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'PASSION' YOUTH APPEAL
Variety ^ | 3-10-04 | GABRIEL SNYDER

Posted on 03/11/2004 7:39:28 AM PST by truthandlife

Who's seeing "The Passion of the Christ"?

Much has been made of how the pic has brought in older auds who prefer church pews to megaplexes. But the pic is also pulling in younger, nonreligious auds.

It is this bifurcated crowd that has turned Mel Gibson (news)'s crucifixion depiction into a cultural phenomenon which has racked up $224 million in its first two weeks of release.

"It looks surprisingly like the audience for a lot of our films," said Rick King of AMC, nation's second-largest chain. He said the heaviest demographic for "Passion" shows was ages 18-30. "Most of the people I'm seeing look like they've been in a theater before," he said.

Younger filmgoers make up the bulk of "The Passion" crowd, but Bob Berney, whose Newmarket is distributing the pic, said the aud --- as a whole --- is older than average. "The R-rating is limiting younger kids, but it is getting teens and college kids," he said. But, "like ('My Big Fat Greek Wedding') it's also getting an older audience."

Young males who flock to slasher pics seem to be taking an interest in "The Passion," which has been widely characterized as gory by reviewers.

Fangoria editor Anthony Timpone said, "It's sparked an interest in my readership because of the extreme nature of the it as well as the controversy." The magazine hasn't covered "The Passion," but Timpone said horror helmer David Cronenberg (news) recently suggested he should. And at least one horror fan site, E-Splatter.com, has given "The Passion" the thumb's up: "As a horror fan, I was more than satisfied. This is not some kiddie Christ film. This is the real deal."

And Berney is happy to have their business. The strength of the pic, he said, has been its ability to attract both regular and infrequent moviegoers.

The Newmarket exit polls also found that the pic is playing much better among Latino and African-American auds.

"The Latino response has been particularly strong," Berney said. "It has been the strongest group that has said they were going to see it a second time or more."

On opening weekend, he said women outnumbered men in the audience by about 60% to 40%, but that as the pic has played, the aud is now evenly divided between male and female.

Geographically, Berney said the strongest cities have been in the South, like Atlanta and Dallas.

There have been some surprising underperforming cities, however: Salt Lake City, home of the Mormon Church, and Boston, which has a large Catholic community, are not "The Passion's" strongest towns.


TOPICS: Current Events
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To: philosofy123
Somehow, the Christian liberals have abandoned their religion in favor of the New York Times trashing of this wonderful movie.

Liberal christians are no different than liberals in general - with them its all about politics, and they automatically hate everything conservative.

They've caught a whiff of conservativism surrounding this film & accompanying hoopla, so presto, they're opposed to it.

And, as usual, the truth of it skips right past them.

21 posted on 03/11/2004 12:03:53 PM PST by skeeter
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To: unspun
Come back to The Written Word... The Written Word Made Flesh... Salt Lake City and Boston.

Well, I would hold off on forming opinions about those cities based on this newstory. Remember the old saying "don't believe everything you read in a newspaper"

This statement has no source, and it seems like the kind of parting cheap shot that a securlarist journalist would take without knowing it. It might be down comparitively speaking, but I doubt its as bad as this makes it sound there.

22 posted on 03/11/2004 12:13:37 PM PST by PeoplesRep_of_LA (Treason doth never prosper, for if it does, none dare call it treason)
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To: truthandlife
"Most of the people I'm seeing look like they've been in a theater before,"

My sweet and very Catholic mother-in-law went to see The Passion yesterday. When I spoke with her she said that she would have to go and see it again immediately. Curious, I asked her what was the last movie she saw at the theater. "The Shoes of the Fisherman" - 1968 - starring Anthony Quinn.

23 posted on 03/11/2004 12:17:32 PM PST by Ol' Sox
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To: truthandlife
But the pic is also pulling in younger, nonreligious auds.

Great news!

The idea that a lot of these young adults are horror-film addicts drawn in by the gore seems like a big stretch.

24 posted on 03/11/2004 12:35:24 PM PST by Aquinasfan (Isaiah 22:22, Rev 3:7, Mat 16:19)
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To: unspun
SLC is only minority Mormon. There are a lot of libs there who define themselves against Mormonism and conservative christianity
25 posted on 03/11/2004 8:07:58 PM PST by churchillbuff (?)
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To: truthandlife
and Boston, which has a large Catholic community, are not "The Passion's" strongest towns.

That's because Boston has a large number of 'nominal' Catholics. They identify as such because of family history, but don't practice their faith much.

26 posted on 03/11/2004 9:58:35 PM PST by SuziQ
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To: LS
so I have a feeling many are just waiting for rides.

The Newman club oughta rent a bus to help them get there!

27 posted on 03/11/2004 10:01:09 PM PST by SuziQ
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To: Ol' Sox
"The Shoes of the Fisherman" - 1968 - starring Anthony Quinn.

Great movie!

We'll probably go next week. Our daughter's Youth Minister assigned a viewing of it for her Confirmation class's 'Faith and Pop Culture' Class. I can't wait to hear what the kids thought of it.

28 posted on 03/11/2004 10:03:01 PM PST by SuziQ
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To: truthandlife
I saw the film in NY, at the midnight showing. A packed house. Lots of Spanish voices, many young Hispanics, many dressed in hip hop style. This film is being seen by young people.
29 posted on 03/12/2004 4:38:16 AM PST by Commie Basher
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To: skeeter
I fail to see how this movie is conservative or liberal. It is about Jesus, and according to the bible. Hence ALL Christians should support it.
30 posted on 03/12/2004 5:35:57 AM PST by philosofy123
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To: philosofy123
I fail to see how this movie is conservative or liberal. It is about Jesus, and according to the bible. Hence ALL Christians should support it.

Yes, but as I said, liberals politicize everything.

31 posted on 03/12/2004 6:26:31 AM PST by skeeter
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To: skeeter
Yes, but as I said, liberals politicize everything.

I agree, but I would like to add these are not REAL Christians. If you denied me on earth, I will deny you in heaven!

32 posted on 03/12/2004 6:50:23 AM PST by philosofy123
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To: truthandlife; presidio9; Dataman; ptavares; philosofy123; conservatism_IS_compassion; elbucko; ...
Um, guys? When did we decide that people who didn't see movies about christ, even well done movies that are deeply spiritual, become a criteria for being considered christian. I cite "spirit of law, not letter of law" with regard to the 'R' rating, but My mom doesn't. Know what? I still consider her a chrisitian.

Honestly, what do think christ is more interested in, Movie attendance or . . . anything else? I really don't know that anyone is going to grow closer to the lord in the theater than, say, with an hour spent in the New Testament.

33 posted on 05/03/2004 3:03:02 PM PDT by sociotard (I am the one true Sociotard)
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To: SuziQ
The Newman club oughta rent a bus to help them get there!

At my school, I know that InterVarsity and Campus Crusade did precisely that.

34 posted on 05/03/2004 3:17:39 PM PDT by jude24 (sola gratia)
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To: sociotard
When did we decide that people who didn't see movies about christ, even well done movies that are deeply spiritual, become a criteria for being considered christian? I cite "spirit of law, not letter of law" with regard to the 'R' rating, but My mom doesn't. Know what? I still consider her a chrisitian.
My criterion for who is a Christian is, "deciding to be a Christian, and to trust God to 'save to the uttermost' through Jesus Christ." Nothing in there about going to a movie, but plenty about nurturing one's own faith. Seeing the movie might be compared to going to a revival service. I myself have not gone to see it, but am confident that one day I will - most likely, at this rate, in the form of a DVD.

35 posted on 05/04/2004 4:25:42 AM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion (Home(page) is where the (political) heart is.)
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To: sociotard
You don't have to go and see the movie to show that you are Christian; but, you have to purchase at least one ticket and give it awy or even trash it. The idea is, the movie was attacked because of its Christianity theme, as a Christian, you are suppose to help your fellow Chritians. If all the christians where so stupid as to don't see the movie because of its R rating, then the enemies of Christianity would win, and in the future all Christians would have been silenced.
36 posted on 05/04/2004 5:40:35 AM PDT by philosofy123
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