Salma Hayek Movies

Beverly Hills Chihuahua

2009-02-20T20:42:00.000-08:00

Beverly Hills Chihuahua is a 2008 comedy film by Walt Disney Pictures directed by Raja Gosnell and released October 3. A trailer of the upcoming Disney film Bolt was seen at the beginning. The plot centers around a Chihuahua who gets dognapped in Mexico and has to escape from an evil Doberman, El Diablo, with help from a lonely German Shepherd, Delgado, and a hyperactive male Chihuahua, Papí, who has a desperate crush on her.

Critical reception

Beverly Hills Chihuahua received mixed reviews from critics. As of October 17, 2008, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 41% of critics gave positive reviews based on 71 reviews. Among Rotten Tomatoes' Cream of the Crop, it was reported that 50% of critics gave positive reviews based on 16 reviews. Metacritic reported that the film had an average score of 41 out of 100 based on 22 reviews, placing it under the "Mixed or Average" category.

Mark Olsen of the Los Angeles Times wrote in his review that "One could try to overlook the film's view of Mexico as an either-or land of resort poshness and street-level poverty, chiefly populated by criminals and hustlers of all stripes, except that view forms the entire film, driving the narrative impulse by which the spoiled puppy makes her journey." Olsen also wrote "Think of it as the Paris Hilton Complex, that idea of young people as little princesses and princes who get what they want, and what they want is easy pickings and a life without engagement." Walter Addiego of the San Francisco Chronicle gave a positive review saying the film combines the themes of dignity and empowerment - "We are tiny, but we are mighty", says the leader of a vast Chihuahua pack - with a story of a spoiled rich canine who learns not to be so high and mighty, the film hits all the typical Disney notes. There's even a politically correct message at the end advising would-be dog adopters to make sure they know what they're getting into.

Cast

Humans

Jamie Lee Curtis - Aunt Viv
Piper Perabo - Rachel Ashe Lynn
Manolo Cardona - Sam
Maury Sterling - Rafferty
Jesús Ochoa - Officer Ramirez

Voices

Drew Barrymore - Chloe
George Lopez - Papi
Eddie "Piolín" Sotelo - Rafa
Andy Garcia - Delgado
Placido Domingo - Monte
Edward James Olmos - El Diablo
Paul Rodriguez - Chico
Cheech Marin - Manuel
Loretta Devine - Delta
Luis Guzman - Chucho

Lonely Hearts

2009-02-20T20:41:00.000-08:00

Lonely Hearts is a 2006 American film directed and written by Todd Robinson. It is based on the true story of the notorious "Lonely Hearts Killers" of the 1940s, Martha Beck and Raymond Fernandez. The story of Beck and Fernandez was also the subject of the 1970 film The Honeymoon Killers, directed by Leonard Kastle, and the 1996 film Deep Crimson, directed by Arturo Ripstein.

Plot

Raymond Fernandez (Jared Leto) is a con man who meets single, rich women through personal ads. Upon meeting Martha Beck (Salma Hayek), the two decide to join forces, and begin travelling the country, eventually murdering at least 12 women who responded to their ads. Detective Robinson (John Travolta) and Detective Hildebrandt (James Gandolfini) are the homicide detectives who try to bring the couple to justice.

The director, Todd Robinson, is the grandson of Elmer C. Robinson, the character played by Travolta. The scrapbook in the opening credits left by the director's grandmother before she killed herself was the actual scrapbook that she kept before her death.

Cast

John Travolta as Elmer C. Robinson
James Gandolfini as Charles Hildebrandt
Salma Hayek as Martha Beck
Jared Leto as Raymond Martinez Fernandez
Bailee Madison as Rainelle
Laura Dern as Rene
Scott Caan as Detective Reilly

Bandidas

2009-02-20T20:38:00.000-08:00

Bandidas is a 2006 Western comedy film starring Penélope Cruz and Salma Hayek, edited, produced and directed by Norwegian directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg. It tells the tale of two very different women in turn-of-the-century Mexico who become a bank robbing duo in an effort to combat a ruthless enforcer terrorising their town. This is the first movie that Cruz and Hayek have starred in together.

Plot synopsis

The film tells the story of María Álvarez and Sara Sandoval. María is a poor farm-girl whose father is being forced off his land by a cruel US land baron, Tyler Jackson. Sara is the wealthy daughter of the owner of the nearby properties, and has recently returned from Europe where she attended school. In one fell swoop, both María's and Sara's fathers fall under attack by the baron, (Sara's father is killed, María's is shot but survives) giving him free rein in the nearby territories. As an act of revenge, María and Sara become bank robbers, stealing and giving back to the poor Mexicans who had lost their lands.

At first the two are catty and quick to fight over the smallest matters, but under the tutelage of famed bank robber Bill Buck they learn to trust each other. María turns out to be a crack shot and, while Sara can barely hold a gun, she shows that she is an expert with throwing knives.

Angered by the recent attacks by the newly infamous 'Bandidas' Jackson brings in a specialist, criminal investigator, Quentin Cooke. It doesn't take long for Sara and María to hear of this, and they quickly capture Cooke and convince him to help them. He has already figured out that Sara's father was murdered, so realises that his employer is actually a criminal.

Now there are three robbers, each playing their part in bigger, more ambitious heists. As time goes on, each of the girls compete for Quentin's affections, but he rebukes them since he's engaged. In a move to make the money they've stolen useless, Jackson moves the gold that backs the money on a train up towards U.S. territories. Midway, he decides to steal the gold, betraying the Mexican government. The Bandidas manage to hunt him down, but when they get their chance to kill him, they can't, feeling it would make them no better than him. Jackson manages to draw his gun and almost gets a shot off at María but Sara shoots first, finishing the villain off. In the end Quentin ends up with his fiancée and María and Sara ride off into the sunset, their eyes set on Europe where the banks are, according to Sara, "bigger".

Cast

Penélope Cruz ... María Álvarez
Salma Hayek ... Sara Sandoval
Steve Zahn ... Quentin Cooke
Dwight Yoakam ... Tyler Jackson
José María Negri ... Padre Pablo
Audra Blaser ... Clarissa Ashe
Sam Shepard ... Bill Buck
Ismael 'East' Carlo ... Don Diego Sandoval

Ask the Dust

2009-02-20T20:37:00.000-08:00

Ask the Dust is a 2006 film based on the book Ask the Dust by John Fante. The movie was written and directed by Robert Towne. Tom Cruise (with Paula Wagner and Cruise/Wagner Productions) served as one of the film's producers. The film was released on a limited basis on March 17, 2006. It was filmed almost entirely in South Africa with the use of stages to portray Los Angeles.

Plot

The story is set during the Great Depression (specifically, circa the 1933 Long Beach earthquake). Hayek plays a fiery Mexican beauty, Camilla. She is a woman who one day aspires to be above her current standing in society. She wishes to do this by marrying a wealthy man from the United States. Her plan is thrown into disarray when she meets Italian-American Arturo Bandini (Farrell). Farrell's character is portrayed as a struggling writer, who comes to Los Angeles' Bunker Hill area, to start his writing career.

Cast

Colin Farrell as Arturo Bandini
Salma Hayek as Camilla Lopez
Donald Sutherland as Hellfrick
Eileen Atkins as Mrs. Hargraves
Idina Menzel as Vera Rivkin
Justin Kirk as Sammy
Dion Basco as Patricio/houseboy
Jeremy Crutchley as Solomon, the bartender
William Mapother as Bill
Tamara Craig Thomas as Sally

After the Sunset

2009-02-20T20:35:00.000-08:00

After the Sunset is a 2004 comedy/action movie, starring Pierce Brosnan as Max Burdett, a master thief caught in a cat-and-mouse game with FBI agent Stan Lloyd played by Woody Harrelson. The film was directed by Brett Ratner and shot in The Bahamas.

Production

Paul Zbyszewski’s original screenplay for After the Sunset was discovered by producers Beau Flynn and Tripp Vinson, both known for producing movies such as Tigerland and Requiem for a Dream. The script was purchased by New Line Cinema and the producers hired Australian screenwriter Craig Rosenberg to create a re-write. Both the studio and the producers agreed that their first choice for the role of master thief Max Burdett was Pierce Brosnan. Salma Hayek, Oscar-nominated for her performance in Frida, was the next to join the cast.

Next to join the project was director Brett Ratner. The film had originally been tipped to be directed by John Stockwell but Stockwell dropped out due to creative differences. Talking about joining the movie, Ratner said: “I love caper films. There are so many great films in this genre, but what makes After the Sunset different is that it’s a heist movie that has a combination of great relationships, heart and comedy."

Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan were both offered to film cameos as American police officers (a nod to the Rush Hour series which Brett Ratner also directed) but turned them down.

With the two leads set, Woody Harrelson was cast in the role of Burdett’s nemesis, FBI agent Stanley Lloyd. Harrelson said during promotion: “When this movie came along, I loved it right away." Don Cheadle's casting marked a third collaboration with Ratner (The Family Man and Rush Hour 2). The role of Sophie, the Bahamian cop, was the next role to be cast; British actress Naomie Harris landed the part.

With the majority of the script set on an island in the Caribbean, the filmmakers decided to shoot in the Bahamas, Basing their production out of Kerzner International's Atlantis resort in Nassau, cast and crew flew in from Los Angeles, Miami and New York to commence filming.

Cast

Pierce Brosnan as Max Burdett
Salma Hayek as Lola Cirillo
Woody Harrelson as Stan Lloyd
Don Cheadle as Henri Mooré
Naomie Harris as Sophie

V-Day: Until the Violence Stops

2009-02-20T20:34:00.000-08:00

V-Day: Until the Violence Stops (also known as World VDAY) is a 2003 documentary film directed by Abby Epstein. It follows events marking 2002 V-Day — a grassroots movement inspired by Eve Ensler's 1996 play The Vagina Monologues. The film focuses on V-Day activities in the United States, Kenya, Croatia and the Phillipines.

Release and reception

V-Day: Until the Violence Stops was screened at the Sundance Film Festival before being shown on Lifetime Television in 2004. In 2004, Toni Childs, David Ricketts and Eddy Free won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics for the song "Because You Are Beautiful".

Cast

Tantoo Cardinal as Herself
Rosario Dawson as Herself
Eve Ensler as Herself
Jane Fonda as Herself
Lisa Gay Hamilton as Herself
Salma Hayek as Herself
Amy Hill as Herself
Rosie Perez as Herself
Isabella Rossellini as Herself

Once Upon a Time in Mexico

2009-02-20T20:31:00.000-08:00

Once Upon a Time in Mexico is a 2003 action film written, edited and directed by Robert Rodriguez. It is the final film in the "Mariachi Trilogy", which also includes El Mariachi and Desperado. Antonio Banderas reprises his role as El Mariachi. The film also stars Johnny Depp, Salma Hayek, Willem Dafoe, Enrique Iglesias, Mickey Rourke, Eva Mendes and Rubén Blades.

The film received positive reviews but was criticized for reducing El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) to an almost secondary character in his own trilogy, and also for having a convoluted plot. In the special features of the film's DVD, Robert Rodriguez has explained that this was intended, as he wanted this to be the The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the trilogy.

The film holds the box office record for being the most improved second sequel of all-time grossing 122% more than Desperado. This film was shot before Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams and Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over in order to avoid a potential Screen Actors Guild strike. It was the first film Rodriguez ever shot in HD.

Reception

Once Upon A Time in Mexico was released on September 12, 2003 in 3,282 theaters with an opening weekend gross of USD $23.4 million. It would go on to make $56.4 million in North America and $41.8 in the rest of the world for a combined total of $98.2 million, well above its $29 million budget.

The film received a generally positive reception with a 69% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 56 metascore on Metacritic. Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars and wrote, "Like Leone's movie, the Rodriguez epic is more interested in the moment, in great shots, in surprises and ironic reversals and closeups of sweaty faces, than in a coherent story". A.O. Scott, in his review for the New York Times, wrote, "But in the end, the punched-up editing and vibrant color schemes start to grow tiresome, and Mr. Rodriguez, bored with his own gimmickry and completely out of ideas, responds by pushing the violence to needlessly grotesque extremes". In her review for USA Today, Claudia Puig wrote, "In Mexico, Rodriguez has fashioned a swaggering fantasy that pays homage to spaghetti Westerns such as Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Plenty of blood is shed, lots of powerful artillery is fired, and action sequences provide astounding car crashes and fiery explosions". Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "B" rating and praised Johnny Depp's performance with its "winking grace notes of Brandoesque flakery ... is as minimal and laid-back as his Pirates of the Caribbean turn was deep-dish theatrical".

Cast

Antonio Banderas
Salma Hayek
Johnny Depp
Willem Dafoe
Mickey Rourke
Eva Mendes
Danny Trejo
Enrique Iglesias
Marco Leonardi
Cheech Marin

Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over

2009-02-20T20:30:00.000-08:00

Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (Spy Kids 3: Game Over on VHS releases, Pay-Per-View and pay channels, as well as TV airings) is a 2003 action adventure family film directed by Robert Rodriguez, and is the third and last film in the Spy Kids Series. It was released in the United States on July 25, 2003. Some of the parts of the movie were filmed in Congress Avenue and the Texas State Capitol.

Reaction

The response to the film was mainly mixed to negative. Many people called the film "plotless" and complained that 3D version of the film "gives you a headache", while the 2D version is "pointless". Many complained that Juni got the lead role, while Carmen only appears in the film's second half. However, the visuals were praised. It was surpassed by both other Spy Kids films.

The film opened with a surprising $33.4 million, but didn't quite live up to the first Spy Kids film. In the end, it grossed $111 million in North America. However, its overseas intake was double that of either of the first two Spy Kids films, at $85.3 million, grossing a worldwide total of $197,011,982, making it the highest grossing film in the series. The film had a 3D effect which was not removable in the DVD, but only for some European DVD releases. Included with the package was four 3D effect glasses, made of cardboard (Silver Screen Retail)but some DVD's didn't have 3D glasses.

Frida

2009-02-20T20:26:00.000-08:00

Frida is a 2002 biographical film which depicts the passionately professional and private life of the surrealist Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. It stars Salma Hayek in her Academy Award nominated portrayal as Kahlo and Alfred Molina as her husband, Diego Rivera.

The movie was adapted by Clancy Sigal, Diane Lake, Gregory Nava, Anna Thomas and Edward Norton (uncredited) from the book Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera. It was directed by Julie Taymor. It won Oscars for Best Makeup and Best Original Music Score (receipient: Elliot Goldenthal).

Filming

Filming took place from April 7 through June 2001 and was shot entirely in Mexico.

Among the on location places shot were three UNESCO world heritage sites: Teotihuacan, Xochimilco, and Puebla's historic centre. Other on location sites include Rivera and Kahlo's Juan O'Gorman designed San Ángel studio home and the San Idelfonso National Preparatory School. Replicas of Casa Azul (Kahlo's Coyacan home) and RCA Building's lobby were built at Churubusco Studios in Mexico City and shot in Stage 4 of said studios.

For scenes depicting Diego completing a mural, crew members stretched a canvas across a scaffold placed in front of the painter's actual artwork. This "makeshift 'mural'" included sketched outlines and painted portions. The optical "illusion" of a work in progress was achieved through the canvas "flattened" by a camera shooting from a distance and therefore "blending" the edges into the fixed mural.

Salma Hayek wore over fifty costumes as Frida. Some pieces were purchased from street vendors in Mexico City.

Cast

Salma Hayek - Frida Kahlo
Alfred Molina - Diego Rivera
Geoffrey Rush - Leon Trotsky
Mía Maestro - Cristina Kahlo
Ashley Judd - Tina Modotti
Antonio Banderas - David Alfaro Siqueiros
Edward Norton - Nelson Rockefeller
Amelia Zapata - Maid
Alejandro Usigli - Professor
Diego Luna - Alejandro Gonzalez Arias

Traffic

2009-02-20T20:24:00.000-08:00

Traffic is a 2000 crime drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Stephen Gaghan. It explores the intricacies of the illegal drug trade from a number of perspectives: a user, an enforcer, a politician and a trafficker, whose lives affect each other even though they do not meet. The film is an adaptation of the British Channel 4 television series Traffik.

Originally planned to be made with 20th Century Fox, the film was shelved unless actor Harrison Ford agreed to star and significant changes to the screenplay were made. Soderbergh was subsequently turned down by all other major Hollywood studios because of three-hour running time and the subject matter. USA Films agreed to finance and offered the filmmakers more money than Fox. The director operated the camera himself and adopted a distinctive look for each story so that audiences could tell them apart and to avoid any confusion.

Traffic was a commercial success with a worldwide total of $207.5 million, well above its estimated $48 million budget. It was also well-received critically and earned numerous awards, including four Academy Awards for Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Film Editing, and Best Adapted Screenplay. In 2004, USA Network ran a miniseries—also called Traffic—based on the movie and the earlier television series.

Cast and characters

Mexico storyline

Benicio del Toro as Javier Rodriguez, a Baja California police officer
Jacob Vargas as Manolo Sanchez, Javier Rodriguez's partner
Tomás Milián as General Arturo Salazar, head of Mexico's anti-drug campaign
Salma Hayek as Rosario, a drug lord's mistress

Wakefield storyline

Michael Douglas as Robert Wakefield, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
Amy Irving as Barbara Wakefield, Robert Wakefield's wife
Erika Christensen as Caroline Wakefield, the Wakefields' teenage daughter
Topher Grace as Seth Abrahams, Caroline Wakefield's boyfriend
D. W. Moffett as Jeff Sheridan, executive assistant to Robert Wakefield
James Brolin as General Ralph Landry, Robert Wakefield's predecessor as Director of the ONDCP
Albert Finney as White House Chief of Staff

Ayala/DEA storyline

Steven Bauer as Carlos Ayala, a distributor for the Obregón drug cartel
Catherine Zeta-Jones as Helena Ayala, Carlos Ayala's wife
Dennis Quaid as Arnie Metzger, Helen Ayala's lawyer and Carlos's partner
Clifton Collins, Jr. as Francisco Flores, a hitman for the Obregón drug cartel
Don Cheadle as Montel Gordon, a DEA agent
Luis Guzmán as Ray Castro, Montel Gordon's partner
Miguel Ferrer as Eduardo Ruiz, Carlos Ayala's subordinate
Peter Riegert as Michael Adler, Carlos Ayala's defense attorney
Benjamin Bratt as Juan Obregón, drug lord of the Obregón drug cartel

Chain of Fools

2009-02-20T20:21:00.000-08:00

Chain of Fools (also known by its production title Shiny New Enemies) is a 2000 heist comedy/romance film about a hapless barber named Kresk (Steve Zahn).

Plot

Thomas Kresk is a loser -- he isn't good at his job, he's been tossed out of his home, and his wife just dumped him for the marriage counselor. Now he's depressed, and contemplating suicide. And yes, things get worse: a criminal named Avnet (Jeff Goldblum) has stolen three priceless coins, and decided to blackmail Bollingsworth (Tom Wilkinson), his billionaire partner in crime. After Kresk overhears this, he almost gets shot -- and Avnet ends up impaled on a pair of barbers' scissors.

Now Kresk is in a considerably nastier situation, so he steals the gun and the coins. But things take a sharp turn when he hires a hit man named Mikey (Elijah Wood), and discovers that the hit man is only seventeen and emotionally traumatized by his parents' suicide. And that Kresk is falling for the cop/Playboy model Sgt. Meredith Kolko (Salma Hayek), and that his nephew Scottie (Devin Drewitz) has now swallowed the coins. Now Kresk is in over his head, and has to deal with the strange and sometimes dangerous people around him.

Cast

Steve Zahn
Salma Hayek
Jeff Goldblum
David Cross
Elijah Wood

Timecode

2009-02-20T20:19:00.000-08:00

Timecode is a 2000 experimental drama film, directed by Mike Figgis.

The film is constructed from four continuous 90-minute takes that were filmed simultaneously by four cameramen; the screen is divided into quarters and the four shots are shown simultaneously. The film depicts several groups of people in Los Angeles as they interact and conflict while preparing for the shooting of a movie. The dialogue was largely improvised, and the sound mix of the film is designed so that the most significant of the four sequences on screen dominates the soundtrack at any given moment.

The movie was shot on videotape. This was transferred to film for the theatrical release, but the VHS and DVD releases present the original videotape stock.

The film was shot 15 different times over a period of two weeks and Figgis selected the best version for theatrical release; this version was filmed on November 19, 1999, beginning at 3.00 pm. The DVD release includes the first attempt as a bonus feature. Additionally on the DVD release, viewers have access to all audio tracks to allow for custom sound mixing, rather than the mix of the finished film.

The film takes place in and around a film production company office, and involves several interweaving plot threads including: young actress (played by Salma Hayek) who tries to score a screen test from her secret boyfriend, a noted but disillusioned director; meanwhile, her tryst with him is discovered by her girlfriend. The director's wife is seen debating about asking him for a divorce, and meanwhile numerous film industry types pitch ideas for the next big hit film.

A homage to this film can be heard during another of Mike Figgis' films, Hotel, in the first moment the screen is split into four quadrants. The sound of milk being steamed in one quadrant and the sound of an actor tapping beats onto a paperback novel in another quadrant, combine to create a very subtle imitation of the sounds and music heard during the first few minutes in the film Timecode.

Cast

Salma Hayek,
Stellan Skarsgård
Kyle MacLachlan

Wild Wild West

2009-02-20T20:17:00.000-08:00

Wild Wild West (1999) is a science fiction action-comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, starring Will Smith, Kevin Kline (in two roles, Artemus Gordon and President Ulysses S. Grant), Kenneth Branagh and Salma Hayek.

In the spirit of the original TV series, the film features highly advanced steampunk technology and many bizarre mechanical inventions, including innumerable inventions of the mechanological geniuses Artemus Gordon and Dr. Loveless, including nitroglycerine-powered penny-farthing bicycles, spring-loaded notebooks, bulletproof chainmail, flying machines, steam tanks, and Loveless's giant mechanical spider.

Controversy

In 1997, writer Gilbert Ralston sued Warner Brothers over the upcoming motion picture based on the series. Ralston helped create The Wild Wild West television series, and scripted the pilot episode, "The Night of the Inferno." In a deposition, Ralston explained that in 1964 he was approached by producer Michael Garrison who '"said he had an idea for a series, good commercial idea, and wanted to know if I could glue the idea of a western hero and a James Bond type together in the same show." Ralston said he then created the Civil War characters, the format, the story outline and nine drafts of the script that was the basis for the television series. It was his idea, for example, to have a secret agent named Jim West who would perform secret missions for a bumbling Ulysses S. Grant.

Ralston's experience brought to light a common Hollywood practice of the 1950s and 60's when television writers who helped create popular series allowed producers or studios to take credit for a show, thus cheating the writers out of millions of dollars in royalties. Ralston died in 1999, before his suit was settled. Warner Brothers ended up paying his family between $600,000 and $1.5 million.

Cast

Will Smith
Kevin Kline
Kenneth Branagh
Salma Hayek
M. Emmet Walsh
Ted Levine
Musetta Vander
Bai Ling

Dogma

2009-02-20T20:15:00.000-08:00

Dogma is a 1999 adventure-comedy-fantasy film, written and directed by Kevin Smith, who co-stars in the film along with an ensemble cast that includes Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Alan Rickman, Bud Cort, Salma Hayek, Chris Rock, Jason Lee, Jason Mewes, George Carlin, Janeane Garofalo, and Alanis Morissette.

Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson, the stars of Smith's debut film Clerks, have cameo roles, as do Smith regulars Scott Mosier, Dwight Ewell, Walt Flanagan, and Bryan Johnson.

The film is a satire of the Catholic Church and Catholic belief, which caused organized protests and much controversy in many countries, delaying release of the film and leading to at least two death threats against Smith. The film follows two fallen angels, Loki and Bartleby, who, through a loophole in Catholic Dogma find a way to get back into Heaven after being cast out by God—however, as God is infallible their success in doing so would prove Him/Her wrong and thus undo all creation. The last scion and two prophets are sent by the Voice of God to stop them.

Aside from some scenes filmed on the New Jersey shore, most of the film was shot in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

This film was rated R by the MPAA “for strong language including sex-related dialogue, violence, crude humor and some drug content”.

Like many of Smith's films, the movie is noted for its heavy use of profanity.

Overview

An abortion clinic worker with a special heritage is called upon by God to save the existence of humanity from two fallen angels trying to exploit a loophole and reenter Heaven.

Cast of characters

Ben Affleck as Bartleby, an omniscient grigori watcher angel who, feeling sorry for the human race, asked Loki to lay down his sword. Both were expelled from Heaven and banished to Wisconsin. Initially the more laid back and reasonable of the two, his sanity snaps when he comes to the realization that God has given humans "infinite patience" and the choice of whether or not to worship Her, while the angels' lives were meant to be those of servitude and they in turn were exiled for a single transgression. He subsequently becomes a deranged, unstable killer.
Matt Damon as Loki, the former angel of death who, after getting drunk with Bartleby one day, lays down his sword and gives the finger to God, leading to his and Bartleby's expulsion from Heaven. More extroverted and humorously aggressive than his partner, he has no qualms about killing those who have committed harsh sins in the past with a recently purchased Desert Eagle, though he is unwilling to kill the innocent. He also likes to convince members of the clergy that there is no God, despite knowing full well there is, commonly using Lewis Carroll's tale of The Walrus and the Carpenter as an example of 'religious' figures leading the little people to their deaths; his stated reason for doing so is to "keep them on their toes". Loki experiences a role reversal when Bartleby snaps, and tries in vain to talk Bartleby out of going through with the plan.
Linda Fiorentino as Bethany Sloane, a worker at an abortion clinic who is given the task of stopping Bartleby and Loki from returning to Heaven. Her husband left her because an infection rendered her infertile, which has also made her a lapsed Catholic. She is the last living descendant (the last scion) of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Joseph of Nazareth.
Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith as Jay and Silent Bob, two stoners/dealers/prophets from New Jersey who join Bethany on her quest after saving her from the demon triplets. They originally joined in the hopes Bethany would have sex with them, then because she would pay them, and finally to help save Earth. They stumble onto their prophecies completely by accident, with Jay just randomly blurting out unintentionally useful information and suggestions while Bob handles the more physical side of the current crisis.
Chris Rock as Rufus, the thirteenth apostle who was written out of the Bible, which he attributes to racism. He knew Jesus, and claims that Jesus still owes him twelve dollars. He also says Jesus was Black, and that he was martyred in Antioch for preaching this. He helps Bethany, Jay, and Silent Bob to reach New Jersey in exchange for them helping him change the Bible (making sure he is included and that Jesus' race is corrected, for starters).
Alan Rickman as The Metatron, the voice of God, as God's voice cannot be heard by humans without their heads exploding (Metatron muses that 'it took us five Adams to figure that out!'). A wise yet cynical Seraph, Metatron's demeanor is usually ruined by one thing or another getting on his clothes. Despite his sarcastic demeanor, it was Metatron who gently convinced Bethany why she has to continue on her quest, when she has a breakdown after finding out the truth about her lineage, admitting that Jesus had a similar reaction when he learned the truth and regretting that he was unable to take Jesus' heritage away to give the boy the chance at a normal life.
Jason Lee as Azrael, a muse who was sent to Hell after hiding during the war between God and Lucifer. The film's true villain, he plots to wipe out existence itself by getting Bartleby and Loki back into Heaven: his reasons for doing so is that after spending millennia in Hell, Azrael would rather destroy existence and himself along with it than go back there. His minions are the Stygian Triplets and Noman the Golgothan. Azrael is actually the name of the Islamic angel of death.
Salma Hayek as Serendipity, a muse who got a body on Earth so she could get credit for her work, only to find that her powers of inspiration couldn't be used for personal gain. She instead began work as a stripper (though she lacks female genitalia). She tells Bethany that God is really a woman, and she wrote the Bible to reflect this, but those actually doing the writing were all men and thus changed the entire book to put women in a more unfavorable light. It should be stated that in spite of her indignant stance on God's femininity, both Rufus and the Metatron state that God is neither male nor female, but is simply 'God'. She claims to be responsible for 19 of the top 20 movies of all time: someone sold their soul to Satan to inflate the grosses on Home Alone.
George Carlin as Cardinal Ignatius Glick, a pompous, publicity-seeking Cardinal at a church in Red Bank who launches a campaign for a new form of Catholicism called "Catholicism Wow!", as well as discontinuing the standard "Jesus on a cross" motif in favor of a more upbeat (and controversial) "Buddy Christ", depicting an affable Jesus pointing and winking with a thumb up. Bethany describes him as "the kind of asshole who'd bless his golf clubs for a better game", which comes in handy when Bob uses a club to kill Azrael due to it being blessed by a man of God.
Ethan Suplee as Voice of Golgothan "Shit Demon", Hell's Chief assassin, an "excremental" formed out of the excrement of all who were crucified at Golgotha when they died. He can fire explosives balls of feces from his hands as projectiles, and is strong enough to easily defeat five humans in combat. He is summoned by Azrael to attack Bethany, but is defeated by Silent Bob with air freshener ('knocks strong odors out').
Barret Hackney, Jared Pfennigwerth, and Kitao Sakurai as The Stygian Triplets, three teenagers brought from Hell by Azrael to aid in his machinations. They wear roller skates and wield hockey sticks. In a deleted scene, they are revealed to have murdered a toddler by smashing its skull in while they were still alive, just to see what it looked like. They were killed in a car crash on the way to a detention center. Jay, Rufus and Serendipity defeat the three by dunking their heads in blessed water (courtesy of Bethany). They are never shown talking, but they do seem to emit an audible sound similar to buzzing insects such as flies or locusts.

The Faculty

2009-02-20T20:13:00.000-08:00

The Faculty is a 1998 horror/science-fiction film, written by Kevin Williamson, writer of Scream and its sequel, and directed by Robert Rodríguez, director of Desperado and From Dusk till Dawn. The film stars Elijah Wood, Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Usher, Josh Hartnett, Shawn Hatosy, Salma Hayek, Robert Patrick, and Famke Janssen.

Filming locations

The Faculty takes place in fictional Herrington, Ohio but was filmed at the following locations:

Austin, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Lockhart, Texas

Cast

Elijah Wood as Casey Connor
Jordana Brewster as Delilah Profitt
Clea DuVall as Stokely 'Stokes' Mitchell
Laura Harris as Marybeth Louise Hutchinson
Josh Hartnett as Zeke Tyler
Shawn Hatosy as Stan Rosado
Salma Hayek as Nurse Rosa Harper
Famke Janssen as Miss Elizabeth Burke

The Velocity of Gary

2009-02-20T20:11:00.001-08:00

Plot synopsis

Opening with the character of "Gary" (that is not his real name, nor is it ever revealed), walking through the streets of New York City, clearly in the mood to pick up a guy or two. On the way, he saves a deaf drag queen from getting killed by a group of gay bashers, but regrets it when he follows him everywhere.

In comes Maricarmen, the lusty yet snappy Latina who is in love with Valentino, played by Vincent D'Onofrio. We soon learn two things: Gary is also in love with Valentino, and Valentino is dying of AIDS from his work as a porn star. Throughout the course of the movie, Maricarmen and Gary argue over what kind of care he should be receiving, and who is going to supply that care.

The real waves of emotion come when the time for Valentino's impending death becomes very short, and the three of them begin to take stock of themselves as well as their relationship with one another.

Cast

Vincent D'Onofrio as Valentino
Salma Hayek as Maricarmen
Thomas Jane as Gary
Olivia d'Abo as Veronica
Ethan Hawke as Nat
Chad Lindberg as Kid Joey

54

2009-02-20T20:09:00.000-08:00

54 or Studio 54 is a 1998 film starring Salma Hayek, Ryan Phillippe and Neve Campbell. It also stars Mike Myers as Steve Rubell, the cofounder of Studio 54, a New York City disco club famous in the late 1970s and the setting for the film. The film was directed by Mark Christopher who also wrote the screenplay. The original music score was composed by Marco Beltrami. Music supervisors were Susan Jacobs and Coati Mundi.

Plot summary

The film centers around Shane O'Shea (Ryan Phillippe), a young man from Jersey City, New Jersey who is handsome enough to become a bartender at Studio 54. While working at the club, Shane befriends Anita Randazzo (Salma Hayek), an aspiring singer, and her husband Greg (Breckin Meyer). As Shane gets sucked into the hard-partying scene at Studio 54, and as his life spirals downward, so does Studio 54. The DVD release features some additional and alternate scenes that were not included in the theatrical release. The director's cut runs one hour and 45 minutes, 12 minutes of which are not in the studio's DVD release.

Cast

Ryan Phillippe - Shane O'Shea
Salma Hayek - Anita Randazzo
Neve Campbell - Julie Black
Mike Myers - Steve Rubell
Sela Ward - Billie Auster
Breckin Meyer - Greg Randazzo
Sherry Stringfield - Viv
Cameron Mathison - Atlanta

Fools Rush In

2009-02-20T20:07:00.000-08:00

Fools Rush In is a 1997 romantic comedy film directed by Andy Tennant. Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek star.

Taglines:
What if finding the love of your life meant changing the life that you loved?
An impulsive love story.

Plot

After meeting in a bathroom line in a local restaurant, Alex (Matthew Perry) and Isabel (Salma Hayek) find an instant connection and sleep together. Three months after their one night stand in Las Vegas, Isabel finds Alex and tells him that she is pregnant. Alex and Isabel decide to get married because she is pregnant with their child. Problems soon arise as they meet each other's families, deal with work colleagues, and most importantly, get to know each other.

The major crisis in the movie is the couple learning to adapt to the culture of their new partner. Isabel is from a Catholic Latino family, while Alex has a straight-laced WASP family.

Trivia

The role of Alex's father is played by John Bennett Perry, who is Matthew Perry's real-life father.
Before the movie was filmed, there was no Arizona/Nevada "border" painted on the highway that spans the Hoover Dam. When it was added for the movie, local officials decided to keep it intact after the filming of the movie. As of September 2005 the border painted in the street is no longer there.
The Elvis impersonator in the early wedding scene, Eddie Powers, works in Las Vegas as an Elvis impersonator and does gigs at such chapels as The Silver Bell Wedding Chapel.

Cast

Matthew Perry as Alex Whitman
Salma Hayek as Isabel Fuentes Whitman
Jon Tenney as Jeff
John Bennett Perry as Richard Whitman
Jill Clayburgh as Nan Whitman
Mark Adair-Rios as Juan Fuentes
Annie Combs as Dr. Linda Fuentes, OBGYN
Siobhan Fallon as Lanie
Carlos Gómez as Chuy

Fled

2009-02-20T20:05:00.000-08:00

Fled is a 1996 film directed by Kevin Hooks. This American film is a remake of the 1958 film The Defiant Ones.

Cast

Laurence Fishburne : Charles Piper
Stephen Baldwin : Mark Dodge
Will Patton : Det. Matthew 'Gib' Gibson
Robert John Burke : U.S. Marshal Pat Schiller
Robert Hooks : Lieutenant Henry Clark
Victor Rivers : Rico Santiago
David Dukes : D.A. Chris Paine
Ken Jenkins : Warden Nichols
Michael Nader : Frank Mantajano
Brittney Powell : Cindy Henderson
Salma Hayek : Cora
Steve Carlisle : Herb Foster
Brett Rice : Officer Thornhill
J. Don Ferguson : Chairman
Kathy Payne : Margaret Parks

From Dusk till Dawn

2009-02-20T20:03:00.000-08:00

From Dusk till Dawn is a 1996 action/horror film directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Quentin Tarantino. The movie stars George Clooney, Harvey Keitel, Quentin Tarantino, and Juliette Lewis. The film was banned in the Republic of Ireland on its release in 1996 and was unbanned in 2000.

Labor issues during production

From Dusk till Dawn employed a non-union production crew, which is unusual for a production with a budget above 10 million dollars. Rodriguez, Tarantino and producer Lawrence Bender defended this choice because it made for a more team-like atmosphere on the set instead of people having to stick to their certified jobs. Yet the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts targeted the production for strike action seeking to shut down filming, feeling that the film was a large enough production to warrant a unionized crew. Police were employed on set during some shooting days although no strike or rioting ever took place. This issue is covered in the making-of documentary Full Tilt Boogie featured on the film's DVD.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack features mainly Texas blues by such artists as ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmie Vaughan. The Chicano rock band Tito & Tarantula, who portrayed the band in the Titty Twister, appears on the soundtrack as well. The film's score is by Graeme Revell. "Dark Night" by The Blasters plays over the film's opening credits.

Sequel and prequel

The film was followed by two direct-to-video follow-ups, a sequel, From Dusk till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money and a prequel, From Dusk till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter. Danny Trejo is the only actor to appear in all three, although Michael Parks appears in The Hangman's Daughter. Rodriguez, Tarantino and Lawrence Bender served as producers on all three movies. Both sequels were received poorly by critics, Texas Blood Money currently has 10% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Cast

George Clooney
Harvey Keitel
Quentin Tarantino
Juliette Lewis
Ernest Liu
Fred Williamson
Tom Savini
Cheech Marin
Salma Hayek

Fair Game

2009-02-20T20:02:00.000-08:00

Fair Game is a 1995 action film directed by Andrew Sipes. It stars Cindy Crawford as family law attorney Kate McQueen and William Baldwin as Max Kirkpatrick, a Florida police officer. Kirkpatrick ends up on the run to protect McQueen when she is targeted for murder by ex-members of the KGB with interests in a ship owned by a Cuban man who may lose it in a divorce case being pursued by McQueen. The movie was famous for Crawford's topless and sex scene.

The film is based on Paula Gosling's novel of the same name, which was adapted into the 1986 Sylvester Stallone film Cobra.

The film made USD$11.5 million, but it was treated harshly by critics who singled out Crawford's poor acting. It was nominated for three Razzie Awards, for Worst Actress (Crawford), Worst New Star (Crawford) and Worst Screen Couple (Crawford and Baldwin).

Locations used for the film included Coral Gables, Florida, Miami Beach, and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Summary

Kate McQueen (Cindy Crawford) is a Miami lawyer who -- in the course of a divorce proceeding -- attempts to seize a 157-foot freighter docked off the Florida coast in lieu of unpaid alimony.

The freighter is the current base of operations of Ilya Pavel Kazak (Steven Berkoff), a former KGB agent who has become an international money laundering expert, and he has also become the leader of a group of terrorists.

When Kate is unintentionally hit by a stray bullet, Miami detective Max Kirkpatrick (William Baldwin) is assigned to the case, and then an attempt is made on Kate's life.

Max becomes her protector, as it turns out that Kazak wants Kate dead. Max and Kate travel throughout Florida, dealing with Kazak's henchmen along the way. When Kazak has Kate kidnapped and taken to the freighter, Max boards the freighter in an attempt to rescue Kate.

Cast

William Baldwin - Max Kirkpatrick
Cindy Crawford - Kate McQueen
Steven Berkoff - Colonel Ilya Kazak
Christopher McDonald - Lieutenant Meyerson
Miguel Sandoval - Emilio Juantorena
Johann Carlo - Jodi Kirkpatrick
Salma Hayek - Rita
John Bedford Lloyd - Det. Louis Aragon
Olek Krupa - Zhukov
Jenette Goldstein - Rosa

Desperado

2009-02-20T20:00:00.000-08:00

Desperado is a 1995 action thriller film written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. The film stars Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas as the former mariachi who seeks revenge on the drug lord who killed his lover.

Desperado is the sequel to Rodriguez's independent film El Mariachi (1992) and the second entry in the "Mexico Trilogy".

Production

This film is a sequel to the independent movie El Mariachi. It is debated that it is more of a remake than an actual sequel, while the plot does differ in many ways, several scenes are similar. When they are viewed in chronological order however, the stories line up perfectly. Desperado helped to enhance the fame of Antonio Banderas and introduced Salma Hayek to American audiences.

Rodriguez's friend Quentin Tarantino has a cameo as "Pick-up Guy." Carlos Gallardo, who played the title role of El Mariachi, appears in Desperado as Campa, a friend to Banderas' Mariachi.

Music

The film's score is written and performed by the Los Angeles rock band, Los Lobos, performing Chicano rock and traditional Ranchera music. Their performance of "Mariachi Suite" won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance at the 1995 Grammy Awards. Other artists on the soundtrack album include Dire Straits, Link Wray, Latin Playboys and Carlos Santana. Musician Tito Larriva has a small role in the film, and his band, Tito & Tarantula, contributed to the soundtrack as well.

Reception

The film current rates 62% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, while Empire Magazine awarded a four star rating.

Cast

Antonio Banderas
Salma Hayek
Joaquim de Almeida
Steve Buscemi
Cheech Marin
Danny Trejo

El callejón de los milagros

2009-02-20T19:57:00.000-08:00

El callejón de los milagros (English: The Alley of Miracles) is an award-winning 1994 Mexican film written by Vicente Leñero adapted from the novel by Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz, the film was directed by Jorge Fons. The film deals with complex issues such as gay and lesbian related topics, the lower-middle class of Mexico City, and the lives of many people.

The story is told from three perspectives: Don Ru (Ernesto Gómez Cruz), the owner of a cantina where most of the men in the story gather to drink and play dominoes, Alma (Salma Hayek), the beautiful girl of the neighborhood who dreams of passion, and Susanita (Margarita Sanz who won an Ariel Award for this role), the owner of the apartment complex where Alma and many of the other characters live.

To date the film is well known to be the greatest Mexican film of all-time, the film was critically acclaimed by international critics, it earned 11 Ariel Awards including Best Picture and more than 49 international awards and nominations. Pan's Labyrinth and El Callejón de los Milagros were named as the best Mexican films by IMDB.com and Entertainment Weekly.

Plot

The lives of the inhabitants of El Callejon de los Milagros, in downtown Mexico City, are closely knitted as the threads of a rug. Fifty-something Don Ru owns a small "cantina" where all the men spend afternoons playing domino. He's tired of his longtime marriage with Eusebia and has recently discovered new feelings inside his heart. It doesn't matter if these feelings are not aimed to a young lady but to a young clerk after all, as one of the characters says, "it's platonic love". Don Ru's son Chava doesn't like what he sees and almost kills his father's lover. Running away from Don Ru's anger, Chava escapes to the USA with his friend Abel who's deeply in love with beautiful Alma, the daughter of Dona Cata, a tarot reader with bad luck in love. Susanita, the ugly landlady looking for love; Guicho, Don Ru's cynical employee, Maru, Don Fidel, Dona Flor, Zacarias and mean Jose Luis complete the cast of characters of this complex portrait of lives.

Cast

Ernesto Gómez Cruz as Rutilio (Don Ru)
María Rojo as Doña Cata
Salma Hayek as Alma
Bruno Bichir as Abel
Delia Casanova as Eusebia
Margarita Sanz as Susanita
Claudio Obregón as Don Fidel
Juan Manuel Bernal as Chava
Abel Woolrich as Zacarías