`APOCALYPTO' HELPS GIBSON REVIVE CAREER MAYAN DEMISE DRAMA PULLS IN $14.2 MILLION.Byline: GREG HERNANDEZ Staff Writer Hollywood loves a comeback, and a disgraced dis·grace n. 1. Loss of honor, respect, or reputation; shame. 2. The condition of being strongly and generally disapproved. 3. Mel Gibson Noun 1. Mel Gibson - Australian actor (born in the United States in 1956) Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson, Gibson U.S.A., United States, United States of America, US, USA, America, the States, U.S. has managed to stage an unlikely one. His Mayan civilization movie ``Apocalypto'' emerged from a crowded marketplace to open in first place at the box office with an estimated weekend gross of $14.2 million. Males flocked to the extremely violent R-rated film on Friday, despite its subtitles sub·ti·tle n. 1. A secondary, usually explanatory title, as of a literary work. 2. A printed translation of the dialogue of a foreign-language film shown at the bottom of the screen. tr.v. and little-known actors. By Saturday, the audience had shifted more to couples, and aggressive marketing in the Spanish-language media paid off with a substantial Latino audience taking in the film, distributor Walt Disney Noun 1. Walt Disney - United States film maker who pioneered animated cartoons and created such characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck; founded Disneyland (1901-1966) Disney, Walter Elias Disney Co. said Sunday. ``We surprised an awful lot of people,'' said Chuck Viane, president of Disney's Buena Vista Distribution
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. is the motion picture and television feature distribution company owned by The Walt Disney Company. . ``Mel made a really good movie, and people judged him on his movie, which I think is terrific. I think what you have here is a movie that absolutely stirs conversation.'' ``Apocalypto'' is the Oscar-winning Gibson's first film release since he made worldwide headlines for an anti-Semitic tirade during his arrest last summer in Malibu for drunk driving. At that point, the commercial prospects for the film appeared doomed, as did Gibson's career, which had reached a high point two years before with the surprise blockbuster ``The Passion of the Christ,'' which he also directed and produced. But the actor-turned-director has tried to publicly make amends AMENDS. A satisfaction, given by a wrong doer to the party injured for a wrong committed. 1 Lilly's Reg. 81. 2. By statute 24 Geo. II. c. 44, in England, and by similar statutes in some of the United States, justices of the peace, upon being notified of an in interviews, including an appearance on Jay Leno's ``Tonight Show'' Thursday night. ``It doesn't surprise me that `Apocalypto' was No. 1, because of all the press attention paid to the film and to Mel Gibson,'' observed Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office tracking firm Media by Numbers. ``The awareness made it No. 1. People were so aware of this movie. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing about this.'' ``Apocalypto'' dislodged the animated movie ``Happy Feet'' from first place after a three-week reign and managed to out-gross new releases ``The Holiday,'' ``Blood Diamond'' and ``Unaccompanied un·ac·com·pa·nied adj. 1. Going or acting without companions or a companion: unaccompanied children on a flight. 2. Music Performed or scored without accompaniment. Minors'' as well as push the new James Bond movie ``Casino Royale'' out of second place for the first time since its release a month ago. greg.hernandez(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3758 CAPTION(S): box Box: TOP 10 MOVIES |
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