TTT
 

Is anyone going to see it? It opens up in theaters today?

I would really like to see it. I have an issue with people saying the film is Anti-Semetic when they havent seen the film. That bothers me. I would really like to see the film. :)

. . .so we can make our own judgements. I understand where you're coming from Nikki.

I do hear that it's quite graphic though. But the Bible even speaks of the beatings that Jesus endured that he was hardly recognizable.

Thousands Rush to 'Passion'
Feb 25, 9:31 AM EST
Associated Press
Even before sunrise, believers and nonbelievers alike poured into movie theaters around the nation on Ash Wednesday for the opening of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ."
An estimated 6,000 people filled all 20 auditoriums at a Cinemark theater in this Dallas suburb to watch the film. All the tickets had been bought and donated by a local churchgoer.
"I hope everybody sees it with an open mind," said Rick Pierce, 53, a Baptist who sipped coffee and chewed on a breakfast burrito at the theater before the first showing.
Elsewhere across the nation, some couldn't wait for morning screenings.
More than 100 people watched the midnight showing of "The Passion" at the ArcLight Cinemas in Los Angeles.
"I'm in shock. I'm physically weak. I'm emotional," said Joseph Camerieri, a 39-year-old paralegal student from Los Angeles who was trying to hold back tears after seeing the film.
"I think if you're a Christian it will increase your faith tenfold in what Christ has done for you. If you're not a Christian, you'll probably treat others with more love."
In the central Pennsylvania community of Bellefonte, about 50 people attended a showing after midnight. Viewers groaned as Jesus was nailed to the cross, and muffled cries could be heard during more than an hour of Jesus' torture, crucifixion and death. In the end, as Jesus rises from the grave, some in the audience quietly celebrated.
"To me, that was the important part," said Aaron Tucker, an English major at Penn State. "I'm like, 'Oh, victory!' There's more to this movie than just the violence. It's about triumph."
In Plano, Arch Bonnema, a financial planner, reserved the entire Cinemark Tinseltown 20 theater, spending $42,000 of his own money on tickets.
"When you see the sacrifice that Jesus made, it makes you feel like, I have to do something better with my life," said Bonnema, 50, a lifelong Christian inspired to act after seeing a special screening of the movie.
Popcorn and soft drinks remained on the concession menu — but theater managers bet that most early morning moviegoers would rather choose breakfast pastries and orange juice.
A cadre of ministers were on hand to reach out to moviegoers.
"Not to preach a sermon," said the Rev. Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist where Bonnema is a member and president of the Southern Baptist Convention, "but to sum up the message and meaning of the cross. ... We anticipate that there will be a tremendous outpouring of God's favor on this movie."
Funded and directed by Gibson, the film has received decidedly mixed reviews from critics. Some have praised Gibson's total commitment to his subject: The Oscar-winning filmmaker says the movie is both an attempt to faithfully render the Gospels and a personal vision. Others see it as excessively bloody, obsessed with cruelty and unfair in its portrayal of Jews.
But following months of hype, curiosity about the movie is almost insatiable.
After seeing "The Passion" a few months ago, Bonnema called his wife, Sherry, and told her, "Honey, we've got to get as many people as we can to see this film because it's changed my life."
With her blessing, he approached Cinemark about reserving a single auditorium. Theater officials told him that would be fine, but he would need to do so before regular operating hours.
"If it's before hours, aren't all of them empty?" Bonnema recalled asking. "So I called my wife back and said, 'What do you think about getting 6,000 seats?'"
She agreed, even though she hadn't seen the film herself.
The Bonnemas gave 3,000 tickets to their church and 1,000 to the Dallas Theological Seminary.
That left them with 2,000 — but not for long.
"I put out an e-mail to friends in the Dallas-Fort Worth area," Arch Bonnema said. "In three days, I had 23,000 requests."
Ordinarily, showing the same movie on 20 screens would be impossible because of a lack of prints, said Terrell Falk, spokeswoman for Plano-based Cinemark USA, which owns about 300 theaters in 33 states.
But in this case, Cinemark made special arrangements to borrow prints from its other area theaters.
"We'll show it early in the morning, then take them to the other theaters," Falk said.
———
Associated Press Writer Angela Watercutter in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

http://entertainment.msn.com/movies/...px?news=150771

HK,
This morning Doug Banks and his crew (92.3 in Chicago) were asking callers and a number of them were saying that they were not going to support b/c the movie did not cast Christ in his true light. That he was actually of African descent according to history apparently and that Hollywood was doing a number of folk once again. What do you think about that?

SC

Markmywords,
Others feel this way too. This is the post that I just posted:


This morning Doug Banks and his crew (92.3 in Chicago) were asking callers and a number of them were saying that they were not going to support b/c the movie did not cast Christ in his true light. That he was actually of African descent according to history apparently and that Hollywood was doing a number of folk once again.

SC

Doggystyle, I always learned that Cleopatra was of mixed heritage, greek and Egyptian I think. Further, the Greeks at that time were much darker than we see today. And the Egyptians....well, I'll just say that they were much darker too. Apparently, the Egyptians weren't terribly unlike the inhibitants of *other* African countries.

SC

Nikki, this isn't directed to you. It's a general post.

Maybe I don't get it. So what if the movie *is* anti-Semitic. If it tells the truth, then who cares. Nobody is perfect and all groups have some shame in their background at some point - AND PEOPLE OF THE JEWISH FAITH ARE NO DIFFERENT.

I get so tired of some folk. Running around here all holier than thou. Heck, I know Ethiopian Jews (yes, Ethiopian ie. Black - nappy hair and all) that can trace their lineage back to the tribe of Dan (one of the 12 tribes of Israel). In fact, some Ethiopian Jews were discovered still practicing the ancient way of life several years ago in Africa. Do they get coverage on tv? Nooooooo b/c they don't look like what the world has been taught to believe is a Jew. Do the Jewish people in this country claim them? Nooooo b/c it would place into question the notion that a Jew looks like what we have been told that they look like.

All of this fear of anti-Semitism crap is really getting on my nerves. So what if it is true?

I mean come on!

Ok, I'm through ranting. :p

SC

I plan to see the movie, in spite of the melanin deficiency of the actor playing the role of Jesus. Here in Tampa, the Christian radio station bought out a few theaters on Monday and gave tickets to a sneak preview. On the evening news they showed footage of people leaving the theater in tears. That didn's say much for me as melanin deficient people were in tears over the movie Titanic. :rolleyes: I'm anticipating this one though, with all of the controversy and coverage of it, I have a feeling it will be a let down- too much hype, too little delivery, but we'll see.

I plan on going to see it as well!

Soror Erika

We are --------->HERE<--------------

This movie is not anti-semetic at all. I swear, they can make movies about black folks acting as total bafoons or being portrayed as thieves, gangstas, murders, etc. all the time to the point where other races are scared of us.

And we're told that we're being "sensitive" - its not a big deal, its just TV or movie. Maybe these same folks need to take their own advice.

Thank you HK!!!!!
Amen.
SC

I just saw it earlier this evening....
 

....and I was impressed. Took my lady to see it with me.

First and foremost, DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE!! Meaning: don't see it based on reviews, controversy, hearsay, and speculation. See it because you want to see someone--The Perfect Man, take all your shortcomings, faults, inadequacies, and just straight up spiritual GARBAGE personally.

If you watch the movie as though it was personally made just for you to see, I guarantee you that you will appreciate the movie for what it was intended to portray. No more, no less, 'nuff said.

BTW, me and my lady didn't have any problems getting tickets, seats, or parking spaces for that matter (Easton Town Center is a MAJOR rat race that I avoid like the plague but tonight was truly a welcome exception).

Why?
 

Why are people not supporting the movie because "Jesus" wasn't black in the movie? I get sick of people huffing and puffing over if Jesus was black! That has no relevence--the purpose of Jesus coming to the world was to save us from our sins so that we may have salvation. Is race really an issue when He did something so awesome? DOUBT IT! God, Jesus, Holy Spirit (The Trinity), Salvation, Christianity, etc. goes beyond race.

Re: Why?
 

Del, you can't see me but know that I'm giving you a standing ovation! I was thinking the same thing.

My prayer is that this movie witnesses to those that don't know the way of which I believe is Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. Now those that don't believe, that's on them, but I believe that He is the only way, the truth, and the life and that no man comes to the Father except through Him.

Not preaching, but there it is.