Popcorn and Passion

The Weekly Standard ^ | March 7, 2004 | Matt Labash

[hellinahandcart]

In the back of the theater, two cops are present, perhaps to make sure the Jews and Christians don't turn into the Jets and Sharks

LOL! That is a riot. I'm picturing the ballet-rumble right now.

[xJones]

He's not stupid, he knows full well what he does, and he does it with full intent.

Foxman wants to set back Jewish-Christian relations? Pardon the 'stupid' question, but I don't quite know where you're going.

[independentmind]

Peggy Noonan replied that she had talked to people close to Mel Gibson and there is discussion about making a movie "about the good and bad characters of The Reformation".

Maybe Mel is on a mission.

[Mamzelle]

Does Jesse Jackson want blacks and whites to get along? What point would his life serve, then?

Foxman, Hier (of Weisenthal) have caused me some consternation these past few days. I can draw no other conclusion other than crass cynicism and exploitation on their part. This "passion" was to elevate themselves and their institutions, and attempting to intimidate the Christian.

However, once they fire their "antisemite" bullet, I am curious as to what they are left with afterwards. Appears to me that they can't exactly reload and do it again if they don't get the results they wanted.

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

Who would be the good guys in this film, and who would be the "bad" characters?>>>

There are so MANY bad guys to choose from. Luther the Damned Heretic. His Holiness, the Vicar of Christ, the Pontiff, Servant of the Servants of God Alexander VI, who impregnated his own daughter on the job. (Bill Clinton on the phone with the Honorable Gentleman from Alabama ain't got NOTHIN' on this guy.)

As for the Good Guys? .... i'll get back to you.

This thing will be a veritable laugh riot. With enough heretic-burnings and priest-guttings to make a great Gibson flik. I can't wait.

[commish]

"I think I'm sticking with the senior circuit," he says, nodding at the curtained screen, "but I have new respect for the junior circuit."

You know, I think I could really get to like Norm. He is rooting for the wrong team, but at least both our teams have the same General Manager ;-)

[commish]

I think you may be right -- I am not sure there were any good guys in The Reformation.

Actually, I am not so sure that this was just Peggy's way of slapping little Chrissy for his "there has to be some conflict" attitude.

There has been more Catholic-Protestant violence over the years than there has been Christian-Jewish violence. Sorry, but Hitler and his ilk never were and never will be Christians, they were Minions of Satan that were led to use a book to justify thier evil.

I can see amovie about the reformation being a Bone of Contention much more the the Passion is. I truly hope Mel doesn't go there.

[Varda]

The Pope during the reformation was Leo X.

[Yardstick]

A gentle funny way of understanding.

"Gentle funny" is exactly right. The last three paragraphs of this article were really nice to read. Most of the writing about The Passion has been done with daggers drawn. The gentleness of this piece is a nice change of pace.

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

The Pope during the reformation was Leo X.>>

That's like saying "The Pope during the boyrape crisis was JP2." Literally true, but irrelevant. Just as the boyrape crisis woudna happened but for 50 years of bad behavior leading up to it, so the Reformation was brought about by 50 years or more of Papal madness (or more, if you want to bring the Great Schism into it....)

[hosepipe]

[ Who would be the good guys in this film, and who would be the "bad" characters? ]

I know...
would be a serious mistake.. I hope Mel has good advisor's if in fact its true.. The left would LOVE the rhetorical blood bath between Christians of every stripe.. judging from some threads here.. it would be pitiful here in this forum and outside en mass too.. snatching defeat out of the mouth of victory..

THE TROLLS WOULD GORGE UNTIL THEY WERE FAT... (shudder).

[NYCVirago]

You're right. And sooner or later there will be some incident, if only someone accidently stepping on someone else's toes. And when that happens the media will be pointing fingers till their knuckles crack--"See what happened. This movie causes pain!"

Yep. The only other movie I remember critics worrying about causing riots was "Do the Right Thing," but it didn't happen.

[NYCVirago]

I watched that show and Joe Scarborough's, and I've decided that most non-Christians will never like this movie. Lawrence O'Donnell said it's a "weak" movie. Others said it's anti-semitic. Their problem is with the bible, not Mel Gibson.

Matthews' questions, in particular, were appalling. Did you see when he was suggesting yesterday that 2/3 of the theater would be filled with believers, and 1/3 with regular people eating popcorn, and that fights were going to happen?