The Long Game's actors Julian Works, Miguel Angel Garcia, Jose Julian and Paulina Chavez, play the real-life Mexican American teens in 1950s Texas who defied the odds and beat the elite golfing teams at a whites-only golf club. The actors chat about what it was like playing Latino teens who were seen as outsiders in their own country alongside Jay Hernandez, Cheech Marin and Dennis Quaid. ...
- 4/13/2024
- by luperhaas@cinemovie.tv (Lupe R Haas)
- CineMovie
Mexican entertainer Julián Figueroa has died at the age of 27.
The country’s actors’ guild (La Asociación Nacional de Actores) released a statement on social media announcing his death.
“The Asociación Nacional de Actores mourns the passing of our young member Julián Figueroa,” it wrote.
“Our condolances to his mother, family, friends and colleagues. Rest in peace.”
According to People magazine, Figueroa died on Sunday (9 April) in Mexico City.
An actor and singer, he had released several records with a band, and was in the process of recording his debut solo album. Recently, he was known for starring in the soap opera Mi camino es amarte.
Figueroa’s mother disclosed on Instagram that died of acute myocardial infarction and ventricular fibrillation.
The late musician was the son of late singer Joan Sebastian and actor Maribel Guardia.
On Instagram, Guardia shared a tribute to her son following his death.
“I’m...
The country’s actors’ guild (La Asociación Nacional de Actores) released a statement on social media announcing his death.
“The Asociación Nacional de Actores mourns the passing of our young member Julián Figueroa,” it wrote.
“Our condolances to his mother, family, friends and colleagues. Rest in peace.”
According to People magazine, Figueroa died on Sunday (9 April) in Mexico City.
An actor and singer, he had released several records with a band, and was in the process of recording his debut solo album. Recently, he was known for starring in the soap opera Mi camino es amarte.
Figueroa’s mother disclosed on Instagram that died of acute myocardial infarction and ventricular fibrillation.
The late musician was the son of late singer Joan Sebastian and actor Maribel Guardia.
On Instagram, Guardia shared a tribute to her son following his death.
“I’m...
- 4/11/2023
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - TV
When filming The Long Game, major golf enthusiast Dennis Quaid learned something about making a golf movie the the hard way.
“You don’t get to play that much golf at all,” Quaid tells Den of Geek during a visit to our 2023 SXSW studio.
Directed by Julio Quintana, The Long Game is based on the 2012 book Mustang Miracle by Humberto Garcia. Both the book and now the film recount the real life story of the 1955-1957 San Felipe High School Mustangs golf team in Del Rio, Texas, which made up exclusively of Mexican-American players – a first for the sport.
In a time where golf reserved for wealthy and connected white men, five young Mexican-American caddies broke major cultural barriers by assembling a team to compete against (and ultimately defeat) their white peers. Jay Hernandez (Magnum P.I.) stars as the team’s teach and coach Jb Peña and Quaid as...
“You don’t get to play that much golf at all,” Quaid tells Den of Geek during a visit to our 2023 SXSW studio.
Directed by Julio Quintana, The Long Game is based on the 2012 book Mustang Miracle by Humberto Garcia. Both the book and now the film recount the real life story of the 1955-1957 San Felipe High School Mustangs golf team in Del Rio, Texas, which made up exclusively of Mexican-American players – a first for the sport.
In a time where golf reserved for wealthy and connected white men, five young Mexican-American caddies broke major cultural barriers by assembling a team to compete against (and ultimately defeat) their white peers. Jay Hernandez (Magnum P.I.) stars as the team’s teach and coach Jb Peña and Quaid as...
- 4/5/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Set in 1956 and ’57, The Long Game abounds in spectacular vintage cars, pristine and gleaming and a signal of the tidy shape of the movie’s narrative. That’s not to say there are no ups and downs, no setbacks and reversals in the drama that unfolds, but director Julio Quintana (The Vessel) has tailored it to reassure, using gentle comic strokes and zingy visuals to explore a true story of sports underdogs and their triumph against bigotry. Jay Hernandez provides the grounded enthusiasm as a high school administrator with a passion for golf and a vision of better things for Mexican Americans like him and his students. Together, he and his coltish team, dubbed the Mustangs, take on the country-club set, with Dennis Quaid providing effortless old-timer charm as a key ally and Cheech Marin on hand as a wiseass Yoda.
Hernandez plays Jb Peña, a veteran of World War II who,...
Hernandez plays Jb Peña, a veteran of World War II who,...
- 3/12/2023
- by Sheri Linden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Blumhouse pumps out horror movies like they’re a fast food restaurant and occasionally one or two projects go completely under the radar.
One such film is Boogeyman Pop, a slasher by director Brad Michael Elmore that stars the late Bill Paxton’s son, James Paxton, alongside M.C. Gainey and José Julián.
In the film that’s set over the course of one summer weekend, a bat-wielding, masked killer in a rusted-out black Cadillac weaves in and out of three interlocking stories awash in sex, drugs, punk rock, black magic, and broken homes.
Here’s the kicker. Boogeyman Pop had its World Premiere at the Cinepocalypse Film Festival way back in 2018 followed by Popcorn Frights and has never screened again. It has yet to be released.
Patrick Bromley reviewed it for Bloody Disgusting, writing that it’s “disjointed and confused.”
Produced by Rogue One screenwriter Chris Weitz, the only footage is the below teaser,...
One such film is Boogeyman Pop, a slasher by director Brad Michael Elmore that stars the late Bill Paxton’s son, James Paxton, alongside M.C. Gainey and José Julián.
In the film that’s set over the course of one summer weekend, a bat-wielding, masked killer in a rusted-out black Cadillac weaves in and out of three interlocking stories awash in sex, drugs, punk rock, black magic, and broken homes.
Here’s the kicker. Boogeyman Pop had its World Premiere at the Cinepocalypse Film Festival way back in 2018 followed by Popcorn Frights and has never screened again. It has yet to be released.
Patrick Bromley reviewed it for Bloody Disgusting, writing that it’s “disjointed and confused.”
Produced by Rogue One screenwriter Chris Weitz, the only footage is the below teaser,...
- 1/10/2023
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
Exclusive: The Long Game adds Cheech Marin, Oscar Nuñez, and Brett Cullen to its lineup, joining previously announced Jay Hernandez, Jaina Lee Ortiz, Dennis Quaid, and Julian Works.
Rounding out the cast are Richard Robichaux, Jimmy Gonzales Gregory Diaz IV, Miguel Ángel Garcia, Christian Gallegos, and José Julián.
Marin will portray Pollo, the golf course’s oracular groundskeeper who sets the young caddies on their journey. Diaz, Garcia, Gallegos, and Julián will portray the young golf players. No further details on the remainder of the roles were released.
Based on a true story set in mid-1950s Texas, the film spotlights five young Mexican-American caddies at a local, exclusive golf club where...
Rounding out the cast are Richard Robichaux, Jimmy Gonzales Gregory Diaz IV, Miguel Ángel Garcia, Christian Gallegos, and José Julián.
Marin will portray Pollo, the golf course’s oracular groundskeeper who sets the young caddies on their journey. Diaz, Garcia, Gallegos, and Julián will portray the young golf players. No further details on the remainder of the roles were released.
Based on a true story set in mid-1950s Texas, the film spotlights five young Mexican-American caddies at a local, exclusive golf club where...
- 7/27/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Concordia Seminary’s annual Faith and Film Festival is a gathering to screen and ponder Christian themes in contemporary cinema. Geared toward people interested in film and theology, the festival serves as an opportunity for participants to explore Christian themes in movies and develop eyes to see film in new ways. During the three-day festival, participants will watch films together and hear from theologians, pastors and film critics. Participants should be prepared to engage in challenging discussions about the ways in which the themes of redemption, reconciliation, mercy, grace and more are embedded in film. For more information about the Faith And Film Festival, go to their site Here
Throughout the festival, participants will attend plenary auditorium screenings, as well as breakout sessions where attendees will have an option to choose up to three films, each with their own discussion moderator(s).
Continuing Education credits are available. This is a limited seating event.
Throughout the festival, participants will attend plenary auditorium screenings, as well as breakout sessions where attendees will have an option to choose up to three films, each with their own discussion moderator(s).
Continuing Education credits are available. This is a limited seating event.
- 11/8/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“The Society” will not return for a second season as planned at Netflix, while the streamer is also not moving forward with a second season of “I Am Not Okay With This,” Variety has confirmed.
“I Am Not Okay With This” had been renewed after its first season aired back in February, but its renewal had not been announced. “The Society” had been picked up for a second season last July. The team behind “I Am Not Okay With This” had already begun work on writing a second season.
According to an individual with knowledge of the decisions, both shows were well liked internally at Netflix in addition to the critical acclaim they received upon release, but the plug was pulled on both due to the uncertainty around when they could begin production due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic also leading to added budget increases for health and safety reasons.
“I Am Not Okay With This” had been renewed after its first season aired back in February, but its renewal had not been announced. “The Society” had been picked up for a second season last July. The team behind “I Am Not Okay With This” had already begun work on writing a second season.
According to an individual with knowledge of the decisions, both shows were well liked internally at Netflix in addition to the critical acclaim they received upon release, but the plug was pulled on both due to the uncertainty around when they could begin production due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic also leading to added budget increases for health and safety reasons.
- 8/21/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Premiering at drive-ins and theaters across the United States today is Murder in the Woods, a Latino-led horror movie that pays homage to slasher classics, while not leaning into character stereotypes. I recently had a chance to catch up with director Luis Iga Garza who talked about the journey to get this film on the big screen, the importance of Latino representation in the movie, and more:
"From Rezinate Entertainment and Yel Productions, the award-winning slasher film Murder In The Woods comes to drive-ins and theaters nationwide on August 14, 2020, with a Digital and Video on Demand release slated for September 18, 2020. Directed and produced by Mexican filmmaker Luis Iga Garza (The Call) and written and produced by Yelyna De León, the fun yet frightening thriller stars an exclusively multicultural cast in non-stereotypical roles, including José Julián, Jeanette Samano, Chelsea Rendon, Catherine Toribio (Jane the Virgin), Jordan Diambrini (The Outfield) and Kade Wise...
"From Rezinate Entertainment and Yel Productions, the award-winning slasher film Murder In The Woods comes to drive-ins and theaters nationwide on August 14, 2020, with a Digital and Video on Demand release slated for September 18, 2020. Directed and produced by Mexican filmmaker Luis Iga Garza (The Call) and written and produced by Yelyna De León, the fun yet frightening thriller stars an exclusively multicultural cast in non-stereotypical roles, including José Julián, Jeanette Samano, Chelsea Rendon, Catherine Toribio (Jane the Virgin), Jordan Diambrini (The Outfield) and Kade Wise...
- 8/14/2020
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
The new shocker Murder In The Woods opens Friday at The Galleria Cinema in St. Louis For more info and showtimes, go Here.
Murder In The Woods is centered on a group of college friends who plan a getaway to celebrate a birthday party at a desolate cabin in the woods. Against his grandmother’s (Soledad St. Hilaire) demands, Jesse (José Julián), a loner-type decides to go on a trip with his friends. He is immediately smitten with Fernanda (Jeanette Samano), a sweet girl from Chicago whom he hasn’t seen in years. She is in town visiting her loudmouth cousin, Chelsea (Chelsea Rendon), who is ready to celebrate her birthday and plans to let loose with her boyfriend Gabe (Jordan Diambrini). Tagging along at the last second are Jule (Kade Wise), the class clown pothead, and the very out-of-his-league Celeste (Catherine Toribio). Soon after arriving to the mysterious cabin in the woods,...
Murder In The Woods is centered on a group of college friends who plan a getaway to celebrate a birthday party at a desolate cabin in the woods. Against his grandmother’s (Soledad St. Hilaire) demands, Jesse (José Julián), a loner-type decides to go on a trip with his friends. He is immediately smitten with Fernanda (Jeanette Samano), a sweet girl from Chicago whom he hasn’t seen in years. She is in town visiting her loudmouth cousin, Chelsea (Chelsea Rendon), who is ready to celebrate her birthday and plans to let loose with her boyfriend Gabe (Jordan Diambrini). Tagging along at the last second are Jule (Kade Wise), the class clown pothead, and the very out-of-his-league Celeste (Catherine Toribio). Soon after arriving to the mysterious cabin in the woods,...
- 8/13/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Murder In The Woods is coming to theaters and drive-ins nationwide next Friday, August 14th. It’s a slasher film centered on a group of college friends who plan a getaway to celebrate a Birthday party at a desolate cabin in the woods. Having won 9 awards and selling out all screenings during its festival run, Murder in the Woods is a horror film for a mainstream audience but the cast and crew are all latinx and they’re not portrayed in stereotypical roles. Here’s the trailer:
From Rezinate Entertainment and Yel Productions, the award-winning slasher film Murder In The Woods comes to drive-ins and theaters nationwide on August 14, 2020, with a Digital and Video on Demand release slated for September 18, 2020. Directed and produced by Mexican filmmaker Luis Iga Garza (The Call) and written and produced by Yelyna De León, the fun yet frightening thriller stars an exclusively multicultural cast in non-stereotypical roles,...
From Rezinate Entertainment and Yel Productions, the award-winning slasher film Murder In The Woods comes to drive-ins and theaters nationwide on August 14, 2020, with a Digital and Video on Demand release slated for September 18, 2020. Directed and produced by Mexican filmmaker Luis Iga Garza (The Call) and written and produced by Yelyna De León, the fun yet frightening thriller stars an exclusively multicultural cast in non-stereotypical roles,...
- 8/8/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
"Killer's in the house!" Rezinate Pics has unveiled a trailer for an indie horror film called Murder in the Woods, which is finally releasing this fall after first premiering a few years ago. This "cabin in the woods" horror is about a group of teens who arrive at a mysterious cabin and soon discover the dark secret it holds, which forces them to fight for their lives. Director Luis Iga explains his intentions: "This film showcases the talents of our young diverse cast and I'm proud to say that we have made the first 'All American Slasher' with a full diverse cast in non-stereotypical roles." This stars José Julián, Jeanette Samano, Chelsea Rendon, Catherine Toribio, Kade Wise, Jordan Diambrini, Soledad St. Hilaire, and Rolando Molina, plus Danny Trejo as Sheriff Lorenzo. In my opinion, it looks especially unoriginal and redundant. Here's the first official trailer (+ posters) for Luis Iga's Murder in the Woods,...
- 8/4/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Get ready for more of “The Society.”
Netflix has renewed the drama series for a second season. Series creator Chris Keyser will return as showrunner and executive producer on Season 2, with Marc Webb also returning as executive producer. The second season will go into production later this year for a 2020 launch date on Netflix.
“The Society” follows a group of teenagers who are mysteriously transported to a facsimile of their wealthy New England town without any trace of their parents. Their newfound freedom will be fun, but it will also be very dangerous. As they struggle to figure out what has happened to them and how to get home, they must establish order and form alliances if they want to survive.
The ensemble cast includes Kathryn Newton, Gideon Adlon, Sean Berdy, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Jacques Colimon, Olivia DeJonge, Alex Fitzalan, Kristine Froseth, José Julián, and Alex MacNicoll.
The series has...
Netflix has renewed the drama series for a second season. Series creator Chris Keyser will return as showrunner and executive producer on Season 2, with Marc Webb also returning as executive producer. The second season will go into production later this year for a 2020 launch date on Netflix.
“The Society” follows a group of teenagers who are mysteriously transported to a facsimile of their wealthy New England town without any trace of their parents. Their newfound freedom will be fun, but it will also be very dangerous. As they struggle to figure out what has happened to them and how to get home, they must establish order and form alliances if they want to survive.
The ensemble cast includes Kathryn Newton, Gideon Adlon, Sean Berdy, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Jacques Colimon, Olivia DeJonge, Alex Fitzalan, Kristine Froseth, José Julián, and Alex MacNicoll.
The series has...
- 7/9/2019
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
The Netflix teen drama has almost become a genre in and of itself. Between offerings such as “On My Block,” “Sex Education,” “13 Reasons Why,” and syndicated CW staples like “Riverdale,” the streaming network has found a solid niche in exploring the everyday lives of teenagers, in all their flailing, moody glory.
“The Society,” Netflix’s compelling new drama from “Party of Five” co-creator Christopher Keyser, takes a grab bag of teen tropes and mixes it with “Lord of the Flies” and a vague dose of supernatural intrigue for good measure. Its premise even manages to sidestep the question of what to do with the parents, a typical teen show consideration that some shows (like “Riverdale”) answer by folding the older generation into the action just as much as their scheming kids. “The Society,” by contrast, banishes the adults altogether — and indeed, anyone but the central teens, period.
At first,...
“The Society,” Netflix’s compelling new drama from “Party of Five” co-creator Christopher Keyser, takes a grab bag of teen tropes and mixes it with “Lord of the Flies” and a vague dose of supernatural intrigue for good measure. Its premise even manages to sidestep the question of what to do with the parents, a typical teen show consideration that some shows (like “Riverdale”) answer by folding the older generation into the action just as much as their scheming kids. “The Society,” by contrast, banishes the adults altogether — and indeed, anyone but the central teens, period.
At first,...
- 5/10/2019
- by Caroline Framke
- Variety Film + TV
Young-adult fiction often poses the question of what would happen if kids found themselves without the guiding hands of adults.
Do they emulate what they have seen before or do things crumble down around them?
The Society is the latest such piece of young-adult entertainment that ponders all of those questions, and it manages to do it quite nicely.
The Society's creator is Christopher Keyser who co-created another show that explored similar themes, Party of Five.
While Party of Five featured a close-knit group pulled together when the parents of five children get killed, The Society features a larger group who also seem to have lost their parents -- and everyone else who lived in their town and perhaps the world.
Review: Chambers is An Inspired Thriller that Goes Off the Rails
An occurrence in their town results in all high-school-age kids getting shuffled off to an impromptu school camping excursion.
Do they emulate what they have seen before or do things crumble down around them?
The Society is the latest such piece of young-adult entertainment that ponders all of those questions, and it manages to do it quite nicely.
The Society's creator is Christopher Keyser who co-created another show that explored similar themes, Party of Five.
While Party of Five featured a close-knit group pulled together when the parents of five children get killed, The Society features a larger group who also seem to have lost their parents -- and everyone else who lived in their town and perhaps the world.
Review: Chambers is An Inspired Thriller that Goes Off the Rails
An occurrence in their town results in all high-school-age kids getting shuffled off to an impromptu school camping excursion.
- 5/9/2019
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
Sneak Peek new footage, plus images from "Cocaine Godmother", a biographical crime-drama directed by Guillermo Navarro starring Oscar winner Catherine Zeta-Jones as 'Griselda Blanco', aka the 'Cocaine Godmother', airing on the 'Lifetime' channel, January 20, 2018:
"...'Cocaine Godmother' is based on the life of the Miami 'Cocaine Cowboys' who pioneered the drug trade between Colombia and the Us in the 1970's and early 1980's..."
Cast also includes Raúl Méndez, Juan Pablo Espinosa, Matteo Stefan, Spencer Borgeson and José Julián.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Cocaine Godmother"...
"...'Cocaine Godmother' is based on the life of the Miami 'Cocaine Cowboys' who pioneered the drug trade between Colombia and the Us in the 1970's and early 1980's..."
Cast also includes Raúl Méndez, Juan Pablo Espinosa, Matteo Stefan, Spencer Borgeson and José Julián.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Cocaine Godmother"...
- 12/27/2017
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Murder In The Woods Starring Jose Julian And Danny Trejo Wins Top Award At La Skins Festival Luis Iga’s new ground breaking film Murder in the Woods is already becoming a cult classic. The film has sold out every screening at film festivals to date, and the La Skins Fest was no exception. Hollywood, Calif. …
The post Murder In The Woods Starring Jose Julian And Danny Trejo Wins Top Award At La Skins Festival first appeared on Hnn | Horrornews.net 2017 - Official Horror News Site...
The post Murder In The Woods Starring Jose Julian And Danny Trejo Wins Top Award At La Skins Festival first appeared on Hnn | Horrornews.net 2017 - Official Horror News Site...
- 11/27/2017
- by Mike Joy
- Horror News
Parts Per Nil: McNamara Family Value Aesthetic Lessens Impact of Immigration Issues
As we meander through the opening credits of Sean McNamara’s Spare Parts, we come to the inevitable information announcing that the film is based on a magazine article from Wired by Joshua Davis (who, interestingly, directed a film back in 2000 called West Coast, which has not been released). Significant liberties have been taken to relate the rather inspirational story of four Hispanic (and undocumented) high school students that formed a robotic club and conquered a contest formerly ruled by reigned collegiate MIT students. While McNamara, whose other notable directorial outing was 2011’s family faith-based film Soul Surfer, is always well-meaning with this endeavor and doesn’t lodge into schmaltzy overtones, events and certain realities are unduly softened, as if we were watching a parable about disenfranchised minority teenagers from a slightly more progressive alternate universe.
Oscar Vazquez...
As we meander through the opening credits of Sean McNamara’s Spare Parts, we come to the inevitable information announcing that the film is based on a magazine article from Wired by Joshua Davis (who, interestingly, directed a film back in 2000 called West Coast, which has not been released). Significant liberties have been taken to relate the rather inspirational story of four Hispanic (and undocumented) high school students that formed a robotic club and conquered a contest formerly ruled by reigned collegiate MIT students. While McNamara, whose other notable directorial outing was 2011’s family faith-based film Soul Surfer, is always well-meaning with this endeavor and doesn’t lodge into schmaltzy overtones, events and certain realities are unduly softened, as if we were watching a parable about disenfranchised minority teenagers from a slightly more progressive alternate universe.
Oscar Vazquez...
- 1/12/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Lionsgate has released the trailer for "Spare Parts" starring George Lopez, Jamie Lee Curtis, Carlos PenaVega, Esai Morales, Jose Julian, David Del Rio, Oscar Gutierrez, Alexa PenaVega, Alessandra Rosaldo and Marisa Tomei.
The film was directed by Sean McNamara based on the Wired Magazine article “La Vida Robot” by Joshua Davis and Screenplay by Elissa Matsueda.
"Spare Parts" is a true life story about four Hispanic high school students who form a robotics club under the leadership of their school’s newest teacher, Fredi (George Lopez). With no experience, 800 bucks, used car parts and a dream, this rag tag team goes up against the country’s reigning robotics champion, MIT. On their journey, they learn not only how to build a robot- they learn to build a bond that will last a lifetime.
Have a look at the trailer below.
"Spare Parts" hits theaters on January 16, 2015.
The film was directed by Sean McNamara based on the Wired Magazine article “La Vida Robot” by Joshua Davis and Screenplay by Elissa Matsueda.
"Spare Parts" is a true life story about four Hispanic high school students who form a robotics club under the leadership of their school’s newest teacher, Fredi (George Lopez). With no experience, 800 bucks, used car parts and a dream, this rag tag team goes up against the country’s reigning robotics champion, MIT. On their journey, they learn not only how to build a robot- they learn to build a bond that will last a lifetime.
Have a look at the trailer below.
"Spare Parts" hits theaters on January 16, 2015.
- 11/10/2014
- by Kellvin Chavez
- LRMonline.com
Best Actor nominees 2012: Gary Oldman, Jean Dujardin, Demián Bichir, Brad Pitt, George Clooney Oscar 2012 Best Actor nominees Gary Oldman, Jean Dujardin, Demián Bichir, Brad Pitt and George Clooney at the Oscar Nominees Luncheon held in Beverly Hills on Monday, February 6, 2012. Oldman is in the running for Tomas Alfredson's spy drama Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, featuring John Hurt and Colin Firth; Dujardin for Michel Hazanavicius' silent comedy-drama The Artist, with Bérénice Bejo and John Goodman; Bichir for Chris Weitz's L.A.-set drama A Better Life, with José Julián; Pitt for Bennett Miller's baseball drama Moneyball, with Jonah Hill and Robin Wright; and Clooney for Alexander Payne's family comedy-drama The Descendants, with Shailene Woodley and Judy Greer. (Photo: Todd Wawrychuk / © A.M.P.A.S.) Jean Dujardin, Gary Oldman, and Demián Bichir are first-time Oscar nominees. Brad Pitt has two previous Oscar nominations: Best Actor...
- 2/24/2012
- by D. Zhea
- Alt Film Guide
Behold the power of sending screeners to Academy members. It’s hard to imagine Demián Bichir snagging a nomination for an Oscar for Best Actor (as well as the same nomination from a few other groups, including the Screen Actors Guild and the Independent Spirit Awards) if not for the fact that the film was shoved in front of awards voters. I’m not saying A Better Life is a bad film, but it’s not an especially extraordinary one, and there’s nothing in particular that stands out about Bichir’s performance -- which is indeed quite nice -- that cannot be said about other films that have been overlooked by awards-handing-out organizations. Bichir is Carlos, a poor, hardworking dad in Los Angeles whose primary concern is ensuring that his 14-year-old son, Luis (José Julián), has more opportunities than he ever had. Carlos, from Mexico, is in the U.
- 2/23/2012
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Each week within this column Spirit Award voter & film critic Kristy Puchko will offer a keen insight on a new selection of nominees for the 2012 Spirit Awards, along with any garnered behind-the-scenes exclusives. The Spirit Awards will air February 25th @10Pm on IFC.
Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to be truly surprised by some of this films I saw, but this week was submerged in a bittersweet atmosphere as my quest to see all the Spirit Awards 2012 nominees drew to a close. Part of me is admittedly relieved, as many of these films have been pretty emotionally wrecking, and I must confess craving some more mindless movie fare. Yet I will miss sitting among such a wonderfully engaged audience on a nightly basis. This is a viewing experience not guaranteed in movie theaters and screening rooms, and I will miss the certainty that those with whom I share the darkness of the venue,...
Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to be truly surprised by some of this films I saw, but this week was submerged in a bittersweet atmosphere as my quest to see all the Spirit Awards 2012 nominees drew to a close. Part of me is admittedly relieved, as many of these films have been pretty emotionally wrecking, and I must confess craving some more mindless movie fare. Yet I will miss sitting among such a wonderfully engaged audience on a nightly basis. This is a viewing experience not guaranteed in movie theaters and screening rooms, and I will miss the certainty that those with whom I share the darkness of the venue,...
- 2/14/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Captain America: The First Avenger (12)
(Joe Johnston, 2011, Us) Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weaving, Sebastian Stan. 124 mins
Unsurprisingly, this is the most patriotic of the summer's superhero movies, but there are few surprises all round. The story is largely what you'd imagine from the trailer: wimpy 1940s do-gooder undergoes a fast-track Charles Atlas course, then socks it to the evil über-Nazis. It's like Inglourious Basterds meets Indiana Jones, although the wholesome tone and white-bread heroism diminish the effects-driven spectacle, and the real second world war is reduced to mere set dressing.
Our Day Will Come (18)
(Romain Gavras, 2010, Fra) Vincent Cassel, Olivier Barthelemy, Justine Lerooy. 83 mins
Edgy provocateur alert! Expanding on the redhead persecution theme he developed in his Mia video, Gavras's debut follows ginger alienation to its conclusion, as Cassel and Barthelemy head out on the highway to oblivion, without a map or a ferry timetable.
Arrietty (U)
(Hiromasa Yonebayashi,...
(Joe Johnston, 2011, Us) Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weaving, Sebastian Stan. 124 mins
Unsurprisingly, this is the most patriotic of the summer's superhero movies, but there are few surprises all round. The story is largely what you'd imagine from the trailer: wimpy 1940s do-gooder undergoes a fast-track Charles Atlas course, then socks it to the evil über-Nazis. It's like Inglourious Basterds meets Indiana Jones, although the wholesome tone and white-bread heroism diminish the effects-driven spectacle, and the real second world war is reduced to mere set dressing.
Our Day Will Come (18)
(Romain Gavras, 2010, Fra) Vincent Cassel, Olivier Barthelemy, Justine Lerooy. 83 mins
Edgy provocateur alert! Expanding on the redhead persecution theme he developed in his Mia video, Gavras's debut follows ginger alienation to its conclusion, as Cassel and Barthelemy head out on the highway to oblivion, without a map or a ferry timetable.
Arrietty (U)
(Hiromasa Yonebayashi,...
- 7/29/2011
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Illegal immigrant drama A Better Life arrives in the UK. And here's what we thought of it...
All joking and snobbery aside, why do we watch films from other countries? They so often tell stories which are, by their nature, foreign to our experience, and represent lifestyles that exist far outside the context of our day-to-day doings. The assumption is that the broadening of horizons leads to greater cultural awareness, and also a greater global appreciation of cinema as an artform.
Sadly, illegal immigrant drama, A Better Life, doesn't tick either of those artistic boxes, and it's rather curious that it has been internationally distributed at all. It tells the two-pronged story of Carlos (Demián Bichir), a hard working gardener, and Luis (José Julián), his teenage son, as they live the uneasy existence which the American Dream has become for Mexican residents in California.
Without citizenship, Carlos toils away at laborious cash-in-hand jobs,...
All joking and snobbery aside, why do we watch films from other countries? They so often tell stories which are, by their nature, foreign to our experience, and represent lifestyles that exist far outside the context of our day-to-day doings. The assumption is that the broadening of horizons leads to greater cultural awareness, and also a greater global appreciation of cinema as an artform.
Sadly, illegal immigrant drama, A Better Life, doesn't tick either of those artistic boxes, and it's rather curious that it has been internationally distributed at all. It tells the two-pronged story of Carlos (Demián Bichir), a hard working gardener, and Luis (José Julián), his teenage son, as they live the uneasy existence which the American Dream has become for Mexican residents in California.
Without citizenship, Carlos toils away at laborious cash-in-hand jobs,...
- 7/29/2011
- Den of Geek
Whether you're in favour of illegal immigration in the USA or not, Chris Weitz's A Better Life is definitely an eye-opener.
Set in East Los Angeles, we follow Carlos Galindo (Demián Bichir), a Mexican illegal immigrant. He works seven days a week as a gardener/tree trimmer for a Hispanic entrepreneur (Joaquín Cosio) who has the U.S. citizenship. Carlos also has a son, Luis (José Julián). Before he retires, the entrepreneur tells Carlos he wants to sell his truck and his equipments. To buy the truck and, by extension, the American dream, Carlos borrows money from his sister, Anita (Dolores Heredia), who has her citizenship.
With his new truck, Carlos finally gets to go to a pick-up site and handpick an illegal immigrant who will get to work for him. Carlos also believes that he'll finally be able to give to his son what he never had and...
Set in East Los Angeles, we follow Carlos Galindo (Demián Bichir), a Mexican illegal immigrant. He works seven days a week as a gardener/tree trimmer for a Hispanic entrepreneur (Joaquín Cosio) who has the U.S. citizenship. Carlos also has a son, Luis (José Julián). Before he retires, the entrepreneur tells Carlos he wants to sell his truck and his equipments. To buy the truck and, by extension, the American dream, Carlos borrows money from his sister, Anita (Dolores Heredia), who has her citizenship.
With his new truck, Carlos finally gets to go to a pick-up site and handpick an illegal immigrant who will get to work for him. Carlos also believes that he'll finally be able to give to his son what he never had and...
- 7/28/2011
- by noreply@blogger.com (Anh Khoi Do)
- The Cultural Post
A Better Life
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Cast: Demián Bichir, José Julián
Running Time: 1 hr 40 mins
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: July 15, 2011
Plot: A gardener (Bichir) in East L.A. buys a landscaping truck hoping to make a better world for his son (Julián). Things turn terribly difficult and Carlos must fight to maintain his son, his possessions and the dream of a better life.
Who’S It For? I try to dissect that question in the review below. It’s a difficult sell.
Overall
Life is difficult. Everyone knows this except maybe Paris Hilton. A Better Life comes along and reminds us things could be worse.
The film could best be described as getting into the wrestling ring with The Rock. Thousands of people are cheering, though mainly for him. But still, there’s excitement in the air. You’ve never had this chance before. Outside of the ring, life was awful,...
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Cast: Demián Bichir, José Julián
Running Time: 1 hr 40 mins
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: July 15, 2011
Plot: A gardener (Bichir) in East L.A. buys a landscaping truck hoping to make a better world for his son (Julián). Things turn terribly difficult and Carlos must fight to maintain his son, his possessions and the dream of a better life.
Who’S It For? I try to dissect that question in the review below. It’s a difficult sell.
Overall
Life is difficult. Everyone knows this except maybe Paris Hilton. A Better Life comes along and reminds us things could be worse.
The film could best be described as getting into the wrestling ring with The Rock. Thousands of people are cheering, though mainly for him. But still, there’s excitement in the air. You’ve never had this chance before. Outside of the ring, life was awful,...
- 7/15/2011
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
Growing up, did you ever hear “why do you think I”m doing this? I’m doing this for You!” from your parents? In my old neighborhood that was bandied about almost daily. But kids never listen, never take it to heart. But with A Better Life, what parents do for their kids is laid out right in front of you. A Better Life is a beautifully made film that is a love story between a father and his son, and shows the lengths a father will go to in order to give his child the best he’s able to give.
Luis Galindo is a kid in East L.A. Luis and his friends speak in broken Spanglish, slowly losing the fluency with their parent’s language by their own need to carve out a niche for themselves. Luis is in love with Ruthie, whose uncles are hard-core Latino gang members.
Luis Galindo is a kid in East L.A. Luis and his friends speak in broken Spanglish, slowly losing the fluency with their parent’s language by their own need to carve out a niche for themselves. Luis is in love with Ruthie, whose uncles are hard-core Latino gang members.
- 7/15/2011
- by Denise Kitashima Dutton
- Atomic Popcorn
Chicago – One of the most contentious issues in America now is the handling of “illegal” immigrants from Mexico. They, like anyone else, want a better circumstance for themselves and their families, as director Chris Weitz explores in the new film “A Better Life.”
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Essentially a modern re-telling of Victorio De Sica’s “The Bicycle Thief,” A Better Life mines the emotional journey of its protagonists, a father and son trying to get somewhere, anywhere in the midst of the slave wages and substandard living conditions for the illegal immigrant in this country. Surrounding the father is a cloak of pressure-filled fear, and even when a sliver of hope appears on the horizon it comes with consequences.
Carlos (Demián Bichir) life is one of redundant hard labor, earning a living sub contracting through a friend’s landscaping business. He has been in America illegally since he and his wife escaped from Mexico years before.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Essentially a modern re-telling of Victorio De Sica’s “The Bicycle Thief,” A Better Life mines the emotional journey of its protagonists, a father and son trying to get somewhere, anywhere in the midst of the slave wages and substandard living conditions for the illegal immigrant in this country. Surrounding the father is a cloak of pressure-filled fear, and even when a sliver of hope appears on the horizon it comes with consequences.
Carlos (Demián Bichir) life is one of redundant hard labor, earning a living sub contracting through a friend’s landscaping business. He has been in America illegally since he and his wife escaped from Mexico years before.
- 7/8/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – In our latest drama edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 35 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of the new film “A Better Life” from Oscar-nominated director Chris Weitz (“The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” “About a Boy” and “The Golden Compass”)!
“A Better Life” stars Demián Bichir, José Julián, Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo, Joaquín Cosio, Nancy Lenehan, Gabriel Chavarria, Bobby Soto, Chelsea Rendon, Trampas Thompson, Tim Griffin, Valorie Hubbard, Dolores Heredia, Isabella Rae Thomas, Carlos Linares and Robert Peters from director Chris Weitz and writers Eric Eason and Roger L. Simon.
To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “A Better Life” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This screening is on Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and win can be found beneath the graphic below.
The movie...
“A Better Life” stars Demián Bichir, José Julián, Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo, Joaquín Cosio, Nancy Lenehan, Gabriel Chavarria, Bobby Soto, Chelsea Rendon, Trampas Thompson, Tim Griffin, Valorie Hubbard, Dolores Heredia, Isabella Rae Thomas, Carlos Linares and Robert Peters from director Chris Weitz and writers Eric Eason and Roger L. Simon.
To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “A Better Life” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This screening is on Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and win can be found beneath the graphic below.
The movie...
- 6/29/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Premiering at the Los Angeles Film Festival for the first time in front of a large audience, A Better Life proves that it has a lot of heart. Although, sadly, it won't appeal to a mass audience, it will find a good niche who will appreciate the human elements depicted in the midst of a controversial issue where the humanity is usually forgotten.
Popular Mexican actor Demian Bechir stars as Carlos, an undocumented Mexican immigrant who is trying to make a better life for his son. He tries to remain as invisible as possible in the densely populated east Los Angeles where he lives with his "Americanized" child, played by newcomer José Julián.
Carlos is convinced by a friend to buy his truck and start his own landscaping business. He finally finds the money to do so, but things soon take a turn for the worst when the vehicle is stolen.
Popular Mexican actor Demian Bechir stars as Carlos, an undocumented Mexican immigrant who is trying to make a better life for his son. He tries to remain as invisible as possible in the densely populated east Los Angeles where he lives with his "Americanized" child, played by newcomer José Julián.
Carlos is convinced by a friend to buy his truck and start his own landscaping business. He finally finds the money to do so, but things soon take a turn for the worst when the vehicle is stolen.
- 6/28/2011
- by alyssa@mediavine.com (Alyssa Caverley)
- Reel Movie News
Summary: Father and son risk it all for their future on the streets of East L.A.
When a movie is about something, truly about something, it goes a long way. When characters rooted in a place and time are faced with a seemingly insurmountable problem they can't help but attempt to solve, I appreciate it. A Better Life is one such movie. Carlos Galindo (Demián Bichir) is a gardener living in East L.A., but not legally. His wife left a long time ago. His teenage son Luis (José Julián) goes to a rough school, because their house is in a rough neighborhood. Even though Luis is angry and distant, Carlos wants the best for him. And then he hears about the truck for sale.
Screen Frontpage
read more...
When a movie is about something, truly about something, it goes a long way. When characters rooted in a place and time are faced with a seemingly insurmountable problem they can't help but attempt to solve, I appreciate it. A Better Life is one such movie. Carlos Galindo (Demián Bichir) is a gardener living in East L.A., but not legally. His wife left a long time ago. His teenage son Luis (José Julián) goes to a rough school, because their house is in a rough neighborhood. Even though Luis is angry and distant, Carlos wants the best for him. And then he hears about the truck for sale.
Screen Frontpage
read more...
- 6/24/2011
- by Benny Gammerman
- Filmology
Writer: Eric Eason
Director: Chris Weitz
Cast: Demián Bichir, José Julián, Carlos Linares
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Chris Weitz surprised me on this one. From the filmmaker of The Twilight Saga: New Moon comes a very small, intimate, and touching look at a father and son learning to understand each other against the backdrop of East Los Angeles. Weitz could have done any film after the financial success of the second film in the Twilight series, but he opted to do this one. For this, I admire Chris Weitz. That said, A Better Life is film that has its moments that come off as strong, but what bothers some viewers about this film is that it doesn’t take its themes and ideas and explore them any deeper than it should.
Read more on Theatrical Review: A Better Life...
Director: Chris Weitz
Cast: Demián Bichir, José Julián, Carlos Linares
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Chris Weitz surprised me on this one. From the filmmaker of The Twilight Saga: New Moon comes a very small, intimate, and touching look at a father and son learning to understand each other against the backdrop of East Los Angeles. Weitz could have done any film after the financial success of the second film in the Twilight series, but he opted to do this one. For this, I admire Chris Weitz. That said, A Better Life is film that has its moments that come off as strong, but what bothers some viewers about this film is that it doesn’t take its themes and ideas and explore them any deeper than it should.
Read more on Theatrical Review: A Better Life...
- 6/23/2011
- by Rudie Obias
- GordonandtheWhale
The idea of an “American Dream” is predicated on the idea that we all live in the same America. A Better Life, the new film from director Chris Weitz (About A Boy, New Moon), gives us a glimpse into the life of a Mexican father who has crossed into America and tried to establish himself in our country. Far too often this sort of story is told from the top-down as a political issue, starring facts, figures and xenophobia. It’s a pleasure to see this from a more humane point of a view. Although, to be fair, maybe “humane” isn’t the right choice of words for the characters’ existence.
Carlos (Demian Bichir, in a knock-out performance) is stuck in an relentless cycle. He works seven days a week as a landscaper on some of the nicest homes in Los Angeles, only to return to his ramshackle home in...
Carlos (Demian Bichir, in a knock-out performance) is stuck in an relentless cycle. He works seven days a week as a landscaper on some of the nicest homes in Los Angeles, only to return to his ramshackle home in...
- 6/23/2011
- by Mike Anton
- The Film Stage
My heart sank a little when Carlos (Demián Bichir), a Mexican working as a gardener in Los Angeles to support his teenage son Luis (José Julián), lays out all of the reasons he should not buy a truck near the beginning of A Better Life. On the terms of the illegal immigrant narrative, his reasons -- no license, no papers; fear off getting pulled over, or into an accident -- were as good as a gun in director Chris Weitz's hands: You know that thing is gonna go off.
- 6/23/2011
- Movieline
It shouldn't be a consideration while watching "A Better Life" that it came into being as a form of payback for Chris Weitz, who last directed "Twilight: New Moon" for Summit Entertainment and was rewarded with a greenlight for that all-too-rare creature these days - the studio film for adults. But it has to be since it isn't just the filmmaker who's allowed to enjoy telling a story closer to his own heart, but the audience who benefits the most.
If "A Better Life" has a fault, it may be that it isn't adult enough, that its story of an illegal immigrant (Demian Bichir) whose been toiling out as a gardener on the lawns of the rich in Los Angeles to make ends meet is a bit too simple, though that would be ignoring its elegance. Carlos, the gardener, is beyond reproach, though life has been unquestionably unfair to him.
If "A Better Life" has a fault, it may be that it isn't adult enough, that its story of an illegal immigrant (Demian Bichir) whose been toiling out as a gardener on the lawns of the rich in Los Angeles to make ends meet is a bit too simple, though that would be ignoring its elegance. Carlos, the gardener, is beyond reproach, though life has been unquestionably unfair to him.
- 6/23/2011
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
Hitting movie theaters this weekend:
Bad Teacher – Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Justin Timberlake
A Better Life - Demián Bichir, José Julián, Eddie ‘Piolin’ Sotelo
Cars 2 – Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine
Movie of the Week
Bad Teacher
The Stars: Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Justin Timberlake
The Plot: A comedy centered around a foul-mouthed, junior high teacher (Diaz) who, after being dumped by her sugar daddy, begins to woo a colleague — a move that pits her against a well-loved teacher.
The Buzz: Nope, no buzz. No competition here. Bad Teacher could (or should) be Diaz’ swan song as a sex symbol, she’s just not looking the part these days. Director Jake Kasdan does have some reputable directorial chops, most notably five episodes of Freaks and Geeks, but this looks to be just another lukewarm comedy. A weak cast and a weak premise will probably doom this film at the box office.
Bad Teacher – Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Justin Timberlake
A Better Life - Demián Bichir, José Julián, Eddie ‘Piolin’ Sotelo
Cars 2 – Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine
Movie of the Week
Bad Teacher
The Stars: Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Justin Timberlake
The Plot: A comedy centered around a foul-mouthed, junior high teacher (Diaz) who, after being dumped by her sugar daddy, begins to woo a colleague — a move that pits her against a well-loved teacher.
The Buzz: Nope, no buzz. No competition here. Bad Teacher could (or should) be Diaz’ swan song as a sex symbol, she’s just not looking the part these days. Director Jake Kasdan does have some reputable directorial chops, most notably five episodes of Freaks and Geeks, but this looks to be just another lukewarm comedy. A weak cast and a weak premise will probably doom this film at the box office.
- 6/22/2011
- by Aaron Ruffcorn
- The Scorecard Review
They are among us, even when we don't see them. They are aliens in our land, but they're not from a galaxy far, far away, they're from a country that may be far, far away. Or as close as next door. Nearly every country on Earth deals with the alien challenge; some are welcoming, some are wary, and some are downright hostile. In the United States, where waves of immigrants have populated the country for more than 200 years, the issue has become choked with so much charged political rhetoric that it often clouds the true feelings of individuals who themselves come from immigrant stock. In A Better Life, the key difference between Carlos Galindo (Demián Bichir) and his son Luis (José Julián) is that...
- 6/22/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Reviewed by Jay Antani
(June 2011)
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Written by: Eric Eason
Starring: Demián Bichir, José Julián, Dolores Heredia, Joaquín Cosío and Carlos Linares
In “A Better Life,” an illegal Mexican immigrant named Carlos (Demián Bichir) struggles to make ends meet as a gardener in modern-day Los Angeles. His son Luis (José Julián), alienated and adrift, is a high-school misfit, a thug in the making. After borrowing funds from his sister, Carlos acquires a truck and tools to start his own gardener’s business. The business offers Carlos a ray of hope, a way out of poverty for himself and his son.
But no sooner have the clouds of despair lifted than Carlos’ truck and tools are stolen, leaving father and son in a desperate search through the city’s Latino neighborhoods to recover them. Along the way, the wayward Luis finds greater respect and understanding — for his past,...
(June 2011)
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Written by: Eric Eason
Starring: Demián Bichir, José Julián, Dolores Heredia, Joaquín Cosío and Carlos Linares
In “A Better Life,” an illegal Mexican immigrant named Carlos (Demián Bichir) struggles to make ends meet as a gardener in modern-day Los Angeles. His son Luis (José Julián), alienated and adrift, is a high-school misfit, a thug in the making. After borrowing funds from his sister, Carlos acquires a truck and tools to start his own gardener’s business. The business offers Carlos a ray of hope, a way out of poverty for himself and his son.
But no sooner have the clouds of despair lifted than Carlos’ truck and tools are stolen, leaving father and son in a desperate search through the city’s Latino neighborhoods to recover them. Along the way, the wayward Luis finds greater respect and understanding — for his past,...
- 6/21/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Reviewed by Jay Antani
(June 2011)
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Written by: Eric Eason
Starring: Demián Bichir, José Julián, Dolores Heredia, Joaquín Cosío and Carlos Linares
In “A Better Life,” an illegal Mexican immigrant named Carlos (Demián Bichir) struggles to make ends meet as a gardener in modern-day Los Angeles. His son Luis (José Julián), alienated and adrift, is a high-school misfit, a thug in the making. After borrowing funds from his sister, Carlos acquires a truck and tools to start his own gardener’s business. The business offers Carlos a ray of hope, a way out of poverty for himself and his son.
But no sooner have the clouds of despair lifted than Carlos’ truck and tools are stolen, leaving father and son in a desperate search through the city’s Latino neighborhoods to recover them. Along the way, the wayward Luis finds greater respect and understanding — for his past,...
(June 2011)
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Written by: Eric Eason
Starring: Demián Bichir, José Julián, Dolores Heredia, Joaquín Cosío and Carlos Linares
In “A Better Life,” an illegal Mexican immigrant named Carlos (Demián Bichir) struggles to make ends meet as a gardener in modern-day Los Angeles. His son Luis (José Julián), alienated and adrift, is a high-school misfit, a thug in the making. After borrowing funds from his sister, Carlos acquires a truck and tools to start his own gardener’s business. The business offers Carlos a ray of hope, a way out of poverty for himself and his son.
But no sooner have the clouds of despair lifted than Carlos’ truck and tools are stolen, leaving father and son in a desperate search through the city’s Latino neighborhoods to recover them. Along the way, the wayward Luis finds greater respect and understanding — for his past,...
- 6/21/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Along with his brother Paul, Chris Weitz made a name for himself helming comedies, beginning with the first "American Pie" in 1999. That was followed by the Chris Rock vehicle "Down to Earth" and "About a Boy," the latter of which earned the brothers Oscar nominations for their screenplay adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel. Then there was a departure into what Weitz refers to as his "special effect/talking animal period"—adaptations of the popular books "The Golden Compass" and "Twilight: New Moon." But now Weitz emerges from those big-budget spectacles with his most intimate and moving film to date, "A Better Life," which chronicles the story of single father Carlos (Demián Bichir), an illegal immigrant in East L.A. who works as a gardener and aspires to start his own business to provide a better future for his teenage son, Luis (José Julián). It's a beautifully examined slice-of-life story that will strike.
- 6/18/2011
- by help@backstage.com (Jenelle Riley)
- backstage.com
The Los Angeles Film Festival has announced the world premiere of Richard Linklater's Bernie as the opening night film for the 2011 festival.
The film will kick off the festival on June 16 at Regal Cinemas Stadium 14 at L.A. Live. It is written by Skip Hollandsworth and director Linklater and stars Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, and Matthew McConaughey.
The film follows a beloved mortician (Black) from a small Texas town, even winning over the town's richest, meanest widow (MacLaine). Even after Bernie commits a horrible crime, people still will not utter a bad word against him.
"We're thrilled to be opening the Festival with the world premiere of this delicious black comedy - a treat from one of the most original and exciting voices in independent film, Richard Linklater," said Festival director Rebecca Yeldham. "With its fabulous all-star cast, Bernie is a perfect stage setter for the incredible line-up of...
The film will kick off the festival on June 16 at Regal Cinemas Stadium 14 at L.A. Live. It is written by Skip Hollandsworth and director Linklater and stars Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, and Matthew McConaughey.
The film follows a beloved mortician (Black) from a small Texas town, even winning over the town's richest, meanest widow (MacLaine). Even after Bernie commits a horrible crime, people still will not utter a bad word against him.
"We're thrilled to be opening the Festival with the world premiere of this delicious black comedy - a treat from one of the most original and exciting voices in independent film, Richard Linklater," said Festival director Rebecca Yeldham. "With its fabulous all-star cast, Bernie is a perfect stage setter for the incredible line-up of...
- 5/30/2011
- by alyssa@mediavine.com (Alyssa Caverley)
- Reel Movie News
Ryan Gosling, Drive Also at the Los Angeles Film Festival 2011: the world premiere of Chris Weitz's A Better Life and the North American premiere of Nicolas Winding Refn's Palme d'Or competitor Drive, starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan. Best known at this stage for handling a vampire (Robert Pattinson), a werewolf (Taylor Lautner), and the woman between (Kristen Stewart) in The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Chris Weitz has now tackled a low-budget, socially conscious drama featuring plain old human beings. The Laff's press release describes A Better Life as "the poignant, suspenseful tale of an illegal immigrant in La struggling to build a better life for his beloved son." Written by Eric Eason from a story by Roger L. Simon, A Better Life stars Demián Bichir, José Julián, Dolores Heredia, Joaquín Cosío and Carlos Linares. Summit Entertainment will have a limited release of the film on June...
- 5/11/2011
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
It's been a long time coming and finally news has broken about when your first opportunity to see the Guillermo del Toro produced and Troy Nixey directed remake of the Seventies TV scare-a-thon Don't Be Afraid of the Dark! California residents you Do Not want to miss this!
From the Press Release
Today the Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times and supported by L.A. Live, announced Guillermo del Toro as Guest Director, as well as film selections for closing night, a special screening, galas, conversations and more. As previously announced, the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival will screen a diverse slate of over 200 feature films, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries. The Festival – produced by Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that also produces the Spirit Awards – will announce opening night, additional galas, special guests and programming for the Festival Talks later this month.
From the Press Release
Today the Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times and supported by L.A. Live, announced Guillermo del Toro as Guest Director, as well as film selections for closing night, a special screening, galas, conversations and more. As previously announced, the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival will screen a diverse slate of over 200 feature films, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries. The Festival – produced by Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that also produces the Spirit Awards – will announce opening night, additional galas, special guests and programming for the Festival Talks later this month.
- 5/11/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Watching the trailer for A Better Life, you'd never guess it's from Chris Weitz, the director of American Pie, The Golden Compass, About a Boy and The Twilight Saga: New Moon. There's no big concept here, it's a small film full of unknowns about an illegal immigrant in Los Angeles working hard to make a better life for his son. Check out the moving trailer, see the poster, images and read more about the movie after the break. A Better Life will be released June 24. Thanks to 24 Frames [1] for the premiere of this trailer. Just a quick note, however, before you watch it. Like most trailers that are released these days, this trailer basically gives away the whole movie. [The embed code was disabled, so you've gotta click here to go over to the page.] [2] The film stars Demian Bichir, José Julián, Dolores Heredia, Joaquín Cosio, Carlos Linares and is written by Eric Eason. Here's the plot description from the official site [3]: From the director...
- 2/24/2011
- by Germain Lussier
- Slash Film
After making a film that does well at the box office but is pretty much reviled by critics, where does a director with a slightly shaky career go? For what was at one time possibly going to be his last film, Chris Weitz decided to go to California. The La Times has premiered the first trailer for his upcoming drama, Summit Entertainment’s A Better Life, which is centered around an illegal immigrant (Demián Bichir) and his teenage son (José Julián).
Written by Eric Eason, the movie follows our lead, Carlos, searching for his stolen truck that he depends upon for his job, leading to him and his son looking for it. While they run into trouble on their quest, searching for it together could potentially bring them closer. The film that this most closely resembles is obviously Vittorio De Sica‘s Bicycle Thieves, one of the most acclaimed films ever made.
Written by Eric Eason, the movie follows our lead, Carlos, searching for his stolen truck that he depends upon for his job, leading to him and his son looking for it. While they run into trouble on their quest, searching for it together could potentially bring them closer. The film that this most closely resembles is obviously Vittorio De Sica‘s Bicycle Thieves, one of the most acclaimed films ever made.
- 2/24/2011
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Chris Weitz, the director of Twilight: New Moon and The Golden Compass went on to direct a low-budget drama called A Better Life, and it looks like a very good film. The La Times recently debuted the first trailer for the film which follows "the relationship between illegal immigrant Carlos Galindo (Mexican actor Demián Bichir) and his teenage son, Luis (José Julián). When Carlos’ truck is stolen, the father is powerless to turn to law enforcement, but the crisis brings him closer to his potentially wayward son." According to the La Times,
Weitz shot the film in about 70 Southern California locations, employing any number of Latino crew members for a movie that contains a significant amount of Spanish dialogue.“It’s a story about a Mexican immigrant,” Weitz says, “a very hard-working man, and the threats to his livelihood and his life.”
The movie is scheduled to be released on June 24th.
Weitz shot the film in about 70 Southern California locations, employing any number of Latino crew members for a movie that contains a significant amount of Spanish dialogue.“It’s a story about a Mexican immigrant,” Weitz says, “a very hard-working man, and the threats to his livelihood and his life.”
The movie is scheduled to be released on June 24th.
- 2/24/2011
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
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