree with you both,Squishy and Vermin Boy,though the simple truth here is that both the CCAP website and Roger Ebert both suck.
                      Ebert had better be careful which big budget films he trashes,for he never did write what critics and studios ignorantly today consider "real" movies.
                     And,despite the known fact(of Ebert scripting Meyer's three final films,as well),I'll still always consider Russ Meyer to be the true brains behind "Supervixens","Up"(which contains a male/male sex scene[which is played as a comical Nazi bashing bit],and the gory chainsaw impalement of a seven foot Roddy Piper looking rapist),"Beyond the Valley of the Dolls",and Meyer's final outing,"Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens"(where Meyer appears on-screen,and fully promises that his next film will be "Jaws of Vixen",which was never made,thanks to the major studios' successful slaying of softcore flicks playing mainstream theaters...damn,I heavily miss those days!!!),for I heavily doubt it if Ebert would really have had the heavily outrageous imagination that Meyer had to pull off all of the gory violence and raunchy sex that those four films all had,and made them the cult classics that they still are today(though they're hard to find,thanks to Meyer's ultra-expensive charging for even one single copy of a VHS copy of one of those features,since he personally distribute them on his self-video label,Russ Meyer Films).

[Squishy]

True dat, Steven. In my rant, I forgot about Ebert! One of these things is true about Roger Ebert (pick your favorite):

(a) He is partially missing a frontal lobe.
(b) He accepts bribes in exchange for positive reviews of total crapfests.
(c) All of the above.

[John]

The review site that Ebert probably recommended is;

http://www.screenit.com

 Which offers detailed listings of all objectionable content in a movie without making any value judgements. They probably don't like that site because it doesn't label anything 'sinful'.

[Foywonder]

> (b) He accepts bribes in exchange for positive reviews of  total crapfests.

Such as? If you're going to make the accusation, then give some examples.

[Flangepart]

My...arn't we paranoid.
....And i hate to say it, but that includes some of us.
...."Different " = "Evil"? I've seen the same attitude of some of the left. Same mindset, different words and images to express it. You can create any image you want to define your self as supetior to "Them" (Who ever them is), but it is easy to become the thing you hate.
.... Also, the cutting on the reviewers of movies at sites like these....sounds like an easy out. To assume that all such people like the ("porn. violence, sin") whatever, may be unfare. When Andrew reviews a movie, he risks pain..."Sorority Vampire Ect" Anyone?....to determin if the flick in question is worth watching agine. He does not give "Terminate with extream predujice" orders lightly! We are all biased, its just a question of what bias we hold too. Are there "Culture wars" going on? I think so...but, on how to deal with them, let alone define what they are, is not easy.
.... Who's cultural beliefs? Who's definition of accepable behavior is going to proliferate? "They" think they are right, "We" think we are. I have found from experiance that human ego will express itself, and it only a matter of method and style. We should never let our disagreements lead us to contempt for people we don't agree with. I know, believe me, that sincerity of belief does not make you right.
....once, people sincearly believed the world was flat.
....Once, i sincearly believed anyone who was not just like me was an idiot.
....Boy, was i dumb!
....Are we totaly right? Or, are we just right in our own eyes? I don't bother with sites like the CCAP. I make up my own mind. Reviews are personal opinion, just like mine or Andrew's or Ken's  But, in principle...in principle...i believe i understand what they intended to say. Weither they acheved it or not, is a personal conclusion only you or i can make.
....We go to a site like Andrews, because we know from experiance we will most often like what we see. Vermin Boy went to the Capsite because he expected to find stuff he would disagree with, and in doing so, would get an image he could riff on. Fair enough. I don't tend to do that, as i got enough ulcers from my day job, what. i need more? Thats why i avoid  shows like "Crossfire" and "Hannity and Combs" because i hate arguments. Whats the point?
....It won't change anyones mind about the Capsite. Thats cool. but i do want us to conciter how easy it is to dehumanise people we disagree with. J.R's quoteing of the review of Idol Hands makes me want to avoid it. As the review intended. Just by that, it confirms my own taste preferance, to avoid gory flicks. I just don't like 'em. You want it, have at it. I have my reasons, but they ain't yours.
.... I guess what i'm trying to say, is don't take it as obvious that the people who run that site are all arrogant stereotypes of the worst of Christianity. There are plenty of non christians who are the same way...they just don't get the same amount of press. Some of them are the press! And don't get me started on Washington! "Hey congress...tax this!"
.... Ah, screw it. Enough pontificating. Just keep an open mind, is all. When you get older, you may change...may? HAH! From experiance , i know. People are people. And who will judge us? I believe i know...and you will only know when you become worm food. And, boy...are Fallwell, Robertson et.al in for a suprise!
.... Thats my two cents worth. Play nice.