Posted on 12/13/2006 4:59:55 AM PST by UltraConservative
We saw The Nativity last w/e and it was excellent - not Hollywood'sh at all. We saw it instead of the Danny DeVito or Mel Gibson movies and do not regret. One of my teens said she actually had tears at the birth of Christ - it was surely the most touching scene in the movie and NOT overdone....very simple but it grabbed your heart. Don't know how else to explain it.
I am dubious if he claims not to have heard about that conference. It was on front page of most newspapers in the last few days. People in the movie biz do get tunnel vision, especially when they are in the thick of a campaign, but still, I'm dubious.
I have a very good friend who is a world-recognized expert on Aztec, Mayan cultures etc. Has written several books on the topic. But so appalled he was by The Passion (no - he's not Jewish) he won't see Mel's movie until it's on cable. I'll be interested in his take on the film.
Many thanks for that summation
That's called "the yips" in a drinker. Mel has missed his calling. He should be playing Dr. House on Fox TV. He has all of the charm and tact of that character. And he wouldn't even have to act. :)
He made me nervous just watching him. Blinking, drinking that maybe Kahlua coffee, and looking around with no smile. I have always enjoyed his work and he was a very handsome young guy. As I said on a later post down the line, he's a wreck. It is a shame he's such a self destructive individual. Probably working out his hate issues would make a happier man.
Can't wait to see the movie.
I just skimmed the article because of the 'spoiler warning'
I liked his role as Col.Hal Moore.
Mel Gibson made the best Vietnam war movie ever made, he and devout catholic Hal Moore became close friends.
Road Warrior, Braveheart, We Were Soldiers, The Passion of the Christ, all are on my top ten list, from the word I've heard so far Apocalypto may join the list.
In the genre you highlight of Mel's films, he's no David Lean. Not even close. If you want to see great action /epic movies with philosophical and/or religious underpinnings, do yourself a favor and rent some David Lean movies. Mel is a mere poseur compared to Lean.
"Mel Gibson made the best Vietnam war movie ever made".....and the most underrated. Not sure how I feel about Mel now, but he has made some great movies.
We've all seen many David Lean movies. Gibson is much better.
We Were Soldiers, isn't just the best Vietnam movie ever made, it is one of the greatest war movies ever made.
The Passion of the Christ is a timeless masterpiece that will endure.
IMHO there was way too much standing up during the firefights, to my thinking, to be the greatest war movie ever.
He's probably snubbing them in retaliation for not getting invited.
I'm suffering from Mel Gibson fatigue as well as Hollyrot's opinions about how we should live our lifes....there is nothing Gibson or Hollyrot have to offer that would alter my life.
The phrase "it beggars belief" is apropos.
Mel Gibson is not some everyday, anonymous Joe. He's a world-famous celebrity who has screwed-up royally by showing his anti-Semitism in a drunken rage, and who has then, in an effort to undo some of that damage and salvage his career (to paraphrase Bill Clinton - to 'maintain his Hollywood viability'), promised to seek counseling, meet with "Jewish leaders" to gain understanding, and "reach out" to the Jewish community for forgiveness, etc. ad nauseum.
That any celebrity who has messed-up that badly and then publicly made those types of promises to "the Jewish community" would not make the minimal effort of keeping himself, or at least having someone on his staff keep him updated with a list of potentially embarrassing talking-points from the headlines of the day related to his "problem" is simply stupid. It puts the lie to all his promises.
The guy is on a whirl wind tour of the country, from early morning shows to late night shows, he may not be keeping up with current events right now.
Please. Which David Lean movies have you seen? Not one Gibson film has a story or screenplay to rival The Bridge On The River Kwai, or Lawrence of Arabia. Not even in the same league.
To be honest, I think the whole American-as-Mayan was an afterthought on Mel's part. I think he believes it, but I don't think it was his main metaphor. That perspective serves his purposes now, though.
With respect, think about what you just wrote. When you're trying to climb your way out of a public relations hole, rehabilitate your career and promote your new movie, as Gibson is, via a whirlwind tour of interviews, you don't necessarily need to keep abreast of everything that's going on in the world, but you'd darn-well better be prepared for questions related to your particular PR "problem". To not do so is just plain foolish.
This isn't rocket science. Here's how it's supposed to work:
INTERVIEWER: "Mel, what do you think about the recent Holocaust Denial Conference held in Iran?"
GIBSON: "When I heard about it I was shocked. I think it's shameful. One of the lessons I tried to convey in my movie 'Apocalypto' is that we need to remember, and learn from the barbaric realities of history."
See? Simple, effective, and it quickly deals with and disposes of the potentially embarrassing issue. Sadly, the fact that Gibson can't bring himself to do these simple things is a telling indicator of deeper problems.
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