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13 JANUARY 2007.- CORRECTION: MEL GIBSON STORY
MEXICO CITY -- In a Jan. 11 story about the Mexican premiere of the movie "Apocalypto," The Associated Press incorrectly attributed the statement that Mel Gibson would not attend. The statement was made by 20th Century Fox publicist Christina Inman, not Gibson publicist Alan Nierob. Nierob said Gibson would attend Monday's premiere. Mel Gibson will travel to Mexico for the Mexican premiere on Monday of his movie "Apocalypto," about ancient Mayans, his publicist said. "Apocalypto" tells the story of the Mayan people - who built a civilization in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras - and is in a Mayan language. Gibson employed Mayans for the film and has said he wants to make the language "cool" again.. The publicist Alan Nierob confirmed that Gibson would attend. "Apocalypto" has broken box-office records for foreign-language films in its opening weekends in several countries. It has also earned a Golden Globe nomination for best foreign-language film. (AP) |
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14 JANUARY 2007.- INTERVIEW, MEL GIBSON
Source: Sunday Times (UK)
Mel Gibson comes into the room just as I am tucking into the BLT sandwich his assistant brought me. It's ungainly, I have mayonnaise all around my face. The Mel I get is gentleman Mel, who sees my embarrassment and makes an excuse to leave until I have finished it. He has been in and out like a shadow wearing a grey shirt, greying hair. Even the electric-blue eyes seem greyer.
When he comes back, he's still gentle. He is hesitant when he talks of Apocalypto going down so well. "Hopefully, the work elicits some sort of emotional response in people. It's intense, but that was the whole idea, to make a story that kept turning the screws tighter and tighter. A nail-biter thriller, but at the same time trying to provide an emotional universe."
Read Complete Interview Click Here
Mel Gibson comes into the room just as I am tucking into the BLT sandwich his assistant brought me. It's ungainly, I have mayonnaise all around my face. The Mel I get is gentleman Mel, who sees my embarrassment and makes an excuse to leave until I have finished it. He has been in and out like a shadow wearing a grey shirt, greying hair. Even the electric-blue eyes seem greyer.
When he comes back, he's still gentle. He is hesitant when he talks of Apocalypto going down so well. "Hopefully, the work elicits some sort of emotional response in people. It's intense, but that was the whole idea, to make a story that kept turning the screws tighter and tighter. A nail-biter thriller, but at the same time trying to provide an emotional universe."
Read Complete Interview Click Here
14 JANUARY 2007.- IN FRANCE, "APOCALYPTO" NUMBER ONE
Usually movies are out on wednesday in France, and this week, for its release here, Apocalypto has made the best score :
See ranking www.allocine.fr
More than 11 000 entries in theatres and only for Paris!
And the critic of the public is good !
Read opinions www.allocine.fr
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See ranking www.allocine.fr
More than 11 000 entries in theatres and only for Paris!
And the critic of the public is good !
Read opinions www.allocine.fr
15 JANUARY 2007.- MEL VISITS GUATEMALA
Before attending the première of "Apocalypto" in Mexico, Mel Gibson visited Guatemala.
Gibson, who did not give any interview, enjoyed sightseeing and taking photos with his mobile phone.
"Apocalypto" opens next March in Guatemala.
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Gibson, who did not give any interview, enjoyed sightseeing and taking photos with his mobile phone.
"Apocalypto" opens next March in Guatemala.
16 JANUARY 2007.- MEL GIBSON DEFENDS "APOCALYPTO"
Source: 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.
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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.
16 JANUARY 2007.- MAYAS´OPINIONS ON "APOCALYPTO" VARY WIDELY
Mel Gibson in Mexico
Source: El Universal
Mayas had mixed reactions to Mel Gibson´s "Apocalypto" prior to Monday´s screening of the movie in Mexico City after viewing bootleg copies of the bloody, pre-Columbian epic set in a Mexican jungle.
In a region where pirated DVDs are often available on street corners before movies even open, some Mayas said the film misrepresents their ancient culture as violent and bloodthirsty.
Others appreciated Gibson´s attempt to make the first feature-length film entirely in the Yucatec Maya language, which is still spoken by some 800,000 Mexicans whose ancestors ruled an empire for centuries, from about 250 until the Spanish conquest of the 1520s. By the time the Spanish arrived, however, the Maya civilization was in a state of decline.
"For the most part, you could understand everything," said Maya activist Amadeo Cool May, who in particular praised the film´s prophetic speech by a child about the impending collapse of the Indian city-state. "That was really Maya. Her monologue was well done."
Cool May added that as he sees it, "the intention (of the film) isn´t to talk about the culture, but rather to exploit the plot of a hero versus a villain."
Bartolomé Alonzo Caamal, who has taught Maya in Yucatan schools for four decades, said he was pleased the movie had been made and called it "a way to focus on the importance of Mayan culture."
But he said "it focused too much on the violent aspects ... like slavery or human sacrifice" instead of the Maya´s accomplishments in writing, mathematics and calendars. Some of the actors didn´t speak Maya well, he added.
Alonzo Caamal did like the controversial final scene, in which the Spaniards who eventually conquered and exploited the Maya appear and, by pure chance, save the life of the main character.
The protagonist and his family decide not to join the Spaniards, instead taking refuge in the jungle. "They decide to take their own path, and that leaves us with a sense of hope," Alonzo Caamal said.
Others were less charitable.
"The level of violence in the film could lead some to say the Mayas were a violent people who could only be saved by the arrival of the Spaniards, when history shows it was quite the opposite," said Juan Tiney of Guatemala´s Indian and Farmer Coordinating Council.
Guatemala has a large Maya Indian population whose languages differ from the one used in the movie. Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú, a Guatemalan Quiche Indian, says she will not even bother to see it.
"For my mental health, I don´t watch violent movies, because we´ve already suffered enough violence in Guatemala," she said.
Controversy over his films is nothing new for Gibson, whose "The Passion of the Christ" (2004) was criticized for its graphic violence.
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Gibson employed many Mayas in the filming of the movie, and has said he wanted to make the Mayan language "cool" again and encourage young people "to speak it with pride."
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Mayas had mixed reactions to Mel Gibson´s "Apocalypto" prior to Monday´s screening of the movie in Mexico City after viewing bootleg copies of the bloody, pre-Columbian epic set in a Mexican jungle.
In a region where pirated DVDs are often available on street corners before movies even open, some Mayas said the film misrepresents their ancient culture as violent and bloodthirsty.
Others appreciated Gibson´s attempt to make the first feature-length film entirely in the Yucatec Maya language, which is still spoken by some 800,000 Mexicans whose ancestors ruled an empire for centuries, from about 250 until the Spanish conquest of the 1520s. By the time the Spanish arrived, however, the Maya civilization was in a state of decline.
"For the most part, you could understand everything," said Maya activist Amadeo Cool May, who in particular praised the film´s prophetic speech by a child about the impending collapse of the Indian city-state. "That was really Maya. Her monologue was well done."
Cool May added that as he sees it, "the intention (of the film) isn´t to talk about the culture, but rather to exploit the plot of a hero versus a villain."
Bartolomé Alonzo Caamal, who has taught Maya in Yucatan schools for four decades, said he was pleased the movie had been made and called it "a way to focus on the importance of Mayan culture."
But he said "it focused too much on the violent aspects ... like slavery or human sacrifice" instead of the Maya´s accomplishments in writing, mathematics and calendars. Some of the actors didn´t speak Maya well, he added.
Alonzo Caamal did like the controversial final scene, in which the Spaniards who eventually conquered and exploited the Maya appear and, by pure chance, save the life of the main character.
The protagonist and his family decide not to join the Spaniards, instead taking refuge in the jungle. "They decide to take their own path, and that leaves us with a sense of hope," Alonzo Caamal said.
Others were less charitable.
"The level of violence in the film could lead some to say the Mayas were a violent people who could only be saved by the arrival of the Spaniards, when history shows it was quite the opposite," said Juan Tiney of Guatemala´s Indian and Farmer Coordinating Council.
Guatemala has a large Maya Indian population whose languages differ from the one used in the movie. Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú, a Guatemalan Quiche Indian, says she will not even bother to see it.
"For my mental health, I don´t watch violent movies, because we´ve already suffered enough violence in Guatemala," she said.
Controversy over his films is nothing new for Gibson, whose "The Passion of the Christ" (2004) was criticized for its graphic violence.
. Gibson employed many Mayas in the filming of the movie, and has said he wanted to make the Mayan language "cool" again and encourage young people "to speak it with pride."
16 JANUARY 2007.- GOLDEN GLOBES AWARDS
"Babel," "Dreamgirls," "Grey's Anatomy," and "Ugly Betty" big winners at the Golden Globe Awards in Hollywood, California.
"Letters from Iwo Jima" won Best Picture in a Foreign Language.
It's the first awards show of the season for TV and movies in the United States...some say it's a predictor for the prestigious Oscar movie award.
"Letters from Iwo Jima" won Best Picture in a Foreign Language.
It's the first awards show of the season for TV and movies in the United States...some say it's a predictor for the prestigious Oscar movie award.
16 JANUARY 2007.- COLLAGES BASED ON "APOCALYPTO" PHOTOS
COLLAGES
by Jackise Romagny
Click Here
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17 JANUARY 2007.- DENZEL MOST FAVOURITE STAR
Hollywood movie star Denzel Washington returns to the list of America's favourite movie stars in dramatic fashion, taking the number one position after dropping off the top ten list in 2005, according to the annual Harris Poll, which surveys adults nationwide online.
Dropping from number one to number two is none other but Tom Hanks, while movie legend John Wayne remains in third place. Tough guy Clint Eastwood jumps up two spots to fourth place.
These are the results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 1,147 US adults surveyed online by Harris Interactive (R) between December 12 and 18, 2006.
Will Smith also joins the top ten list for the first time, perhaps due to the recent success of his film, The Pursuit of Happiness. Smith also has the honour of tying for fifth place with America's Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts. Julia Roberts is the only female to appear in the top ten.
While all the other stars are the same, they have changed places within the top ten.
Some of these changes include: Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp drops five spots on the list.
In 2005, he was No. 2 and this time is tied for No. 7 with Apocalypto director Mel Gibson, who previously held the spot alone.
While George Clooney took ninth place and Harrison Ford wrapped it up at No. 10 after holding the third spot just last year. This excludes Ford from the top five for the first time since 1997.
Men seemed to lean toward Eastwood, who also tied with Wayne for the conservatives' favourites. The liberal and moderate votes favoured Washington, however, and women preferred Roberts.
Here's a complete list of America's favorite movie stars in 2006, per the Harris Poll:
- 1. Denzel Washington
- 2. Tom Hanks
- 3. John Wayne
- 4. Clint Eastwood
- 5. Will Smith
- 5. Julia Roberts
- 7. Johnny Depp
- 7. Mel Gibson
- 9. George Clooney
- 10. Harrison Ford
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Dropping from number one to number two is none other but Tom Hanks, while movie legend John Wayne remains in third place. Tough guy Clint Eastwood jumps up two spots to fourth place.
These are the results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 1,147 US adults surveyed online by Harris Interactive (R) between December 12 and 18, 2006.
Will Smith also joins the top ten list for the first time, perhaps due to the recent success of his film, The Pursuit of Happiness. Smith also has the honour of tying for fifth place with America's Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts. Julia Roberts is the only female to appear in the top ten.
While all the other stars are the same, they have changed places within the top ten.
Some of these changes include: Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp drops five spots on the list.
In 2005, he was No. 2 and this time is tied for No. 7 with Apocalypto director Mel Gibson, who previously held the spot alone.
While George Clooney took ninth place and Harrison Ford wrapped it up at No. 10 after holding the third spot just last year. This excludes Ford from the top five for the first time since 1997.
Men seemed to lean toward Eastwood, who also tied with Wayne for the conservatives' favourites. The liberal and moderate votes favoured Washington, however, and women preferred Roberts.
Here's a complete list of America's favorite movie stars in 2006, per the Harris Poll:
- 1. Denzel Washington
- 2. Tom Hanks
- 3. John Wayne
- 4. Clint Eastwood
- 5. Will Smith
- 5. Julia Roberts
- 7. Johnny Depp
- 7. Mel Gibson
- 9. George Clooney
- 10. Harrison Ford
17 JANUARY 2007.- SOME PHOTOS, GIBSON IN MEXICO
"Those who criticise the movie should do their homework. I did."
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19 JANUARY 2007.- THE PREMIERE IN MEXICO, A SHORT ACCOUNT
Source: Notimex (Mexico).
Mel Gibson was very upset last Monday when a local journalist suggested the director had fallen out with a consultant on Apocalypto after he openly criticised the finished product. Gibson affirmed, "He criticised it (the film) positively and constructively and I worked with him, so we know what's between us. So, don't you try and get in the middle of it. You're a troublemaker, my friend."
Gibson also explained that his main source had been the book "The relation of things of the Yucatan" written by 16th century bishop Friar Diego de Landa y Calderon.
"The relation of things of the Yucatan written by Fray Diego de Landa is a very good book as a source of ethnographic information on the Maya language and culture. The Relación provides an essential chronicle of Maya life, reporting on their houses, farming practices, religious ceremonies, and calendrics. Fray Diego witnessed the human sacrifices and he also found the key to the Maya hieroglyphs code. He studied the hieroglyphs and taught Spanish to a literate Maya who translated the old Mayan texts."
Gibson added "that this text was lost for three centuries, and was rediscovered in 1863 by the French antiquary Abbe Brasseur de Bourbourg in the Madrid Biblioteca de la Academia de la Historia, but the latent key still went undetected until Soviet scholar Yuri Knorozov finally recognized the value of the Landa´s work in 1950s."
Gibson also talked about "Kings of the Sun" ("in which the guys wear 'hand towels' and do their best to promote their pectoral muscles"), Joseph Campbell ("who wrote wonderful books about mythology and religion"), the mayan priest and their goal, the pyramids and the Tower of Babel
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We know that this account of the interesting press conference is scarce but our translators are in bed with flu so, please, accept our apologies
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Mel Gibson was very upset last Monday when a local journalist suggested the director had fallen out with a consultant on Apocalypto after he openly criticised the finished product. Gibson affirmed, "He criticised it (the film) positively and constructively and I worked with him, so we know what's between us. So, don't you try and get in the middle of it. You're a troublemaker, my friend."
Gibson also explained that his main source had been the book "The relation of things of the Yucatan" written by 16th century bishop Friar Diego de Landa y Calderon.
"The relation of things of the Yucatan written by Fray Diego de Landa is a very good book as a source of ethnographic information on the Maya language and culture. The Relación provides an essential chronicle of Maya life, reporting on their houses, farming practices, religious ceremonies, and calendrics. Fray Diego witnessed the human sacrifices and he also found the key to the Maya hieroglyphs code. He studied the hieroglyphs and taught Spanish to a literate Maya who translated the old Mayan texts."
Gibson added "that this text was lost for three centuries, and was rediscovered in 1863 by the French antiquary Abbe Brasseur de Bourbourg in the Madrid Biblioteca de la Academia de la Historia, but the latent key still went undetected until Soviet scholar Yuri Knorozov finally recognized the value of the Landa´s work in 1950s."
Gibson also talked about "Kings of the Sun" ("in which the guys wear 'hand towels' and do their best to promote their pectoral muscles"), Joseph Campbell ("who wrote wonderful books about mythology and religion"), the mayan priest and their goal, the pyramids and the Tower of Babel
We know that this account of the interesting press conference is scarce but our translators are in bed with flu so, please, accept our apologies
21 JANUARY 2007.- THE TRANSLATION!!!
Source: Allocine
We´ve found a recent interview in which Mel Gibson talks about Diego de Landa, Mayan priests´goal, Joseph Campbell, the pyramids and the Babel Tower. ENJOY!!!
Read INTERVIEW Here, please
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We´ve found a recent interview in which Mel Gibson talks about Diego de Landa, Mayan priests´goal, Joseph Campbell, the pyramids and the Babel Tower. ENJOY!!!
Read INTERVIEW Here, please
22 JANUARY 2007.- "APOCALYPTO", NUMBER ONE IN SPAIN
Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto" bowed via Fox No. 1 in Spain with an estimated $1.8 million from 280 screens. In the U.K., where Gibson's Icon Film Distribution is handling the title, the third weekend tally was an estimated $800,000 from 316 sites, for a market cume of $7.1 million.
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23 JANUARY 2007.- "APOCALYPTO", TWO NEW COLLAGES
NEW COLLAGES by JACKISE ROMAGNY
Click Here
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23 JANUARY 2007.- OSCARS, THREE NOMINATIONS
"Apocalypto" receives three nominations.
- Achievement in Makeup
- Achievement in Sound Editing
- Achievement in Sound Mixing
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And Best Motion Picture of The Year, Achievement in Directing, Achievement in Cinematography...?
Words fail us!!!
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- Achievement in Makeup
- Achievement in Sound Editing
- Achievement in Sound Mixing
And Best Motion Picture of The Year, Achievement in Directing, Achievement in Cinematography...?
Words fail us!!!
25 JANUARY 2007.- APOCALYPTO OPENS IN MEXICO
Source: Variety International.
Twentieth Century Fox Mexico bows Mel Gibson's Mayan epic "Apocalypto" today in Mexico, but will Mexicans buy into Gibson's portrait of their heritage?
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.
Pic opens against "Dreamgirls," "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning" -- none of which can compare to seeing a big-budget (compared to Mexican pics) version of one's national heritage.
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.
Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" was a runaway hit in predominantly Catholic Mexico and throughout Latin America, but that provides little guidance for "Apocalypto," shot in Mexico in a Mayan dialect and with mostly unknown Mexican and Native American actors.
"There is some uncertainty; there isn't any benchmark to compare this film to," said Mike Moraskie, director of programming at Mexico's biggest exhib, Cinemex.
Still, the success of "Passion" established Gibson's rep as a director in the region.
Pic has stirred up some local controversy, with Mexican academics and indigenous rights activists criticizing the film's historical accuracy and saying Gibson's portrayal of the Mayans is an overly barbaric stereotype.
Gibson, at a low-key premiere for the Mexican cast and crew last week, fired back at reporters. "Those who criticize the movie should do their homework. I did," he said.
Reactions -- apparently based solely on the trailer -- also have been strong in Guatemala, where Mayan activists said the portrait of their ancestors as bloodthirsty spear-chuckers is racist.
Mayans are considered to have had one of the most advanced cultures in Mesoamerica, but Gibson has pointed out that his film focuses on the decadent period of the Mayan civilization. He worked with noted U.S. archaeologist Richard Hansen in developing and shooting the pic.
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.
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Twentieth Century Fox Mexico bows Mel Gibson's Mayan epic "Apocalypto" today in Mexico, but will Mexicans buy into Gibson's portrait of their heritage?
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.
Pic opens against "Dreamgirls," "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning" -- none of which can compare to seeing a big-budget (compared to Mexican pics) version of one's national heritage.
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.
Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" was a runaway hit in predominantly Catholic Mexico and throughout Latin America, but that provides little guidance for "Apocalypto," shot in Mexico in a Mayan dialect and with mostly unknown Mexican and Native American actors.
"There is some uncertainty; there isn't any benchmark to compare this film to," said Mike Moraskie, director of programming at Mexico's biggest exhib, Cinemex.
Still, the success of "Passion" established Gibson's rep as a director in the region.
Pic has stirred up some local controversy, with Mexican academics and indigenous rights activists criticizing the film's historical accuracy and saying Gibson's portrayal of the Mayans is an overly barbaric stereotype.
Gibson, at a low-key premiere for the Mexican cast and crew last week, fired back at reporters. "Those who criticize the movie should do their homework. I did," he said.
Reactions -- apparently based solely on the trailer -- also have been strong in Guatemala, where Mayan activists said the portrait of their ancestors as bloodthirsty spear-chuckers is racist.
Mayans are considered to have had one of the most advanced cultures in Mesoamerica, but Gibson has pointed out that his film focuses on the decadent period of the Mayan civilization. He worked with noted U.S. archaeologist Richard Hansen in developing and shooting the pic.
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.
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