Irish, religion aside, PASSION OF THE CHRIST wasn't good enough to be a Best Picture nominee.

Really, name one unique thing about it compared to previous "faithful" Christ stories? I'm sorry, but having the will to be bloody gorey, which is cool and all, isn't enough to impress me.

Remember my BALLS column on Mel Gibson? Whatever one thinks of the movie(me? Decent but a better director was needed), one does have to admire somebody spending $30+ million of one's own cash on such a personal project.

Then APOCALYPTO, a ruthless movie about the Mayans, and one that wouldn't have the church groups going to see in raves of buses...that impresses me more.