Can Apocalypto Restore Gibsons Glory?
By SANDY COHEN The Associated Press Wednesday, December 6, 2006; 4:43 PM LOS ANGELES — “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? A certified superstar, Gibson has appeared in more than two dozen movies, including the popular “Mad Max” and “Lethal Weapon” series. In 1995, he won two Oscars _ best picture and best director _ for his Scottish war saga, “Braveheart.” He garnered a groundswell of support for the bloody and controversial “Passion of the Christ,” which some Jewish leaders claimed was anti-Semitic, by screening the film at churches
