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Mel Gibson Film '5th Largest Opening in History'
Newsmax ^ | 2-26-04 | Carl Limbacher

Posted on 02/26/2004 6:27:58 PM PST by truthandlife

In the face of a vicious and sustained campaign attacking both Mel Gibson and his film "The Passion of the Christ" the opening day box office receipts Wednesday soared to $23.5 million with an additional $3 million take in advance screenings held Monday and Tuesday.

The film opened on 4,600 screens in 3,006 theaters on Wednesday.

According to the New York Times which has been in an attack mode against Gibson and his film since he first began filming the Passion, it was the fifth largest opening in Hollywood history with "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," hanging on to first place with opening day receipts of $34.4 million.

Industry experts told the Times that the box-office figure was astonishing for an extremely violent, R-rated, religious film in Aramaic and Latin with English subtitles.

"This number would be impressive for a mainstream blockbuster, let alone a subtitled historical-religious epic," Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations, which tracks ticket sales told the Times. "This shows the power of public discourse with regard to religious topics and the effect a full-blown media blitz can have on the public."

Bob Berney, president of Newmarket Films, which is distributing the picture, told the Times he expected the number of theaters to increase slightly next week because of the intense interest. The film is already moving to more screens on Friday, for a total of 4,793 in 3,043 theaters.

"The success of the film so far is incredible, and it's across the board," Berney told the Times adding that theaters were packed not just in Bible Belt cities like Houston and Oklahoma City, but also at the AMC theater on 42nd Street in Manhattan and the soaring ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood. The Times reported that some producers and studio executives said the film would probably take in $75 million by the close of the weekend and, if attendance continued to hold up, could take in as much as $100 million in the first five days.

"My feeling is these people will go back more than once," Mr. Berney said. "And with this kind of number, people who are not part of churches will go just out of feeling that they've got to see it, a curiosity. I don't know how long it will go," he added "but there will be enough repeat business to sustain it for quite a while."


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: boxoffice; gibson; passion
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To: wimpycat
But the money IS important--since it's the only language the movie industry understands. The potential Christian market is huge.
81 posted on 02/26/2004 8:12:47 PM PST by ultima ratio
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To: rwfromkansas
Is it coming out again on Good Friday

I think AppyPappy was just using his noggin' there. Remember what happened on Good Friday? Remember what the movie is about? Even athiests can figure out how to make money.

82 posted on 02/26/2004 8:15:51 PM PST by Nick Danger (carpe ductum)
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To: dinok
Jesus set the bar prety high for us to follow. Some have been trully worthy of his example.

That was a beautiful tribute to all that have given their lives that we might live free. Thank you.

83 posted on 02/26/2004 8:20:35 PM PST by Krodg ("My faith frees me"...G.W. Bush........'A Charge To Keep')
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To: commish
Wow....what an awesome quote from the mod. This is for journalism class, but I am also editor of the college paper and may have to include this in a "how is the passion still impacting college students two weeks after our private screening?" article in our March 11 edition. It is incredible how much interest this movie has generated everywhere you look!

84 posted on 02/26/2004 8:21:08 PM PST by rwfromkansas ("Men stumble over the truth, but most pick themselves up as if nothing had happened." Churchill)
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To: Nick Danger
well, true. :)
85 posted on 02/26/2004 8:21:44 PM PST by rwfromkansas ("Men stumble over the truth, but most pick themselves up as if nothing had happened." Churchill)
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To: SandyEgo
SANDYEGO...Just got home from seeing the movie. The movie was awesome. I understand it being touted as gruesome and violent, but for people who has studied the crucifiction it isn't...at least to me and my family it wasn't...when studying Isaiah 53, I expect it wasn't as graphic in the movie as the real crucifiction was.

I saw no anti-semitism in the movie or from the people viewing the movie...on the contrary.

Hope this helps you.
86 posted on 02/26/2004 8:22:47 PM PST by ptrey
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To: SandyEgo
it sounds to me like the taking of the most beautiful story ever told, and turning it into a "slasher/bloody/gore" horror flick movie

I saw it tonight. That is NOT the case. It was not nearly as violent as some of the articles have made it out to be. It simply looked like a realistic scourging & crucifixion.

87 posted on 02/26/2004 8:24:11 PM PST by Sloth (We cannot defeat foreign enemies of the Constitution if we yield to the domestic ones.)
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To: truthandlife; All; backhoe; Bennett46; betsyross60; BlessedBeGod; Brad's Gramma; DeweyCA; ...
PING for AGG PRAYER LIST:

A BIBLE CODE HAS BEEN FOUND RE MEL GIBSON:

See:

HERE: http://www.biblecodedigest.com/page.php/223

and

HERE: http://www.biblecodedigest.com/page.php/224

"Mel Gibson is the Power of the People and of God"

Codes of Mel Gibson's name appear in interesting and, some might say appropriate, places in the Old Testament that bear strong ties to the film he directed, "The Passion of the Christ," which was released world wide this week. This month's feature article details these codes.

This instance of Mel Gibson’s name passes through [SURFACE SCRIPTURES] text with the following topics:

—Cornerstone
—A Vine out of Egypt
—Wisdom and Understanding
—Kinsman-Redeemer
—The Anointed One

The vav in Gibson appears in Zechariah 10:4 (read the entire passage here. All quotations given are from the New International Version of the Bible.)

From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler.

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as the cornerstone. Just after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus tells the parable of the tenants (Matt. 21:33-45) and refers to Himself as the cornerstone that the builders rejected (full passage).

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone (or cornerstone); the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?"

The next two letters pass through text that could be viewed as parallel to the personal journey Gibson has been on. After reaching the pinnacle of secular success, Gibson felt spiritually destitute, and so he began a journey of meditation on the gospels—a seeking of healing, wisdom and understanding.

In an article written by Peggy Noonan, in the March 2004 Reader’s Digest, Gibson replies to the question, "What was going on with you 12 years ago…?" "I was spiritually bankrupt, and when that happens, it’s like a spiritual cancer afflicts you. It starts to eat its way through, and if you don’t do something, it’s going to take you."

And in an interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC’s Primetime (Feb.17, 2004), Gibson said, "I think I just hit my knees…I just said, ‘Help.’ You know? And then, I began to meditate on it (Jesus’s suffering), and that’s in the Gospel."

The samech in Gibson's last name is in Psalms 80:9, which in the Koren text (the Hebrew text used by Bible Codes 2000 and the Keys to the Bible software) is Psalm 80:8. In this text, Egypt is synonymous with the secular world, so “out of Egypt” could be an image of Gibson’s exodus from Hollywood’s ranks. (full passage)

You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it.

Jesus referred to himself as “the true vine” (John 15:1). And He did come out of Egypt after Mary and Joseph fled there to avoid the infanticide ordered by Herod (Matthew 2:13-18).

The bet shows up in Proverbs 19:8.

He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers.

Could Gibson’s name running through these passages reflect his personal struggle with the emptiness of worldly success and the journey he has taken searching for wisdom and understanding through reading and meditating on the Bible?

Then, perhaps most poetically, the gimel appears in Ruth 2:20 (full passage). In this verse Boaz, an ancestor of Jesus, and a type of Christ, is called a kinsman-redeemer, one who purchases our inheritance when we can't buy it for ourselves.

"The Lord bless him!" Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. "He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead." She added, "That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers."

By dying on the cross, Jesus purchased an inheritance for everyone who believes. In Galatians 3:14, Paul writes that Jesus is the world’s redeemer: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us . . ."

The lamed is in a prophecy in Daniel 9:25 about the Anointed One and the precise time of his coming, a prophecy fulfilled to the day by Jesus Christ (full passage).

"Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing.

The Hebrew word for “cut off” means “to be killed.”

In Luke 2:11, the shepherds were told that the "Anointed One" had been born.

M. Gibson at Skip 68,573

"But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'"

In 2:11, Christ is "The Christ" (Greek) and "the Messiah" (Hebrew) where both mean "the Anointed One."

An M. Gibson ELS with a skip of -68,573 passes through Old Testament passages with the following topics:

—Tearing down idols
—Repentance and cleansing from sin
—Taking a stand against evil
—The worldwide reach of God’s salvation

The [HEBREW letter:] nun is situated in Judges 6:27, the famous story of Gideon. Even though Gideon is frightened of his family's and his neighbors' reactions, he has been obedient to God and has torn down an altar to Baal (full passage).

So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.

After years of bowing to the altar of the Hollywood film industry, Gibson has torn down that altar in his own life and has turned to Scripture and meditation. Twelve years of dwelling on the gospels have brought him to the place where he felt compelled to make this film; a film which some in the press have called a career-ender.

The vav of his name is in I Samuel 24:7. In this portion of text, we find David repenting of having cut off a corner of King Saul’s robe in the darkness of a cave (full passage).

He said to his men, "The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the Lord ." With these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.

In parallel to David’s repentance, Gibson has repented from his secular lifestyle. In the Noonan article, he is quoted as saying that he "simply had to draw a line in the sand."

The samech appears in I Kings 7:35 where the temple furnishings are described. Here the stands support, or lift up, the lavers, or shallow bowls, which were for cleansing.

Each stand had four handles, one on each corner, projecting from the stand. At the top of the stand there was a circular band half a cubit deep. The supports and panels were attached to the top of the stand. He engraved cherubim, lions and palm trees on the surfaces of the supports and on the panels, in every available space, with wreaths all around. This is the way he made the ten stands. They were all cast in the same molds and were identical in size and shape.

Perhaps the appearance of the ELS in this passage notes Gibson's lifting up of the story of Christ's suffering with the film. Viewing his film may bring many thousands to realize that they need cleansing.

The bet is in II Kings 18:8, right in the sentence where Hezekiah defeated the Philistines, an aggressive people.

Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. From watchtower to fortified city, he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory.

There is a possible interesting parallel here between Hezekiah and Gibson, who has seemingly thrown caution to the wind and put his trust in the Lord with the making of "The Passion of the Christ". It remains to be seen whether he will have the same blessings that Hezekiah enjoyed as described in this passage.

The yod is in Isaiah 52:10, which reads (full passage).

Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord will lay bare His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

Could the yod passing through this text indicate that Gibson’s film may reach a worldwide audience, baring the Lord's holy arm in the sight of all the nations and bringing about the salvation of many in all the ends of the earth?

Mel Gibson at Skip 78,749

The ELS at skip 78,749 passes through text with the following topics:

—Proclaiming salvation
—Obeying God, whether the results are favorable or unfavorable
—When the earth trembles and quakes
—The crucifixion imagery of words "nails" and "shepherd"

Beginning with the lamed, we find a fascinating text for Gibson’s name to pass through, because his desire in making this film was to proclaim God’s salvation through Jesus to the world. The lamed passes through Isaiah 52:7.

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

In a Focus on the Family Magazine article (February/March 2004), author Tom Neven describes Gibson’s desire for the film’s impact this way: "Gibson hopes the film leads everyone who sees it to a saving faith in Christ."

Then, we find the gimel in Jeremiah 42:8 (full passage). The context of the passage surrounding verse 8 is about obeying God, whether the results are favorable or unfavorable.

Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God. Ten days later the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest. He said to them, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition, says: 'If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I am grieved over the disaster I have inflicted on you.

Gibson has said repeatedly in interviews that he no choice about making "The Passion", whether it would be received favorably or not. In the Focus on the Family Magazine article he said, "I had to make this movie . . . I couldn’t not make it."

In the Noonan article, Gibson describes the opposition he has faced. "I expected some level of turbulence because whenever one delves into religion and politics—peoples' deeply held beliefs—you’re going to stir things up. But it was a surprise, to have shots being fired over the bow while I was still filming, and then to have various loud voices in the press—people who hadn’t seen the work—really slinging mud. I mean, they don’t really have a problem with me if they have a problem with this film; they have a problem with the gospel, because it adheres pretty well to the gospel."

The samech of this ELS is in Psalm 18:8 (full passage). Note: Psalm 18:8 is equivalent to Psalm 18:7 in the English Bible.

In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because He was angry. He made darkness His covering, His canopy around him—the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

In Matthew 27:50-54, we find "the earth shook and the rocks split" following Jesus’ crucifixion, echoing Psalm 18:7.

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely He was the Son of God!"

The nun shows up in Ecclesiastes 12:11. Here the words "nails" and "shepherd" in Ecclesiastes 12:11 echo the death of Jesus, the shepherd, by crucifixion (full passage).

The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails--given by one Shepherd.

In Matthew 26, Jesus refers to Himself as a shepherd and His disciples as sheep.

Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."

[QX: There's another Mel Gibson ELS listed in the remainder of this March BIBLE CODES DIGEST--also with interesting Scriptures where it touches down.]

88 posted on 02/26/2004 8:25:31 PM PST by Quix (Choose this day whom U will serve: Shrillery & demonic goons or The King of Kings and Lord of Lords)
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To: SandyEgo
Cynicism will kill your soul, if you let it.
89 posted on 02/26/2004 8:31:28 PM PST by Trailerpark Badass
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To: GretchenEE
There have been tremendous spiritual forces set to quash this movie from its inception, and they had to be prayed out of the way. Prayed they were!

Gospel believers have no doubt that God fields himself daily, on earth, in the form of the Holy Spirit. "Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven ... "

I feel sinfully lazy with my faith in many ways. Mel Gibson has, I believe, exercised his talents (which are manifestly greater than mine) to further the Gospel, where I have not (used my talents to further the Gospel).

90 posted on 02/26/2004 8:33:12 PM PST by Cboldt
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To: walden
Excellent point about Mel and working on projects that are all consuming. Been There, Done that!

God Bless Mel gibson for his commitment and for his hard work.

RamS
91 posted on 02/26/2004 8:33:30 PM PST by RamingtonStall (Ride Hard and far! ..... and with GPS, Know where you are!)
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To: rocky88
I was just watching O'Reilly and he was reading his emails at the end of the show - one guy wrote something that really made me smile.. and I paraphrase, "Hey Bill, Guess What? We're all talking about Jesus! Isn't it wonderful!"

EXACTLY ! I saw the movie last night, and it wasn't my favorite movie I've ever seen.

However, the most important thing here is that Jesus is "cool" again. And it's GREAT !

92 posted on 02/26/2004 8:56:21 PM PST by IDontLikeToPayTaxes
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To: copwife
Hmmm. He's the same awesome God who decided to torment these people for fun:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1086109/posts

And let the World Trade Centers burn and fall...and people die...why not?

He's the same God who made a huge universe beyond your imagining, but likes to intervene in Hollywood and make a movie, hey why not? He has time left over, since humans are the center of this vast universe. Why he made the rest of it, with all those star systems and galaxies that don't have humans, who knows, maybe he just likes to live in a big house?

Let's be logical here. There are tons of kids starving at this moment, there are murders, there are wars, there is suffering everywhere, and he chooses to personally have one of his "followers" make a movie--

I mean, how personally involved *is* he in the world, because if he's THAT personally involved, he's really inhumane.
93 posted on 02/26/2004 8:59:14 PM PST by equus
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To: truthandlife
Even tho we're Catholic, I don't think my 11 y/o boy is ready for the movie - I think it would upset him too much. My daughter is 15 and has had daily religion class the past four years at Catholic school, so I think that she would understand and follow it easier. I really do want to see it - I could use the heavenly inspiration.
94 posted on 02/26/2004 9:00:19 PM PST by Rainmist
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To: truthandlife
The way you describe it, makes me think of Mel Gibson as a present-day Noah.
O how much ridicule Noah received and yet he was obedient to the Lord, but in the end, Noah's creation (the Ark), was man's only chance to escape God's wrath.
Similarily we have a choice now: do we accept the message that this movie portrays or do we reject it?

Could this be God's last call?
Fortress
95 posted on 02/26/2004 9:04:29 PM PST by fortress
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To: RamingtonStall
The movie is not about money now, even though this movie will set the record at the box. This movie will set records after the box, in cd's and tapes.
96 posted on 02/26/2004 9:04:32 PM PST by Iberian
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To: sharkhawk
I talked to my 75 year old, former nun, aunt who said she was going to see this movie with 4 of her friends. She probably hasn't been to a movie theater in 30 years.

I can relate. I think, and I say this honestly because I really can't remember but the last movie I saw in a theater was I think THE GRINCH, the first adult film well that is another story I can't remember. I STRONGLY DISLIKE HOLLYWOOD AND DON'T LIKE TO GIVE THEM MY MONEY. Luckily my yrs old has friends that invite him, but he also would rather rent them.

Your story about the nun is interesting because YOUR WORLD WITH CAVUTO on FOX NEWS had a story about how the PASSION was attracting people that had not been to the movies in years, and I mean years. That was another reason that this movie was going to make so much $$$$. People like me!!!! and so many others that don't go. But this film has brought everyone out. GOD BLESS MEL GIBSON FOR HIS AWESOME FILM (saw it opening day). And I am still convicted by it. SSSHHHESSH EVERYONE SHHHOULD SEE IT!

97 posted on 02/26/2004 9:10:10 PM PST by GUIDO
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To: SandyEgo
Sandy,

Are you having a bad day?

Go see the movie. </irony>

Peace,
98 posted on 02/26/2004 9:13:19 PM PST by polemikos (Ecce Agnus Dei)
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To: truthandlife
What will drive the left really crazy is that they helped create it with their never ending attacks (read: free publicity) hehehe
99 posted on 02/26/2004 9:18:03 PM PST by Libertina (Praavda not challenging enough? Enroll in Abcnbccbscnbccnn Comrade College)
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To: truthandlife
WHY CAN'T THEY JUST SAY "HIGHEST GROSSING OPENING EVER FOR AN "R"-RATED FILM"? IT IS THE TRUTH. They just refuse to give Mel any credit at all.
100 posted on 02/26/2004 9:22:34 PM PST by montag813
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