Just because there aren’t any blockbusters starring Latinos opening this week, don’t think Latino Hollywood is still on vacations. Here are half a dozen silly, strange independent flicks with Latinos involved…
Valery M. Ortiz and young teen Jovan Armand are “Dumbbells” (not really). That’s just the name of the goofy sex comedy opening in theaters Friday, January 10. You know Valery–she’s the host of American Latino, too. Warning: we’re talking National Lampoon-level sex comedy here.
Monique Candelaria, last seen in Bless Me, Ultima and a couple episodes of the late, lamented Breaking Bad is the ominously named “Patient Fourteen” in The Banshee Chapter. What’s the story? A journalist explores the “disturbing link between her friends sudden disappearance, an ominous government research chemical, and a disturbing radio broadcast of unknown origin.” Oooh, that’s two “disturbings” in a row. Must be scary.
Francisco Barrero has made a few horror movies, but this might be different. He was in the neoclassic cannibal film We Are What We Are, and the spooky-kids Latino horror flick Here Comes the Devil (hey, what do you expect when you lose your kids in caves under Tijuana?), but Loves Her Gun sounds a little more ambitious: a “romantic tragedy about a young woman who flees the violence of New York for the laid-back environment of central Texas. But once she gets there, she settles into the local gun culture and “some of her same worries come back to haunt her.”
Rosario Dawson and Victoria Cruz has something to do with this. We’re just not sure what. The premise of Raze sounds fairly bizarre and downright violent: “Raze, a horror/action film, focuses on two abducted women & 50 other women who are forced to fight each other using their bare hands.” It stars super-stunt woman Zoe Bell, Continuum’s Rachel Nichols and Tracie Thom of Rent and Wonderfalls, and exactly how Rosario and Victoria fit in isn’t clear…but it’s premiering January10 as well.
Our friend Yvette Yates is part of Anna Paquin’s new film, Free Ride—The film takes place in Florida and is based on a true story writing and director by Shana Betz. It’s in limited release in Los Angeles, New York and available on VOD. Check out the trailer here.
And then there’s Alfred Molina, the working actor’s working actor, joining with Jessica Biel and a largely Brazilian cast for The Truth About Emanuel, also enjoying a limited release on Friday, January 10. What’s it all about? “A troubled young woman becomes obsessed with her mysterious new neighbor, who bears a striking resemblance to the girl’s dead mother.” Okay, we’re already freaked out.
Maybe this is a weekend to see what you forget you recorded on the DVR…
