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chaddoli wrote:That looks like a director for the Sci Fi channel imitating Malick.

Actor and director Mel Gibson visited two Oklahoma towns this week to attend screenings of his new movie, "Apocalypto."

Gibson did not make a public appearance during screenings held at the Riverwind Casino in Goldsby and Cameron University in Lawton. At the entrance of the casino — where the film was shown Friday to a mostly American Indian audience — reporters were kept behind partitions.

He arrived at Cameron on Thursday morning wearing a mask and wig so he wouldn't be noticed, university spokeswoman Amber McNeil said.

Jhane Myers, an Oklahoma City-based publicist who escorted Gibson, issued a statement saying Gibson was "deeply touched by the warm reception he has received while in Oklahoma."

Myers had said earlier in the week that Gibson had canceled the screenings planned for Oklahoma.

Gibson co-wrote and directed "Apocalypto," which is billed as an action-adventure film set in the last days of the Mayan civilization in Mexico. It will be released Dec. 8.

Will Oscar Voters Judge Mel's Film Fairly? Gibson Sneaks 'Apocalypto' For Native Americans; Both Time/Newsweek Cover?

I've learned that both Time and Newsweek want to put Mel Gibson's Apocalpto on their covers timed to its Dec. 8th opening. This happened with Gibson's The Passion of the Christ: Newsweek made it the cover before the film's release, and Time after the movie was in theaters. It's quite a coup for any Hollywood pic to make the covers of both newsmagazines. "There are a lot of media offers on the table competing for this movie," an insider told me. This may happen without any actual interview of Gibson, too. Any interview would be problematic for Mel's publicity push since it would necessarily dwell on Gibson's alcoholism relapse and drunken rantings against Jews. Because of that, it's still up in the air if there'll be a big network (or even cable) TV one-on-one. But the real issue, now that the Disney movie is starting to garner raves from its sneak screenings, is whether Oscar voters can, or will, judge Mel's film fairly. Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are known to hold grudges for a myriad reasons, and Gibson's anti-Semitic remarks over the summer provide ample fuel. Then again, the voters are supposed to judge the merits of the film and not the man behind it. The question is: can that be possible? I certainly don't have an answer yet since it's too early in the process -- most voters won't even start seeing the film until December -- but I can look to the past. After all, they ignored Gibson's Passion for the big noms (Best Actor, Best Director, Best Picture) because of the anti-Semitic overtones some saw in its portrayal of the events surrounding the death of Jesus. And, last year, I reported that hetero Oscar voters were unwilling to screen Brokeback Mountain because of their own anti-gay prejudices. But Mel's film is becoming known as the 'Mexican Braveheart' -- and everyone knows Braveheart won a ton of Oscars. Meanwhile, I'm told that Gibson's alcoholism rehab is going well.

Following up on the Sept. 15th release of the movie's first trailer, Gibson went to the Southwest this weekend to personally host sneak screenings of his forthcoming Apocalypto to Native-American groups in Oklahoma and Texas (as well as to Ain't-It-Cool-News.com's Harry Knowles in Austin). First, Gibson went to Oklahoma, because I'm told that's where the Native-American lead of his film hails from. Rudy Youngblood, the newcomer who plays Jaguar Paw, is a Comanche-Cree-Yaqui Indian who lived near Ada, Ok., before moving to Los Angeles last year to try his hand at acting. Four months later, he was cast by Gibson in Apocalypto's lead role. (I'm told that, as part of Youngblood's audition, he had to run around the conference room where Gibson was casting -- because the last part of the movie is an edge-of-your-seat foot chase through the rain forest.) "Mel was supporting his lead actor. This was a bigger thing going on than the movie," an insider told me. So Gibson travelled to Goldsby, OK, on Friday for screenings for several dozen people, mostly American Indian, including officials of the Chickasaw Nations Industry. Some screenings were held at the Riverwind Casino south of Norman, OK, and some at Camerican University in Lawton, OK. Gibson wore a mask and wig to enter the campus building without being noticed. According to media reports, the action/adventure thriller set in the last days of the Mayan civilization in Mexico, was well received in Oklahoma.

So, too, in Austin, Texas, where the film was presented Saturday as part of Fantastic Fest 2006 with Gibson and Youngblood in attendance. Just prior to that, Gibson held a private screening for Harry Knowles and for the Native American Pow Wow Association of Austin. Though not quite finished -- some visual effects and sound design aren't in place -- Apocalypto is "a film of immense power [that] unfolds unflinchingly," Knowles reviews. "The Native Americans gathered at this screening seemed to love it. What I saw today was a very rough jewel, when I see it again, I trust I will see an immaculate jewel. This could very well be the best film Mel has made when he's done with it." The film received a standing ovation from the Fantastic Fest audience. In a Q-and-A after the private screening, one member of the native American audience asked Gibson if the movie was saying that the decay of the Mayan empire was solely from within (rather than from the influence of European invaders). Gibson replied that he has always felt that the seeds for different civilizations' demise always start from within, as a healthy society can repel any foreign invader. "He does see the film as a metaphor for where we are today," Knowles posted.

chaddoli wrote:That looks like a director for the Sci Fi channel imitating Malick.

Gibson replied that he has always felt that the seeds for different civilizations' demise always start from within, as a healthy society can repel any foreign invader.

For the mature, non-infantile members of this forum

The Invunche wrote:I bet Gibson thinks the Mayan empire crumbled because they were infidels.

Mel campaigns for new movie, against war in Iraq

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Sun Sep 24, 2006 11:12 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Mel Gibson has returned to the spotlight to promote his upcoming movie "Apocalypto," and to criticize the war in Iraq, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Almost two months after he railed against Jews when he was arrested for driving drunk in Malibu, the actor made a surprise appearance Friday at Fantastic Fest, an event in Austin, Texas, devoted to new science fiction, horror and fantasy films, the trade paper said in its Monday edition.

He presented a work-in-progress screening of his Mayan adventure tale, and then took questions. About one-third of the full house gathered for the film gave him a standing ovation. The film is scheduled for a December 8 release via Disney.

In describing its portrait of a civilization in decline, Gibson said, "The precursors to a civilization that's going under are the same, time and time again," drawing parallels between the Mayan civilization on the brink of collapse and America's present situation. "What's human sacrifice," he asked, "if not sending guys off to Iraq for no reason?"

Appearing alongside Rudy Youngblood, one of the film's actors who hails from the Austin area, Gibson said he plans to make further trims in the film, which ran more than two hours. The print shown did not include sound effects and score, and some visual effects have not yet been added.

Gibson's appearance at the festival, co-founded by Harry Knowles, was reminiscent of a similar appearance he made at Knowles' Butt-Numb-a-Thon, which offered one of the first public previews of "The Passion of the Christ."

The Invunche wrote:Oh come on. When did a religious conversion not "cause work to go south"?

The Invunche wrote:Oh come on. When did a religious conversion not "cause work to go south"?

The Invunche wrote:Oh come on. When did a religious conversion not "cause work to go south"?