Mel Gibson's Next "Passion"

Mel Gibson Blasts Oscars, Plans Fatima Movie

Mel Gibson is re-releasing "Passion" in time for Easter, with some of the violence taken out. Excerpt:

Essentially it’s the same film, but what I’ve done is to excise some of the aspects of it,” he explained. "The trick was to excise or imply some of the aspects of it that were pretty much in your face, without actually showing them."

Gibson said he edited the film by reducing its length by about five or six minutes.

I don't know that you can make a big impact on that film by only taking out 6 minutes. It will still probably be too gory for my wife...but I'll go see it again. I bought the DVD, but there's nothing like a big picture on a big screen.

Regarding the snub by the Oscars, and I hope you didn't watch that putrid little event, he said:

"The whole notion of these awards ceremonies is ludicrous. ... It’s really a marketing exercise."

The awards ceremonies, he added, are "a celebration of mediocrity."

"My film is not right wing or political, but they made it so," he said.