Raveheart- (Sorry I Got Nothin')

So I promised to start blogging again, but then took almost a week to even write up my thoughts on the last couple summer movies I saw for my continuing Summer Movie Olympics. Clearly, I’ve been less than heroic in my quest to see all popcorn fare Hollywood has to offer- I haven’t even seen decent looking flicks like “The Devil Wears Prada” or “Monster House” yet let alone the kind of crap I promised to view so you wouldn’t have to- if I had kept my promise and truly been a summer movie Olympian, I would have shared my snarky thoughts on “The Ant Bully” and “Little Man” by now. But I have decided to post something new, in honor of Josh Friedman’s long overdue return to blogging.

The subject I want to talk about right now is Mad Mel Gibson. Gibson was charged with a DUI in Malibu on Thursday night, and apparently went apeshit at the officer who arrested him, hearling F-Bombs liberally before descending into a bizarre rant about “fucking Jews.” The rumor swirling around out on the information superhighway is that the Malibu PD wanted to bury the story, fearing it would cause a rise in anti-Semitism if released- especially after the firestorm of controversy Gibson ignited with “The Passion of the Christ.”

Despite efforts to cover up the story, Gibson himself does not seem to be denying the allegations. He released a statement yesterday, which read:

"After drinking alcohol on Thursday night, I did a number of things that were very wrong and for which I am ashamed. I drove a car when I should not have, and was stopped by the LA County Sheriffs. The arresting officer was just doing his job and I feel fortunate that I was apprehended before I caused injury to any other person. I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested, and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable. I am deeply ashamed of everything I said. Also, I take this opportunity to apologize to the deputies involved for my belligerent behavior. They have always been there for me in my community and indeed probably saved me from myself. I disgraced myself and my family with my behavior and for that I am truly sorry. I have battled with the disease of alcoholism for all of my adult life and profoundly regret my horrific relapse. I apologize for any behavior unbecoming of me in my inebriated state and have already taken necessary steps to ensure my return to health."

The incident is the latest chapter in Gibson’s increasingly bizarre behavior. When I saw “The Passion,” I didn’t see why there was so much debate about wether or not the film’s depiction of Jews was Anti-Semitic- to me it was clear as day that Gibson was representing the Jews with every stereotype in the book. And now he’s shouting about “Jews starting all wars” in the back of a Police car?

Not to be too lenient on a guy who is being such a flagrant dick to my people, but Mel is clearly a disturbed person who needs some sort of help. Honestly, if you look at this guy’s work, there is plenty of bizarre and creepy psychology to pick apart- Gibson long running obsession with bodily torture is the thing that made “The Passion” most offensive to me. Here was guy trying to tell the story of Christ, and all he can do is show him get the shit beat out of him for two hours? It was like a snuff film in slow motion, and a repetitive and boring one at that. And damn, I got sick of all that slo-mo photography. But I digress.

It’s been strange to watch Gibson fall apart in the last few years. As one of the most consistently charming Hollywood superstars, he always seemed to be having a blast at living life. So what went wrong? Has he been this volatile all along? Was the gap between the image of the Mel Gibson the world knew and loved and the real Mel Gibson really that huge?

Clearly he had an alcohol problem long before the world knew it. And it seems that he turned to religion to help him deal with his demons-which clearly only magnified the problems, resulting in the twisted mutant fetus that was “The Passion.”

Whatever the case, I hope he gets some help and really figures his shit out. With all the shit going down in Israel today, I don’t think an international superstar like Gibson ranting about the “fucking Jews” is the most positive thing to put out in the world right now. The arresting officers trying to cover his behavior up is appalling, but their desire to do so illustrates just how difficult this whole situation has become.

It’s always weird to see these very public meltdowns from mega-celebrities. Tom Cruise has been pulling his own slow-motion train wreck that you just can’t look away from for the last year (well, I guess enough people could look away enough to not see “Mission: Impossible 3.”) As alienating and despicable as the behavior of these guys has become, it also makes me feel kind of sad for them- these are insecure people who just have no sense of connection to the real world anymore. Their downfall and the ensuing media circus illustrates just how much of a snakepit Hollywood really can be.

And here I go, trying to jump right into the biz. The best thing to do is take these awful downfall tales and try to learn from them. And hope that Mel pulls it together, if only for selfish reason- I’d really like to see another “Mad Max” movie one day.