Suddenly, Next Summer (NYT: Mel Gibson's instincts haven't failed him yet)

The New York Times ^ | December 22, 2005 | CARYN JAMES

[presidio9]

Before "Braveheart," who would have thought blue-faced warriors would be crowd-pleasers? But as a director, Mel Gibson has had an unfailing instinct for knowing what moviegoers want before they know it themselves. And while he may have set off one of the largest cultural debates in years with "The Passion of the Christ," in Hollywood terms the yammering hardly matters. His little self-financed movie made so much money that he's free to do whatever he wants next.

The teaser trailer for "Apocalypto," which Touchstone plans to release next summer, offers the first glimpse of what that is. The latest unpredictable Gibson film is set in the ancient, lost civilization of the Maya, and the haunting, fast-paced preview suggests that his instincts haven't failed him yet.

The preview starts a bit slowly, with a quote from the historian Will Durant. "A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within,” the text on screen reads, against distant views of Mayan temples and the jungle, colorful wall paintings, and a gathering of native people, their faces painted, their hair and bodies elaborately decorated with beads. It’s a colorful, if flat, way to situate us.

But then more text appears, with highlighted words that hit the three main points this teaser needs to make. It reads: "From MEL GIBSON" (it's Mel, you know Mel), "the Academy Award-winning director of BRAVEHEART" (big crowd scenes and rousing action) "and THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST" (no English dialogue, no recognizable actors). With drumbeats in the background, the pace picks up. As a series of visually rich scenes fly by, the trailer suggests that "Apocalypto" will be more "Braveheart" than "Passion."

[presidio9]

[jocon307]

"His little self-financed movie made so much money that he's free to do whatever he wants next."

LOL, fair enough from the NY Times.

Merry Christmas Mel, where ever you are.

And Merry Christmas to you, presidio9!

[brivette]

I'll bet Mel's laughing all the way to the bank.

[presidio9]

Isn't it nice to see that the Times has finally realized that the 1st Ammendment works both ways?

Merry Christmas jocon307

[BallyBill]

Holy Cow, I thought that was Saddam for split second. I watched Lethal Weapon today, a new Holiday classic?

[aculeus]

I can't wait for Frank Rich and Pinch's other bores to go bananas over the next one.

[ExcursionGuy84]

Freaky that He's looking like Saddam Hussein nowadays.....or is that his humor as well?

[presidio9]

[2111USMC]

I still think my all time favorite is "The Patriot".

[Hildy]

Did you ever see the 1957 movie THE PATRIOT starring Jack Lord? I was in Colonial Williamsburg last week and they play it continuously in the hotel rooms. It told the story of how the colonies decided to go to war. It was great and then they had a little documentary on how they restored the original print of the movie. If you ever get a chance to see it, it will bring tears to your eyes!

[Cicero]

The preview starts a bit slowly, with a quote from the historian Will Durant. "A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within,”

I'll put myself out on a limb here and guess what the movie is about. It's about the danger that America will destroy itself from within and be defeated by our enemies, if we fail to deal with our fifth column and restore the old values that made us great. But instead of tackling it head on, Mel uses one of the great icons of the victimologists and the multiculti theorists. He doesn't do it with Rome, he doesn't do it with Britain, he doesn't do it with America, he does it with the poor, victimized, politically correct Mayan civilization.

Still, the lesson will be clear enough, and most unpalatable to the NY Times, I expect.

[American Quilter]

I expect it will be a fine film. But Mel, ditch the beard!

[Windcatcher]

LOL, is Mel plannng on acting in a Civil War film in the near future?

[Fintan]

How many beautiful, majestic trees die to make paper to print the New York Times?

 

[Marie]

I love it! lol! Can't wait to buy this one.

[Aquinasfan]

The Mayan priests cutting the hearts out of virgins and throwing their bodies off of the Mayan pyramids will make for great theater. The PC police will have conniptions.

[rbg81]

"His little self-financed movie made so much money that he's free to do whatever he wants next."

Methinks the NYT is just PO'ed cause Mel isn't using his money and talent to make movies about gay cowboys, or other politically correct topics.

[Windcatcher]

Mel is officially "off the Hollywood plantation." If there's anything they can't stand, it's a lack of control.

[Hound of the Baskervilles]

Wow! Can't think of any movies I've ever seen centered around Mayan civilization. This is going to be very different from the usual movie fare. And he can get very creative with the story since there are so many different theories about what actually caused the once great and advanced Mayan civilization to decline and fall. Not only that but one can imagine that there won't be any other characters except Mayans since they never came in contact with Europeans. (The Aztecs and Incas did but not the Mayans, if I remember my History Channel correctly.)