Feliz Ano Nuevo! Father Geek here with the 1st Latin-AICN column for 2001. Good stuff to follow, so I'll get on with it with a letter I received from a reader in Chihuahua, Mexico...

First timer Arturo here. While reading your look into 2001
article I noticed that you said that you haven't heard anything about Bread
and Roses. Well, while in Cannes at the film festival, I catched a screening
of this film and would like to "prepare" you for when it hits US cinemas.

Bread and roses starring Adrien Brody (of Summer of Sam fame) is a film
basically about mexican immigrants working in the US and the strike Brody
organizes. While there are many subplots (including Brody's relationship) we
get a glimpse into a low class life of a mexican family and it's struggle
with obtaining what it really needs: finacial help and equal opportunities.
It's an interesting film because we feel that all we see can and does happen
to these kind of persons. It's also very good the way the director (Ken
Loach) handels the spanish speaking parts of the movie. There's a priceless
scene in which the female protagonist and her sister have a verbal fight and
neither of them leave the battleground psichologically unharmed.
While not a great movie it achieves a kind of documentary feel to it that
gives it it's edge.

that's it from here in Chihuahua, Mexico
thanks for your time

Arturo J.

Now on to LOBO and his part of our report... Be sure to email your LATIN scoops to Lobo at Lobo@aintitcoolmail.com!!!

¿ Que paso CineLocozzs ?

It has been a while haa?? that's right last time LOBO wrote for this column was last year you know, I remember my firts report I wrote last year and let me tell you something ...it really feels like it was just 7 months ago, anygueys this time I have part of the list of movies that will be showing this year in Mexico and as usual I will let you know what's up with them and give you the latest on all of them okay, but for right know I am going to share a little bit of the traditions from my country (MEXICO) and the one to talk about this time of the year is what we call "Los Reyes Magos" ( The Magic Kings), and it takes time between the 5th and 6th of this month, the thing is that after Navidad and the presents from Mr. Claus we get ready to write our letter to the 3 Kings and ask for more presents, this my friends is really cool, because after getting the X-mas stuff we can get 3 or more presents, the rules are simple or at least this is the way I know them; you write a letter, you ask for stuff you really want and because they are Magic Kings they can always get what you ask for, when you are kid you get all 3 Kings to bring you toys or whatever you wished for but once you get older you can only ask one of the Kings and to make sure you get your presents you have to put one of your shoes under the X-mas tree, next morning you wake up and run to see what u got around your shoe and that's it...so folks if you don't have this tradition I really will suggest for you to start doing it and that way you can get presents more than once in a really short time. The 3 Kings are the ones who visited Jesus and their names are ; Melchor, Gaspar y Baltazar. I recomend for you to chose Gaspar ...he is the coolest..Well amigos now let's go to Lo Bueno .......Vamos!!

QUICKIES / RAPIDINES

*** The movie "AMORES PERROS" (Love's a Bitch) got nominated for the 2000 Golden Globe foreign film category and also let me tell you something else, Benicio del Toro is also nominated for Best supporting Actor as El Policia mexicano in "Traffic" , I am not sure how this two will do on Jan/21 but I wish the best of luck...

*** The Mexican Actor Luis Felipe Tovar who worked in "Todo el Poder" (Gimme the power) is now going to the other side of the camera, this guy as his first try as Director is on the works for finishing a movie called "Luces de Bengala" and he is doing it the digital way and using some of his students from an acting academy...

*** Don't forget this coming Saturday is what we call in Mexico Dia de Relles or the arrival of Los Reyes Magos, so make sure you have a shoe under the X-mas tree or you won't get any presents...ohhh wait a minute, also don't forget the traditional Rosca de Reyes (Reyes bread) and once you bite on it , watch it or you might swallow the niño..Feliz Dia de Reyes...

LISTA DE PELICULAS PARA EL 2001 / LIST OF FILMS TO COME IN 2001

"DEMASIADO AMOR" (To Much Love)

Director; Ernesto Rimoch

"PACHITO REX"

Director; Fabian Hofman

From PACHITO REX I really expect a lot an I am really excited about it, I had a letter from the Director and from the information he gave me I can tell you right now that this is one you must see this year (virtual/interactive film)....I give this film a big PAW

"OTOALA"

Director; Raul Busteros

This folks is movie that I don't know much about, I tried to contact the Director but I got no answer back, but I am kind of interested in this one since this guy has made a couple of shorts and is always interesting to see somebody go Big screen..let's just wait and we'll see...hopefully I will get a sign from the Producers or the Director himself...here is a link to their site OTAOLA

"VERA"

Director; Francisco Athiè

This Film ( VERA) is one of the ones that is also on my list of must see films of this year, The Director got an ARIEL award already for his previous work "FIBRA OPTICA" and the pics and info. plus the deatil on what the movie is about it makes it sound really freaking great, MUCHO BUENO, and I know this movie will get another ARIEL and probably lots of awards around the world..if you want a bigger piece on this I will suggest for you to check their site VERA.. this film also gets a big PAW..

"PERFUME DE VIOLETAS" (Violet Perfume)

Direcor; Marisa Sistach

NO know nottin about this one yet, but if its worth it I will let you know...otherwise ...NADA

"QUE NO QUEDE HUELLA"

Director; María Novaro

This film is going to be in the hands of MARIA NOVARO who did the movie "DANZON" back in 1990, that movie had a lot of response and awards, but for this one I already talked about it on one of my last years reports, if I get anything else , ou know already......

"RECUERDOS" (Remembrance)

Director; Marcela Arteaga

SU ALTEZA SERENISIMA" (Santa Anna, Your Highness)

Director; Felipe Cazals

The guy with the mutache is Pedro Armendariz who worked in the movie "LA LEY DE HERODES" (Herod's Law) and the other guy is playing the role of Santa Anna, that's right the MOFO who for what I know is the reason why TEXAS and more is part of U.S. now, and that is what the movie is about, the big question mark on what really happen and how, because so far there is not true on this matter and we don't know if he is a traitor or just a simple MOFO..I will think of this one as the movie LA LEY THE HERODES but I might be wrong on this....later on I will give you more on this one...

"SERES HUMANOS" (Humans)

Director; Jorge Aguilera

The storyline on this one sound okay but still you know later I will tell you Que pasa with this one....

"LUCES DE BENGALA"

Director; Luis Felipe Tovar / Gabriel Retes

Digital and new faces on the camera, a face in front of the camera goes bahind it and makes his own film, hopefully to be good....who knows...

"ATLETICO SAN PANCHO"

Director; Gustavo Loza

This is that film that has soccer in it, a team of kids from a poor neighborhood go to a contest VS a team that has it all $$ but they have to get the Cup...something like the Big Green...

"RAQUEL"

Director; Jose Quintero

"DE LA CALLE" (Off the Street)

Director; Gerardo Tort

"CORAZONES ROTOS" (BROKEN HEARTS)

Director; Rafael Montero

"LA HIJA DEL CANIBAL" (Cannibal's Daughter)

Director; Antonio Serrano

"VIVIR MATA"

Director; Nicolas Echeverria

This movie my friends is from the same guy who did CABEZA DE VACA, one of my favorites, so since I think this guy has been working hard and I know he knows he has to do better than CABEZA DE VACA even though its a different enviro-atmosphere I can't wait to see this one, so I will add it to my list of must see and give it a big PAW

Me giving a big PAW doesn't mean is a five star film, once I consider it a great film then I will give from 2-4 big PAWS

Also don't forget to check the other films that have been just filming in Mexico like, Collateral Damage, The Mexican, Time of the Butterflies etc... and I type etc.. because if you are a regular reader of this column you should know what I mean and if you are not, go to the little thing that says more AICN and click on LATIN-AICN to get the rest on that etc.. okay

Besides the one mentioned above also be alert on those two FRIDA KHALO movies with SALMA HAYEK and JENNIFER LOPEZ, the movies to come with TOÑO BANDERAS and PENELOPE CRUZ and the one with Harvey Keitel "SOÑANDO CON JULIA" (Dreaming with Julia), ANGEL EYES directed by LUIS MANDOKI (Mex. D.F.) and with Jennifer Lopez in the cast, "THE RUNAWAY JURY" by ALFONSO CUARON and BEYOND BORDERS having OLIVER STONE and RODRIGO PRIETO as a team. Well folks there you have some of what's about to come this year of 2001, there is a lot to expect and some of this films will be really awsome and some others might really Suck, also let's not forget that there might be a lot of news popping-up from a lot of people in this business, specially I will say that it won't surprise me if we hear from Alejandro Gonzalez Irriatu ( The Director of AMORES PERROS) who I am sure he is already working on something right now and he might try to get more awards and mucho dinero , but as I said before lets just wait for the time to give us the rest and I will see you here every monday for sure for this next 364 days to go.....

Hasta la vista and FELIZ AÑO NUEVO...

See you later Cinejunkies and don't forget to send me whatever already,LOBO says ADIOS....

Here's ol' Coffin Joe down in Sao Paulo, Brasil... and don't forget to email him at Latin-Aicn@uol.com.br, he'll make your fingernails curl.....

Hey Father Geek , LOBO , everyone out there , happy new year from your buddy Coffin Joe .

Just a tiny bit of news and I´m off to a week of ROCKIN vacation . Another cool thing is that I´ll be going to Rio for the "Rock in Rio Music Festival" ( January 12-21 ) , it´s gonna be pretty sweet , with acts like Foo Fighters , R.E.M. , Beck , Guns n´ Roses , Papa Roach , Sepultura , Iron Maiden , Deftones , Silverchair and the Red Hot Chili Peppers performing over a period of almost a whole week . Can´t wait .

Here´s a bit I dug up , straight from a Paul Naschy fan site called

" Mark of Naschy " , check it out.

Paul Naschy Meets Coffin Joe?

Latest word is that Ivan Cardoso, the Brazilian director and disciple/friend of Jose Mojica Marins (Coffin Joe), wants Naschy to star in his next film, MYSTERIOUS AMAZONIA, which will begin shooting in six months in the Amazon rain forests. Who knows if Marins will also make an appearance?

That´s all for this week , see ya .

Coffin Joe says : bye .