Michael Peña Will Star In ‘Chavez’ From Diego Luna
03.7.2012 | By Jack Rico |
One of the most underrated Hispanic actors in Hollywood is Michael Peña. But little by little, his work is speaking volumes.
Read More
03.7.2012 | By Jack Rico |
One of the most underrated Hispanic actors in Hollywood is Michael Peña. But little by little, his work is speaking volumes.
Read More
03.7.2012 | By Jack Rico |
Dominican actress Zoe Saldaña, known worldwide for her starring role as Neytiri in Avatar, is in negotiations to join Christian Bale (The Dark Knight) in ‘Out of the Furnace ‘. Little is known about the role other than that she will act as the ex-wife of Bale in the film. There is also speculation that her screen time will be plentiful.
The argument will focus on an ex-convict (Bale) trying to integrate back into society in a small town in Indiana, but is haunted by a figure from his past.
In an interesting note, the project, whose original name was Low Dweller, Rupert Sanders was initially attached to direct it, but Sanders retired and Scott Cooper was hired. Also Channing Tatum and Garrett Hedlund were considered to play the brother of Christian Bale. From what we understand, Casey Affleck is the winner of that competition.
Saldaña will join two other Hispanics at heart, Robert Duvall, who is about to confirm his role as Bale’s uncle while Viggo Mortensen could end up being the villain.
The Dominican actress has 4 upcoming films: Avatar 2, Blood Ties, Star Trek 2 and The Words.
The distribution company for ‘Out of the Furnace‘ is Relativity Media with Appian Way as the producer. Leonardo DiCaprio and Ridley Scott will serve as producers of the film. Still no release date.
03.5.2012 | By Karen Posada |
For the first time in 2012 a children’s movie premieres at number one in the box office, ‘Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax’ did it earning $70 million dollars the first weekend in March. Since ‘Toy Story 3’ no other animated film had been such a hit in the box office. This charming story full of bright colors obviously captured many.
The craziest party since ‘The Hangover’, ‘Project X’ took second place with $20.8 million dollars. This fun movie surely attracted many teens and people who want to have an insane night.
The film that was number one last week, ‘Act of Valor’ fell to third place adding $13.7 million to its profit. ‘Safe House’ keeps holding on to the fourth spot. It also seems that many people were curious about the Oscar winner, ‘The Artist’ and decided to go see what all the buzz was about, since it came in at number ten.
The Top 10 Movies in the Box Office are:
1. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax – $70.7 mil
2. Project X – $20.8 mil
3. Act of Valor – $13.7 mil
4. Safe House – $7.2 mil
5. Good Deeds – $7 mil
6. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island – $6.9 mil
7. The Vow – $6.1 mil
8. This Means War – $5.6 mil
9. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance – $4.7 mil
10. The Artist – $3.9 mil
03.3.2012 | By Karen Posada |
Think of the wildest party you’ve ever been to and imagine it 10x wilder, that’s ‘Project X’. If you’ve seen the trailer and expect anything more from the movie then you will be disappointed but if you are up for having mindless fun then this is it. Most of the dialogue in the movie comes in the form of vulgar jokes about sex, which is fair seeing we are dealing with horny teens. What keeps you entertained is the shocking funny moments that top each other and the music blasting from the screen.
Â
The whole movie is done in “found footage†style and focuses on throwing a 17th birthday party for Thomas (Thomas Mann) that he will never forget while his parents are out of town. Thomas is the mature mind of the group but he’s not strong enough to stick to what he thinks is right, especially with the influence of his friends and hot girls. His best friend, Costa (Oliver Cooper) is the mastermind behind it all. His whole party plan is inviting as many girls as he can to ensure the boys will have sex and will also become popular. JB (Jonathan Daniel Brown) is the passive friend that shyly follows along and slowly comes out of his shell. Their cameraman, Dax (Dax Flame) is this creepy guy they invite along their journey and becomes their silent partner. Thanks to these four teens Pasadena, California will have a night it will never forget.
Â
There’s not much to say about the acting, it’s not hard to put a bunch of people together to act like they are having fun in the craziest party of their life. Instead the ideas of director, Nima Nourizadeh are what makes the movie, his simple premise – a teen party that spirals out of control was enough to bring upon this insane movie. The “found footage†technique with the handheld cameras was a brilliant idea, although dizzying at times it brings the audience inside the party.
Â
I have to admit some of the language and scenes are disturbing and offensive at times, but with the fast pace of the film you will be disgusted one second then laughing the next. This film is a semi-tamed version of ‘The Hangover’, no wonder since producer Todd Phillips is involved. I would warn parents that this is a bad influence on kids seeing how carelessly these teens drink, have sex and use drugs; it will probably make parents paranoid. But perhaps instead we can all just live vicariously through this movie for a short night. One thing is for sure; this movie makes a police riot and being chased by a drug dealer look like a lot of fun. It certainly put me in the mood to go running to the next house party I’m invited to.
03.3.2012 | By Karen Posada |
I watched ‘Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax’ in a movie theater full of kids ranging from 3-10 years of age, which gave me the perfect audience with a mix of adults to get the right movie experience for this film. This movie exudes cuteness and the right amount of singing, the bits of comedy it has just made me smile and a couple of children laugh. There was no crying or chattering in the audience, which tells me the film’s 94 minutes are the perfect amount of entertainment for its target audience. The brilliant colors and clever shapes and storyline were even more fantastic in IMAX 3D, although ‘Horton Hears a Who’ achieved the same visual greatness without IMAX 3D.
The film begins by explaining in singing our setting, Thneedville, which is a city, made of plastic entirely, there’s no nature; trees are made in a factory and the most powerful man in town and the villain, Mr. O’Hare (Rob Riggle) made his millions by selling air. A 12 year old boy, Ted (Zac Efron) who is in love with a high schooler, Audrey (Taylor Swift) who dreams of seeing a real tree; decides to go on a quest to win the girl’s affection by getting her what she wants. He travels outside of the “capsule” that is his city to the contaminated world beyond in search of The Once-ler (Ed Helms) who according to his grandma Norma (Betty White) is the only person that can lead him to the free oxygen producing trees.
Here is when we being to discover the story of The Lorax (Danny DeVito) who speaks for the trees and cares for nature. What Ted finds in his journey not only changes his life but that of the whole town and the main message of the movie comes across, that each and single one of us makes a difference and we all need to care for our planet.
DeVito’s voice is perfect with that of the furry chubby Lorax, he’s a like a wise joke cracking grandpa that teaches just in the right tone. Efron is laid back and curious just the right amount to depict a 12 year old. White is the best character, the crazy grandma that is always covering for her grandchildren. Every voice created the characters depicted on the screen and together created a very pleasant movie to watch.
The environmentalist message of the film and the dangers of industrialism are very clear; that it takes one person to care so that we can come together as a whole to save the planet and the beauty it offers. I personally didn’t care for the “love story” in the film, but it was easy to over look it, with all the other more important stuff happening, even if it was what pushed the storyline. A children’s movie that has such an inspiring and important message with enough entertainment and color is a nice treat to both parents and children to see.
03.2.2012 | By Karen Posada |
Watching ‘Being Flynn’ is like eating a heavy meal right before you go to bed, it is very hard to digest. The subject matter is so loaded that it took me a while to understand how I felt about the movie, and that effect on its own says a lot. The movie is entertaining up to a certain point because the story develops delicately and although it only runs for 1hour 42 minutes, there’s a precise moment in the end where if it would have finished, it would have been enough. This true-life story no doubt is interesting but perhaps it is this very element of realness what drags it down.
The film narrates the life of Nick Flynn (Paul Dano) from his childhood to his adulthood. He tells us of his absent father, Jonathan (Robert De Niro) and about his obsessiveness of being a writer. Despite many obstacles in his childhood his single mother, Jody (Julianne Moore) was able to raise a somewhat normal child. Although he does seem to be struggling, he starts putting his life on track by working at a shelter in Boston and just as he seems to be shaping his life how he wants it his father comes in to mess with any kind of confidence or goals that he may have. The struggle between these two is what carries the movie forward and what brings on the heavy sentimental tiring subjects.
Dano does a good job at capturing the very complicated life of this man who’s had very little in his favor to reach his goals. De Niro plays well the character of an arrogant, self-centered alcoholic; he really is such a versatile actor that you can almost believe him to be this character in real life. There’s no denying that the movie is most intense in the homeless shelter scenes, it is such a haunting dose of reality because of the sense that nowadays specially with the economic crisis anyone can end up in this situation.
Most true-life stories that turn into movies usually have great success because of all the elements that it combines, but in this one the sad reality is way heavier than the uplifting moments; therefore you come out depressed and pensive. The fact that it does open our eyes more to certain things we overlook such as homeless people is a very positive point of the movie but having to deal with all the other emotions it brings is too much of a burden to want to be excited about seeing this film.
02.27.2012 | By Jack Rico |
Christian Bale is seeking out Spanish speaking Viggo Mortensen to interpret the villain of his new movie ‘Out of The Furnace’ with Casey Affleck, Garrett Hedlund, Taylor Kitsch and Channing Tatum in the mix to interpret Bale’s brother.
Mortensen, was brought up in Argentina and Venezuela, currently he’s finished 2 movies: ‘On the Road’ from the Brazilian director Walter Salles and written by Puerto Rican Jose Rivera and ‘Everyone Has a Plan’. Both are to be released very soon.
Bale, who seems to be moving away from successful movies such as ‘The Dark Night Rises’, is excited to start shooting. Filming will begin before the summer and before Bale starts ‘King of Cups’ from Terrence Malick.
The thriller, previously titled ‘The Low Dweller’, is a vengeance movie from the 70’s about an ex-convict who swears to get revenge on those that killed his brother.
The movie is set in Indiana in 1968 and Bale will interpret the ex-convict ‘Slim’, with legendary Robert Duvall in talks of having a supporting role. The screenplay has been compared to having a similar tone as ‘No Country for Old Men’.
‘Out of The Furnace’ was almost made in 2008 when Leonardo DiCaprio was supposed to star with Ridley Scott directing, but it was never carried out because of the screenwriters’ strike.
02.27.2012 | By Karen Posada |
The film based in true events of active- duty Navy SEALs, ‘Act of Valor’ premiered at number one in the box office with $27.7 million dollars. The video game like combat scenes takes the audience into the secretive world of a highly trained group of warriors.
Another movie by Tyler Perry, ‘Good Deeds’ took the second spot earning $16 million dollars, this is surprising seeing that Perry’s movies are predictable and he carries the whole movie on his shoulders being the director, star and screenwriter.
‘Journey 2: The Mysterious Island’ jumps from number 4 last week to the 3rd spot adding $13.5 million dollars to the $20.1 million from last week.
The Top 10 in the Box Office are:
1. Act of Valor – $24.7 mil
2. Good Deeds – $16 mil
3. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island – $13.5 mil
4. Safe House – $11.4 mil
5. The Vow – $10 mil
6. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance – $8.8 mil
7. This Means War – $8.5 mil
8. Wanderlust – $6.6 mil
9. Gone – $5 mil
10. The Secret World of Arrietty – $4.5 mil
02.26.2012 | By Jack Rico |
With the 84th Academy Awards fast approaching, the preeminent film award show will showcase a plentiful roster of Hispanic film talents in a wide array of categories. But what are their chances to win and do they really have a shot at taking home Hollywood’s most prestigious film prize?
Let’s take a look at the Hispanic nominees and analyze their chances of winning.
Demián Bichir for Best Actor
Mexican actor Demián Bichir is not the favorite to win the Best Actor category this year. The winning choice lies with French actor Jean Dujardin, partly due, to his charming performance in “The Artist” and because he has won in almost every award show this year. George Clooney is also high on the list due to his close ties in Hollywood, his star power, and his dramatic acting in this year’s Best Picture nominee – “The Descendants.” But every year, the Oscar committee likes to rile things up and disagree with the masses and pundits (i.e. Roman Polanski’s win in 2002, Martin Scorsese in 2006, and most recently, Sandra Bullock in 2010). This year we could see that again with Bichir. He provided a visceral performance in “A Better Life” that captivated the attention of the Hollywood elite. If you saw all the other nominees’ movies, there is no clear cut winner. Each one has an argument against them conquering gold. The only thing Bichir has going against him is the distribution of the film. Many people have not seen “A Better Life” and it might hurt his chances come Sunday. Nevertheless, how great of a story would this be if Bichir wins over Clooney, Pitt, Oldman and Dujardin? The post buzz would be at an all-time high, ratings would peak and they would have created a new Latino mainstream star. The press would be talking about this for weeks.
Bérénice Bejo for Best Actress
In a year where Meryl Streep, Viola Davis and Glenn Close are in competition, the odd lady out is Argentinian-French actress, Bérénice Bejo, co-star of “The Artist”. Compared to her colleagues’ deep and emotional performances, Bejo’s star doesn’t shine as bright. Regrettably, she doesn’t delve into the type of acting Oscar members look for. Her chances are slim and her performance never reached the heights to overwhelm Oscar voters.
Alberto Iglesias for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
Spanish composer Alberto Iglesias is an accomplished musician and has been nominated for the Oscar twice before in the same category. He is seen as a rising star and his composition in the film, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” is unique and hypnotic, not to mention the movie itself is revered in England. He has a great shot of winning. His greatest challenges will be to prevail against John Williams, who is not only nominated twice, but he is recognized as the greatest musical composer of film of all time (he composed “Star Wars”, “Indiana Jones”, “Superman” and “Jurassic Park”, to name a few). Also he must overcome Ludovic Bource in “The Artist.” Unequivocally, the most important aspect of a silent film is its music. Bource’s melodic and catchy strings have to be considered as the favorite over Iglesias.
Chico and Rita (Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal) for Best Animated Feature Film
In a category dominated by computer generated animation, the hand-drawn Spanish film “Chico and Rita” stands strong to beat the favorite – “Rango”. The jazz-filled soundtrack and score, provided mostly by master Cuban pianist Bebo Valdés, is remarkable. The story also evokes a bygone Latino era that touches the heart with its romance. Not be ignored is the Academy’s fight to preserve hand drawn animation and a win for “Chico and Rita” might just be the statement they need to make.
Emmanuel Lubezki, Best Achievement in Cinematography
Mexican cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki is the lock to triumph in this category for his work in “Tree of Life,” perhaps one of the most talked about films amongst moviegoers in 2011. His win at the ASC (American Society of Cinematographers) awards last week, more than guaranteed his Oscar gold. Lubezki, close friends with Cuarón, Del Toro and Iñárritu, created a work of art, a sight to behold with his cinematography in this film. It was perhaps the movie’s calling card apart from its convoluted plot. Also, let’s not forget, “Tree of Life” is a Best Picture nominee. You’ll see Lubezki’s work again in Alfonso Cuaron’s sci-fi feature “Gravity” in November.
Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
There are only two nominees in this category and Brazilian musicians Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown’s song “Real in Rio” is one of them. What are their chances of winning? 50/50 and that’s mathematically a fact. Their competition is Bret McKenzie for The Muppets’ “Man or Muppet” song which is strong in lyrical comedy and weak in vocals and musical production. “Real in Rio” on the other hand is a grand traditional production rooted in Brazilian musicality that makes one just want to dance. In my opinion, there is no reason why Mendes and Brown shouldn’t take home their first Oscar award Sunday.
It is going to be an exciting night as we celebrate the best of the best in movies, in particular, hopeful wins for our Hispanic compatriots. At the end of the day, it is all about talent. Talent will always trump race, color, language and sex.
