BIBLICAL FILMS' HOLLYWOOD COMEBACK

Superheroes are being elbowed out by Noah and Mary as Hollywood makes 2014 year of the biblical epic

The saint-like image of a hooded woman looms out from the movie poster, her arms outstretched as a divine light bursts from the sky. A message written above is simple and unambiguous: "You Will Believe."

So goes the promotional campaign for the forthcoming Hollywood blockbuster Mary Mother of Christ. "It is a part of Mary, Joseph and Jesus's life that has not been shown on the big screen before," reads a synopsis. "Under the reign of terror of Herod the Great and, against all odds, they survive as young parents in one of the most treacherous times in history." It promises "faith-based high action drama" − and there is no room in the audience for doubting Thomases.

Mary Mother of Christ, whose title character will be played by Odeya Rush, a 16-year-old Israeli-born actress, is one of a series of unashamedly Christian biblical epics due to appear next year, marking an unprecedented overture by Hollywood to America's evangelical heartland.

In March audiences will be treated to Noah, a $150million special effects-laden extravaganza, in which Russell Crowe will build an ark and rescue mankind from the Great Flood. Harry Potter actress Emma Watson will play his adopted daughter, and Sir Anthony Hopkins is portraying Methuselah. The ark was built on Long Island, New York.

Another movie of Moses's life called Gods and Kings is also planned. Steven Spielberg was due to make it but has been replaced by Ang Lee, who won the Best Director Oscar this year for Life of Pi. Meanwhile, Son of God will tell the story of Jesus's life, with Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado in the lead role. Will Smith is said to be planning a film based on the story of Cain and Abel, and Brad Pitt is rumoured to be playing Pontius Pilate in a separate project. There will also be Resurrection, in which a Roman soldier is sent to investigate Christ's death. It has been likened to "Gladiator, with a mystery bent".

Since the days of epics such as Ben-Hur and The Ten Commandments more than half a century ago, Hollywood and America's Christian areas have rarely seen eye to eye. A low point was Martin Scorsese's 1988 film The Last Temptation of Christ, which featured sex scenes, and flopped after Roman Catholics led a boycott.

But in 2004 Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ achieved great commercial success, thanks partly to the endorsement of prominent Christians such as Rev Billy Graham. Since then, studios including Warner Bros, Sony and Fox have nurtured faith-based audiences. They have created "faith" divisions and employed Bible scholars to check scripts. "Mega-church" pastors have been invited to preview films months before their release.

Websites have also been created for pastors to download trailers to show during sermons. The push includes promoting films with Christian groups globally, particularly in South America and Africa.

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A&E: 'DUCK DYNASTY' RESUMING 'WITH THE ENTIRE ROBERTSON FAMILY,' INCLUDING PHIL

Little more than a week after it suspended "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson for incendiary remarks about homosexuality, the cable channel A&E said Friday that it would include him in future tapings of the reality television show, effectively lifting the suspension amid a flurry of petitions in support of Robertson.

"After discussions with the Robertson family, as well as consulting with numerous advocacy groups, A&E has decided to resume filming Duck Dynasty later this spring with the entire Robertson family," the channel said in a statement.

In an apparent gesture to the advocacy groups, A&E said that it would "also use this moment" to broadcast public service announcements "promoting unity, tolerance and acceptance among all people."

Robertson's son Willie wrote on Twitter on Friday evening, "Back to work!!! So proud of all the fans of the show and family. Ole Phil may be a little crude but his heart is good. He's the Real Deal!"

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DUCK DYNASTY'S PHIL ROBERTSON BREAKS HIS SILENCE

Phil Robertson has spoken out for the first time since his homophobic comments in a magazine interview went public and refused to go back on his controversial remarks, saying: 'I will not give or back off from my path.'

The Duck Dynasty patriarch led a small Bible study group in his home town church in West Monroe, Louisiana on Sunday, granting MailOnline exclusive access.

And the deeply religious outdoorsman stood by his incendiary statements - which saw him call homosexuality a sin and led to his suspension from the hit reality show by network bosses at A&E.

During Sunday's speech, he defended himself, saying he was simply quoting from the Bible and even went so far as to say Jesus could save gay people.

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ATHEIST LESBIAN CONDEMNS PUNITIVE POLITICAL CORRECTNESS OF GAY COLLEAGUES

Camille Paglia, a professor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, told radio talk show host Laura Ingraham, "I speak with authority here, because I was openly gay before the 'Stonewall rebellion,' when it cost you something to be so. And I personally feel as a libertarian that people have the right to free thought and free speech."

"In a democratic country, people have the right to be homophobic as well as they have the right to support homosexuality - as I one hundred percent do. If people are basing their views against gays on the Bible, again they have a right of religious freedom there," she added.

"I think that this intolerance by gay activists toward the full spectrum of human beliefs is a sign of immaturity, juvenility," Paglia said. "This is not the mark of a true intellectual life. This is why there is no cultural life now in the U.S. Why nothing is of interest coming from the major media in terms of cultural criticism.

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When Adam Lanza stormed into the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14, 2012, opening fire on schoolchildren and sending kindergartners scrambling into closets for protection, American news outlets immediately began asking the desperate question, "Why?"

What made Lanza into a school shooter and mass murderer? Was it his family background, his reported autism, his political viewpoints, even his time spent in homeschooling?

Thoroughly profiling the perpetrator has become the first response of the American media in every shocking crime from Sandy Hook to the Boston Marathon bombing and more.

But almost one year to the date after the Sandy Hook shooting, on Dec. 13, 2013, at the Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colo., another school shooter opened fire, and this time, the gunman's background was all too quickly swept under the rug.

Karl Pierson

Most notoriously, the Denver Post discovered in its profiling of shooter Karl Halverson Pierson that fellow students described the 18-year-old gunman as "a very opinionated socialist." Yet by the next day, the Denver Post's editors had scrubbed the word "socialist" from the article, replacing it with merely "very opinionated."

In fact, the first words the article uses to describe Pierson are "outspoken about politics, was a gifted debater and might have been bullied for his beliefs ... a dedicated, bright student from a religious family that attends Bible study meetings."

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PLUS-SIZE, DOUBLE-CHINNED BARBIE SPARKING CONTROVERSIAL DEBATE

A controversy is brewing over a request to remake Barbie in way contrary to the iconic image so many girls knew growing up.

Plus-Size-Modeling.com is suggesting Mattel create a plus-size Barbie. While some say more realistic curves would be a better role model for girls, others say an overly large Barbie would be an unhealthy example.



Plus Size Modeling conducted a poll on its Facebook page on Dec. 18 asking, "Should toy companies start making Plus Sized Barbie dolls?" In just under two weeks, a picture of the poll has received over 40,000 likes, 5,000 comments and 2,700 shares.

"Sure, but Barbie doesn't need a double chin," one comment said. "You can be 'plus size' w/o the double chin. They could make a 'thick' Barbie."

"Portraying Barbie as a realistic woman with real curves is a very good idea and would send the right message to young girls about self-esteem," another comment said. "Making a morbidly obese Barbie is BAD!!"

Then there's this opinion:

"Okay I honestly don't think how a Barbie looks affects a child's self-esteem. When I was little I didn't wanna look like Barbie. Lol. I didn't think about my looks at all I just wanted to play..."

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On Monday, veteran cab driver Gerardo Gamboa received a $5 tip for driving a big-stakes poker player from the Cosmopolitan to the Palms Place.

On Friday, Gamboa picked up something extra for honesty: $10,000. It was the result of Gamboa turning in a brown paper bag filled with $300,000 the poker player left in the cab.

In addition, Gamboa's employer Yellow Checker Star Transportation will chip in another $1,000, said company chief operating officer William Shranko, and Gamboa will receive $250 certificate to cover dinner for two at Lawry's restaurant.

Shranko said the poker player, who he said wanted to retain his privacy, delivered the reward to an undisclosed location. The money came from the stash in the bag, six bundles of $100 bills that the Cosmopolitan confirmed to Shranko it had paid out on Monday.

On Monday, veteran cab driver Gerardo Gamboa received a $5 tip for driving a big-stakes poker player from the Cosmopolitan to the Palms Place.

On Friday, Gamboa picked up something extra for honesty: $10,000. It was the result of Gamboa turning in a brown paper bag filled with $300,000 the poker player left in the cab.

In addition, Gamboa's employer Yellow Checker Star Transportation will chip in another $1,000, said company chief operating officer William Shranko, and Gamboa will receive $250 certificate to cover dinner for two at Lawry's restaurant.

Shranko said the poker player, who he said wanted to retain his privacy, delivered the reward to an undisclosed location. The money came from the stash in the bag, six bundles of $100 bills that the Cosmopolitan confirmed to Shranko it had paid out on Monday.

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