I like the timing of this. In a week when the discussion of anti-Semitism is at its peak thanks to the tragedy in Pittsburgh, Mel Gibson is back.
Mel, says the sensitive press release, will star in a movie called “Waldo,” from a little known British television director named Tim Kirkby. Charlie Hunnam (fresh off duds like “Papillon” and “King Arthur” will co-star with Eiza Gonzalez.)
The ironic part of the announcement it that the three producers involved are Jewish. They are Andrew Lazar, Christina Weiss Lurie, and Steve Shainberg. I’m surprised they wanted to work with him. I’m surprised he wanted to work with them.
Lurie is a minority owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, so that answers where the money is coming from. She also funds documentary films.
Mel is Hollywood’s most famous anti-Semite. He runs a church in Malibu for non-diocese Catholics who don’t believe in the Pope, and do believe Jews killed Jesus. He has $70 million parked in a private foundation to run the church.
In 2006, Mel was pulled over in a DUI and told the Jewish cop who pulled him over that “the Jews started all the wars.” Over and over, Mel has not not denied the existence of the Holocaust, not disowned statements by his father to the effect that the Holocaust never happened. His father, Hutton Gibson, is now 100 years old, seriously. Evil will not die.
In an interview I’ve cited many times, Mel said of the Holocaust, “it’s a numbers game,” meaning he thinks the number 6 million dead Jews is invented. Yet Andrew Lazar, Christina Weiss Lurie and Steve Shainberg think that’s ok.
I won’t see this movie, and most of the people I know won’t either. Mel has at least three other movies in the can or finishing up. I get it that they’re B films meant for international sales. But it doesn’t matter.
