Posted on 12/09/2006 3:38:57 AM PST by Mel Gibson
Call it a Hollywood shocker: Mel's Apocalypto will have a bigger weekend opening than his Braveheart. Despite scandal, an R-rating, subtitles because of an ancient dialect, no stars, and direct competition from movieland AAA-listers Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz, Gibson's Mayan epic won Friday's matinees and evenings, I'm told. At first, box office gurus were warning me that the weekend victor among three very competitive films all opening against each other would be too close to call. cameron_jude.jpgBut now I've learned it looks certain that Apocalypto will win the weekend -- bearing out my reporting back on December 1st when I was told that early tracking showed Mel's movie (playing in 2,465 theaters) would edge ahead. Tonight, I'm told Mel's movie took in nearly $6 million Friday for what's expected to be at least a $15 mil, and possibly $16 mil, weekend total -- exceeding Disney's hopes for the box office gross. That easily beats Mel's Braveheart, which made $9.9 mil for Fri-Sat-Sun when it opened in 2,037 theaters during Memorial Weekend back in 1995 ($12.9 mil for the four-day holiday) and went on to make $75.6 mil in the U.S. and $210.4 mil worldwide, helped by winning the Best Picture Oscar. Based on today's matinees, the No. 2 spot went to Sony's The Holiday (in 2,610 playdates), a date movie from director-writer Nancy Meyer, known for capturing that man-woman zeitgeist. The studio's hard work to deftly market this PG-13 debut (also starring Kate Winslet, Jack Black and Jude Law) obviously paid off because the movie earned $4.5 mil Friday despite all the rivalry. In 3rd place was Warner Bros' Blood Diamond (in 1,910 theaters), an African-set action-adventure pic. Important to note that this film is playing in 500-to-700 less theaters than the other two films...
(Excerpt) Read more at deadlinehollywooddaily.com ...
Mel Gibson rocks! He has almost singlehandedly transformed Hollywood from the inane and banal to something spectacular.
Creative genius and insanity often ride together.
Belief in Christ is the basis of Christianity.
You will notice I did indeed refer to Mel as a Christian, did I not? I base that on his faith in Christ, nothing else, and I defend him on that basis alone.
You never saw the movie and yet you say its reprehensible? Try this; Open up your mind, see the picture, then judge it on what it is from what you witnessed, instead of what you think it is from people who may or may not have seen it! You can't point out what you can't see, 1st admendment or not! Go see it and then review it!
I looked up the other night and saw Farhad Safinia being interviewed. My guess is that his is part of Iranian expat. He is a gorgeous young man and completely rational American, a good rebuttal to those who argue there is no hope for those barbarians in the ME who have been doing bad things for thousands of years.
I think he is very, very angry. I don't know why, but everytime I see him I become convinced of this more. Just the things he says and the way he looks.
The violence in his movies is a byproduct. Sometimes I think he is bipolar (they are often very angry, and they drink) but who knows.
>>>I had a friend who refused to take her then 12-year old to see Patriot becauee of the violence.<<<
"The Patriot" is one of my favorite movies.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0187393/
So? People have been calling me nuts for years. And I don't even get the compensation of having lots of money.
I read and studied the bible for myself and am no longer a Catholic.
Belief in Christ is the basis of Christianity.
We had to wait 2000 years till you were born to tell us who God is?
You were an altar boy and say Catholics don't believe in Jesus Christ????? Please tell me what the duties of an altar boy are during Mass.
Why is this any different than generic horror movies? I'm not getting why Gibson is being criticized for something the makers of "Saw" or "Hostel" don't get criticized for. As best as I can see, no one is doing any psychoanalysis on the makers of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre".
That's ok. He'll be getting mine.
[Why is this any different than generic horror movies? I'm not getting why Gibson is being criticized for something the makers of "Saw" or "Hostel" don't get criticized for. As best as I can see, no one is doing any psychoanalysis on the makers of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre".]
Bingo.
I saw it yesterday afternoon. It's got lots of violence, but at it's heart is about a man trying to save friends and family. The primitiveness of pre-modern civilisation is also shown with all of its ugliness.
The bad guys are _really_ bad guys. ;-)
The mob is fickle.
It's okay--quality is timeless!
---I do not understand how people that have not seen the film can condemn it. ---
I've never witnessed or participated in rape or murder either, but I condemn them.
Over at Box Office Mojo they have statistics that show actual tickets sold as well as inflation-adjusted totals. The all time top three after adjustments are "Gone with the Wind", "Star Wars", and "Sound of Music"
I have to agree that there is too much violence in Gibson's films. However, according to my anthropology course, the Mayans were like that. In contrast, many of the other violent films made by Hollywood glamorize violence, make it seem fun - that is far sicker.
My, oh my. Seems that some feel that Mel's God given talent is evil.
With each of his movies, Mel has tried to teach true history, as it comes from his heart. Some don't want to see the truth, just condemn the source.
I haven't seen this movie, yet. Maybe, it's not in the same league as "The Passion", but it will be educational, as are all of his historicals.
Oh, yeah! It also seems that there were those that condemned "The Passion", even before its release.
flame on
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