Latino movie news, reviews, trailers, and festival coverage

Karen Posada

By

2011/05/10 at 12:00am

’30 Minutes or Less’: The Set Visit

05.10.2011 | By |

*Updated January 2026

ShowBizCafe.com was very excited to get invited to Grand Rapids, Michigan back in September 2010. We spent a chunk of the nighttime in a scrap yard seeing the cast of 30 Minutes or Less film a couple of pretty neat scenes. A few of us film junkies were picked up at our hotel by 7pm the day we arrived and were taken to a secret location. Read More

Jack Rico

By

2011/05/09 at 12:00am

The 2011 Tony Award nominations list!

05.9.2011 | By |

The 2011 Tony Award nominations list!

New York, NY (May 3, 2011) – Nominations in 26 competitive categories for the American Theatre Wing’s 65th Annual Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards® were announced today by Tony Award winning actor Matthew Broderick and Tony Award winning actress Anika Noni Rose, at the Tony Award Nominations Announcement sponsored by IBM.  The nominees were selected by an independent committee of 22 theatre professionals appointed by the Tony Awards Administration Committee.  The 2011 Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.  (The list of nominations follows.)
 
Marking 65 years of excellence on Broadway, The Tony Awards will be broadcast live from the Beacon Theatre on CBS, Sunday, June 12th, 8:00 – 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT time delay). 
 
Legitimate theatrical productions opening in any of the 40 eligible Broadway theatres during the current season may be considered for Tony nominations.  The 2010/2011 eligibility season began April 30, 2010 and ended April 28, 2011.  The Tony Awards will be voted in 26 competitive categories by 824 members of the theatrical community. 
 
As previously announced, the 2011 Special Tony Awards for Lifetime Achievement will be presented to playwright Athol Fugard and Philip J. Smith, Chairman of the Shubert Organization.   The Isabelle Stevenson Award will be presented V-Day founder and artistic director, Eve Ensler.   The 2011 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre will be presented to William Berloni, The Drama Book Shop and Sharon Jensen and Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts. 
                                                               
The Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards are bestowed annually on theatre professionals for distinguished achievement. The Tony is one of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry and the annual telecast is considered one of the most prestigious programs on television.  
 
Nominations for the 2011 American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards®
Presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing

Best Play
 
Good People
Author: David Lindsay-Abaire
Producers: Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Barry Grove
 
Jerusalem
Author: Jez Butterworth
Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, Stuart Thompson, Scott Rudin, Roger Berlind, Royal Court Theatre Productions, Beverly Bartner/Alice Tulchin, Dede Harris/Rupert Gavin, Broadway Across America, Jon B. Platt, 1001 Nights/Stephanie P. McClelland, Carole L. Haber/Richard Willis, Jacki Barlia Florin/Adam Blanshay
 
The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Author: Stephen Adly Guirgis
Producers: Scott Rudin, Stuart Thompson, Public Theater Productions, Oskar Eustis, Joey Parnes, Labyrinth Theater Company, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Mimi O’Donnell, Yul Vázquez, Danny Feldman, Fabula Media Partners LLC, Jean Doumanian, Ruth Hendel, Carl Moellenberg, Jon B. Platt, Tulchin Bartner/Jamie deRoy
 
War Horse
Author: Nick Stafford
Producers: Lincoln Center Theater, André Bishop, Bernard Gersten, National Theatre of Great Britain, Nicholas Hytner, Nick Starr, Bob Boyett, War Horse LP
 
Best Musical
 
The Book of Mormon
Producers: Anne Garefino, Scott Rudin, Roger Berlind, Scott M. Delman, Jean Doumanian, Roy Furman, Important Musicals LLC, Stephanie P. McClelland, Kevin Morris, Jon B. Platt, Sonia Friedman Productions, Stuart Thompson
 
Catch Me If You Can
Producers: Margo Lion, Hal Luftig, Stacey Mindich, Yasuhiro Kawana, Scott & Brian Zeilinger, The Rialto Group, The Araca Group, Michael Watt, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, Jay & Cindy Gutterman/Pittsburgh CLO, Elizabeth Williams, Johnny Roscoe Productions/Van Dean, Fakston Productions/Solshay Productions, Patty Baker/Richard Winkler, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., Warren Trepp, Remmel T. Dickinson, Paula Herold/Kate Lear, Stephanie P. McClelland, Jamie deRoy, Barry Feirstein, Rainerio J. Reyes, Rodney Rigby, Loraine Boyle, Amuse Inc., Joseph & Matthew Deitch/Cathy Chernoff, Joan Stein/Jon Murray, The 5th Avenue Theatre
 
The Scottsboro Boys
Producers: Barry and Fran Weissler, Jacki Barlia Florin, Janet Pailet/Sharon A. Carr/Patricia R. Klausner, Nederlander Presentations, Inc./The Shubert Organization, Beechwood Entertainment, Broadway Across America, Mark Zimmerman, Adam Blanshay/R2D2 Productions, Rick Danzansky/Barry Tatelman, Bruce Robert Harris/Jack W. Batman, Allen Spivak/Jerry Frankel, Bard Theatricals/Probo Productions/Randy Donaldson, Catherine Schreiber/Michael Palitz/Patti Laskawy, Vineyard Theatre
Sister Act
Producers: Whoopi Goldberg & Stage Entertainment, The Shubert Organization and Disney Theatrical Productions

Best Book of a Musical
 
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Alex Timbers
 
The Book of Mormon
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
 
The Scottsboro Boys
David Thompson
 
Sister Act
Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane
 
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
 
The Book of Mormon
Music & Lyrics: Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
 
The Scottsboro Boys
Music & Lyrics: John Kander and Fred Ebb
 
Sister Act
Music: Alan Menken
Lyrics: Glenn Slater
 
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek
 
Best Revival of a Play
 
Arcadia
Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, Roger Berlind, Stephanie P. McClelland, Scott M. Delman, Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, Disney Theatrical Group, Robert G. Bartner, Olympus Theatricals, Douglas Smith, Janine Safer Whitney
 
The Importance of Being Earnest
Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy
 
The Merchant of Venice
Producers: The Public Theater, Oskar Eustis, Andrew D. Hamingson, Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Debbie Bisno & Eva Price, Amy Nederlander, Jonathan First, Stewart F. Lane & Bonnie Comley, Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Merritt Forrest Baer, The Araca Group, Broadway Across America, Joseph & Matthew Deitch, JK Productions, Terry Allen Kramer, Cathy Chernoff/Jay & Cindy Gutterman, Mallory Factor/Cheryl Lachowicz, Joey Parnes, The Shubert Organization
 
The Normal Heart
Producers: Daryl Roth, Paul Boskind, Martian Entertainment, Gregory Rae, Jayne Baron Sherman/Alexander Fraser

Best Revival of a Musical
 
Anything Goes
Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy
 
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Producers: Broadway Across America, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, Joseph Smith, Michael McCabe, Candy Spelling, Takonkiet Viravan/Scenario Thailand, Hilary A. Williams, Jen Namoff/Fakston Productions, Two Left Feet Productions/Power Arts, Hop Theatricals, LLC/Paul Chau/Daniel Frishwasser/Michael Jackowitz, Michael Speyer-Bernie Abrams/Jacki Barlia Florin-Adam Blanshay/Arlene Scanlan/TBS Service

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest
Bobby Cannavale, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart
Al Pacino, The Merchant of Venice
Mark Rylance, Jerusalem
 
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday
Frances McDormand, Good People
Lily Rabe, The Merchant of Venice
Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy
Hannah Yelland, Brief Encounter

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me If You Can
Josh Gad, The Book of Mormon
Joshua Henry, The Scottsboro Boys
Andrew Rannells, The Book of Mormon
Tony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Sutton Foster, Anything Goes
Beth Leavel, Baby It’s You!
Patina Miller, Sister Act
Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Mackenzie Crook, Jerusalem
Billy Crudup, Arcadia
John Benjamin Hickey, The Normal Heart
Arian Moayed, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Yul Vázquez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart
Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves
Judith Light, Lombardi
Joanna Lumley, La Bête
Elizabeth Rodriguez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

Colman Domingo, The Scottsboro Boys
Adam Godley, Anything Goes
John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Forrest McClendon, The Scottsboro Boys
Rory O’Malley, The Book of Mormon
 
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Tammy Blanchard, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Victoria Clark, Sister Act
Nikki M. James, The Book of Mormon
Patti LuPone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Todd Rosenthal, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Rae Smith, War Horse
Ultz, Jerusalem
Mark Wendland, The Merchant of Venice

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Beowulf Boritt, The Scottsboro Boys
Derek McLane, Anything Goes
Scott Pask, The Book of Mormon
Donyale Werle, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Best Costume Design of a Play
Jess Goldstein, The Merchant of Venice
Desmond Heeley, The Importance of Being Earnest
Mark Thompson, La Bête
Catherine Zuber, Born Yesterday

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner, Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Martin Pakledinaz, Anything Goes
Ann Roth, The Book of Mormon
Catherine Zuber, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Paule Constable, War Horse
David Lander, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Kenneth Posner, The Merchant of Venice
Mimi Jordan Sherin, Jerusalem
 
Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Ken Billington, The Scottsboro Boys
Howell Binkley, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Peter Kaczorowski, Anything Goes
Brian MacDevitt, The Book of Mormon
 
Best Sound Design of a Play
Acme Sound Partners & Cricket S. Myers, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Simon Baker, Brief Encounter
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, Jerusalem
Christopher Shutt, War Horse

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski, The Scottsboro Boys
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Catch Me If You Can
Brian Ronan, Anything Goes
Brian Ronan, The Book of Mormon

Best Direction of a Play
Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, War Horse
Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart
Anna D. Shapiro, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Daniel Sullivan, The Merchant of Venice

Best Direction of a Musical
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys

Best Orchestrations
Doug Besterman, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Larry Hochman, The Scottsboro Boys
Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus, The Book of Mormon
Marc Shaiman & Larry Blank, Catch Me If You Can

Tony Nominations by Production
The Book of Mormon – 14
The Scottsboro Boys – 12
Anything Goes – 9
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying – 8
The Merchant of Venice – 7
Jerusalem – 6
The Motherf**ker with the Hat – 6
The Normal Heart – 5
Sister Act – 5
War Horse – 5
Catch Me If You Can – 4
Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo – 3
The Importance of Being Earnest – 3
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown – 3
Arcadia – 2
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson – 2
Born Yesterday – 2
Brief Encounter – 2
Good People – 2
La Bête – 2
Priscilla Queen of the Desert – 2
Baby It’s You! – 1
Driving Miss Daisy – 1
The House of Blue Leaves – 1
Lombardi – 1
The People in the Picture – 1

www.TonyAwards.com

Jack Rico

By

2011/05/06 at 9:00am

Last Night (Movie Review)

05.6.2011 | By |

The “1-4-0″: ‘Last Night’ explores temptation from the female and male perspectives. Which one will give and the questions that surround it in is what this film centers on.

The Gist: Infidelity. Can people really be faithful to one another no matter how in love they are? This is the topic director Massy Tadjedin explores in an authentic, intimate, emotionally charged depiction of love in New York City. During an evening apart, married couple Joanna and Michael encounter tempting opportunities to cheat on each other: Michael spends time on a business trip with his sexy colleague, Laura, while Joanna crosses paths with a former flame, Alex.

What Works: I really enjoyed this film. ‘Last Night’ is a realistic look at what happens to people when sexual temptation is presented to them front and center. What most pulled me in was how director Tadjedin delved deep into the struggles of infidelity. The performances are modest here, but great casting choice in Eva Mendes who was perfect as Washington’s seductive paramour. This is an eye opener, one that shows how much pain and anguish one goes through when feelings of unfaithfulness begin to take hold. You stick around intensely engaged to see how the whole thing will it end. Will they cheat on each other, will you as a viewer lose faith in your own relationship because of it? The storyline is relatable, the outcome is unexpected, just like in real life.

What Doesn’t Work: If you’re not used to intensive dialogue, even one as interesting as this one, then you shouldn’t watch this film. It’s for people who enjoy cinema that cates to real issues that people can identify and connect with.

Pay or Nay? Pay. Keira Knightley is becoming good at acting in these indie romance NYC films that focus on women in search for love in the big city. The movie serves up a good dose of raw emotion and tension in the form of temptation. It’s a wonderful date movie, one which will perhaps spark many questions about your own relationship.

[youtube id=”sTDyNxXutLs”]

Jack Rico

By

2011/05/06 at 12:00am

Thor (Movie Review)

05.6.2011 | By |

Thor,’ the first Marvel superhero film of the year, debuts this weekend to high expectations from cinephiles to film executives. This film adaptation is faithful to the mythology of the comic book hero, has a well blend of humor and drama, is visually stunning, but stumbles through the end, and although it recovers, it does not manage to have a place in the pantheon of superhero classics such as ‘Superman II’ and ‘The Dark Knight.’ However, the film, mostly, is great popcorn fun and is worth spending the money to see, especially in IMAX 3D. Read More

Jack Rico

By

2011/05/03 at 12:00am

From Prada to Nada (Movie Review)

05.3.2011 | By |

*Updated January 2026

From Prada to Nada marks a special occasion in film history since its release signals the coming of a new type of cinema into the Hollywood landscape. This From Prada to Nada review looks at how the film attempts to create Hispanic American content for the US Hispanic market. Read More

Mack Chico

By

2011/05/02 at 12:00am

¡’Fast Five’ is #1 in the box office!

05.2.2011 | By |

¡'Fast Five' is #1 in the box office!

The action film ‘Fast Five‘ sped to the top of the box office this weekend, grossing $83.6 million in North America and raising movie studios’ hopes for a profitable summer after a lackluster spring.

The Fast and Furious saga just beat its own record in the United States. ‘Fast Five’ takes no less than $83.6 billion in its U.S. debut in theaters. The biggest success so far this year for any production in its first week.

Fast Five also set a record as the best debut ever for a month in April, surpassing its predecessor Fast and Furious 4, which debuted with $71 million at the box office two years ago.

In second place is the second highest grossing film of 2011 Rio with $39.2 million. “Rio slipped to No. 2 this weekend, with $14.4 million.

In third place was the comedy Tyler Perry‘s Madea‘s Big Happy Family, with $10.1 million.

Here are the 10 highest grossing films of this past weekend.

1. Fast Five, 83.6 million.

2. “Rio, 14.4 million.

3. Tyler Perry‘s Madea‘s Big Happy Family, 10.1 million.

4. Water for Elephants, 9.1 million.

5. Prom, 5 million.

6. Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil, 4.1 million.

7. Soul Surfer, “ 3.3 million.

8. Insidious, 2.7 million.

9. Hop, 2.6 million.

10. Source Code, 2.5 million.

Mack Chico

By

2011/04/26 at 12:00am

Fernanda Romero sentenced to jail

04.26.2011 | By |

Fernanda Romero sentenced to jail

Mexican-born actress, Fernanda Romero, who had small scenes in “Drag Me To Hell” and “The Eye,” and who will next be seen in Mun2’s new ‘Fast Five’ television Spanglish show ‘RPM Miami,’ is accused of entering a sham marriage to remain in the United States. On Monday (April 25), U.S. District Judge Manuel Real ordered both Romero and American musician Kent Ross to spend 30 days behind bars. She and her husband will serve the sentence on weekends.

In January, the Drag Me To Hell star pleaded guilty to making a false statement to authorities investigating her fraudulent marriage.

Federal prosecutors presented evidence that the couple didn’t live together as they stated on immigration forms, and essentially lived separate lives.

Romero, is best known in Mexico for a soap opera called “Eternamente Tuya.”

 

 

Jack Rico

By

2011/04/22 at 12:00am

Water for Elephants (Movie Review)

04.22.2011 | By |

Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants’ is one of the most beautiful films you’ll see this year. With the help of one of the greatest Mexican cinematographers in Rodrigo Prieto, director Francis Lawrence who helmed ‘I Am Legend’ and ‘Constantine,’ gives us a visually beautiful, colorful picture full of vibrancy and panache with love at its core. This is the theme that traverses the story at every level. You see it subtly, passionately, and in complex ways. A mixed bag of everything. Unfortunately, you need real chemistry to pull this off, not a modicum. ‘Water for Elephants’ has its great moments but it also possesses some mediocre mush that weighs it down. It is ultimately a fine film, but because it could’ve been perfect, it is measured at a different scale. The criticisms here are not of the negative kind, but would like them to be viewed as constructive, a ‘what could have been better’ analysis of the events.

The film, in essence, is the circus story version of 1997’s Titanic. It follows almost the same exact plot structure: old man narrates his story of a tragic event in the form of flashbacks when he was young, his romance with a woman that was out of his reach, and the memory of the tragedy that our narrator has never been able to forget. Robert Pattinson is Leonardo DiCaprio and Reese Witherspoon is Kate Winslet’s character, with a circus ambience. This structure is very successful, but I have already seen it and have seen it done better. I don’t think it’s nonsensical to say that many who watch the movie will feel like they’ve seen it before. It’ll be an involuntary and subconscious reaction, but one that will affect the viewer’s judgement of it.

Based on the book by Sara Gruen, ‘Water for Elephants’ swirls around the life of a veterinary student from the wrong side of the tracks, Jacob (Robert Pattinson), who meets and falls in love with Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), a star performer in a circus of a bygone era. They discover beauty amidst the world of the Big Top, and come together through their compassion for an elephant named Rosie. Both are faced with the challenge of her charismatic and dangerous husband August (Christopher Waltz), who seeks to keep his matrimony and the circus alive no matter the consequences.

Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson’s individual work here is the best I’ve seen him do. He’s photogenic, charming and definitely has the magic to attract a vast contingency of female cinephiles with that ‘aww shucks’ demeanor. Witherspoon is Witherspoon, nothing more, and Waltz channeled Col. Hans Landa. Very good, but again I’ve seen him perform this character better in Inglorious Basterds. I tip my hat and salute the performance of Hal Holbrook as the elderly Jacob. You almost choked up in most of the scenes he was in, especially at the end. There’s something to say about watching an elderly person be so fragile and vulnerable in a close up. It’s powerful stuff.

Pacing and dialogue play a big part in the reasons this film made one or more yawn a few times. The pace is at times uneven because the dialogue withers a bit in the middle and it felt slow and wearisome. It then picks back up only to wane again. It did this a few times until it moved consistently enough to engross you once and for all through the end. Lawrence should’ve cut some scenes and push the movie forward even if it risked cutting out his favorite scenes with Pattinson. During the fist hour I must’ve looked at my watch once or twice and a guy in the back let out a loud yawn. Is it entertaining? No, not in the Fast Five type of way, but it’s not supposed to. It is supposed to titillate my senses and crescendo into a rousing symphony of engagement for me. It never reached those heights, but it also didn’t ruin my experience. This is a delightful movie, not a preeminent one.

SBC Staff

By

2011/04/19 at 12:00am

Cotillard and Gordon-Levitt cast in “The Dark Knight Rises”

04.19.2011 | By |

Cotillard and Gordon-Levitt cast in “The Dark Knight Rises”

Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Oscar® winner Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose”) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt have joined the cast of “The Dark Knight Rises,” the epic conclusion to the Dark Knight legend.

“When you collaborate with people as talented as Marion and Joe, it comes as no surprise that you would want to repeat the experience. I immediately thought of them for the roles of Miranda and Blake, and I am looking forward to working with both of them again.”

Cotillard will appear as Miranda Tate, a Wayne Enterprises board member eager to help a still-grieving Bruce Wayne resume his father’s philanthropic endeavors for Gotham.

Gordon-Levitt will play John Blake, a Gotham City beat cop assigned to special duty under the command of Commissioner Gordon.

The film reunites the actors with Christopher Nolan, who recently directed them in the award-winning blockbuster “Inception.”

The director stated, “When you collaborate with people as talented as Marion and Joe, it comes as no surprise that you would want to repeat the experience. I immediately thought of them for the roles of Miranda and Blake, and I am looking forward to working with both of them again.”

Heading the cast of “The Dark Knight Rises,” Christian Bale stars as Bruce Wayne/Batman. The main cast also includes Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle and Tom Hardy as Bane.

Nolan will direct the film from a screenplay he wrote with Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Christopher Nolan will also produce the film with his longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas, and Charles Roven.

“The Dark Knight Rises” is slated for release on July 20, 2012. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Jack Rico

By

2011/04/19 at 12:00am

Exclusive: First pics of Shalim and Trejo in ‘Bad Ass’

04.19.2011 | By |

Exclusive: First pics of Shalim and Trejo in 'Bad Ass'

Shalim Ortiz, known from his work in the critically acclaimed Dominican film Yuniol, and the NBC series Heroes, doesn’t know it, “but he just f@cked with the wrong Mexican” – Danny ‘Machete‘ Trejo. What we mean is that Ortiz is teaming up with Trejo, Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Cronos, Sons of Anarchy) and Charles Dutton (Alien, Gothika) in a movie called ‘Bad Ass‘, which has still to have an official release date, but is rumored to be aiming for a Toronto Film Festival premiere, September 8-18th. 

The plot for the film has Trejo playing Frank Vega, a Vietnam veteran and senior citizen, who becomes a YouTube sensation and local hero when he takes on political corruption and a vicious street gang in an effort to solve and avenge his best friend’s murder.

Shalim plays the 17 and 25 year old versions of Danny Trejo’s character, Vega, in the film. He’s a high school football star who leaves his girlfriend Lindsay behind to enlist in the army and serve in Vietnam. He proves to be a skilled, brave and dedicated soldier, earning a Purple Heart and suffering a severe leg injury. Upon returning home, Frank discovers that Lindsay has moved on and his job prospects are bleak.

Ortiz just wrapped up the production a few days ago in Oklahoma and is on a work frenzy as he has 7 films in the can and 6 in development, including the highly anticipated ‘Gardel‘ about the Argentinian raised tango icon, Carlos Gardel, who died tragically in a plane crash in 1935. He’ll play Pizarro, and most likely, will speak with an Argentinian accent. Let’ see how he pulls it off. The movie is set for release sometime in 2013.

Below are the first exclusive movie stills from Bad Ass.

The film is directed by Craig Moss (The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It), and produced by Ash Shah, Ben Feingold and Jim Busfield.

Shalim and Danny Trejo in 'Bad Ass'

Shalim in 'Bad Ass'

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