In This Section
TV Guide Spotlight
Also on TVGuide.com
|
« Today's News: Our Take
Box-Office Shocker: Moviegoers Toast Mel Gibson
Those who said Mel Gibson would never eat lunch in Hollywood again were wrong: His Apocalypto debuted at the top of the box office this weekend with a haul of $14.2 million. That said, the self-destructive director may be having that lunch at Burger King rather than Chez Fancypants, seeing as his last hard-sell flick, The Passion of the Christ, took in $83.8 million in its opening weekend.
Rounding out the top five were the Cameron Diaz/Jude Law (or Kate Winslet/Jack Black, if you prefer) date movie The Holiday (opening with $13.5 million), then Happy Feet ($12.7 mil), Casino Royale ($8.8 mil) and Leo DiCaprio's Blood Diamond (debuting with $8.5 mil).
Monday's Today's News was written by Ben Katner.
|
TVGuide Links:
|
|
|
|
Dec 11, 2006 9:50 AM
|
Isn't $14.2 still kind of a low number for a big-budget film like this? Had this been the opening week of "Happy Feet," the spin on this story would have been "Penguins Crush Apacalypto" and reporters would be saying that fans are not forgiving Mel for his past deeds because his film failed to reach No. 1 at the box office.
I am not saying that this film is or is not a statement on how people feel about Mel Gibson. I am just saying that everyone is making a big deal about this film being No. 1 on a slow post-Thanksgiving and pre-Christmas weekend. I am sure the studio has spent more than $14.2 million just advertising this movie.
|
|
Dec 11, 2006 12:28 PM
|
|
I haven't seen "Apacalypto", but I will. If it's a good movie, and I haven't heard a review (I pay little attention to critics), it will do fine. How are the foreign ticket sales? Is that number reflected in the opening for either Gibson movie?
|
|
Dec 11, 2006 12:42 PM
|
I saw Apocalypto, and it was phenomenal. The entire movie was in subtitles, but it was no less engrossing, non-stop action, and you root for the hero the entire movie through. We didn't pay for our tickets though--we used free passes given to us when we donated blood a couple weeks ago. That said, like Lalawguy posted above, it's a pre-Christmas weekend--everybody and their mother is out shopping and funds are low. I think this film would have done much better if released at another point during the year.
I've always, always loved Mel Gibson. He did drop a notch or two in my view of him, but in my opinion he's apologized and mea cupla'd enough. He was on Leno last week, and I thought he was funny and self-depracating. People make mistakes, and others screw up royally. Let's move on already.
|
|
Dec 11, 2006 12:55 PM
|
I agree--Apocalypto was incredible. It was so exciting I barely breathed during the last 45 minutes.
Considering it wasn't playing on too many screens, it's more than two hours long, it doesn't have any stars, it's not in English, and it's about a world completely unknown to most people, I think $14+ million is pretty darn good.
|
|
Dec 11, 2006 1:05 PM
|
Isn't $14.2 still kind of a low number for a big-budget film like this?
It is. I think the audience for this movie was conservative christian wackjobs who approve of Mel even if he eats babies and teenage boys who like cannibalism. Expect a huge drop in box office next week.
|
|
Dec 11, 2006 2:54 PM
|
"It is. I think the audience for this movie was conservative christian wackjobs who approve of Mel even if he eats babies and teenage boys who like cannibalism."
Nicolars -- what a thoroughly ridiculous comment. Look out, your bigotry is showing.
|
|
Dec 11, 2006 4:05 PM
|
"I think the audience for this movie was conservative christian wackjobs who approve of Mel even if he eats babies and teenage boys who like cannibalism. Expect a huge drop in box office next week. "
Yeah, that wasn’t even slightly offensive. I wonder what the other thousand people in my sold out audience on NY’s Upper West Side might think about being labeled “conservative Christian wackjobs.”
Mel Gibson knows how to make a good flick. Get over it.
|
|
Dec 11, 2006 4:08 PM
|
|
Every time I bring my head out around here someone calls me a liberal and now, because I want to see a movie I am a conservative Christian wackjob? Paleeze, person, did you take your prozac today? sounds like you missed it.
|
|
Dec 11, 2006 6:39 PM
|
I'm all for recognizing and rewarding good movies -- and from everything I hear, this is a good movie -- but I just don't think I can bring myself to support Mel Gibson in any way.
"...he's apologized and mea cupla'd enough."
Just because he is adept at post-scandal PR, I don't think people should give him a pass.
Look, when you're drunk you don't suddenly become an anti-semite, or a racist, or a homophobe. You just let down your PC guard and become more likely to let your real feelings show.
Don't kid yourselves, people -- Mel Gibson hates Jews. Period.
I've enjoyed some of his work in the past, but as much as I'd like to see Apocalypto, I just can't, because, although the scandal has passed, I suspect the feelings behind it haven't.
|
|
Dec 11, 2006 6:42 PM
|
Just to put my two cents in on the little contretemps that has erupted here, I don't think the conservative Christian audience has had (or is going to have) a big impact on this film.
Now, they did on Passion of the Christ. Thanks to advance word from conservative commentators, the religious right was mobilized and ready to pounce on that one as soon as it came out. But not with this new one.
While a sliver of the audience for Apocalypto might be staunch convervatives who want to support their (once?) golden boy, I really don't think even political zeal would get them to see this movie if they didn't really want to.
Not to be too tacky, but conservatives usually aren't too enthusiastic about subtitled movies. I'm basing this on the conservatives I know -- and in Texas, where I live, there are lots of them. (Now that I think about it, though, maybe not liking subtitled movies is more of a Texas thing than a conservative thing...)
|
|
Dec 11, 2006 7:01 PM
|
> It is. I think the audience for this
> movie was conservative christian
> wackjobs who approve of Mel even if he
> eats babies and teenage boys who like
> cannibalism. Expect a huge drop in box
> office next week.
Right, because Christian Conservatives are usually the target audiences for films about ancient Mayan civilizations where everyone is running around in nothing but a loin cloth. (Pssst, that was sarcasm.) And word-of-mouth will do nothing but good for this film, from everything I've heard about it so far. People who have seen it think it's fantastic.
|
|
Dec 11, 2006 7:38 PM
|
Just because he is adept at post-scandal PR, I don't think people should give him a pass.
Look, when you're drunk you don't suddenly become an anti-semite, or a racist, or a homophobe. You just let down your PC guard and become more likely to let your real feelings show.
Don't kid yourselves, people -- Mel Gibson hates Jews. Period.
While this is a forum in which we are allowed to Post a Comment, and while you're certainly entitled to your opinion, it doesn't mean that you are correct. Are you telling us that you are PERFECT and you've never done anything wrong??? You get to stand in judgment of Mel Gibson??? I guess you live in a glass house, then.
I've enjoyed some of his work in the past, but as much as I'd like to see Apocalypto, I just can't, because, although the scandal has passed, I suspect the feelings behind it haven't.
Then you're denying yourself a real treat. This film was excellent--you shouldn't miss out on it just because Mel Gibson is the producer. From the very first scenes of Jaguar Paw in the jungle hunting with his tribe, I promise you won't even remember Mel's name until the end of the movie. You will walk out of that theatre impressed, whether you want to be or not.
|
|
Dec 12, 2006 8:39 AM
|
Are you telling us that you are PERFECT and you've never done anything wrong??? - Chinita731
Of course not. That wasn't my point at all.
You get to stand in judgment of Mel Gibson??? - yep, Chinita731 again
Well, no, but I do get to have an opinion about his actions.
You seem to be under the impression that Mel just made a common little mistake that any drunk could make.
Getting drunk and dancing on the dinner table with a gravy boat on your head is a little mistake.
Getting drunk and driving the car into the hydrangeas is a little mistake.
Getting drunk and blaming the Jews for all of the world's problems...NOT A LITTLE MISTAKE!
This is a hate-filled bigot exposing his true feelings.
Even still, I could forgive him if I thought he was truly sorry and wanted to change his ways. But I just don't buy that. I think he still believes the things he said that night.
I'm glad to hear the movie is good. I will see it someday. I'm just not going to pay full price for it and inflate the box office numbers for it.
|
|
Dec 12, 2006 3:47 PM
|
|
|
