SERMON!! ON THE MOUNT!!!!

The official teaser for Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ is now online. Compared to the unofficial (and violent) one that made the rounds a few months ago, I have to say this one’s on the uninteresting side. In related news, I find it rather ridiculous that Gibson screened the film for the AICN guys this weekend, while denying a viewing to concerned religious groups (or, for that matter, the Pope.) For some reason, I don’t think a standard-issue Harry Knowles shill (in both literal and figurative purple prose, no less) is going to allay the fears of either the Vatican or the ADL about this film.

The Gospel According to Mel.

AICN gets its hands on the powerful (and very graphic) trailer for The Passion, Mel Gibson’s forthcoming version of the Christ story, as told in Aramaic and Latin. Given Gibson’s ultraconservative Catholicism, his rejection of the Second Vatican Council (which, among other things, repudiated the idea of Jewish collective guilt for the death of Jesus), and his father’s background of Anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial, I must admit I fear the worst about this project…but I’ll reserve judgment until I’ve seen the movie. To be sure, the trailer is a startling piece of work.