Hinted promises of old ladies dying from the shock of watching Mel Gibson's The Passion of The Christ are surely one of the best selling techniques for a movie stunt yet. Others may have to contend with people running out of the cinemas screaming their heads off as they stand vigil to any sort of climbing death toll in relation to the movie.
At the centre of the jolly rogering tally beans is the bloody carnage of the crucifixion scene in which Jesus gets nailed quite graphically—and to some, rather erotically—to the cross. A graphically unforgiving scene, many regard it as a wonderful piece of shock cinema for the new horror hungry generation and a blatant grab for the more bloodthirsty audiences so desensitised by years of slash and gash films.
Unfortunately, the fruits and joys of standing in queues as dead bodies are carted away may not be as forthcoming as some would hope.
Written on Thursday, 26 February 2004