list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Apocalypto on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Apocalypto/267459/default.aspx Title: Apocalypto
Year: 2006
Director: Mel Gibson
Plot: As the foundation of the Mayan civilization begins to crumble, one man's previously idyllic existence is forever changed when he is chosen as a sacrifice needed to appease the gods in director Mel Gibson's mythic, end-times adventure. The Mayan kingdom is at the absolute height of opulence and power, but leaders are convinced that unless more temples are constructed and more human sacrifices made, the crops, and ultimately the people, will suffer. Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) is a peaceful hunter from a remote forest tribe whose life is about to be changed forever. When Jaguar Paw's village is raided and he is prepared as a sacrifice that the Mayan deities have demanded, the brave young hunter is forced to navigate a horrific new world of fear and oppression. Fearlessly determined to escape his captors and save his family from a harrowing demise, Jaguar Paw prepares to risk it all in one final, desperate attempt to preserve his dying way of life. However, few who have seen the sacrificial alter of the Mayans have managed to live to see another day. Now, in order to rescue his pregnant wife and young son, Jaguar Paw will have to elude the most powerful warriors of the Mayan kingdom while using his vast knowledge of the forest to turn the tables on those who would rather see him dead than set free. Inspired by such ancient Mayan texts as the Popul Vuh, Apocalypto marks a comprehensive collaboration between director Gibson, Cambridge-educated screenwriter Farhad Safinia, and world-renowned archeologist and Mayan culture expert Dr. Richard D. Hansen -- whose services as a special consultant on the film lent the production an unprecedented degree of historical accuracy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 60
Number of Lists: 34
Number of blog posts: 14
Number of discussion threads: 6
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Mon, 18 May 2009 19:22:16 GMTApocalypto2006Mel GibsonAs the foundation of the Mayan civilization begins to crumble, one man's previously idyllic existence is forever changed when he is chosen as a sacrifice needed to appease the gods in director <a href="/players/P____91479/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Mel Gibson</a>'s mythic, end-times adventure. The Mayan kingdom is at the absolute height of opulence and power, but leaders are convinced that unless more temples are constructed and more human sacrifices made, the crops, and ultimately the people, will suffer. Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) is a peaceful hunter from a remote forest tribe whose life is about to be changed forever. When Jaguar Paw's village is raided and he is prepared as a sacrifice that the Mayan deities have demanded, the brave young hunter is forced to navigate a horrific new world of fear and oppression. Fearlessly determined to escape his captors and save his family from a harrowing demise, Jaguar Paw prepares to risk it all in one final, desperate attempt to preserve his dying way of life. However, few who have seen the sacrificial alter of the Mayans have managed to live to see another day. Now, in order to rescue his pregnant wife and young son, Jaguar Paw will have to elude the most powerful warriors of the Mayan kingdom while using his vast knowledge of the forest to turn the tables on those who would rather see him dead than set free. Inspired by such ancient Mayan texts as the Popul Vuh, Apocalypto marks a comprehensive collaboration between director Gibson, Cambridge-educated screenwriter Farhad Safinia, and world-renowned archeologist and Mayan culture expert Dr. Richard D. Hansen -- whose services as a special consultant on the film lent the production an unprecedented degree of historical accuracy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide60Tag Target (>10)341463http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s267459.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Apocalypto/267459/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_May_18_Headin_Down_South/625/42312/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 5/18/2009 3:22:16 PM
Body: I remember how paranoid Traffic made me about driving down to Mexico. Don't do anything stupid, don't trust anyone, and always keep at least a hundred bucks in your shoe to pay off anyone. Little did I know that it was all booze and great food. Losin't It is a great film with Shelley Long, Tom Cruise and Jackie Earle Haley about a group of guys going down to Mexico to lose their virginity and see a donkey show. Y Tu Mama Tambien was a beautifully filmed road trip through the unseen (to most Americans) parts of Mexico. Apocalypto was an incredible period film. Mel Gibson might be crazy but he sure makes a great movie. The Ruins was just blah. College kids falling prey to ancient curse which ruins their debaucherous vacation. Man on Fire was an alright little flick that once again reassured paranoid Americans that yes, if you go to Mexico you will be kidnapped and lose at least one finger . . . or ear.
]]>Mon, 18 May 2009 19:22:16 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme5/18/2009 3:22:16 PMI remember how paranoid Traffic made me about driving down to Mexico. Don't do anything stupid, don't trust anyone, and always keep at least a hundred bucks in your shoe to pay off anyone. Little did I know that it was all booze and great food. Losin't It is a great film with Shelley Long, Tom Cruise and Jackie Earle Haley about a group of guys going down to Mexico to lose their virginity and see a donkey show. Y Tu Mama Tambien was a beautifully filmed road trip through the unseen (to most Americans) parts of Mexico. Apocalypto was an incredible period film. Mel Gibson might be crazy but he sure makes a great movie. The Ruins was just blah. College kids falling prey to ancient curse which ruins their debaucherous vacation. Man on Fire was an alright little flick that once again reassured paranoid Americans that yes, if you go to Mexico you will be kidnapped and lose at least one finger . . . or ear. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_October_6_Revenge/625/36408/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 10/16/2008 3:52:08 PM
Body: Afro-Samurai is based on revenge. Is revenge frequently a theme of anime?
]]>Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:52:08 GMTSkyPilotWeekly Theme10/16/2008 3:52:08 PMAfro-Samurai is based on revenge. Is revenge frequently a theme of anime? http://www.spout.com/blogs/pippin06/archive/2008/10/5/35902.aspx Post By: pippin06
Post To: Reel Thoughts
Post Date: 10/5/2008 10:36:45 AM
Body: The next film on my Netflix queue was available instantly, so I am essentially watching two movies-of-the-week this week. Actually, I've been a movie-watching fiend this weekend, having the typical post-show crash mixture of weariness with a smidge of illness, so I haven't ventured out into the world much (except to see a show on stage and to go to the Grand Awards...Grand Rapids' version of the Tonys). Yet, once again, I digress. I seem to still be trudging through Oscar nominees of two years ago, since Apocalypto was nominated for best Foreign Language film and best Makeup. It didn't win either, though it was directed by Mel Gibson. I wasn't quite sure what to expect of this film. I can't say I was partiuclarly fond of Gibson's last film-making effort, The Passion of the Christ, and not just because crazy Mel seems to have some anti-Semitic sentiments after all. That movie was violent and ran with an interpretation of the story that got a lot of people riled up - either for or against the images projected on film - so that by the time I saw it, I was over it pretty quickly and wasn't enticed by what I saw on film. What I can say about The Passion is at least it was focused, even centered. Apocalypto is more scattered; it doesn't find its focus until halfway through the film. It's also more violent, unbelievably, than The Passion. You can probably detect that I didn't particularly enjoy this movie either. The plot - what there is of one - is pretty simplistic. Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) is the member of a peaceful Mayan tribal village in an idyllic forest. He is content to hunt with his father, provide for his young family, and tease his younger brother for being unable to bear children. Suddenly, the village is attacked by another tribe prone to ritual worship and sacrifice. The attackers capture and kill villagers for this purpose. Jaguar Paw becomes one of the captives but not before he ushers his very pregnant wife and young son down a deep well and to relative safety. The film afterward essentially becomes a glorified chase movie, as Jaguar Paw fights for his survival and the survival of his family, who become trapped in the well. This film was unflinchingly violent, needlessly long, and unnecessarily convoluted, not to mention thin on story. When I first started the movie, I did not know what to expect, and I had no predilections about Mr. Gibson or any element of his film. It didn't take long before I had some arguably violent reactions of my own, such as "What the hell is going on?" and "Yikes, that was graphic." I felt angry most of the time watching this film, and I didn't stop feeling angry until the film finally found its focus - or, more accurately, when Jaguar Paw found his, i.e. the safety of his family and himself. The production elements were decent. The makeup was actually extremely convincing, and I was fascinated by the use of old Mayan dialects, which were the subject of the film's pre-release press (other than Mr. Gibson's relative insanity). I think that these elements were the most impressive part of the film, in that this ancient civilization was given a convincing and believable visual treatment on film. The photography of jungle and forest locations was decent, and the digital renderings of old Mayan temples were kind of cool. James Horner was responsible for the score, which would sound kind of unique had it not kind of reminded me of Legends of the Fall, which he also composed. I just couldn't get into the film because it served to make me more skeptical than when I started. I was never at the edge of my seat until the final cat-and-mouse sequence, and that was because I only cared about Jaguar Paw's family at that point, who was actually given the better end of the storytelling stick. I also felt every minute of the running time; contrary to the All Movie Guide's assessment, I actually felt the pacing was a bit choppy, and the massacres were so protracted, I became desensitized to them, and the horror of the unknown as to what was happening next was lost on me amidst the confusion of what was going on and the resulting boredom. The intended emotional resonance was lost for me in the overdramatic quality of these scenes. Finally, the ending of the film was anticlimactic and even a little didactic, to the point that I was just happy when the film finally ended. What am I saying ultimately? I think this film is pretty mediocre, even run-of-the-mill, with a bit of a twist and a decidedly unusual motif that hasn't really been filmed before, so it gets points for originality. Also, this category of movie is decidedly not my fave, so if I watch one, it had better be at least a little impressive. For me, I was kind of unimpressed watching Apocalypto. I feel this movie warrants a 5.5 for being between utterly mediocre and cute but mediocre. The half point is the award for originality of the premise and the attention paid to painting a historically accurate visual portrait, but the subtraction of almost five points comes from the fact that the visual picture did not make me like the film in lieu of its lack of story and "meh" technical elements (aside from the makeup). Also, this film does not pass the test. I think it's obvious why. Apocalypto is a spectacle, that much is certain, but it may not be a spectacle worth watching in the end. I leave it to you, gentle reader, to make that decision. PS The irony is not lost on me that I watched this film right after watching Apocalypse Now. I assure you that this is a complete coincidence, despite their similar names - it's all in the timing of the various lists I'm working through. Ironically, neither one of them really deal with any sort of true apocalypse, though. That's food for thought.
]]>Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:36:45 GMTpippin06Reel Thoughts10/5/2008 10:36:45 AMThe next film on my Netflix queue was available instantly, so I am essentially watching two movies-of-the-week this week. Actually, I've been a movie-watching fiend this weekend, having the typical post-show crash mixture of weariness with a smidge of illness, so I haven't ventured out into the world much (except to see a show on stage and to go to the Grand Awards...Grand Rapids' version of the Tonys). Yet, once again, I digress. I seem to still be trudging through Oscar nominees of two years ago, since Apocalypto was nominated for best Foreign Language film and best Makeup. It didn't win either, though it was directed by Mel Gibson. I wasn't quite sure what to expect of this film. I can't say I was partiuclarly fond of Gibson's last film-making effort, The Passion of the Christ, and not just because crazy Mel seems to have some anti-Semitic sentiments after all. That movie was violent and ran with an interpretation of the story that got a lot of people riled up - either for or against the images projected on film - so that by the time I saw it, I was over it pretty quickly and wasn't enticed by what I saw on film. What I can say about The Passion is at least it was focused, even centered. Apocalypto is more scattered; it doesn't find its focus until halfway through the film. It's also more violent, unbelievably, than The Passion. You can probably detect that I didn't particularly enjoy this movie either. The plot - what there is of one - is pretty simplistic. Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) is the member of a peaceful Mayan tribal village in an idyllic forest. He is content to hunt with his father, provide for his young family, and tease his younger brother for being unable to bear children. Suddenly, the village is attacked by another tribe prone to ritual worship and sacrifice. The attackers capture and kill villagers for this purpose. Jaguar Paw becomes one of the captives but not before he ushers his very pregnant wife and young son down a deep well and to relative safety. The film afterward essentially becomes a glorified chase movie, as Jaguar Paw fights for his survival and the survival of his family, who become trapped in the well. This film was unflinchingly violent, needlessly long, and unnecessarily convoluted, not to mention thin on story. When I first started the movie, I did not know what to expect, and I had no predilections about Mr. Gibson or any element of his film. It didn't take long before I had some arguably violent reactions of my own, such as "What the hell is going on?" and "Yikes, that was graphic." I felt angry most of the time watching this film, and I didn't stop feeling angry until the film finally found its focus - or, more accurately, when Jaguar Paw found his, i.e. the safety of his family and himself. The production elements were decent. The makeup was actually extremely convincing, and I was fascinated by the use of old Mayan dialects, which were the subject of the film's pre-release press (other than Mr. Gibson's relative insanity). I think that these elements were the most impressive part of the film, in that this ancient civilization was given a convincing and believable visual treatment on film. The photography of jungle and forest locations was decent, and the digital renderings of old Mayan temples were kind of cool. James Horner was responsible for the score, which would sound kind of unique had it not kind of reminded me of Legends of the Fall, which he also composed. I just couldn't get into the film because it served to make me more skeptical than when I started. I was never at the edge of my seat until the final cat-and-mouse sequence, and that was because I only cared about Jaguar Paw's family at that point, who was actually given the better end of the storytelling stick. I also felt every minute of the running time; contrary to the All Movie Guide's assessment, I actually felt the pacing was a bit choppy, and the massacres were so protracted, I became desensitized to them, and the horror of the unknown as to what was happening next was lost on me amidst the confusion of what was going on and the resulting boredom. The intended emotional resonance was lost for me in the overdramatic quality of these scenes. Finally, the ending of the film was anticlimactic and even a little didactic, to the point that I was just happy when the film finally ended. What am I saying ultimately? I think this film is pretty mediocre, even run-of-the-mill, with a bit of a twist and a decidedly unusual motif that hasn't really been filmed before, so it gets points for originality. Also, this category of movie is decidedly not my fave, so if I watch one, it had better be at least a little impressive. For me, I was kind of unimpressed watching Apocalypto. I feel this movie warrants a 5.5 for being between utterly mediocre and cute but mediocre. The half point is the award for originality of the premise and the attention paid to painting a historically accurate visual portrait, but the subtraction of almost five points comes from the fact that the visual picture did not make me like the film in lieu of its lack of story and "meh" technical elements (aside from the makeup). Also, this film does not pass the test. I think it's obvious why. Apocalypto is a spectacle, that much is certain, but it may not be a spectacle worth watching in the end. I leave it to you, gentle reader, to make that decision. PS The irony is not lost on me that I watched this film right after watching Apocalypse Now. I assure you that this is a complete coincidence, despite their similar names - it's all in the timing of the various lists I'm working through. Ironically, neither one of them really deal with any sort of true apocalypse, though. That's food for thought. http://www.spout.com/blogs/cinemarian/archive/2008/5/13/28823.aspx Post By: CinemaRian
Post To: CinemaRian Blog
Post Date: 5/13/2008 4:05:45 AM
Body: A casual glance at RottenTomatoes.com reveals that there is nothing near a critical consensus on Apocalypto, the new film from contraversial actor and director Mel Gibson. Some of its supporters claim it "Smolders with cinematic fervor" and that it has "visuals worthy of Fellini or David Lynch". Its opponents say it's "pure amoral sensationalism" and "a lotta woe to sit through, with not much to think about an only one matter to adress." One guy even called it "the worst movie of the year." It seems like we have another Fountain, an instant love it or hate it movie, which is why it's odd that I was in the middle. I didn't like it anywhere near as much as Gibson's great Braveheart, but also I didn't find it as boring or annoying as The Passion of the Christ. I admire Gibson's gaul to make a movie with no stars in an obscure language, but I also found it to be surprisignly predictable and only moderatly involving. Set in the 16th century, the film is the story of a peaceful Mayan village that is destoryed by neighboring warriors. The adults are taken prisoner and the children are left to fend on their own. During the film continues, Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) emerges from an ensamble as a protagonist. Before the village is complelty destroyed, he manages to hide his pregnant wife (Dalia Hernandez) and young son in to a well. After the massacre, the film becomes very simple: Jaguar Paw must somehow escape and free his wife and child before he is killed and they starve to death. Although both the trailer and a movie begins and ends with a quote from philosopher Will Durant, implying some sort of deep statement about the end of civilizaion, the film is actually a pretty standard adventure story, and that's not really what I wanted to see. One of the pleasures of going to movies is that you get to see other cultures (both real and ficticious) that you could never see in real life, and it seems like a shame that Gibson uses so much screen time show some hardcore violence instead of elaborating on the culture. According to allmovie, Gibson worked with Maya scholar Richard D. Hansen to make sure the movie was super-accurate. The costumes, set design and art direction is all impressive as is the decision to shoot in theYukatek Mayan language, but after a while I stopped caring about what happens. There are only so many gruesome ways you can see somebody get killed, and it seems that Gibson is trying to make each death more bloody than the last. At times it seems like it was one of Peter Jackson's splatstick comedies instead of a supposedly "serious" movie. The obvious film to compare Apocalypto to is Herzog's Aguirre, and this movie has nothing on that mystical masterpiece. Apocalyto is at its best in the early scenes, depicting the life of the Mayan village, and I would have preferd the whole movie like that, with no need for endless stunts and sacrifices. The cast is imprissive (Youngblood may become the first Native Ameircan star) but the movie is certainly not in the leauge of Fellini or Lynch, and is nowhere near the quality of even Braveheart. It's the worst of the year, either, but if Gibson is so willing to spend millions of his own dollars on a movie, he should show us something really original, not an old, old story in relativley new surroundings. Apocalypto (2006)
]]>Tue, 13 May 2008 08:05:45 GMTCinemaRianCinemaRian Blog5/13/2008 4:05:45 AMA casual glance at RottenTomatoes.com reveals that there is nothing near a critical consensus on Apocalypto, the new film from contraversial actor and director Mel Gibson. Some of its supporters claim it "Smolders with cinematic fervor" and that it has "visuals worthy of Fellini or David Lynch". Its opponents say it's "pure amoral sensationalism" and "a lotta woe to sit through, with not much to think about an only one matter to adress." One guy even called it "the worst movie of the year." It seems like we have another Fountain, an instant love it or hate it movie, which is why it's odd that I was in the middle. I didn't like it anywhere near as much as Gibson's great Braveheart, but also I didn't find it as boring or annoying as The Passion of the Christ. I admire Gibson's gaul to make a movie with no stars in an obscure language, but I also found it to be surprisignly predictable and only moderatly involving. Set in the 16th century, the film is the story of a peaceful Mayan village that is destoryed by neighboring warriors. The adults are taken prisoner and the children are left to fend on their own. During the film continues, Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) emerges from an ensamble as a protagonist. Before the village is complelty destroyed, he manages to hide his pregnant wife (Dalia Hernandez) and young son in to a well. After the massacre, the film becomes very simple: Jaguar Paw must somehow escape and free his wife and child before he is killed and they starve to death. Although both the trailer and a movie begins and ends with a quote from philosopher Will Durant, implying some sort of deep statement about the end of civilizaion, the film is actually a pretty standard adventure story, and that's not really what I wanted to see. One of the pleasures of going to movies is that you get to see other cultures (both real and ficticious) that you could never see in real life, and it seems like a shame that Gibson uses so much screen time show some hardcore violence instead of elaborating on the culture. According to allmovie, Gibson worked with Maya scholar Richard D. Hansen to make sure the movie was super-accurate. The costumes, set design and art direction is all impressive as is the decision to shoot in theYukatek Mayan language, but after a while I stopped caring about what happens. There are only so many gruesome ways you can see somebody get killed, and it seems that Gibson is trying to make each death more bloody than the last. At times it seems like it was one of Peter Jackson's splatstick comedies instead of a supposedly "serious" movie. The obvious film to compare Apocalypto to is Herzog's Aguirre, and this movie has nothing on that mystical masterpiece. Apocalyto is at its best in the early scenes, depicting the life of the Mayan village, and I would have preferd the whole movie like that, with no need for endless stunts and sacrifices. The cast is imprissive (Youngblood may become the first Native Ameircan star) but the movie is certainly not in the leauge of Fellini or Lynch, and is nowhere near the quality of even Braveheart. It's the worst of the year, either, but if Gibson is so willing to spend millions of his own dollars on a movie, he should show us something really original, not an old, old story in relativley new surroundings. Apocalypto (2006) http://www.spout.com/blogs/paul/archive/2007/12/21/23067.aspx Post By: paul
Post To: paul on spout.com
Post Date: 12/21/2007 4:15:34 PM
Body: New in theaters, Rolf de Heer’s Ten Canoes and Michael Winterbottom’s A Mighty Heart, Angelina Jolie’s passion project. Both deal with marginalized people and raise the question, “Can westerners make a movie to help us understand non-western people?” Dances with Wolves and Apocalypto come under a bit of scrutiny as well. Download FilmCouch #25 or subscribe in the iTunes store (search for “filmcouch” or click here to launch iTunes) and a new free episode will download every Friday. Join the FilmCouch group Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Paul
]]>Fri, 21 Dec 2007 21:15:34 GMTpaulpaul on spout.com12/21/2007 4:15:34 PMNew in theaters, Rolf de Heer’s Ten Canoes and Michael Winterbottom’s A Mighty Heart, Angelina Jolie’s passion project. Both deal with marginalized people and raise the question, “Can westerners make a movie to help us understand non-western people?” Dances with Wolves and Apocalypto come under a bit of scrutiny as well. Download FilmCouch #25 or subscribe in the iTunes store (search for “filmcouch” or click here to launch iTunes) and a new free episode will download every Friday. Join the FilmCouch group Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Paul http://www.spout.com/blogs/lopezdash/archive/2007/10/31/21314.aspx Post By: lopezdash
Post To: The Movie Blog
Post Date: 10/31/2007 10:27:08 AM
Body: In Apocalypto – a Euro-American narrative, actually – the Maya populace is superstitious... terrified of eclipses. In fact, per Gibson, they are stupid; they believe the universe will collapse if their god Kulkulkan is not fed a steady and daily diet of human hearts. Incidentally, Kulkulkan – also known as Quetzalcoatl to Nahuatl-speaking peoples – according to virtually all accounts, was a great teacher and opposed to human sacrifice. Of course, facts don't deter Gibson, Hollywood or Western society. Mel Gibson's fantasy is devoid of the actual history of this continent, particularly the brutality wrought upon the continent by Europeans beginning in 1492. While it is told in a Mayan language, it certainly is not the story of the Maya. At best, it is a Euro-American fantasy - the same one used 500 years ago to justify the worst genocide in human history, precipitating the attempted destruction, of two entire continents: America and Africa. The Maya were scientific peoples who were completely aware of how the universe functioned and were well aware that the sun did not need blood to rise. Despite Europeans burning thousands of Indigenous books, a few codices survive and expose us to ancient narratives of this continent. But even more importantly, we know this because the Maya are still alive today. The truth is, this is not really Gibson's fantasy, but the fantasy brought to us by Popes, Kings, missionaries, blood-thirsty conquerors (and nowadays historians, curators and filmmakers) for the past 500 years. It is the story of physical, cultural and spiritual genocide and untold massacres, land theft and slavery... all made possible by Papal pseudo-legal edicts that to this day have not been revoked... edicts that purportedly gave Europeans permission to steal the continent and also to wage holy war against Indigenous peoples if they did not submit to the foreign religion of the helmeted intruders. In this fantasy, Indians are bad, demonic & evil. Europeans are good & godly. Indians are uncivilized, violent, barbaric & sub-human, living in an oppressive slave society. Europeans are bringers of light & civilization, saviors & peaceful envoys of Christ.Apocalypto continues the American tourist tradition of thinking that simply adding the letter –o- to the end of an English word (in this case to Apocalypse) will permit the –natives- to understand them. This movie is not understandable. It has nothing to do with the land of the Quetzal, Turtle Island or Indigenous America. The only real question that needs to be examined is how this movie was permitted to be made? Should we now expect him to tell the civilizational story of Islam and "The Orient"?Reprinted from: Column of the Americas: Patzin © Jan. 2, 2007By Patrisia Gonzales & Roberto Rodriguez
]]>Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:27:08 GMTlopezdashThe Movie Blog10/31/2007 10:27:08 AMIn Apocalypto &ndash; a Euro-American narrative, actually &ndash; the Maya populace is superstitious... terrified of eclipses. In fact, per Gibson, they are stupid; they believe the universe will collapse if their god Kulkulkan is not fed a steady and daily diet of human hearts. Incidentally, Kulkulkan &ndash; also known as Quetzalcoatl to Nahuatl-speaking peoples &ndash; according to virtually all accounts, was a great teacher and opposed to human sacrifice. Of course, facts don&#39;t deter Gibson, Hollywood or Western society. Mel Gibson&#39;s fantasy is devoid of the actual history of this continent, particularly the brutality wrought upon the continent by Europeans beginning in 1492. While it is told in a Mayan language, it certainly is not the story of the Maya. At best, it is a Euro-American fantasy - the same one used 500 years ago to justify the worst genocide in human history, precipitating the attempted destruction, of two entire continents: America and Africa. The Maya were scientific peoples who were completely aware of how the universe functioned and were well aware that the sun did not need blood to rise. Despite Europeans burning thousands of Indigenous books, a few codices survive and expose us to ancient narratives of this continent. But even more importantly, we know this because the Maya are still alive today. The truth is, this is not really Gibson&#39;s fantasy, but the fantasy brought to us by Popes, Kings, missionaries, blood-thirsty conquerors (and nowadays historians, curators and filmmakers) for the past 500 years. It is the story of physical, cultural and spiritual genocide and untold massacres, land theft and slavery... all made possible by Papal pseudo-legal edicts that to this day have not been revoked... edicts that purportedly gave Europeans permission to steal the continent and also to wage holy war against Indigenous peoples if they did not submit to the foreign religion of the helmeted intruders. In this fantasy, Indians are bad, demonic &amp; evil. Europeans are good &amp; godly. Indians are uncivilized, violent, barbaric &amp; sub-human, living in an oppressive slave society. Europeans are bringers of light &amp; civilization, saviors &amp; peaceful envoys of Christ.Apocalypto continues the American tourist tradition of thinking that simply adding the letter &ndash;o- to the end of an English word (in this case to Apocalypse) will permit the &ndash;natives- to understand them. This movie is not understandable. It has nothing to do with the land of the Quetzal, Turtle Island or Indigenous America. The only real question that needs to be examined is how this movie was permitted to be made? Should we now expect him to tell the civilizational story of Islam and &quot;The Orient&quot;?Reprinted from: Column of the Americas: Patzin &copy; Jan. 2, 2007By Patrisia Gonzales &amp; Roberto Rodriguez http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2007/10/25/21169.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 10/25/2007 10:01:43 AM
Body: The Golden Globes demonstrated their interest in contemporary World Cinema last year by nominating two Hollywood-produced films in the Best Foreign Language Film category, and ultimately handing the award to Clint Eastwood’s Japanese-language Letters From Iwo Jima. I was one of many who found this worrisome, but at the same time, it didn’t seem like it was totally out of left field. At least they didn’t give it to Apocalypto (nominated in the same category, thus unfortunately giving Mel Gibson a dose of “they only understand my work in Europe” cred). At The Hollywood Reporter, Steven Zeitchik says the Hollywood Foreign Press Association looks almost certain to repeat the pattern this year. Lust, Caution and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly are just two of several films with Hollywood studio backing, directed by name-brand Indiewood auteurs, in a language other than English and incorporating a mix of foreign talent, that the Globes are expected to deem “too foreign” for their Best Picture category and just right for their Foriegn Language film category. This will, of course, have a ripple effect, pushing deserving non-Hollywood Foreign Language films out of consideration. Ultimately, the problem stems from the fact that the HFPA’s field of vision is apparently so narrow that they don’t even think there is a problem. And they’re not the only ones. (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 25 Oct 2007 14:01:43 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com10/25/2007 10:01:43 AMThe Golden Globes demonstrated their interest in contemporary World Cinema last year by nominating two Hollywood-produced films in the Best Foreign Language Film category, and ultimately handing the award to Clint Eastwood’s Japanese-language Letters From Iwo Jima. I was one of many who found this worrisome, but at the same time, it didn’t seem like it was totally out of left field. At least they didn’t give it to Apocalypto (nominated in the same category, thus unfortunately giving Mel Gibson a dose of “they only understand my work in Europe” cred). At The Hollywood Reporter, Steven Zeitchik says the Hollywood Foreign Press Association looks almost certain to repeat the pattern this year. Lust, Caution and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly are just two of several films with Hollywood studio backing, directed by name-brand Indiewood auteurs, in a language other than English and incorporating a mix of foreign talent, that the Globes are expected to deem “too foreign” for their Best Picture category and just right for their Foriegn Language film category. This will, of course, have a ripple effect, pushing deserving non-Hollywood Foreign Language films out of consideration. Ultimately, the problem stems from the fact that the HFPA’s field of vision is apparently so narrow that they don’t even think there is a problem. And they’re not the only ones. (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/windbreaker/archive/2007/10/13/20805.aspx Post By: Windbreaker
Post To: Windbreaker!
Post Date: 10/13/2007 8:52:48 PM
Body: Remember when you could scan the newspapers or your local TV news for movie reviews that were just about that movie you were curious about? Doesn't happen anymore with the big-name directors, and especially not with Mel Gibson. Reviewers keep apologizing to audiences about Passion of the Christ as if it wasn't popular enough with the world to earn over $600 MILLION! I'm waiting for a review of Sicko from the standard outlets that starts off reminding audiences that Michael Moore hates the United States. But here I am, not talking about Apocalypto...Loved it. There. Although the All Movie Guide description below only gives 3 stars, their description sums up the movie very well. I just happened to love it for the very reasons they gave. The only other thing I'd emphasize is this flick's strong portrayal of raising boys to be men. That doesn't mean raising boys to swear and sleep with all the young village hotties -- it means taking responsibility for one's self and one's family. This is the sort of message that resonates with viewers because privately, most of us can admit that is what we crave in society. The postmodern, feminized man doesn't fit with how men were created. So dads -- watch this with your older teens. I'm not kidding, man. Sit 'em down for a great action flick that has a terrific moral foundation.
]]>Sun, 14 Oct 2007 00:52:48 GMTWindbreakerWindbreaker!10/13/2007 8:52:48 PMRemember when you could scan the newspapers or your local TV news for movie reviews that were just about that movie you were curious about? Doesn&#39;t happen anymore with the big-name directors, and especially not with Mel Gibson. Reviewers keep apologizing to audiences about Passion of the Christ as if it wasn&#39;t popular enough with the world to earn over $600 MILLION! I&#39;m waiting for a review of Sicko from the standard outlets that starts off reminding audiences that Michael Moore hates the United States. But here I am, not talking about Apocalypto...Loved it. There. Although the All Movie Guide description below only gives 3 stars, their description sums up the movie very well. I just happened to love it for the very reasons they gave. The only other thing I&#39;d emphasize is this flick&#39;s strong portrayal of raising boys to be men. That doesn&#39;t mean raising boys to swear and sleep with all the young village hotties -- it means taking responsibility for one&#39;s self and one&#39;s family. This is the sort of message that resonates with viewers because privately, most of us can admit that is what we crave in society. The postmodern, feminized man doesn&#39;t fit with how men were created. So dads -- watch this with your older teens. I&#39;m not kidding, man. Sit &#39;em down for a great action flick that has a terrific moral foundation. http://www.spout.com/blogs/mnoo/archive/2007/8/4/17278.aspx Post By: mnoo
Post To: mnoo Blog
Post Date: 8/4/2007 7:13:33 PM
Body: It pleases me greatly when a movie surprises me positively. I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting from Apocalypto, but it certainly delivered something a whole lot different – in the most positive way possible. I guess I was preparing myself for an 'epic' movie about the Mayas, a clumsy page of a history book with great sets, cardboard people and a native language thrown in just to up the 'art' value. What I actually got was an extremely enjoyable, and personable, two hours with a well-structured action movie. For a very short while my expectations of an epic tried to make me wish for something 'more grand', but pretty quickly I was sucked in by the action and just sat back to enjoy the simple, but universally touching, story unfold.Of course, visually the film was stunning, and not just for the lingering light in the rainforest or the intricately constructed Mayan city, but for the attention lavished on the tiniest of details. The make-up and costume work was superb, so superb in fact that you completely forgot about it and just believed. Believed that these people were actual Mayans, and not actors, who had sat in make-up for hours to create the illusion. I really liked the way the cards were laid out right from the start. There was a clever trick of kicking the film off with an almost stereotypical 'natives hunting' scene and then blowing that whole premise out of the water with inventive and funny dialogue, thus humanising the characters from the get-go. Often the biggest failure with action films, what ever sort of surroundings they are set in, is that the characters don't have enough flesh on their bones, you just don't care about them enough to be that involved in what happens to them. Not so here. I was amazed how quickly quite a few different characters were introduced in a very emotionally thorough way, and how quickly you developed a bond to them. Which of course made all the suspense to come that much more nail biting and the cruelty heartbreaking.It blows my mind how most of the actors were either at the complete beginning of their acting career or just regular people; carpenters, farmers and so forth. At the start you could see that some of them were new to being in front of the camera, but so many of them grew throughout the film to give pretty spectacular performances, not least Dalia Hernández as 'Seven' and Rudy Youngblood as 'Jaguar Paw'. Having said that, experience does count for something, and in my opinion Gerardo Taracena gives the best and most consistent performance of the movie as a sadistic sociopath 'Middle Eye'. He really owns the character and embodies it with his whole being, from delivering his lines to subtle facial expressions, and manages to be at the same time scary and disgusting, but also amusing.Sometimes it's just love at first sight. Apocalypto certainly managed to seduce me, somehow in a similar way that The New World did, but with more mainstream entertainment value added. In fact, I liked it so much that I watched the film two times back to back, first without commentary and the second time with. And it didn't feel like time wasted at all.
]]>Sat, 04 Aug 2007 23:13:33 GMTmnoomnoo Blog8/4/2007 7:13:33 PMIt pleases me greatly when a movie surprises me positively. I&#39;m not sure what exactly I was expecting from Apocalypto, but it certainly delivered something a whole lot different &ndash; in the most positive way possible. I guess I was preparing myself for an &#39;epic&#39; movie about the Mayas, a clumsy page of a history book with great sets, cardboard people and a native language thrown in just to up the &#39;art&#39; value. What I actually got was an extremely enjoyable, and personable, two hours with a well-structured action movie. For a very short while my expectations of an epic tried to make me wish for something &#39;more grand&#39;, but pretty quickly I was sucked in by the action and just sat back to enjoy the simple, but universally touching, story unfold.Of course, visually the film was stunning, and not just for the lingering light in the rainforest or the intricately constructed Mayan city, but for the attention lavished on the tiniest of details. The make-up and costume work was superb, so superb in fact that you completely forgot about it and just believed. Believed that these people were actual Mayans, and not actors, who had sat in make-up for hours to create the illusion. I really liked the way the cards were laid out right from the start. There was a clever trick of kicking the film off with an almost stereotypical &#39;natives hunting&#39; scene and then blowing that whole premise out of the water with inventive and funny dialogue, thus humanising the characters from the get-go. Often the biggest failure with action films, what ever sort of surroundings they are set in, is that the characters don&#39;t have enough flesh on their bones, you just don&#39;t care about them enough to be that involved in what happens to them. Not so here. I was amazed how quickly quite a few different characters were introduced in a very emotionally thorough way, and how quickly you developed a bond to them. Which of course made all the suspense to come that much more nail biting and the cruelty heartbreaking.It blows my mind how most of the actors were either at the complete beginning of their acting career or just regular people; carpenters, farmers and so forth. At the start you could see that some of them were new to being in front of the camera, but so many of them grew throughout the film to give pretty spectacular performances, not least Dalia Hern&aacute;ndez as &#39;Seven&#39; and Rudy Youngblood as &#39;Jaguar Paw&#39;. Having said that, experience does count for something, and in my opinion Gerardo Taracena gives the best and most consistent performance of the movie as a sadistic sociopath &#39;Middle Eye&#39;. He really owns the character and embodies it with his whole being, from delivering his lines to subtle facial expressions, and manages to be at the same time scary and disgusting, but also amusing.Sometimes it&#39;s just love at first sight. Apocalypto certainly managed to seduce me, somehow in a similar way that The New World did, but with more mainstream entertainment value added. In fact, I liked it so much that I watched the film two times back to back, first without commentary and the second time with. And it didn&#39;t feel like time wasted at all. http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmspotting/top_5_movies_of_2006/304/16802/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: lukasblu
Post To: Filmspotting
Post Date: 7/29/2007 7:15:04 AM
Body: your 10 most favorite movies (theatrical)released in 2006:mine are :The Departed (2006), blood diamond (2006), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Infamous (2006), School for Scoundrels (2006) , Notes on a Scandal (2006), Mini's First Time (2006) Apocalypto (2006) , Sleeping Dogs Lie (2006), Miss Potter (2006)
]]>Sun, 29 Jul 2007 11:15:04 GMTlukasbluFilmspotting7/29/2007 7:15:04 AMyour 10 most favorite movies (theatrical)released in 2006:mine are :The Departed (2006), blood diamond (2006), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Infamous (2006), School for Scoundrels (2006) , Notes on a Scandal (2006), Mini&#39;s First Time (2006) Apocalypto (2006) , Sleeping Dogs Lie (2006), Miss Potter (2006) http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Great/MemberTagFilms.aspxGreat
Number of films tagged: 231

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]]>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:11:49 GMT231203371Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/amazing/MemberTagFilms.aspxamazing
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]]>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:17:56 GMT90043169Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/mexico/MemberTagFilms.aspxmexico
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