Maybe I Should Pitch 'Joseph and the Colored Coat Thing' starring Michael Chiklis

With the overwhelming success of The Passion of the Christ, there is much talk in Hollywood about making more religious based pictures. Just like after the success of Titanic, there was a push towards historical disaster pics. Then, after Spider-Man, we were/are inundated with comic book movies. When there is money to be had, Hollywood will try to recapture lightning in a bottle. So, get ready because the Pearl Harbors and Daredevils of the biblical world are sure to be coming to a multiplex soon.

But is the success of Passion just based on the religious content? Aren't some people going just for the controversy revolving around the film? Just to be part of the cultural zeitgeist similar to the success of the Blair Witch Project? I don't know. Films with controversial religious content have never really fared well in the box office. Look at Priest, Dogma, and even The Last Temptation of Christ. All were, at best, considered a moderate financial success. (Can't you just imagine Kevin Smith railing away at Passion's grosses? "Where's my religious movie money, bi-yatch? I made Dogma. I had death threats. I wants my money. F- Mel Gibson. F- William Donohue.") Of course, all were decried by religious groups as anti-Catholic. I guess controversy is good for the wallet but only if it's directed away from Catholicism. Maybe if Hitler had gone after the Catholics, the grosses of Schindler's List would have been better.

Therefore, I guess I should start watching what I say & just rage against other groups. Like homosexuals. Eminem seems to have done pretty well with that route.

Keeping on topic, sort of, writer Peter David has written what he envisions will be inevitable South Park episode dealing with the Passion of the Christ. I like Peter David's writings, but his vision for this episode really doesn't stretch the imagination. Now, if he wrote about an episode of The Shield that dealt with the issue - that would have been something. Hmmm..

Tonight on a special episode of The Shield: Following the Los Angeles Premiere of "The Passion of the Christ", Vic and his strike team stumble upon the head of a prominent Catholic civil rights organization in a tryst with a transvestite that is (gasp) agnostic. In exchange for Mackey covering up the transgression, the malefactor agrees to sabotage Aceveda's election by labeling him a heretic and distributing pictures of him eating meat on a Friday. While at the Passion premiere, Lem and Shane strand Ronnie with repressed homosexual Julien in order to go see "Starsky & Hutch" instead.

wojr

Labels: Hollywood, Religion, Snide Remarks

  ¶ 11:30 AM