So, just what are we talking about?

[Occhidiangela]

Part of my concern is in people misperceiving Hollywood with Holy wood, or even Unholy wood.

Holy Wood. The Cross. The Ark of the Covenant, if it was indeed made of wood . . . and therefore, A Witch! Burn Her!!!! Throw her into the pond!!

--sorry, I digress-- :D

Un Holy Wood: What you see if you are a voyeur peeking in the window of the Chaos Sanctuary when Diablo invites Andariel

Church Lady Voice
Andariel! Who runs around naked and spits poison!
/Church Lady Voice

for an evening of mild bondage, drinking distilled blood, skinny dipping in the River of Flame, and generally messing about carnally. :blink: Or was it 'Semi Carnally . . . Sarah Connally?' Or Sarah Conner messing about with the Terminator . . . better stop, this is getting loopy.

The Film industry has one goal -- box office. They don't care about the art form, or the accuracy -- only the take.  If they can convince people to go to the box office by whatever means, they will. In many ways I think that the Film industry is a perfect example of how cruel pure Capitalism can be.

The "industry" perhaps, but I still think directors and screen writers are trying to tell a compelling story. It's what their artform, their business, thair vocation, is all about: telling stories. They are the celluloid eras skjalds and minstrels, after a fashion.

My prediction is that "Hollywood" having seen the success that "The Passion" had in motivating many Christians to shell out their $10 -- plus the many interested in seeing what all the hoopla was about, will now produce 3-5 more religiously based "controversial" films within 2 years.

This is not new. Jesus Christ Superstar was controversial. The Last Temptation of Christ, Wilem DaFoe as Jesus, was controversial, and any film story made of Rushdie's "Satanic Verses" will likewise be controversial.

Gibson's timing was the critical factor to success, as well as his decision to give in to those insisting on subtitles. It did not hurt that his lead was, in my daughters words, "incredibly handsome." More empathy for pretty people, I guess. B)