Mel Gibsons Legal Struggles over the Passion of the Christ

Jim Caviezal who played Jesus Christ in Gibson's movie “The Passion of Christ” was just about the best actor to ever portray the part, but alas, he has no magic whatsoever to assist Mel Gibson in his lawsuit against Regal Entertainment Group, the distributor of the movie. Earning an all-time domestic box office with a take of $369.9 million doesn't mean that a distributor has the right to withhold another $40 million. Regal, the nation's largest movie chain contracted to pay Icon Distribution 55% of the receipts but seemingly changed their mind and payed 34%. So claims George Hedges, the attorney for Gibson and Icon Distribution. The lawsuit was filed Monday of last week in Los Angeles Superior Court. An executive of Regal Entertainment, formed by Billionaire Philip Anshutz of Colorado organized the company in 2001 from the dregs of debt-ridden Regal Cinemas chains, the United Artists Theaters and the Edwards Theaters, and refused to make any comments or discuss the lawsuit. A clipped remark by a spokesman for the company said: “We do not comment on our business practices with the studios”, is all that's been revealed. Mel is also suing Netflicks because they removed 3 minutes of the movie “ Passion” in their videos. One might not think that a movie already 127 minutes long would be drastically changed by the loss of 3 minutes, but as a movie goer I can guess exactly where it would have been cut. Though Gibson may have been correct in his estimate of the flagging scene and the unbelievable realistic tearing of flesh, for me, and others, it was difficult to watch. Gibson isn't looking for compensation from Netflicks. He's hoping to shut them down for good. No one has the right to change an artist's work, but the artist. Would Michaelangelo silently sit by if someone changed the Pieta? An artist's composition – in any form – is sacrosanct. Though this may be ancient publicity it demands analyzing. Netflicks, or any other distributor really has no right to change any part of what can and should be recognized as another artist's work. Christians realize that the reality of the Crucifixion must have been the most unhuman-like killing of another human but reality isn't always the best way to portray it in a movie. We already know it was beyond our comprehension so why not just give the indication and forgo the length of it? Clean Netflicks is in business to clean up what society sees enough of in their daily lives. Since directors and promoters seemingly have lost control of “good family movies” and indeed, foster all kinds of violence instead, then perhaps Hollywood had better begin to be more responsible. I guarantee the public will still buy the tickets. Mel Gibson Sues Again