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 ...
Thanks.
So, you really can't understand how someone could get an understanding of where a person's head is at, by OBSERVING what film they decide to, and the choices/details they make while doing them?! Wow! I don't think I have the patience to start from ground zero, explaining the whole process to you. Maybe someone else will take a shot at it...
Did you see Braveheart, Passion of the Christ or Patriot? Or, did you see, from other, more 'acceptable' sources, Saving Private Ryan?
Yes, I've seen them all.
You nailed it
The multi-cultis cannot tolerate a non-Western "native American" culture being shown as being loathsome, savage, and in need of elimination
I'm hoping that Mel does a film on the life of Mohammod
That would take an awful lot of guts--does anyone in the film industry have such guts?
But Mo's life story is blockbuster material. His youth as the younger husband of a rich woman who supported his "visions" from the Angel Gabriel, his attempts at convincing the local Jews that he was the Messiah-- and after his wife dies, he accumulates a stable of wives and concubines, and turns bloodthirsty. His fascinating child-bride, Aisha, who is recorded as beautiful, witty and willful . She was seventeen when Mohammed died, in legend by being poisoned by another wife who was stolen from a Jewish family he saw murdered in Medina. His dying words included a demand that none of his wives (many more than four) should be allowed to remarry.
LOL! If you can't get them in the movie with sex, try violence.
I doubt that he turned bloodthirsty. It was always in him. He just finally got to a point where he felt safe to display what he had inside
He could not reveal his true self while his older wife was around, because she controlled the assets.
Still, an amazing epic movie...?
Oh yes, an unsanitized "Life of Mad Mo the Pedophile" would be an epic movie. It would drive all of Islam NUTS
Can you explain what you're referring to?
others say the foundation is the entire building.
What building is that?
[I will direct you this review by Christopher Hitchens, which encapsulates my feelings about The Passion...I DETEST THIS FILM ..WITH A PASSION..
I agree with everything in this review. I hope you will take this time to read it and consider what it says.]
LMAO.
Excuse me please?
Are you suggesting that the From Dusk to Dawn triology, Pulp Fiction, and Kill Bill series don't show bloody violence in your face?
In "Passion" ,during the scourging of Jesus, Gibson portrays Satan as one of the crowd moving among it holding a withered baby. In "Apocalypto" he gives you a glimpse of a figure holding an almost identical withered baby moving among the crowd. This time during the scene of human sacrifice.
I hope Mel does a movie about the muslim attack upon the West - the Siege of Constantinople or Vienna, the Battle of Lepanto, or the defense of the Island of Malta by the Knights of Saint John against 120,000 turkish muslims. Only Mel would make a movie about the Religion of Peace that shows the truth about it and its numerous attacks upon Western civilization.
Yeah, I remember that figure from The Passion. What gives with that withered baby? What's that all about?
I'm not sure. I took the "Passion's" imagery to mean Satan and his spawn (a demon) were inspiring the crowd and mocking the Blessed Virgin. In "Apocalypto" I thought it was Gibson's way of saying human sacrifice was the result of the same demonic forces.
To me, it sounds like a good movie. And yeah, if the Maya were barbarians, well portray them as barbarians. Everyone's descended from barbarians, no shame in that.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.