Mel Gibson to Tell Audiences HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION

by     Posted 3 years, 187 days ago

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Variety reports that Mel Gibson will next star in the action drama How I Spent My Summer Vacation, which is based off a screenplay he wrote.  The film, “centers on a career criminal who gets caught by Mexican authorities and is sent to a drug- and crime-filled prison, where he learns how to survive with the help of a 9-year-old boy.”  The secret to survival?  Never drop the soap and no cookies in bed.

Gibson has only written two other screenplays in his career and they’re both films he directed: Apocalypto and The Passion of the Christ.  However, he has no plans to direct Summer Vacation, but will direct Leonardo DiCaprio in a Viking movie we reported on yesterday.  Adrian Grunberg, Gibson’s First Assistant Director on Apocalypto, will take the helm on Summer Vacation with Stacy Perskie, Apocalypto‘s Second AD, producing.

I’m really happy that another Gibson story broke so soon after yesterday’s news about his viking movie, because I now have the opportunity to address those comments in this article.  Hit the jump for my full thoughts on Mel Gibson.

mel_gibson_image__3_.jpgTo begin, I think Mel Gibson is a talented actor and has turned in great comic and dramatic work.  I love Maverick to death and while Signs doesn’t hold up very well as a movie, his performance in it is one of his best.  On screen, he’s charming and funny.  Off-screen, he’s funny but in a completely different way.  It’s painfully hilarious when you get pulled over for drunk driving, call the arresting officer “sugartits”, and then say Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.  However, none of that bothers me.  I legitimately find that funny and will continue to do so for the remainder of Gibson’s career.

But I seriously think Gibson has a disturbing penchant for violence beyond what is necessary.  His violence isn’t shocking as much as it is gratuitous.  It turns Passion of the Christ comical as it showed Jesus not dying from blood loss was an unheralded miracle as was the savior’s ability to fall down in slow motion eight hundred times.  The idea of that film is to show how Jesus’ suffered for the sins of humanity but since it skips right to the Passion, it’s really just an excuse to show Jesus getting tortured for two hours.

Apocalypto not only has the benefit of violence, but a nice slathering of racism.  When Gibson was confronted by a Mayan studies professor during a screening of the film at USC Northridge, he responded to her criticisms by saying, “Lady, fuck off,” and screamed at other members of the Mayan community to make their own movie.  Classy.

And as for Braveheart, his most popular and revered film, Nick Nunziata of CHUD.com said it best: “It’s death wish in a kilt.”  Just think how the course of history would have been changed if the English hadn’t murdered William Wallace’s girlfriend.

So if my criticism of Gibson in my previous article seemed jealous and mean towards the poor, defenseless actor/writer/director, now you know where I’m coming from and it’s not so much jealousy as bewilderment and disappointment.

Also, to the commenter who put my last name in quotations when referring to me: I love you.

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Comments:
  • Keith Ryon

    Matt you disappointment me. nuff said

  • Keith Ryon

    Matt you disappointment me. nuff said

  • B Beane

    And Mel Gibson is kind of right. If you think his movie is inaccurate or if you dislike something about it. Then go make your own. Stop complaining.

    Still disagree with your view of his violence in movies. The only movie I think it’s debatable is passion of the christ. His other movies not so much. But violence that Jesus went through was the whole point of that movie so I never understood when that movie came out how shocked people were. I mean it was rated R. And yeah Jesus got tortured. Being Crucified isn’t a pleasent experience.

    I mean you might as well criticize Steven Spielburg for the violence in Saving Private Ryan. Steven did you really have to show the solider looking for his arm that was just blown off and then finding it?

    And For all the violence in Braveheart. In the end when William Wallace is being executed he holds on the shot of his face. Why? Because showing William Wallace being tortured to death does not service the story. It would be Gratuitous.

    I still maintain Mel Gibson only uses violence to service the story. And that’s it.

  • B Beane

    And Mel Gibson is kind of right. If you think his movie is inaccurate or if you dislike something about it. Then go make your own. Stop complaining.

    Still disagree with your view of his violence in movies. The only movie I think it’s debatable is passion of the christ. His other movies not so much. But violence that Jesus went through was the whole point of that movie so I never understood when that movie came out how shocked people were. I mean it was rated R. And yeah Jesus got tortured. Being Crucified isn’t a pleasent experience.

    I mean you might as well criticize Steven Spielburg for the violence in Saving Private Ryan. Steven did you really have to show the solider looking for his arm that was just blown off and then finding it?

    And For all the violence in Braveheart. In the end when William Wallace is being executed he holds on the shot of his face. Why? Because showing William Wallace being tortured to death does not service the story. It would be Gratuitous.

    I still maintain Mel Gibson only uses violence to service the story. And that’s it.

  • greg

    Matt Goldberg expresses his condescending criticism toward Gibson for graphic violence in Braveheart, The Passion, and Apocalypto. Tell us, Matt. Do you hold the same criticisms for Michael Mann, Martin Scorsese, Sam Peckenpah…. The list is endless.

  • greg

    Matt Goldberg expresses his condescending criticism toward Gibson for graphic violence in Braveheart, The Passion, and Apocalypto. Tell us, Matt. Do you hold the same criticisms for Michael Mann, Martin Scorsese, Sam Peckenpah…. The list is endless.

  • james

    TO B BENIE Man Fuck Off

  • james

    TO B BENIE Man Fuck Off

  • J.J.

    A Clockwork Orange, Seven, Goodfellas…film history is filled with classic films containing violent and disturbing images. Mel Gibson is an underrated actor and very, very good director. Braveheart was, for all it’s flaws, an awesome movie. Although I am not religious at all I can honestly say I was moved by Passion. I felt the violence was needed for the story Gibson wanted to tell. And Apocalypto was just a bad ass chase flick. No more no less. Gibson might be a lunatic but as far as directing, I think Gibson is 3 for 3. All that being said I can understand someone being “anti-Gibson” because of his past remarks and obvious anti-semetic and misogynistic beliefs. I’ve even heard he turned down the lead in Schindler’s List because of those beliefs. I just don’t think it’s very proffesional for a writer for a news site to use their platform as a forum to attack someone or something. It cuts into your credibility. I think this is an awesome site. I really enjoy the interviews and I think the writing is very good. But come on now…report the stories, give your opinion on the projects both old and new, I think we as readers all enjoy that. But please, please report on the projects not the people making them. Who cares about who believes what or who is sleeping with whom. Leave the attacks out of it. If you guys are going to start doing that stuff I might as well read US or Star.

  • J.J.

    A Clockwork Orange, Seven, Goodfellas…film history is filled with classic films containing violent and disturbing images. Mel Gibson is an underrated actor and very, very good director. Braveheart was, for all it’s flaws, an awesome movie. Although I am not religious at all I can honestly say I was moved by Passion. I felt the violence was needed for the story Gibson wanted to tell. And Apocalypto was just a bad ass chase flick. No more no less. Gibson might be a lunatic but as far as directing, I think Gibson is 3 for 3. All that being said I can understand someone being “anti-Gibson” because of his past remarks and obvious anti-semetic and misogynistic beliefs. I’ve even heard he turned down the lead in Schindler’s List because of those beliefs. I just don’t think it’s very proffesional for a writer for a news site to use their platform as a forum to attack someone or something. It cuts into your credibility. I think this is an awesome site. I really enjoy the interviews and I think the writing is very good. But come on now…report the stories, give your opinion on the projects both old and new, I think we as readers all enjoy that. But please, please report on the projects not the people making them. Who cares about who believes what or who is sleeping with whom. Leave the attacks out of it. If you guys are going to start doing that stuff I might as well read US or Star.

  • Irons

    So according to you Matt Goldberg Mel Gibson’s films are the most gratuitously violent films ever made? Do you only watch smallville?
    ANd about the inaccuracy of APOCALYPTO: where did you see the mention “inspired by a true story”? nowhere. It’s like saying “The count of Monte-Cristo” is really inacurrate historically”.
    Braveheart, a death wish-like movie? In your opinion, does it portray Wallace as a vigilante? Well then Homer’s the ILIAD must be a vigilante poem, since Achilles avenges Patrocles… Vengeance doesn’t mean Vigilantism, you self-indulgent moron.

  • Irons

    So according to you Matt Goldberg Mel Gibson’s films are the most gratuitously violent films ever made? Do you only watch smallville?
    ANd about the inaccuracy of APOCALYPTO: where did you see the mention “inspired by a true story”? nowhere. It’s like saying “The count of Monte-Cristo” is really inacurrate historically”.
    Braveheart, a death wish-like movie? In your opinion, does it portray Wallace as a vigilante? Well then Homer’s the ILIAD must be a vigilante poem, since Achilles avenges Patrocles… Vengeance doesn’t mean Vigilantism, you self-indulgent moron.

  • jony_e

    I’m so glad Matt took a moment to respond to the comments on the previous Mel Gibson post because it only reinforced my dissapointment in his critique of Mel Gibson – which was unfair and completely bias.
    So Matt, its no longer just the violence in his films? Now your mixing his personal life with his film credentials by mentioning that he got pulled over while being drunk, for his comments on jews, and for telling audience members who didnt like his film to “fuck off”? Then why dont I here you taking the same approach regarding Oliver Stone, who was arrested for drunk driving and for possession of drugs? – not to mention he warmly embraces dictators such as Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez who by the way, completely ban any rights to Gay people. Not just “marriage” rights, but flat out calls gay and lesbians abominations. I didnt here you say shit about Tom Hanks newest movie “Angels and Demons” for calling Mormons Un-american durring a press interview a year and a half ago.

    There is a reason why movie critics should remain MOVIE critics, b/c as soon as they begin judging film work based on the directors personal life, anything from drunk driving to their political and religous beliefs, the review / analysis of the film becomes compromised. For this matter, I will no longer read your storys.

    And back to the point of violence. You must not have seen Hostel or Saw. You may also want to pick up a copy of Kubrick films.

  • jony_e

    I’m so glad Matt took a moment to respond to the comments on the previous Mel Gibson post because it only reinforced my dissapointment in his critique of Mel Gibson – which was unfair and completely bias.
    So Matt, its no longer just the violence in his films? Now your mixing his personal life with his film credentials by mentioning that he got pulled over while being drunk, for his comments on jews, and for telling audience members who didnt like his film to “fuck off”? Then why dont I here you taking the same approach regarding Oliver Stone, who was arrested for drunk driving and for possession of drugs? – not to mention he warmly embraces dictators such as Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez who by the way, completely ban any rights to Gay people. Not just “marriage” rights, but flat out calls gay and lesbians abominations. I didnt here you say shit about Tom Hanks newest movie “Angels and Demons” for calling Mormons Un-american durring a press interview a year and a half ago.

    There is a reason why movie critics should remain MOVIE critics, b/c as soon as they begin judging film work based on the directors personal life, anything from drunk driving to their political and religous beliefs, the review / analysis of the film becomes compromised. For this matter, I will no longer read your storys.

    And back to the point of violence. You must not have seen Hostel or Saw. You may also want to pick up a copy of Kubrick films.

  • Bunker

    I just don’t get why there are so many nerds obsessed with bringing down Gibson. Or trying.

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