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Zoe Saldana: First poster of ‘The Words’

2012/06/24 at 12:00am

Zoe Saldana: First poster of ‘The Words’

06.24.2012 | By Mack Chico |

The new poster for The Words, a romantic drama starring Dominican actress Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Irons, is here. The film follows Cooper playing a young writer who passes off another author’s work as his own and deals with the consequences that inevitably arise. The Words is directed by debut directors Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal and will open September 7th.

Here’s the complete plot: Rory Jansen, a struggling writer, aspires to be the next great literary voice. When he discovers a lost manuscript in a weathered attaché case, he realizes he possesses something extraordinary that he desperately wishes he had created. Rory decides to pass the work off as his own and finally receives the recognition he desperately craves. However, he soon learns that living with his choice will not be as easy as he thought as he faces a moral dilemma that will make him take a hard look at the man he has become.

In their directorial debut, Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal have crafted a subtle tale that examines how overwhelming desire can lead to unforeseen and unwanted consequences. Bolstered by a strong cast, led by Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Irons, The Words adeptly assembles multiple narratives that reveal how one man’s lost legacy holds the life of another man captive.

By Karen Posada

2012/06/22 at 12:00am

Reviews

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

06.22.2012 | By Karen Posada |

I was willing to go into ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ with an open mind, which is a hard thing to do since the premise itself it’s laughable. It certainly does have some good action scenes and even the way the storyline is weaved in with some of Lincoln’s real life facts draws you in. Unfortunately, it is very easy to pick at the good things this movie has to offer, because despite those few things the film just falls apart and goes from a horror/ fantasy film to a comedy in a dark setting.

This two hour long film begins with Abraham Lincoln (Benjamin Walker) reading his diary starting with his childhood, where after a horrific encounter with a vampire he’s left wanting vengeance. Fortunately for him just when he gets the guts to face the deadly vampire, he’s saved by Henry (Dominic Cooper) who teaches him the skills for him to really succeed at this task. He leads a somewhat solitary life until he becomes a shop clerk at Joshua Speed’s (Jimmi Simpson) store; where he meets Mary Todd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Lincoln decides to focus on politics in order to end slavery, but little does he know that his political actions will enrage the vampires even more than his hunting, especially Adam (Rufus Sewell) the clan leader.

The vampire hunter bit has potential; but inserting a very important historical character is what mainly ruined the film, since it obviously takes seriousness out of it. Although the weapon of choice, an ax, is a bit silly it works in a comical and yet powerful way. The vampires are scary, because they are a combination of humans and monsters, different from the ones we are used to seeing, but some of the vampire rules are changed here and I don’t think that worked. The action scenes are engaging but towards the middle of the film they begin getting a bit ridiculous, specially the horse-chase scene.

I went to a screening of the film in 3D and although it worked at times, in some of the scenes the dust flying around was very distracting. Walker has a strong character throughout most of the film, but he fails miserably in one of the scenes where he’s beat up and he can’t remember his eye is swollen shut and opens it continuously; which means he clearly needs to brush up on his acting. Cooper does a convincing job as the hunter’s guide, and Sewell always knows how to play a hate-able bad guy.

My biggest problem with this film is that although they tried to mix in fantasy with facts and it worked in some level, it also mocks Lincoln; it definitely makes an interesting point about slavery amongst some good quotes but it’s unsettling and a bit offensive. The story sort of works for the first hour but it falls to pieces, making the public laugh with ridiculous scenarios. I believe this summer has better action movies to watch than a vampire hunting wanna be superhero president.

First look at set pictures of ‘Machete Kills’!

By Karen Posada

2012/06/22 at 12:00am

Movies

First look at set pictures of ‘Machete Kills’!

06.22.2012 | By Karen Posada |

We have some exclusive photos from ‘Machete Kills’, which is coming out next year and is already shooting, thanks to Jessica Alba. In this sequel of ‘Machete’,which came out in 2010, Texas born Mexican director Robert Rodriguez brings to the screen the continuations of Machete’s (Danny Trejo) story. Here the U.S. government recruits him to battle an arms dealer in Mexico, who wants to launch a dangerous weapon into space.

The cast is filled with very talented Latinos: Michelle Rodriguez, Sofia Vergara, Demián Bichir and of course Jessica Alba and Danny Trejo. Mel Gibson will be starting as well.

Here are some of the pictures of the cast and of the very special birthday celebration for director Rodriguez:

‘Hotel Transylvania’ new trailer with Selena Gomez

By Karen Posada

2012/06/22 at 12:00am

Movies Trailers

‘Hotel Transylvania’ new trailer with Selena Gomez

06.22.2012 | By Karen Posada |

The new animated film by director Genndy Tartakovsky ‘Hotel Transylvania’ starts Adam Sandler and Selena Gomez.

Synopsis: Welcome to the Hotel Transylvania, Draculaâ€™s (Adam Sandler) lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up, free to be the monsters they are without humans to bother them.Â On one special weekend, Dracula has invited some of the worldâ€™s most famous monsters â€“ Frankenstein and his wife, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, a family of werewolves, and more â€“ to celebrate his daughter Mavisâ€™s 118th birthday.Â For Drac, catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem â€“ but his world could come crashing down when one ordinary guy stumbles on the hotel and takes a shine to Mavis. Read More

Edgar Ramírez encarnará Simón Bolívar en ‘Libertador’

By Karen Posada

2012/06/21 at 12:00am

Movies

Edgar Ramírez encarnará Simón Bolívar en ‘Libertador’

06.21.2012 | By Karen Posada |

Edgar RamÃrez encarnarÃ¡ SimÃ³n BolÃvar en 'Libertador'

Venezuelan director Alberto Arvelo Mendoza has announced the cast for his biographical film about Simon Bolivar, titled ‘Libertador’ by scriptwriter Timothy Sexton who wrote ‘Children of Men’. Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez who’s played noticeable roles in ‘Wrath of the Titans’ and ‘ The Bourne Ultimatum’ will be the liberator, in this movie about the work Bolivar did to unite the nations of South America. During his lifetime (1783-1830), Bolivar fought for the independence of Latin America from the Spanish Empire and carried out military campaigns that extended in a territory far greater than that of Alexander the Great. The rest of the cast are: Spanish actress Maria Valverde, Danny Huston who worked with Ramirez in ‘Wrath of the Titants’ and has been in ‘Children of Men’ among others, Imanol Ariasm and Gary Lewis.

This is an ambicious project in which the director wants to concentrate in how Bolivar really was beyond of what history says about him. Since he’s considered as one of the most influential emancipators and politicians in the history of America. Producer Winnifred Hammacher said that without a doubt this team will be able to make ‘Libertador’, which is a story told from Bolivar’s perspective, into the ‘Braveheart’ of South America.

The production of the film which is mainly in Spanish with a little bit of English and French, has taken place in Venezuela and for the second half has moved to Spain. Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel’s very own Los Angeles Philharmonic will make music for the movies for the first time in this one.

‘LIBERTADOR’ will open in 2013

‘Spider-Man Week in NYC’ begins June 25th!

By Jack Rico

2012/06/21 at 12:00am

Movies

‘Spider-Man Week in NYC’ begins June 25th!

06.21.2012 | By Jack Rico |

Spider-Man is coming back home, so to speak. In celebration of the release of The Amazing Spider-Man on July 3, 2012, starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field, Columbia Pictures is pulling out all the stops to make this movie not only a success at the box office, but make a difference too.

The studio has partnered with some of NYC’s premier cultural institutions to create Spider-Man Week in NYC, a seven-day calendar of events in all five boroughs. The week includes a volunteer initiative as “Spider-Man” teams with his fellow New Yorkers to give back to their community by helping out people in need.

With special events at New York landmarks from the Empire State Building to the American Museum of Natural History to the Intrepid Sea Air & Space Museum, Spider-Man Week in NYC offers a chance to celebrate the film and the city that Spider-Man loves and protects.

For a full calendar of events, fans can visit www.spidermanweeknyc.com.

The week of events kicks off on Monday, June 25 with the cast of The Amazing Spider-Man appearing on the Today Show Plaza. That evening, there will be a Spider-Man event at Forbidden Planet, and the Empire State Building will light up in Spider-Man red and blue to encourage fans to Be Amazing, Stand Up and Volunteer the next day, Tuesday, June 26th. Fans can log onto www.beamazing2012.com to register for this nationwide day of volunteering, which will support Stand Up To Cancer. With the support of NYC Service, the cast of the film will join thousands of New Yorkers to volunteer at locations throughout all five boroughs.

On Wednesday, June 27, Spider-Man will deliver the first spider to The American Museum of Natural History’s newest exhibit, “SPIDERS ALIVE!”

All week long, special events have been scheduled all across the city. The Wildlife Conservation Society Zoos will feature Spider-Man themed scavenger hunts. Spider-Man will visit children at NYC-area hospitals, in partnership with Lollipop Theater Network. Madame Tussauds New York features the new Marvel Super Hero 4D experience and will offer $10 off admission; On Location Tours will give fans a chance to see some of the locations used in filming The Amazing Spider-Man with a special web-deal on their New York TV & Movie Sites tour; audiences can check out “Wild, Wonderful Spiders” at The New York Botanical Garden; the Sony Store will offer fun giveaways; and The Amazing Spider-Man programming will be featured at The Paley Center for Media. Kids can take part in The Amazing Spider-Man-themed activities at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Wednesday through Friday) and the Staten Island Children’s Museum (Wednesday and Thursday); at Staten Island, visitors will also get a chance to meet Lucy, the museum’s very own live tarantula.

On Saturday, June 30th, kids can visit the Sony Wonder Technology Lab for a Sci-Tech Workshop on Spider-Man animation, where they will learn the basic techniques behind stop motion animation to create their very own unique Spider-Man animated short to take home. Also on Saturday, at the Skyscraper Museum, kids will find out what running a newspaper is like by producing their own special-edition illustrated paper. The week will conclude on Sunday, July 1st at Spider-Man Square on the Intrepid’s Pier 86 with fun activities and giveaways.

The Amazing Spider-Man will open in theaters everywhere in 3D on July 3, 2012.

‘I’m so Excited’, title of Almodóvar’s next comedy

By Karen Posada

2012/06/20 at 12:00am

Movies

‘I’m so Excited’, title of Almodóvar’s next comedy

06.20.2012 | By Karen Posada |

The next movie from Spanish director Pedro Almodovar ‘I’m so Excited’ from his production company El Deseo, was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics, which already has had a long working history with the director.

There are still no details about the story, but it’s described as a mixed comedy written and directed by the Spanish filmmaker. The cast for the film has been announced: Javier Cámara, Cecilia Roth, Lola Dueñas, Raul Arévalo, Carlos Areces, Antonio de la Torre, Hugo Silva, Willy Toledo, Miguel Ángel Silvestre, Banca Suárez, José Luis Torrijo, José María Yazpik, Laya Martí with special collaborations from Antonio Banderas, Penelope Cruz y Paz Vega.

Almodovar’s last film was ‘The Skin I Live in’ which received mixed but enthusiastic reviews. The movie ‘ I’m so Excited’ will begin shooting next month and will open summer 2013.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

By Karen Posada

2012/06/19 at 12:00am

Reviews

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

06.19.2012 | By Karen Posada |

The romantic comedy ‘Seeking a Friend for the End of the World’ is a clever refreshing project that will get you thinking about life and will leave you feeling melancholic. The way this movie unravels either directly or indirectly transforms it into a kind of dark comedy, since after all we are talking about death. The subject the film explores is interesting, since the Earth being blown to pieces is quite a real threat we all forget about, but most of the comedy falls out of the film and it becomes dramatic and sad leaving you with a poignant feeling.

An asteroid threatens to destroy planet Earth and chaos spreads as everyone realizes they only have less than a month to fulfill their lives. Dodge (Steve Carell) an insurance salesman is left to end his days alone, when his wife runs away in a panic. Nostalgically he decides to look for his high school sweetheart, in order to do this he enlists the help of his newly met ditzy neighbor Penny (Keira Knightley). In this final road trip they get to know each other as well as themselves and try to cope with the reality that’s in front of them.

The film does have a good chunk of comedy, but what makes it not so funny is the subject matter; this is an eminent reality we all face, death, but even more so the threat that this could really happen to our planet. What I really like about the film is the way it goes about exploring the subject, we see how differently everyone copes with the crude reality; some people still try to lead normal lives, while others go completely berserk.

Director Lorene Scarfaria told us in our interview she’s always been curious about love and relationships, and after doing ‘Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist’ which was a story about eternal love; she decided to explore the opposite side of the spectrum and this was the result. Having Carell and Knightley together in this film is genius; they personalize perfectly the mix of funny and dramatic moments. They are an unlikely pair that somehow fit just right in this film, as they both provide different aspects of life and acting styles. We are districted from humanity’s insignificance in this vast universe by their sweet stories and the ideals and hopes they still have despite of the ticking clock.

Another thing many might enjoy from this film are the various cameos of other actors throughout, so keep an eye out for that. The truth about this film is that despite of some of the wacky scenarios and sporadic funny moments, it’s not enough to save us from the melancholy and sadness of the bigger picture. If you are feel like exploring a mix of humorous sadness, this is the film to do just that, but it’s best to watch it at home when it comes out on DVD.

‘Safe Haven’ to be Nicholas Sparks new movie

By Karen Posada

2012/06/19 at 12:00am

Movies

‘Safe Haven’ to be Nicholas Sparks new movie

06.19.2012 | By Karen Posada |

They’ve began shooting ‘Safe Haven’ a romance based on the story by Nicholas Sparks, who wrote ‘The Notebook’ and ‘Dear John’; like most of his movies this will be shot in his native land of North Carolina in the town of Southport. Director Lasse Hallström has already casted Josh Duhamel from ‘Transformers’ and Julianne Hough from ‘Rock of Ages’ as protagonists, David Lyons is also part of the cast. The writers of the script: Dana Stevens and Les Bohem along with the rest of the production team make up a group of artists that have worked in movies or TV shows focused on romance; which tells us this movie will be a romantic voyage.

‘Safe Haven’ is a story full of suspense and affirmation about Katie (Hough), a young woman who is struggling to find love once again when she arrives in the small town in North Carolina. The people see her as suspicious when she seems to not want to be part of the community, but slowly she becomes to appear familiar and begins a relationship with Alex (Duhamel), a widowed that owns a story and has two small children. But her past (Lyons will play Hough’s estranged husband) gets in the way of her new life and the terror will force her to rediscover the meaning of sacrifice and what is like to rely on the power of love in this moving romantic thriller.

The studios involved in the production are: Relativity Media, Temple Hill Entertainment and Nicholas Sparks’ own production company. The movie will open on February 8, 2013.

By Karen Posada

2012/06/18 at 12:00am

Reviews

Brave

06.18.2012 | By Karen Posada |

‘Brave’ is such a good feel animated film for children and parents alike; also, the 3D for the most part is outstanding. Pixar has finally given us a female protagonist; this redheaded stubborn girl was definitely worth the wait. Although the story gets complex and perhaps a bit dark for a younger audience, it’s enchanting and captivating taking us to unexpected places.

This story is set in Scotland in a mythical time that assimilates the middle ages. We get to see Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald) grow up into a strong willed woman, who gets exasperated by her mother, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). The Queen tries in vain to teach Merida how to be a Princess every waking minute, but Merida wishes nothing more than to lead a normal life where she can practice her archery despite of it being not very feminine. Merida gets along better with her father, Lord MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd), because he supports and encourages her unlady like ways. Frustrated Merida tries to change tradition with the help of a witch, but she comes to realize that the spell she casts is more than she can handle.

Directors Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman created a mother-daughter story unlike any we’ve seen before; it is heart warming, funny and leaves us with a valuable lesson. The actors that voiced the characters where right on and really gave life to each character. The animation is one of the best I’ve seen, there’s only one scene while overlooking some rocky mountains where it looks a bit blurry, but everything else is crisp clear and the 3D makes it feel like you can reach out and touch it all.

Everyone’s favorite characters will be Merida’s triplet brothers, who are mischievously cute. The panoramic scenes are breathtaking and look so real; they blend in perfectly with the atmosphere of the story. The story itself draws you in easily, but it does begin to get a bit muddled when magic gets involved. The reason why it’s successful though, it’s the fact that it caters to both the young and the old, it has slapstick humor along with life lessons and a little more mature jokes.

The best part about the story is the lesson it teaches us, that we are in control of our own destinies and we just have to be brave enough to see it. This is definitely a good film to take your kids to, because it is not only entertaining but it’s also nutritious. Don’t miss the short-film at the beginning titled ‘La Luna’ by Italian director Enrico Casarosa, which also pays homage to family and it’s just adorable.

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