Don't get the hate or controversy

Mainly because I don't agree with the idea that violence, torture and horrible situations in movies are devoid of merit. It's a great way to experience and therefore understand the evils of the world.
And if a movie is silly enough to use it for nothing more than visceral entertainment, then that's what it can be. We all know movies are not real. The difference between real violence/documented violence and movie violence is so huge it goes without saying. The people who act like there's not a difference are the ones with a problem. Next they'll say kids playing cowboys and Indians are demented.
Basically the whole theme that we the audience are sick for watching violent media doesn't ring true for me. If you want to get down to it, it's a natural interest. Death is a huge part of life for all of us and death at the hands of other people makes strong human drama. And since human drama is the entire point of almost every story, death and murder will crop up a lot. From the Bible to Hamlet to The Godfather. Fear, tension, suspense and hardship are great tools in all storytelling mediums and again, death provides a perfect combination of those things.