Gibson's 'The Passion' draws 40,000 Malaysians

Gibson's 'The Passion'draws 40,000 Malaysians
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- More than 40,000 Malaysians have watched Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" after authorities in this mostly Muslim nation allowed the movie to be shown to Christians in designated movie theaters.
Crowds at the screenings, which are slated to run for nearly two months until the end of October, might have been larger if some Christians hadn't already seen the movie on pirated videodiscs or in neighboring countries, Wong Kim Kong, secretary general of the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship, a church grouping responsible for ticket sales, said Monday.
The Home Ministry ruled that non-Christians should be barred from screenings, but the restriction hasn't been strictly enforced, Wong said. He noted that some people might have asked their Christian friends to help them get tickets, which are sold only through churches.
"Each individual should be responsible for his own actions," Wong told The Associated Press. "If non-Christians are comfortable with watching this film, we can't stop them from doing so."
Malaysian officials announced in July that the film could be shown in 18 theaters nationwide, after requests from churches, but publicity such as posters and movie trailers were forbidden.
"We're satisfied because Christians in Malaysia have the opportunity to watch this movie, which they say has helped them revitalize their faith," Wong said.
Dollywood plans to add10 rides in park expansion
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. -- Dolly Parton's Dollywood theme park, Tennessee's biggest tourist attraction, is getting bigger.
The amusement park, located in the Great Smoky Mountains, will add 10 rides in 2005 in a 31/2-acre expansion of the park's Country Fair area that will increase ride capacity by more than 2,000 passengers an hour.
"This project will allow more people to enjoy Country Fair, one of Dollywood's most popular areas," said Dollywood general manager Barbara Joines recently. No value on the additions was disclosed.
The new rides will mix traditional midway favorites with unique attractions, such as an airplane-style ride that allows passengers to create their own experience.
Most will allow parents and children to experience the ride together. Several existing rides will be retired to make way for the additions.
Construction is to begin in November with completion before the park's seasonal opening March 26.
Open nine months of the year, Dollywood is a 125-acre park offering more than 30 rides, crafts and musical attractions. It draws more than 2.2 million visitors annually, second in visitation in Tennessee only to the neighboring Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Newspaper says Lavignecaused $600 damage
NEW YORK -- Avril Lavigne wants to prove what a wild child of a punk chick she really is. According to the New York Daily News, the 20-year-old rocker caused some mayhem and damage to a trailer she used during a New York club show last month to promote Maxim's music issue.
Before you start fondly reminiscing about those good old days when hard-partying rockers trashed four-star hotel rooms to the tune of gazillions of dollars, consider what generation we're talking about. Apparently the damage, which included a broken cabinet, picture frame and wardrobe, is costing Lavigne $600. Yeah, that's proof of some seriously barbaric wildness.
Today's birthdays
Author-journalist Shana Alexander is 79. Actress Britt Ekland is 62. Impressionist Fred Travalena is 62. Singer Millie Small is 58. Singer-musician Thomas McClary is 54. Rock singer Kevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon) is 53. Rock singer-musician David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) is 50. Actress Elisabeth Shue is 41. Singer Matthew Sweet is 40. Actress Jacqueline Obradors is 38. Country singer Tim Rushlow is 38. Rock musician Tommy Stinson is 38. Actor Ioan Gruffudd is 31.