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guerrilla Tagged Articles at Cinematical

'Che' Bootleg Trailer Leaks!

Filed under: Drama », Foreign Language », Cannes », Distribution », DIY/Filmmaking », Movie Marketing », Politics », Oscar Watch »



There's good news and bad news, Soderbergh fans: The bad news is that the director's two-part, Benicio Del Toro-starring Che Guevara biopic Che, as noted in a recent piece in The Hollywood Reporter, still doesn't have a U.S. distributor. Gregg Goldstein's piece (which also looks at the similar challenges faced by Cannes '08 films Synedoche, New York and Two Lovers) notes that there are four offers on the table from independent distributors, but no deal has yet been signed.

For many who saw Che at Cannes (including myself), this is vexing news. Goldstein also relates that one distributor's hopes to purchase Che as a single film with a three-hour running time has been roundly rebuffed. However, in case anyone would like to see what all the fuss is about -- albeit in blurry, bootleg fashion -- a grainy, blurry bootleg of the trailer (in all Spanish with no subtitles) for the first half of Che, The Argentine, has hit YouTube (see above) -- and while the bootlegged trailer may lack clarity and definition, it also gives a great sense of the look and the feel of the film.

Does The Argentine's trailer make you hunger for all of Soderbergh's Che? Or does it just make you appreciate how hard it's going to be to get a distributor to back a four-hour long historical drama in Spanish?

Soderbergh Keeps Tweaking Guevara Films

Filed under: RumorMonger », Exhibition », DIY/Filmmaking »

When you're dealing with one of the most controversial figures of 20th century counterculture, it's important to take your time and get things right. That's exactly what Steven Soderbergh appears to be doing with his two upcoming Che Guevara biopics, The Argentine and Guerilla. While both movies looked like they were set to premiere at next month's Cannes Film Festival just a few weeks ago, Variety now reports that Soderbergh is still tweaking the final cuts-and doesn't want to unveil one movie without the other.

Judging by the polarizing figure at the center of the story, that's probably a good thing. Since Soderbergh envisioned these two films as a single unit, it wouldn't make sense to reveal one half of the saga and let people start tearing into it. Considering Fidel Castro's recent retirement, this essential component of Cuban history seems especially relevant, but that's not enough to develop interest in it (topicality didn't help Steven Spielberg's Munich). It's hard to keep audiences interested in a story that stretches across two movies, as we learned with the muted reaction to Clint Eastwood's second Iwo Jima film. Soderbergh will need to get strong reactions to both movies early in the game if they're going to have any success in theaters.

Has Antoine Fuqua Found His Pablo for 'Escobar'?

Filed under: Action », Drama », Casting », Deals », RumorMonger »

You know if there were a lot more blood-shed involved in the two competing biopics about drug baron Pablo Escobar; it probably would have tickled him to see two Hollywood filmmakers fight over his life story. But I can't help but wonder what he would think about the casting choices. In an interview with Collider, Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez confirmed that his is the forerunner to play Pablo Escobar in Antoine Fuqua's film, Escobar. Ramirez made his North American debut in the Tony Scott flick, Domino. Luckily he's been landing better roles ever since and next up will be a role in Soderbergh's Che Guevara pic, Guerrilla.

At first, Ramirez played it cool about the Escobar casting and told Collider, "It would be a great challenge and it would be a great responsibility to history-of contemporary history-in my region. We're talking about a character who really definitely changed the face of a whole country and the face of a whole region, and a character filled with contractions....so it would be quite a challenge and something very interesting to get involved with." But, off the record, Ramirez commented that it was almost a done deal that he would star as one of the leaders of the Medellin Cartel.

By now we are probably all aware of the 'feud' between the two films surrounding the life of Pablo Escobar. So while Joe Carnahan has been pretty vocal about his disapproval, we haven't heard much from Fuqua's camp. Maybe he just thought it was best to let the films speak for themselves. If Ramirez has landed the role, then it would certainly look like Escobar is going to be the first film to cross the finish line. Escobar is scheduled to hit theaters in fall 2009.

Pics of Demian Bichir as Steven Soderbergh's Fidel Castro

Filed under: Drama », Images », War »

Back in 2006, Javier Bardem was going to play Fidel Castro in Steven Soderbergh's double Che Guevara pics -- The Argentine and Guerrilla. But then Mr. Director had to go and make Ocean's 13 first, for whatever reason, which made Bardem move on. For Javier, that wasn't so much of a bad thing. Instead of playing the famous President of Cuba, he's been wowing everyone with his portrayal of Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men, and has a slew of interesting projects on the way. As for Soderbergh, he had to find someone else, and settled on Mexican actor Demián Bichir.

While we won't be able to tell how well Bichir does with the role until the movies hit the screen, AICN did nab some photos of the actor in full Fidel attire. If photos are any indication, Demián is destined to impress. There are three shots -- a close-up on his face, one with a pipe, and a full-body pipe shot that could almost be confused with the infamous Cuban himself -- if the pictures weren't so crisp and new. Between these and the image of Benicio del Toro as Che, which came out in October, I'm pretty excited.

The films also star the likes of Franka Potente, Benjamin Bratt, Catalina Sandino Moreno... the list goes on and on. The Argentine follows Che and a group of Cuban exiles led by Castro who topple the regime of Fulgencio Batista. Guerilla then jumps into the '60s as Guevara makes a trip to New York City to address the United Nations. Both films are set to come out some time this year.

New Image of Benicio Del Toro as Che Guevara Arrive Online

Filed under: Drama », Independent », Images », Cinematical Indie », War »

I'm still waiting for the day when we get Benicio Del Toro as Che Guevara t-shirts -- you know it would be a good promotional item -- but for now we must settle on this bright image put up by Jeff Wells over at Hollywood Elsewhere. It's a photograph taken on location in the Andalusian section of Spain, subbing for Bolivia, and it features Del Toro just chillin' with a big pipe, a flat cap (not the iconic black beret with a star on it!) and some books. Behind him are some fellow guerrillas with guns, also just hangin' out. The scene comes from, Guerrilla, the second installment of Steven Soderbergh's double-dip look at the legendary revolutionary. If it's any indication of how exciting the film will be, then Wells is certainly right by predicting that the first film, The Argentine, will be the more engaging.

Apparently this shot was also taken a little while ago, because The Argentine is now filming in Puerto Rico. Or is it just part of that film being shot now? Are the films being shot simultaneously? If not, I think it's strange that Soderbergh shot the second one first and vice versa. If you were to believe what the Daily News wrote about the films yesterday, you'd think Guerrilla hadn't even begun production yet. So, who knows? (Surely somebody does and can help me out in the comment section). I guess it doesn't matter how the shooting is going. All that is important is that both films are due sometime late next year.
 
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