‘Passion’ rakes in $1.5 million

FOR the two and a half weeks since its premier, the controversial movie The Passion of the Christ which was produced and directed by Australian movie star Mel Gibson, has grossed approximately TT $1.5 million! The movie which has been described by some cinema-goers as “racist” and “too violent,” is scheduled to be shown for at least another month at MovieTowne, while Caribbean Cinemas 8 (CC8) in Trincity will continue featuring it “until the crowd dies down.” Speaking with Sunday Newsday yesterday, Marketing Manager at MovieTowne, Louanna Borde revealed that the cineplex had recorded a whopping 30,000 viewers of the show in the two and half weeks, which amounted to TT $1,050,000.

Stating that movie-goers of “all races, religion and ethnicities” had been visiting the theatre, Borde said  The Passion could possibly be the largest money-earner for the year, and was being compared to other top grossers such as the Harry Potter films, the Lord of the Rings trilogy and even the Matrix movies. Questioned as to whether MovieTowne had instituted an age restriction, Borde said no as the Board of Film Censors had tagged it “PG/For all ages.” However, management has since posted a disclaimer in the box office window requesting adults to view the movie before deciding whether it was suitable viewing for their children.

Newsday was informed of an incident where a family had purchased tickets for the movie, and following the start, the father had to exit the theatre with his son who was upset at the violence. He had to later purchase another set of tickets for a comedy, in order to get his son to calm down. Operations Manager at MovieTowne, Kwesi Wickham said while the evening shows continue to be sold out, the earlier shows have been “kinda quiet,” as much of the crowd have been reserving tickets for the later showings. Commenting on the crowds’ reaction, both Borde and Wickham said it was amazing to note that instead of persons rushing out of the theatre as the credits are shown, they instead tend to remain quietly seated for at least ten minutes.

Perhaps a period of reflection, and to digest what they have just witnessed, Borde and Wickham surmised. When Newsday visited the CC8, scores of patrons were lined up purchasing tickets for the 3.20 pm show. A manager at the cinema estimated the number of viewers thus far in the vicinity of 29,000, which when calculated amounts to $435,000. She said while they were expecting an increase in ticket sales as school is on vacation, she thinks it is just the occasion of Easter which is continuing to draw the crowds.

Revealing that many nuns, priests, and church groups have been coming to view the movie, the manager stated that the evening shows continue to be sold out, with persons purchasing tickets the day before. Describing the feedback of the patrons as “positive,” she told Newsday she observed many families coming to the show. Management at this cineplex has also posted disclaimers in the windows urging the adults to view the movie before hand, as they may find it “too graphic” for their children. At CC8, The Passion is also being compared to big name movie earners such as the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings franchises.