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Mel Gibson Bounces Back with his ?Apocalypto?

When Mel Gibson was pulled over by police officers last summer, he stumbled out of the car drunk and angry. His tirade of anti-semitic spews was reported all over the media and many felt that this actor and director?s Hollywood career was over. Gibson went on to apologize to the Jewish citizens of the United States, although many felt that it was simply a means of trying to save his career.

Mel Gibson, however, has shown that he is not going down without a fight. His latest movie, ?Apocalypto? debuted in movie houses across the United States over the weekend and shot right up to the number one slot. Nothing of course can compare to the staggering $83-million that Gibson?s previous film, ?The Passion of Christ? brought in during its opening weekend. Nevertheless, ?Apocalypto? brought in a good ? albeit modest - $14.2-million.

Disney released ?Apocalypto?, which has an almost anonymous cast. It tells the tale of the Mayan civilization and is especially violent. Critics feel that the move is almost too violent ? showing gruesome beheadings and hearts being ripped from chests. However, Gibson probably felt that he wanted to get as close to the real Mayan culture as possible in his movie, thus explaining the need for the violence. Industry experts are surprised that ?Apocalypto? reached the number one spot, considering that there are so many other good movies being released for the holiday season.