passion of the christ Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Remember when Mel Gibson "re-cut" The Passion of the Christ and released a "kinder, friendlier" version of the flick just over a year after the original cut hit the scene? (And how nobody really cared anymore by that point?) Have you been waiting for the "less gory" Passion to hit DVD? Well, here it comes as part of a 2-disc "definitive edition" that's scheduled to pass the collection plate on January 30.

To be fair, there's nothing even remotely new about all-new Special Editions, and it certainly looks like the impending DVD will be absolutely over-stuffed with supplemental features -- which helps to explain why the original Passion DVD was entirely bereft of extras. Fans of the film will no doubt delight in the FOUR separate audio commentaries (director, production, composer and theologian!), deleted scenes, production galleries, a pair of documentaries and some theatrical trailers. (Visit DVDActive for the cover art and full specs.)

The Passion Re-Cut will also be included on the new release, should you be among those who'd like to witness Christ's final hours without all that hardcore gore and terrible torture. I haven't done the math, but I'm guessing the violence-free version of The Passion should run about ... 49 minutes in length. (In reality the Re-Cut is only about eight minutes shorter.) And before you consider leaving me a nasty message for approaching this movie with such irreverence, have a look at my original review of the film. Yep, I liked it!

I was seriously wondering when this would happen. Weren't you? Sony Pictures' Screen Gems division is working on a film that continues the story of Jesus following the events in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. Wait, didn't Jesus die at the end of that? Yes, but according to The Bible he returned a few days after dying on the cross, and it is this resurrection that will be the focus of Sony's film, tentatively called The Resurrection. The script is written by TV-movie scribe Lionel Chetwynd and is being produced by Reverend Tim LaHaye, co-author of the Left Behind books.

From what it looks like, Sony is going for the gold in no-brainer, easy-money film production. With little more than a release date picked out (Easter, of course) and a guarantee that Christian audiences who stormed theaters for The Passion will be back for Jesus' return, the studio is likely already counting its profits. Since this isn't a real sequel (the first was released by Newmarket Films), it is doubtful that James Caviezel will be back (and after being struck by lightning during production of the first, he should want to stay away). I also will not be surprised if Resurrection is filmed in English instead of the ancient languages spoken in Passion.

Well, I can say one thing for the film, which should go all the way and use the title The Resurrection of the Christ, and that is it should bring about less controversy. With less finger-pointing and much, much, much less violence, it should be important and enjoyable for its audience. I'll just be glad to not have that lump in the back of my dry throat I experienced while watching Passion.

Anyone who enjoys movies keeps a secret tally of any movie's strengths and weaknesses. Like an Olympic judge rating an athlete's performance, the final score determines whether a movie rates a recommendation or is forgotten as an also-ran.

As far as formula fare goes, one could do worse than the above-middlin' romantic comedy Failure To Launch starring Matthew McConaughey as a 30-something who still lives with his folks (Kathy Bates and Terry Bradshaw) until they hire a motivationalist (Sarah Jessica Parker) to help him fly the nest. Naturally and against all odds, McConaughey's and Parker's completely artificial relationship blossoms into something more. Here's how I broke it down:

First, it's funny. Not just an occasional giggle, sit-com kind of funny but infused throughout funny. TV vets Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember, who are attached to this year's Steve Carell update of Get Smart, may be green as screenwriters, this being their first project produced, but with that inexperience comes a kind of hunger. Of course, most first-timers become well-fed and lazy after a taste of success like this, but for now, proof of their talent is apparent. Each character is created with a specific purpose, as is every scene, sequence and act. It's all very textbook, but it works. Mark one in the "plus" column.
 

Some footage has hit of Mel Gibson's next project, Apocalypto, and I'm probably the least excited person on the planet to see it. Taking place about 600 years ago, around the time when the Mayans had an empire, Gibson has hired a bunch of unknowns to speak in an ancient dead language and attempt to give the film some sort of something extra. Apocalypto will be Gibson's first film since The Passion of the Christ which, last time we checked, had grossed over 1 gabillion dollars. However, the J-Man will not be front and center in the new film, so it will be interesting to see if Gibson maintains that heavy Christian fanbase, or if they drop him like a bad habit. Personally, I'm still not sure what's gotten into the star of Bird on a Wire and Air America. I like Mel Gibson. I've enjoyed a ton of his films. I just wish he'd come back from obscurity to start entertaining us again. Supposedly, Entertainment Tonight will show some kind of teaser for Apocalypto tonight, but in the meantime, feel free to check out this sneak peak.