The Latest in Latino Entertainment News

Namreta Kumar

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2009/09/01 at 12:00am

Extract (Movie Review)

09.1.2009 | By |

Rated: R for language, sexual references and some drug use.
Release Date: 2009-09-04
Starring: Mike Judge
Director(s):
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Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.extract-the-movie.com/

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Extract

When you leave this film the first thing that you recall is that it was a comedy; beyond that the characters were peculiarly familiar, and then even the comedy becomes textbook.

Overall this comedy rings through the characters, but unlike “Office Space†this film brings nothing novel to cinema. “Extract†pulls from Mike Judge’s all too familiar space and creates a new score of characters we can all say we have met before.

Jason Bateman plays the “Extract King,†Joel, in this blue-collar comedy that is all about its ensemble of characters and the trouble they brew. From the incorrigible best friend Dean, played by Ben Affleck, down to the gnawing neighbor Nathan, played by David Koechner, each character is a satire all on their own and the film benefits most from the casts’ unison. However, that is about where the fun ends. As one gets to know the little pieces that each character plays the film becomes a little too predictable and even the characters lose their familiar charms.

As the film progresses, the little doses of rolling laughter almost feel typical rather than being synonymous to the anecdotes they all seem to have been created from. The audience may feel swept away for bits as the cast does a great job portraying their little world, however as the film closes there is not much that resonates. The story comes full circle as the satire thins out and the final credits roll in the last little stunts.

Extract can benefit from its release date as summer winds-down and some people look forward to an unassuming film to wind-down with; but this Judge film, much like its predecessor, will more likely find its place in the cable and DVD market.

Alex Florez

By

2009/08/27 at 12:00am

Taking Woodstock (Movie Review)

08.27.2009 | By |

I’ve always felt that Taiwanese filmmaker Ang Lee can do anything. A director as versatile as they come, Lee refuses to be pigeonholed to any one genre and be restricted by the technological challenges of a film. Read More

Jack Rico

By

2009/08/26 at 12:00am

The September Issue (Movie Review)

08.26.2009 | By |

Rated: PG-13 for brief strong language.
Release Date: 2009-08-28
Starring: Documentary
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.theseptemberissue.com/

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The September Issue

Le tenemos la reseña de la película ‘Earth’ y le diremos si merece invertir su dinero en verla.

Inglorious Basterds, reseñas de Inglorious Basterds, resena de peliculas, criticas de Inglorious Basterds

Check out our movie review of Max Payne and we’ll let you know if it’s worth going to or not.

Max Payne, film review, movie review

SBC Staff

By

2009/08/25 at 12:00am

Rudo y Cursi

08.25.2009 | By |

Rating: 2.5

Rated: R for pervasive language, sexual content and brief drug use.
Release Date: 2009-05-08
Starring: Carlos Cuarón
Director(s):
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Film Genre:
Country:Mexico
Official Website: http://www.rudoycursilapelicula.com/

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“Rudo y Cursi†is a lively and engaging comedy that highlights some drama in its storyline. Regrettably, in the end, feels a little thin, largely because it is unsure of how earnestly to treat its own lessons about fate, ambition and brotherly love. There is a lot of velocity in this ultimately familiar tale of rising and falling, but not much gravity. “Rudo y Cursi†is partly about the consequences of taking a game much too seriously, but at the same time it treats everything else — life, death, love, money — like a game.

 

Beto (Diego Luna) and Tato Verdusco (Gael Garcia Bernal) are half brothers who work together at a banana plantation and live with their extended family in a village in southern Mexico. When the two of them are suddenly (and somewhat improbably) plucked from rural proletarian obscurity and turned into professional soccer players in Mexico City, they achieve fame as Rudo and Cursi, nicknames that can be translated more or less as tough and corny.

 

But Mr. Cuarón also has trouble managing the tone of the film as it swerves from light-hearted absurdity toward a darker, more cynical view of its characters and their fate. Too often he allows “Rudo y Cursi†to coast on the likeability of its stars, who seem at times to be enjoying themselves more than their characters are able to.

Jack Rico

By

2009/08/21 at 12:00am

Inglorious Basterds (Movie Review)

08.21.2009 | By |

*Updated 2026

In 2026, when Quentin Tarantino’s style is still debated as much as his stories, Inglourious Basterds remains a test of whether bravura scenes can survive the director’s self-consciousness.

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SBC Staff

By

2009/08/20 at 12:00am

Post Grad (Movie Review)

08.20.2009 | By |

*Original movie review coming soon.

SBC Staff

By

2009/08/20 at 12:00am

Art & Copy (Movie Review)

08.20.2009 | By |

Walking out of the theater I couldn’t help but think to myself “I can’t wait to sell this movie to our readers!” Read More

Karen Posada

By

2009/08/19 at 12:00am

Casi Divas (Movie Review)

08.19.2009 | By |

Rated: PG-13 for mature sexual content, language and thematic material.
Release Date: 2009-08-21
Starring: Issa López
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.casidivas.com/

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Casi Divas

I have to admit that neither the title nor the trailer would have made me go see Casi Divas; I came out of the movie theater surprised at how fun and interesting it was.
 
The film was a hit in Mexico which is what helped launch it in the U.S. The plot of the movie is to find the main movie star for a soap opera turned movie. It sounds a little ridiculous but among the mockery of soap operas and other themes that make up the plot we stumble along some interesting themes such as: the racism of the indigenous people in Mexico, the way women factory workers at the border are abused by the coyotes, and a common theme among teenagers who try to follow Hollywood’s hype by doing extreme diets. The cast is made up by five women Patricia Llaca, Ana Layevska, Diana Garcia, Daniela Schmidt and Maya Zapata one stud Julio Bracho; each one of them offers a different view point and element to the story.

 

The movie sticks to its roots by the way the characters speak and by having its setting in Mexico City in places where the locals live. The movie is in Spanish but the subtitles make it true to the American viewer, they even change some cultural references so we can connect better to what the characters say when they refer to their cultural icons.
 
The movie is well rounded, its audience (teenagers, adults) will not be disappointed thanks to the different cultural themes that it touches upon along with the mockery and slapstick comedy; it has something to offer everyone, it is a movie that will surprise many.

Jack Rico

By

2009/08/18 at 12:00am

The Last House on the Left

08.18.2009 | By |

Rating: 3.5

Rated: R for sadistic brutal violence including a rape and disturbing images, language, nudity and some drug use.
Release Date: 2009-03-13
Starring: Adam Alleca, Carl Ellsworth
Director(s):
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Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.thelasthouseontheleft.com/

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‘The Last House on the Left’ is as uncomfortable a film as I have ever seen. Uncomfortable because the movie possesses elements that blur the lines between violence, abuse and entertainment. Cinematically, the film is arresting through and through due the high caliber of the production, the reliable and convincing acting performances and its engrossing premise to boot. But how can one recommend a movie that possesses a barbaric rape scene, as a good cinematic selection? It is a complex response, but ultimately, you need to be the judge.

This is the third remake of ‘The Last House on the Left’. In 1972, the first feature effort of Wes Craven, was a reworking of Ingmar Bergman’s 1960 picture, The Virgin Spring, which won the 1961 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. This third version, is more reminiscent to the 1972 edition. The story takes place after the kidnapping and butchering of two female teenagers. The guilty gang unknowingly finds refuge with the parents of one of the victims, hosts who devise a gruesome revenge.

Women be forewarned. If you have never been privy to scenes of sexual abuse, this is not the film to get acquainted with it. The rape scene images seen here are some of the most gruesome, disturbing and down right reprehensible ever committed to a Hollywood film. I’m not sure many will be able to withstand it and walking out of the theater just might be your best option. But if you can cover your eyes and get through it, there is a redeeming third act that will quench your thirst for revenge. 

After seeing the entire film, I must say, Greek director Dennis Illiadis was a fantastic director who maintained a level of dread, suspense and retribution throughout the whole film. This is not a horror movie but a highly intense thriller that works the mind to feel contempt in its first half then vindication in its denouement.

‘The Last House on the Left’ is not a “pretty” movie, but it does challenge the boundaries of entertainment, and hopefully with an open mind, you’ll be the one entertained.

Jack Rico

By

2009/08/18 at 12:00am

Tyson

08.18.2009 | By |

Rating: 4.0

Rated: R for language including sexual references.
Release Date: 2009-04-24
Starring: James Toback
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.sonyclassics.com/tyson/

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‘Tyson’ is an insightful biopic on arguably the greatest heavyweight boxer who ever lived. If you were a witness to his tumultuous personal and professional boxing career, this documentary clears up all, if not many of the rumors and debauchery he became notorious for: the biting of Evander Holyfield’s ear, the rape charges and the Don King attack to mention a few.

Indie director James Toback directs this portrait of ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson where he manages to extract, without inhibition, information about his womanizing, alcohol and drug addiction, bouts of mental instability, and criminal activity in great detail. Through a mixture of original interviews and archival footage and photographs, the film ranges from Tyson’s earliest memories of growing up on the mean streets of Brooklyn through his entry into the world of boxing, to his rollercoaster ride of worldwide fame and fortunes won and lost.

You might be surprised with the Tyson who narrates this movie. He is different from the monster built up and torn down by the media during the ’80s and ’90s. Age often brings perspective, and that would seem to be the case here. His explanations and views of the mischievous events of his dark days might not satisfy you, but what you have to appreciate is the sincerity and surrendering that Toback manages to withdraw from a man known to have a volatile and fractured mind. In terms of visual stylistics, there is a film quality that Toback directs with in contrast to the sensationalistic and over-dramatized VH-1 show ‘Behind the Music’ or Barbara Walters’ special interviews where the questions are crafted to draw tears from the interviewees. Here it is just you and him.

There are some scenes with heavy language so I wouldn’t suggest bringing children to see it. If in fact ‘Tyson’ is a spin free of publicist intervention documentary, it is a remarkable look inside the mind of a ‘killing machine’ who became a docile beast ready to welcome peace within himself. If you are a fan, you’ll enjoy it and if you’re not, it’s one informative retrospective at a living boxing legend.

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