III Urban Fest at Torrejón

The third annual Urban Fest was celebrated in the Madrid municipality of Torrejón de Ardoz. The venue, "Recinto Ferial", held various activities related to the hip hop culture like breakdancing, freestyle battles and a couple of rap acts. As the event was totally free it was full of youngsters and rappers from the entire Madrid community. The weather was a bit cold for our taste making a weird atmosphere of the Sunday afternoon.

It began with the b-boys making their stage antics to a crowd of clueless youngsters who only cheered the "windmills" or the "flares". The crews did not have any organization or coordinated pieces like all b-boy crews have. Any of the b-boys stand out that much and the majority were very sloppy. But the winners were a crew called "Madrid King Vandals". After that, the mc freestyle battle who was a little wackness. The only one with inventive, flow and punchlines that did not seem previously written was the winner, a chubby mc which name I can remember.

Then came the rap acts starting by Primizia, who played a lot of time and I did not like at all. After that, Torrejón local mc, Artes, enter the stage to sang some tunes from his last album "La Banda Sonora de Nuestra Vidas". He was accompanied by Frank T and Rob Vendetta in a couple of songs. After that, we left because the event was getting monotonous and the weather didn't help. We missed Rapsusklei, Xhelazz and Falsalarma, the latter two we have seen them live before so its no big deal.

Rudo y Cursi by Carlos Cuarón

Rudo y Cursi is the first feature film directed by mexican screenwriter Carlos Cuarón. The movie is produced by Cha Cha Cha, a company integrated by fellow mexican directors Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro González Iñárritu and Guillermo Del Toro. Starring are Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna with supporting roles by puertorrican actress Jessica Mas and argentinean actor Guillermo Francella.

The story of brothers Tato "Cursi" Verdusco (Gael) and Beto "Rudo" Verdusco (Diego) who work in a plantation in their poor Mexican town. They also play in the local soccer team. One day a scout, Batuta (Francella), arrives and watches them playing. Tato is the first who is drafted to play at a soccer club in DF called "Deportivo Amaranto" but he also wants to be a singer. Rudo eventually is scouted to another team in DF to play as the goalie. They both become famous players but Cursi falls for a beautiful model (Mas) who is a social climber and Rudo becomes an avid gambler. Both brothers are against each other at the final soccer game of their lives.

Cuarón's debut as a director is very-well accomplished. The photography is great because of the contrast between the poor coastal mexican towns and the urban life at the DF. The story flows very smoothly without flashbacks or any goofy camera tricks that enhances a non-linear storytelling. His brother's camera work, like long takes are seen a couple of times throughout the film as well as the use of a voice-over narrator who explains the context. Gael and Diego's acting complement very well the kind of funny but very real story that Cuarón tries to tell. The script resembles his shorts like "Me la Debes" (You Owe Me One) and his famous movie "Y tu mamá también" in the sense of being a simple, funny, sexy and thought-provoking drama that can be enjoyed anytime.

Carlos Cuarón along with brother Alfonso, Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Guillermo Arriaga and Carlos Reygadas are the new generation of mexican filmmakers who are making spanish-speaking cinema stand for itself nowadays.

Bad Brains documentary.

Trailer for the documentary on the hardcore-punk pioneers from DC/NYC, The almighty Bad Brains.

Puerto Rico is not important

During the recent Summit of the Americas, The Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega expressed in his speech that the event cannot be called of "The Americas" because two countries like Cuba and Puerto Rico, did not participated in it. President Obama in his speech forgot completely about Ortega's mention of Puerto Rico. I ask myself: It was deliberate or just forgot? Who knows.

Also, some of the leading news agencies in the world (AP, EFE, etc) and as a matter of fact the major newspapers (NY Times, Le Monde, SF Chronicle,etc) only quoted Ortega as saying Cuba, they omitted the other Caribbean island. Only a local Trinidad paper reported on this. It's a shame, the misinformation.

I'm aware of the "great news" it is Cuba because of the 40 year plus US embargo on them and the non-existent relationship between the US presidents and the Castro brothers. But Puerto Rico is still the oldest colony in the world. Where human rights are being violated to 4 million US citizens who are treated as second class citizens who neither can vote for the president of the US nor received decent incomes compared to the 50 states of the union (our per capita is lower than the poorest state which is Mississippi).

Puerto Rico's status has to be resolved as soon as possible. But Obama and the media have to put our problem in the international forums and not omitted it like they did. Our commonwealth is a transitional status and it should be changed. Our society is composed of politicians who only want to perpetuate the colonial status to continue robbing the federal aid and a dormant population who only likes to "party" and not to think. The chances of independence were undermined as the nationalist movement was erased with Pedro Albizu Campos and such who where the ones who really fought for a free nation.

So, in the 21st century it's either a Hispanic statehood to the US or a territorial disposition by the US Congress as stated by political analyst Juan Manuel Garcia Passalaqua. A Hispanic statehood is more viable now as the Hispanic population stateside is rapidly growing each year. The US was created as a melting pot, a nation of immigrants. With Obama, part of a minority, as President is possible. Now or never.

Zack and Miri make a porno by Kevin Smith

Zack and Miri make a porno is the latest film by indie writer/director,Kevin Smith(View Askew Productions). Starring are Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Traci Lords and Craig Robinson (Darryl from The Office).

The story of Zack (Rogen) and Miri (Banks) who are roommates that run out of money to pay the bills so they decided to film a porno movie to raise money. Their friend Delaney (Robinson) has a little extra money so Zack borrows it to film their new adventure. They began looking for actors and actress (i.e. Bubbles played by Lords) for a couple of extra scenes besides their "first time" having sex. After several events, Zack and Miri realize they are more than simple roommates.

Kevin Smith's trademark humor is there and combined with Apatow's usual suspects like Rogen, Banks and Robinson make a heck of a good funny tour de force film. It is a very simple story, more about love and finding something you like to do than actually making a porno. The film is making fun of that over abundant celebrity sex tapes but uses it to tell a good and funny story about finding love.

On a side note, the film also used an alternate poster because the title caused some controversy for having the word "porno" in it.

Control by Anton Corbijn

Control is the biopic about Ian Curtis, late vocalist of English post-punk band Joy Division. The film is based on Deborah Curtis book "Touching from a distance" and is directed by acclaimed rock photographer Anton Corbijn. Starring are Sam Riley (Ian), Samantha Morton (Deborah) and Alexandra Maria Lara as belgian mistress Annik Honoré.

It presents Curtis' troubled short life that ended in May 1980 by the way of suicide. It covers from his early days as a Manchester lad in love with Bowie, his early marriage with Deborah, his absent parenthood to Natalie, the forming of Joy Division (first named Warsaw), his epilepsy and seizures during concerts, his affair with a Belgian groupie, his depression, his problems with Deborah and finally his struggle with fame in the verge of their first USA tour.

The film shows also contemporary bands like Buzzcocks, Sex Pistols and even a cameo by punk poet John Cooper Clark that gives a real edge to the film. It is very well photographed with Corbijn's trademark black and white shots. The soundtrack, full of the band's classics, was played by the real actors. And Riley's performance was outstanding. He portrayed Curtis was a depressed young adult who felt so much guilt by his actions that decide to end his life and become a rock n roll martyr.

Agent Orange at Madrid

Agent Orange, the surf-punk legends from Orange County, played at the Wurlitzer Ballroom in the spanish capital. The opening act was The Shitty Limits from the United Kingdom who played energetic hardcore-punk ala Surf Nazis Must Die. Their singer was within the crowd roaring the fast skate-punk blasts as the rest of the band lay on stage to play rapid fire guitar riffs and out-of-control drums. Very impressive band. After this good set, came the spanish heavy rock/punk band Zero 5 who played a couple of tunes reminiscent of Motorhead, but not that good.

At last, came the southern california power trio lead by vocalist/guitarist Mike Palm. They sounded tight and powerful even though the venue's sound is not the best. Their usual instrumental surf tunes were between the faster punk songs. Some of the songs played were "Bloodstains", "Too young too die" (dedicated to the late Lux Interior of The Cramps), "The Last Goodbye", "No Such Thing", "Living in darkness", "Pipeline" and "I kill spies". Also they played two covers: "Police Truck" by the Dead Kennedys and "Message from the Underworld" by The Weirdos. Great set overall, energetic as it gets but with some chill out surf tunes to listen.

Picture by MCJ Photography (c).

A new kind of TV series

Well, certainly you have heard the expression that nowadays "tv sucks" or the so-called "junk-tv". For the most part is true but there are exceptions to the boring television programs that you are accustomed to see. Also, the most famous tv series (in the US) are either medical or police/agent related themes that are kind of always the same.

The "good" tv series (like classic Lynch's Twin Peaks) have good storytelling, great direction, well-develop characters, suspense and all those things we love from cult or indie cinema. They are in channels like ABC, NBC, AMC, CBS, HBO, Showtime, just to name a few. Here are my favorite ones and I would recommend you all get into it.


1-Lost (ABC)-Created by JJ Abrams. Currently in its fifth season (ends in May 09') and the final season its due on May 10'. It follows the lives of plane crash survivors on a mysterious tropical island, after a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles crashes somewhere in the South Pacific. See this if you like suspense, mystery, mythology, science, flashbacks, flashfowards and well-develop characters. With Lost you will never know what's going to happen next.


2-Weeds (Showtime)-Created by Jenji Kohan. Season 5 begins in May 09'. About a widowed housewife (Mary-Louise Parker) from an affluent California suburb who becomes her neighborhood's marijuana dealer to make ends meet after the death of her husband. Its a comedy filled with irony, sarcasm and the real stories behind those "Little Boxes" (nice suburban homes) and its sometimes hypocritical and pretentious inhabitants. It has suspense, crime and hilarious moments. An all-around good series.


3-True Blood (HBO)-Created by Alan Ball. This golden-globe winning series begins its second season in June 09'. Based on the Sookie Stackhouse book series. It centers in the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional small northern Louisiana town. The series centers on Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), a telepathic waitress at a bar, who falls in love with vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer). What a good combination has this series: Vampires and the southern culture of the US. Romance, mystery and suspense all the way.


4-Jericho (CBS)-Created by John Turtletaub. Unfortunately it got canceled after two seasons only (the second season has only 7 episodes). Centers on the residents of the fictional town of Jericho, Kansas in the aftermath of nuclear attacks on 23 major cities in the contiguous United States. Starring are Skeet Ulrich and Lennie James, as Jake Green and Robert Hawkins respectively. Well-told action filled apocalyptic drama with good character development about an inside job nuclear attack on almost half of the states of the country, resulting in a corrupt government and corporation alliance that plans to control what they are calling "Allied States".


5-Sons of Anarchy (FX)-Created by Kurt Sutter. The second season will begin in September 09'. About the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in Northern California. Starring Charlie Hunnam (Children of Men), Ron Perlman (Hellboy), and Katey Sagal (Married..with Children). Club antiheroe members primarily make money by importing illegal weapons and selling them to drug gangs in the East Bay, along with protection runs for local businesses by protecting valuable truck shipments from hijacking. It is based on Shakespeare's Hamlet as Clay (Perlman) represents King Claudius, his wife Gemma (Segal) represents Gertrude and her son Jax (Hunnam) represents Prince Hamlet.


6-Lie To Me (Fox)-Created by Samuel Baum. Currently in its first season that ends in May 09'. The main character, Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth), aided by some colleagues detects deception by observing body language and microexpressions using this talent to assist clients like law enforcement. The character is based on Paul Ekman, notable psychologist and expert on body language and facial expressions. This X-files type show has mostly two cases per episode where the experts try to know if the parts involved are lying or why are they lying.


7-Breaking Bad (AMC)-Created by Vince Gilligan. The second season currently on the air until May 09' (the first seven-episode only season was cut short by the writer's strike). Staring Bryan Cranston as Walter White, a struggling high school chemistry teacher with a handicapped teenage son (RJ Mitte) and pregnant wife (Anna Gunn). When the already tense White is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, he breaks down and turns to a life of crime, setting up a meth lab with his former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) in a desire to secure his family's future financial security. This show, one of the best shows currently airing, is full of drama, crime, suspense and comedy. You can laugh, learn about chemistry, feel pity, see a lot of action and great dialogues all in a span of an episode. Brilliant!


8-The Office (NBC)-Developed by Greg Daniels from an original british series of the same name. Currently in its fifth season until May 09'. Starring Steve Carell as regional manager Michael Scott, this series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. The Office is made in the form of a documentary. Hilarious comedy about employees in a failing paper supply company with a wannabe-funny boss (Scott) and other notable acting by John Krasinski as smart-ass salesman Jim Halpert, Rainn Wilson as freaky salesman/assistant to the RM Dwight Schrute and Jenna Fisher as receptionist Pam Beesly. The rest of the cast is funny as hell too. Some of the actors write episodes. The Office is pure good fun.


9-Fringe (Fox)-Also created by JJ Abrams. Currently in its first season ending in May 09'. Follows the exploits of FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham, scientist Walter Bishop, and his son Peter as they investigate aspects of fringe science (telepathy, levitation, invisibility, reanimation, genetic mutation, psychokinesis, teleportation, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, precognition, dark matter, cybernetics, suspended animation, transmogrification, etc). All over the world, a series of apparent experiments collectively referred to as "the Pattern" are occurring for reasons unknown. Olivia, Peter, and Walter are in charge of investigating these strange events to determine their source. This X-Files type series goes through a different case very episode. See this if you like this type of show or any pseudo-science related themes.


10-Malviviendo (Internet)-This series is created by unemployed students from southern Spain and only airs through their site (and youtube). These fresh take on spanish-speaking television uses good cinema techniques. Every episode is a concept episode (i.e. backwards as Gaspar Noe's Irreversible or as spanish tv reportage adressing only the problems from Andalusia). Drugs, fun, crime, laughs, good acting, cheap settings,etc all make this series different but very enjoyable.

If you don't have tv and want to watch any of this series go to:

Project Free TV
TV Shack
Surf The Channel
Yidio

Towelhead by Alan Ball

Towelhead is the first feature film directed by Alan Ball, writer of American Beauty and creator of HBO's hit series Six Feet Under and True Blood. Starring are Aaron Eckhart, Maria Bello, Toni Collete, Peter Macdissi and Summer Bishil. The alternate title of the film is Nothing is Private because it caused controversy between some middle eastern anti-defamation groups.

It is the story of Jasira (Bishil), a 13 year old lebanese american girl, who lives with her mother (Bello) and her boyfriend in New York. After her mom's partner becomes interested in her sexually, she is send to live with her dad (Macdissi) in Texas. There, she will experiment sexually with one classmate and an adult neighbor (Eckhart) resulting in fights with her dad and being protected by a pregnant neighbor (Collete) and her husband.

First-time big screen direction by Ball is a tour-de-fource film of sexual experimentation, pedophilia, politics and racial discrimination. It is reminiscent of Solondz's Happiness and Clark's Ken Park in the way the themes are presented. Although not that visually graphic than the aforementioned but it suggests all that shocking and disturbing stuff that candy-coated mainstream cinema avoids.

Jasira struggles between her father strict ways and her sexual desires, her parents constant egoistical behavior towards her and each other, the pedophile neighbor who only wants to satisfy his sick appetite, her school boyfriend wanting to sleep with her and all that suburban environment who wants to control her life. Bishil and Eckhart's performances are outstanding and the rest of the cast contributed for the sake of the great storytelling. All in all, Ball proved with his feature debut that he can be a great director in television series as well as in films.

The Burning Plain by Guillermo Arriaga

The Burning Plain is the first film directed by acclaimed mexican screenwriter, Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Babel; all directed by fellow mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu. And also wrote, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada directed by actor turned director Tommy Lee Jones). Starring are Charlize Theron, Kim Basinger, Jennifer Lawrence and Joaquim de Almeida.

The story of Mariana (Lawrence) who lives with her family in a mexican border town. Her mother (Basinger) is having a clandestine affair with a mexican man (Almeida). After several events, she meets the mexican man's son with whom she later had a little girl, Maria. Time passes, Sylvia (Theron) has a tormented life as a restaurant hostess in Portland who has promiscuous sex with several men. Her ex teenage lover, Santiago, has a plane crash resulting on him asking a friend, Carlos, who along with his daughter go and look for Mariana so that they can see each other for the first time.

Arriaga still uses his trademark multiple stories that are connected but with a little change, is only one story in different times and spaces. There is an "accident" that connects the characters and storylines (the plane crash) as in his previous movies (Amores Perros and 21 grams; car crash and Babel; the gun shot). For a first time director is very well told, it runs back and forth between the three stories and reveals the facts gradually as it evolves.

The photography and the music fits perfectly with the great performances by Theron and Basinger. The use of both spanish and english language gives a more realistic tone to the film. Arriaga proved that he can be a good writer but also can direct a good complex and entertaining film.