Father Geek here finally, we're undergoing an intense "physical" office expansion (carpenters, painters, electricans, laborers, bankers, etc...) here at Geek World Headquarters in Austin, so bare with ol' Father Geek thru the next couple of weeks, reports may be getting posted a little late, but they WILL get up... SORRY... progress DOES claim it's victims. We're adding a private "film" screening room, a script and story idea library (on premises reading only), and a massive motion picture's promotion archive to the complex on our large heavily wooded central Austin compound.
Here's a bit on Guillermo del Toro's THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE (El Espinazo del Diablo) which is currently playing in Spain...
Having recently seen "The Devil's Backbone" in Spain, I must say I was
waiting for a thrilling and gothic story, but what I found was a
marvellous and talented tale where for the first time something is
revealed to us: the origins of ghosts "as remembrances, parts of the
past, instants trapped on time...". Thanks to Guillermo del Toro and
Federico Luppi for showing us this with lyrical and dark poetry .
But I want to talk to you, all of your readers to another ghostly
story, and this none other, but...THE OTHERS. And let me tell you this
is not only Euro-AICN or Latin-AICN story, because the film will be
shown at the US first, according to informations I've seen at your
fellow Greg Dean's web page Upcomingmovies.Com. Released by Dimension
Films on August 10th, and replacing (big surprise!!!) the launching of
the awaited Kevin Smith's last New Jersey Flick "Jay and Silent Bob
Strike Back".
Alejandro Amenabar's first flicks where received in Spain as a blow of
fresh air. They changed the sci-fi panorama in our country. We had a
little, young master on directing the thrilling, terrific and risky
stories we were seeing on our screens.
Now, you're gonna see him, you'll discover him and his talent directing
a little group of actors, incluiding Kidman, and I bet you that even
after seeing her in "Moulin Rouge", you'll get engaged with her but in
this one and only role, and the name is GRACE. Blonde, stylish,
serious, arrogant, dull English woman, ... and extremely religious.
I've seen a few pages of the draft, a few lines, really a few, because
in a fact, the picture is silence, images, looks and
specially...DARKNESS. Even Dimension wanted to release it, replacing
the original title to "The Darkness", but they changed their minds back
to the original. And some clues to the story may be found in another
pictures, masterpieces of horror such as Jack Clayton's "The
Innocents", or "The Changeling". Amenabar has seen them, praises them,
and its homage will be another piece of the inner horror in the human
beings shown at the cinemas.
I already know there have been early screenings of the picture, both in
US (in Santa Monica, more precisely) and Spain at Amenabar´s circle of
friends and producers. I know Tom Cruise, executive producer of the
film and her partner in business Paula Wagner, have watched the film.
And they say it's brilliant, even after the split of Cruise-Kidman's
couple. So, will really this film be one of the terrorific ever shown
in a picture?
I bet you something, if you are offered to go to an early
screening to the picture, don't miss it, because only a few people will
be shown before the premiere, and will be very privileged to see this.
Web readers, scoopers, pay attention, this is one you won´t want to
miss either. And I'm sure The Others will prove his values and
Amenabar's talent also. Send your opinion here if you see it, but don´t
reveal the final mistery/misteries. This recommendation is worth the
lines I've wrote of it.
Tom Ripley
Father Geek back again just to say, "Heeeerrrrrreeeeee's Coffin Jooooooe, Jr ..."
Hey everyone , Coffin Joe Jr. here with another week of Latin-AICN for ya , hope you enjoy it , it´s been kinda of a slow week , but I tried to get the best info I could .
Before we start the news , just a little tip , pick up the MGM DVD disc of " The Magnificent Seven " , a remarkable value , so cheap you won´t believe it has a commentary track and other stuff , besides a good transfer ( Miramax take notes ) .
Here´s this week´s news :
US
-Here´s an e-mail I got from one of the cool guys behind the comedy " Pachanga Punchlines " :
" I just wanted to add that " Pachanga Punchlines " will be shown at CineSol Film Festival at South Padre Island in the first weekend of June . This film festival brings films and documentaries to South Texas . Their site is : cinesol.com . They'll be screening Latino films that are currently on the film festival circuit for an audience that would otherwise not get a chance to see these projects . Hector Galan's " Accordion Dreams " will also be featured .
BTW I'm not sure if you're familiar with Austin, Texas' Adrian Villegas , founder of the Latino Comedy Project . The Latino Comedy Project is a theater group that has been around Austin for the last few years. Well anyway , they are currently trying to raise $50,000 to shoot a Latino comedy here in town . I went to their latest show Saturday night ,"LCP Sells Out" (lots of laughs) . It's currenty running at the Daugherty Arts Center .
Well hope some of this info helps.
Gustavo Aguilar,
"Dos Guys Productions "
-The documentary " Calle 54 " , directed by Fernando Trueba , is opening this weekend ( 05/11/2001 ) in the U.S. , with limited distribution by Miramax . This doc , about Latin jazz musicians , won the Audience Award at the Miami Film Festival and a Goya Award ( the Spanish Academy Awards ) for Best Sound . " Calle 54 " features some legendary Latin musicians , such as Tito Puente , Gato Barbieri , Cachao , Paquito D´Rivera , Jerry Gonzalez , Chucho Valdes and Eliane Elias . There´s even a soundtrack for this one in the U.S. , with some great classic Latin tunes , being released May 8th .
If it reaches your area , check it out , and if you dig the groovy sounds pick up the soundtrack album .
-Patricia Velazquez , who can currently be seen in " The Mummy Returns " as Anck-Su-Namun , has also recently completed her work in a TV mini-series simply titled " Fidel " , currently is post-production . Velazquez plays the role of Mirta Castro in the series about Fidel Castro´s rise to power in Cuba . No release date set just yet .
-John Leguizamo is probably one of the busiest actors in Hollywood this year with a bunch of new movies this year , including : " Moulin Rouge " with Nicole Kidman and directed by Baz Luhrmann , " Empire " , " Collateral Damage " with Arnold Schwarzenegger , " Zigzag " with Wesley Snipes and directed by " Blade " scribe David S. Goyer , " Spun " with Peter Stormare ( " Spun " is the directorial debut of famous music video director Jonas Akerlund ) , and " What´s the Worst that Could Happen ? " with Martin Lawrence and Danny DeVito .
SPAIN
-Actress Aitana Sánchez-Gijón is in a new movie called " Hombres Felices " , directed by Roberto Santiago ( " Ruleta " ) . No details on the story yet , but the IMDB lists the movie as completed since January 28th , so a release date is expected soon . Other cast members include Sergi López and MarÃa Esteve .
BRAZIL
-The name of Walter Salles´s upcoming movie , after he´s done with " Broken April " , has apparently changed from " Assumption of a Virgin " to " To Have Sinned " , although some sites list this movie as " Untitled Fra Lippi Project " . The movie was formerly at Miramax , but has since moved to Dreamworks , and is scheduled for release in 2002 , with shooting taking place in Florence , Italy in the fall of this year . The story follows the troubled life of 15th century Florentine artist Fra Filippo Lippi , to be played by Benicio del Toro , who fell in love with the nun who posed for his paintings . Juliette Binoche is set for the role of the nun .
-The 3rd International Film Festival of BrasÃlia ended this week , and the German film " Gigantic " , helmed by Sebastian Schipper , was the winner of the Buriti Award ( given by the jury ) and the Audience Award . " Gigantic " is the tale of three friends , in their twenties , who are going to throw a farewell party to one of them who is moving out of town .
The Swedish film " Före Stormen " , directed by Marc Foster , got an honorable mention from the jury . A simple story of a chance meeting between cab driver and a boy , " Före Stormen " got great reviews .
COFFIN JOE JR.´S MOVIE REVIEWS
-"Domésticas , O Filme" ("Maids , The Movie")
Oh , boy . This one sucked really , really bad . I hate to give bad reviews to local films , because most of them have a really tough time finding an audience down here , even the ones who get some sort of international acclaim , or win awards at festivals . I don´t think this one is gonna win any awards ( it was featured at the International Film Festival in Rotterdam , Netherlands , believe it or not ) , or get any sort of positive response , so if anyone sees this it will be a miracle . The theater where I saw it was empty , with only a three brave souls , who had to endure some of the most boring crap I´ve seen in quite a while . Clichés , clichés , clichés all over the place . Some of the acting was okay , funny stuff in a really dumb way , but most of the performances were just annoying . One actress in particular , who portrayed this sort of bitchy , sexy maid , truly got on my nerves with her stupid accent and exaggerated facial expressions . Over the top does not begin to describe what she goes for in this movie , with disastous results .
The direction by Fernando Meirelles and Nando Olival , veterans of many TV ads , is all over the place , not really sure of what to do with the weak material they have on their hands ; sometimes they go for some fancy camera trickery to try to spice things up a bit , but mostly the performances are what the movie relies on , and they are not that good , so the whole thing is just one huge smelly piece of poo . No more , no less than that . Meirelles´s and Olival´s work in TV commercials is pretty stylish , so I was a bit disappointed in them , because they are not hacks , it´s just that they made some poor choices . During a recent Q&A , to an auditorium filled with young film students , Meirelles admitted that he doesn´t like the finished film . He forgot to mention what he didn´t like about it , but I can relate to his simple opinion .
The subject of the movie , maids , is packed with possibilities for comedy , interesting characters and situations , and I´m sure it sounded like a great idea on paper , but these guys weren´t able to pull it off . Some of the premises have been done to death , from the mother who is having issues with her daughter , but in the end they are able work it all out because they love each other , to the maid who is tricked , thinking she´s going to pose for a real photographer and become a model , but is actually going to do some pictures for an escort agency . See what I mean ? Haven´t you seen this before ? I know I have .
Visit the official site at : domesticasofilme.com,
( There´s a version of the site in English )
I´m done for the week .
Coffin Joe Jr. says : see ya .
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