Apocalypto Watch - News & Rumors About Mel Gibson's Next Movie

How to get your copy of Apocalypto on DVD, VHS & More!

2007-05-16T20:26:00.000-04:00

Apocalypto on DVD:

Apocalypto on VHS:

Apocalypto on Blu-ray:

Apocalypto's soundtrack:

Apocalypto update - Feb. 3rd

2007-02-03T13:52:00.000-05:00

The latest Apocalypto news!

"NRKrieg1" gives us some updated release dates:

Belgium 7 March 2007 (Release Date Change)
Turkey 23 March 2007 (New Release)
Venezuela 13 Apirl 2007 (New Release)

Aitsa sends in his praise:

I am 19 years old, from Greece and I have seen a lot of movies.The only think I want to say is that the movie was simply perfect. Rudy Youngblood was somethng more than an amazing actor.Dalia Hernadez. I liked her, too.As far as the little boy concerned, I cant express with words how cute it was. Mel,and the rest of you, congratulations. You did a great job.

Apocalypto has been nominated for 3 oscars! Makeup, sound editing and sound mixing...

Linda sends us this tip:

This website has three Mel interviews by Richard Wilkins for the Australian Today Show on Apocalypto. Mel looks very, very relaxed.

http://ninemsn.video.msn.com/v/en-au/v.htm?t=m164

Linda also tells us that Mel attended the Mexico premier recently:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/12012007/344/gibson-attend-mexican-premiere.html

Apocalypto has been nominated for a 'Film not in the English Language' for the UK BAFTA Awards to be televised in the UK on Feb 11th.

She also sends along this link:

Go to this Australian Website for a podcast interview with Apocalypto's Director of Photography Dean Semmler. The interviewer is Julie Rigg.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/movietime/stories/2007/1821594.htm

Apocalypto topped the UK Box Office on its opening weekend:

This website verifies Apocalypto Topping UK Box Office Opening Weekend with $1.3M.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6242963.stm

From Box Office Mojo, Italy did even better this opening weekend with $3.1M.

That's all for now, but more to come soon!

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena, Roger Friedman, Todd McCarthy, Tony Medley

Apocalypto update - Jan. 4th

2007-01-03T23:27:00.001-05:00

Much Apocalypto happenings ... here's the latest!

From Carinya, our Japanese Apocalypto contact [visit her website here]:

"I'd like to inform you of the UK mag, Total Film, Feb 2007 issue. It features Mel on the cover and has an interview-based five-page article. A very good one. The perfect cover photo is here: http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/iimgdata/large/0814889.jpg"

Nathan informs us that Dec. 28th was the Apocalypto release date for Israel.
Linda sends this tip along:

"Here is a very good interview of Mel by Michael Medved about Apocalypto. The podcast can be found by scrolling down to December 15th. Mel sounds great - very relaxed: http://www.townhall.com/TalkRadio/Show.aspx?RadioShowID=4&ContentGuid=f368c22b-d40d-47d8-a8f1-c8f04b9ab24c"
Linda also tells us: "This is a good piece by Ed Driscoll on the Variety's (stretching the truth) biased article that said Apocalypto's box office was heading into oblivion: http://eddiscoll.com/archives/010135.php"

Louise tells us that Apocalypto was the surprise box office winner in Russia.

Now that the Holiday Season is over we will return to regularly-updating you on all the Apocalypto-related news. Stay tuned and keep the tips coming! Thank you.

Apocalypto update - Jan. 3rd

2007-01-03T23:27:00.000-05:00

Much Apocalypto happenings ... here's the latest!

From Carinya, our Japanese Apocalypto contact [visit her website here]:

"I'd like to inform you of the UK mag, Total Film, Feb 2007 issue. It features Mel on the cover and has an interview-based five-page article. A very good one. The perfect cover photo is here: http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/iimgdata/large/0814889.jpg"

Nathan informs us that Dec. 28th was the Apocalypto release date for Israel.
Linda sends this tip along:

"Here is a very good interview of Mel by Michael Medved about Apocalypto. The podcast can be found by scrolling down to December 15th. Mel sounds great - very relaxed: http://www.townhall.com/TalkRadio/Show.aspx?RadioShowID=4&ContentGuid=f368c22b-d40d-47d8-a8f1-c8f04b9ab24c"
Linda also tells us: "This is a good piece by Ed Driscoll on the Variety's (stretching the truth) biased article that said Apocalypto's box office was heading into oblivion: http://eddiscoll.com/archives/010135.php"

Louise tells us that Apocalypto was the surprise box office winner in Russia.

Now that the Holiday Season is over we will return to regularly-updating you on all the Apocalypto-related news. Stay tuned and keep the tips coming! Thank you.

Apocalypto News Roundup: December 18

2006-12-18T23:24:00.000-05:00

All the latest Apocalypto news:

Release dates for Denmark (19 January) and Sweden (23 February) - Thanks Nathan!

A whole series of links from Antonius Bloch:

Good stuff on Rudy (and all the injuries he endured while making the film, never complaining or letting Mel know about it because he was so grateful for the part): http://www.pr-inside.com/apocalypto-star-braves-multiple-injuries-r32404.htm

And "according to Rudy's publicist, Michelle Shining Elk, he's did an interview with People Magazine on Dec 12, and Entertainment Weekly will have air a feature on him this week": http://www.temple-telegram.com/story/local/2006/12/12/36779

http://www.worldmag.com/articles/12525 -- Very good review from a Christian magazine
There's a very cool podcast interview with Mel from a Denver ABC affiliate. It's a really laid back interview, very positive and Mel is informal and at his best (very comfortable, good questions).

Check it out if you want . . . http://www.thedenverchannel.com/columnists/10542059/detail.html
Another review: http://www.newyorker.com/critics/cinema/articles/061218crci_cinema
A new interview is out with Kurt Loder and Mel Gibson. It's actually pretty good if you want to check it out: http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1548104/20061214/story.jhtml

Apocalypto nominated for Golden Globe

2006-12-14T14:56:00.000-05:00

Apocalypto has been nominated for the Foreign Language Golden Globe! Read more here. Other contenders include "Letters from Iwo Jima," "The Lives of Others," "Pan's Labyrinth," and "Volver."

Apocalypto stays on top!

2006-12-12T18:48:00.000-05:00

Apocalypto continues to be the #1 movie in America, and you've stumbled upon the #1 fansite for it! So stay tuned for all the latest news and rumors, submit your tips and comments via email ("apocalyptowatch [at] gmail.com") and voice your opinion in the comment boxes!

An unlikely star of Apocalypto: Scooter the Tapir

2006-12-11T22:38:00.000-05:00

The picture really says it all, but here's a little bit more to convince you to read the story [Google cache]:

Not since a brief opening scene in Stanley Kubrik's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, has a tapir made a memorable screen appearance, albeit brief--if you blink, you miss it. An unprecedented opportunity presented itself with Mel Gibson's film Apocalypto, an epic and action-packed film which depicts a moment in Mexico's Mayan cultural history. Scooter, an agreeable and charismatic male Baird's tapir from Zoo Leon in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico may just become the (animal) star of this film. Zoo Leon General Curator Richard Sheffield and veterinarian Jesus Barroso describe how their zoo's beloved tapir became a cast member of this much anticipated movie. [Read More! - Google cache]

Thanks to AW Reader Antonius Bloch for the tip!

Update: The page appears to have been taken down, but you can still read the Google cached version here or above at the links provided.

Final numbers: Apocalypto makes 15m opening weekend!

2006-12-11T22:09:00.000-05:00

Final numbers from BoxOfficeMojo (thanks Louise!):

Apocalypto - $15.0 million
Happy Feet - $12.9 million
The Holiday - $12.7 million

More from the Associated Press here. More analysis from BoxOfficeMojo here.

Apocalypto international release dates

2006-12-10T16:42:00.000-05:00

Here are the international release dates we've been able to find so far for Apocalypto:

Germany 14 December 2006
Russia 14 December 2006
Estonia 22 December 2006
Latvia 22 December 2006
Hungary 28 December 2006
Poland 29 December 2006
Italy 5 January 2007
Switzerland 5 January 2007 (Italian speaking region)
UK 5 January 2007
France 10 January 2007
Switzerland 10 January 2007 (French speaking region)
Australia 11 January 2007
Netherlands 11 January 2007
Switzerland 11 January 2007 (German speaking region)
Iceland 12 January 2007
Belgium 17 January 2007
Spain 19 January 2007
Brazil 26 January 2007
Finland 26 January 2007
Norway 26 January 2007
Argentina 1 February 2007
Hong Kong 1 February 2007
South Korea 15 February 2007

Update: We missed one (thanks Nathan!):

Singapore Thursday 18 January 2007

Source: IMDB.

If we've missed any, please email us. Thanks!

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena, Roger Friedman, Todd McCarthy, Tony Medley

Apocalypto roars into No. 1 spot!

2006-12-10T16:39:00.000-05:00

Apocalypto is taking over!

Gibson's "Apocalypto" is the number-one movie this weekend, raking in more than $14 million, according to studio estimates. [More.]

Apocalypto has made about 14.2 million this weekend, exceeding Disney estimates and hopes. Strong word-of-mouth should ensure it remains strong in the box office in the coming weeks...

Apocalypto Mobile store goes live!

2006-12-10T00:04:00.000-05:00

As earlier reported, Apocalytpo has a mobile store, and it just went live!

Right now they have several mobile phone wallpapers available. You can also specify what phone you have to find more Apocalypto content.

Check it out!

Apocalypto set to have bigger opening weekend than Braveheart!

2006-12-09T12:49:00.000-05:00

Deadline Hollywood reports:

Call it a Hollywood shocker: Mel's Apocalypto will have a bigger weekend opening than his Braveheart. Despite scandal, an R-rating, subtitles because of an ancient dialect, no stars, and direct competition from movieland AAA-listers Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz, Gibson's Mayan epic won Friday's matinees and evenings, I'm told. At first, box office gurus were warning me that the weekend victor among very competitive films all opening against each other would be too close to call. But now I've learned it looks certain that Disney's Apocalypto will win the weekend -- bearing out my reporting back on December 1st that early tracking showed Mel's movie (playing in 2,465 theaters) would edge ahead. I'm told Mel's movie took in $4.9 million Friday, with the best per screen average of the top movies at $1,988, for what's expected to be at least a $12 mil, and possibly a $14 mil, weekend total. That easily beats Mel's Braveheart... [Read more.]

More statistics on Friday's opening box office take here at BoxOfficeMojo.

What everyone needs to know about Apocalypto

2006-12-08T23:59:00.000-05:00

For everyone deciding if they will go see Apocalypto in theaters this weekend, here is an exaustive faq we've put together:

The critical consensus: "Apocalypto is a brilliantly filmed, if mercilessly bloody, examination of a once great civilization." [Rotten Tomatoes]
Apocalypto is rated "R" for "sequences of graphic violence and disturbing images."
Apocalypto's running time is 2 hours & 18 minutes.
Apocalypto's movie trailer is viewable here.
Apocalypto's website is here.
Apocalytpo has been receiving many rave reviews, here is a partial list of them. Apocalypto is currently the highest rated opening movie at Rotten Tomatoes.
We recommend booking your tickets here at Yahoo! movies (non-endorsed suggestion).
The hero of Apocalypto, Jaguar Paw, is played by Rudy Youngblood. For more information, visit his website here.
For more information on the latest Apocalytpo news, refresh this page or scroll our sidebar.

Thanks and enjoy Apocalypto if you decide to go see it! - The ApocalyptoWatch Staff

Apocalypto wins friday matinee wars at the box office!

2006-12-08T17:59:00.000-05:00

DeadlineHollywood reports: "FRIDAY 2 PM: Call it a Hollywood shocker. Despite scandal, an R-rating, subtitles because of an ancient dialect, no stars, and direct competition from movieland AAA-listers Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz, Mel Gibson's Apocalypto won today's matinees this opening weekend, I'm told."

"Apocalypto has been garnering great reviews and tracking especially strong with college kids, specifically young men aged 18-to-24." [Read more.]

We'll be keep track of the numbers...

"'Apocalypto' a box office wild card" - Variety

2006-12-08T17:58:00.000-05:00

From Variety: "Are moviegoers ready for Mel? The biggest wild card at this weekend's box office is Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto." [Read more...]

Mel Gibson on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno

2006-12-08T16:22:00.000-05:00

"Director Mel Gibson (L) discusses his new film 'Apocalypto' with talk show host Jay Leno during an appearance on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' at the NBC studios in Burbank, California, December 7, 2006, in this publicity photograph released by NBC December 8. The film which opens in the U.S. December 8, 2006, is about the Maya kingdom as it faces its decline. Chris Hason/NBC UNIVERSAL/Handout (UNITED STATES) "

More news as it comes in ... the AW webmasters have seen the movie and love it!

Update: More about what they talked about in the interview here.

Metacritic sampling of Apocalypto reviews

2006-12-07T23:36:00.000-05:00

From Metacritic.com:

100 Variety (Todd McCarthy)
Mel Gibson is always good for a surprise, and his latest is that Apocalypto is a remarkable film. Set in the waning days of the Mayan civilization, the picture provides a trip to a place one's never been, offering hitherto unseen sights of exceptional vividness and power. [More.]
100 LA Weekly (Scott Foundas)
For those of us who prefer to judge Gibson solely in terms of his art, the movie is a virtuosic piece of action cinema -- particularly in its second half...And while there has been no shortage of recent films that decry the horrors of war and man's inhumanity to his fellow man, I know of none other quite this sickeningly powerful. [More.]
91 Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)
For all its excesses, it's an absorbing, disturbing, savagely beautiful "trip" movie, and an extraordinary -- perhaps even outrageous -- personal vision of the one A-list filmmaker who truly deserves the adjective "maverick." [More.]
90 Washington Post (Stephen Hunter)
Gibson may not be much of a deep thinker, but he's a heck of a storyteller. Apocalypto turns out to be not a case of Montezuma's revenge but of Gibson's: It's something entirely unexpected, a sinewy, taut poem of action. [More.]
88 Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Gibson has made a film of blunt provocation and bruising beauty. [More.]
80 Wall Street Journal (Joe Morgenstern)
By the end I felt sure it was the most obsessively, graphically violent film I'd ever seen, but equally sure that Apocalypto is a visionary work with its own wild integrity. And absolutely, positively convinced that seeing it once is enough for one lifetime. [More.]
80 The Hollywood Reporter (Kirk Honeycutt)
The guy knows how to make a heart-pounding movie; he just happens to be a cinematic sadist. [More.]
80 Newsweek (David Ansen)
The film is mostly successful in transporting the viewer to another age: the costumes, the body markings, the fierce Mayan masks, all feel right. And keeping the dialogue in subtitles was a smart move. Even better are the faces, which never fail to fascinate. But for all the anthropological research that went into the movie, what is Apocalypto trying to say? [More.]

Apocalypto currently has the highest average review rating of any major movie premiering this Friday!

Roger Moore declares about Apocalypto: "I'd pay to see that."

2006-12-07T23:32:00.000-05:00

From the Orlando Sentinel:

Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto" passes the only movie test that's important. It's the "I'd pay to see that" test. As in: "A blood-spattered jungle chase epic set at the end of the Mayan Empire? I'd pay to see that."

It's a movie that spares no effort to take us to a place and time we haven't been before. Mel's latest history lesson is a parable about ignorance, environmental degradation, senseless sacrifice and religious fanaticism. He's made a big film about the collapse of Mayan civilization, but he's talking about our own. [Read the full review.]

Apocalypto to be released in 2,465 theaters

2006-12-07T23:16:00.000-05:00

... according to BoxOfficeMojo.

RT Consensus: "Brilliantly filmed, if a bit bloody."

2006-12-07T23:13:00.000-05:00

The full Rotten Tomatoes critical consensus: "Apocalypto is a brilliantly filmed, if mercilessly bloody, examination of a once great civilization." [source.]

Quentin Tarantino praises Apocalypto

2006-12-07T23:05:00.000-05:00

From the New York Press:

Mel Gibson's press whipping for The Passion of the Christ was like no other movie vilification seen in my lifetime. In Hollywood history, the closest equivalent might have been the campaign launched against Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, but even then the critics, at least, rescued Welles as an artist. The unfairness of the attack on Gibson was brought to light when Quentin Tarantino - of all people, God bless him - in an L.A. Weekly interview with John Powers, stood up, proclaiming: "I think it actually is one of the most brilliant visual storytelling movies I've seen since the talkies - as far as telling a story in pictures. So much so that when I was watching this movie, I turned to a friend and said, 'This is such a Herculean leap of Mel Gibson's talent. I think divine intervention might be part of it.'" [Read the full interview.]

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena, Roger Friedman, Todd McCarthy, Tony Medley

Apocalypto hits screens tomorrow!

2006-12-07T22:51:00.000-05:00

So let's get the media blitz started!

Some important headlines going into Apocalypto's release:

Mayans, miners in culture clash
Maya excited by first feature in their language but wary of Mel Gibson's take - AP
Apocalypto Will Take in Over $13.5 mil Opening Weekend Say Oddsmakers [sounds like a low estimate to us ...]
Gibson's 'Apocalypto' is bloody and brilliant - Detroit Free Press

More coverage to follow...

Mel Gibson: Apocalypto's "biggest asset and biggest problem"

2006-12-06T18:31:00.000-05:00

The Associated Press reports:

"Apocalypto'' arrives in theaters Friday with an incongruous challenge - its auteur, Mel Gibson, is both its biggest asset and biggest problem.

Gibson, 50, is coming off two major hits: the phenomenal, $370 million success of his religious epic, ``The Passion of the Christ,'' and the scandalous, anti-Semitic rant he spewed after a drunk-driving arrest in July.

The question is: which hit will prove more powerful? Will moviegoers turn their backs on him or will they turn out at the box-office? [Read the full article.]

Hollywood Records releases Apocalypto soundtrack

2006-12-06T18:27:00.000-05:00

The press release:

Oscar-winning director Mel Gibson has created the year's most anticipated cinema event with his awe- inspiring epic action-adventure "Apocalypto." Reflecting the film's dramatic sweep is Oscar-winning composer James Horner's evocative score. Hollywood Records is set to release the "Apocalypto" soundtrack CD on December 5 while the film from Touchstone Pictures in association with Icon Productions arrives in theaters everywhere December 8.

Revered film composer Horner wrote the music for Mel Gibson's directorial debut, "The Man Without a Face," and received Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for his score for Gibson's "Braveheart." He has composed over 100 soundtracks including those for "Titanic" (which earned him a pair of Oscars), "A Beautiful Mind," "Field of Dreams," "Apollo 13" and "Aliens." [Read the full release.]

"Mayans Excited, Unsure on 'Apocalypto'" - Associated Press

2006-12-05T21:47:00.000-05:00

From the Associated Press:

Scenes of enslaved Maya Indians building temples for a violent, decadent culture in Mel Gibson's new film "Apocalypto" may ring true for many of today's Mayas, who earn meager wages in construction camps, building huge tourist resorts on land they once owned.

Some Mayas are excited at the prospect of the first feature film made in their native tongue, Yucatec Maya. But others among the 800,000 surviving Mayans are worried that Gibson's hyper-violent, apocalyptic film could be just the latest misreading of their culture by outsiders. [Read more.]

Extended exclusive Apocalypto clip: Yahoo! movies

2006-12-05T21:44:00.000-05:00

From Yahoo! movies:

Apocalypto
Watch an exclusive extended clip from director Mel Gibson's 'Apocalypto.'

Click to watch:
Exclusive Clip: "In the Trees" - Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) escapes the tribesmen but falls into even more danger.

... pretty cool!

Apocalypto picture-of-the-day

2006-12-05T00:07:00.000-05:00

In this promotional photo released by Icon Distribution, Inc., actors Rudy Youngblood, center, and Morris Bird, right, in a scene from Mel Gibson's epic drama 'Apocalypto.'

[photo credit: (AP Photo/Icon Distribution, Andrew Cooper/SMPS)]

BlogAds spaces available!

2006-12-05T00:01:00.000-05:00

A quick reminder before we return to our normal coverage:

In the coming days and weeks Apocalpto Watch will be receiving a huge upswing in visitors, so now is the time to secure a BlogAds on our left sidebar. You can order either exclusive Premium BlogAds [here] or Standard BlogAds [here]. If you want traffic details and trends please email "apocalyptowatch [at] gmail.com" and we can provide them ... thank you!

Early reviews praise Apocalypto! (quotes)

2006-12-04T23:37:00.000-05:00

Some highlights from various critics praising Apocalypto:

"This is a slam-bang, action-packed chase movie that puts the audience smack-dab in the middle of pre-Columbian America, and that's the joy of the movie" - Tony Medley

"It isn't merely fascinating, it is nothing less than one of the very best movies of the year, and it contains some of the best foot chases in cinematic history." - Steve Rhodes, Internet Reviews

"Vivid, provocative and utterly breathtaking." - Jeanne Aufmuth, Palo Alto Weekly

"'Apocalypto' is the best action-adventure movie to have come out of Hollywood all year..." - Emanual Levy

"[Mel Gibson] has created here a visually stunning but haunting world that has never been seen before and will be left in the minds of its audience forever when talk of the Mayan people arises." - Danny Minton, Beaumont Journal

And that's what we found in just one search! Stay tuned as the buzz continues to heat up...

"Praise for Gibson Film, Quandary for Oscar Voters" - The New York Times

2006-12-04T22:47:00.000-05:00

From the New York Times - "Praise for Gibson Film, Quandary for Oscar Voters":

With some early reviews lauding the audacity and innovation of Mel Gibson's bloody Mayan epic, "Apocalypto," Hollywood's tight-knit community of Oscar voters may find itself facing a difficult dilemma in the coming weeks: Will they consider the film for an Academy Award?
...
Most critics ... have yet to weigh in on "Apocalypto," but the excitement of those who have - like that among journalists who lingered to debate the film after a screening ended in Los Angeles last week - has been palpable. [Read the full article.]

This would not be a problem at all if the voters simply evaluated the quality of the movie itself...

More praise for Apocalypto from early reviews coming up next!

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena, Roger Friedman, Todd McCarthy, Tony Medley

Hear audio clips of James Horner's score!

2006-12-04T16:50:00.000-05:00

A couple readers sent in this new link over at Soundtrack.net which includes preview clips from James Horner's Apocalypto soundtrack.

The soundtrack is already available from Amazon.com (here), and will be officially released tomorrow.

New exclusive TV spot?

2006-12-04T10:35:00.000-05:00

Comingsoon.net is claiming to have a new exclusive TV spot for Apocalypto. We're not able to view it currently but here are the links:

[QuickTime, High Resolution]
[QuickTime, Medium Resolution]
[QuickTime, Low Resolution]

A good picture of Rudy Youngblood & Raoul Trujillo

2006-12-03T21:49:00.000-05:00

Rudy and Raoul were looking happy at the advance screening of Apocalypto that took place in Oklahoma last Friday.

Here's more from the Associated Press:

Mel Gibson's effort to find an indigenous cast for his new movie Apocalypto, which depicts the end of the Mayan civilization, is drawing praise from American Indian leaders.
Gibson wanted an indigenous cast for the project, so the filmmakers found people from the Yucatan, Mexico City, Oaxaca, Xalapa, Veracruz and other spots. Two of the cast members are from the United States, three are from Canada and the rest hail from Central America.

"It is very important to note that Mr. Gibson has gone to great lengths to cast indigenous people in this film," Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby said. "This not only helps make the film more realistic, it serves as an inspiration to Native American actors who aspire to perform relevant roles in the film industry."

Gibson screened the movie Friday for a sold-out audience at Chickasaw Nation's Riverwind Casino. Tickets were $55, proceeds going to American Indian health organizations and charities.

Rudy Youngblood, who makes his acting debut as Jaguar Paw, and Raoul Trujillo, who portrays Zero Wolf, arrived in sports utility vehicles and stood on Riverwind's version of the red carpet - a black carpet that led into the theater - to pose for photographers.

Youngblood, a powwow dancer, singer and artist, told reporters he was just there to enjoy the movie, which opens in theaters Dec. 8. [source.]

Pictures of the Apocalypto cast can be sent (like all email tips) to "apocalyptowatch [at] gmail.com" (without the quotation marks).

You're tips help keep us in action! Thanks!

Update: We've got a couple more pictures:

Apocalypto: 4 Days To Go!

2006-12-03T09:23:00.000-05:00

Today we can catch up on some recent tips and link submissions:

Over at Rotten Tomatoes Apocalypto is tracking a whopping 100%!

Update: Reader Michael tells us "The one 'rotten' review (from Hollywood Reporter) is basically a positive one, it's obviously just mislabeled."

"Gibson slams Hollywood's obsession with sequels" - ANI

Hollywood heavyweight Mel Gibson has blasted movie bosses for serving up "sequel after sequel", and insists that movie audiences want original films.

Apocalypto certainly will be original...

Good reviews for Gibson's latest - BBC News

Early reviews of Mel Gibson's ancient Mayan epic Apocalypto have praised its "blood-and-guts action", "breathtaking vistas" and "bruising beauty".

And another story along the same lines ...

Bloody "Apocalypto" draws good early reviews - Reuters

Mel Gibson's new movie "Apocalypto" drew several good early reviews on Friday from critics who cautioned the thriller set against the end of an ancient Mayan civilization is also extremely violent.

And now some multimedia content:

Reader "A" writes: Footage from the scoring sessions can be found here:

Apocalypto: 5 Days To Go!

2006-12-03T01:31:00.000-05:00

Friday was a busy day! Take a look:

New Media: Behind the Scenes Material (contains interviews with Gibson, Safinia, Hansen and more!) Available in the following formats:
[Quicktime Large] [Quicktime Medium] [QuickTime Small]
[Windows Large] [Windows Small]

Thanks to AW contributer Antonius Bloch!

Todd McCarthy of Variety praises Apocalypto!

"Mel Gibson is always good for a surprise, and his latest is that "Apocalypto" is a remarkable film. Set in the waning days of the Mayan civilization, the picture provides a trip to a place one's never been before, offering hitherto unseen sights of exceptional vividness and power. In the wake of its director's recent outburst and unwanted publicity, commercial prospects remain anyone's guess, and those looking for a reason not to attend will undoubtedly find one, be it Gibson's tirade, the gore, the subtitles or outre subject matter. But blood-and-guts action audiences should eat this up, Gibson is courting Latinos, eco-political types will like the message and at least part of the massive "The Passion of the Christ" crowd should be curious, so strong biz is possible if these distinct constituencies are roused."
[Read the rest of the review.]

Now that seems more like a fair review...

Apocalypto running time longer than initially confirmed:

We're hearing various times for its running length: anywhere between 2hrs and 17 minutes up to 2hrs and 28 minutes. We'll keep looking into it.

Another rave review of Apocalypto, this one by Tony Medley:

Get the audience reaction: "Make no mistake, this is a visually violent picture, not one for the squeamish. In fact, several people walked out of the all-media screening I attended. But everyone else sat transfixed as the story grabbed the audience. After it was over the audience filed out in stunned silence. Personally, I was exhausted."

The Gist: "This is a slam-bang, action-packed chase movie that puts the audience smack-dab in the middle of pre-Columbian America, and that's the joy of the movie. Gibson has brilliantly come as close to showing how it was before Columbus arrived as we will ever get. If you can stand the gore and violence, "Apocalypto" is a don't-miss experience."

He gave Apocalypto a 10/10.

American Indians hail 'Apocalypto' cast - Associated Press:

"Mel Gibson's effort to find an indigenous cast for his new movie "Apocalypto," which depicts the end of the Mayan civilization, is drawing praise from American Indian leaders.
Gibson wanted an indigenous cast for the project, so the filmmakers found people from the Yucatan, Mexico City, Oaxaca, Xalapa, Veracruz and other spots. Two of the cast members are from the United States, three are from Canada and the rest hail from Central America.
"It is very important to note that Mr. Gibson has gone to great lengths to cast indigenous people in this film," Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby said. "This not only helps make the film more realistic, it serves as an inspiration to Native American actors who aspire to perform relevant roles in the film industry."

[Read the full article here.]

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena, Roger Friedman, Todd McCarthy, Tony Medley

Apocalypto: 6 Days To Go!

2006-12-01T21:54:00.000-05:00

Apocalypto is only 6 days away! We'll be providing a daily round-up of the latest news, links, and multimedia content over this next week (so keep the email tips coming!). Here is the first installment:

Audio clips of the Apocalypto score:

"A" writes:

"Apocalypto audio clips of James Horner's score can be found here:

http://www.exlibris.ch/musik.aspx?status=detail&p_id=8503

http://www.bol.ch/shop/bde_mu_hg_startseite/schnellsuche/musik/?fc=MUSIK&fq=Apocalpyto

Note that the tracklistings on these pages show the tracks in alphabetical order, not in the correct cd order."

Displeasure at Roger Friedman's Apocalypto review over at Fox News

Several readers have said they are unhappy with Roger Friedman's Apocalypto review, calling it "disgraceful" and "full of biased journalism."

Antonius Bloch sent in these comments by Fox News blogger Father Morris:

One last note before signing off - my reference to "The Passion" reminded me of a movie review I read earlier today by Roger Friedman of Gibson's new film "Apocalypto." Roger is a fellow contributor to FOXNews.com. In the spirit of respectful disagreement, I submit that his article is way off the mark. Roger writes:
"Apocalypto" surpasses "The Passion" in every way as a movie about pain, flagellation, and wounding. The grotesqueries are almost numbing, and at some point, they become laughable. But all the while, you're thinking, what's the point here? If "Apocalypto" was supposed to be about that transitional civilization, where is it? After two hours and several minutes of squirming and covering eyes, you start to think that "Apocalypto" exists just to show violence for itself. The point is lost."
Several weeks ago, I posted my impressions of "Apocalypto" after seeing a rough cut in a private showing in Los Angeles. Unless Gibson decided to add scenes or modify significantly the story line, I think Roger overreacted.
The film is not for children, and contains several scenes that, for my sensibilities, were over the top. But as a whole, I found "Apocalypto" to be riveting entertainment and a valuable contribution of social, historic, and moral commentary.

You decide.

Apocalypto running time actually longer than previously circulated?

AW Reader Michael says:

"You wrote some days ago that the film is about two hours long, and to be frank, that's what I heard too after it was screened for the first time in Austin back then. With reviews of the supposedly final cut slowly coming in ... the running time now seems to clock in at a healthy 137 mins. Has the film - that was supposed to get a little trimmed - actually got longer in the process? Hmm..."

Very favorable early reviews of Apocalypto:

Reuters reports:

Mel Gibson's new movie "Apocalypto" drew several good early reviews on Friday from critics who cautioned the thriller set against the end of an ancient Mayan civilization is also extremely violent.
"Blood-and-guts action audiences should eat this up," said show business newspaper Daily Variety.
"Despite the subject's inherent spectacle, conflict and societal interest, Central America's pre-Columbian history has scarcely been touched by filmmakers," writes Variety critic Todd McCarthy, who also called the film "remarkable."
Another veteran critic, Maxim magazine's Pete Hammond, said he was "blown away by the filmmaking."[Read the rest of the article.]

Very encouraging news!

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena, Roger Friedman

Four new Apocalypto film clips!

2006-11-30T22:41:00.000-05:00

Reader Hidai has a great find for us tonight:

"There are FOUR movie clips, each in either Quicktime or Windows Media Player format! All of those clips, even for their short length really had me at the edge of my seat. You really truly get to see the amazing cinematography in the film as well as the score!"

*spoiler warning* - remember, these are clips from the actual movie!

Here are the links:

"Sacrifice" [Windows Media Player] [Quicktime]
"Arrows" [Windows Media Player] [Quicktime]
"Waterfall" [Windows Media Player] [Quicktime]
"Out on a Limb" [Windows Media Player] [Quicktime]

Awesome tip!

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena

Entertainment Weekly puts Mel & Apocalypto on its front cover!

2006-11-30T00:50:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's true! EW has an exclusive interview with Mel!

You can read the entire interview right here:

"The Year of Living Dangerously"

In the shadow of a drunk-driving arrest, Mel Gibson prepares to unveil ''Apocalypto,'' a thriller about a Mayan villager trying to outrun extinction itself. In a four-hour interview, he opens up to EW about directing movies -- and exorcising demons

"His skin is less pasty. His blue eyes shine a little brighter. Today, on a breezy afternoon in late November, Mel Gibson is looking a lot more like his old megastar self than he did six weeks earlier, when he went on the air with Diane Sawyer to apologize for the most disastrous performance of his career - the one involving a DUI bust and some anti-Semitic ramblings on a highway near his home in Malibu. ''Well, you know,'' he notes of that puffy-looking appearance on ABC's Good Morning America, as he swivels in an office chair at his company, Icon Productions, in Santa Monica, ''the camera does add 10 pounds.''

"Gibson has a few more pounds yet to shed - the one or two tons weighing on his shoulders, to be specific. He's still explaining himself to friends and colleagues, and still hoping that his slurs (such as the one about Jews starting all wars) won't cause too much havoc at the box office when his new movie, Apocalypto, opens on Dec. 8. Unlike his last film, The Passion of the Christ, the 2004 Crucifixion saga that set off a storm of protests from Jewish leaders (and ended up grossing $370 million domestically), this one wasn't supposed to be controversial. Apart from the fact that the cast is entirely unknown and the dialogue is in the Mayan dialect of Yucatec, Apocalypto is a return to form for Gibson - an action movie filled with over-the-top stunts and breathtaking violence. Early on, a peaceful Mayan village is brutally razed by a band of warriors looking for victims to sacrifice to the sun god. A young father named Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) manages to hide his pregnant wife and son before being enslaved. After an escape the gods themselves seem to have engineered, Jaguar hurtles back through the forest in a darkly thrilling race to save his family. All the while, he's pursued by the most ferocious of his enemies. How Apocalypto fares at the box office will be seen as a measure of how much damage Gibson has done to his career, though, in fairness, the subtitles could scare more people off than anything the director said during his run-in with the police. In the following pages, EW asks the 50-year-old movie star-turned-director-turned-headline magnet about everything from anti-Semitism to the end of the world as we know it."
[Read the entire interview.]

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena, poster

New Apocalypto poster!

2006-11-30T00:48:00.000-05:00

A new variation of the Apocalypto poster, discovered by AW reader Hidai!

(click for full-size version)

Update: We've also confirmed that a variation of this poster is being used on many highway billboard signs across the United States. Post below in the comments box if you've seen one!

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena, poster

Gibson preps for 'Apocalypto' release: Disney employs unorthodox marketing for controversial pic - Variety

2006-11-30T00:36:00.000-05:00

From Variety:

The marketing campaign for Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto" continues to be as unpredictable as the filmmaker himself.
Following screenings at 64 college campuses and an Indian reservation this week, "Apocalypto" gets an all-media screening tonight. It's all part of Disney's unorthodox approach to the very unorthodox film, which has been shrouded in controversy since Gibson unleashed a drunken, anti-Semitic tirade over the summer.
The film opens on more than 2,500 screens Dec. 8 -- Disney upped the number from 2,000 due to an enthusiastic response from exhibitors who saw the film on Monday.
There will be no splashy Hollywood premiere for "Apocalypto"; instead, Gibson will appear Friday at a preem in Oklahoma benefiting the Chickasaw Nation.
Disney is also making a push with Latino and Native American [audiences]. On Tuesday, Los Angeles' Latin Business Assn. hosted a screening of the movie in Century City.
But it's not entirely a renegade plan. Disney execs decided Wednesday that they will send screeners to all branches of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences -- a contrast with the subdued, almost non-existent Oscar push for "The Passion of the Christ."
And next week, Gibson will hold a press conference for the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn., arbiters of the Golden Globes.
Gibson will also grace the next cover of Entertainment Weekly. [We'll be covering that shortly - AW]
Despite such appearances by Gibson, Disney is banking on [audiences] judging the movie, not the man who made it.
"I would like to have everyone -- the press, the public, the Academy, the critics -- to judge the movie and the director on the artistic merits of 'Apocalypto' only," Disney senior VP of publicity Dennis Rice told Daily Variety. "That's the best I can hope for."
To this end, Disney has been aggressively screening the film for members of niche groups to whom the film will mostly likely appeal and are presumably less sensitive to Gibson's personal foibles.
"It's an action genre film, and that is the demo for that," said Gibson's publicist Alan Nierob. "They love it, they get it, they cheer, they're animated."
Younger auds are also less likely to be upset by the film's extreme violence.
As for students' concern with Gibson's drunken rant during his arrest last summer, Nierob said: "It's not even an issue. It doesn't exist. They're looking at the film."
Early buzz from the critics has been positive. (Daily Variety's review will run Monday.) [source.]

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena

Gibson to unveil "Apocalypto" in Oklahoma - Associated Press

2006-11-29T23:58:00.000-05:00

The Associated Press reports:

Actor and director Mel Gibson plans to unveil his new movie "Apocalypto" during a special screening Friday in OklahomaThe movie, set for a broader release on December 8th, will be shown in a 15-hundred-seat theater at the Riverwind Casino.
Gibson visited the casino in September for two private pre-screenings of the film.
Gibson is expected to attend the event, which is being hosted by the Chickasaw Nation.
His Oklahoma City publicist, Jhane Myers, says that Gibson previously has released his films in New York or Los Angeles.
She says his decision to unveil "Apocalypto" in Oklahoma is his way of giving back to the Indian people.
She says Gibson will use the screening as a fundraiser and plans to match every dollar raised through ticket sales and corporate sponsorship, with proceeds to go to the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic, the Lupus Foundation-Oklahoma City Chapter, the Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa and the Mayan people of Mexico. [source]

The ticket price is $55.

More information here.

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena

Embedded Video: Three New Apocalypto TV Spots!

2006-11-28T21:01:00.000-05:00

Comingsoon.net has compiled links to all the Apocalypto teasers, trailers, featurettes and TV Spots. Here is the embedded video of the three newest TV Spots ... enjoy!

Click the Play button (>) to view the videos.

Spot 2:

Spot 3:

Spot 4 (our favorite):

Here are the links to the originals:

TV Spot 1 - 'Interview' (11.27.06): [QuickTime, Hi-Res] [QuickTime, Med-Res] [QuickTime, Lo-Res] [Windows Media Player, Hi-Res] [Windows Media Player, Lo-Res]
TV Spot 2 (11.26.06): [Flash Player]
TV Spot 3 (11.26.06): [Flash Player]
TV Spot 4 (11.26.06): [Flash Player]

Thanks to reader Josh for the tip!

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena

Apocalypto added to Golden Globe list for best foreign language film

2006-11-28T01:58:00.000-05:00

From Variety:

The awards season saw a new plot twist Monday as the Golden Globes included "Apocalypto" and "Letters From Iwo Jima" on its shortlist of foreign-language films -- though neither is eligible for an Oscar in the foreign-language category. [More]

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena

Apocalypto in the news: Nov. 28 edition

2006-11-28T01:18:00.000-05:00

A few semi-random samplings of Apocalypto in the news and around the net:

Reuters: "But there are a few other unknown quantities that could swoop in and earn one of the five drama nominations. Perhaps the biggest question mark is Disney's "Apocalypto," the Mel Gibson Mayan adventure that takes place in a dead language and features a cast of unknowns...A few early screenings of "Apocalypto" did seem to suggest that it had something unique to offer, though, and if "Passion" proved anything, it's that the industry shouldn't discount what might seem like a wholly unmarketable project."
McClatchy Newspapers: "Apocalypto: Curiosity is high around this subtitled, action-heavy historical drama about the ancient Mayan civilization..."
Variety: "But the word has seeped out: From Gibson's 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."

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena

A clarification on Rahat Nusrat Fateh Aki Khan

2006-11-28T01:12:00.000-05:00

This sent in by AW reader Antonius Bloch:

The Wikipedia text you have for Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is mistaken. You accidentally took the bio of his uncle, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan who died in 1997.
Rahat is his successor in this spiritual form of Sufi music called Qawwali (which finds its home in Pakistan and India). James Horner used Rahat in the score of "The Four Feathers."
Although in "The Four Feathers" he was used more "intensely" than typical Qawwali, you can see him performing Qawwali here [YouTube link].
There is a short bio of him at Wikipedia here and Answers.com here.
Also, this website has some good information.
It will be interesting to hear how Horner uses him in "Apocalypto" since he has a distinctly Persian/Indian sound. But as I said, in "The Four Feathers," he sounded very intense and ancient - though that film was a British and Muslim film so he fit perfectly. Nevertheless, if he's used properly (which I'm sure Horner has done), he will bring a very "dark and ancient" feel to the primitive sounding score.

Thanks for the excellent research, Antonius!

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena, Soundtrack, RAHAT NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN

More details on the Apocalypto soundtrack

2006-11-28T01:08:00.000-05:00

First, a much nicer picture of the soundtrack cover (sent in by Hidai):

Second, a correct track listing:

1. From the Forest... (1:55)
2. Tapir Hunt (1:31)
3. The Storyteller's Dream (3:41)
4. Holcane Attack (9:28)
5. Captives (3:06)
6. Entering the City with a Future Foretold (6:05)
7. Sacrificial Procession (3:40)
8. Words Through the Sky - The Eclipse (5:11)
9. The Games and Escape (5:15)
10. An Elusive Quarry (2:15)
11. Frog Darts (2:45)
12. No Longer The Hunted (5:50)
13. Civilisations Brought by Sea (3:20)
14. To the Forest... (7:41)

Total Playing Time: 60:33 You can order a copy of the soundtrack from Amazon here.

Keep sending in those tips!

Update: Another version of the Soundtrack covere is viewable here.

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena, Soundtrack

What is the running time of Apocalypto?

2006-11-26T00:05:00.000-05:00

Since several people have asked the question, the running time for Apocalypto is 125 minutes (2hrs, 5 minutes).

Apocalypto mobile store "coming soon"

2006-11-25T23:56:00.000-05:00

Here is the address.

(click image for full-size)

Any clues what this might involve?

Update: After a little behind-the-scenes research, we've discovered that the following services will eventually be made available through this page: ringtones, "true tones," and cell phone wallpapers.

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena, Apocalypto Mobile

"Lost Kingdom: Mel Gibson's Apocalypto" - ABC Primetime

2006-11-24T03:54:00.000-05:00

All the text and videos from the interview are available here.

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena, Diane Sawyer, ABC, Primetime

"Secrets of ancient civilization revealed to those who visit Yucatan"

2006-11-24T02:21:00.000-05:00

Here is a good article for those interested in the locations where Apocalypto was filmed as well as the rich history of its inhabitants:

This winter, Yucatan's mysterious Maya will be invading theaters near you, courtesy of Mel Gibson's epic "Apocalypto."
In all likelihood, the release will inspire many Americans to return the favor, visiting sites such as this ruined city in Mexico, as well as others in Guatemala and Honduras. And for the hurricane-battered Yucatan peninsula, between the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, a movie-motivated influx couldn't come at a better time.
In contrast with his billion-dollar, box-office bonanza, "The Passion of the Christ," controversial director Gibson's new film is about Central America's pagan Indians who built a massive pyramid I'm about to climb. Just as Gibson is wrapping up filming across the Gulf in the jungles of Veracruz, Mexico, I am staggering up the endless stone steps of El Castillo, which the Maya call Nohoch Muul.
-snip-
I can understand Gibson's choice of the ancient Maya as a subject for his $50 million film, currently set for a Dec. 8 release by Disney's Touchstone Pictures. This was a pre-Columbian civilization, a complex society that managed to build monumental stone cities, develop a sophisticated astronomical calendar, imagine the mathematical concept of zero and build an extensive network of paved footpaths. They did all of this without metal, beasts of burden, the wheel or the keystone arch. And then, inexplicably, they abandoned their cities and moved to jungle villages such as this one to live on subsistence farming.
Gibson's film, in which characters speak Yucatec Mayan, is set at the time of this collapse, probably because of war and famine, around the year 1000. The movie could do for this century's travelers what American adventurer John Lloyd Stephens, and his artist, Englishman Frederic Catherwood, did in their best-selling 19th-century books.
For those who wish to imagine themselves in "Apocalypto," Coba offers the opportunity to see restored and reconstructed ruins, as they were around the time Gibson's film is set, as well as partially covered remains still in the wild, as Stephens and Catherwood found them in the 1840s. [Read the full article.]

LA Times: Grappling with the 'Mel factor'

2006-11-23T03:04:00.000-05:00

Here are some quotations from this article published by the L.A. Times:

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.

The Drudge Report is currently linking to this article. In general it is probably a good thing to be mentioned on the Drudge Report since it will gain the movie more attention.

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena

Rolling Stone raves about Apocalypto!

2006-11-22T19:15:00.000-05:00

Finally a movie review that focuses on the merits of the movie. Take a look at what Rolling Stone had to say about it:

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.
*edited for spoilers*
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.

Peter Travers, who wrote the review, gave Apocalypto a 3.5/4 rating.

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, Rudy Youngblood, Mauricio Amuy Tenorio, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Serbulo, Dalia Hernandez, Gerardo Taracena

Apocalypto soundtrack cover revealed!

2006-11-21T21:23:00.000-05:00

Reader Hidai sent this soundtrack cover art (click it for full-size version). Not the most suprising cover, but still good looking. Hidai adds, "The Soundtrack not only is instrumental but also has VOCAL SOLOS as well! It is scheduled to be released on 12/5/2006."

You can preorder the soundtrack from Amazon.com here. We just posted the tracklisting for this CD here.

We've verified that the lowest line of textreads: "VOCAL SOLOS BY RAHAT NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN." We were able to find out a bit more information on this artist:

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan(October 13, 1948 - August 16, 1997), a world-renowned Pakistani musician, was primarily a singer of Qawwali, the devotional music of the Sufis, a mystical sect of Islam.
Traditionally, Qawwali has been a family business. Nusrat's family (originally from Afghanistan) has an unbroken tradition of performing qawwali for the last 600 years.
[More from Wikipedia]

He already has a CD available on Amazon here.

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner, RAHAT NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN

Tracklisting for James Horner's Apocalypto score

2006-11-21T19:46:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the reader who founds this tracklisting for James Horner's Apocalypto movie score.

*spoiler warning*

1. An Illustive Quarry
2. Captives
3. Civilizations Brought By Sea
4. Entering The City With A Future Foretold
5. Forg Darts
6. From The Forest
7. Holcane Attack
8. No Longer The Hunted
9. Sacrificial Procession
10. Tapir Hunt
11. The Games And Escape
12. The Storeyteller's Dream
13. To The Forest
14. Words Through The Sky - The Eclipse

It looks like the tracklisting can give us some clues to Apocalypto's plot progression, judging from the way the titles would work together to form a story. Fascinating!

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner

Video: New Apocalypto TV Spot released!

2006-11-20T23:39:00.000-05:00

AW reader Michael sent this in - an exclusive new Apocalypto TV spot!

Michael's comments:

Hi mate,

A first Apocalypto tv spot has hit the net, and it's pretty cool, even [includes] Gibson giving a little introduction.
A real candy is the tiny glimpse we get of the waterfall sequence almost everyone who has seen the rough cut was talking about. An amazing shot!

Here is our transcript of what Mel has to say about Apocalypto:

Gibson: "Apocalypto means 'a new beginning.'" [cut-out]
"Unfortunately, to have a new beginning, something else has to end."
"When the end comes... what exactly happened to this people?"

The spot does indeed include some good footage of the digitally-filmed chase sequence.

Exciting stuff - stay tuned!

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, Mayans, TV Spot

ABC's Primetime to interview Mel about Apocalypto

2006-11-20T22:48:00.000-05:00

From the main page of ABC News:

"Coming up on Primetime"
Thursday Nov 23, 10 p.m. ET: Diane Sawyer talks to Mel Gibson about his controversial new movie "Apocalypto," his personal struggles and his primal fears. Plus, John Quinones examines the mysteries of the vanished civilization portrayed in the movie

Thanks to readers Cindy (who saw the commercial) and Louise.

Louise adds: "Looks like they [ABC/Diane Sawyer] have interviewed Mel and will show the area where the movie was filmed. ABC's website says more details will be posted soon." We'll soon be adding this event to the sidebar (where you can watch for other upcoming Apocalypto-related events).

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, Mayans, ABC, Primetime, Diane Sawyer

Apocalypto news starting to heat up!

2006-11-20T22:35:00.000-05:00

The visitors are starting to pour in as interest continues to rise for Mel Gibson's next movie, Apocaltpto. We're doing our best here at Apocalypto Watch to be the very best fansite we can. So stick with us and we'll be providing you with the lowdown in the coming days and weeks!

- The Apocalypto Watch Team

New set of many more Apocalypto images!

2006-11-19T20:29:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the anonymous reader who sent in this link, where you can find many more fantastic Apocalypto pictures. Here are a few:

Apocalytpo sure is looking good!

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, Mayans

New ApocalyptoWatch banner!

2006-11-18T19:54:00.000-05:00

Thanks to "J.G8S" for contributing it!

New AW Poll: Do you plan on seeing Apocalypto?

2006-11-18T16:52:00.000-05:00

With less than 20 days before Mel Gibson's Apocalypto hits theaters, content will be rolling out more and more quickly at Apocalypto Watch. So keep it tuned here!

To kick things off, we've started a new reader poll: "Do you plan on seeing Apocalypto?"

And remember - any tips, links or gossip can be sent to: "apocalyptowatch [at] gmail.com" (without the quotes) ... podemos leer espanol!

Official Apocalypto Screensaver released!

2006-11-18T16:46:00.000-05:00

The official Apocalypto screensaver has been made available and can be downloaded here. We're using it now and it's pretty cool (basically an animated version of the Apocalypto poster, which can be downloaded in high resolution here).

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, Mayans

Mel Gibson tops the "Frigid 50: The Coldest People in Hollywood"

2006-11-18T00:25:00.000-05:00

The Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Two decades after being chosen as People magazine's first sexiest man alive, Mel Gibson now tops a very different kind of list: Film Threat's annual "Frigid 50: The Coldest People in Hollywood."
The independent film Web site on Friday named Gibson No. 1 among the "least-powerful, least-inspiring, least-intriguing people in all of Tinseltown," following the anti-Semitic remarks he made during his arrest on suspicion of drunken driving.
"He apologized, he got sick of apologizing, he refused to apologize anymore, he didn't want to address the issue, he spoke on nationally broadcast news shows, he spoke at synagogues, he met with Jewish Officials," Film Threat's editors wrote. "But in the end, in all his `I'm really not anti-Semitic' posturing, he never bothered to address how irresponsible he was for driving under the influence in the first place. And now he's got a new movie opening, `Apocalypto,' and the question becomes: who cares?"

This is going to make it all the sweeter when Apocalypto wows the world.

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, Mayans

"Magnificent Mayan civilization stars in Gibson's 'Apocalypto'"

2006-11-15T23:24:00.000-05:00

From Kitsapsun Travel:

In September, models draped in Mayan calendar prints dazzled the runways at Olympus Fashion Week in New York City as part of Nicole Miller's spring 2007 collection, inspired by a trip to the Mayan ruins in Tulum, Mexico.
Last fall, more than 18 million viewers a week watched CBS's "Survivor: Guatemala - The Maya Empire," as contestants lived amid the age-old ruins.
And tourism at Mayan ruins is surging.
More than a thousand years after the Classic Mayas vanished from the magnificent cities they built in the tropical forests of Mexico and Central America, interest in their art, beliefs and traditions has never been higher.
That attention is likely to peak next month when Mel Gibson's $50 million epic "Apocalypto" opens in theaters nationwide. To be released by Disney's Touchstone Pictures on Dec. 8, the R-rated movie (for graphic violence and disturbing images) focuses on the end of the Mayan civilization. [More...]

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, Mayans

"Gibson dives in" - and reaches out to Latinos and Native Americans

2006-11-14T08:42:00.000-05:00

L.A. Times:

Jhane Myers certainly wasn't expecting a personal phone call from Mel Gibson.
"He said, 'Hello, Jhane, I know you don't know me. This is Mel Gibson, and I really would like to have you call me back,' " Myers recalled. When she did, the Oklahoma City public relations executive found herself enlisted in Gibson's grass-roots marketing campaign for his new film, "Mel Gibson's Apocalypto," due in theaters Dec. 8.
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, grossing $611 million worldwide. 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. [More...]

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson

Variety's praise for Apocalypto making the news rounds

2006-11-12T20:38:00.000-05:00

From ContraCostaTimes:

GIBSONIAN APOCALYPSE
Variety.com says word has seeped out from screenings of the still-uncompleted "Apocalypto" that the film is "fiercely original" and a "brilliant exercise in filmmaking." [More...]

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson

Variety asks "'Apocalypto': Masterpiece or misguided?

2006-11-11T17:12:00.000-05:00

From Variety.com:

Will Hollywood fall victim to the Apocalypto Syndrome?
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.
A fiercely original work like this normally would be screened and promoted for Oscar nominations and critics plaudits.
[More...]

It is interesting that no one has any problems admitting that Apocalypto is an excellent movie. Instead, it seems that everyone is only concerned with the personal behavior of Mel Gibson himself. So why is no one willing to separate the art (Apocalypto) from the artist (Mel Gibson)? Hollywood (and the Oscars) have done that many times before, why not now?

Thanks to Kate of MediaBistro for sending in the tip.

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson

New Apocalypto Wallpapers released!

2006-11-08T22:04:00.000-05:00

The official Apocalypto website released more wallpapers last week which we've made available below (in three seperate sizes). The new ones have been placed first:

[1280x1024] [1024x768] [800x600]

Thanks to reader Josh for the tip!

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Wallpaper,

Pre-order James Horner's Apocalypto Score at Amazon.com!

2006-11-04T20:51:00.000-05:00

Reader "cu" sent this tip in:

Horner finished the recording for the Apocalypto score last week. The film score is scheduled for a release on December 5 from Hollywood Records. It's available for preorder at Amazon.com [right here.]

Thanks for the tip! The soundtrack should be excellent from what we've heard.

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, James Horner

Mel Gibson honored by Latino business group

2006-11-03T00:37:00.000-05:00

From the Associated Press:

BEVERLY HILLS (AP) - Mel Gibson was honored by a Latino business organization Thursday for his upcoming film Apocalypto.
Enthusiastic applause greeted the Oscar-winning actor and director as he walked onstage at the Beverly Hilton Hotel to receive the Latino Business Association's Chairman's Visionary Award.

Gibson answered questions from association Chairman Rick Sarmiento about the film, a Mayan-language epic filmed in Mexico chronicling the decline of the native civilization.
[Read the entire article here.]
Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson
[photo: Matt Sayles, AP]

Video: Apocalypto Behind-the-Scenes Featurette

2006-10-20T20:03:00.000-04:00

Take a look!

This video is available on the official Apocalypto website.

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson

FoxNews columnist Father Morris praises Apocalypto

2006-10-20T19:53:00.000-04:00

Reader Antonius spotted this article over at FoxFan Central:

"Mel Gibson Did It Again!"
by Father Jonathan Morris
Never before had I made an intercontinental flight to see a movie. But that's what I did this month when I accepted Mel Gibson's invitation to preview and critique his new film "Apocalypto," scheduled to appear in theaters on December 8th.
I didn't make the trek across the ocean for entertainment value.
My work as a consultant on and off the set of Gibson's "Passion of the Christ," gave me a new appreciation of the power of well-made, serious, and widely-distributed movies. They influence culture. They affect the way we think about the story they tell. Sometimes they warp our view of history or of humanity. Other times they inform, inspire, and challenge. But they always leave a mark.
...
Because I know Mel, his noble intentions and his creative genius, I was eager, though somewhat unconvinced, to see how much his new film would matter.
Mel has done it again! His film matters. That's my critique of "Apocalypto." [More...]

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson

Apocalypto given "R" rating by MPAA

2006-10-20T19:50:00.000-04:00

Reader Josh gives us the low-down:

The MPAA has given Apocalypto an R rating for "sequences of graphic violence and disturbing images".

Not a big surprise...

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson

New behind-the-scenes video clip available!

2006-10-12T00:55:00.000-04:00

Reader Josh sent this tip in today:

"A video clip showing behind the scenes footage ofApocalypto during production has been added to the media section of the official site!"

Good find, Josh! Thanks for the tip.

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson

ABC releases extended excerpt from Mel Gibson's GMA interview

2006-10-11T07:15:00.000-04:00

Go read the extended excerpt from Mel Gibson's GMA interview here.

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, Diane Sawyer, Good Morning America

ABC releases excerpt from Mel Gibson's GMA interview

2006-10-10T13:38:00.000-04:00

ABC released this excerpt today, and will release more from Mel Gibson's interview on Good Morning America soon:

Diane Sawyer: "What did you think it was?"
Mel Gibson: "Me? It was just the stupid rambling of a drunkard, you know and ... what I need to do to heal myself and to be assuring and allay the fears of others and to heal them if they had any heart wounds from something I may have said. So, this is the last thing I want to be is that kind of monster," Gibson said.

Read more about Mel's interview here. Read the rest of ABC's advance coverage here.

From ABC News: "Watch Sawyer's exclusive interview with Mel Gibson Thursday, Oct. 12 and Friday, Oct. 13 on "Good Morning America," which airs across the country from 7 to 9AM."

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, Diane Sawyer, Good Morning America

Photo: ABC News/Good Morning America

Advance still image from Mel Gibson's interview on GMA

2006-10-10T10:58:00.000-04:00

From the ABC News website:

Two days until his interview... we'll be watching.

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, Diane Sawyer

Everything you need to know about Mel Gibson's interview with Good Morning America's Diane Sawyer

2006-10-08T22:48:00.000-04:00

The Gist: Diane Sawyer will be conducting the first media interview with Mel Gibson since his DUI arrest this summer.

The Show: Good Morning America.

The Time: Thursday (Oct. 12th) & Friday (Oct. 13th) from 7 to 9am.

What We Can Expect: The interview "will be a segment in the show,'' said ABC news spokeswoman Bridgette Maney. "It's not going to be the entire 'Good Morning America'.'' As for what to expect during the discussion, [Mel] Gibson's publicist, Alan Nierob, would only say, "We'll have to wait and see.'' - AP Entertainment

More Backstory: Diane Sawyer has interviewed Mel Gibson before. Here is a transcript of her famous interview on ABC Primetime with Mel in 2004 about The Passion of the Christ (the entire segment can be purchased here from Amazon).

The TV Squad claims that Sawyer set up this interview with Mr. Gibson several months ago to be about Apocalypto, but of course the movie will probably no longer be the only focus of the interview segments (above photo also via the TV Squad).

This post will be updated as more information becomes available.

Updates:

More videos and quotes released on ABC News website (Oct 11th)
ABC releases extended excerpt from Mel Gibson's GMA interview (Oct 11th)
ABC releases excerpt from Mel Gibson's GMA interview (Oct 10th)
Advance still image from Mel Gibson's interview on GMA (Oct 10th)

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, Diane Sawyer

Apocalypto Trailer now available in Quicktime High Definition

2006-10-08T22:42:00.000-04:00

Go find the links over on our Apocalypto Teasers & Trailers roundup page.

Apocalypto movie official website checkup

2006-10-08T22:28:00.000-04:00

The official website for Apocalypto recently updated its design, but still has very little information moved over to the new navigation menu at this point.

Besides the trailer, the website only has the synopsis of Apocalypto:

'From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Mel Gibson (The Passion of the Christ, Braveheart), comes Apocalypto: a heart stopping mythic action-adventure set against the turbulent end times of the once great Mayan civilization. When Jaguar Paw's (Rudy Youngblood) idyllic existence is brutally disrupted by a violent invading force, he is taken on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression where a harrowing end awaits him. Through a twist of fate and spurred by the power of his love for his woman and his family he will make a desperate break to return home and to ultimately save his way of life."

We'll notify our readers when more content becomes available. In the meantime, you can download several official movie desktop wallpapers (such as the one above) here and order the official Apocalypto poster online here.

Apocalypto premiers two months from today!

2006-10-08T22:22:00.000-04:00

With Mel Gibson's Apocalypto premiering two months from today (December 8th), the ApocalyptoWatch fansite is going into overdrive. For the next 60+ days, we'll be providing everything you need to know about this exciting new epic movie. Stay tuned!

Mel Gibson to appear in a two-part interview on Good Morning America next week

2006-10-06T19:19:00.000-04:00

Hot off the press:

LOS ANGELES - Is Mel Gibson on the road to redemption?
The embattled 50-year-old actor-director, whose high-profile drunken-driving arrest and subsequent anti-Semitic tirade made international headlines over the summer, is set to appear on "Good Morning America" next week.
...
He spoke with Diane Sawyer somewhere in Southern California recently for a two-part TV interview scheduled to air on Disney-owned ABC's "Good Morning America" on Oct. 12 and 13. This is the first time Gibson has talked to the media since his arrest.
The interview "will be a segment in the show," said ABC news spokeswoman
Bridgette Maney. "It's not going to be the entire `Good Morning America' that day."
As for what to expect during the discussion, Gibson's publicist, Alan Nierob, said, "We'll have to wait and see."
[Read the full article.]

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson

Chevy Chase to play role in Law & Order resembling Mel Gibson

2006-09-28T11:04:00.000-04:00

From the AP entertainment news:

Chevy Chase will guest star on NBC's crime drama "Law & Order" as a TV celebrity who spews religious epithets after being pulled over by police for drunken driving, the network said.
Although there are similarities between the episode - titled "In Vino Veritas" - and Mel Gibson's recent legal troubles, a spokesman for NBC noted that the long-running "Law & Order" drama series "is completely fiction." [More.]

... whatever that means.

Apocalypto promotional poster now back in stock and available!

2006-09-26T00:02:00.000-04:00

Because Amazon.com no longer has the Apocalypto poster in stock, we're now offering it via Allposters.com:

Apocalypto
Double-sided poster
Buy at AllPosters.com

New Apocalypto Pic: Mel and Actors shooting the river crossing scene

2006-09-25T23:30:00.000-04:00

Apocalypto to be featured on covers of both Time and Newsweek?

2006-09-25T09:45:00.000-04:00

Incredible, but true: "I've learned that both Time and Newsweek want to put Mel Gibson's Apocal[y]pto on their covers timed to its Dec. 8th opening." [source.]

Interest in Apocalypto on the rise: important links!

2006-09-25T01:33:00.000-04:00

Here at ApocalyptoWatch we've been experiencing a dramatic increase in visitors since initial published reviews of the uncut version of the movie have been extremely favorable. So here are some essential news links to get you started:

Media and more:

You can also find our list of frequently asked questions on the sidebar to the right.

Remember, keep it tuned here for all your Apocalypto-related news updates!

Also, we are always appreciative of links and now wouldn't be a bad time to review the various BlogAds options available (standard and premium).

"Mel campaigns for new movie, against war in Iraq" - Retuers

2006-09-25T01:30:00.000-04:00

This report is sure to get people talking again:

Mel Gibson has returned to the spotlight to promote his upcoming movie "Apocalypto," and to criticize the war in Iraq, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
[Read the whole article.]

Standing ovation for Apocalypto at early screening with Mel Gibon

2006-09-25T01:28:00.000-04:00

From Reuters:

" He [Mel Gibson] presented a work-in-progress screening of his Mayan adventure tale [Apocalypto], and then took questions. About one-third of the full house gathered for the film gave him a standing ovation." [source.]

More praise from Blake Ethridge here and Scott Weinberg here.

Cinema Strikes Back calls Apocalypto "a towering achievement of filmmaking"

2006-09-25T00:30:00.000-04:00

The advance reviews are coming in fast and furious, and now Blake Ethridge of Cinema Strikes Back adds his praise to the shouting:

"Apocalypto" is a towering achievement of filmmaking. The size and spectacle realized by Gibson rumbles with imagination and life that is rarely breathed into frames of film. We aren't just watching a movie; it literally feels like we are transported into the time and period, and are in a race for our lives.
It's "Wages of Fear" with the pulp adventure feel of the old serials and westerns. It's a lyrical powerhouse of epic proportions that harks back to the days when Hollywood made films on the scale of "Ben-Hur." Decadent, rousing and rife with a macabre message of doom for civilizations that are ruled and controlled by fear.
...
"Apocalypto" is the sort of bravo epic filmmaking we rarely see anymore. Epics made these days seem to always be CGI fests that have little to offer up besides blandness. Gibson walks the fine line between epic scale and CGI with ease. He fills so much of the frame with hundreds of real details that we can easily overlook the CGI ones. This is a good old fashioned adventure tale with a message.
I really wasn't sure how and if Gibson could follow up Passion. That he decided to make one of the most logistically and overall challenging films of his career seemed risky. How many times have we seen a filmmaker emerge with a huge hit and then quickly descend into obscurity? The success and money seems to always Lava soap off their creativity and artistic spirit. That Gibson pulled off such an amazing film after Passion makes it all the more impressive.
Success and money, while seeming to make him all the more crazy, also seems to have made his art even more primal and pounding with life. If "Braveheart" was volume ten as a voice, then here he has quickly shown us that he can reach up to a volume so high we aren't even sure how far it goes.

You can read his entire review here - warning: *spoilers.*

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, Rudy Youngblood

[Picture via Cinema Strikes Back]

Cinematical gives us first impressions of Apocalypto!

2006-09-25T00:14:00.000-04:00

Cinematical's Scott Weinberg was able to attend an advance screening of Apocalypto in Texas over the weekend. After the movie was over, Mel Gibson and Rudy Youngblood took the stage to host a "rather illuminating" Q&A session. Remember, this was only an advanced screening of the movie...

"I wouldn't feel comfortable penning a full-bore review of Apocalypto, as the cut we saw was a workprint: It had "temp track" music, unfinished sound effects, incomplete special effects, and a few sequences that were bound for the cutting room floor. But the meat of the movie was still there, so I suppose it's cool to share a few early reactions..." [Read more here - warning: *spoilers*]

Without giving anything away, here's some things that Scott Weinberg had to say about Apocalypto:

"I dug the flick."
"Apocalypto [is] one of the more intriguing action/adventure epics of the past few years..."
"I was stuck knee-deep in the movie, entirely fascinated by where it was taking me."
"It's a unique, challenging, visually beautiful and harrowingly violent piece of filmmaking..."
"... the general reaction afterwards was pretty darn enthusiastic."
"...I overheard comments like "pretty damn awesome" and "a whole lot better than I expected..."
"I've no problem recommending the film when it hits your local multiplex. It's unique, it's epic and it's a pretty exciting thrill ride."

Now that's a very encouraging first review. Even more encouraging is the report that "about one-third of the full house gathered for the film gave him a standing ovation." [source.]

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, Rudy Youngblood

[Picture via Cinematical]

"Mel Gibson Screens 'Apocalypto' in Oklahoma" - AP

2006-09-23T19:50:00.000-04:00

From the AP:

GOLDSBY, Oklahoma - Actor and director Mel Gibson visited two Oklahoma towns this week to attend screenings of his new movie, "Apocalypto."

Gibson did not make a public appearance during screenings held at the Riverwind Casino in Goldsby and Cameron University in Lawton. At the entrance of the casino — where the film was shown Friday to a mostly American Indian audience — reporters were kept behind partitions.

He arrived at Cameron on Thursday morning wearing a mask and wig so he would not be noticed, university spokeswoman Amber McNeil said.

Jhane Myers, an Oklahoma City-based publicist who escorted Gibson, issued a statement saying Gibson was "deeply touched by the warm reception he has received while in Oklahoma."

Myers had said earlier in the week that Gibson had canceled the screenings planned for Oklahoma.

Gibson co-wrote and directed "Apocalypto," which is billed as an action-adventure film set in the last days of the Mayan civilization in Mexico. It will be released Dec. 8.

Word on the street is that one of the theatergoers who saw it proclaimed Apocalypto to be an "edge-of-your-seat thriller." Sounds like a good first report to us.

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, Rudy Youngblood

The official Apocalypto website has a new design!

2006-09-23T11:03:00.000-04:00

The official Apocalypto website is now featuring a much improved design. Most of the content (except the new trailer) has not been moved over yet, but I'm sure we can expect that soon.

Visit the official Apocalypto movie website now to see the changes.

"Mel Gibson delays 'Apocalypto' screening"

2006-09-21T01:04:00.000-04:00

From the UPI:

Mel Gibson is still planning to preview his new film "Apocalypto" in Oklahoma after last minute problems caused him to cancel three screenings this week.
He was set to preview the film before select American Indian audiences at Cameron University and Riverwind casino, said Jhane Myers, the Oklahoma City publicist arranging the visit, the Oklahoman reported Tuesday.
"He's definitely coming. It's just a matter of when," Myers said.
Gibson's movie, "Apocalypto," is an action-adventure film set in the final days of the Mayan civilization in Mexico. It stars Rudy Youngblood, a Comanche-Cree-Yaqui Indian who lived in Oklahoma before moving to Los Angeles last year.
"This is the first time a Native American has had a starring role in a feature film," Myers said. "Rudy is kind of breaking ground here."
The film is scheduled for release Dec. 8.

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, Rudy Youngblood

Gibson to preview Apocalypto to American Indians

2006-09-19T12:03:00.000-04:00

From the Associated Press comes this report:

OKLAHOMA CITY - Actor and director Mel Gibson is planning a trip to Oklahoma to preview his new movie in front of American Indians.

The movie is titled "Apocalypto" and is described as an action-adventure film set in the last days of the Mayan civilization in Mexico. It's due for widespread release in December.

The star is former Ada area resident Rudy Youngblood who is a Comanche-Cree-Yaqui Indian.

Oklahoma City publicist Jhane Myers says the screenings will be by invitation only.

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, Rudy Youngblood

New Trailer for Apocalypto Released!

2006-09-14T00:26:00.000-04:00

Released today at Apple.com ... here are the individual links:

Theatrical Tailer (2:30):
[small] [medium] [large] [high definition] [ipod]

High Definition Trailer links (2:30) - New!

The movie description released with this new trailer:

"A heart stopping mythic action-adventure set against the turbulent end times of the once great Mayan civilization. When his idyllic existence is brutally disrupted by a violent invading force, a man is taken on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression where a harrowing end awaits him."

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, Trailer

You can also watch the Apocalypto Trailer below:

Mel hard at work this week preparing Apoclaypto

2006-09-08T00:12:00.000-04:00

Good news for Apocalypto fans, as eXtra reports:

"It's the very first video of Mel Gibson since his scandalous run-in with the law.

The actor resurfaced Wednesday after weeks of hiding, sporting a Fedora and chomping on gum as he left his Santa Monica office.

The superstar was clearly annoyed with the unwanted attention, calling the paparazzo "unintelligible."

We're told Mel has been at work all week, likely preparing for his upcoming release "Apocalypto," which is still set to premiere in December.

Last month Gibson pleaded no contest to a DUI and was ordered to attend AA meetings five times a week. He also had his license suspended.

"Extra" snapped Mel getting a ride home on Pacific Coast Highway Wednesday as he passed Moonshadows, the Malibu hotspot he partied at the night of his shocking arrest.

While the race heats up for the embattled star's first sit-down interview since being busted, Mel is staying mum about the controversy that had the whole world talking."

[Photo credit: eXtra.]

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson apologizes to female officer with flowers

2006-09-04T04:19:00.000-04:00

From the Entertainment News Network:

HOLLYWOOD - Disgraced Hollywood star Mel Gibson has finally said sorry to the three police officers he insulted when arrested for drunk driving two months ago.
The Passion of the Christ actor sent a female officer a $500 bouquet with a note expressing "sincere apologies" and has invited her and her male colleague, James Mee, to the premiere of his new movie Apocalypto.
...
A colleague of the unnamed female officer says, "Mel has sent her the biggest bunch of flowers she's ever seen with a note. She was quite touched and I'm sure that the two arresting officers will take him up on his invitation."

[Picture from hollywood.com]

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson

Discuss this post in the ApocalyptoWatch forums now!

Apocalypto in the news - August 27th Edition

2006-08-27T04:01:00.000-04:00

A collection of quotations about Apocalypto, taken from various news portals:

"...Regardless of whether or not the prophecy comes true, it makes for interesting reading and filming. The collapse of the Mayan civilisation will be the subject of Mel Gibson's new film, Apocalypto..." - The Northern Echo
"I want to see "Apocalypto," a film with the potential to kill Gibson's career or rehabilitate it (artistically speaking)." - Kansas City Star

Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson

Apocalypto Watch - News & Rumors About Mel Gibson's Next Movie

How to get your copy of Apocalypto on DVD, VHS & More!

Apocalypto update - Feb. 3rd

Apocalypto update - Jan. 4th

Apocalypto update - Jan. 3rd

Apocalypto News Roundup: December 18

Apocalypto nominated for Golden Globe

Apocalypto stays on top!

An unlikely star of Apocalypto: Scooter the Tapir

Final numbers: Apocalypto makes 15m opening weekend!

Apocalypto international release dates

Apocalypto roars into No. 1 spot!

Apocalypto Mobile store goes live!

Apocalypto set to have bigger opening weekend than Braveheart!

What everyone needs to know about Apocalypto

Apocalypto wins friday matinee wars at the box office!

"'Apocalypto' a box office wild card" - Variety

Mel Gibson on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Metacritic sampling of Apocalypto reviews

Roger Moore declares about Apocalypto: "I'd pay to see that."

Apocalypto to be released in 2,465 theaters

RT Consensus: "Brilliantly filmed, if a bit bloody."

Quentin Tarantino praises Apocalypto

Apocalypto hits screens tomorrow!

Mel Gibson: Apocalypto's "biggest asset and biggest problem"

Hollywood Records releases Apocalypto soundtrack

"Mayans Excited, Unsure on 'Apocalypto'" - Associated Press

Extended exclusive Apocalypto clip: Yahoo! movies

Apocalypto picture-of-the-day

BlogAds spaces available!

Early reviews praise Apocalypto! (quotes)

"Praise for Gibson Film, Quandary for Oscar Voters" - The New York Times

Hear audio clips of James Horner's score!

New exclusive TV spot?

A good picture of Rudy Youngblood & Raoul Trujillo

Apocalypto: 4 Days To Go!

Apocalypto: 5 Days To Go!

Apocalypto: 6 Days To Go!

Four new Apocalypto film clips!

Entertainment Weekly puts Mel & Apocalypto on its front cover!

New Apocalypto poster!

Gibson preps for 'Apocalypto' release: Disney employs unorthodox marketing for controversial pic - Variety

Gibson to unveil "Apocalypto" in Oklahoma - Associated Press

Embedded Video: Three New Apocalypto TV Spots!

Apocalypto added to Golden Globe list for best foreign language film

Apocalypto in the news: Nov. 28 edition

A clarification on Rahat Nusrat Fateh Aki Khan

More details on the Apocalypto soundtrack

What is the running time of Apocalypto?

Apocalypto mobile store "coming soon"

"Lost Kingdom: Mel Gibson's Apocalypto" - ABC Primetime

"Secrets of ancient civilization revealed to those who visit Yucatan"

LA Times: Grappling with the 'Mel factor'

Rolling Stone raves about Apocalypto!

Apocalypto soundtrack cover revealed!

Tracklisting for James Horner's Apocalypto score

Video: New Apocalypto TV Spot released!

ABC's Primetime to interview Mel about Apocalypto

Apocalypto news starting to heat up!

New set of many more Apocalypto images!

New ApocalyptoWatch banner!

New AW Poll: Do you plan on seeing Apocalypto?

Official Apocalypto Screensaver released!

Mel Gibson tops the "Frigid 50: The Coldest People in Hollywood"

"Magnificent Mayan civilization stars in Gibson's 'Apocalypto'"

"Gibson dives in" - and reaches out to Latinos and Native Americans

Variety's praise for Apocalypto making the news rounds

Variety asks "'Apocalypto': Masterpiece or misguided?

New Apocalypto Wallpapers released!

Pre-order James Horner's Apocalypto Score at Amazon.com!

Mel Gibson honored by Latino business group

Video: Apocalypto Behind-the-Scenes Featurette

FoxNews columnist Father Morris praises Apocalypto

Apocalypto given "R" rating by MPAA

New behind-the-scenes video clip available!

More videos and quotes released on ABC News website

ABC releases extended excerpt from Mel Gibson's GMA interview

ABC releases excerpt from Mel Gibson's GMA interview

Advance still image from Mel Gibson's interview on GMA

Everything you need to know about Mel Gibson's interview with Good Morning America's Diane Sawyer