SUBMITTED BY Timbo

February 25, 2004 — You've heard a lot about it; now you can SEE it.

Manhattan cinemas opened doors early for people eager to view a film that has been widely panned by critics ahead of its release on 2,800 screens nationwide -- an opening more normally reserved for blockbusters like Gibson's "Lethal Weapon" series.

Jewish and other religious groups planned protests later in the day. Among them Amcha, The Coalition for Jewish Concerns, planned to protest wearing concentration camp uniforms at one New York theater to liken the film's portrayal of Jews as akin to the Nazi Holocaust.

New York's Cardinal Edward Egan wrote to parishes to stress that Jews were not responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus.

"He gave His Life for us," Egan wrote in a column to appear in next month's issue of Catholic New York. "No one took it from Him. This is, and has always been, Catholic doctrine."

Still, moviegoers were drawn early to the movie event.

"We're Catholics and I want to find out what's the big deal," said Sara Martinez, an account executive who attended an early screening on New York's Upper East Side.

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