Ep. 69 Apocalypto

Hosts John Cribbs & Christopher Funderburg are joined by
filmmaker, podcaster & critic Martin Kessler to discuss his new
book, Maya Non Grata. An exploration of Apocalyto’s bizarre
relationship to history, historicism and art, Kessler’s authorial
debut is available for only $2 via our Patreon:
patreon.com/posts/44478461 The group discusses this a deeply
strange Hollywood action flick set at the dawn of European conquest
of the Yucatan peninsula, a vanity project by disreputable
actor-turned-director Mel Gibson. Maya Non Grata is Martin
Kessler's engaging, meticulously researched odyssey into the
controversies surrounding Gibson's representation of historic
Mesoamerica, diving deep into the film's idiosyncratic approach to
period drama and addressing the charges of inaccuracy leveled at
its depiction of a nearly-vanquished culture. Kessler takes an
inquisitive approach to Apocalypto's peculiar relationship to the
spotty historical record concerning the post-Classic Maya,
attempting to unravel the elusive historical truth and exploring
the film's frequent whimsical reliance on the idea that "there's no
reason this couldn't have happened." In 138 captivating pages, the
author examines his own relationship to the movie - Kessler's
deeply personal, colloquial, unpredictable book considers the
question, "What does art owe to history?" The Pink Smoke site:
www.thepinksmoke.com Support our Patreon:
www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke The Pink Smoke on Twitter:

twitter.com/thepinksmoke Martin Kessler on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/MovieKessler Christopher Funderburg on Twitter:
twitter.com/cfunderburg John Cribbs on Twitter:
twitter.com/TheLastMachine Intro music: Unleash the Bastards / “Tea
for Two” Outro music: Marcus Pinn / “Vegas”