One day Mel Gibson’s bio may be called “From Braveheart to The Beaver to Blood Father.”
That’s how it’s gone for Gibson since he won the Oscar in 1995. Ten years ago he was arrested for a DUI, was revealed as an anti-semite and racist. From there, he left his wife and the mother of his seven children, Robin, for a Russian musician, Oksana Grigorieva, sired a child outside of marriage, and then turned the whole thing into a tabloid soap opera.
And here we are: “Blood Father,” released two weeks ago to theaters, bombed. It had such a small distribution, and no real ticket sales, that the critically praised action film never reported box office results. It may still be playing somewhere in the wilds of Oklahoma.
Today “Blood Father” appeared quietly on iTunes, landing at number 3, and renting for $6.99. That’s not much of a distinction. It’s right behind two other box office strikeouts– “The Huntsman” and “The Nice Guys.”
“Blood Father” had an 88 on Rotten Tomatoes and a 67 on Metacritic– critics liked it as a B movie, even if they don’t like Gibson anymore as a person. The question now is how he’ll handle the release of a movie he’s directed, “Hacksaw Ridge,” when Lions Gate trots it out on November 4th.
