August 13, 2012 12:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time MundoFox Goes Live: New Network Launches for Latino Audiences Across the U.S.
Fox International Channels and RCN Television Group premiere Spanish-language TV network that brings innovative drama, comedy, news and game shows to millions of Hispanic viewers
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MundoFox, the new Spanish-language broadcast network from Fox International Channels and RCN Television Group of Colombia launches today with an impressive line-up of scripted dramas, news, sports, game shows and comedy. The launch positions MundoFox as the newest player in the underserved Hispanic media marketplace.
MundoFox is proud to have a diverse roster of quality programming that echoes the interests of the ‘New Latino’ viewer. Network viewers can tune in to see such well-known stars as Marlon Moreno, Maria Adelaida Puerta and Andres Suarez in the Spanish hit “El Capo.” The acclaimed Mexican actors Veronica Castro, Jaime Camil and Ludwika Paleta star in “Los Exitosos Perez.” Carlos Espejel, Mexican telenovela actor and comedian, and Roselyn Sanchez, Puerto Rican singer-songwriter/actress in the upcoming comedy series “EXPOSOS” and Christopher Von Uckermann, star of the critically-acclaimed series “Kdabra.” The brilliant and funny Marco Antonio Regil will host the new game show “Minuto Para Ganar“ and every weeknight, the Peabody Award-winning journalist Rolando Nichols will anchor “Noticias MundoFox” at 6 p.m., the only newscast in Spanish to be produced live for both the East and the West Coast.
The MundoFox lineup includes:
•El Capo 2 – the second season of one of the most successful Spanish-Language teleseries ever created, based on the story of the fictional drug lord Pedro Pablo Jaramillo, will air every weeknight at 9 (8 Central).
•Los Exitosos Perez – a story where identity theft is the groundbreaking plot and where the sentimental bonds of Martin Perez are managed with a tone of comedy.
•Kdabra – mystery, magic, and intrigue that gathers elements from the real and the supernatural worlds; where the enthralling mystery surrounding its main character, a 17-year-old teenager who has escaped from a dark community- triggers a series of unexpected events.
•Tiempo Final – each week, the characters face a dead end or an inevitable fate that will change their lives forever — from lovers who are exhausted by their anonymity and decide to disclose their relationship to a serial murderer who is hiding under the harmless image of a plumber or a bachelor party that quickly becomes one that will not be forgotten.
•Minuto para Ganar – an entertainment program adapted from the wildly successful U.S. show "Minute to Win It" whereby contestants play ten challenges, each lasting one minute..
•Betty La Fea – one of the most popular Spanish-Language shows ever created, for the first time in the US in half-hour versions.
•American Dad - one of the most successful animated comedies, from Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane, will air in late night.
•Las Santísimas – the Latino version of “Sex and the City”, following the lives of five women from different backgrounds who, in their pursuit for happiness, encounter both internal and external obstacles.
•Pobres Rico – the story of a wealthy family cut off from their riches by betrayal from within. Fate and necessity force them into an uneasy alliance with a rival family, but love blossoms in unexpected places teaching both families lessons about trust, unity and solidarity.
•El Joe, La Leyenda – a seventies period drama based on the exclusive story of music legend Joe Arroyo, a young, fun-loving but happily engaged musician, who indulges in a weekend fling with an alluring young woman, who unbeknownst to him, is the daughter of a music mogul. However, an unexpected series of twists and turns will conspire to bring the lovers together again years later and reignite their forbidden affair.
•Nat Geo Kids – the U.S.’ most popular kids magazine turned TV by MundoFox including great fact-filled, fast paced kids programming originally produced by National Geographic.
•UFC-LIVE – action from the premier mixed martial arts organization with the most top-ranked fighters in the world. Live events will air throughout the year on MundoFox.
MundoFox has already built a base of 50 affiliate stations in markets representing 80% of U.S. Hispanic households, and the network is confident its groundbreaking and innovative program mix will appeal to a significant portion of the 52 million (and growing) Latinos who live in the U.S. MundoFox will be available on broadcast over-the-air television, as well as through cable, satellite and telco providers (for local channel number information, please visit mundofox.com or call your cable, satellite or telco provider).
Knowing that the entertainment wants and needs of American Latinos have changed and continue to evolve, MundoFox is targeting this new mindset with “Latino entertainment, American attitude”. MundoFox is set to capture the imagination of this bi-cultural audience that lives in both the English and Spanish speaking worlds with a mix of well-produced, culturally relevant and sophisticated programming.
“We’ve reached a tipping point in the evolution of U.S. Spanish-language programming and the time is right for MundoFox,” said Emiliano Saccone, President of MundoFox. “Like we did in 1986 when we launched Fox Broadcasting, we’ve read the landscape and believe the time is now. We know that while there is incredible competition in this arena, our strong line-up of inspired and creative programs, robust foundation of affiliates, internationally recognized advertisers and clear sense of direction are a formula for long-term success.”
Demographic experts expect the burgeoning population of U.S. Latinos to reach 133 million by 2050, meaning that nearly one in three Americans will be Hispanic. Fifty percent of U.S. population growth over the past decade has come from this group with an annual spending power of $1 trillion. This number is forecast to climb to $1.5 trillion by 2015, according to Nielsen Media Research. Advertisers understand the power of these numbers. Toyota Motor Sales USA, L’Oreal and T-Mobile USA are among over fifty advertisers already committed to MundoFox.
About MundoFox
MundoFox is a joint venture between Fox International Channels (FIC), News Corporation’s international multi-media business, and RCN, the leading Latin American television network and production company belonging to Organización Ardila Lülle (OAL). Together, FIC and RCN currently reach over 1.2 billion households worldwide with primetime comedies, dramas and daytime series, as well as factual, sports and lifestyle programming. Additionally, both operate and program cable networks and twenty-four-hour global news channels. The new network, headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, will launch in August of 2012.
For more information, visit MundoFox online at http://us.mundofox.com/.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Saturday, August 11, 2012
New "Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away" Movie Poster is Released
http://www.worldsaway3d.com/
Review: Peter Cushing is Cool in Lame "Island of Terror" (Remembering Peter Cushing)
Island of Terror (1966)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UK
Running time: 89 minutes - USA (1 hour, 29 minutes)
DIRECTOR: Terence Fisher
WRITERS: Edward Andrew Mann and Alan Ramsen
PRODUCER: Tom Blakeley
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Reginald H. Wyer
EDITOR: Thelma Connell
COMPOSER: Malcolm Lockyer
HORROR/SCI-FI
Starring: Peter Cushing, Edward Judd, Carole Gray, Eddie Byrne, Sam Kydd, Niall MacGinnis, James Caffrey, and Liam Gaffney
The subject of this movie review is Island of Terror, a 1966 British horror film starring Peter Cushing. The film was made and released by Planet Film Productions, but in the U.S., Universal Studios released Island of Terror as a double feature with a 1967 film called The Projected Man. Island of Terror is kind of silly, but being as I am a big fan of the famed British actor, the late Peter Cushing, I found enjoyment in it.
In the manor of a posh English estate on a small island, a group of scientists are engaged in some cancer research that is about to result in live saving cures. However, the research suddenly goes wildly wrong and creates a group of creeping, tentacled blobs. The blobs devour human and animal bone matter and self-divide after each meal. They threaten to overrun the island when Dr. Brian Stanley (Peter Cushing), Dr. David West (Edward Judd), and Dr. Reginald Landers (Eddie Byrne) arrive coincidentally in time to try to save the day. Dr. West’s girlfriend, Toni Merrill (Carole Gray), tags along to swoon and scream whenever the creatures are near.
The real treat in Island of Terror is the wonderful Peter Cushing. I’ll watch anything in which he stars, even something as poor as this. It’s sad, but funny sci-fi horror, and it does have some spooky moments and some rare seconds of suspense and fear. Otherwise, it’s forgettable. Cushing, however, is a trooper, always giving A list work no matter how goofy the material is, and here he makes no exception in giving a good performance. His Dr. Stanley is stoic, calm, scientific and brave even in the face of ridiculous monsters and in light of loosing his left hand at one point in the movie.
Eddie Judd is hilarious as Dr West, the young stud who demands the cooperation of the townsfolk. He uses a firm hand in dealing with his screaming Mimi of a girlfriend Toni. They are definitely a movie couple from another era. Today, Toni would not be so obvious in her histrionics, nor would Dr. West treat her more like a petulant child than an equal in a relationship.
It’s also nice to see such well dressed movie heroes, with jackets and ties nonetheless, and always looking neat and professional enough to walk right into a board meeting moments after fighting off monster-death with only an ax and their British wits.
Quaint and silly, see this one to get another look at the amazing Mr. Cushing, a distinct film star and personality even in this oddly charming banal film.
4 of 10
C
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Friday, August 10, 2012
The Music Charts Belong to WaterTower Music in 2012
WaterTower Music Dominates Billboard’s Soundtrack Chart in 2012
Label’s Titles Combine for 13 Weeks at #1
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WaterTower Music announced today that the label has held the top spot on Billboard’s soundtrack chart for 13 weeks in 2012. In addition, a WaterTower Music soundtrack has occupied the #1 position on the soundtrack chart for the last eight consecutive weeks.
The current run began with WaterTower’s Rock of Ages - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, which held the #1 soundtrack chart position for six consecutive weeks according to Billboard – the longest a title has consecutively held the top position since September 2011.
Following Rock of Ages, The Dark Knight Rises: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack took the #1 soundtrack spot, and is now the #1 soundtrack in the country for the second consecutive week. It also debuted last week at #8 on the Top 200 chart, the highest charting score album of composer Hans Zimmer’s illustrious career. Additionally, it has the distinction of being the highest charting score album in over 10 years.
Prior to that, the soundtracks to Joyful Noise and Project X combined for an additional five weeks at the top of the soundtrack chart in 2012.
WaterTower has also held the top slot on Billboard’s indie chart for five weeks in 2012, more than any other label this year.
“This has been an extraordinary year for us, the strongest we’ve ever had,” commented WaterTower Music head Jason Linn. “And we anticipate a robust year-end with new music from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.”
Label’s Titles Combine for 13 Weeks at #1
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WaterTower Music announced today that the label has held the top spot on Billboard’s soundtrack chart for 13 weeks in 2012. In addition, a WaterTower Music soundtrack has occupied the #1 position on the soundtrack chart for the last eight consecutive weeks.
The current run began with WaterTower’s Rock of Ages - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, which held the #1 soundtrack chart position for six consecutive weeks according to Billboard – the longest a title has consecutively held the top position since September 2011.
Following Rock of Ages, The Dark Knight Rises: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack took the #1 soundtrack spot, and is now the #1 soundtrack in the country for the second consecutive week. It also debuted last week at #8 on the Top 200 chart, the highest charting score album of composer Hans Zimmer’s illustrious career. Additionally, it has the distinction of being the highest charting score album in over 10 years.
Prior to that, the soundtracks to Joyful Noise and Project X combined for an additional five weeks at the top of the soundtrack chart in 2012.
WaterTower has also held the top slot on Billboard’s indie chart for five weeks in 2012, more than any other label this year.
“This has been an extraordinary year for us, the strongest we’ve ever had,” commented WaterTower Music head Jason Linn. “And we anticipate a robust year-end with new music from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.”
"Superman/Batman: Apocalypse" Rocks the House
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010) – straight-to-video
Running time: 78 minutes (1 hour, 18 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for violence and brief sensuality
DIRECTOR: Lauren Montgomery
WRITERS: Tab Murphy (Based upon the graphic novel by Jeph Loeb and Michael Turner and characters created by Bob Kane (Batman), Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (Superman), William Moulton Marston (Wonder Woman), and Jack Kirby (Darkseid and The New Gods)
PRODUCERS: Lauren Montgomery, Bobbie Page, and Bruce W. Timm
EDITOR: Margaret Hou
ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION
Starring: Andre Braugher, Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Susan Eisenberg, Summer Glau, Julianne Grossman, Edward Asner, and Rachel Quaintance
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is the ninth in Warner Bros. Animation’s line of DC Universe Animated Original Movies. It is a sequel to the animated film, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009), and is based on “The Supergirl from Krypton,” a storyline in the Superman/Batman comic book series from DC Comics. Superman/Batman: Apocalypse focuses on a mysterious teen-aged girl with super-human powers, her connection to Superman, and a villain’s diabolical plan to control her.
While investigating the wreckage of a spaceship that landed in Gotham City Harbor, Batman (Kevin Conroy) discovers that the ship had a passenger. It is a young woman who raises all sorts of havoc with her apparent super human powers, but Batman manages to subdue her. It is Superman (Tim Daly), however, who discovers that the young woman is Kara Zor-El (Summer Glau), his biological cousin, and like himself, a refuge from Krypton. Kara has little memory of her past, and her powers make her dangerous. Wonder Woman (Susan Eisenberg) steps in and takes Kara to her home, Themyscira, the island home of the Amazons.
They are not the only ones interested in Kara. On the planet, Apokolips, its lord, Darkseid (Andre Braugher), has learned of Kara and desires her to lead his honor guard, the Female Furies, so he kidnaps her. To rescue Kara, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman must recruit the former leader of the Furies, Big Barda (Julianne Grossman), but even her help may not be enough to overcome Darkseid, a god.
What I like about Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is that it gets everything right. First, the writing is strong. Screenwriter Tab Murphy efficiently presents the characters: their personalities, quirks, motivations, conflicts, and relationships. It all comes across as genuine – from Kara’s confusion and struggle to adjust to a new world to Superman’s almost desperate yearning to both protect Kara and to connect with someone from the world of his birth. Also, the action of the story is gripping, from the first moments to the tear-the-roof-off-the-mutha, battle royale featuring Superman, Kara, and Darkseid.
The animation is also good, not as good as feature film animation, but the characters look good during the action and fight scenes, which is what counts in these direct-to-DVD movies based upon superhero comic books. The animation’s design style is based on the art of the artist who drew “The Supergirl from Krypton, the late Michael Turner. This movie’s designers and animators capture Turner’s quirky style and his graceful approach to drawing women. Kara’s hairdo certainly reflects Turner’s sensibilities.
All in all, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is one of the better DC Universe Animated movies, and is one I’d watch again.
8 of 10
A
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Darrell Roodt's "Winnie" to Open 2012 Montreal International Black Film Festival
WINNIE to open the 8th Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF) Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Montreal, August 7, 2012 - The highly anticipated film Winnie by Darrell Roodt will open the 8th edition of the Montreal International Black Film Festival on September 19th, as a Quebec Premiere. Winnie, a Canadian co-production, produced by Quebec producer Michael Mosca from Equinoxe Films, will kick-start the official competition. "We are very proud to open the festival with such a big film produced by a Quebec producer; It's a deeply moving story that leaves no one untouched ," stated Fabienne Colas, President of the Festival.
Winnie stars Jennifer Hudson (Winnie Mandela), Academy Award winner and Grammy Award winner, and Terrence Howard (Nelson Mandela), Academy Award nominee.
Based on the biography by Anne Marie du Preez Bezdrob, Winnie Mandela :A Life, Winnie is an intimate, in-depth and unbiased film that will take the audience on a remarkable journey of understanding Winnie Mandela, one of the world's most famous female activists, exploring both her personal and political life. Winnie Mandela is a complex historical figure, appreciated for her role in the struggle against apartheid led by her husband, but whose obscure acquaintances make an equally controversial personality.Through her fierce determination and dauntless courage, Winnie Mandela survived her husband's imprisonment, continuous harassment by the security police, banishment to a small Free State town, betrayal by friends and allies, and more than a year in solitary confinement - all the while keeping the name of Nelson Mandela alive. A sensitive and balanced portrayal, the film nevertheless thoroughly investigates and honestly examines the controversies that dogged Winnie Mandela in recent years.
South African filmmaker and screenwriter Darrell Roodt, whose film Yesterday was nominated for an Academy Award in "Best Foreign Language Film" category in 2005, made an international name for himself with his debut feature A Place of Weeping (1986), a passionate condemnation of apartheid. Educated at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, he gained further acclaim for The Stick (1988), another look at the anti-apartheid struggle. In 1990, he made his first film with American backing, Jobman (1990). Roodt's best-known film is his adaptation of the anti-apartheid stage musical Sarafina! (1992) starring Whoopi Goldberg. He has made around 30 films ans TV series among which Cry, the Beloved Country starring James Earl Jones and Richard Harris (1995). He has since alternated between making films in Hollywood and South Africa. His latest film Winnie has been officially selected in both Cannes Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival.
After its Quebec premiere at the Montreal International Black Film Festival, WINNIE, distributed by Equinoxe Films, will hit Quebec screens starting October 5, 2012.
The 8th MIBFF will be held from September 19 to 30.
ABOUT THE MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL BLACK FILM FESTIVAL (MIBFF)
Presented by Global Montreal, the Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF) was created in 2005 by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, anon-profit organization dedicated to promoting Cinema, Art and Culture. The mission of the MIBFF is to stimulate the development of the independent film industry and to showcase more films on the realities of Blacks from around the world. The Festival wants to promote a different kind of cinema, cinema that hails from here and from abroad and that does not necessarily have the opportunity to grace the big screen, groundbreaking cinema that moves us, that raises awareness and that takes us all by surprise! The MIBFF wants to deal with issues and present works that raise questions, that provoke, that make us smile, that leave us perplexed, that shock us... A fresh new look at black cinema from the four corners of the globe!
www.montrealblackfilm.com
www.facebook.com/blackfilmfestival
www.twitter.com/filmblackmtl
Montreal, August 7, 2012 - The highly anticipated film Winnie by Darrell Roodt will open the 8th edition of the Montreal International Black Film Festival on September 19th, as a Quebec Premiere. Winnie, a Canadian co-production, produced by Quebec producer Michael Mosca from Equinoxe Films, will kick-start the official competition. "We are very proud to open the festival with such a big film produced by a Quebec producer; It's a deeply moving story that leaves no one untouched ," stated Fabienne Colas, President of the Festival.
Winnie stars Jennifer Hudson (Winnie Mandela), Academy Award winner and Grammy Award winner, and Terrence Howard (Nelson Mandela), Academy Award nominee.
Based on the biography by Anne Marie du Preez Bezdrob, Winnie Mandela :A Life, Winnie is an intimate, in-depth and unbiased film that will take the audience on a remarkable journey of understanding Winnie Mandela, one of the world's most famous female activists, exploring both her personal and political life. Winnie Mandela is a complex historical figure, appreciated for her role in the struggle against apartheid led by her husband, but whose obscure acquaintances make an equally controversial personality.Through her fierce determination and dauntless courage, Winnie Mandela survived her husband's imprisonment, continuous harassment by the security police, banishment to a small Free State town, betrayal by friends and allies, and more than a year in solitary confinement - all the while keeping the name of Nelson Mandela alive. A sensitive and balanced portrayal, the film nevertheless thoroughly investigates and honestly examines the controversies that dogged Winnie Mandela in recent years.
South African filmmaker and screenwriter Darrell Roodt, whose film Yesterday was nominated for an Academy Award in "Best Foreign Language Film" category in 2005, made an international name for himself with his debut feature A Place of Weeping (1986), a passionate condemnation of apartheid. Educated at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, he gained further acclaim for The Stick (1988), another look at the anti-apartheid struggle. In 1990, he made his first film with American backing, Jobman (1990). Roodt's best-known film is his adaptation of the anti-apartheid stage musical Sarafina! (1992) starring Whoopi Goldberg. He has made around 30 films ans TV series among which Cry, the Beloved Country starring James Earl Jones and Richard Harris (1995). He has since alternated between making films in Hollywood and South Africa. His latest film Winnie has been officially selected in both Cannes Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival.
After its Quebec premiere at the Montreal International Black Film Festival, WINNIE, distributed by Equinoxe Films, will hit Quebec screens starting October 5, 2012.
The 8th MIBFF will be held from September 19 to 30.
ABOUT THE MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL BLACK FILM FESTIVAL (MIBFF)
Presented by Global Montreal, the Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF) was created in 2005 by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, anon-profit organization dedicated to promoting Cinema, Art and Culture. The mission of the MIBFF is to stimulate the development of the independent film industry and to showcase more films on the realities of Blacks from around the world. The Festival wants to promote a different kind of cinema, cinema that hails from here and from abroad and that does not necessarily have the opportunity to grace the big screen, groundbreaking cinema that moves us, that raises awareness and that takes us all by surprise! The MIBFF wants to deal with issues and present works that raise questions, that provoke, that make us smile, that leave us perplexed, that shock us... A fresh new look at black cinema from the four corners of the globe!
www.montrealblackfilm.com
www.facebook.com/blackfilmfestival
www.twitter.com/filmblackmtl
Joe Carnahan's "Narc" is a Fiery Cop Thriller
Narc (2002)
Running time: 105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong brutal violence, drug content and pervasive language
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Joe Carnahan
PRODUCERS: Michelle Grace, Ray Liotta, Diane Nabatoff, and Julius R. Nasso
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Alex Nepomniaschy (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: John Gilroy
COMPOSER: Cliff Martinez
CRIME/DRAMA/MYSTERY
Starring: Ray Liotta, Jason Patric, Chi McBride, Busta Rhymes, Alan Van Sprang, Krista Bridges, and Gavyn and Myles Donaldson
The subject of this movie review is Narc, a 2002 crime film from Joe Carnahan and starring Ray Liotta and Jason Patric. The film is about corrupt police involved in the drug trade in Detroit, Michigan.
Writer/director Joe Carnahan’s Narc is the kind of gritty cop film, that if done right, will make select audiences and critics sit up and take notice. Add a punch in the face and to the stomach ending and we have a film that actually gets better as it goes along, racing to a blistering climax. This is both a writer’s and an actors’ film, although the directing, photography, and editing are all quite good – lots of clever and quick cuts, extreme close-ups, and a sense of claustrophobia to go with all that washed out, bluish lighting that pervades the film.
In the film, Nick Tellis (Jason Patric), an undercover narcotics officer banished indiscriminately shooting at a suspect, returns to the Job to investigate the unsolved murder of a fellow narc, Michael Calvess (Alan Van Sprang). Tellis requests that Calvess’ partner Henry Oak (Ray Liotta) assist him in the investigation, but Detective Oak is one of those violent hot-tempered cops who need to be leashed. He has a record of battering suspects and wants nothing more than to do worse to Calvess’ murderers.
Both Liotta and Patric are way underrated actors in that neither one will ever be a big time matinee idol, but both are very good actors. Each has a knack for playing hard-nosed, but neither is a pretty boy. If a character needs to be “searing,” especially in a dark drama, either one is the man for the part. Liotta even has a stunning Oscar-worthy moment in Narc that, in the end, failed to earn him an Academy Award nomination.
Carnahan’s script for Narc is densely plotted, as the Calvess’ murder investigation is actually more than just an attempt to find the cop killers. It involves politics, convoluted and complex personal relationships, police procedure, hypocrisy, and redemption. Carnahan only hints at the larger personalities of Tellis and Oak, choosing to focus on their characteristics and personalities as they relate to being cops. In that vein, Narc is a complex, searing, and ultimately disheartening and frustrating look at the cop culture. Thrilling, riveting, and mesmerizing are just a few of the words that I could use to describe just how strongly this film holds the viewer in its sway. It is suffice to say that Carnahan (who is scheduled to direct Mission: Impossible 3) explodes our preconceptions much in the way his characters find out that little is what it seems. By the end of this movie, Carnahan leaves you crying for an encore.
8 of 10
A
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