Jesus Christ Movie Star

MSNBC ^ | 03/08/04 | David Gates

[Pikamax]

March 8 issue - Whatever you think about Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," it's clear that everything Hollywood insiders knew was wrong. After a massive opening on Ash Wednesday last week—the film took in more than $26 million that day—we're not hearing much from all those folks who said nobody would turn out to see an uncompromisingly gory Christian movie in Latin and Aramaic.

The mixed reviews—thumbs up from Roger Ebert, thumbs down from almost everybody else—didn't matter. This was the biggest opening day for any movie ever released outside the summer and holidays. "It's incredible," says one studio source. "I don't know if it's 'surprising,' but it's surreal."

Not to moviegoers like Lorrie Delaney of Bloomfield Hills, Mich. "I prayed throughout it," she says. "I'm a very, very devout Catholic. I love my faith. I love my God." Nor to the Rev. Jack Graham, president of the Southern Baptist Convention. "This is a providence of God," he says, "that in the midst of an international war on terrorism, in the midst of a cultural

[NYCVirago]

Expect to see "The Apostles", "Just Judas", "Mother Mary, May I?" and "You've Been Converted" at a theatre near you in the next 18 months.

My latest copy of TV Guide has this teaser on the cover -- "The Judas TV Movie -- It Will Shock You!" This TV movie was finished in 2001, but it's only airing for the first time next week. According to TV Guide, it "creates a fundamentally sympathetic portrait of Judas by telling the story from his point of view."