Mel Gibson's "The Passion" takes in $64,578,000 (info. Box Office Mojo)

Box Office Mojo ^ | 2-28-04

[Rocko]

With $23,240,000 for Friday, Mel is now in the black.

[Rocko]

Go, Mel!

[Howie66]

My wife and I saw "The Passion of The Christ" on Thursday evening, and there was not an empty seat in the house. I'm going to take my son to see it one evening this week. The movie is simply incredible, wonderful and an honest inspiration. I have never been so moved by a film in my life, and I've seen a ton of movies.

[Paul Atreides]

I can't wait to see how this will do on DVD!

[NormsRevenge]

It's a flop, I tellya, A flop!!! (/begala) ;-]

[Paleo Conservative]

I can't wait to see how this will do on DVD!

I'll give you a hint. This movie won't be on DVDs any time soon.

[Rocko]

More records will be broken, I'm certain.

[Rocko]

Fox has already snapped up the DVD rights.

[Pompah]

Great. Can the writing be on the wall for the Vulgar "Pop Culture" in this Country.??

I hope so. I'm going to go stand next to Mel now.

[demnomo]

Did begala really say that?

[Paul Atreides]

Friday, Feb. 27, 2004 12:01 a.m. EST Kerry Worried About Mel Gibson's 'Passion'

Sen. John Kerry said Thursday he is worried about Mel Gibson's new movie. "The Passion of the Christ."

Asked by reporters on his campaign plane if he planned to see the film, he answered, "I don't know."

Kerry, a Catholic with Jewish ancestry, said he was concerned the film may fuel anti-Semitism.

"I am concerned," he told reporters. "I don't know if it's there or not but there's a lot of it around now. I think we have to be careful."

------------------------------

Reckon what his position will be on Monday?

[Paleo Conservative]

Fox has already snapped up the DVD rights.

But the DVDs won't come out till the movie has finished it's world wide run in theaters.

[My2Cents]

My wife and I saw it at a matinee on Friday. The theater was packed (not 100%, but close to it).

Despite what the detractors have said about the movie, I found it to be a beautiful film. The scourgings were hard to watch, as was the nailing of Jesus to the cross. But as a Christian, I could see beyond the surface violence. What stood out to me was the steely determination of Jesus to go through this, to fulfill his mission.

I thought it was interesting that Mel didn't play to the audience's emotions in this film. I was afraid the theater would be filled with hysterical weeping, but it was not. But I think any decent person would be choked up with emotion, not so much because of empathy with Jesus for the pain of his sufferings, but because of his love and tenderness for us -- the ones he paid the price of sin for. There was one scene that particularly got to me. It was where Mary was trying to get close to her son, and John led them around the crowd to a narrow enclosed intersection where Jesus was to walk through. He fell under the weight of the cross, and after being encouraged by John to see her son, Mary knelt next to him and said, "I'm here." Then Jesus said, "Watch as I make all things new," then stood up, hoisting the cross back onto his shoulder, and he literally embraced the cross in a loving way. At that point, I lost it.

Mel Gibson wove some powerful non-verbal communication into the film, for example, when Jesus squashed the head of the snake in the Garden; the view of the crucifixion scene from high above, and a single drop of water -- a "tear from the Father" -- falling to the ground; the way that when the Pharisees returned to the temple, the earthquake hit (they crucified Jesus to save their position and their religion, and in doing so, they lost both); the brief resurrection scene -- Jesus, now alive with resurrection power, nail holes in his hands, standing up and walking back out into the world. Very subtle, but powerful.

[TommyDale]

Funny that when Mel was looking for a distributor, Hollywood wouldn't give him the time of day. Now they all wish they had received this much publicity and cash flow.

[Howie66]

"Kerry, a Catholic with Jewish ancestry, said he was concerned the film may fuel anti-Semitism."

Now, Paul....do you need to be reminded that Hanoi John Effin Kerry is indeed a French-looking, Vietnam Veteran War Hero?

[My2Cents]

Did Paul Begala actually predict it would be a flop? What is it with liberals, that they hate God?

[Rocko]

Hard to say. Batman was a summer blockbuser, and the video was released in the fall, when it was still playing in the cheap theatres.

[BobS]

I will see it in a few weeks. I don't like huge crowds anymore. Hopefully it will take months before the crowds get smaller:)

[Rocko]

blockbuser = blockbuster

[My2Cents]

I hope he times release of the DVD for Christmas.

[NormsRevenge]

LOL.. it was just a joke using the "forehead's" name in a tag..

(darn,, I knew I should have used (/Carville) instead) ;-}