Every Jesus movie has Good Friday covered, but few pop culturists pay much attention to Easter Sunday. That’s strange, since everyone dies, many are killed and in olden days quite a few were crucified; but coming back to life: that’s the punch line to the Gospel story. South Park‘s Trey Parker and Matt Stone to the rescue. From a child’s simple question — Stan Marsh’s wondering what colored eggs and the Easter bunny have to do with the resurrection of Jesus — they spin a conspiracy tale about a Catholic, all-male, Easter-protecting secret society (the Hare Club for Men) that bears just the slightest resemblance to The Da Vinci Code‘s Opus Dei. With guest appearances by the Pope, the Catholic League’s Bill Donohue and some ninja kidnappers. Special added attraction: the lyrics of “Peter Cottontail” in Latin. Somehow, I think, Jesus wouldn’t mind.
Top 10 Jesus Films
As secular as Hollywood is, the entertainment industry recognizes the dramatic impact, and box office lure, of Jesus' tale. TIME scanned a century of Messiah movies.