I saw it in Los Angeles when it first came out. There were protestors marching IN FRONT OF theaters, bomb threats called IN to theaters, and security guards standing IN theaters. You still cannot RENT "Last Temptation........" at Blockbuster in Virginia.
Having also read the book..........My interpretation is that there is a bit of a culture shock attached to LAST TEMPTATION. Scorcece's and Kazantzakis's portrayal of Christ brings out the Human side of Christ more than is usually present in a Western interpretation. Kazantzakis's upbringing was Greek Orthodox so it's 'take' on the Gospels tends to be foreign to Protestant and Catholic sensibilities, besides being a contoversial piece of literature in it's own right.
I am looking forward to Mel's effort.