`The Passion' soars beyond $200 million in second weekend to remain top film

AP (Houston Chronicle) ^ | 3-8-04

[billorites]

"Viggo Mortensen's horse-racing adventure Hidalgo"

Saw this yesterday.

Probably the worst movie of recent years.

I was losing it with laughter.

"Die infidel cowboy!"

[truthandlife]

'Passion' ping

[Conspiracy Guy]

Amazing that a movie about a subject which appeals to such a small audience would do so well. </sarcasm >

It won't take long to hit $1 BILLION!

CG

[Bubba_Leroy]

The movie is expected to top $300 million

At this rate, it will top $300 million by next weekend.

[InvisibleChurch]

wait until Easter weekend

[PogySailor]

1. The Passion of the Christ, $51.4 million. (Waiting for the crowds to die down a bit)

2. Starsky & Hutch, $29.05 million. (Umm, sure. The series was OK when I was 15)

3. Hidalgo, $19.6 million. (Ho-hum)

4. 50 First Dates, $7.7 million. (Hasn't Adam Sandler had his 15 minutes?)

5. Twisted, $5 million. (Seems like I've seen this one several times already)

6. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, $4 million. (Pablum)

7. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, $3.2 million. (Still going strong)

8. Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, $2.85 million. (Smells like bildge water)

9. Miracle, $2.6 million. (Great movie, disappoining box office)

10. Monster, $2.25 million. (Serial killer lesbians. JUST what I want to see...)

[ItsOurTimeNow]

I'm getting real tired of this:

"The Passion, Gibson's bloody re-enactment of Christ's crucifixion"

I have yet to read a mainstream media article that doesn't include the words "gory", "bloody", or "violent".

As if there's a clean version of this story to be told? Jesus was spanked and sent to the tomb without any supper?

Since when has Hollywood, or the mainstream Left ever given a rat's arse about a movie being too violent or gory?

[condi2008]

Post 2 Ping Pong.

[Dataman]

"I think it does show there's an ignored market, but the way I look at it, it's film by film. To make this work, you have to have a brilliant film. The audience is very discerning," Berney said.

The market has been ignored since about 1959. Then the good films were called "Disney films" and even they quickly deteriorated.

[samtheman]

It's called Voting With Your Movie Ticket.

[BSunday]

I thought Hidalgo was pretty good.

[Aquinasfan]

The film, which stars Jim Caviezel as Christ, held up strongly, with receipts down just 39 percent from its huge opening weekend of $83.8 million. Movies debuting to such high numbers often drop 50 percent or more in their second weekends.

Key stat.

[carton253]

I saw it also. Truly awful... slow, ponderous, and a restless audience that yaked through it.

[Mamzelle]

Hidalgo--I've probably seen the more interesting story, then--a History Channel discussion of the "real" guy--name Hopkins?--and the likelihood that everything is made up, because no dates anywhere check out--not his Wild Bill years, Pony Express, US races, nada.

Also, there is no record anywhere of this big race ever being run in Arabia.

[VRWC_minion]

The audience is very discerning," Berney said.

IF the poorly written Left Behind series gets so many copies sold.

[katana]

I noted the sarcasm but speaking of Billions, there are around 1.7 billion people on the planet who call themselves Christian. Small audience indeed.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Exactly. Before it's over most will see it.

CG

[SkyPilot]

The amazing thing is after the first $30 million for production costs and then $5 million to Newmarket for distributing costs---from here on out....

the profit is all to Mel Gibson.

[billorites]

Truly awful... slow, ponderous, and a restless audience that yaked through it.

So it is written, infidel.