

A blog for the devoted Mel Gibson Fans




Twentieth Century Fox Mexico bows Mel Gibson's Mayan epic "Apocalypto" today in Mexico. Fox is releasing the film on 300 prints -- midsized for the market -- and expects to nab the No. 1 spot and 15 million pesos ($1.4 million) in the opening weekend.
Fox estimated the pic would earn less than $4 million during its run, but exhibs were more optimistic, expecting it to earn more than $6 million.
Film managed to nab a B-15 rating, which requires kids younger than 15 be accompanied by an adult, after distribs feared landing a C rating (similar to R) due to the pic's graphic violence.
Mexico is the first Latin American market to see the film and should provide a litmus test for other markets with populations of indigenous peoples and pre-Colombian cultures. Fox has rights for the entire region.
Francisco Lopez, Fox Latam's regional marketing manager, said the distrib is marketing the film more as an action film in some markets -- including Mexico -- and would play up the cultural aspect in campaigns in the more European-centered markets such as Argentina and Chile, which have tiny indigenous populations.

Los Angeles, CA (BANG) - Mel Gibson knows he's made some mistakes in the past, however, he insists things are different now and wishes people would simply cut him some slack.
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Actor and producer Mel Gibson hit back on Monday at accusations his "Apocalypto" film misrepresents Mayan Indians as savages, accusing opponents of not doing their research.
"Those who criticise the movie should do their homework. I did," Gibson told reporters at a screening of the film in Mexico City.
Indigenous activists in Guatemala, once home to a large part of the former Mayan empire in southern Mexico and northern Central America, say "Apocalypto" is racist.
The film has yet to open in Mexico and Guatemala but pirated DVDs are available on the streets and heart-pounding trailers have been shown in movie theaters.
Mayan critics of "Apocalypto" say scenes of scary-looking Indians with bone piercings and scarred faces hurling spears and sacrificing humans promote stereotypes about their culture.
He produced and co-wrote the movie, which revolves around one man's quest to save himself from human sacrifice in the ancient civilization.
Spoken entirely in the Yucatec Mayan language, "Apocalypto" led the North American box office with three-day ticket sales of $14.2 million (7.2 million pounds) in its first weekend in December.
Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey are just two of the nominations for Britain's top film awards, the BAFTA. British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards which are equivalent to the Oscars.
A contrite Mel Gibson puts the past behind him with an ambitious new epic, Apocalypto, which hits Australian screens today.
Mel Gibson's new movie Apocalypto has claimed the box office record for the biggest opening weekend for a foreign language film in the UK.The movie, which is spoken in the Mayan dialect and estimated to have cost £20m to make, has taken £1.3m since its release on Friday.It opened in 385 cinemas in the UK.

"It's a work of art. It's a beautiful movie that tells the story without hiding anything. Wars are a part of life," said Gian Paolo Cugno, an Italian director who was among the board members who voted in favor of not giving the movie an age limit.
Italy's cinema review board has ruled, bucking a trend to impose age limits on the movie across Europe and prompting a consumer group Thursday to say it would appeal the decision in court.
Read the article here:
The year ended pretty well, Apocalypto was released and went to number 1. It also is the highest-grossing foreign-language movie of 2006 in the U.S. The media for the most part has stopped the Mel bashing and beginning to realize that we all make mistakes so get over it.

http://apocalypto.movies.go.com/
********************************************Just an update on the woman who is looking for a meal ticket, oh sorry her daddy it seems that despite denying their claims were a cash-grab at Gibson's movie millions, Confidential confirm Sloane, a divorced mother of one, and her mother, Marilyn, have been paid more than $20,000 for the tawdry tale.
Sloane's ex-husband, Glenn, who has custody of their son Jordan, 10, and lives in Parkes, is angry their child was linked to the story without warning.
"I was so upset and shocked. People were ringing me about the story and I wasn't prepared to protect my son,'' he said.
When asked if he had spoken to his ex about the claims since the story broke, he said: "She's denying the whole thing.''
He added the paternity claims were "mentioned during our relationship, but I always thought it was a croc.''
Confidential understands the two women pocketed $3000 from New Idea after the magazine decided to "kill off'' the story two months ago.
"Our fact-checking process raised credibility concerns and so we decided against running the story,'' editor Robyn Foyster said yesterday.
New Idea's former news editor, Sandra White recently left the magazine and then shopped the story and photos overseas. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,20957928-5006002,00.html



APOCALYPTO
Domestic Total as of Dec. 17, 2006: $27,924,000 (Estimate)
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/
not bad for a movie that everyone had given up on, except us devoted fans!







Mel Gibson visit's Riverwind Casino for a special benefit event and screening of his latest movie, "Apocalypto" Friday, Dec. 1, 2006 in Norman, Okla. Proceeds from the special benefit event will go to the Mayan People of Mexico, the Oklahoma Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America Inc., Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa and Oklahoma City Indian Clinic.