I just watch nacho libre on tv, at first I thought I was going to watch another stereotypical film that offends mexicans. I was wrong, it is a funny movie, not oscar worthy, but funny.
The first thing I notice about the film is that it is based in the mexican films of the 60's and early 70's (before ficheras). The story the characters, the settings, everything.
The colors of the film, very colorfull and bright, the location a small town in Oaxaca, that adds a lot to the story.
I think the Nacho character was based mainly in Tintan and as a second influence Capulina, he even looks like him, the scene of Nacho getting into the house of the rich promoter and him singing to Ramses is like seeing Tintan, in any of his movies, also the heroe that everything he does is for the needed is like "La máscara del zorrillo" also Capulina did some movies of him saving the children.
The depiction of the mexican tradition of luchas is very authentic.
Another scene that remind me of Tintan, was the one with Esqueleto and the promoter's daughter is like seeing La Vitola and Tintan.
The conflict of the church traditions with a church member, we saw that in "Sor Yeye"
I'm glad of Jack Black performance, and all the other actors.
I would like to see mexican movies like that being made again, I like many of the films that are made this days in Mexico, but some of that silly easy innocent humor back sure don't hurt, also we most remember that those movies were made in the Golden Era of mexican cinema.
I never watch that movie, until last week, why, it was very entertaining.
It is a weird depiction of Mexico, because the president looks like a president of Mexico in the 19th century, also looks like the mexico of the 70's,because of the church scenes and the drug dealers (how they look), and a Mexico of the late 90's, the cellphones.
The movie was shot in Santiago de Queretaro (my home city) and San Miguel Allende (near Queretaro), but everything in the movie happens in Culiacan (located more than 1000 kilometers away), but still they show landmarks that are only of Queretaro and San Miguel, the "Teatro de la República" and the cathedral of San Miguel, this are buildings that are located only in those cities, and there are no other like them in the country. Also they show Culiacan as a colonial city (Queretaro and San Miguel are) but Culiacan has nothing colonial, actually it is quite "modern" although they have a nice colonial looking (but not colonial it was built in times of Porfirio Diaz like almost all the historic buildings there) cathedral, that is the only building that could be comparable in the movie.
This scene was shot in the "Carmen" church, the floor tiles are unique, since tiles were hand made in those days, and the design was created for every building in particular.
Seriously, why the music industry is doing it's best to destroy the music industry, firs the CopyControlled Discs that played in some CD players, although they cost the same and claim to be the same, now they want more money from internet radio statios that promote their music, since it is almos impossible to save the music you heard from those stations, so I don't see the piracy precaution, just greed, the same green that made the users buy or download piracy.
When the music industry is going to get it, affordable music sell more, volume!!
Imagine in 1995 Mexico experience a really hard crisis, Tequila effect, so the cost of a CD went from $100.00 pesos to $250.00 or $300.00, from being the 8th biggest market in the music industry, sales went down for legal music, but piracy grew incredible, the same CD with the same quality for just $50.00 pesos, then it was $20.00 pesos, right now you can get a pirat CD for $15.00 pesos. Instead of reducing costs the labels start to increase price in order to get more of the loyal customers. Long story short, after 10 years they learned part of the leson, the CD are back at $150.00 or $100.00 when new releases, and less than $99.00 after a few months, still more expensive than piracy, that has the same quality and no Copycontrolled stuff.
DVD's are more smart now, they begin costing like $500.00 pesos, in 1995 or so, time passes nobody bought DVD players or DVD's because they where way to expensive, $7000.00 pesos for a DVD player and $500.00 each movie, suddenly stores with tons of stock of movies begin to import chinese DVD players that cost less than $600.00 pesos, and with each DVD player they give for free 2 DVD movies (this was in 2000 or so). Now the movies from several studios when new cost $100.00 pesos and after a few months you can get them for less than $69.00 pesos. Universal Studios was the first in reducing pricing.
Reduce price, be more accesible do not try to get everysingle penny your customer had, or they will cheat on you!.
The Mexican cinema is getting a reborn since the goverment stop messing up with it, back in the 70's the goverment decided that for the good sake of the mexican cinema the goverment should control everything about it, which produced "whore movies" with so-called actresses that only know how to undress in less than 15 seconds, and the same kind of none sense plots and stories.
Since the 90's the goverment decided to stop messing things and only give some money to the projects, this work very good with movies like "Sexo, Pudor y Lagrimas", "Como agua para chocolate", "La Ley de Herodes", "Amores Perros", "Y tu mamá también" among others.
With this reborn of cinema "Made in Mexico" or at least by mexicans we have great progress, now with fantasy and horror movies, an area that is more difficult.
In this area Mexican cinema is working together with Spain's cinema, with movies like the Oscar nominees "Espinazo del Diablo" (Devil's Backbone), "El Laberinto del Fauno" (Pan's Labrynth) that where written and produce by mexicans but filmed in Spain with spanish actors, now the movie "K.M. 31" which is co produce with spain but filmed in Mexico with mexican actors.
The Movie "K.M. 31" is a really good horror movie with unespected twists and a great ending, the special efects are really good too!
I invite you to see it, when it arrives your countries, or if you are in Mexico go to see a Mexican horror movie a really good movie.
Visit their website so you can see what the movie is about (of course the site is in spanish) you can see the trailers in the videos section, there is no need to know spanish to understand a trailer.
www.km31.com.mx
YES, Mexicans love movies, and Queretanos REALLY LOVE movies, lines extremly long to enter to watch the new summer hits, and theaters are also very special too, in Querétaro we have many movie theaters, according to market research Queretaro is one of the cities where people go more to movies, and because of that we are in the premier ring, a ring of cities in which all movies that will be shown in the country are shown first, even world premieres are first, theater owners have special midnight funtions in that way they have the premier on the right day. In the Movie theaters we have a complete experience, since you can have a dinner there, several tables, a baguette restaurant, coffee shop, creperié, sushi and bar, inside the theatre, and in some VIP theaters there are waiters that go to your seat to bring you food, beverages or candy.
Because of this and many other reasons is why the movie premieres in Mexico have the presence of the actors of the film, Hollywood style.
In Mexico to enter to see a movie we pay, average, $45.00 pesos, is like $4.00 USdollars, but the minimun wage here is $40.00 pesos, so people have to work a day and a little to go to movies, of course not everybody has that little pay checks.
Here some pics of the DaVinci Code line in Cinepolis Querétaro. As you will see the line to enter goes to the street.
My Opera
