Pick of the Week

A second week with an easy choice. This week features the release of my number one movie of the year, and also one of the biggest gambles in film history: Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. I'm not sure how many of you saw this, or even want too, but I must say that it was an absolutely amazing experience. The only film I have seen that I openly cried during.

Released earlier this year amid a flurry of controversy, it went on to be a huge draw at the cineplexes. There probably isn't much I can say to describe this film that you haven't already read in a review or opinion column, or seen on television. The media saturation reached a point of critical mass, which i think is sad, as I think it tended to dilute what the film was and create a bit of a backlash against it. That said, Gibson took a huge personal and financial risk in making this movie. He had a struggle to finance it, had a hard time finding someone to distribute it. Turned out to be one of the biggest hits of the year.

It is an incredibly moving experience. Filmed using the languages of Aramaic and Latin and a minimal use of subtitles (Gibson originally did not want any subs), we get a fantastic look into the what it may have been like in those last hours. One of the things I loved about the film was how it seemed to transcend religious beliefs. Regardless of what you believe, or where you come from, every culture has tales of men and women who were tortured and killed for what they believe in, that is a common thread with which this movie can be viewed. I won't say anymore, for I may put together a full review of the DVD in the future. The bottom line is that this is a film that must be seen at least once, but parents, watch it before or at least with your kids, it is brutal.

There are some other noteworthy releases this week:

• South Park: The Passion of the Jew. A piece of marketing to cash in on the Gibson film, we get this very funny send up.
• Invader ZIM Volume 2: Progressive Stupidity. I bought the first one blindly and have been hooked ever since.
• Black Society Trilogy. A trio of yakuza films from Takashi Miike: Shinjuku Triad Society, Rainy Dog, and Ley Lines. Also available separately. Can't go wrong with this guy
• Videodrome: The Criterion Collection. David Cronenberg's bizarre look into media saturation. Like his other films, an acquired taste.
• Star Trek: The Original Series Season One. The classic 60's series finally arrives in season sets.

There are a couple of music titles I'm interested in as well:

• Insane Clown Posse: Hell's Pit. Love these guys, didn't even know this album was coming. Comes with a DVD.
• Danzig: Circle of Snakes. Didn't know Danzig had a new album coming, definitely going to check this out.
• Resident Evil: Apocalypse. Looks to be a nice collection of metal tracks with artists such as The Cure, Lacuna Coil, Rammstein, CKY, and Rob Zombie.
• Lamb of God: Ashes of the Wake. These guys are heavy. I can't claim to be a big fan, but they have a good sound.
• Papa Roach: Getting Away with Murder. I kind of lost track of these guys, but I thought their debut album was pretty good.