Father Geek here with LOBO's and Coffin Joe's LATIN-AICN for this Tuesday. Welcome back LOBO! We've missed you. Now Father Geek is in a sorry state... LOBO sent in 3 photos to accompany his storys and... well, I can't put them up for you all. You see Father Geek's computer contacted a virus or something that ate all the photo shop files along with others, plus Harry's main computer is totally screwed from the same kind of thing except its completely shut down, he's been updating the last few weeks from his great Mac laptop which is now with him in New Zealand. Soooo when you see LOBO's photo references, the missing pieces are the fault of Geek Headquarters, NOT our reporter LOBO. OK...

Father Geek again... I love the net! Sent Harry LOBO's pictures in New Zealand and he put them up!!! COOOOOOOOL!

Cinemaniacos Que pas0 ?!!

Bienvenidos one more time to Latin-AICN, well folks as you already know I took some time off. I am back now and while I was gone alot of things had happened, one of the things that caught my interest a lot was the FIFA awards where they give recognition to the Best soccer players and all of that has to do with soccer. You all know that I am a soccer freak and that PELE is one of my heroes and well this time FIFA decided to split the award for player of the century in two, the Internet vote and the result from the FIFA outside the net. This particular decision really got on my veins because there is only one King of Soccer and that is El Brasileiro "PELE" who did got the award from FIFA but the one from the Internet votes was taken by the gaucho Diego A. Maradona, I'm not saying that Maradona isn't a good player because he is freaking good but I didn't dig the fact that PELE wasn't the only one, anyways I am glad that FIFA did this and gave recognition to all of those guys and gals that kick the ball with passion.

The other things that got me was the death of LIBERTAD LAMARQUE (singer / actress) who died in Mexico city on December 12th, and also the death of Alejandro Muñoz "BLUE DEMON" who died on December 16th. That my friends is not fresh news anymore but is never to late to give out the info.

Now the hottest thing I have for you is the eruption of the Volcano in Mexico, that's right El Popocatepetl went crazy and decided to warm up this winter, this volcano is located almost in the center of Mexico and is 45 miles SE away from Mexico city so this is the hottest and it seems that might get even hotter down there....

QUICKIES / RAPIDINES

*** Mexico gets cuatro (4) Coral awards at the Havana Film Fest and the list is as follows; Arturo Ripstein's "Así es la vida" got a special Jury Prize, "Amores Perros" (Love's a bitch) won Best First Work, the Best Animated Short film award went to "El octavo día" (D 18th day) and "La ley de Herodes" received the Best Editing honor award...

*** Female Convict Scorpion here with some cool news. Fangoria2000.com has posted some exclusive info about Alex de la Inglesia's FU MANCHU on the "Terror Teletype" section of their website. de la Inglesia himself gave them the skinny about FU MANCHU:

*NEW* While visiting New York for a screening of his new film LA COMUNIDAD, director Alex de la Iglesia gave Fango's Michael Gingold the lowdown on his upcoming FU MANCHU film-and it sounds like a wild one! "It's going to be a strong movie," de la Iglesia says. "Fu Manchu will have claws like Wolverine, and literally kill people with a finger, through the throat." In this incarnation, the Asian villain (whom the director, in the classic Fu tradition, would like to cast with non-Asian Alan Rickman) is not only a killer but a dealer in illegal organs-saving the best bits for himself.

The movie, which at around $20 million will be the biggest-budgeted Spanish production ever, will likely film in Bangkok and other international locations-the opening scene is a shootout in the Vatican! The director has already landed Antonio Banderas as an FBI agent hunting Fu, with other actors to be cast once the final draft is finished. While the movie will be oriented more toward action thrills than horror, de la Iglesia promises, "It will not be the kind of American action film you can see now in the theaters. I don't like movies that are aimed at children; now all the American movies have to target 8-year-olds."

Here's the link for more: Just Click Here

This up here is a picture of LIBERTAD LAMARQUE who was Born in Argentina (home of our friend Ulysses) in 1908 and moved to Mexico in the 1940's , she started as a Tango singer and later she became an actress, during the 25+ years she spent in Mexico, she did a lot of movies and became one of the favorite actresses of the Mexican public, she had a great voice and as I remember her, she had a unique way of singing Rancheras and Mariachi music with her particular accent from Argentina, the lovers of the Golden Age "Epoca de Oro" will miss her and as we know she is another jewel of Mexico and her home Argentina.......

Now this picture here is from a poster of a movie with BLUE DEMON , a Mexican wrestler that also had the luck to join El Santo into the film making industry, He did more than 20 films with El Santo and also fought versus Mummies, Zombies and Vampires.

This is an image of the volcano Popocatepetl who decided to cook some clouds and empty the ashtray after 1300 years, the Aztecs recorded an eruption in 1354 A.D. and it was really bad.....

Here's a report on BEFORE NIGHT FALLS...

*** Caught Julian Schnabel's latest, 'Before Night Falls" at Talk Cinema this morning, haven't seen it reviewed here so thought I'd pass on a review of a great film that, sadly, I doubt many will see.

"Before Night Falls" is Schnabel's cinematic biography of Cuban writer/poet Reinaldo Arenas, based on the author's memoir of the same title. The plot follows Arenas' life and development as a writer while also showing Cuba at the time of the Castro revolution. Primarily set in Cuba (although filmed in Mexico), Schnabel offers lush scenes of the rural forests as well as successfully capturing the excitement of the early days of the revolution in the Cuban cities.

As the revolution begins to crack down on artists and homosexuals, persecution of Arenas grows until he is jailed. Although idealism for the revolution and its beliefs begins to fade, Arenas' love for his homeland remains resolute and strong as he tries to keep slightly ahead of the law. Once in prison, Arenas continues to write, and to have his writings intercepted. Although he is an internationally known writer at this point (having won the best foreign novel award in France), in Cuba he is considered a traitorous outlaw.

After spending time in prison (including wretched scenes of solitary confinement), he is brought before a prison lieutenant and given the choice of spouting the party line or staying in prison. He agrees to at least pretend to be a propagandist for the party and is permitted to leave prison.

Eventually he is able to leave Cuba during the boat lift and the last portion of the movie deals with the remaining years of his life in New York as a "stateless" resident. Although free from the dictates of the Castro's Cuba, it's clear that he still longs for his homeland.

Actor Javier Bardem, in the title role gives a strikingly believable performance as Arenas. At once he is able to portray Arenas' nationalistic pride and shame.

Two better known Hollywood actors, Sean Penn and Johnny Depp, make cameo appearances. Penn's, as a cart driver who young Arenas meets as a runaway on the way to join the revolutionary army, delivers a startlingly disappointing performance with a Spanish accent that might make Speedy Gonzales cringe. Depp, playing two separate characters - the wicked prison lieutenant and Bon Bon, the prison transvestite who helps to smuggle some of Arenas' writings to the outside world (through rather, ahem, painful means), give superb performances. The fact that he is not immediately recognizable in either role only adds to his credibility and the intensity of his performance (particularly the prison lieutenant.)

This film, Schnabel's second, is far more grand and expansive than his first film, "Basquiate." The crowd scenes have an energy and a pulse to them and Schnabel pays close cinematic attention to detail. There are several scenes where the main characters are visiting dance halls or parties, but instead of utilizing Cuban music as the obvious choice for the soundtrack, Schnable juxtaposes the scenes with other, unexpected music, such as Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson... and it works quite well.

Schnabel, also known as one of the leading popular artists of the 1980s, successfully employs his artistic sensibilities in his cinematic efforts. There are moments of "art house film" cinematography, but they by no means seem out of place or forced. (Perhaps the only element that might be a bit over-the-top is Schnabel's fondness for giant lettering in the opening credits.) There are several scenes with little or no dialogue that are quite moving, in large part because of the cinematography and its excellent choreography with the story line. The scene of Arenas arrival in America on a snowy night in New York City is a moving example.

Overall, Schnable has produced a highly respectable film (I believe this film was a finalist at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals). The audience at Talk Cinema this morning seemed generally unfamiliar with the life of Arenas, but this by no means prevented the majority from highly enjoying this film. There are a couple of scenes (primarily the balloon "escape") that don't actually appear in Arenas' memoir, but do appear in his other writings. Anyone familiar with Arenas' work will undoubtedly appreciate Schnabel's extensive knowledge of and respect for his subject. Those who enjoy well-produced films just outside of the Hollywood mainstream will still find the film highly accessible. It would not be at all surprising to find this film rounding out several critics' "top ten" lists as a darkhorse sleeper this year. It made mine.

A Young Philadelphian

Well Amigos this is it from me (LOBO) and I will see you later okay ..... Celula....

Now to Coffin Joe down in Sao Paulo, Brazil...

Hello Father Geek , everybody , Coffin Joe here with some big festival news , regarding the XXII New Latin-American Cinema Film Festival which wrapped this last week in Havana , Cuba ( with the presence of the bearded dictator himself , Fidel Castro , at the the closing ceremony ) . Well , here are the winners :

-Feature and Short Films :

Gran Premio Coral : " Me , You , Them " ( Brazil ) directed by Andrucha Waddington

2nd Premio Coral : " Nueces para el Amor " ( Argentina ) directed by Alberto Lecchi

3rd Premio Coral : " Esperando al Mesías " ( Argentina ) directed by Daniel Burman

Special Jury Award : " Así es la Vida " ( Mexico ) directed by Arturo Ripstein

Best directorial debut : Alejandro González Iñarritu for " Amores Perros " ( Mexico )

Best Director : Francisco Lombardi for " Tinta Roja " ( Peru )

Best Screenplay : Juan Carlos Tabío , Arturo Arango and Senel Paz for " Lista de Espera " ( Cuba )

Best Actor : Gianfranco Brero for " Tinta Roja " ( Peru ) and Julio Jung for " Coronación " ( Chile )

Best Actress : Ariadna Gil for " Nueces para el Amor " ( Argentina )

Special Mention : Regina Casé for " Me, You , Them " ( Brazil )

Best Art Direction : Guadalupe Bornard for " Coronación " ( Chile )

Best Editing : Luis Estrada for " La Ley de Herodes " ( Mexico )

Best Cinematography : Alfredo Mayo for " Plata Quemada " ( Argentina )

Best Sound : Carlos Abbate and José Luis Díaz for " Plata Quemada " ( Argentina )

Best Soundtrack : Gilberto Gil for " Me , You , Them " ( Brazil )

Best Film by a non-Latin director about Latin America : " La Virgen de los Sicarios " directed by Barbet Schroeder ( Colombia / France / Spain )

Best Short Film : " BMW Vermelho " directed by Edu Ramos e Reinaldo Pinheiro ( Brazil )

Special Jury Mention : " Nostalgia en la Mesa 8 " directed by Andres Muschietti ( Argentina ) and Asociación Argentina de Actores directed by Sebastián Alfie ( Argentina )

-Documentaries :

Gran Premio Coral : " Papá Iván " directed by María Inés Roque ( Argentina )

2nd Premio Coral : " O Rap do Pequeno Príncipe contra as Almas Sebosas " directed by Paulo Caldas e Marcelo Luna ( Brazil ) -- ( COFFIN JOE NOTE : I swear to God I´ll turn in a review next week , I´ve been promising it , but I just haven´t had the time to go out to see it )

3rd Premio Coral : " La Chivinchana " directed by Waldo Ramírez ( Cuba )

Mention : " Qeshawachera , El Puente Dorado " directed by Jorge Carmona ( Peru )

Premio Coral to the Best documentary from a non-Latin director about Latin America : " Ramo de Fuego " directed by Maureen Gosling and Ellen Osborne ( United States )

Premio Coral to the Best Experimental Documentary : " El Sueño de Catalina " directed by José M. Riera ( Cuba )

-Animated Films :

Gran Premio Coral : " El Octavo Día " directed by Juan José Medina and Rita Basulto ( Mexico )

2nd Premio Coral : " Uma Janela para o Cinema " directed by Quiá Rodrigues ( Brazil )

3rd Premio Coral : " Deus é Pai " directed by Allan Sieber ( Brazil )

Special Mention : " La Yuma " directed by Florence Jangay and Sobalvarro ( Nicaragua )

FAMILY MAN REVIEW...

All the way down here in São Paulo , here in Brazil . I got to see an advance screening of the latest Nicolas Cage flick , " The Family Man " , and boy do I have some disturbing news for you folks . I´ll just tell you straight : Nicolas Cage is gone . Ok , calm down , I´ll explain it to you . The Nicolas Cage from " Leaving Las Vegas " , " Red Rock West " and " Raising Arizona " is gone . The great quirky actor , who pulled off some pretty amazing performances ( remember his kooky turn in " Vampire´s Kiss " ) is gone . He´s officially missing guys . Please notify the local authorities and let´s try to find that fella ´cause he´s gone . Sad , but true . " The Family Man " is so sentimental it makes me wanna puke for like a whole day . It basically tells you that the good life is the regular family life a guy can lead , with the wife , kids and mini-van . Yep , that´s what they say instead of being a bachelor , living it up , enjoying the single life with a sports car , girlfriends , nice house and buckets of money , you have to marry , have kids , raise them with the lady of your life , and everybody will live happily for all eternity . That´s the plot by the way , a guy who wakes up and has his life changed that way , from bachelor to married man . It´s a fairy tale type deal , get it ? It´s the holiday season , you know the studios have to make a few bucks , so they produce a cheap imitation of a Frank Capra film . Execs are fuckin´geniuses , aren´t they ? I swear to God , if anyone compares this piece of crap to " It´s a Wonderful Life " I´ll personally hunt the bastard down and make him watch a marathon of the last two seasons of " Saturday Night Live " . I´m serious , don´t fuck with me man . Brett Ratner directed this . How could he ? He made " Rush Hour " , I thought that was a good movie , and then he decides to follow it up with this ? Why ? I don´t get it . Any director could have done this movie , it´s not exactly a showcase for anyone´s directorial skills , actually a monkey could have directed this if given proper training . Wait , I got a better one , if Homer Simpson was an actual human being , he could have directed this movie . While drunk . One saving factor : Tea Leoni . Mulder is a lucky son of a bitch . She´s sweet , she´s pretty , she´s funny , she´s everything . Don´t get me started on that smile . Dreamy .

Brasília Brazilian Film Festival

-The 33rd Brasília Brazilian Film Festival has wrapped and I´m here to give you the scoop on what happened . Basically the movie " Bicho de Sete Cabeças " , directed by Laís Bodansky , was the big winner , taking home the awards for best feature film , best director ( Laís Bodansky ) and best actor ( Rodrigo Santoro ) . The movie which was also screened here at the São Paulo Film Festival , is Laís´ feature directing debut , after she directed the short " Cartão Vermelho " (1994) and the documentary " Cine Mambembe , O Cinema Descobre o Brasil " with co-director Luiz Bolognesi . The plot of " Bicho de Sete Cabeças " is about a kid whose relationship with his father is getting more and more difficult everyday , and after a series of extreme attitudes by both parties , the kid ends up in an asylum for the insane . The movie is based on the book " Canto dos Malditos " by a writer from Curitiba , here in Brazil , called Austregésilo Carrano Bueno . One interesting trivia note regards the production of this film , which was co-produced by Fabrica Cinema , an Italian production house maintained by the Benetton company . Pretty fancy , isn´t it ?

-Another winner at the Brasília Fest , was the documentary " O Chamado de Deus " , which was helmed by José Joffily . The doc won awards for best editing and best documentary . Joffily´s next project is a remake of the movie " Dois Perdidos numa Noite Suja " , a movie that was first made in the seventies by director Braz Chediak , with Nelson Xavier and Emiliano Queiroz playing the lead characters Paco e Tonho . In this new version actor Roberto Bontempo is signed to play Tonho . José Joffily hasn´t yet decided wether he will shoot the movie completely with digital cameras ( which he did with " O Chamado de Deus " ) , or if he´ll mix the digital footage with 16 mm film . The movie´s budget is approximately 800.000 reais , but the director is still trying to get more money before the movie rolls , next year .

I know I promised a review of the documentary " O Rap do Pequeno Príncipe " , about a hitman and a rapper in the slums of the Brazilian city of Recife , but I haven´t been able to see it just yet . I promise I´ll get to watch the damn thing this week and I´ll turn in a review for next week´s column . Deal ? Alright .

Coffin Joe says : BYE