Roman Polanski’s “The Ghost Writer” opened in four theaters this past weekend, sold them all out, and is headed for 10 more this Friday.

Mel Gibson’s “Edge of Darkness” is entering its twilight phase in theaters after making just $40 million domestically. It cost $80 mil (production budget) plus another $20 mil (promotion, etc). “Edge” hasn’t been a huge hit overseas, either, with just $5 million from the U.K., where it started as a miniseries.

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It may have been said before, but The Who got famous singing, “Hope I die before I get old.” That was 45 years ago.

Well, it didn’t happen (except to Keith Moon, who took the line literally). Roger Daltrey (age 65) and Pete Townshend (age 64) are still around, and they absolutely killed as the Super Bowl half time entertainment. The group broke up in the 80s, but then kept going. Some twenty five years later, Daltrey sounded better than ever. Pete is still a guitar madman. “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” came out in 1971 on “Who’s Next,” yet they are better than anything we heard on the Grammy show last Sunday. Unfortunately, we’ve been fooled over and over…

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Mel Gibson’s new film, “Edge of Darkness,” cost at least $80 million. Add in another $15 million, let’s say, for marketing, and you’ve got nearly a $100 million movie.

As of Wednesday, “Edge” had $21 million in its till. But it also had a unique problem. From Tuesday to Wednesday, it had the largest drop-off of any movie in the top 10. It was off 19.7%. The next closest drop went to “When in Rome,” Disney’s sort of straight-to-airplane romantic comedy which fell 19%.

The other eight were all at much less, including Denzel Washington in “The Book of Eli,” also from Warner Bros and a comparable commercial big studio entertainment.

The gauge for “Darkness” will show up later today, when we can see who went to see it on Thursday night.

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It seems like college graduate Jodie Foster is the only celebrity friend left for Mel Gibson.

At this week’s Hollywood premiere for Mel’s big comeback movie, “Edge of Darkness,” Foster was the only celebrity who was photographed on the red carpet with Mel.

Otherwise, the hundreds of photos on WireImage’s site are of Mel, babymama Oksana Grigorieva, and a selection of movie execs and Mel’s publicist.

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Mel Gibson opens in “Edge of Darkness” this Friday. It’s his first starring role since “Signs” in 2002. But a lot has changed.

Since then we’ve learned that Gibson is a racist and anti-Semite. He’s also a drunk, a liar and a philanderer. His father is a famous Holocaust denier who has a Web site explaining all his crazy beliefs. He also disavows the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church in favor of his own brand of Catholicism. Read the rest of this entry »

Mel Gibson’s billion dollar divorce has instigated a fire sale of sorts. And to an ironic buyer. You thought only politics made for strange bedfellows. Divorce does, too!

Over the weekend, it was announced that Gibson — whose career has nosedived since his 2006 DUI arrest and spewing of anti-Semitic comments — sold the U.K.-based distribution arm of his Icon production company. The buyer is Access Industries, owned by billionaire Len Blavatnik, a Russian Jew who is a U.S. citizen.

Talk about ironies. On Friday, a day before the deal was finalized, Gibson’s Russian (but not Jewish) girlfriend gave birth to his eighth child. Gibson is still in the middle of divorcing his wife of 27 years, Robyn, mother of his seven older kids.

Icon, run by Gibson’s pal Bruce Davey, has been a player in the field of international film distribution for years. But the divorce has a hefty price tag since Gibson’s wife is entitled to half of everything he owns. Something had to give, and it was Icon U.K. He still retains his Icon Production company in America, which produced the controversial films “The Passion of the Christ” and “Apocalypto.”

Blavatnik’s front man is Stewart Till, former head of the U.K. Film Commission. Till has big plans for a new Icon U.K. But the substantial sum he paid comes from Blavatnik, a Harvard Business School graduate whom Forbes listed at Number 44 this year on its roster of 400 richest Americans — right between Steve Jobs and David Geffen.

Gibson’s first starring role in many years comes at the end of January 2010 — a traditional dumping ground for so-so films — when he plays a police detective avenging his daughter’s death in “Edge of Darkness.”

Mel Gibson’s soon to be ex-wife Robyn is still listed as vice president of his $50 million church.

To be more specific: Mel, according to just filed tax records, now has $49.5 million tied up in his A P Reilly Foundation, which funds his Holy Family Catholic Church in Malibu, California.

Last year, the “Lethal Weapon” star contributed another $6.5 million into the Foundation. It’s unclear where the money went since the Foundation’s expenses added up to $224,126. Total cash on hand at the end of the year was $30,467.

The church is not recognized by the Archdiocese of, well, anything. It’s merely a private church that Mel built for local families who don’t believe in the Pope or the rulings of Vatican II.

For a few years, Gibson was busy building at the property. But construction seems to be completed. In 2008, A P Reilly lists only landscaping and architect services, totaling $205,184.00 as his biggest expenses.

But Gibson keeps parking millions in the Foundation. He lists total assets at $49.5 million for 2008. And his ex, Robyn, remains vice president of the Foundation despite their ongoing divorce. The filing was signed by a tax preparer on May 23, 2009, the same week that Mel told Jay Leno he was expecting a new baby — his 8th child — with his Russian mistress, Oksana Grigorieva (pictured here, with Mel).

Getty photo

AP Reilly Foundation otherwise lists property taxes of $52,000 and miscellaneous expenses of $88,000. The Foundation makes no donations to other charities, or gives grants of any kind. Why Gibson needs to keep millions in it, tax free, is anyone’s guess.

The Foundation’s major asset is listed as “artwork” worth $416,375.

Gibson is currently working on a new film called, without irony, “The Beaver,” directed by Jodie Foster. His first film in which he stars as an actor in eight years. “Edge of Darkness,” is set for release next January. Meantime, he’s directed four music videos for Grigorieva, whose pop album he also financed and produced, and on which he sings background. Among Grigorieva’s deathless lyrics: “I like the way you wear your skin.”

Mel Gibson, career and marriage in tatters, won’t give up making a fool of himself.

The much derided, criticized former movie star is now backing his pregnant 38-year-old girlfriend in her bid to be a pop star.

You can now hear Oksana Grigorieva’s caterwauling at www.oksana.fm.  Her song is called “Say My Name.” One listen and you won’t want her to say her name or anyone else’s.

Poor Mel! There’s nothing worse than a middle-aged man getting involved in something like this. And poor Mel’s seven children. My guess is they won’t be putting “Say My Name” on their iPods!

Mel and Robyn Gibson got the judge’s approval in a Los Angeles court on June 5th on their agreement to keep their finances secret as their divorce proceeds.

Mel’s net worth has been ballpark-valued around $1 billion. Most of it is said to be in real estate.

But Robyn should know that $42 million is parked in Mel’s A. P. Reilly Foundation. She should know because she’s listed as one of the foundation’s officers.

According to the foundation’s most recent tax filing, the fair market value of all its assets comes to $42,381, 645.

Mel parked $9.8 million in the foundation in 2007, even though by this time his Holy Family Catholic Church was pretty much completed. In 2007 it had expenses that were less than $500,000.

But Mel’s been squirreling away millions of dollars in A.P. Reilly for years now. Just FYI to Robyn and her divorce lawyers.