Mel Back In the Spotlight

Written by: Samuel K. Sloan (SoSF Producer & Managing News Director)

Mel Gibson, in less than two months after his arrest for DUI and his raving rant against Jews in general, made a public appearance at this year’s Fantastic Fest to promote his latest film project, “Apocalypto.” Of course being Mel, he couldn’t hardly be content with just promoting his film, but took the opportunity to rail against U.S. presence in Iraq, comparing the fall of the Mayan Empire to the Fall of the American Empire. A bit of a stretch, but if it works for Mel and his little world – fine.

Fantastic Fest, held in Austin, Texas, is an annual event that hightlights new films dedicated to the Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror genres.

Disney was hoping Gibson would go on this press junket and try to keep a lower than usual profile after his drunken debacle and slurred slap against the officer that arrested him and blaming Jews for all the wars in the world.

“Apocalypto,” scheduled for a December 8, 2006 release, is another of Mel’s historical epics surrounding the rise and fall of the great Central American Mayan Empire. The film locations run throughout the region once ruled by the Mayas and was shot totally using dialogue in the Mayan tongue, much like what was done in his film “Passion of the Christ,” which was filmed entirely in Latin, Hebrew and Aramaic.

As earlier promised by Disney, one of the film’s stars, Rudy Youngblood (aka Tee-Dee-Nae – “Strong Boy”), stood with Gibson taking questions during the press conference.

As much as I don’t particulary care for Mr. Gibson or his bleary-eye worldview, I am looking forward to this film. The photography is breathtaking and the musical score is a pure beauty to listen to. I hope it does well, Mel needs all the rehab money he can handle in order to get his life into some kind of remote normalcy.