Film buffs have described a lesser-known historical drama as the ‘greatest movie of all time.’
The action-adventure has been branded as a ‘must-watch’ and ‘one of the best movies of the 2000s.’
It’s even received praise from director Quentin Tarantino, who labeled it a ‘masterpiece.’
The fan-favorite is now being raved about on social media, with viewers urging others to watch it.
One person writes: “Very few films evoke emotions from me, but I have to say, this is brilliant.”
Another adds: “One of my top 10 movies of all time. Words can’t really explain how powerful and well-made this movie is.”
“I can watch this movie a million times without getting bored,” someone else says.
A fourth viewer comments: “This should be in the conversation as one of the best horror and action movies of the 2000s.”
“A must-watch movie. Don’t miss this,” raves another.
The historical action-adventure, produced and directed by Mel Gibson, is set in the 16th-century Mayan civilization.
Its description reads: “Jaguar Paw, a young man, is captured by rulers of the Mayan kingdom. When they decide to sacrifice him, he makes a plan to escape death.”
The drama has scored an audience score of 79% on Rotten Tomatoes and a rating of 7.8/10 on IMDb.
David Keyes from Cinemaphile wrote: “It isn’t simply an effective movie, but an immensely powerful one: a benchmark and a foresight seemingly all rolled into one.”
“Pathologically brilliant. It is bizarre, stomach-turningly violent, and frequently inspired,” said Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian.
Although Apocalypto was lauded by critics and fans alike, the drama was controversial.
Many scholars consider it historically inaccurate, particularly concerning the depiction of mass human sacrifice.
Zachary Hruby, a Maya expert at the University of California, Riverside, told National Geographic: “The Aztecs are known to have sacrificed large numbers of people, though according to the archaeological record, we are unsure of how many would be sacrificed at one time.
“There are no data to support that the Maya carried out sacrifice on such a large scale.”
Ricardo Cajas, Guatemala’s presidential commissioner on racism, said the film set back the understanding of Mayan people by 50 years.
He told the Associated Press (per The Guardian): “It’s a case of Western civilization imposing its view about other civilizations.”
Despite Apocalypto‘s brush with controversy, it didn’t affect the film’s success.
The movie was a box office hit and won numerous awards, including the COFCA Award for Best Cinematography.
Watch the trailer for the historical drama here…
For those curious to watch Apocalypto, it’s available to stream via Prime Video, Apple TV, and ITVX.
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Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Film & TV
Gruesome Horror Movie Has ‘Most Traumatizing’ Opening Scene In History
A gruesome scene has been voted the ‘most memorable’ start to a horror movie in history.
The opening of any film is important, it needs to lure in the audience and keep them engaged – but it’s especially crucial for a scary motion picture, with it being a notably difficult genre to master.
Now horror fans have all come to the same conclusion when deciding which title leaves an unforgettable impression.
Over on Ranker, many have agreed that one film takes the top spot.
Raving about the opening scene, one fan says: “Truly sick and therefore awesome opening sequence.”
Another adds: “Best intro of its time and love the twist.”
“I still love that the opening scene – takes an awesome, gruesome turn,” agrees a third.
Someone else writes: “I’m still traumatized by this scene.”
“It was brilliant… Totally unexpected but I think the best opening scene ever,” enthuses a fifth fan.
Another reviewer comments: “I found this movie in my mom’s room on VHS on top of her dresser when I was a kid. I put it on and the beginning scene literally traumatized me, I had never seen anything like that before.”
The horror, directed by Steve Beck, stars Lord of the Ring‘s Karl Urban and Emily Browning, who played Violet Baudelaire in A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Its synopsis reads: “A salvage crew discovers a long-lost passenger ship floating lifelessly in a region, and as the crew members try to tow it back, strange things occur. Soon, they discover that the ship is haunted.”
Viewers don’t have long to wait for the gruesomeness to start.
The film begins with a dancefloor full of people aboard a ship. Everyone is laughing, smiling, and having a good time.
Then, disaster strikes.
A wire cable snaps and flies through the crowd – the heads of flowers are chopped off, tables are knocked over and some hanging lights explode.
This all unfolds within a minute, leaving the crowd speechless – until one by one, they fall to the ground.
Horrifically, the cable wire dissected almost everyone as it whipped through the crowd.
Amid the chaos is a man pulling himself across the floor, a woman chopped in half at the waist, and a dismembered arm.
With such a gruesome and graphic opening, it’s not hard to see why movie buffs ranked Ghost Ship (2002) as the horror film with the ‘most memorable’ opening scene.
Other movies that charted on Ranker’s ‘most memorable’ list were Jaws, Scream, and of the more recent releases, It Follows.
Watch the trailer for the horror below…
Ghost Ship is available to watch through Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.
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Credit: The Rob Knox Foundation & Warner Bros. Pictures
Film & TV
Viewers ‘In Tears’ Watching True Crime Doc About Harry Potter Star’s Horrific Murder
Viewers have been left devastated after watching a true crime documentary about Harry Potter star Rob Knox.
Since the beloved franchise first graced the big screen, fans have mourned the loss of numerous stars from the wizarding world.
One particular loss occurred in 2008 when Knox was tragically killed at age 18.
Knox’s first credited role was in the ITV police drama The Bill, he also appeared in Channel 4’s reality show Trust Me, I’m a Teenager, and the BBC comedy After You’re Gone.
His breakthrough came with his role as Marcus Belby in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, released posthumously in 2009.
Although his character does not appear in the seventh novel, Knox was set to reprise his role in the final film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
After learning of Knox’s untimely passing, tributes poured in.
The actor’s parents, Sally and Colin Knox, said in a statement (per The Guardian): “Rob was kind and thoughtful and would always help out others – he would spend his last penny on other people instead of himself.
“The life and soul of the party, he was very outgoing, loved sports, and would always strike up a conversation with people.
“He was respectful to others and adored by his family and friends.”
At Knox’s funeral, his grief-stricken father spoke of his son’s passion for acting and excitement at being part of the Harry Potter series.
His dad stated: “It seemed like this might have been his big break, but just after it came, he was taken away from us.”
Several Harry Potter attended the star’s funeral – among those attending the memorial service was co-star Alfie Enoch.
Enoch, who plays Dean Thomas, said, per the Daily Mail: “I can’t really talk about what happened, it was a beautiful service.”
Daniel Radcliffe penned an emotional tribute to his co-star, which read: “Dear Rob, We are all proud to have known you and devastated to have lost you. It is terrible just to write this note. Rest in peace, Dan xxx.”
He then quoted author D.H. Lawrence: “To anyone who reads this remember ‘The dead don’t die. They look on and help.’”
Rupert Grint also wrote a tribute: “Rob, It was an honor to have known you and whenever I’m on the Southend strip I’ll be thinking of you. Rest in peace mate.”
Knox was stabbed by 22-year-old Karl Bishop while defending his younger brother during a night out in Sidcup, London.
Bishop received a life sentence with a minimum of 20 years before parole consideration.
He was described as ‘a highly dangerous man’ by sentencing judge Mr. Justice Bean, who stated (per Daily Mail): “I do not think it is proved that you intended to kill Robert Knox. The truth is that you simply could not care less whether you killed him or not.”
The judge said he wanted Bishop’s sentence to be a deterrent, as too many teenagers are being killed with knives.
ITV commissioned a documentary following the tragedy, shedding light on Knox’s achievements and the impact of his death.
It features insights from the actor’s family, friends, and Harry Potter co-stars, including Jim Broadbent and Tom Felton.
Following its release, people took to social media and shared that it had left them ‘in tears,’ with one writing: “Watched this last night. What a moving and emotional documentary.”
A second says: “Cried all the way through. So so so sad. RIP Rob.”
“This deserves more attention,” comments a third viewer.
Someone else says: “Doesn’t matter how many times I watch it… I am bawling my eyes out every time.”
K)Nox: The Rob Knox Story was honored as Best Feature Documentary at the 2021 London Independent Film Festival.
Aaron Truss, the director of the documentary and the co-director of the Rob Knox Film Festival, has spoken to IGV about his experiences making the heartbreaking doc.
The director had known the late actor’s family for years, having gone to D&B Theatre school with Knox.
He explained that the idea originated in 2013 when another filmmaker approached the actor’s family, recalling: “I was interviewed for it, along with Dani Harmer and Rob’s family.
“Unfortunately, the project dragged along for a few years, and the family wasn’t happy with the end result.”
Knox’s father approached Truss in late 2018 and asked if he would ‘look at it with fresh eyes.’
The director explained: “When I took over the project as director, it was at a time when Netflix was really taking off with true crime documentaries.
“The documentary form was also having a somewhat renaissance, with people binging biographies, true crime, and all sorts.”
Truss brought on creative consultants Alice Amata, Neuma Llusia, and Benedetta Magoga to ensure an unbiased perspective.
He wanted the doc to explore the U.K. justice system over the last decade, look at the government, and count all the murders since Knox.
The director also wanted to delve deeper into the events leading up to his death, recounting: “I invited Jamie [Rob’s brother] and some of Rob’s friends who were there that night to my house for dinner, and we went through everything.
“Surprisingly, it was the first time that they themselves had sat in a room and talked about it.”
He added: “I knew immediately that if I wanted audiences to feel the deep, heavy loss of Rob, I’d have to build his story as best I could through his family, friends, and his acting work.”
Truss’s documentary on Knox is a heartfelt tribute to a dear friend and a powerful call to action against knife crime.
The director emphasized: “I hope Rob’s story will touch the hearts of families watching. This documentary is for everyone; Rob’s story is universal.”
(K)Nox: The Rob Knox Story is available via BBC Select for U.S.A. and Canadian viewers. U.K. viewers can stream via ITVX.
You can learn more about the Rob Knox Foundation here.
Watch the emotional trailer below…
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