Odd that you mention that.
I work in a large law firm in Las Vegas with about 30 percent Mormons, and the rest are a mish-mash of you name it.
Not one person mentioned having seen, or going to see, the film.
Normally, “what are you going to see this weekend” is a big topic, as there really are film buffs in Las Vegas and I think 95 percent mentioned they will be watching the Oscars on Sunday.
But now that you mention it, it is really odd that not one person mentioned this film.
Personally, I might rent it when it comes out on DVD, but even then, I doubt it.
I am one of those ex-Catholics, and I feel I have been whipped and beaten my entire life - I don’t need to see it on the screen.
Oh indeed, much better to proudly wave the flag of abject ignorance in the face of the world than actually view the work and therefore know what it is both you AND your conversation mates are discussing.
Why foul the waters of complete blind ignorance with the fine silt of knowledge?
:rolleyes:
As for the O.P., I was at a party last weekend pre-viewing and a few people asked if I was going to see it. I knew I would and answered as such. We had a party last night, and while it came up in conversation it did not rile up our guests or demolish the entire evening, it was simply a source of conversation and shared thoughts. The party had Methodists, Jews, Quakers and Catholics in attendance.
Tuesday some freshmen (stupid freshmen) were talking about how they were planning to see it together, with their church(es). They’re a good crop of freshmen this year and some of them I actually consider friends (perish the thought), so one of them asked me to go Wednesday at 7. So I did. He actually had a ticket with him he gave me. This shows that some chuches are using it either as a tool for witnessing, or that they bought out theaters for their congregation and handed out a lot of tickets.
I didn’t really go see it with them, so much as I had to find my own ride there (irk), got there late (it was a 7 showing but they were meeting at 5:15) and didn’t sit by them. The theater was PACKED. People were watching it standing up, and a lot of folks pushed up the arm rests and sat bench style. Coincidentally, this is how I found a seat and sat next to a pretty girl the whole time.
I had a great opportunity to use the “Is this seat saved?” routine. Instead I said “taken”. A wonderful opportunity for inappropriate comedy wasted.
Yes, there were some previews before the movie. I believe only two or three -Captain Amazing and the World of Tomorrow, and Spiderman 2. And a movietickets.com commercial. In most movies, they have the cycle of still advertisements before the “pre show countdown”, but here the projector was not even turned on until the previews started.
When the movie ended I also had to find my own way home. “Hey there, buddy. Remember me from services? I usually sit kind of near you usually… Yeah, but you might not see me much because I usually hang out with my youth pastor. What’s his name? Well… Mike! He likes us to call him Mike, because he’s a real cool laid back kind of guy…Aw, thanks and gee wiz. It was nice meeting you again. Thanks a bunch for the ride home, I sure appreciate it. See you on Sunday!”
Yeah, whats up with people choosing not to see something that according to the previews and descriptions will be an unpleasant experience.
And I haven’t heard much of a movement to ban the movie and not allow others who want to, to see it. Unlike some Christians did the *Last Temptation of Christ * came out.
I am atheist, and I saw it. It disturbed me greatly. I’m far too non-violent for that kind of stuff. Ick. See, since I don’t believe in Jesus, it was just like watching some random guy get beaten to death so the emotional impact wasn’t there for me, but still…sheesh, Mel Gibson. Coulda toned it down just a tad, don’t ya think?
“But thats how it really happened!” I’ve heard people say when I put forth my viewpoint.
Well, you werent there when it happened, I’m sorry to say.
Well, I still haven’t been asked by casual acquaintances if I’m going to see it. I have, however, been invited to go see it (and might have been able to get my ticket paid for by someone else) and was surprised to hear that my parents had seen it already. (Last weekend the went to see Miracle (the story of the US hockey team)). This makes two movies in less than a week. While not uncommon for some people, it uses up my parents quota of movies to be seen in theatres for the year. Of course, they went to a viewing arranged by their church, which apparently will be discussing the movie throughout Lent. I can respect that, even though nothing they said made me think it was a movie I need to see.
And now that I’ve read Raz’s post I want to respond to it. I listened briefly to a bunch of people on the radio discussing their reactions to the movie. More than one said that “It wasn’t violent. that’s just how it was” and I wanted to scream. It is one thing to say that it wasn’t TOO violent, or wasn’t GRATUITOUSLY* violent and another to say that it wasn’t violent. I mean, in one of my classes last semester, the professor said to us one day" I used this example for years without thinking anything of it. That’s not true anymore. I would use a different example, but I just can’t think of anything that would be as effective. Imagine a plane flies into a building" He apologized, as it were, for bringing up tramatic memories.
*My dad is not convinced on this score. He felt the violence occurred to the point that it seemed like a miracle that Jesus was alive to be crucified.
A good movie about a beating, but you have to believe that Mel missed the point. I think that many Christians miss the point when it comes to Christianity. I still don’t know why - as an atheist - I know more about their faith than they do.
J.C. gets the greatest amount of attention ever in Hollywood and it’s a blood fest? Poor bastard had revolutionary ideas about God and how people should view god, love and one another…that God is caring, not a plague-baring bastard demanding you kill your family…and that you are his children and he will lead you. The whole Jesus enchilda…the flipping upside down of all the ‘fear god and obey this and obey that or die’, and this crap of a move stirs them? The beatitudes and sermon on the mount…the parables…all of it…and Christians get this crap?
Hello, Christians…loving this movie and worrying about the Ten Commandements is proof that Jesus was spitting into the wind. Get a clue, people.