FILM
& TV
A Couple of Crazy Chicas
The terrible twosome of Yasmin and Crash return
to The Chicas Project reality show on mun2 for another season of
misadventures.
They are part of a grand television tradition—think
Lucy and Ethel, Laverne and Shirley, or even Mary and Rhoda—two
strong and funny female characters who embark on a series of madcap
adventures to the delight of audiences. But this time, its unscripted
and as real as it gets. This summer sees the season premiere of
mun2’s fun and feminine show The Chicas Project, where two
young, but very different, Latina VJs (Crash is Mexican American
and Yasmin Deliz is Dominican-Venezuelan) come together for a cross-country
excursion. The result is one hilarious road trip.
The show is at once funny and revealing, with each season spotlighting
at least one issue critical to Latino life. Last season the duo
explored the world of Rock the Vote and shed light on the importance
of young Hispanics being a part of the Democratic process. On the
flip side, the show is not short of more standard reality show fare—tackling
physical challenges (think trapeze flying) and culinary escapades
(finding the best tacos in town).
Debuting in July, this season finds the ladies in Los Angeles where
they hit the slopes in the dead heat of summer. Hand-to-hand combat,
hang gliding, blind dating are just a few more of the adventures
on their travels, as they collect information on today’s Latino
youth in a video journal that they present to the president of the
Congressional Hispanic Caucus in the culmination of the season.
Watch it
Where: mun2
When: Check local listings
Why: For a half-hour dose of fun, Latina style.
Web: http://holamun2.com/shows/chicas/all
 Up
and Up and Up
A brain behind the new movie Up, Daniel Lopez Muñoz
takes us inside the colorful world of a character artist.
Hispanic Magazine: Can you take me through your process
in creating a character?
Daniel Lopez Muñoz: For Up, we wanted to focus on not just
the literal interpretation [of the character], but on the emotion.
When you look at Carl you see a box. He’s based on a very
simple shape and represents an immovable person boxing himself from
the world. Russell is more of a circle. A square is stuck in the
past and a circle moves forward. Munst is the villain, so he is
kind of a twisted square. That’s what we do; we find the personality.
We do it through design but also look at classic actors. Carl was
inspired by Spencer Tracy.
HM: What does it feel like when you know you have
struck gold with a character? How do you know you have it?
DLM: There are days when I would be drawing a character for weeks
and never be satisfied. But there is this one magical idea and you
pin it on a board, and when the directors come in and you get a
laugh that’s when you’ve got it. No one knows the characters
better than the directors, and we have to get what’s in their
heart onto paper.
HM: How long has this process taken?
DLM: I was working for three and a half years, but [the film] has
been in production for five and a half years. They do take a long
time. It’s a great opportunity to do it. Pixar really works
hard at trying to put out a story that people will take home and
that will be a classic.
 Outside
the Office
Oscar Nuñez takes his off-beat brand of funny
to the big screen in The Proposal.
Best known for his portrayal of deadpan accountant
Oscar Martinez in NBC’s hit sitcom, The Office, actor Oscar
Nuñez is proving he’s much more than an office-dweller.
This summer Cuban-born Nuñez shares the screen with A-listers
Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in the romantic comedy, The Proposal.
Set mostly in a small town in Alaska, Nuñez plays jack of
all trades Ramon—a waiter, store owner and marriage officiate,
not to mention an exotic dancer.
Not shy about showing off his moves, Nuñez reveals he contributed
some signature elements to his on-screen striptease. “[The
choreographer and I] came up with choreography, just some basic
steps, and I was free to do other stuff. I have been doing this
a long time. It’s in the blood somewhere.”
This comedic spontaneity is also in his training. In addition to
his film and TV credits (The Office, Reno 911, Halfway House and
more), he also has roots in improv theater. Raised in New Jersey,
his first foray into improv was with the New York troupe Shock the
Funny, which would perform in the East Village. After a move to
Los Angeles, he joined the Groundling Theater Company, which counts
Jimmy Fallon and Conan O’Brien among its many famous alumni.
Although he’s wrapped up in film and TV work, Nuñez
still finds time to do the occasional stage stint. “It helps
you keep ties with your theatrical roots.”
Improv’s diversity of acting experiences might very well have
helped fuel his attraction toward a variety of roles on both the
small and silver screens. “I look for anything [type of film]
as long as the character is good,” he says. “I really
love comedy ... but you look at the part you are playing. As opposed
to the type of movie you are in.”
Screen Shots
Whether in theaters, on TV or on DVD, these cinematic
gems coming out this summer heat up any screen, big or small.
 The
Garden
A 14-acre community garden in South Central Los Angeles, the largest
of its kind in the U.S., is growing more than fruits and vegetables.
The garden was an experiment, built after the deadly Los Angeles
riots in 1992. A group called the South Central Farmers envisioned
an oasis in the middle of a concrete jungle—one where they
could grow food to feed needy families and create a community in
one of the most violent neighborhoods in the country. The documentary
steps in just as the 17-year-old garden is on the brink of catastrophe.
The plot of land it sits on has been sold to a wealthy developer
who plans to have the garden bulldozed. Shocked and saddened, the
farmers, many of whom come from Latin America, band together to
try and save their garden. All the while questions emerge about
the intentions of the developer and the integrity of the city that
put the garden up for sale. The DVD of the film can be ordered at
www.thegardenmovie.com.
Paolo Nutini and Grupo Fantasma
PBS’s long-running musical series, Austin City Limits, brings
two stellar acts to its stage. Britain’s Paolo Nutini begins
the show with his soulful ballads and Austin’s own turbo Latin-funk
band Grupo Fantasma wraps up the show with its brand of electric
entertainment. PBS. July 4. Check local listings for time.
 Public
Enemies
Johnny Depp is John Dillinger, the legendary and charming Depression-era
gangster who became a media darling. His daring bank robberies and
prison escapes endeared him to a public with no love lost for the
greedy financial world. Marion Cottard, Christian Bale and John
Ortiz co-star.
 G-Force
From Disney comes this family-friendly 3-D animated adventure about
three guinea pigs— including one voiced by Penelope Cruz—working
on a mission to thwart a wicked billionaire’s plan for world
domination.
 Orphan
Directed by Spain’s Jaume Collet-Serra, the film centers on
a couple who lost their unborn baby and adopt 9-year-old Esther.
Yet as soon as she joins the family, strange and upsetting occurrences
start to take place.
 The
Unborn
Odette Yustman stars in this thriller on DVD about a dark spirit
hoping to cross into this world through human possession. Yustman
is Carrie, a woman haunted by unborn twin inhabited by the evil
force.
 Rio
Carnaval
This PBS program goes inside the Brazil’s infamous Rio Carnaval
and the Samba Parade where musicians, dancers and performers float
down the street in a blur of color and sound. July 24. Check local
listings.
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