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Holiday Films Are in the Works!

One of my favorite time of the year is the holiday season. I love Christmas for many reasons, especially my grandkids and grandnephews. We always find time to watch our old and new favorite Christmas …

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Watch the Featurette Wicked on Singing Live

After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining cinematic event this holiday season. Synopsis: Wicked, …

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Another Love Story in Honor of Domestic Violence Awareness

In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, here’s an impactful new film Another Love Story, now available for streaming on TUBI. This timely film sheds light on the emotional and psychological journey of domestic abuse survivors …

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Despicable Me 4 with One of My Little Minions

We enjoyed it! 

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It Was A Twisters Night

My #1 grandson and I screened the new #TwistersMovie last night. And it was a long overdue date, too. The film was much better than we expected. It had its excitements that kept you on …

Holiday Films Are in the Works!Watch the Featurette Wicked on Singing LiveAnother Love Story in Honor of Domestic Violence AwarenessDespicable Me 4 with One of My Little MinionsIt Was A Twisters Night

Up Coming Bluray and DVD Releases Coming Our Way

Dear Sofia680Dear Sofia: The Royal Collection features four Disney princess appearances on Sofia the First–Mulan, Jasmine, Belle and Tiana–Dear Sofia: A Royal Collection is a not-to-be-missed celebration highlighting the qualities that make a true princess–honesty, loyalty, compassion and grace.

An exclusive Sofia-themed stationery set for kids to write a letter to Sofia and receive a response back in the mail.

Voice talent: Ariel Winter (Modern Family) as Sofia, Sara Ramirez (Grey’s Anatomy) as Queen Miranda, Wayne Brady (Let’s Make A Deal) as Clover, and Tim Gunn (Project Runway) as Baileywick.
Available on September 29Jane the Virgin

Jane The Virgin: The Complete First Season DVD Includes All 22 one-hour episodes from the first season, plus never-before-seen featurettes, and much more! Jane The Virgin follows the surprising and unforeseen events that take place in the life of 23 year-old Jane Villanueva (Rodriguez).

The series stars Golden Globe winner Gina Rodriguez (Filly Brown, Go for It!), Andrea Navedo (Remember Me, Washington Heights), Yael Grobglas (Reign), Justin Baldoni (Everwood), Ivonne Coll (Teen Wolf, Switched At Birth), Brett Dier (Ravenswood), and Jaime Camil (Qué Pobres Tan Ricos).
Available on September 29

Ardor & EscobarLionsgate’s Ardor with Gael García Bernal has a classic western and supernatural feel down in the Amazon. When a gang of ruthless bandits set fire to a remote family farm and kidnap the farm-owner’s daughter Vania (Alice Braga), help arrives in the form of Kaí (García Bernal), a mysterious man who emerges from the rain forest. Directed by Argentinean Pablo Fendrik.
Available on October 6

Escobar: Paradise Lost has Benicio del Toro as the Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. Also starring in this thriller, Josh Hutcherson, Carlos Bardem, Claudia Traisac, Laura Londono, and Micke Moreno. Directed by Andrea Di Stefano.
Available on October 6

Crimson Peak: The Next Great Haunted House Story?

Crimson PeakRepost from Amityville Now

One thing comes as no surprise: Guillermo del Toro is a master of macabre imagery.

And even a glance at this wordless trailer for his upcoming gothic ghost story, Crimson Peak, reaffirms that: shot after shot, both beautiful and unsettling.

Jessica Chastain and Tom Hiddleston Crimson Peak

Jessica Chastain and Tom Hiddleston
Crimson Peak

Directed and co-written by del Toro, Crimson Peak is clearly pulling out all the stops, with a score that is reminiscent of the old Universal classics, a production design as rich and bizarre as Hellboy or Pan’s Labyrinth, and a cast that’s reaching for a whole fistful of Oscars: Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska, Charlie Hunnam and the ever-creepy Doug Jones, among many others.

Will there be a classic story to match the evil beauty of the trailer? After months of anticipation, we don’t have much longer to wait: Crimson Peak oozes into theaters on October 16. Here’s that trailer:

Beware of Good Intentions, The Green Inferno

1 Cropped

L-r: Jason Blum, Lorenza Izzo, EliRoth, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Daryl Sabara and Nicolas Lopez ©2015 Angela María Ortíz S.

L-r: Jason Blum, Lorenza Izzo, EliRoth, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Daryl Sabara and Nicolas Lopez
©2015 Angela María Ortíz S.

In Eli Roth’s terrifying new film, The Green Inferno, a group of college students take their humanitarian protest from New York to the Amazon jungle only to be taken prisoners by the indigenous tribe they came to save.The Green Inferno

The film is entertaining, gory and bloody, and I enjoyed it. It has great music and cinematography. It even manages to showcase a couple of social issues that most people don’t pay attention to.

The Green Inferno marks Eli Roth’s return to directing for the big screen for the first time since his Hostel franchise.

The cast includes some of Roth’s usual suspects, Lorenza Izzo, Ariel Levy, Nicolás Martínez, Richard Burgi, and now Daryl Sabara, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Sky Ferreira, Magda Apanowicz, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, and Ramón Llao. —A.O.

The Multi-Talented Vivian Lamolli Talks Once Upon A Time: The Rock Opera

Angela Ortiz & Vivian Lamolli Photo: Cynthia Balderas

Angela Ortíz & Vivian Lamolli
Photo: Cynthia Balderas

I recently had a chance to sit down with Vivian Lamolli, the Miami native with a huge background in musical theater and choreography who has played a central role in Hulu’s hit, East Los High for the last two seasons, about her newest and craziest project: Once Upon A Time: The Rock Opera, a fun spoof of the original ABC show, Once Upon a Time.

Audio-Button-200Vivian is also involved with social issues and community events; she shared a fun PSA on condoms with me. You can watch it below and then sit back and listen in on our fun conversation.

Her conversation is just like Vivian herself: delightful, energetic, and full of surprises! You’ll like it:

The Once Upon A Time: The Rock Opera opens on September 25 at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood/Los Angeles area.

Three Network Shows with Latinos in Strong, Central Roles Premiering Wednesday Night

L-r: Laz Alonzo, Debra Messing, Josh Lucas and Janina Gavankar

L-r: Laz Alonzo, Debra Messing, Josh Lucas and Janina Gavankar

You can find Latinos on TV on every network this year, and more important Latinos playing Latinos in positions of power, authority, and strength (as well as some pretty cool villains). Three shows arriving on one day–Wednesday, September 23–are emblematic of just how much Latino characters and culture is interwove in modern TV:

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

  • The Mysteries of Laura (8P, NBC) co-stars Laz Alonzo as Debra Messing’s strong, smart and undeniably sexy partner.
  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (10P, NBC): Tony Award nominee Raul Esparza plays one of a long line of ADAs (and the first male) on Law & Order: SVU, Cuban-born Rafael Barba. This episode also guest-stars Liza Colon-Zayas, wife of David Zayas (Dexter, Gotham) and a friend of SefijaOnline!
  • Rosewood (8P, Fox), a new pathologist-detective story starring Morris Chestnut as Dr. Beaumont Rosewood, also stars Jaina Lee Ortiz as the distinctly bad-ass detective Analise Villa.
  • …and of course Sofía Vergara returns in Modern Family (8P, ABC) and though the role itself is still more than a little stereotypical, let’s not forget: she remains one of the most popular and the highest-paid woman (and therefore highest-paid Latina) in Hollywood today–for the third year running. And Rico Rodriguez is also back as her son, Manny.
  • …and then there’s Empire, beginning tonight at 8P on Fox. It has been and will be a home for many Latino guest stars and musical artists; in a couple of weeks we’ll also see Adam Rodriguez (Magic Mike XXL) as a new (and totally understandable) love interest for Taraji P. Henson’s “Cookie.”

And that’s just one day of the week, with Latinos as cops, attorneys, doctors, and rich powerful programs. There’s s much more to come.

Check out our interviews with the stars of Rosewood, just click on the audio buttons.

Good times!

L-r: Se Fija’s Angela Ortiz having fun on the set with the stars of Rosewood: Lorraine Toussant, Anna Konkle, Gabrielle Dennis, Domenick Lombardozzi, Morris Chesnut and Jaina Lee Ortiz.

L-r: Se Fija’s Angela Ortíz having fun on the set with the stars of Rosewood: Lorraine Toussant, Anna Konkle, Gabrielle Dennis, Domenick Lombardozzi, Morris Chesnut and Jaina Lee Ortiz.

Lorraine Toussant

Lorraine Toussant

Anna Konkle

Anna Konkle

Gabrielle Dennis

Gabrielle Dennis

Domenick Lombardozzi

Domenick Lombardozzi

Morris Chesnut

Morris Chesnut

Jaina Lee Ortiz

Jaina Lee Ortiz

Wilmer Valderrama on the Past, Future and Minority Report

Meagan Good and Wilmer Valderrama Minority Report

Meagan Good and Wilmer Valderrama
Minority Report

Our friends @Thisfunktional talked with Wilmer Valderrama on his role on Fox’ Minority Report. Check out the video interview below.

The show premiered on September 21 on the FOX network.

Black Mass: Fascinating But Flawed

Black Mass PosterThe Black Mass was a perversion or unholy alliance in the Catholic Church, and it’s an apt descriptor of the new Johnny Depp movie about the corruption orchestrated by Jimmy “Whitey” Bulger–with the FBI’s blessing–in Boston in the 70’s.

“Southie” ties run deep in Boston. Jimmy (Depp) is adored by many neighborhood thug, and he grabs at the golden opportunity to eliminate the competition and seize territory by becoming a snitch for the FBI. The agent in charge is his boyhood admirer, John Connolly (Joel Edgerton), looking to still impress Jimmy, while Jimmy’s brother, Billy (Benedict Cumberbatch), a State Senator, turns a blind eye to Jimmy’s criminal behavior.

There’s great attention paid to the look and feel of Southie in Black Mass. The accents are spot-on. But the story itself runs flat and walks a fine line between convincing and cartoonish. Johnny Depp looking ashy, with piercing blue-eyes and a menacing presence. The story unfolds through Whitey’s supporting characters, led by Jesse Plemons, who provide a rich well of originality. The movie is light on women, which was problematic; the ones chosen made the most of their time on screen but leave you wondering what happened.

If nothing else, the production values alone makes this a movie worth seeing–and be sure to force yourself to sit through the end credits. They contain some of the best original footage and presentation of the whole film.

The Rest of the cast include: Kevin Bacon, Rory Cochrane, David Harbour, Dakota Johnson, Julianne Nicholson, James Russo, Adam Scott, Corey Stoll, Juno Temple, W. Earl Brown, Bill Camp, Brad Carter, and Jeremy Strong. And directed by Scott Cooper. — C.M.

Photographer Pedro E. Guerrero Amazing Career

Pedro E. Guerrero Archives

Pedro E. Guerrero Archives

As a photographer I enjoy learning about other amazing photographers and their careers. And the documentary, American Masters–Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer’s Journey was exciting to watch.

Pedro E. Guerrero Photo: Miguel Creus

Pedro E. Guerrero
Photo: Miguel Creus

VOCES and American Masters first time collaboration in presenting the remarkable life and work of Pedro E. Guerrero (1917-2012), a Mexican American, born and raised in segregated Mesa, Arizona, who had an extraordinary international photography career.

The program explores his collaborations with three of the most iconic American artists of the 20th century: architect Frank Lloyd Wright and sculptors Alexander Calder and Louise Nevelson.

American Masters–Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer’s Journey premieres September 18 at 9P on PBS (check local listings) during National Hispanic Heritage Month. —A.O.

La India Maria Remembered

La_hija_de_MoctezumaI remember going to see La India Maria films when I was younger, and some of them were quite funny to watch, even if at times it was hard to understand what the character was saying.

The Mexican born actress and comedian Maria Elena Velazco, was famous for portraying the character “La India Maria,” Velasco passed in May of this year. And she left us one more film, her first in 15 years, La hija de Moctezuma, which her son Iván Lipkies directed.

Cine Latino is pre-premiering it on September 16, before its official release on September 20. You can watch it at 9P and 11P (check local listings).

Ambulante California 2015 Line-up HERE!

Ambulante2Ambulante Documentary Film Festival California 2015 takes place from September 19 to October 4. Check out the line-up.

The Ambulante description of this year’s event, check it out:

It’s year 2, and we’re traveling far and wide (485 square miles!) to present a total of 25 screening events in 21 unique public venues. The program is comprised of 13 features, 15 shorts, 12 L.A. Premieres, 2 World Premieres, 6 first-time filmmakers, and 50% of filmmakers are women! Our screenings take place mostly outdoors-and are always 100% free.

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