Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Entertainment › Movies (Theatrical) › APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest - Page 4

post #91 of 183
10/23/06 at 9:26pm

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

We saw this trailer (longer version) before The Prestige. I love ole Mel....but this was intriguing awhile back but now just looks kind of weird, bizarre, and out there. I hope I'm wrong. I'll be there but you got to admit this is a strange trailer.
Reply
post #92 of 183
10/23/06 at 11:19pm

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Not any stranger than the teaser where Mel himself showed up for a split second in a pretty creepy shot.
Reply
post #93 of 183
10/24/06 at 7:24pm

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Looks like another outlet for Mel's violence fetish....keep 'em coming Mel.
Reply
post #94 of 183
10/25/06 at 8:48am

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Glover
We saw this trailer (longer version) before The Prestige. I love ole Mel....but this was intriguing awhile back but now just looks kind of weird, bizarre, and out there. I hope I'm wrong. I'll be there but you got to admit this is a strange trailer.

I think it's just different, rather than strange. In the sense of, the trailer got my attention and made me want to see more, you know? I think it will definitely be different from anything that's out right now, and in a good way.
Reply
post #95 of 183
11/16/06 at 4:05pm

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Bumping to ad a pretty insightful interview with Mel where he talks about filming in the jungle and filming the movie in Mayan and all kinds of stuff. It's pretty insightful: http://comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=17262

I like that it seems like he really respects the history of Mayan culture and stuff and tried to convey that. I have to hand it to him, he does make really good historical movies. They feel really authentic.
Reply
post #96 of 183
11/16/06 at 5:47pm

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Two excellent articles have surfaced. The first is from Variety, with Peter Bart pontificating on possible reactions by Hollywood's very insular community toward what is, from all appearances, another intense cinematic experience. Here are a few excerpts, from www.oscarwatch.com -

Quote:
Small screenings of the still-uncompleted film are quietly taking place. The movie is rough around the edges -- temp score and sound, scenes still to be honed.

But the word has seeped out: From Mel Gibson's dark, troubled mind has emerged yet another brilliant exercise in filmmaking, extremely violent, yet compelling. The inner demons that play havoc with his personal life continue to energize his creative vision.

But how will his work be judged? The film is being released not just as "Apocalypto," but as Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto." Will the very community that understandably has been offended by Gibson's inebriated diatribes be willing to pass fair judgment on his artistic contributions?

The film itself represents a defiantly maverick voice. Subtitles run throughout. The cast is totally non-professional. The action is virtually nonstop and the confrontations brutal.
...

Hence, the looming Apocalypto Syndrome: Mel Gibson is not exactly a poster boy for tolerance. And that's the paradox: Acceptance of his work demands exactly that.

This one, from the Orlando Sentinel, discusses Gibson's unorthodox word-of-mouth marketing approach, very similar to the Passion, the overwhelmingly positive reaction at the previews, Edward James Olmos, and Elia Kazan.

Quote:
....Two years ago, Gibson reached out to Christians with a carefully orchestrated campaign that helped his film "The Passion of the Christ" become one of the most successful movies of all time.... With "Apocalypto" — his visually sumptuous retelling of the fall of the Maya civilization — Gibson is hoping to strike box-office gold once again by wooing Latinos and Native Americans such as Myers, hoping they will identify with his tale of an indigenous culture.

This latest effort isn't just a return to the playbook for promoting another hyper-violent movie made in an obscure language. It also marks an attempt by Gibson to move past his anti-Semitic outburst after a drunk-driving arrest in Malibu in July. Although Gibson publicly apologized and immediately sought treatment for alcohol abuse, some in Hollywood have said they can't bring themselves to forgive him.
...

While Gibson has been toiling in the editing room, putting the final touches on the film, he and Disney have also been aggressively screening the movie before select audiences in the Latino community, including L.A. politicians and businessmen....

As with "Passion," which contained brutal scenes of Christ's torture at the hands of Roman soldiers, there are scenes of bloody violence in "Apocalypto" — in this case, human sacrifices in which heads roll — that are sure to make audiences squirm in their seats. Disney spokesman Dennis Rice said the violence is "no more so than in any R-rated picture. For some, they will be fine with it. For others, it may not be exactly their cup of tea. But there hasn't been one person who has said this isn't a powerful movie and that once again, 'Mel has done it.' "
...

No one yet knows how much impact that headline-grabbing arrest could have....But there are others, including a few who have seen "Apocalypto," who say the film should not suffer just because of the director's personal mistakes.

One of those is actor Edward James Olmos, a leading voice in Latino cultural affairs, who said he was invited by Gibson to an early screening. Olmos, who brought along his grown son, Bodie, said he was unprepared for what he saw.

"I was totally caught off guard," Olmos said in a recent phone interview from the set of "Battlestar Galactica" in Vancouver, Canada. "It's arguably the best movie I've seen in years. I was blown away."

Olmos said he was not briefed beforehand by Gibson on the film. "I just kind of sat down and bingo! It wasn't even in a screening room. It was like an office…. The screen drops down from the ceiling. I was sitting at an oval table."

Olmos noted that the film tells the story of "first-nation" people — those who were here long before Europeans landed on their shores. Olmos said the story is "just breathtaking."

As for Gibson's outburst and arrest, Olmos said that what director Elia Kazan did in the days of the Hollywood blacklist never made him avoid Kazan's brilliant films.

"Basically, if you watch Elia Kazan's movies, I could surely watch Mel Gibson's movie," Olmos said. "I think more damage was done understanding what Elia Kazan did [during the McCarthy era] than what Mel Gibson did. That's his problem and he has to live with it."
...

Jorge Corralejo, a fellow LBA board member, has not seen the film but noted that despite Gibson's efforts most in the Latino community are unaware of it."I can't tell you anybody who knows anything about it," he said. "It's going to be a tough sell. It takes money to spread the word."
...

As for Sarmiento, he said that it was both "critical and honorable" that Gibson had reached out to the Latino community. "Rather than going to the masses, he's gone to the Latino community to see what they think…. It's a no-brainer. I think he's a smart businessman." He added that he is "amazed" that Hollywood doesn't do more of this kind of marketing.
...

Disney's Rice said the early screenings for Latino and Native American audiences do not mean that the studio is relying on that segment of the population to market the movie. "First of all, this is a movie made with an all-indigenous cast, which is pretty unique in Hollywood," he said. "The movie is about the Mayan culture and anyone who has a connection to that, particularly Mexican Americans, hopefully it will be well-received by them. "On the other hand, it's a flat-out action picture. College kids will want to see it."

Full article: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/enter...l-calmoviestop

Regards,
Nathan
Reply
post #97 of 183
11/16/06 at 10:40pm

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Interesting....
Reply
post #98 of 183
11/17/06 at 6:56am

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Maybe Mel will get it right.

hope and pray, hope and pray, hope and pray.
Reply
post #99 of 183
11/21/06 at 10:18am

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Thanks for posting those articles - the more I read about this the better it sounds. It sounds like Mel really stuck to his vision while making this, and the good press about it keeps coming - it really is going to be good. And if Captain Adama likes it, I'm satisfied

Also, there's a new teaser/tv spot out that I found on iFilm - it's short but there's a few brief new scene flashes and Mel talking about what "apocalypto" means. It's here: http://www.ifilm.com/video/2797436/channel/movies
Reply
post #100 of 183
11/26/06 at 12:00pm

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Excerpt from an LA Times Article:

Quote:
Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook believes that moviegoers can separate Gibson's off-screen behavior from his work behind the camera. He noted that the filmmaker once before defied dismal predictions by turning "The Passion of the Christ" into a global blockbuster.

"The public is smart enough to differentiate what happens in someone's personal life and their professional life," Cook said. "And, while we knew the marketing mountains we'd have to go up, you realize the movie is in the hands of someone who has conquered all these obstacles before and succeeded in an extraordinary way."

... As part of its effort, Disney will begin aggressively showing the film to exhibitors, college students, critics and other opinion makers as soon as Gibson delivers his final print early next week.

From http://apocalyptowatch.blogspot.com/

Also, here is Rolling Stone's review, with Travers giving the film 3.5 out of 4: http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/...008/apocalypto

Excerpts:

Quote:
Here's a thought: instead of rehashing Mel Gibson's Jew-bashing rants when L.A. cops got him on a DUI in July, let's stick to his movie. Apocalypto brings out what's unique and gripping in Gibson as a director. It's pure adrenaline -- a tremendously exciting chase movie, shot in Mexico, that just happens to be set in ancient Maya with dialogue spoken in Yucatec Maya, with English subtitles. Heck, you lived through Latin and Arabic in Gibson's Passion of the Christ, so don't be a wussy. Actually, you'd better not be gore-shy, because Apocalypto is one brutal and bloody ride.
...

This being Gibson, there's more to the film than the rush. It's impossible not to see parallels to our own cultured civilization, one that knowingly destroys its environment and sends troops to Iraq as human sacrifices. Gibson has made a film of blunt provocation and bruising beauty -- it's breathtaking to watch a jaguar racing in the jungle alongside the man who is named after the beast. Say what you will about Gibson, he's a filmmaker right down to his nerve endings.

EDIT: Confirmed running time is 137 minutes. Interestingly, the tv spot is in 1.85:1; does anyone know what the film's aspect ratio is?

Regards,
Nathan
Reply
post #101 of 183
11/26/06 at 12:32pm

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Except for the political aspects of that review (which I find presumptuous towards the director and professionally distasteful), I am extremely excited that the film is so close. I wonder if other reviewers will separate the film from their desire to talk about "the incident".
Reply
post #102 of 183
11/27/06 at 5:59am

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuck Mayer
Except for the political aspects of that review (which I find presumptuous towards the director and professionally distasteful), I am extremely excited that the film is so close. I wonder if other reviewers will separate the film from their desire to talk about "the incident".

Fat chance.:
Reply
post #103 of 183
11/27/06 at 6:44am

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

To me, the thing I've noticed is that virtually no one I know really gives a crap about "the incident". That seems more like something Hollywood itself is struggling with. From what I've seen personally, if Gibson is carrying any baggage around these days, it really stems more from the fact that he's now widely perceived as "Jesus Guy", and that every film he does is now supposed to be somehow about Jesus. Someone I know just saw the Apocalypto trailer the other day and, completely bypassing the imagery of the trailer, turned to me and asked, "So what's that supposed to be? Is that like The Passion 2: After Jesus Comes Back?"
Reply
post #104 of 183
11/27/06 at 2:56pm

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

I've noticed a similar thing. One can't deny that the movie looks awesome. In interviews he's still his same, easygoing self. Having lived in Hollywood for a while, I can say that the community there has a strong dislike for him (and incidentally, Steven Spielberg, another self-made success) that I have not noticed elsewhere; newscasters down there were actually comparing him to Nixon and Watergate. The fact that Variety ran that sympathetic article (which I excerpted above) gives me hope that even the insular community might be able to take his art on its own terms.

Regards,
Nathan

EDIT: The H'wd Foreign Press has added this and Letters from Iwo Jima to their list of films under consideration for the Globe Foreign film nomination. In a sentence that doesn't begin to make sense, Variety states: "Unlike their counterparts in Oscar voting, the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press consider a foreign-language film regardless of its country of origin." Somehow, that means that Apocalypto is an official US foreign film, while Letters is the Japanese entry.
Reply
post #105 of 183
11/28/06 at 7:30am

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Each successive glimpse of this film left me more impressed (and excited) than the last. Can't wait to see it.
Reply
post #106 of 183
11/28/06 at 12:46pm

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

I'm counting down the days until I can see this film. It looks amazing from the trailer and I love all the positive press it's getting of late. I just have to hold on a little bit longer!
Reply
post #107 of 183
11/30/06 at 12:09pm

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Well, for me personally, I don't think that Mel's personal problems or whatever has any affect on his ability to directorially conceptualize movies - I think most movie fans feel the same way. If the movie looks good, I'll see it. This looks good, so I'm there. Mel's drama doesn't really influence me one way or the other.

In more Apocalypto-related news - Four new clips went up today at IESB, here: http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option...=822&Itemid=27

Worth checking out!
Reply
post #108 of 183
11/30/06 at 5:06pm

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Quite a good interview with Mel over at EW.com.

My favourite part:
Quote:
But I want people to close their eyes sometimes. There is one point where a guy jumps over a waterfall and brains himself on a rock. I don't want people to watch that piece. I've given them plenty of time to close their eyes, because that's really heinous.
What is it in there for, then?
Just in case you don't blink.
Reply
post #109 of 183
12/1/06 at 2:20pm

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

David Carr loved Apocalypto
Reply
post #110 of 183
12/1/06 at 7:12pm
Thread Starter 

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

I just read that Gibson used the Genesis HD camera for this. If I'm not mistaken, that's what Singer used on SUPERMAN RETURNS.
Reply
post #111 of 183
12/2/06 at 6:03am

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Quote:
EDIT: The H'wd Foreign Press has added this and Letters from Iwo Jima to their list of films under consideration for the Globe Foreign film nomination. In a sentence that doesn't begin to make sense, Variety states: "Unlike their counterparts in Oscar voting, the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press consider a foreign-language film regardless of its country of origin." Somehow, that means that Apocalypto is an official US foreign film, while Letters is the Japanese entry.

Yeah, I think the Academy needs to revisit this issue. More filmmaking done by hispanic and other filmmakers in the US is not in English. And some of it is very good. You'd think if anything, Hollywood would be interested in being more open about it and go for "Foreign Language" films; after all, films from England are rarely put into the Foreign Films category, they vie for the top spots or not at all. (4 Weddings & A Funeral; Howard's End.. I don't remember those getting a shot at Best Foreign Picture)
Reply
post #112 of 183
12/2/06 at 9:32am

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

I saw the preview for Apocalypto last night, before Casino Royale. While it may be a great movie, this was one of the worst trailers i've seen in a while. There was no sense of what the move was about: disconnected images giving no sense of the movie's plot (if it has one). And even worse, it was also a prime example of trailer cliches: bass hits to emphasize cuts between scenes; creepy children talking to the camera; overly loud "stressful" breathing; fast-motion sunsets and cloud motion; fast cut action sequence montage with pounding "industrial" music. The only thing it lacked was a deeply intoned introduction "In a world..."

It was very amateurish, almost a spoof of Blockbuster trailers.
Reply
post #113 of 183
12/3/06 at 2:07pm

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Variety apparently loved it.

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117...&cs=1&nid=2854
Reply
post #114 of 183
12/3/06 at 6:34pm

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveF
I saw the preview for Apocalypto last night, before Casino Royale. While it may be a great movie, this was one of the worst trailers i've seen in a while. There was no sense of what the move was about: disconnected images giving no sense of the movie's plot (if it has one). And even worse, it was also a prime example of trailer cliches: bass hits to emphasize cuts between scenes; creepy children talking to the camera; overly loud "stressful" breathing; fast-motion sunsets and cloud motion; fast cut action sequence montage with pounding "industrial" music. The only thing it lacked was a deeply intoned introduction "In a world..."

It was very amateurish, almost a spoof of Blockbuster trailers.
I can agree with that.

Still, knowing what the film is and what he has tried to do the footage in the trailers is pretty compelling to me. I was not the target audience for PotC and didn't see it at the theater, but while the "violence fetish" point has merit the guy still pulled off an amazing looking film that did have some emotional power. A bit indulgent, but powerful.

MI3 was a film I avoided slightly because of Cruise, much more so because of MI2. But again after tons of positive reviews I watched it and was impressed.


So I suppose I agree with Olmos, you have to separate the individual from the work. Being a nice guy doesn't mean I have to like your crappy film, so why should I have to hate a great film made by someone I dislike? Even more so when the person isn't featured in the film.


Foreign language Oscar/GG
I don't see this as a category about the language spoken, but rather about the CULTURE that created the film. To me Run Lola Run, even if presented dubbed, still resonates a different culture than Hollywood or the US indy scene. It's not in the spirit of the FL Oscar to include US made films where actors speak another language.

It gets gray when you consider the American subcultures that still have strong ties to their foreign heritage, but a Chinese-American perspective is still not the same as a purely Chinese one, no matter what language is spoken in the film.

What makes those films a unique category isn't just that another language is being spoken. In fact occassionally a FL film barely features any dialog at all.


On the other hand if an American director or producer goes to work entirely with a foreign production outside the country - the studio, sets, actors, crew - at some point the amount of "Americanism" to the film is going to be very limited. To me that seems more like a US-based artist trying to engage in the mindset and values of a foreign country's film production.

In that way I could see support for Apoc. being a "foreign" film.
Reply
post #115 of 183
12/4/06 at 12:54am

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

First Listen: Apocalypto soundtrack

http://www.soundtrack.net/features/article/?id=215
Reply
post #116 of 183
12/4/06 at 4:03am

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Quote:
Originally Posted by Seth Paxton
So I suppose I agree with Olmos, you have to separate the individual from the work. Being a nice guy doesn't mean I have to like your crappy film, so why should I have to hate a great film made by someone I dislike? Even more so when the person isn't featured in the film.

If I refused to purchase movies, books or music because I disagreed with the artist's philosophy or lifestyle, I probably wouldn't own much. I try to base my purchases on the quality of the work, not on the quality of the person who made it.

As Seth points out, there are tons of well intentioned folks out there cranking out really crappy product. Them being nice doesn't obligate me to buy their stuff.
Reply
post #117 of 183
12/6/06 at 9:34am

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

I got the chance to go to a screening of this yesterday.

This movie really lives up to all the positive press it's getting. I was blown away by how realistic, engaging and enjoyable it was. I really liked it a *lot*. Mel's done an awesome job here.

For me, the best part was the casting. Gibson was so right to cast unknowns in this - it adds to the realism aspect, and they all do great jobs. Rudy Youngblood is a real find, I think. They were so good, very natural, and totally believable.

And the visuals are stunning - this is a movie meant to be seen up on a big theater screen. Everything is very lush, beautiful and detailed - jungles, waterfalls, villages, the ancient city. I can't imagine the level of detail that must have gone into just, say, the costuming for this. (The city dwellers costumes are awesome.) The story moves well, you're completely caught up in the pace, and it doesn't let up at all, particularly during the big chase through the jungle sequences. And, mostly, it was a really good choice to set the decline and ruination/ending of a civilation as the backdrop of a more personal human story. That's the real focus, not the decline of empire, but the fact that the civilization is failing is apparent the whole way through.

I've seen a lot of reviews commenting on the violence in the movie, but honestly, it wasn't as bad as I'd been expecting, and it wasn't over the top for me. (If you watch horror movies with any regularity at all, you've probably seen worse, honestly.) The most bloody moments do illustrate the real problems with the civilization, so in that regard it serves the story.

In short, totally recommend it.
Reply
post #118 of 183
12/6/06 at 10:24am

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Thanks for the review, Abby B. Do you remember if the movie was in 2.35:1 or 1.85:1?

Regards,
Nathan
Reply
post #119 of 183
12/7/06 at 3:29pm

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pete-D
Well M:I 3 I think definitely took a hit because of all the Tom Cruise stuff ... the Mel Gibson thing is not really a "media creation".

No one put a gun to the guy's head and told him to go driving drunk and then launch into a tirade afterwards. The press is not ripping Gibson down, he did a pretty good job of doing that himself.

That said, I'm still somewhat curious to see the film, but lets face it, Apocalypto was never going to be a mainstream blockbuster type of film.

I still do not really believe all the hype about what really happened.

I don't see the leap from him being drunk, pulled over and starting to rant about how "the Jews are the source of all the wars" and referring to a female police officer as "Sugar Tits".

I don't see any reason anyone would scream anything like that at police officers, I think it is just more of that crap about how the "Passion of the Christ" was anti-Jewish and how he must hate Jewish people to make such a movie.

If I remember correctly the news media stated that there was nothing in the police report to say he said those things (although many people just thought the police were protecting him by deleting the evidence from the actual written report), I think it is just more lets bring him down just because we can if we want to!

I'm sorry I just don't think that things happened like the general public has been led to believe happened!
Reply
post #120 of 183
12/7/06 at 4:21pm

Re: APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest

Kelly, did you read Gibson's apology? He stated that he was sorry to have made anti-Semitic remarks. If we are going to separate the Gibson's attitudes and behavior from his work, let's also be honest about the man himself.

Seeing the ads on tv and latest trailer in theaters, many of the shots look very unlike film. This could be an intentional artistic choice(see Michael Mann), the ads not reflecting the quality of the prints, or an oversight by the filmmakers. Any opinions on this so far?
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Movies (Theatrical)
Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Entertainment › Movies (Theatrical) › APOCALYPTO --- Mel Gibson's Latest