'Passion' rising toward box-office history

[tobius]

this blows me away--


BY CARRIE RICKEY
Inquirer Movie Critic

The Passion of the Christ, the movie personally financed by Mel Gibson because no studio thought it commercially viable, could become the highest-grossing film in history.

By the end of business Sunday, the subtitled story of Jesus' final hours had grossed $264.5 million in the United States and Canada. The film opened Feb. 25.

"If The Passion continues on this trajectory, it's possible for it to surpass Star Wars <$461 million> and even Titanic <$600.8 million> as the domestic box-office champion of all time," said Paul Dergarabedian of Exhibitor Relations Inc., which tracks film revenue. ....<snip>
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/8199068.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

But no one expected "one of the highest-grossing theaters the AMC Empire in Manhattan," Berney said. "Urban areas, such as metro Detroit, are doing great.... There's a strong African American and Latino component" to the audience.

"People who have never seen an R-rated film are seeing this one," said Dergarabedian.

[jus_the_facts]

1. Let us pray...O Lord...Oooo You are so BIG...so absolutely HUGE....

...GOSH we're reeeeally impressed down here I can tell you...forgive us for THIS our dreadful toting...and well...You're just soooo SUPER...amen!! :eyes: Monty Python's THE MEANING OF LIFE! :evilgrin:

[rumguy]

2. wow - well, I like when anyone bucks the system, and wins doing it

It gives courage to all us rebels out here...

Mel's ranch is a few miles from my parents' cabin in Montana...needless to say, he has a sweet spread, right smack on the Stillwater River. I've driven past his ranch innumerable times, and have fished on the river immediately above several times...always wondered what I'd do if I ran into that crazy bastard...

[tobius]

5. that's a great way to look at it. it's amazing that it was turned down

everywhere, and he followed his vision. i'm agnostic and don't buy into the wars over this movie either way. as a cultural phenomenon it is quite interesting to observe all the posturing, demagoguing, demonizing, and proselytizing coming from all sides.

you are right to see this as a chance taken by gibson, he could be sipping margaritas somewhere, reading fan mail from lethal weapon 4.

[ComerPerro]

7. Well, while I appreciated

and (not enjoyed, but a word tha is a less shallow way of saying I enjoyed this film, without sounding like a religious nut or a sicko who gets off on violence) this film, I don't agree that Gibson was taking any kind of major risk.

I mean, really.

Make a movie about Christ that the right wing will like, promote it as "the movie Hollywood doesn't want you to see), and sell it to Christian fundamentalists as a "life altering experience" and I guarantee that you will make a shitload of money.

Fuck, some churches were completely buying out showings of this movie.

When you market to the fanatical Christian right, you are going to make a shitload of money.

Why?

Because they are right wing. They belive money is a direct indicator of success and correctness.

Therefore, logically (logical to them, at least) it stands to reason to assume that the more money this film makes, the more important it is and the more justification they feel for their religion. If this movie breaks records, that is proof enough to them that their twisted take on Christianity is correct.

This goes right along with the right wing belief that people with money are just inherently better than people without.

And right wingers live to serve.

So, was Gibson taking a risk?

I don't think so.

No one thought that this movie would bomb. I think everyone saw this coming.

But, I will give the man credit. He made a hell of a film.

[tobius]

9. my memory disagreed. here is one quick scan of 1 google search of

'passion, gibson, fail"---

from Jan 2003
But Gibson's latest project promises to be the most urgent and heartfelt — and the riskiest— of them all.
For those of us who haven't mastered Aramaic but enjoy films with subtitles, we're out of luck. There won't be any subtitles. Whether this is a stroke of genius or an attempt to commit career suicide, it's an eye-opening example of a major Hollywood star defying Hollywood logic. http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/54288p-50909c.html His mission is, indeed, a passionate one, and as a dedicated director, it will be deeply felt. and that's the answer for anyone who asks the question 'Why?' about its box office or Mel using Aramaic. I look forward to seeing it."

from the hollywood reporter
In breaking or bending so many of Hollywood's basic rules -- studio development executives would probably give them the punchier name Ten Commands rather than Ten Commandments -- Gibson showed considerable courage that's paid off big-time for him. It's doubtful that he envisioned the level of monetary success the film has enjoyed or even that money was a driving force for him. His personal passion for the project seems very genuine whether one agrees or disagrees with the specific nature of his religious point of view. Moreover, given reports of how distributors around town turned down the chance to release "Passion," it's clear that nobody saw this as being the moneymaker it's become. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/columns/grove_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000464071

I doubted whether anyone had the nerve to meaningfully and honestly tackle this subject matter knowing that it would instigate a torrent of opposition and criticism.

Gibson proved me wrong. The Passion of the Christ has proven to be a box office smash, a critically acclaimed achievement, and a meaningful, honest representation of a difficult subject matter. Kudos to Gibson. ....Many thought the movie would be an instant flop. They were wrong. Many thought it would fail after the first week. They were wrong again. http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2256&dept_id=492255&newsid=11133775&PAG=461&rfi=9

Bonnema said he was concerned that the film would fail because of the early negative publicity, so he wanted to ensure its success by getting thousands of people to see it and build momentum. The film has drawn complaints from some biblical scholars and Jewish organizations, who have protested historical inaccuracies and suggested the movie is decidedly anti-Semitic. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/national/8037689.htm

[ComerPerro]

10. Yes but notice that those articles are written in hindsight

"People said it would fail", "no one thought it would succede"...

[tobius]

11. your research skills are.... improvable.

1st story is a month b4 release and 3rd and 4th are from previews or opening days.

[Blayde Starrfyre]

3. It's a good thing

Whether or not you agree with The Passion, I think most people on this site have to see this as a good thing. We are all well aware that samey, unadulterated crap has come to dominate film, as well as music. Perhaps a huge smash like this which is so far removed from the Titanics and American Pies of this world will encourage new ideas to be put on film.

[rooboy]

4. Oh yes, absolutely. Bill O'Reilly makes a cool 30 million or so...

that's really a good thing, isn't it?

:eyes:

[saigon68]

6. O'Reilly is a pig posing as an "EveryMan"

He is a racist and a homophobe. He appeals to the baser instincts of the human race. He is really for the dumbing down of AmeriKa.

ie "shut up and pick that lettuce in the field over there".

[Bark Bark Bark]

8. From Today's IMDB Briefings:

Gibson To Stop Supporting Bush?
"The Passion Of The Christ" movie maker Mel Gibson is considering ditching his support for American President George W Bush, after questioning his handling of the Iraq War. The star - who was born in America, but raised in Australia - is a staunch Republican, but admits he now has "doubts" about President Bush, in the build up to November's presidential election. Gibson says, "It's all to do with these weapons of mass destruction that we can't seem to find, and why did we go over there?" He maintained Bush had done much "good" during his office, but conceded he has been "having my doubts of late".


RaaaaaAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

[Mobius]

12. I saw that too! So much for the repukes milking

anything off mel HAHAHAHAHA Sorry people, its just a movie. A good one, get over it.

[Az]

14. And the Sermon on the mount was just a speach

Sorry, Mel's movie is prostelytizing. Its religious propoganda. It is meant to be believed. It is meant to create religious fervor.

[FatSlob]

17. I agree, it is a fine film.

I'll probably see it again. I do that frequently, as I often times catch things I didn't notice before.

[rumguy]

13. I don't even know if Mel was ever really "backing" the boy king

it's was just kinda played up that way by the right wing...

[okieinpain]

15. well, I'm not against the movie, but to me it's kinda like the

cameron's titanic. when you have people who are going to see the thing over and over and over again. can you really say that it's the biggest movie.

I mean the repugs buy out case's of the repugs books when they go on sell so that it can be number one when it's released, can you really say that everyone likes the book.

I haven't seen the movie, and I'm probably going to wait until it's on dvd. I don't call myself a christian, (it's funny that a lot of folks that know me think I am) but I don't want anyone around here to think that I'm against the movie. hell I'm happy for mel, from what I've read about him he seems okay. I just get tired of the wailing and crying sometimes about people not liking jesus. I kinda figure that he's a big boy and can take care of himself.

[Mike Daniels]

16. Hell, the same thing could be said for Star Wars, LOTR trilogy

Movies become big moneymakers because people go back and see them multiple times. Doesn't minimize the fact that they made a crapload of money.

I'm probably directly responsible for a good percentage of the profits that the Indiana Jones trilogy made given the multiple times I went to see those flicks.