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Riding "The Passion" Coattails: ABC's "Judas" (my title)
AP ^ | 02/29/04

Posted on 02/29/2004 12:47:10 PM PST by Kieri

RADNOR, Pa. (AP) - The task given to Johnathon Schaech wasn't the easiest: Present a well-balanced portrayal of one of the most demonized figures in religion.

Although Schaech said his lead role in the upcoming ABC biopic "Judas" has been a challenge, it has also taught him a thing or two.

"A lot of religious individuals won't accept him as anything more than just a betrayer of Christ," Schaech told TV Guide. "When you give him a heart and say he's misunderstood, they don't want to hear that."

The television movie, scheduled to air March 8, tells the story of betrayal from Judas' point of view.

"We were trying to construct a psychological profile so you could see why he was doing what he was doing," said the Rev. Frank Desiderio, a Catholic priest who was the film's executive producer. "I hope it reveals Judas' humanity."

The movie should also benefit from being televised shortly after the release of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" in theaters.

"They're riding its coattails," Schaech said.


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: abc; biopic; judas
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To: Paul Atreides
I can hardly wait to see the reasons they give for Judas' betrayal. He needed the money. He recently lost his home due to Bush's distant relative, Bushus Pilate, seizing it for back taxes. Dick Cheneyus Caesar wanted Judas' family land to expand the Halliburton empire.
21 posted on 02/29/2004 1:22:54 PM PST by small voice in the wilderness (1)
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To: Kieri
Well, it will be interesting to see how the liberal media handles this movie. If the movie plays Judas out to be the good guy, then I am sure it will get rave reviews from the mainstream press.
22 posted on 02/29/2004 1:22:55 PM PST by Uncle Hal
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To: Kieri
Ben K Traven, who wrote the story TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE also wrote a short story of a Mexican peon who looked to Judas as his patron saint. I can't remember the name of the story though.
He takes the statues of the Apostles out of the local church for cleaning, falls asleap, dogs fight and knock over the statue of the Virgin whose hand is burnt off in a fire, replaces the statues in the church, Lightning strikes the church, people rush to the church see the statue with the burnt off hand and proclaim a miracle, (She caught the lightning!), as a result a large Basilica is built over the spot where the old adobe church was. and the Pope visits.
The peon keeps quiet and thanks St. Judas.
End of story. It's much better fleshed out with Traven's storytelling.
23 posted on 02/29/2004 1:25:33 PM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: small voice in the wilderness
It will probably be because Judas wanted to marry another man and Christ wouldn't let him.
24 posted on 02/29/2004 1:28:59 PM PST by Paul Atreides (Is it really so difficult to post the entire article?)
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To: Paul Atreides
that poor misunderstood female, Jezebel.

,,, a legend can be built to make crap look raspberry jelly for anyone. What an industry.

25 posted on 02/29/2004 1:33:17 PM PST by shaggy eel
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To: Kieri
Here's one of the next releases on the big screen involving religion due out April 23rd:

Comedy "Good girl" Mary (Jena Malone) and her popular, influential best friend, Hilary Faye (Mandy Moore), are starting their senior year at the top of the social structure at American Christian High School. But when Mary finds out she’s pregnant, Hilary Faye and her devoted "disciples" turn against Mary and the school labels her an outcast.

It's as an outsider, however, that Mary finds true friends – other students the school doesn't quite know what to do with.

In this sweetly subversive comedy, a group of strangers band together to navigate the treacherous halls of high school and make it to graduation, ultimately learning more about themselves and finding out what it truly means to be Saved!

Typical hit piece on Christians.

Saved!

26 posted on 02/29/2004 1:35:28 PM PST by Brett66
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To: Kieri
Wow, Hollyweird's attempted jump onto Mel's coattails is happening sooner than I thought!

And solidly demonstrating that they just do not understand why Mel's movie is doing so well.

27 posted on 02/29/2004 1:37:01 PM PST by Snuffington
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To: kittymyrib
Isn't it amazing how clueless they are? I actually heard a movie critic the other day disparaging "The Passion" and saying people should go see "The Last Temptation of Christ" which was a "much better movie about Jesus".

Earth to the Secular Press: The Jesus movie is successful BECAUSE it is biblical, and it is NOT the liberal intelligentsia giving us a nice little lecture on how the bible isn't true and Jesus isn't God.
28 posted on 02/29/2004 1:46:04 PM PST by I still care
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To: Kieri
Why am I not surprised that Hollywood's first effort to cash-in on the coattails of a blockbuster movie of a Biblical theme would be about the guy who betrayed Jesus?
29 posted on 02/29/2004 1:49:33 PM PST by My2Cents ("Well...there you go again.")
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To: Paul Atreides
I guess ABC figured that most of Hollywood and the media at large would identify more with Judas than any other Biblical figure (other than Satan).
30 posted on 02/29/2004 1:50:29 PM PST by My2Cents ("Well...there you go again.")
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To: whereasandsoforth
ABC could acquire the TV rights to "The Passion of The Christ"

Right, and they'd switch to a commercial about room deodorizers just as Jesus is about to give up his spirit.

31 posted on 02/29/2004 1:52:07 PM PST by My2Cents ("Well...there you go again.")
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To: Paul Atreides
Yup. Maybe because Judas Had Two Mommies. And he was made fun of because of it.
32 posted on 02/29/2004 1:53:54 PM PST by small voice in the wilderness (1)
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To: billorites
Judas: "Mistakes were made."
33 posted on 02/29/2004 1:54:10 PM PST by My2Cents ("Well...there you go again.")
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To: Kieri
Followed by the CBS Movie, "Herod: The Weight of Leadership," a sympathetic story of how King Herod (circa 4 B.C - around 1 A.D.) has the courage to make the hard decision to defend his nation and his people from a potential usuper by killing all children in and around Bethlehem under the age of three.
34 posted on 02/29/2004 1:59:21 PM PST by My2Cents ("Well...there you go again.")
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To: Kieri
Johnathon Schaech is a former male model, now a hot-looking actor. Judas, the boy toy

Can't you hear the TV movie dialogue already?

Judas:
"Like, dude, Jesus really let me down. Like, dude, he was no saint if you know what I mean..."

Some days TV and Hollywood producers are more obvious than on other days. This TV was scheduled to air shortly after "The Passion of the Christ".

35 posted on 02/29/2004 2:00:25 PM PST by xJones
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To: My2Cents
...Or the most heroic of the liberal heroes: Judas Iscariot: Whistleblower.
36 posted on 02/29/2004 2:01:41 PM PST by small voice in the wilderness (1)
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To: Kieri
You were reading my mind. The hollywood left will not ant-Christ every time they can--By trying to portray Judas and Satan as poor misguided creatures who had no free will.
37 posted on 02/29/2004 2:08:32 PM PST by freeangel (freeangel)
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To: small voice in the wilderness
LOL....Right, and remember, it was Judas who wanted to sell the perfume Mary used to anoint Jesus and give the money to the poor. Jesus was clearly into self-aggrandizement, while Judas wanted to help the needy.
38 posted on 02/29/2004 2:11:29 PM PST by My2Cents ("Well...there you go again.")
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To: 11th_VA
Anybody here familiar with books by the late Taylor Caldwell? Catholic, she was a prolific novel writer who took to writing historical fiction in her latter days, including two of my favorites:

"Dear and Glorious Physician" about St. Luke

and "I, Judas" about you-know-who.

It is not a horrible thing to present a story about Judas. It depends on how ABC handles it.
39 posted on 02/29/2004 2:19:36 PM PST by cyncooper ("Maybe they were hoping he'd lose the next Iraqi election")
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To: Kieri
"A lot of religious individuals won't accept him as anything more than just a betrayer of Christ,"

Well that depends on the meaning of the word "betrayer".

40 posted on 02/29/2004 2:19:56 PM PST by KarlInOhio (The idea of five Supreme Court justices appointed by President Kerry chills me to the bone.)
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