The Latest in Latino Entertainment News

Ben Affleck as character on the phone in office scene

2012/10/11 at 12:00am

‘Argo’: Ben Affleck plays a Latino character

10.11.2012 | By SBC Staff |

Latinos are seriously EVERYWHERE. In Ben Affleck’s and George Clooney’s brand new movie ARGO, based on a true story, Affleck himself plays Latino CIA Agent, Antonio Mendez, a man with a distinct Mexican-American heritage. The film tells the incredible survival story of how Mendez led a ‘fake’ film production crew into Iran to rescue six American diplomats during the 1979 hostage crisis.

While the film has received universal critical acclaim, it has also sparked a debate about ‘whitewashing’ in Hollywood, as Ben Affleck (who is not Latino) plays the lead role of a man who was deeply proud of his heritage. Regardless of the controversy, Affleck’s performance is stellar, and the film is a frontrunner for the upcoming awards season.

Three young people lean over looking into a hole in forest

‘In Montauk’ scene shows three youths peering down into a hole in the woods

By Karen Posada

2012/10/10 at 12:00am

Movie Reviews Movies

In Montauk (Movie Review)

10.10.2012 | By Karen Posada |

*Updated November 2025

I got invited to see In Montauk, an independent film by Kim Cummings, in one of the coolest screening rooms I have ever been to, at the ReRun Theater in Brooklyn. Once you walk past the restaurant/bar area, you walk down the hallway leading up to the theater, which is decorated with art by local artists and the movie theater itself is painted with wonderful colors and images. It has a bar inside the theater that offers popcorn and any alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks to enjoy while watching the movie. What tops it all are the seats, which are comfortable car backseats. This place is full of originality and is a perfect place for a very original film.

By Mack Chico

2012/10/10 at 12:00am

Movies

First Look: Dreaming up a magical Sandman for ‘Rise of the Guardians’

10.10.2012 | By Mack Chico |

Within the dimly lit halls of DreamWorks Animation, past the character sketches lining the walls, inside the eccentrically decorated cubicles and offices is where a group of designers, animators and special effects gurus have spent the past four years bringing life to the Sandman. The dream-inducing folkloric figure, whose roots sprouted from European fairytales, is among the immortal icons featured in the 3-D computer-generated fantasy tale “Rise of the Guardians,” based on William Joyce’s charming book series, “The Guardians of Childhood.”

The bubbly Buddha-like appearance of the film’s Sandman, is remarkably faithful to Joyce’s illustrations. Yet creating a three-dimensional, wispy-haired Sandman with oh-so-magical powers provided several technical challenges that many of DreamWorks’ animation pros had never tackled.

“He is a very different kind of character,” said production designer Patrick Hanenberger of the character probably best known from Pat Ballard’s timeless 1954 song. “He is short. He is round. His body looks like it is made out of marzipan, and his hair looks like cotton candy. He is not someone who looks like he is as powerful as he is in our story, but he is the most magical of all the Guardians _ and he does not speak.”

“Rise of the Guardians,” which premieres Wednesday at the Mill Valley Film Festival near San Francisco and is set to debut nationwide Nov. 21, centers on a carefree Jack Frost (voiced by Chris Pine) joining an Avengers-style team of mythical figures who work together to protect the world’s children with their assortment of powers and gadgets.

Frost can command wintery elements with a magical staff, but he’s invisible to everyone else in the world except the other Guardians. He teams up with a mighty Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin) covered in tattoos, a speedy Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman) with a chip on his shoulder, an overly enthusiastic birdlike Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) and the silly Sandman.

When it came to convey Sandman’s personality, the heavy lifting fell to the animators and effects gurus because the character stays totally quiet. He communicates only through facial expressions and body language, as well as with his nifty ability to craft imagery out of sand. (For example, when he’s puzzled, a sandy question mark unravels over his noggin.)

Instead of launching headfirst into production, the filmmakers spent several months simply conceptualizing the Guardians, paying particular attention to the amorphous Sandman. How would he look? What are his powers? How would he move?

Gabe Hordos, the film’s head of character animation, thought the extra time in the sand box ended up being a dream.

“We often get stuck with this problem where, as animators come on, we have many ideas that kind of pollute the main idea,” he said. “Because we had nine months before we started production, we were able to iron stuff down, so once we started, we had a great idea about the characters. They changed a little less, and we played their arcs more subtly.”

The film’s villain, a boogeyman named Pitch (Jude Law), fleeces Sandman’s ability to weave objects out of strands of sand. He substitutes Sandman’s glittery gold rendition for one that’s ominously dark, but the filmmakers didn’t just want a black version of Sandman’s dust. Finding a unique but balanced aesthetic became one of the film’s biggest challenges.

The team studied sandy effects from film franchises like “The Mummy,” “Harry Potter,” “Spider-Man” and “X-Men” but wanted something different. The solution actually came by accident when visual effects supervisor David Prescott noticed how chaotic an animation of one of Sandman’s streams appeared when head of effects Yancy Lindquist played it in reverse.

“It looked trippy,” said Prescott. “When you see something running backward, it’s less predictive. We’ve all seen smoke blowing and water running. You know where it’s going even if you’re not a scientist. When it’s backwards, it’s more interesting. My question for Yancy was, `How can you run it backwards, but make it look like it’s going forwards?'”

The answer was rendering most of the strands as if they were slithering in reverse amid a few lingering forward, providing an organic but creepy counterpart to the Sandman’s dreamy waves, an already a complicated effect when combined with other animations. Lindquist and his colleagues employed both new and existing technology to fuse it all together.

“The complexity isn’t in the sand itself but in how many different ways we use it,” said Lindquist. “Sandy makes unicorns and dinosaurs and sea horses and all sorts of things out of sand, but he also has these streams of sand, and he stands on a cloud of sand. It’s a lot. Hopefully, when you watch the film, you appreciate that, but it’s not something you notice.”

rock band performs on stage with singer raising arm and guitarist

By Karen Posada

2012/10/09 at 12:00am

Movies

Rock of Ages

10.9.2012 | By Karen Posada |

To describe ‘Rock of Ages’ I’m going to need to use various synonyms for cheesy, because that was the main thought going through my mind while I watched the film. The music rocks, there’s no doubt about that; everything else around it wasn’t good enough to classify this as a good musical. I unfortunately haven’t seen the Broadway musical this film is based on, but I’m not afraid to guarantee that it’s probably better than this film adaptation.

The film is set in 1987 in Los Angeles where a small town girl, Sherrie (Julianne Hough) comes hoping to begin her singing career, shortly after arriving she ends up in the Bourbon Room, a famous rock club where she meets Drew (Diego Boneta). Drew begs the club’s owner, Dennis Dupree (Alec Baldwin) to give Sherri a waitressing job, thanks to Lonny (Russell Brand) Dennis’ right hand he decides to give the girl a chance. The Bourbon Room is at risk when religious groups led by the Major (Bryan Cranston) and his wife, Patricia Whitmore (Catherine Zeta-Jones) threaten to close it down, specially when rock god Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) shows up to perform with his group –Arsenal- one last time. With L.A. as a stage this group of people try to lead their lives surrounded by rock n roll from the likes of Def Leppard, Journey, Foreigner, etc.

It looked like most of the actors in this movie were just lip-synching, which whether that’s the case or not that made it hard to enjoy it as a musical. My favorite acts though were seeing Boneta on stage as well as Cruise; they rocked the house in and out of the screen. Their acting as well as everyone else’s was pretty questionable though. Cruise’s character is eccentric and entertaining with his overly macho jockstraps and tattoos, his rockstar act though might be right on, with his short attention span it was hard to follow or understand. I’m not sure if I was annoyed at Hough’s character or at herself, neither her voice nor her acting were convincing; sure she’s stunning, but that wasn’t enough.

I would like to say that our young Mexican actor, Boneta, was fabulous, but except for a couple of good singing skits his acting was like seeing a puppy follow commands. Boneta is one of the main characters, so he had a glorious amount of screen time, despite of that he didn’t shine except for his first singing opening number (clip below) as well as his closing number. He definitely has potential to carry over his heartthrob skills from his Rebelde days; there is some chemistry between Hough and him, but it wasn’t exploded to the point of making believable their fairytale story.

Baldwin and Brand presented some funny scenes, but their main act is actually offensive. The movie began dragging after the first act, perhaps because of the various montages; I was ready for it to finish around the first hour (It’s two hours). The corniness of the film just kept escalating until it reached a level of ridiculous.

I can honestly say I really enjoy musicals and was disappointed by the result of this star-studded film. Even though director Adam Shankman also made ‘Hairspray’, another Broadway hit musical into a film filled with Hollywood A-listers and was well received he didn’t achieve the same with this one. With that said I suggest you save your pennies and go see the musical on Broadway, I’m sure you will be satisfied and entertained then.

Charlie Brown and Peanuts gang with Snoopy under musical notes

Classic Peanuts characters including Charlie Brown and Snoopy with musical notes.

By Mack Chico

2012/10/09 at 12:00am

Movies

"Charlie Brown: The Movie" to be released Nov 15, 2015

10.9.2012 | By Mack Chico |

It was just a matter of time before Hollywood made Charlie Brown into a film franchise. It is now officially happening. According to Deadline.com, Twentieth Century Fox Animation and Ice Age makers Blue Sky Studios will release PEANUTS the film on November 25, 2015. That date commemorates the 65th anniversary of the comic strip, and the 50th anniversary of the TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas.

For now, all that is being reported is that it will be an animation and not a live-action film like The Flintstones were. At some point, the discussion will be about who the kid voices will be – will they be unknowns or stars like Elle Fanning or Joel Courtney.

The screenplay will be written by Craig Schulz and Bryan Schulz son and grandson of Charles Schulz.

Peanuts is read daily by 355 million people in 75 countries, and has previously been adapted into TV episodes and specials.

Liam Neeson grabbing a man holding a gun in action scene

‘Taken 2’ action scene with Liam Neeson in control

By SBC Staff

2012/10/08 at 12:00am

Movies

‘Taken 2’ kicks butt at the box office

10.8.2012 | By SBC Staff |

‘Taken 2’ opened at number one with $50 million dollars, it’s the third best opening for a film in the month of October. The film has received plenty of negative reviews, but it seems like no matter what people wanted to see what the second part had to offer. The film earned past its budget and more than the original.

‘Hotel Transylvania’ dropped to number two with $26.3 million dollars. This is still a good figure for Sony, which apparently has no problem holding the throne in kids’ movies right now, because ‘Frankenweenie’ didn’t even become a threat.

The ‘Glee’ like movie ‘Pitch Perfect’ got to the third spot with $14.7 million dollars. It already had gotten an impressive spot in the box office with the limited release the week before, so certainly many were curious to see what this melodic comedy that has received such good ratings was about.

The Top 10 Movies in the Box Office are:

1. Taken 2 – $50 mil

2. Hotel Transylvania – $26.3 mil

3. Pitch Perfect – $14.7 mil

4. Looper – $12.2 mil

5. Frankenweenie – $11.5 mil

6. End of Watch – $4 mil

7. Trouble With the Curve -$3.9 mil

8. House at the End of the Street – $3.9 mil

9. The Master – $1.8 mil

10. Finding Nemo 3D – $1.6 mil

Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills in Taken 2. Promotional still sourced from Rotten Tomatoes/Fandango.

By Karen Posada

2012/10/04 at 12:00am

Movie Reviews Movies

Taken 2 (Movie Review)

10.4.2012 | By Karen Posada |

Some movies are able to better their material with a sequel, but most of the time they are unnecessary and are just a result of the studioâ€™s greed; as is the case with â€˜Taken 2â€™. I wonâ€™t deny that I was curious to see how this movie would turn out; I enjoyed the first one despite some of its obvious flaws, but in that one the action was on point and that helped carry it along and keep the audience entertained with an interesting storyline. This second part has an empty script, too much repetitiveness and too many flaws to consider it an upgrade from the previous one. In my opinion they should have just left the project alone instead of trying to make a couple of extra bucks with a second one.

In this part of the story retired CIA operative Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) is finishing up a job in Istanbul, where his ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen) and daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) come to join him. They donâ€™t get to enjoy much of their time away from home when a gang of Albanians led by Murad (Rade Serbedzija) comes after them to avenge the deaths of all the men Mill killed when his daughter was kidnapped in Paris.

In our interview Neeson told me that being 60 he wanted to portray a man who is getting too old for all this havoc and it shows as some of the fight sequences seemed too programed and even when heâ€™s running he barely seems like a threat. Although Grace has shown potential as an action star in â€˜Lock-outâ€™, here she reverts to the weak girl from the previous film; where although sheâ€™s able to do more to help the situation she still is completely lost in this world her father knows so well. Thereâ€™s not much to say about Janssenâ€™s character or her acting, as it is disappointing all around.

The biggest problem with this film is the storyline; it feels empty because it tries to base itself on the previous film and thereâ€™s just not enough material to do that. I did enjoy the humor this one had which lacked on the first one, even though at points itâ€™s almost mocking itself as well as the first one. Although we finally see a break where the retired CIA agent is human and is exhausted, heâ€™s still treated too much like a hero and the scenarios are no longer believable. The action becomes too repetitive to the point where it gets dull and you know thereâ€™s nothing more that the movie will provide to wake you up.

Â My biggest advice to the Mills family isâ€¦stay on American soil! Thereâ€™s actually a hint to perhaps a third part to the franchise and I beg the studio to please leave it alone. We go to the movies to visit worlds where unbelievable things happen and even though a lot of the things here are farfetched itâ€™s no longer new, innovative, or captivating. This has a different director from the first one; French director Olivier Megaton who recently did â€˜Colombianaâ€™ says he doesnâ€™t consider himself an action director and took on this project despite of agreeing that there was no need for a sequel. He tried to make a movie that would stand on its own, but he certainly didnâ€™t achieve it. For me itâ€™s hard too see talent like the one the cast has specially Neeson be wasted in projects like this one. You would do yourself a favor by watching â€˜Looperâ€™ a second time before going to spend 91 minutes on this one.Â Â Â

Mexican actor Demían Bichir in a casual black jacket, 2013 press photo.

By Mack Chico

2012/10/04 at 12:00am

Movies

Demían Bichir, Jude Law to star in ‘Don Hemingway’

10.4.2012 | By Mack Chico |

Recently seen in Oliver Stone’s ‘Savages,’ Mexican actor and Oscar nominee, Demián Bichir, will play a crime boss in black comedy called “Dom Hemingway”. Richard Shepard will direct Bichir, Jude Law, Richard E. Grant, Emilia Clarke, Jumyan Hunter, Madalina Ghenea who will be making up the cast.

Law plays Dom Hemingway, a larger-than-life safecracker who’s back on the streets of London after twelve years in prison and eager to collect for keeping his mouth shut. Things take a turn when he sets off to visit Bichir’s capo in the south of France.

Lionsgate will be the US studio distributing the film. Shooting starts Oct. 15 in the south of France. Bichir will next be seen in Robert Rodriguez’ “Machete Kills” and Paul Feig’s “The Heat”.

Two men in suits face off as woman gestures behind them on stage

Stage scene from a Broadway production with two men in suits and a woman behind them.

By Karen Posada

2012/10/04 at 12:00am

Broadway Broadway Reviews Movies

An Enemy of the People (Broadway Review)

10.4.2012 | By Karen Posada |

‘An Enemy of the People’ is a very interesting political thriller, which although it was written in 1882 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen it easily resonates with today’s politics and society. The Manhattan Theatre Club’s production gave it a new spin thanks to Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s new version. The first part of the act was the most entertaining to me, as it developed what the story is about and who the characters are in a very simple but yet captivating way. The second part really deals with the core of the play giving it more dynamism and a lot more for the public to think about. This Broadway show wisely explores corruption in politics, morals, family vs. community and even democracy.

This two hour Broadway show, which had its opening night on September 27, 2012, takes place in a coastal town in southern Norway. Where Dr. Thomas Stockmann (Boyd Gaines) discovers that the biggest income to his community, which is very appealing to tourists is toxic. As an important member of his town he soon tell his brother, Mayor Peter Stockmann (Richard Thomas) who believes the news will make the town go into chaos. The difference of opinion creates a political confrontation of will and personal ethics.

A rotating stage was used for this play; most of the scenes take place inside the house of Dr. Thomas Stockmann. As the stage rotates we get to go from the Dr.’s living room/dining room to his study, a newspaper printing press and a town hall. Director Doug Hughes Tony Award winner knows how to use the Samuel J. Friedman Theater properly as he even uses the main corridor for one of the scenes, where the public gets to be an interactive part of the play.

The main two actors: Gaines and Thomas are terrific! Gaines has the soul of a fighter and the character of a mad scientist that’s willing to put his job on the line for his ethics and beliefs. Thomas is your typical politician who isn’t afraid to step over anyone’s head as long as he gets his way. Maïté Alina (Petra Stockmann) is given the opportunity to be a strong woman in a world where very few are considered academics but certainly not equals; she gives a solid performance as a daughter and a feminist. Kathleen McNenny (Catherine Stockmann) gives the most balance to the play, since she’s torn between what’s right for her family or her community and she makes the transition quite smoothly.

John Procaccino (Hovstad) plays a very interesting role as a liberal whose ideas are shaky, he represents someone many people might know in their own lives and this is what makes him interesting. Gerry Bamman (Aslaksen) surprisingly brings a lot of comedy to the play, while at the same time representing the majority of the people.

Honestly I enjoyed the first act the most since I was easily submerged into the story and although there’s a moment where you don’t quite know what’s going on, when the act reaches its highest point it’s hard to let go. The second part has a lot more humor in it, while it is also darker and more brutal. The story is able to play with your mind and make you question your own ethics as it raises a lot of questions about what’s best for a community and the principles of democracy. It shows how easily the masses are swayed, especially under the wrong leadership. The struggle between the individual and the multitude are appealing as it is relevant in any period of human history.

I can’t say I agree with some of what is stated by the characters in the play, but I do appreciate the fact that it makes you think, because it dares to push the envelop by speaking directly to the public. It makes you look at the way our society is now, even if this is a play from 1882 written in a Scandinavian nation it fits in perfectly in any political setting in the world.

MTC’s ‘An Enemy of the People‘ is playing in The Samuel J. Fiedman Theater for more info go to:

http://www.ilovenytheater.com/sp/show.php?show=368

http://anenemyofthepeoplebroadway.com/tickets.html

Man adjusts focus on professional video camera, hand raised

By Jack Rico

2012/10/01 at 12:00am

Movies

The 6 Must See Movies of October!

10.1.2012 | By Jack Rico |

October is upon us and awards season will begin its stride. However, there aren’t enough Oscar worthy films this month to excite us. However, October will provide us with one gem, one which will probably go down as the Best Picture of 2012 – “Argo” by director Ben Affleck (yes, the guy from Gigli). Also, we cannot forget it is Halloween month, a month where Hollywood exhibits its slew of cheesy but fun horror films. Movies like “Friday the 13th,” “Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Halloween” are no longer a part of the October lineup, but instead, we are being introduced to intriguing new indie fright efforts from new directors and writers. Here, we select what we think are the best of the bunch (and we’re not including Paranormal Activity 4).

6. The House I Live In (Documentary, October 5th, No Rating)

Plot: From the dealer to the narcotics officer, the inmate to the federal judge, a penetrating look inside America’s criminal justice system, revealing the profound human rights implications of U.S. drug policy.
Why you should see it: With a US presidential election coming up in November, if you are at all interested in your social landscape, the new doc ‘ The House I Live In’ (I keep on thinking of the Frank Sinatra song and ten minute short he won an Academy Award for back in 1946) is a must see movie that analyzes our government’s status on the war on drugs. No other documentary has targeted the topic on the business of the US drug more than this film. It’s insightful yet discouraging. What you think you know is nothing compared to the reality of it.

5. Frankenweenie (Comedy, Animation, Horror, Sci-Fi, October 5th, Rated PG)

Plot: Young Victor conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.
Why you should see it: Tim Burton hasn’t really been at the top of his game since “Big Fish” in 2003. Great creative minds usually got through a slump that sometimes can last a decade or even more. But now, Burton seems to be waking up from his with his new animated 3D movie “Frankenweenie”. Riffing off the classic tale of Frankenstein, this is a story he’s been devising ever since he was a kid. The result today is everything that made you remember why Burton was one of the more respected directors of our generation. He desaturates all color from this film to concentrate and tackle the deep emotions a child goes through with friendship, death and moral responsibility. To say “Frankenweenie” isn’t his best work in years would be a flat out lie. The animation is crisp and razor sharp and the 3D is crystal clear. When you think about a perfect Halloween film for kids, not too scary and with a great message, you will from now on think of Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie”. An Oscar nomination in the Best Animation category is guaranteed.

4. The Sessions (Drama, October 19th, Rated R)

Plot: A man in an iron lung (John Hawkes) who wishes to lose his virginity contacts a professional sex surrogate (Helen Hunt) with the help of his therapist and priest (William H. Macy).
Why you should see it: When it comes to indies, it’s hard to find a better actor than John Hawkes. He is by far one of the more underrated actors in Hollywood. Every time he has appeared on screen, whether it’d be on television or film, he has left an indelible mark on many who have seen him perform. The most memorable is perhaps his performance in “Winter’s Bone” where his face became almost synonymous with that of American rural poverty. This time he exercises his versatility to play someone completely different – a clean cut invalid looking to lose his virginity with a surrogate. Many are calling this true story crazy, but many are also applauding it’s honest and genuinely touching journey without the saccharine. Fantastic spirited performances also accompany the film that only enhance the quirky yet poignant narrative to a crowd pleasing result.

3. V/H/S (Horror, October 5th, Rated R)

Plot: When a group of misfits is hired by an unknown third party to burglarize a desolate house and acquire a rare VHS tape, they discover more found footage than they bargained for.
Why you should see it: Found footage horror films have become all the rage since “The Blair Witch Project” premiered in 1999 at the hands of Hispanic director Eduardo Sánchez. “ V/H/S” might be one of the best ones on a Top 10 list. The first sequence is so tough to get through, many are said to have almost walked out. With its creepy, archaic VHS quality visual and style, 10 directors make 10 vignettes that are sure to make you not only pee in your Levi jeans, but arguably, hurl onto someone’s head in front of you. Now that’s horrific!

2. Sinister (Crime, Thriller, Horror, Rated R, October 12th)

Plot: Found footage helps a true-crime novelist (Ethan Hawke) realize how and why a family was murdered in his new home, though his discoveries put his entire family in the evil path of a supernatural entity.
Why you should see it: This is hands down the horror film we’ve all been waiting to see this year! Ethan Hawke has been making some good films as of late (Daybreakers, Brooklyn’s Finest, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead) and this one looks like no exception. The cinematic quality and the effective “sinister” construction of the harsh suspense will leave many who see it unsettled after they walk out of the theatre. The differentiating factor of this horrible nightmare experience compared to many other terror movies is that it develops its main character well, thus, creating a story that not only sucks you in, but truly scares you from the very first shot. Get ready to cry, scream and be utterly frightened!

1. Argo (Drama, Thriller, Rated R, October 12th)

Plot: As the Iranian revolution reaches a boiling point, a CIA ‘exfiltration’ specialist (Ben Affleck) concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador.
Why you should see it: After ‘The Master’ and ‘The Life of Pi’ premiered in festivals to lukewarm receptions, the political thriller ‘Argo’ is the one film looked upon to salvage the 2012 year as its Best Picture. With humor, drama, action and magnificent performances, actor/director Ben Affleck has fine tuned his directorial craft to create a sharp, astutely enjoyable cinematic experience that goes down as his best work yet and arguably unrivaled this year. This well-rounded film exceeds expectations on almost every level and even leaves you fully entertained. The Oscar will no doubt nominate this film for various awards and will be no surprise if it wins Best Picture and Best Director for Ben Affleck.