Oscar-winning director Mel Gibson’s (Best Director for “Braveheart”) latest cinematic innovation, the mythic action-adventure Apocalypto, will be released on DVD May 22, 2007, by Touchstone Home Entertainment.   The relentless epic received rave reviews at the box office; Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called Apocalypto “pure adrenaline.”
 
The DVD special features include an in-depth look at the making of Apocalypto, including “Becoming Mayan”, a making-of featurette exploring ancient Mayan culture and the mechanics behind the cinematic tour de force; a deleted scene with optional commentary; and feature-length commentary by Gibson and co-writer Farhad Safinia.

Gibson, whose filmmaking mantle boasts a pair of Oscar statuettes (Best Picture and Best Director for “Braveheart”), took advantage of a lush tropical setting to flesh out a high-energy tale of one man’s quest to  save his life and family.  In the twilight of the mysterious Mayan civilization, young Jaguar Paw (newcomer Rudy Youngblood) is captured and taken to the great Mayan city, where he faces a harrowing end.   Driven by the power of his love for his wife and son, he makes an adrenaline-soaked, heart-racing escape to rescue them, and ultimately save his way of life.   Filled with unrelenting action and stunning cinematography, Apocalypto is an enthralling and unforgettable film experience.   
 
DVD Bonus Features
• Becoming Mayan Making-of featurette and exploration into the mysteries of ancient Mayan civilization
• Exclusive Feature Length Commentary  Writer/Director Mel Gibson and co-writer Farhad Safinia share secrets of their cinematic mastery  
• Deleted Scene With optional commentary from Gibson and Safinia  

For Apocalypto, his first film following the box office behemoth “The Passion of the Christ,” Gibson joined forces with two other Oscar winners, both of whom previously worked with the filmmaker— cinematographer Dean Semler (“Dances With Wolves”) and composer James Horner (“Titanic”).  Semler shot the second and third “Mad Max” installments.  Horner’s “Braveheart” music garnered him an Oscar nomination in 1995.
 
In addition to receiving a Golden Globe® nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, Apocalypto was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Makeup, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing.
 
STREET DATE:  May 22, 2007

Suggested retail price:  $29.99 US   and   $37.99 Canada
Rated:    U.S. R, Canada 18A. 
Feature run time:  138 minutes
Aspect ratio: Widescreen, 1.85:1
Languages: English, Spanish and French subtitles.  
Closed captioned for the hearing impaired.