‘Seven’ Lionizes Evil?

At the risk of joining naysaying codgers, it is sad to realize we’ve hit a new benchmark of film nihilism with the release of “Seven.” It used to be that exploitation stopped short of lionizing evil, and settled for sadism and pessimistic circumstances only through the body of the piece, not allowing evil to triumph. The message from “Seven” is that it is a rotten world throughout and that scattered shafts of human decency will be rewarded by senseless decapitation or torture. Powerless in the face of the sexy and superior force of malice, there is only degradation and death followed by hell, where the devil himself awaits.

Worst of all, this is not a small independent effort. This is a studio film with talented people. An otherwise quality production. With such an endorsement, it’s no wonder so many of the young are lost and hopeless.

KARL JOHNSON

Studio City