The Latest in ShowBiz News

‘The Avengers’: New clips and featurettes!

2012/04/17 at 12:00am

‘The Avengers’: New clips and featurettes!

04.17.2012 | By Jack Rico |

May 4th may become the greatest day for superheroe fans. Tis’ the day that ‘The Avengers‘ hits theaters in the USA in 3D. All your favorite superheroes in one movie, in what we hear is almost a 3 hour epic action adventure!

So to get you geared up, we have for you 4 clips from the movie and 2 featurettes sure to make your head explode.

Here’s what you’re going to see in the following four clips: two focused on action and two on dialogue. On the action side, Black Widow kicks some ass, and Thor and Captain America make NYC their playground. On the dialogue side, Tony Stark and Loki go to a mano a mano verbal battle and Maria Hill and Nick Fury chatting about some issues.

Here’s the synopsis for those who have no clue of what the film is about:

Marvel Studios presents “Marvel’s The Avengers”—the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes IronMan, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, NickFury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action andspectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012.
“Marvel’s The Avengers” is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures. The film is being produced by Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige and executive produced by Alan Fine, Jon Favreau, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Patricia Whitcher, Victoria Alonso and Jeremy Latcham. The story is by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon and the screenplay is by Joss Whedon. The film releases May 4, 2012, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Ibero-America has its first Online Film Festival

By Jack Rico

2012/04/17 at 12:00am

Movies

Ibero-America has its first Online Film Festival

04.17.2012 | By Jack Rico |

On April 16, 2012, the First Ibero-American Online Film Festival iber.film.america, promoted by filmotech.com, came to a close. Internet users across Ibero-America were able to see, free-of-charge, legally and online, a selection of fourteen films which have participated previously or have received awards at other film festivals, such as San Sebastian, Venice and Sundance.

For the three weeks the festival took place, its website had more than 126,000 visitors from all countries which make up the Ibero-American region, with the greatest numbers coming from Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic.

Award Winners

Medianeras (Sidewalls), by Argentine director Gustavo Taretto and produced by Rizoma Films (Argentina) Eddie Saeta (Spain) and Pandora Films (Germany), has won the Critics’ Award, selected by the First Edition iber.film.america Jury, composed of the film journalists and critics Hugo Chaparro Valderrama, Jean Christophe Berjon, Joel Poblete, Marcelo Stiletano, Nicolás Kusmin and Toni Ulled Nadal.
The film, an Argentine, Spanish and German co-production, stands out for the ability with which its director and script-writer, Gustavo Taretto, defends humor as one of the most efficient mechanisms to portray the dramas of modern human kind: the lack of communication in large cities, the loneliness not out of choice, the fruitless search for love and the second, third, and even fourth chances. Performing in the film’s leading roles are Javier Drolas and Pilar López de Ayala.
The film’s producer, Hernán Musaluppi, will be an honored guest at the EGEDA Ibero-American Audiovisual Forum, being held April 24-26, 2012 in Panama City, Panama, where he will receive an award that comes with $3,000 in prize money.
Contracorriente (Undertow), by Javier Fuentes-León and produced by El Calvo Films (Peru), Dynamo (Colombia), La Cinefacture (France) and Neuecameofilm (Germany), has won the People’s Choice Award, with this film receiving the highest number of votes by users via a facebook app voting system created especially for the Festival.

This film, which is the Peruvian filmmaker’s debut work, tells the story of Miguel, a young fisherman living in a coastal town in northern Peru whose love is divided between his wife and a gay painter.

All festival film viewers participating in the selection of the People’s Choice Award were included in a raffle before a notary public for a trip to Los Angeles to attend the 18th annual Recent Spanish Cinema series and ten year-long passes for free viewing of the online movie portal filmotech.com

The list of raffle winners can be found on the festival’s website: www.iberfilmamerica.com

Results from participation in the Festival during the three weeks it was held show the success of this first edition of iber.film.america, a pioneering initiative of filmotech.com, with support from the ICAA (Spanish “Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts”), FIPCA (acronym in Spanish for the “Ibero-American Federation of Cinematographic and Audiovisual Producers”) and the Instituto Cervantes.

DVD Radio: ‘Mission Impossible 4’, ‘Shame’

By Jack Rico

2012/04/17 at 12:00am

Movies

DVD Radio: ‘Mission Impossible 4’, ‘Shame’

04.17.2012 | By Jack Rico |

This week from Miami, on the Enrique Santos Morning Show, Jack Rico reviews the new DVD/Bluray releases: the action film Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol starring Tom Cruise, and the sex addiction drama Shame.

You can hear our DVD review segment in Miami on the ‘Enrique Santos Morning Show‘ every Tuesday at 7:25 AM and 9:25 AM by Univision Radio ‘MIX98.3FM’ in Miami or the global network by visiting: http: / / www.enriquesantos.com/

Savages: New pics with Hayek, Bichir, Del Toro

By Jack Rico

2012/04/16 at 12:00am

Movies

Savages: New pics with Hayek, Bichir, Del Toro

04.16.2012 | By Jack Rico |

Latinos are in the house in the new film SAVAGES from Universal Pictures. Benicio del Toro, Demián Bichir and Salma Hayek star in Oliver Stone‘s new film.

We just received some new pics of the cast, plus some of the gringos on it like Grease/Saturday Night Fever star John Travolta and Gossip Girl Blake Lively. Do yourself a favor and check them out below…

Stone who is known for doing gritty movies and getting the best out of his actors through juicy roles, with someone getting an acting nod in this saga, promises one hell of a ride.

Here’s the official synopsis of ‘Savages’: Three-time Oscar®-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone returns to the screen with the ferocious thriller Savages, featuring the all-star ensemble cast of Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Aaron Johnson, John Travolta, Benicio Del Toro, Salma Hayek, Emile Hirsch and Demian Bichir. The film is based on Don Winslow’s best-selling crime novel that was named one of The New York Times’ Top 10 Books of 2010. Laguna Beach entrepreneurs Ben (Johnson), a peaceful and charitable Buddhist, and his closest friend Chon (Kitsch), a former Navy SEAL and ex-mercenary, run a lucrative, homegrown industry–raising some of the best marijuana ever developed. They also share a one-of-a-kind love with the extraordinary beauty Ophelia (Lively). Life is idyllic in their Southern California town…until the Mexican Baja Cartel decides to move in and demands that the trio partners with them. When the merciless head of the BC, Elena (Hayek), and her brutal enforcer, Lado (Del Toro), underestimate the unbreakable bond among these three friends, Ben and Chon–with the reluctant, slippery assistance of a dirty DEA agent (Travolta)–wage a seemingly unwinnable war against the cartel. And so begins a series of increasingly vicious ploys and maneuvers in a high stakes, savage battle of wills.

‘The Hunger Games’ is #1 for the fourth straight week!

By Karen Posada

2012/04/16 at 12:00am

Movies

‘The Hunger Games’ is #1 for the fourth straight week!

04.16.2012 | By Karen Posada |

‘The Hunger Games’ continues owning the box office; no one can take its place. It added an extra $21.5 million dollars to the jackpot it has already collected. Perhaps the only movie that will be able to take its’ spot will be ‘The Avengers’, which premieres in a couple of weeks.

‘The Three Stooges’ took ‘American Reunion’’s spot, which fell to fourth place, with $17.1 million dollars. Critics have said that the remake of the stooges is worth seeing and the box office clearly shows it.

‘The Cabin in the Woods’ a perfect film for Friday the 13th, came in third place with $14.9 million dollars. This comic-horror movie is a breath of fresh air for a genre that seems to be falling flat more than not.

The Top 10 movies at the box office are:

1. The Hunger Games – $21.5 mil

2. The Three Stooges – $17.1 mil

3. The Cabin in the Woods – $14.9 mil

4. Titanic 3D – $11.6 mil

5. American Reunion – $10.7 mil

6. Mirror, Mirror – $7 mil

7. Wrath of the Titans – $6.9 mil

8. 21 Jump Street – $6.8 mil

9. Lockout – $6.3 mil

10. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax – $3 mil

Exclusive: 5 Questions with ‘Bad Ass’ dude Shalim Ortiz

By Jack Rico

2012/04/11 at 12:00am

Interviews Movies

Exclusive: 5 Questions with ‘Bad Ass’ dude Shalim Ortiz

04.11.2012 | By Jack Rico |

What does it take to be a ‘Bad Ass‘ in Hollywood? Just ask Puerto Rican-Dominican actor Shalim Ortiz (Heroes), who seems to wear it as a badge in his young, but prolific acting career. From the USA to Mexico and back, English or Spanish, this bilingual, bicultural actor is working towards making a name for himself rather quickly in the tough turf of the acting business.

His latest cinematic effort is an indie action movie called ‘BAD ASS‘ starring Danny Trejo (Machete). A Vietnam veteran who becomes a local hero after saving a man from attackers on a city bus decides to take action when his best friend is murdered and the police show little interest in solving the crime. Ortiz plays the young Trejo, who went to war and is down on his luck. But don’t mess with him, he might just break your neck. Read More

By Karen Posada

2012/04/10 at 12:00am

Reviews

Lockout

04.10.2012 | By Karen Posada |

‘Lockout’ is a fun action film despite its predictability. The concept of it is interesting and although you may know how it will end, it is all about the ride. Although I enjoyed the action my favorite part of the film was Guy Pearce, his character is just a smart mouth agent who’s looking out mainly just for himself; his sarcastic humorous comments make most scenes entertaining. This isn’t the best action film out there, but if you want to have fun at the movies and have a couple of laughs, this is definitely a good choice, despite of its’ flaws.

Agent Snow (Guy Pearce) is convicted of a crime against the U.S. government, that he denies having committed. Despite that he is offered to take on a mission upon MS One, an experimental prison in space where the 500 most dangerous criminals on planet Earth are kept in artificial sleep. He must rescue Emilie (Maggie Grace), the president’s daughter who has gone out to the station in a humanitarian mission and has fallen hostage to inmates who’ve broken free.

Directors James Mather and Stephen St. Leger are two Irish boys from Dublin who sought out to make a futuristic action thriller that was entertaining. They reached their goal, however with a little more effort it could have been an even more entertaining film. They inserted a bit of themselves, which we perhaps can see in many of the inmates. Snow, Pearce’s smart mouth character is charming in his own jerk-like way although at points he does get dangerously close to being too macho therefore a bit irritating; but obviously he’s the one that carries the film on his shoulders. Honestly, I mainly hated Grace’s character, she was such a helpless girl throughout most of the movie that she was just annoying to watch, although she does redeem herself at the end.

My biggest problem with the movie is that the storyline didn’t convince me, starting by the fact that I could figure out the outcome since the beginning and there are some holes and various weak points. At times the storyline tries to get complicated and layered which takes away from the simplicity that would have enhanced it. The special effects are not that great, one scene in particular is just a videogame shot shaming the movie.

This is just a good time at the movies; it takes you on a wacky futuristic story in outer space, where a man and a woman alone face the world’s worst criminals. The arena they are in is unusual, defying authority is their motto and getting out alive is their goal. So if you can put the technicalities aside, get ready to go on a crazy journey with an insane guide that somehow has a good head on his shoulders and enjoy the video game like scenario where the bad guys outnumber the good ones.

By Karen Posada

2012/04/10 at 12:00am

Reviews

The Cabin in the Woods

04.10.2012 | By Karen Posada |

Just from seeing the preview of ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ you automatically know this will not be your typical horror movie. As a person who has seen the movie I know there is very little about it that I should tell you, because the thing that works best for this film is all the surprises it has. I’m glad no one ruined that for me, the advertising department has done a great job at making the public curious without giving too much away. I just wish the movie wouldn’t have gotten so out of hand, I think the ideas it has are fantastic, but unfortunately it is taken too far to the point of ruining the movie.

This is the story of five friends: Dana (Kristen Connolly), Curt (Chris Hemsworth), Jules (Anna Hutchinson), Marty (Fran Kranz) and Holden (Jesse Williams) that decide to escape the city by going to a cabin in the woods. Soon they begin to realize that there is something off about this remote place. This might sound like a story you already know but this horror film turns the genre inside out.

The best acting in this movie comes from Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford, their years of experience really enhance this story even more, as the unravel the horrors and purpose behind this story. The five friends provide us with the scenery of a typical horror movie combination of personalities, but some stick out more than others. I really enjoyed more than half of this film, which says a lot because it is very hard to find a good scary movie nowadays. Unfortunately, my enjoyment turned into a lot of eye rolling the last 15 minutes of the film. To me it became a joke that was taken too far to the point of being ridiculous, which killed me because I really liked the main concept behind the film.

I truly think it is original, but at the same time it’s a good combination of great horror films and there’s a reason for that. It is weaved in with comedy, which is quite refreshing, along with many other elements which really makes for an interesting story. The problem with these various elements is that they become suffocating for the audience towards the end of the film, they all clash together into a movie that becomes 10 different genres at once and ends with a punch. If you want to go to the theater to experience this crazy film with an open mind knowing that you might be disappointed after the roller coaster ride go ahead, otherwise I say it is probably better to watch it as a fun slasher flick on night at home.

By Karen Posada

2012/04/10 at 12:00am

Reviews

Detention

04.10.2012 | By Karen Posada |

The best word to describe ‘Detention’ is- WEIRD! This movie is so wacky in every sense: the storyline, the characters, even the images. This is a mash-up of various genres: horror, comedy, teen-movies, and romance. It is hard enough for just one movie to accomplish something good in just one genre, therefore one that tries to encompass various is bound for disaster. The movie does make you laugh more than once, mainly because of the witty dialogue, but also because of the ridiculousness of it. This might only be worth a watch if it’s on TV on a day where you have nothing else to do and there’s absolutely nothing to else to watch.

The movie explores high school life for seniors in Grizzly Lake. There are the popular kids among them Clapton Davis (Josh Hutcherson) and Ione (Spencer Locke) and the outcasts like Riley Jones (Shanley Caswell) and Sander Sanderson (Aaron David Johnson). Not only are they all trying to survive high school, but they are also trying to survive a killer named Cinderhella who’s slashing one student at a time.

The movie tries to be fun and cool and it accomplishes it at some points, by having the characters talk to the audience, making small movie montages about each character’s life and even taking us through a journey in music and fashion. The movie is like ‘Mean Girls’, ‘The Breakfast Club’, and ‘Scream’ all in one. But the storyline goes on a tangent and as it develops it becomes less and less interesting, because it gets more ridiculous by the minute.

The movie might ride off on Hutcherson’s success in ‘The Hunger Games’ and that’s a smart move on their part, but he should also be happy that this film didn’t do wide-release a year ago when it began to be promoted. Movies are expensive to make so it is hard to understand why a studio or director would decide to spend money on such a fruitless project, especially because it is said that director Joseph Kahn used his savings to make it. All in all there are better movies coming out this weekend than wasting your money on this one.

‘The Hunger Games’ reaches $302 million at the box office!

By Karen Posada

2012/04/09 at 12:00am

Movies

‘The Hunger Games’ reaches $302 million at the box office!

04.9.2012 | By Karen Posada |

‘The Hunger Games’ not only continues to hold the number one spot in the box office with $33.5 million dollars, but it has reached the outstanding amount of $302 million total (in the U.S., it is almost at $460 mil world-wide) in just three weeks. Despite of the tough contenders it had, it keeps holding on strongly.

The fourth installment of the American Pie franchise ‘American Reunion,’ took the second spot in the box office with $21.5 million dollars. It seems like many of its’ loyal followers decided to check out what this last slice of pie had to offer.

Another blast from the past ‘Titanic 3D’ shows up in third place with $17.4 million dollars. James Cameron continues to show that his work is hard to top; he was capable of re-making a film from 1997 flawlessly into 3D and it almost already made up for the $18 million dollars it took to convert it.

The Top 10 in the Box Office are:

1.The Hunger Games – $33.5 mil

2. American Reunion – $21.5 mil

3. Titanic 3D – $17.4 mil

4. Wrath of the Titans – $15 mil

5. Mirror, Mirror – $11 mil

6. Jump Street – $10.2 mil

7. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax – $5 mil

8. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen – $ 975 Thousand

9. John Carter – $ 820 Thousand

10. Safe House – $581 Thousand