EDITORIAL EL PASO • CD. JUÁREZ • LAS CRUCES MOVIE ISSUE 1
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Copyright 2013.
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Dear Readers: Thanks for your interest in the Valor Hispano Magazine. In the past, this magazine has mostly been about health and providing positivity, however we tried something different with this issue. You may recall that a couple of months ago, we released a music edition. Well we decided to put out another special issue, a movie issue. Inside you will find articles about movies showing in the coming months, movie reviews, movie events going on in the city and much more. Like the music issue, the reason behind this special edition was to give readers another side of the magazine. We wanted to give readers different material to read. We wanted to share some information that is not normally covered in our previous editions. But most of all, we wanted to provide content that we thought our readers would enjoy. We invite you to send in your comments and suggestions on topics you would like us to publish in upcoming editions. We would also like to invite you to visit our website www.valorhispanoonline. com and our Facebook and Twitter accounts. We hope you enjoy this special edition of Valor Hispano Magazine. We send our best wishes to you and look forward to your interest in our future editions.
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2013 Plaza Classic Film Festival
For the past couple of years, audiences in the area have packed the downtown theatre to watch classic films. Not only has its brought audiences of all ages to the theatre but also has brought some big names to it’s event. The Plaza Classic Film Festival, which began in 2008, is held at the renovated Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Center located near the Camino Real Hotel and El Paso Museum of Art. According to the film festival’s website, “One of the goals of the festival is to educate audiences about the history and art of the cinema and reawaken the joy of watching great films. With the help of special presenters and through our educational outreach programs and film talks, the festival provides many opportunities to expand your knowledge and appreciation of these ‘classics’. We are also committed to using the festival to look forward, and each festival includes programs to showcase the talents of local independent filmmakers.” And this year’s event is no different from others in past years. So far over 40 classic titles spanning around 90 years have be announced for this year’s film festival, with more to be announced in the weeks leading up to the event. Some of the films to be showcased at this year’s festival include: The Adventures of Robin Hood, Dirty Harry, Drácula, The 1931 Spanish Version, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Sound of Music, The War of the Worlds and West Side Story.
of years ago Nick Clooney, father of actor George Clooney, made a stop here in El Paso. No telling who will make a trip to this year’s Plaza Classic Film Festival. In addition, the film festival is offering local film makers a chance to showcase their talents. The Local Flavor Submission, which is in it’s sixth year, targets independent filmakers who have make short films in or about the border region. Forms for the Local Flavor Submission can be downloaded at their website, along with any questions regarding the event. During the time of the festival, the El Paso Museum of Art will be holding an art exhibit that begins in late July and ends in September. There will also be concerts, film talks and various events held during the days of the film festival (dates to be announced). The 2013 Plaza Classic Film Festival will start on August 1st and run through the 11th. Tickets for indivdual films and events will go on sale in early July. However festival passes are now available to purchase online for $200. For more information about the festival and how to purchases tickets to the films and other events associated with the festival, you can visit their website, www.plazaclassic.com or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
In addition to the classic films being shown at the Plaza, a several actors and actresses will pay a visit to the Sun City as they did during last year’s event. Last year, Al Pacino, Eva Marie Saint and Tippi Hedren made appearances. A couple
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Where Can I See A Good Movie?
Here are list of movie theaters in the El Paso/Las Cruces area:
East Pointe Movies 12 Theaters 8300 Gateway East, El Paso, TX 79907
El Paso Theaters Cinemark Cielo Vista Theaters 8401 Gateway West Blvd, El Paso, TX 79925
*Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas 5001 N. Mesa Street, El Paso, TX 79912
Cinemark Tinseltown USA and XD Theaters 11855 Gateway West, El Paso, TX 79936 Cinemark West and XD Theaters 7440 Remcon Circle, El Paso, TX 79912 Carmike 16 Theaters 9840 Gateway Blvd North., El Paso, TX 79924 The Grand 10 - Ft. Bliss Theaters 1619 Pleasonton Road, Fort Bliss, TX 79906 Premiere Cinema 18 at Bassett Place Mall Theaters 6101 Gateway West, El Paso, TX 79925 Montwood Movies 7 Theaters 2200 N. Yarbrough, El Paso, TX 79925
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*Future Cinemark Loocation Corner of Rich Beem and Montana *Cinemark Movie Bistro Located inside Sunland Park Mall Las Cruces Theaters Allen Theaters - Cineport 10 700 South Telshor Boulevard Las Cruces, NM Allen Theaters - Telshor Cinema 12 2811 North Telshor Boulevard Las Cruces, NM Allen Theaters - Video 4 1005 South El Paso Las Cruces, NM
*Signifies future locations coming later this year
Superman: The Man of Steel
“Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. The infant of Krypton is now the Man of Steel: Superman!” And of course, “Up in the sky, look: It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s Superman!”
Kent, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White and Russell Crowe as Jor-El.
We all know the famous lines associated with this hero. And for some of us, he was one of the first superheroes we ever heard about.
For those of you who know, Nolan was the director of The Dark Knight Triology. He has been credited with reviving the Batman series, especially after the poor showing of Batman & Robin in the late 90s.
He’s been around since April 1938, with his first appearance in DC Comics. That has sprouted countless of comic series featuring Superman, along with several television series and full feature films with the Man of Steel. The last time we saw the iconic ‘S’ on the sliver screen was in 2006. Superman Returns was directed by Bryan Singer and featured Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey. The film opened to positive reviews with over 70 percent of reviewers enjoying it, according to Rotten Tomatoes. It also generated over $390 million at the box office. However, since then there has been no siting of Clark Kent. Until July of last year... During the previews of The Dark Knight Rises, audiences got their first look at the latest installment of the Superman series. And with that, the talk started about the revival of series... The film will be directed by Zach Synder, with Christopher Nolan serving as producer of the film and screenplay done by David S. Goyer. Henry Cavill portrays Clark Kent/Superman, with Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Michael Shannon as General Zod, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Kevin Costner as Jonathan
Perhaps much of the hype surrounding the film involves the name of Christopher Nolan.
There has been much feeling that Nolan, even though he served as producer of the film, will be able to bring the Superman series to the same heights at the Batman series. And to add on some more pressure or hype to this film, the success of this film could also provide hype for the future Justice League film. The Justice League, is the equivalent to Marvel’s The Avengers superhero league. The future film would center around Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman as the main characters. As of right now, the Justice League film is still in the beginning stages of writing but if the Man of Steel does deliver in the box office and for reviewers, there will be no need to look for the role of Superman. But the one thing to remember here is not to compare this to the Christopher Nolan Batman series. We can’t go into theaters thinking that this will be like The Dark Knight or The Dark Knight Rises. Every superhero movie will not be the same because every superhero is different. They all don’t have the same powers therefore we can’t have the same expectations. But we do hope that it will be an awesome movie.
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Coming Soon
Summer is a time most of us look forward to each year. For some of us, it’s because school is out. Some enjoy the weather, which usually means vacation to the beachers. But for some people, it is a time to check out the movie blockbusters of the year. Check out the movies that are currently showing in theaters and the ones that are coming out in the next couple of months. Currently in theaters The Purge Fast & Furious 6 Now You See Me The Internship Epic Star Trek Into Darkness After Earth The Hangover Part III Iron Man 3 The Great Gatsby Before Midnight 42 Mud *Above films showing in over 400 theaters nationwide as of June 14th
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Coming out in June 2013 June 14th Man of Steel This Is the End Fukrey 20 Feet from Stardom Berberian Sound Studio (Limited) June 21st World War Z Monsters University The Bling Ring June 28th The Heat White House Down I’m So Excited Byzantium Redemption Coming out in July 2013 July 5th The Lone Ranger Despicable Me 2 Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain The Way, Way Back
July 12th Pacific Rim Grown Ups 2
September 6th Riddick Salinger
July 19th Red 2 R.I.P.D. The Conjuring Turbo
September 13th Machete Kills Insidious: Chapter 2 Escape Plan Battle of the Year
July 26th The Wolverine Blue Jasmine Fruitvale Station
September 20th Rush Walk of Shame The Family Prisoners
Coming out in August 2013 August 2nd 300: Rise of an Empire 2 Guns Smurfs 2 The Spectacular Now
September 27th Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 Runner, Runner Baggage Claim Coming out in October 2013
August 9th Elysium Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters Planes We’re the Millers
October 4th Sin City: A Dame to Kill For Out of the Furnace Gravity Delivery Man
August 16th Kick-Ass 2 The To Do List Paranoia Prince Avalanche Ain’t Them Bodies Saints
October 11th Captain Phillips Haunt
August 23rd The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones The World’s End You’re Next The Grandmaster
October 25th Old Boy Paranormal Activity 5
August 30th This Is Us Getaway Closed Curcuit Random
October 18th Seventh Son
*Movies titles research collected from IMDB.com. Releases dates subject to change
Coming out in September 2013
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Movie Events in El Paso
The theaters aren’t the only place that you can catch the flicks this summer in the Sun City. And best of all, these options are free for the entire family. Movies on the Lawn Currently on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso, Movies on the Lawn features family films every Friday from now to August 2nd, except for June 28th. The events lineup consist of Despicable Me, National Treasure, Wreck It Ralph, Harry and the Hendersons, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Brave. Films will be shown either on University Field or Glory Field. For more info about Movies on the Lawn, visit the university’s website. Movies at the Canyon Later on in the summer, McKelligon Canyon Amphitheater serves host to another family outing for movies. Movies at the Canyon features a wide range of films over a two month period.
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Starting on August 16th and ending on October 19th, this event will be showing 20 different films every Friday and Saturday during that period. Some of the flims that will be shown are the same ones shown at Movies on the Lawn; but no worries, many well known films will be showcased. Some of the biggest names a part of this event include: The Dark Knight Rises, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Hunger Games, The Avengers, Breaking Dawn Part 2 and The Hobbit. Movies will start approximately around 7:30. For a full movie lineup, check out the Visit El Paso Website. And for weather related information surround the event, call the weather hotline at 534-0665. Both events will have concessions available for patrons who attend the event. Movies on the Lawn sells a $5 movie combo that conists of a hot dog, small soda and popcorn. McKelligon Canyon does not allow outside food of beverages in the bowl.
DVD Reviews
Below are a few reviews of movies we have hand picked from the past year: The Dark Knight Rises The biggest question leading up to the opening weekend of the movie was if it was going to live up to the hype. The bar for this movie was extremely high after the acclaim of its predecessor, The Dark Knight. So did the movie live up to the hype? The answer is…yes. With a couple of plot twists and turns, this movie will have you on the edge of your seat for its duration. I will admit the beginning of the movie was a little too slow for my taste. The return of Batman, in my opinion wasn’t enough to change the pace
of the beginning. It felt like it needed to have that one big piece of action to make this film that much better or even make that scene a little more climatic. But the ending is where it happens. Everything comes full circle, the plot and the characters. The only thing is make sure to show up early so you can truly experience this film in full detail. Christian Bale does a wonderful job of portraying a tired and weary Bruce Wayne, who eventually comes to the realization that Gotham City does need Batman. Bale performance shows that Batman has truly come full circle in the Christopher Nolan trilogy. Michael Caine turns in a masterful performance as Wayne’s butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Caine truly shines in one of the pivotal scenes in the movie. I will not describe the scene in respect of those who have not seen the movie yet; but you will know what I am talking about when you see it.
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Many wondered how Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Bane would turn out after Heath Ledger turned in a wonderful performance of The Joker, which eventually won him an academy award. Well I think it is safe to say he met the expectations set out for him. What is Ledger like? No but the bottom line is he portrayed a character that was a problem for the cape crusader. He was a strength and intellectual match for the dark knight. The only problem with Bane was his voice was a little hard to understand at times. You can understand what he was trying to say with the body actions, but could not fully understand word for word what was being said behind his mask. Also much intrigue was behind the choice of Anne Hathaway cast as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. He delivered a performance that was suitable for the movie. The only problem was it seemed like she tried too hard in a couple of scenes or that it didn’t fit right completely. In a scene seen in one of the numerous trailers, Catwoman says “You don’t owe these people anymore! You’ve given them everything!” It seemed a little cheesy or the expression on her face didn’t quite match the line that she said. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard both turned out to play bigger roles in the film that most probably expect. The thing that probably put these two characters over the top their plot twists that they were a part of, but no worries, no spoilers here. And of course, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman turn in their usual performers as Lucius Fox and Commissioner Gordon; adversaries to the dark knight. Overall the film is a fine piece of work. Does it succeed The Dark Knight? Not completely but Nolan does end the trilogy on an exclamation point. This will film will leave you in awe and wanting more, especially when you see the ending of the film. Nolan has said that this is end of it, as far
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as Batman goes. But mostly someone will try to pick off where he left off. But just a few words of advice, you certainly have your work cut out for you. And in the words of the trailer, ‘The Legend Ends.” Rating: 8.8/10 The Possession The storyline for this movie is a young girl purchases an antique box at a garage sale. But little does she know that a mysterious spirit lives inside the box. The spirit takes over the body of the young girl and the parents try to find a way to get the spirit out of her body. The plot of the story seems pretty simple, as well as the movie; maybe a little too simple… Except for a couple of moments that make you jump a little out of your seat, this movie does not contain many scary moments. This movie seems to follow the trend of many horror movies now-a-days, a scene with silence leading up to one moment that is supposed to scare you. There really is no wow factor to any of the ‘scare’ scenes in this movie. Each of the supposed ‘scary’ scenes follows the same suit. A couple of seconds of silence, followed by the scene and then a scene cut with the same background music played. All of these scenes leave you wanting more but sadly there is nothing to follow. Perhaps the scene that makes you jump
the most in the movie is the part where Em, portrayed by Natasha Calis, realizes that there is a spirit inside of her. She opens her mouth to see two fingers of the spirit coming up from her throat and touch her tongue. But other than that, no other scenes really do anything for you. The other thing that makes this movie worth watching is the acting of Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Morgan plays the father of Em, Clyde. He does a wonderful job of portraying a dad who is concerned about his daughter’s well being even though no one else thinks that anything is wrong with her. Overall this movie really isn’t scary at all and the only thing that salvages it is the acting of Morgan. Rating: 4.5/10 Side Effects “One pill can change a life.” That is the quote on the movie poster for this film. And in all honesty, one pill can actually have that effect. Even though it may not be the way you actually think it will happen... This film features Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine ZetaJones and Channing Tatum. The thriller is directed by Steven Soderbergh with Scott Z. Burns writing the screenplay.
depression after other pills seem to have no effect on her. The pill does help her out, even though it does cause tragedy, but soon leads Banks down a crazy road that eventually leads his career and personal life in ruins. And eventually a crazy plot twist at the end. Side Effects is a movie that makes you think. It keeps you on your toes for the entire 106 minutes of the movie. It forces you to put the puzzle together, while giving you all the necessary pieces to do so. The acting in the film actually makes you believe that something is wrong with the characters in the story. But in end the nothing was wrong with them mentally. All that was wrong with them were their morals. Perhaps the most exciting thing about this film is the ending. When you think you have all figured out everything, the director decides to slip in one more surprise to give you the belief that the good guys always come out on top. Rooney Mara delivers a great performance as Emily Taylor. For me it’s unbelieveable how she was able to do some of those scenes and not show any expression/remorse or make everything believeable in her little plot for gain. The one-up manship between Jude Law and Catherine Zeta-Jones characters is a classic duel of wits. Who can be the first one to make the other blink...
The zeros on Mara’s character, Emily Taylor who is under doctor’s care after a suicide attempt. He begins to see Jonathan Banks, a psychiatrist, Jude Law’s character, on a regular basis.
The only thing that concerns me about this film is that you can get lost in it really easy. If you want this from the comfort of your couch at home and need to take a break, pause the movie. Because if you don’t you will certainly miss out on some important information.
She is soon prescribed a pill that helps her
Rating: 7.5/10
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Is Hollywood Getting Lazy? For many of us, we look forward to the end of the week. Not just because it’s the end of the work week and the beginning of the weekend, but because there are usually movies that we would like to see. And especially with summer just around the corner, or for us here in El Paso who feel like summer is here in full blaze, there will be numerous films that we would like to check out. But when you look at the titles of the movies coming out in the coming months, there seems to be a continuing theme among the films. It feels like we have seen them before or something similar to that. It seems like many of the movies now-adays are adaptions of previous films. Or maybe in some case, they are adaptions
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of films just released a couple of months ago. Take this as an example, White House Down will be in theaters at the end of this month. The movie features Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum. The main plot of the movie is an assault on the White House by a paramilitary group. Sound exciting right? A classic summer movie, action and excitment. But let’s go back a couple of months... In late March, Olympus Has Fallen debuted in theaters. This movie stats Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman. And the plot of this film is about a North Korean led assault on the White House and a former secret service agent who tries to stop it. Wait a minute, aren’t these two films basically the same thing except for different actors and a different group leading an as-
sault on the White House? I’ve heard of being a copycat but we usually see this happening at least a year a part. At least follow the lead of DC Comics. The talked about Justice League movie, which is their version of Marvel’s The Avengers, won’t be out for another couple of years to compete with The Avengers 2 film that same summer. Which leads us to the subject of sequels... what about all the sequels we have see in the past couple of years? The Dark Knight Rises, Fast & Furious 6, Despicable Me 2, the relaunch of the Star Wars franchise, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Grown Ups 2 and the list could go on for some time... Granted all these films will be must see, including some of them for me, but where did the originally go? How many films now-a-days are either sequels, based on true stories or events, based on comic books or best selling novels or sprout from other movies that produced at the box office? And we haven’t even started to talk about all the technology we see in these films. There is a lot of CGI in these films. A lot of animation is being put into these films for various scenes. Sure I can understand that you need it to keep costs at a minimum. But when close to a third of the movie is computerized, it takes away from the actual acting going on. It takes away from the plot of the story. When all is said and done, most people will remember the computerized graphics of the movie rather than the actual story told in it. This is primarily one of the reason why I admire Christopher Nolan and what he is
doing with his films in this period of movies. Sure he does use CGI but not as much as say Michael Bay. He seems to use when he needs to. In The Dark Knight, when the 18 wheeler driven by The Joker flips upside down, well they actually did that. And in The Dark Knight Rises, The Bat was not completely CGI in the scenes where it was flown. There was something carrying that flying in the air. In the last handful of years, it’s pretty safe to say that Hollywood is getting lazy. There is no more originally. Hollywood seems to like the idea of being slate and playing follow the leader. Sure these films are making money and as they say ‘that’s showbiz.’ But in all honesty, this is a tiring event. What happened to the days of Alfred Hitchcock and Martin Scorsese? What about the days where emphasis was placed on acting and camera shots and not on CGI and explosions? I think that’s why some of the films that are being nominated for best picture of the year are sometimes films we as the general public have not heard about. And it’s a shame really. There are so many good films, actors and directors out there that get lost in the cracks just because they don’t create films that appeal to the norm of today. All we can hope for is that this trend is in fact only a trend. And I am not saying that we should completely denounce all flims make in this time period, because there are plenty of films out there worth watching. All I am saying is that Hollywood should demand more creativity and originally from the writers, producers and directors. No longer follow the trends and instead try something new...
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