# CAP Alert review of Sin City **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 10, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672 "2005-04-10T17:08:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/1 "2005-04-10T17:08:44Z")
I was looking forward to this. [http://www.capalert.com/capreports/sincity.htm](http://www.capalert.com/capreports/sincity.htm) [NOTE: Spoilers in the review] ZEROs in every category. I learned one particularly interesting fact: apparently calling somebody a “fool” is offensive to God. This is backed up with a reference to Matthew 5:22: “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/2 "2005-04-10T17:27:41Z")
Well, we’ve devoted such effort to trashing CAP Alerts already that there isn’t much more to add. I do feel the need to snarkily point out that under the “fool” rule, Paul is in a lot of trouble. See Galatians, Chapter 3, verse 1. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Side_of_the_Floyd)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/3 "2005-04-10T17:42:32Z")
Is the CAP Alert supposed to make you _want_ to go see it? Because I do. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/4 "2005-04-10T17:57:13Z")
This is only the fourth movie with zero CAP score. the others are: American Psycho Freddy vs. Jason Scary Movie ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/5 "2005-04-10T18:54:31Z")
Some of my favorite offenses: –assault with sledge hammer, graphic (as opposed to a _tastefully presented_ assault with sledge hammer) –man kissing severed head (since, you know, it was a man’s head) –biting gore –thong nudity, repeatedly –squeezing head murder ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/6 "2005-04-10T18:57:56Z")
> [@DoctorJ](#): > > –squeezing head murder Band name! ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/7 "2005-04-10T19:07:36Z")
Really, why would any god-fearing person in their right mind think that Sin City is anything other than a violent, sexualized dystopia that is inappropriate for children? Gee, thanks for the hot information. I thought it was going to be about holy talking vegetables. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/8 "2005-04-10T19:40:21Z")
> [@ITR champion](#): > > Well, we’ve devoted such effort to trashing CAP Alerts already that there isn’t much more to add. I do feel the need to snarkily point out that under the “fool” rule, Paul is in a lot of trouble. See Galatians, Chapter 3, verse 1. After looking that up, I’m guessing God has a special “Anyone Who Denies The Crucificion Occured Really _Is_ A Fool” clause in His contract. This isn’t the first time Carver has pointed out the Matt 5:22 thing. He’s been doing it for a while now. One more funny thing I must point out: he’s becoming a conspiracy theorist now. Not only has he commented on his belief that there is more than one version of a film out in theaters (each with different content, some more obscene than others), he has also come up with this ridiculous conspiracy theory regarding Danny DaVito’s production company in his review of _Be Cool_: > [@The Reverend Thomas A. Carver](#): > > Maybe _Jersey Girl_ and one of the production companies for this film, Jersey Films are connected. That would explain a lot. Other than the fact that both the film and the production company are named for the same state, I don’t think there’s any connection between the two. But since I live in New Jersey, I love the idea of some great “NJ is a hotbed of sinful cinema” (sinema?) conspiracy theory. Why else would our local legendary character be known as the Jersey Devil? Hey, if there was some way to have the hockey team involved, that would be even more interesting! ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/9 "2005-04-10T20:21:39Z")
> [@stolichnaya](#): > > Really, why would any god-fearing person in their right mind think that Sin City is anything other than a violent, sexualized dystopia that is inappropriate for children? Gee, thanks for the hot information. I thought it was going to be about holy talking vegetables. Well actually, the TV commercials are fairly mis-leading in that they merely portray the more stylistic parts of the movie, sans the excessive violence, sexuality, etc. Not everyone keeps up to date with comics, let alone even realize that the film is based on one. ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/10 "2005-04-10T20:27:03Z")
But really, “Sin CIty”? You think that might have some sinning in it? ---
**Author:** ![Selkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Selkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Selkie)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/11 "2005-04-10T20:28:36Z")
I’m almost disappointed in the summary write-up; they’re usually more entertaining when the going gets grim & gritty. Can anyone guess what is meant by “translucent nudity”? The mental image I get is of nude ghosts, and somehow I don’t think that’s what the writer intended. Then again, I still can’t figure out how “The Pacifier” is more _morally_ objectionable than _Constantine_ to these people. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Side_of_the_Floyd)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/12 "2005-04-10T20:32:36Z")
> [@Selkie](#): > > I’m almost disappointed in the summary write-up; they’re usually more entertaining when the going gets grim & gritty. > > Can anyone guess what is meant by “translucent nudity”? The mental image I get is of nude ghosts, and somehow I don’t think that’s what the writer intended. Then again, I still can’t figure out how “The Pacifier” is more _morally_ objectionable than _Constantine_ to these people. I suppose they mean see-through dresses and the like. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/13 "2005-04-10T20:59:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Can anyone guess what is meant by “translucent nudity”? Wasn’t that a song by Queensryche? ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/14 "2005-04-10T21:22:44Z")
That guy Tom Carder looks like he could use some \* thong nudity, repeatedly. ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/15 "2005-04-10T21:25:05Z")
> [@stolichnaya](#): > > But really, “Sin CIty”? You think that might have some sinning in it? So did the Lion King 😉 I agree if they were expecting a soft-balling disney romp, they’d be sadly mistaken, but the previews certainly don’t display the movie as it actually is. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/16 "2005-04-10T21:34:00Z")
Apart from his nutty form of religious fanaticism, Tom Carder just isn’t intelligent or perceptive; his movie criticisms only list supposed moral offenses and completely ignore the intended audience and context for each film. He doesn’t seem to understand that material that would be unsuitable for a 4-year-old might be OK for a teen to watch. He’s also not a film buff and lacks a background of cinematic knowedge that might better inform his reviews. For instance, in his review of the Jonathan Demme remake of **The Manchurian Candidate** , Carder writes, > [@](#): > > In addition to violence, murders and the rather perverted sexual immorality which I very seriously doubt was in the original. . . If he had bothered to rent the original, he would have known that, yes, the incest theme is in the 1962 version and was even more pronounced in the Richard Condon novel on which the movies were based. Someone who aspires to be a film critic A. ought to do research instead of indulging in ignorant speculation and B. ought already to have a love for and deep knowledge of film. Mind, even if Carder had seen more films, he’s so dimwitted that he wouldn’t understand them. I also don’t get why he needs donations to review films. Lots of people finance their hobbies with day jobs, and watching two movies a week, writing the reviews, and posting them to his site shouldn’t be so onerous that he can’t also work. Moreover, his plea that lack of funds prevents him from reviewing some films is nonsense. He claims that he can’t review **Sideways** because of inadequate donations–dude, you can rent it at Blockbuster for $3.75! ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/17 "2005-04-10T21:48:01Z")
I thought he nailed it here: > [@](#): > > Sin City is yet another film that tends to remind me of the paintings in which a gaggle of demons dance and prance about a boiling cauldron, shrieking with glee as they toss soul after soul into the cauldron of Hell, cauterizing any veins of escape. I’m pretty sure that’s what Frank Miller was going for. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/18 "2005-04-10T21:48:42Z")
Matthew 5:22 and Galatians 2:1 use two different words: [symbol]moros[/symbol] and [symbol]anoetos[/symbol] respectively. The Matthew term is better translated as “impious”, or “godless” (Strongs 3474). The Galatians term is indeed “foolish” or “unwise” (Strongs 453). The point of Matthew 5:22 is that making intellectual judgments ([symbol]raka[/symbol]) is ill advised, but making moral judgments ([symbol]moros[/symbol]) is categorgically prohibited. ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2005, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/19 "2005-04-11T01:30:10Z")
Who on God’s green earth is crazy enough to think that, a movie called Sin City and has seen the previews and the R rating, this is something for children?!?!?! Protecting what little ones?!?!!? Beyond foolish. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2005, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672/20 "2005-04-11T01:31:40Z")
> [@gobear](#): > > Someone who aspires to be a film critic A. ought to do research instead of indulging in ignorant speculation and B. ought already to have a love for and deep knowledge of film. He has stated a number of times that he is not a film critic in the literal sense of the word. His homepage features the phrase “On to the ‘reviews!’” with “reviews” in quotation marks. And in the site FAQ, he states: > [@](#): > > Our service is not “reviews.” The CAP Ministry provides analyses to moms and dads to reveal the truth about the content of popular entertainment using God’s Word to discern what to tell them so they can make an informed decision on their own whether a vehicle of entertainment is fit for their kids or themselves without having to sit through it to know. His goal is not to review films for their artistic content, but for their moral content from a Christian standpoint. I’m not saying he does a good job of it, though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cap-alert-review-of-sin-city/298672.md?page=2)