11/11   I just watched Theo Van Gogh's controversial 11 min film. I'm
        not a very religious guy, so here is what I have to say. It was
        as good as watching The Passion of the Christ. In another word,
        I was not impressed. The upside is that I didn't spend a dime
        on it (got it from bittorrent) and only wasted 11 min
        of my life, vs. 3 hours of The Passion crap.
        \_ So what's wrong with Passion of the Christ? I thought it was
           pretty good. I'm an atheist but I do know a bit about religion.
           Perhaps you didn't understand the context? I obviously know
           that Passion of the Christ is propoganda, but it's very good
           propoganda like Leni Refinstahl. It is also by no means historical
           although it makes pretenses to be such. However, on a cinematic
           level it was certainly interesting and picture is quite beautiful
           to look at. If you didn't like it due to the religious/political
           controversy around it then say so.
           \_ I don't disagree with the religion and I loved the setting
              and language and props. However, 1/2 of the movie was about
              the bloody whipping, which wasn't that graphic in the bible.
              It was unnecessary and very insulting. You don't need violence
              to scare people into believing Christianity.      -christian
              \_ So I read all about the scourging and the crowning with
                 thorns and then the cross veshch and all that cal, and I
                 viddied better that there was something in it. While the
                 stero played bits of lovely Bach I closed my Glazzies and
                 viddied myself helping in and even taking charge of the
                 tolchocking and nailing in, being dressed in a like toga
                 that was the heighth of Roman fashion.  So being in Staja
                 84F was not all that wasted, and the Governor himself was
                 very pleased to hear that I had taken to like Religion, and
                 that was where I had my hopes.
              \_ You are an idiot.  Gibson is not an evangelical monkey in
                 your pocket.  He isn't trying to recruit people into
                 Catholicism, he is paying a very personal tribute to Christ,
                 which happened to have done very well at the box office.
                 If you think violence on Christ is insulting, you should maybe
                 think a little more about that whole 'sacrificial lamb' thing.
                        \_ Roger Ebert called the movie "The most violent
                           I've ever seen" (he gave it 4 stars though). Why
                           would I want to sit through 2 hours of someone
                           getting beat to a pulp?
                           \_ So don't.  But don't get all highminded about how
                              the violence is 'insulting' or 'unnecessary.'
              \_ It "wasn't that graphic in the bible?"  It was pretty
                 much exactly that graphic.  It just that during biblical
                 times everyone knew what it meant to be crucified by the
                 romans, so they didn't need to describe it in detail.
                 Gibson was trying to give some context to the modern
                 viewer.
        \_ I'm trying to watch it on ifilm and it keeps dying halfway
           through.  Does anybody have it in another format?
           \_ I was able to watch it at 56k.
        \_ you know if the film was more educating or entertaining
           I'd feel sad for his murder. I don't.
           \_ Is the woman telling her own story, or just fiction?
           \_ I see, so since his little movie wasn't impressive it's ok to
              murder him? If this guy just died in an accident or something
              I don't think anyone would give a shit. What's sad is religious
              fundamentalism.
        \_ The cleavage is good.  So is the curve of the one wearing a white
           bra.