Even if there's no direct evidence that The Mel shares his father's extremist views, in light of the film and surrounding controversy, can you really blame a person for wondering?

Gibson, like most ludicrously powerful, rich, undereducated superstars, is immune to logic or history, and if he wants to propagate the "Gospel according to The Mel" who can stop him? He's the director and therefore entitled to shade his story as he sees fit. His version of the story of the Scottish rebel William Wallace in "Braveheart" — as any student of Scots history can attest — was a joke, as many of us suspect his Hollywood Jesus movie is as well.

We shouldn't damn The Mel for the bigoted beliefs of his father. But it's worrisome, to say the least, especially when one ponders the fact that it may well be a publicity stunt to draw viewers to "The Gospel According to The Mel" film being released this weekend. Timing is everything, as they say.

And frankly, I do damn The Mel for "Braveheart" and hope he burns in hell for that colossal piece of film excrement.