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 …
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, …
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 …
Despicable Me 4 with One of My Little Minions
We enjoyed it!
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 …
Rubén Rada Performs “Solo se trata de vivir” in Studio
Rubén “Negro” Rada is an Afro-Uruguayan percussionist, composer and singer. Rada has recorded more than 30 albums, which today are considered Uruguayan classics.
Here he performs a song that makes you think. Thanks to our friend musician/artist Patricia Krebs for turning us on to this song.
We Have More New Trailers of Upcoming Films
They are upcoming animations, thrillers, mysteries, sci fi, comedies and much more for your enjoyment in the next few weeks, spring and summer. Check out the lists and the trailers below.
SpongeBob: Sponge Out Of Water (February 6), Seventh Son (February 6), Kingsman: The Secret Service (February 13), Fifty Shades of Grey (February 14), Unfinished Business (March 6), Insurgent (March 20), Get Hard (March 27), Get Hard (March 27), Furious 7 (April 3), Spy (May 22), Tomorrowland (May 22), Minions (Summer 2015), Jurassic World (June 12), Disney•Pixar Inside Out (June 19) and Ted 2 (June 26).
Comedians Gabriel Iglesias, Jay Leno and Car Talk
Gabriel Iglesias talks to Jay Leno about his love for his first car, a 1968 Volkswagen Bus. In the newest segment of Jay Leno’s Garage they hang out in Gabriel’s 1966 Volkswagen Bus.
Shot and edited by our friend Kico Velarde and his crew. Enjoy the ride.
Buen Día, Ramón A Delight of A Film
Buen Día, Ramón aka Guten Tag, Ramón (Good Day, Ramón) is a heartwarming story of a young man from a small Mexican town who travels to Germany to find work and support his family, then ends up stranded without shelter or money. Yet in the midst of all this, he finds true friendship.
The film is full of wonderful characters, thanks to writer/director/producer Jorge Ramírez-Suárez. “I’ve lived in Germany for a long time, and I wanted to portray both countries in a positive light,” Jorge said. “Germans have been shown as villains in so many movies; the friendships these characters develop is a mirror of what I have seen as a foreigner in Germany.”
There are some wonderful performances in the film, especially by Kristyan Ferrer in his first lead role. The nineteen-year-old has been acting since he was six in film and theater. His expressions are just fantastic. His scenes with veteran German actress Ingeborg Schöner just make you want more. For Ferrer, “the dinner scene where my character Ramón and Ingeborg’s Ruth are talking about their lives—he in Spanish and she in German—was very touching and has stayed with me.”
The collaboration between Mexico and Germany was quite an experience for all involved.
Buen Día Ramón was Mexico’s box office hit of 2013 and across Latin America. I like it so much that I think it could have been an Oscar contender.
I’ve seen seven new films already for the year and I count this one as one of my top three. The film also stars Héctor Kotsifakis, Arcelia Ramírez, Adriana Barraza, Franziska Kruse and Rüdiger Evers.
In a limited release now in the U.S.A. and will open wide across the country in a few weeks.
The Documentary Now En Español is on Its Way
Now En Español follows five Latina actresses in Los Angeles who dub Desperate Housewives for Spanish language audiences in the U.S. The five gutsy and diverse Latinas showcased are Marabina Jaimes, Natasha Perez, Ivette Gonzales, Gabriela del Carmen and Marcela Bordes who follow their dreams against all odds.
The documentary is doing the festival circuit by premiering at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on January 31, then the Big Sky Documentary Film Fest in Montana in February, and in March it will be part of La Plaza de Cultura y Arte’s Spring film series in Los Angeles. Later in the year it will be part of PBS’ VOCES series.
The filmmaker behind this doc is Los Angeles based Andrea Meller, born and raised in NY after her parents emigrated from Santiago, Chile.
For more information on the documentary click here.
Hot Tub Time Machine 2 Fun Trailer
They are back! Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Adam Scott and Clark Duke in Hot Tub Time Machine 2. Check out the hilarious trailer “big game” spot for the February 20th release.
Juanes and Disney’s McFarland, USA
We are happy to be sharing the music video of the original new song “Juntos (Together)” written and performed by Colombian rock superstar Juanes specifically for Disney’s McFarland, USA. The song will be the end title track of the film.
The film stars Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Morgan Saylor, Martha Higareda, Michael Aguero, Sergio Avelar, Hector Duran, Rafael Martinez, Johnny Ortiz, Carlos Pratts, Ramiro Rodriguez, Danny Mora, Valente Rodriguez, Vanessa Martinez, Chris Ellis, Diana Maria Riva and directed by Niki Caro.
Watch the music video and the movie trailer below. McFarland, USA comes to theaters February 20, 2015.
Al Madrigal Special: Half Like Me Funny Stuff
If you are a fan of Al Madrigal like I am, you’ll enjoy his new docu-comedy where you get to meet Alessandro Liborio Madrigal who is trying to up his Latinoism but does he have to?
The Al Madrigal Special: Half Like Me is showing on the Fusion Cable Network now (check cable listings) and by January 30 it will be on Hulu. You can also watch an interesting discussion about being perceived has not being Latino enough here on the fusion.net.
The ABC 2015 Winter TCA was Quite Busy for Me!
I had a busy time at the ABC 2015 Winter TCA conference. There were many shows to cover and below are a few from the event. —A.O.
Fresh Off the Boat
I’m here with Eddie Huang a jack-of-all-trades. ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat is based on his book of the same name. He’s also the producer of the show.
“Fresh Off the Boat” takes a humorous look at the lives of immigrants in America. In the 1990s, Eddie, a hip-hop-loving 11-year-old, relocates with his parents and two brothers to suburban Orlando from the Chinatown section of Washington, D.C. As Eddie’s dad, Louis, pursues the American dream by opening a western-themed restaurant named Cattleman’s Ranch Steakhouse, Eddie and the rest of the family try to acclimate to their new, strange surroundings. The show stars Randall Park, Constance Wu, Hudson Yang, Forrest Wheeler, Ian Chen, and Chelsey Crisp.
Update: the show will be back with a season 2.
American Crime
I got to talk to actor Richard Cabral who is one of the main characters in ABC’s American Crime along with Johnny Ortiz, Benito Martinez, Elvis Nolasco, Regina King, Felicity Huffman, and Timothy Hutton.
The eleven episodes of American Crime is about a young couple in Modesto, California, who were attacked in their home. The case sends shock waves into the community stirring up tensions across racial lines in this gritty drama from Oscar® winner John Ridley.
Listen in on some of the conversations I had with a few of the actors about the show and their roles.
Update: Richard Cabral was nominated for and Emmy and the show will be back with a season 2 with most of the cast returning.
Secret and Lies
Got in on a conversation with Secret and Lies star, Natalie Martinez, where she talked about the changes in Cuba, her love for Wilmington, NC, where Under the Dome and Secret and Lies were filmed; and being born and raised in Miami. And of course her work, the current one and a few old roles.
Secrets and Lies, is a ten-episode American remake of a six-episode Australian original, is another crime anthology series that at the outset reveals a small boy has been found murdered, and the remaining episodes are spent trying to figure out who did the actual crime. The cast includes: Juliette Lewis, Ryan Phillippe, KaDee Strickland, Indiana Evans, Belle Shouse, and Dan Fogler.
Update: the show will be back with a season 2 with Juliette Lewis and a new cast.
Cristela
Cristela was announced as a new half-hour sitcom on ABC, and premiered on October 10. Created by Cristela Alonzo and Kevin Hench, Alonzo stars as a sixth-year law student who gets an unpaid internship at a prestigious law firm only to discover that her working class Mexican-American family isn’t entirely supportive of her upward mobility. Carlos Ponce, Terri Hoyos, Maria Canals Barrera, Andrew Leeds, and Sam McMurray co-star.
Update: the show will not be back with a season 2.
Blu-ray and DVD Releases
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE are COMING TOGETHER…Watch at home with your BEST BUBS again and again and again!
Add The Highest-Grossing R-Rated Film of All-Time to Your Marvel Studios Movie Collection when it arrives on Digital on October 1 and on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD on October 22.
Experience all the laughs with hours of all-new exclusive bonus content including a gag reel, deleted scenes, filmmaker commentary and all-new featurettes!
Cast Ryan Reynolds (Wade Wilson/Deadpool), Hugh Jackman (Logan/Wolverine), Emma Corrin (Cassandra Nova), Matthew Macfadyen (Mr. Paradox), and Dafne Keen (Laura / X-23).
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Veep: The Complete Series. All 65 episodes from the 17-Time Emmy® Award winning series will be available to purchase on Blu-ray October 22.
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment will be releasing the complete series. Get ready to binge on all 65 episodes (seven seasons) from HBO’s Emmy® award-winning original series, along with all the previously released special features. The political comedy series follows United States Vice President Salina Meyer (Julia Louis Dreyfus) and her incompetent team as they attempt to secure a legacy, but often instead become bogged down in day-to-day political games. Pre-order your copy today. Also starring Anna Chlumsky, Tony Hale, Reid Scott, Timothy Simons, Matt Walsh, Sufe Bradshaw, Kevin Dunn, Gary Cole, Sam Richardson, Sarah Sutherland, and Clea DuVall. The series was created by Armando Iannucci.
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The West Wing: The Complete Series for the first time ever on Blu-ray, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the critically acclaimed series. Get ready to binge all 156 episodes from NBC/WBTV’sEmmy® Award-winning original series.
The brilliant political drama, following an extraordinarily intimate look at an American President and the inner workings of the White House, will be available to own on Blu-ray on October 1.
Widely considered one of the best series of all time, The West Wing remains a landmark achievement in television, earning 26 Emmys, including four for Outstanding Drama Series. With its sharp writing and memorable ensemble cast, the show continues to inspire audiences with its intimate look at the triumphs, sacrifices and inner politics of the White House.
Created by Aaron Sorkin who executive produced with Thomas Schlamme, and John Wells, The West Wing stars Rob Lowe, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Janel Moloney, Richard Schiff, John Spencer, Bradley Whitford, and Martin Sheen. The series was produced by John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.
The Complete Series Includes all 156 episodes from all seven seasons on 28 discs, plus over 20 commentaries, behind the scenes featurettes, unaired scenes, gag reels and more.
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HBO’s The Gilded Age: The Complete Second Season to DVD on October 1, 2024. The Gilded Age season 2 was recently nominated for six Emmy® Awards including Outstanding Drama Series. Indulge in all 8 episodes from the second season of the historical drama that won fans over with its charming cast and compelling storylines plus over 20 pieces of bonus content including never-before-released featurettes.
The Gilded Age season 2 cast includes Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobson, Denée Benton, Ben Ahlers, Michael Cerveris, Kelley Curran, Taissa Farmiga, and more.
The American Gilded Age was a period of significant economic change, conflict between old and new systems, and fortunes made and lost.
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FRIENDS: The Complete Series in 4K Ultra HD for the first time on September 24.
This ultimate collector’s set features ALL 10 seasons from one of television’s most popular sitcoms completely remastered–plus all new bonus content!
Pre-order your copy now.
From Warner Bros. Television, FRIENDS follows the lives and loves of a close-knit group of friends living in New York City: siblings Ross (David Schwimmer) and Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), along with friends Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) and Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston).
FRIENDS marks its 30th anniversary this year, the beloved TV series continues to hold an enduring place in popular culture and hearts worldwide.
Podcast
You can also listen to any episode of all of the podcast at thebradmunson.com
Ant-Man and the Wasp T-Shirt Swag
Angela Ortíz Having Fun as Ferdinand
Star Wars: The Last Jedi, BB-8 & Angela Ortíz
The Incredibles 2 Edna Mode and Angela Ortíz
Latinos in Hollywood Photo Exhibit
The invisibles by Edgar Humberto Alvarez