Que orgullo, a boricua is getting ready to go to space. Un verdadero orgullo. Como dicen, boricua hasta en la luna.
Featured story
1st Puerto Rican astronaut, Joe Acaba, carries pride in heritage
Ralph Acaba will never forget the day his son Joe called to let him know his life had astronomically changed.
"He called me at work, so I answered as I used to do, 'Hi, this is Ralph,' and my job title," said the father, who was a private-school administrator. "He said, 'Hi, this is Joe, astronaut.' There are very few things in life that one remembers forever."
Nearly five years after that phone call, the Acaba family is counting the days until Joe's first trip aboard space shuttle Discovery, which is scheduled to launch from Kennedy Space Center on Feb. 12.
For the complete report, go to
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-acaba3109jan31,0,1083698.story
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Santuario de Animales San Francisco de Asis en Cabo Rojo, PR
The Santuario is a no-kill animal shelter in Cabo Rojo and it is in need of donations.
According to the Santuario, this no-kill shelter "was created with the efforts of community members who saw the great need to protect the animals. It has not received any government help yet, despite its 9 years of operation. They have no water or electricity service but have an amazing volunteer workforce. It is quickly becoming one of the West coast's "Porta del Sol" sightseeing and tourist's visitor's points for animal lovers." For information, visit www.safapr.org
Here's how you can help:
1. Donate via Paypal: http://safapr.org/donations/
2. Make a deposit to Banco Popular de Puerto Rico in the name of:
Santuario de Animales SFA
Route No. 021502011
Account no. 255-279166
3. Mail a donation to
Santuario de Animales San Francisco de Asis, Inc.
P.O. Box 566
San German, PR 00683
source: Santuario de Animales San Francisco de Asis
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Moviegoers to get spooked at 'The HORRORphiles'
Edwin Pagan is the man behind the Latin horror revolution
If you are into horror flicks, "The HORRORphiles," featuring the work of emerging Latino directors working within the genre is playing a series of horror movies tonight in New York City.
Latin Horror, in association with Anthology Film Archives, presents a special edition of the NewLatino Filmmakers Screening Series - "The HORRORphiles." NewLatino Filmmakers is billed as the best and only independent Latino “cinematheque” showcase in New York City -- now in its 7th year. "The HORRORphiles" will run from 7-9:30 p.m. tonight at Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue at Second Street in the Lower East Side. The price is $6 at the box office.
Tonight's "Horrorphiles" will feature "Monster Job Hunter" by writer/director Yehudi Mercado, "Sandman's Box," by writer/director Gilberto Flores, and "Repentance" by writer/director Julio Antonio Toro, all shorts.
HORRORphiles will also showcase "Tales from the Dead," a digital feature by writer/director Jason Cuadrado, which is described as a "terrifying Japanese-language anthology of four ghost stories as told by Tamika, a strange young girl with the ability to communicate with the dead."
There will also be a trailer spotlight of new works in development by Latino filmmakers: "Dark Tales of Tortured Souls" by Pepper Negron and "subHysteria" by Leonard Zelig.
Tonight's horror lineup will include a Q&A with filmmakers in attendance. To read more about the films playing, go to www.latinhorror.com, the official publication of anyone interested in the genre. Latin Horror is one of the first English publications dedicated to the emerging genre of Latin horror.
Puerto Rico Sun speaks to series director/curator Edwin Pagan about his own love of horror movies, the Latin horror movement and about tonight's "HORRORphiles."
The Interview: Edwin Pagan
1. Please tell me a little about you.
I was born on the Lower East Side of Puerto Rican parents, and raised in the South Bronx. I'm 45-years old. I became involved in the arts via the Boys & Girls Club of America where I was first introduced to photography and film. I currently live in the Lower East. I'm a cinematographer and producer; principal in the film production company Pagan Images, Inc.; founder-in-chief, Latin Horror; and a horror fan.
2. What about the horror genre you love to so much? What fascinates or moves you about this genre?
I love horror's ability to make people feel unsafe, like when you were a child and afraid of the darkness. It offers the opportunity to always be able to re-discover new ways to be afraid of what's just inside the darkness. Fear is a primal emotion and one most people spend a great deal of effort trying to avoid. It's a quick shot of adrenaline and I embrace it.
3. What was the first horror movie you watched? And, what is your favorite horror flick now and why?
The first horror film that completed captivated me -- terrorized me -- was the "The Exorcist," in 1973. I was 10. I saw it in the Bronx at the then Whitestone drive-in before it was torn down and became a mall-style multiplex. The movie scared the hell out of me. I had nightmares for weeks afterwards. I still can't watch "The Exorcist" without feeling my hairs stand on end. It has stood the test of time, and it's still one of my favorites movies, ever!
But that film also stayed with me in another way: I began to read everything I could get my hands on related to horror: comics, graphic novels, paperback. I remember I had all these gargoyle posters in my bedroom and my friends would only call me out to play through the window - once they had visited my room, they would never come back a second time. [laughs] I also went to see a great deal of horror films as a teenager: "Phantasm," "Friday the 13th," "Jacob's Ladder," "Seven," are some of the others that have stayed with me, right up to the present.
4. I remember a teacher once telling us in a production class that horror is actually the most morally-based genre because it is about good and evil. For instance, teens doing bad things get killed...Could you elaborate on this?
Yeah, that's a great point, and one that is very true. "Promiscuous" teenagers get chopped to pieces in log cabins by a masked stranger; spirits haunt new home owners to enlist their help in exacting justice on the previous murderous tenants; hell is so full of sinners that the dead must rise and walk among the living, aliens in flying saucers invade earth during the cold war, etc. Horror films, or its related literature, have always been a great way to ascertain the relevant fears of society at any given time in history. I'm not quite sure what the current trend of shake-and-bake horror cinema in the U.S. says about us as a modern society, but I'm certain it would make a great psychology thesis. Don't get me wrong, I love horror in all its forms and see and enjoy them all (well, almost). I'm just Jonesing for something to come along and also engage my mind, give me an engaging story line and not just gag over plot.
I think it's only a matter of time before we return to an intelligent horror film formula with actual suspense as a basis for the fear, not just gross gore. It's why American audiences made "Pan's Labyrinth" such a successful hit, even when it was in another language [Spanish] during a time of extreme xenophobia. Latin horror innately brings that and Hollywood is watching. The discovering and re-making of a slew of Japanese horror films is starting to turn an eye at what Latin traditions an storytellers are brewing. Already Universal Pictures has slated Juan Felipe Oro's "Al Final del Espectro" for production, set to star megastar Nicole Kidman. And we have ample local grown talent also creating new Latin horror stories, which is promising. Our March 2009 edition of Latin Horror profiles some of this new crop.
5. Could you tell me a little about your own projects in this genre and what are your influences? Does being Latino have any influence on your work in this genre?
I have worked primarily as a cinematographer, producer, and more recently as an emerging writer/director.
Over the years I have been fortunate to work as a cinematographer with very exciting, talented directors: Derek Velez Partridge, Pepper Negron, and Julio Antonio Toro, just to mention a few. The latter two work primarily in horror and this has allowed me to fine-tune my cinematic eye within the genre of horror in terms of lighting, composition and use of color, and I think together we have made some interesting work. I am currently in production on a short film I wrote called "Anima Sola," a Latin horror project, a ghost story of sorts. It's an English film but very grounded in Latin cultural traditions and beliefs. Google the name and you'll recognize the iconic image that comes up on which my story is based. My decision to write and direct Anima was grounded in wanting to put my own thumbprint on film in a larger way and get closer in context and subject matter to material grounded in Latin horror. As you might have guessed, Del Toro has been an inspiration. He's a master storyteller with a solid grasp of visual imagery and that is the kind of sensibility I hope to bring in my own work.
Being Latino, definitely has had a marked impact on how I see the world around me and thus my personal work in film. Being born in New York City to immigrant parents who brought their own stories that were extremely exotic from what I was exposed to via American culture, is also an influence. Stories of creatures and Boogiemen that would come out the forest for "bad" children like "El Cuco." Or watching my mother cleanse the house each spring or with incense on Día De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead, All Souls Day, All Saints Day - November 2nd) and watching her have heated conversations with dead relatives whom I'd never met, or had, which was even spookier. It was never questioned. No more than one questioned the air we breathed or water that came out of the tap. It just was and so that became instilled in me and comes across in my current work.
6. Why Latin horror? How is it different or unique from let' say mainstream horror movies? Is there a difference between the English and the Spanish horror movies? How about between movies based in the United States from those that are based out of Spanish-speaking countries such as Mexico or Spain?
Horror as a device in Latin culture, as a story convention has always been deep rooted. It's books, oral histories and art are full of these examples of ghosts and other-world creatures lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce at a moment's notice. It was inevitable that the expression of fear would carry over to film. This transference is only as prolific directly in proportion to the regional film industry. While Latin horror is not a widely-known commodity in the U.S., it is a genre that has begun to grow in popularity and become more recognized, especially since the release of Guillermo Del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth," and Juan Antonio Bayona's "The Orphanage," both of which were productions out of Mexico and Spain.
The base difference between American horror and Latin horror is quite profound. In U.S.-based horror, the primary convention is to seek out and destroy the physical human being. So much so that the term "slasher film" has become a common moniker of the genre. You could literally sit in the theater with a hand tally counter and click off the body count. It didn't start out that way but that's where it currently stands as a genre. Latin horror, on the other hand, is more concerned with destroying and torturing the soul and mind, and the characters and story are paramount. You might end up with a bloody body or two but how they get that way is at different ends of the horror spectrum. In that respect, aside from the language, Latin horror is a close sister to Japanese horror (J-horror) in that we both culturally believe in the spiritual world, and that the dead walk among us or are within reach and contact. Again, "Día De Los Muertos" is in our culture.
The primary reason for starting the Latin Horror publication was to consolidate the genre as a validated and recognized entity and to provide a focal point for its fans worldwide. The website is just one way to do this. We have to also be more proactive by spreading the word at the usual horror watering holes like film festivals, comic conventions, and collaborating with established publications that focus on horror and starting a dialogue with them that begins to spread beyond the printed page. The material being created by Latin horrorphiles in all forms is out there. We just have to put the spotlight on it - that's our mission.
7. I know you have a website dedicated to Latino horror at www.latinhorror.com. What are your short- and long-term goals with your upcoming "The HORRORphiles"? What can people expect? Is this for hardcore horror fans or for anyone?
Yes, the Latin Horror website was a way for me to consolidate my three favorite passions into one dream: my love of horror, my passion for film and art, and my appreciation of all things Latin.
In short order, task one is letting Latin horror fans know we exist. We are constantly expanding our knowledge database of prospective people to profile going forward and our fans are already submitting the favorites they'd like to see featured on the website. In the long term, we plan to incrementally roll out more features - a blog is in the works called Blog Of Pheare; and even an online store where Latin horror fans can purchase their favorites movies, books, songs, posters, comics, etc. Latin Horror is a grassroots effort so it's slow-going but growing process, and that's a good thing because we can grow something together with our fan base that we can both be proud. We also plan to carry a line of Latin Horror swag that includes T-shirts and other related items. We've already printed a small run, which we have distributed among our collaborators. The shirts were custom printed by longtime friend Luis Cordero.
8. "The HORRORphiles" is a way of showcasing emerging Latino directors working within the genre of horror. Generally speaking, is there a trend for Latino directors to do these kind of movies or is there a need for more Latino directors to get in this genre? Why do you see it is important to have Latino directors working in this genre?
"The HORRORphiles" is about film. But it is also about all the other "dark creative expressionists" we plan to cover over the coming years: writers, illustrators, painters, poets, and bands.
Latin filmmakers as a whole are not innately drawn to making horror films. Since we are culturally enticed by the genre, it's becoming a point-of-departure for many Latino filmmakers to cut their teeth in movie making. These kinds of films can be made on very low budgets and still keep within the conventions of the genre. Fake blood is easy to make, screams are free, and anyone can convince their uncle to allow them to shoot in the garage. Films actually being made by Latino filmmakers is steadily growing, both in the indie and commercial worlds. But there is a distinction to be made about Latinos mimicking slasher-inspired films and those working to develop Latin horror, which is more about a story and less about gags and thus a more disciplined craft.
It's funny but the master of the zombie genre, the one who put it on the map in the 1960s, George Romero, is actually a Cuban-American. So aside to creating our own distinct genre - Latin horror, our contributions are also ingrained in the DNA of U.S.-based horror, whether people know it or not. Given the opportunity to interview Romero (Yes, he's at the top of our knowledge database), one base question I would have to pose would be if the Latin tradition of "Día De Los Muertos" played a role in his creation of his first zombie films. Hmmm?
9. What are some of the biggest challenges for a Latino director to get into this genre? Is it the same as any other genre or different?
Film as an industry is about the bottom line: MONEY. As more Latin-themed horror-based films hit the market and make favorable inroads at the bottom line of the box office - PROFITS - the more we'll see Latino filmmakers, and other artists get more work, green-lit, published, signed and endorsed. But that's a tough nut to crack because we're in the very early stages of the growth of the Latin horror in the U.S. market place. I think we as Latinos have to validate the genre. Horror as a whole is a sub-niche market and Latin horror-themed projects even a smaller fraction of the overall economy of horror as a business. But the same was the case when Rock en Espanol started popping up on the music landscape. Today no one questions it as a category of music and it has its own distinct fan base in all parts of the world. It's a matter of creating the groundwork for a movement and bringing together people that are like-minded to create the critical mass to make it viable. And horror fans are loyal and not just to English, Italian, or Japanese horror. Horror fans move across cultural and language borders to whatever they feel is legit. That's why the Norwegian vampire film, "Let the Right One In" was such a tremendous hit. It was fresh, a new take on the theme and true to the genre and horror fans from across the spectrum responded in-kind. Me too. I couldn't tell my friends enough about it. Latin-based horror is so true to the genre and has the potential to become a worldwide phenomenon given the right stories.
10. Please tell me anything else that you'd like to share with our readers.
Halloween is my favorite day of the year.
Latin Horror was officially launched on Halloween 2008.
Latin Horror will be taking its show on the road in 2009. We'll be hosting panels at film festivals to discuss and promote the genre of Latin horror, as well as participating in comic book and horror conventions to promote and meet, attract new fans to the revolution. We are already registered to attend the New York Comicon at Jacob Javits (February 6th-8th), and Comicon International in San Diego (July 23rd-26th). Look for us there.
For more information on "The HORRORphiles" or Latin Horror, visit www.latinhorror.com.
-- Clarisel Gonzalez
(Photos courtesy of Edwin Pagan)
If you are into horror flicks, "The HORRORphiles," featuring the work of emerging Latino directors working within the genre is playing a series of horror movies tonight in New York City.
Latin Horror, in association with Anthology Film Archives, presents a special edition of the NewLatino Filmmakers Screening Series - "The HORRORphiles." NewLatino Filmmakers is billed as the best and only independent Latino “cinematheque” showcase in New York City -- now in its 7th year. "The HORRORphiles" will run from 7-9:30 p.m. tonight at Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue at Second Street in the Lower East Side. The price is $6 at the box office.
Tonight's "Horrorphiles" will feature "Monster Job Hunter" by writer/director Yehudi Mercado, "Sandman's Box," by writer/director Gilberto Flores, and "Repentance" by writer/director Julio Antonio Toro, all shorts.
HORRORphiles will also showcase "Tales from the Dead," a digital feature by writer/director Jason Cuadrado, which is described as a "terrifying Japanese-language anthology of four ghost stories as told by Tamika, a strange young girl with the ability to communicate with the dead."
There will also be a trailer spotlight of new works in development by Latino filmmakers: "Dark Tales of Tortured Souls" by Pepper Negron and "subHysteria" by Leonard Zelig.
Tonight's horror lineup will include a Q&A with filmmakers in attendance. To read more about the films playing, go to www.latinhorror.com, the official publication of anyone interested in the genre. Latin Horror is one of the first English publications dedicated to the emerging genre of Latin horror.
Puerto Rico Sun speaks to series director/curator Edwin Pagan about his own love of horror movies, the Latin horror movement and about tonight's "HORRORphiles."
The Interview: Edwin Pagan
1. Please tell me a little about you.
I was born on the Lower East Side of Puerto Rican parents, and raised in the South Bronx. I'm 45-years old. I became involved in the arts via the Boys & Girls Club of America where I was first introduced to photography and film. I currently live in the Lower East. I'm a cinematographer and producer; principal in the film production company Pagan Images, Inc.; founder-in-chief, Latin Horror; and a horror fan.
2. What about the horror genre you love to so much? What fascinates or moves you about this genre?
I love horror's ability to make people feel unsafe, like when you were a child and afraid of the darkness. It offers the opportunity to always be able to re-discover new ways to be afraid of what's just inside the darkness. Fear is a primal emotion and one most people spend a great deal of effort trying to avoid. It's a quick shot of adrenaline and I embrace it.
3. What was the first horror movie you watched? And, what is your favorite horror flick now and why?
The first horror film that completed captivated me -- terrorized me -- was the "The Exorcist," in 1973. I was 10. I saw it in the Bronx at the then Whitestone drive-in before it was torn down and became a mall-style multiplex. The movie scared the hell out of me. I had nightmares for weeks afterwards. I still can't watch "The Exorcist" without feeling my hairs stand on end. It has stood the test of time, and it's still one of my favorites movies, ever!
But that film also stayed with me in another way: I began to read everything I could get my hands on related to horror: comics, graphic novels, paperback. I remember I had all these gargoyle posters in my bedroom and my friends would only call me out to play through the window - once they had visited my room, they would never come back a second time. [laughs] I also went to see a great deal of horror films as a teenager: "Phantasm," "Friday the 13th," "Jacob's Ladder," "Seven," are some of the others that have stayed with me, right up to the present.
4. I remember a teacher once telling us in a production class that horror is actually the most morally-based genre because it is about good and evil. For instance, teens doing bad things get killed...Could you elaborate on this?
Yeah, that's a great point, and one that is very true. "Promiscuous" teenagers get chopped to pieces in log cabins by a masked stranger; spirits haunt new home owners to enlist their help in exacting justice on the previous murderous tenants; hell is so full of sinners that the dead must rise and walk among the living, aliens in flying saucers invade earth during the cold war, etc. Horror films, or its related literature, have always been a great way to ascertain the relevant fears of society at any given time in history. I'm not quite sure what the current trend of shake-and-bake horror cinema in the U.S. says about us as a modern society, but I'm certain it would make a great psychology thesis. Don't get me wrong, I love horror in all its forms and see and enjoy them all (well, almost). I'm just Jonesing for something to come along and also engage my mind, give me an engaging story line and not just gag over plot.
I think it's only a matter of time before we return to an intelligent horror film formula with actual suspense as a basis for the fear, not just gross gore. It's why American audiences made "Pan's Labyrinth" such a successful hit, even when it was in another language [Spanish] during a time of extreme xenophobia. Latin horror innately brings that and Hollywood is watching. The discovering and re-making of a slew of Japanese horror films is starting to turn an eye at what Latin traditions an storytellers are brewing. Already Universal Pictures has slated Juan Felipe Oro's "Al Final del Espectro" for production, set to star megastar Nicole Kidman. And we have ample local grown talent also creating new Latin horror stories, which is promising. Our March 2009 edition of Latin Horror profiles some of this new crop.
5. Could you tell me a little about your own projects in this genre and what are your influences? Does being Latino have any influence on your work in this genre?
I have worked primarily as a cinematographer, producer, and more recently as an emerging writer/director.
Over the years I have been fortunate to work as a cinematographer with very exciting, talented directors: Derek Velez Partridge, Pepper Negron, and Julio Antonio Toro, just to mention a few. The latter two work primarily in horror and this has allowed me to fine-tune my cinematic eye within the genre of horror in terms of lighting, composition and use of color, and I think together we have made some interesting work. I am currently in production on a short film I wrote called "Anima Sola," a Latin horror project, a ghost story of sorts. It's an English film but very grounded in Latin cultural traditions and beliefs. Google the name and you'll recognize the iconic image that comes up on which my story is based. My decision to write and direct Anima was grounded in wanting to put my own thumbprint on film in a larger way and get closer in context and subject matter to material grounded in Latin horror. As you might have guessed, Del Toro has been an inspiration. He's a master storyteller with a solid grasp of visual imagery and that is the kind of sensibility I hope to bring in my own work.
Being Latino, definitely has had a marked impact on how I see the world around me and thus my personal work in film. Being born in New York City to immigrant parents who brought their own stories that were extremely exotic from what I was exposed to via American culture, is also an influence. Stories of creatures and Boogiemen that would come out the forest for "bad" children like "El Cuco." Or watching my mother cleanse the house each spring or with incense on Día De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead, All Souls Day, All Saints Day - November 2nd) and watching her have heated conversations with dead relatives whom I'd never met, or had, which was even spookier. It was never questioned. No more than one questioned the air we breathed or water that came out of the tap. It just was and so that became instilled in me and comes across in my current work.
6. Why Latin horror? How is it different or unique from let' say mainstream horror movies? Is there a difference between the English and the Spanish horror movies? How about between movies based in the United States from those that are based out of Spanish-speaking countries such as Mexico or Spain?
Horror as a device in Latin culture, as a story convention has always been deep rooted. It's books, oral histories and art are full of these examples of ghosts and other-world creatures lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce at a moment's notice. It was inevitable that the expression of fear would carry over to film. This transference is only as prolific directly in proportion to the regional film industry. While Latin horror is not a widely-known commodity in the U.S., it is a genre that has begun to grow in popularity and become more recognized, especially since the release of Guillermo Del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth," and Juan Antonio Bayona's "The Orphanage," both of which were productions out of Mexico and Spain.
The base difference between American horror and Latin horror is quite profound. In U.S.-based horror, the primary convention is to seek out and destroy the physical human being. So much so that the term "slasher film" has become a common moniker of the genre. You could literally sit in the theater with a hand tally counter and click off the body count. It didn't start out that way but that's where it currently stands as a genre. Latin horror, on the other hand, is more concerned with destroying and torturing the soul and mind, and the characters and story are paramount. You might end up with a bloody body or two but how they get that way is at different ends of the horror spectrum. In that respect, aside from the language, Latin horror is a close sister to Japanese horror (J-horror) in that we both culturally believe in the spiritual world, and that the dead walk among us or are within reach and contact. Again, "Día De Los Muertos" is in our culture.
The primary reason for starting the Latin Horror publication was to consolidate the genre as a validated and recognized entity and to provide a focal point for its fans worldwide. The website is just one way to do this. We have to also be more proactive by spreading the word at the usual horror watering holes like film festivals, comic conventions, and collaborating with established publications that focus on horror and starting a dialogue with them that begins to spread beyond the printed page. The material being created by Latin horrorphiles in all forms is out there. We just have to put the spotlight on it - that's our mission.
7. I know you have a website dedicated to Latino horror at www.latinhorror.com. What are your short- and long-term goals with your upcoming "The HORRORphiles"? What can people expect? Is this for hardcore horror fans or for anyone?
Yes, the Latin Horror website was a way for me to consolidate my three favorite passions into one dream: my love of horror, my passion for film and art, and my appreciation of all things Latin.
In short order, task one is letting Latin horror fans know we exist. We are constantly expanding our knowledge database of prospective people to profile going forward and our fans are already submitting the favorites they'd like to see featured on the website. In the long term, we plan to incrementally roll out more features - a blog is in the works called Blog Of Pheare; and even an online store where Latin horror fans can purchase their favorites movies, books, songs, posters, comics, etc. Latin Horror is a grassroots effort so it's slow-going but growing process, and that's a good thing because we can grow something together with our fan base that we can both be proud. We also plan to carry a line of Latin Horror swag that includes T-shirts and other related items. We've already printed a small run, which we have distributed among our collaborators. The shirts were custom printed by longtime friend Luis Cordero.
8. "The HORRORphiles" is a way of showcasing emerging Latino directors working within the genre of horror. Generally speaking, is there a trend for Latino directors to do these kind of movies or is there a need for more Latino directors to get in this genre? Why do you see it is important to have Latino directors working in this genre?
"The HORRORphiles" is about film. But it is also about all the other "dark creative expressionists" we plan to cover over the coming years: writers, illustrators, painters, poets, and bands.
Latin filmmakers as a whole are not innately drawn to making horror films. Since we are culturally enticed by the genre, it's becoming a point-of-departure for many Latino filmmakers to cut their teeth in movie making. These kinds of films can be made on very low budgets and still keep within the conventions of the genre. Fake blood is easy to make, screams are free, and anyone can convince their uncle to allow them to shoot in the garage. Films actually being made by Latino filmmakers is steadily growing, both in the indie and commercial worlds. But there is a distinction to be made about Latinos mimicking slasher-inspired films and those working to develop Latin horror, which is more about a story and less about gags and thus a more disciplined craft.
It's funny but the master of the zombie genre, the one who put it on the map in the 1960s, George Romero, is actually a Cuban-American. So aside to creating our own distinct genre - Latin horror, our contributions are also ingrained in the DNA of U.S.-based horror, whether people know it or not. Given the opportunity to interview Romero (Yes, he's at the top of our knowledge database), one base question I would have to pose would be if the Latin tradition of "Día De Los Muertos" played a role in his creation of his first zombie films. Hmmm?
9. What are some of the biggest challenges for a Latino director to get into this genre? Is it the same as any other genre or different?
Film as an industry is about the bottom line: MONEY. As more Latin-themed horror-based films hit the market and make favorable inroads at the bottom line of the box office - PROFITS - the more we'll see Latino filmmakers, and other artists get more work, green-lit, published, signed and endorsed. But that's a tough nut to crack because we're in the very early stages of the growth of the Latin horror in the U.S. market place. I think we as Latinos have to validate the genre. Horror as a whole is a sub-niche market and Latin horror-themed projects even a smaller fraction of the overall economy of horror as a business. But the same was the case when Rock en Espanol started popping up on the music landscape. Today no one questions it as a category of music and it has its own distinct fan base in all parts of the world. It's a matter of creating the groundwork for a movement and bringing together people that are like-minded to create the critical mass to make it viable. And horror fans are loyal and not just to English, Italian, or Japanese horror. Horror fans move across cultural and language borders to whatever they feel is legit. That's why the Norwegian vampire film, "Let the Right One In" was such a tremendous hit. It was fresh, a new take on the theme and true to the genre and horror fans from across the spectrum responded in-kind. Me too. I couldn't tell my friends enough about it. Latin-based horror is so true to the genre and has the potential to become a worldwide phenomenon given the right stories.
10. Please tell me anything else that you'd like to share with our readers.
Halloween is my favorite day of the year.
Latin Horror was officially launched on Halloween 2008.
Latin Horror will be taking its show on the road in 2009. We'll be hosting panels at film festivals to discuss and promote the genre of Latin horror, as well as participating in comic book and horror conventions to promote and meet, attract new fans to the revolution. We are already registered to attend the New York Comicon at Jacob Javits (February 6th-8th), and Comicon International in San Diego (July 23rd-26th). Look for us there.
For more information on "The HORRORphiles" or Latin Horror, visit www.latinhorror.com.
-- Clarisel Gonzalez
(Photos courtesy of Edwin Pagan)
PRSUN Poll: Majority don't live in PR but visit the island every year
The majority of Puerto Rico Sun blog readers who took part in a PRSUN snap poll said they do not live in Puerto Rico but that they visit the island every year. Forty six percent responded this way.
Meanwhile, 31% said they do live in Puerto Rico. Another 23% said they don't live in Puerto Rico but plan to move to the island in the future. Nobody chose the other two options available.
The question asked in the poll was: Do you live in Puerto Rico?
Thanks to those who took part in PRSUN's snap poll.
Meanwhile, 31% said they do live in Puerto Rico. Another 23% said they don't live in Puerto Rico but plan to move to the island in the future. Nobody chose the other two options available.
The question asked in the poll was: Do you live in Puerto Rico?
Thanks to those who took part in PRSUN's snap poll.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Community calendar
Check out this link for the spring lineup of Puerto Rican-related activities going on at Centro/the Center for Puerto Rican studies @ Hunter College, NYC.
The calendar kicks off with "On and Off the Avenue," Loisaida N.Y.C. 1976-2009, an exhibition by Marlis Momber on February 5. Activities, which run until May, range from research seminars on such topics as migration, religion, voting and welfare reform to a meet the author series.
For more information and the complete calendar,
http://www.centropr.org/documents%5Cevents%5CEvents_Spring_09.pdf
Check out this link for the spring lineup of Puerto Rican-related activities going on at Centro/the Center for Puerto Rican studies @ Hunter College, NYC.
The calendar kicks off with "On and Off the Avenue," Loisaida N.Y.C. 1976-2009, an exhibition by Marlis Momber on February 5. Activities, which run until May, range from research seminars on such topics as migration, religion, voting and welfare reform to a meet the author series.
For more information and the complete calendar,
http://www.centropr.org/documents%5Cevents%5CEvents_Spring_09.pdf
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Eddie Palmieri to perform at Jazz at Lincoln Center
Puerto Rico Sun readers get 25% off tickets with special code
Jazz at Lincoln Center is presenting nine-time GRAMMY® winner Eddie Palmieri who will perform in February at the Rose Theater, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Puerto Rico Sun readers, if you take advantage of this special offer, you get 25% off tickets.
Eddie Palmieri has reigned as a true mambo king for the past 50 years, absorbing the sounds of Puerto Rico and New York into his particular fusion of salsa and jazz. He revisits the music and sound of his influential 1960s La Perfecta orchestra with this latest edition of his ensemble, featuring energized new versions of La Perfecta-era salsa and fiery new Latin jazz compositions.
Eddie Palmieri & La Perfecta II
8 p.m., Friday-Saturday, February 6-7
Rose Theater
Jazz at Lincoln Center
Broadway at 60th St., Manhattan
Remember Get 25% off tickets!
Use code “Jazz 25” and save now!
Tickets Start at $30!
212-721-6500
CenterCharge
Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office
Broadway at 60th Street (ground level)
10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Saturday
noon to 6 p.m., Sunday
Here is a link to the Jazz at Lincoln Center website for more information on the performance, for a link to listen to a sampling of Eddie Palmieri's music online and to purchase tickets:
www.jazzatlincolncenter.org/concerts/details.asp?EventID=1591
Aprovecha and enjoy.
Friday, January 23, 2009
'The Body of My Isla'
Inside the orchid eucalyptus
bamboo heart of my Boriken
roams the ghost of Tio Nando
touching Titi Carmen
on the shoulder before
she cries herself to sleep
every night.
Thundering out of the dark eyes
of the enchanted island
is the coqui orkestra
5 million translucent tree frogs
singing as they must
aiming their love at the
murderous F-18s dropping
bombs and dripping poison
on Vieques, residential bombing site.
Roiling in the ocean blood
of the home of
my Taino antepasados
y los que viven aun
are the hopes and dreams of
fruit and yautia vendors
selling their wares
from the backs of dented
pickup trucks.
This is the body
of my island
this is the blood
of my love
Amen
Amen.
Rick Kearns-Morales
Poem reprinted with permission from the author Rick Kearns-Morales. See related entry posted today in this blog for more information about the author.
bamboo heart of my Boriken
roams the ghost of Tio Nando
touching Titi Carmen
on the shoulder before
she cries herself to sleep
every night.
Thundering out of the dark eyes
of the enchanted island
is the coqui orkestra
5 million translucent tree frogs
singing as they must
aiming their love at the
murderous F-18s dropping
bombs and dripping poison
on Vieques, residential bombing site.
Roiling in the ocean blood
of the home of
my Taino antepasados
y los que viven aun
are the hopes and dreams of
fruit and yautia vendors
selling their wares
from the backs of dented
pickup trucks.
This is the body
of my island
this is the blood
of my love
Amen
Amen.
Rick Kearns-Morales
Poem reprinted with permission from the author Rick Kearns-Morales. See related entry posted today in this blog for more information about the author.
Taller PR in Philly presents author Rick Kearns of 'The Body of My Isla'
Meet the Author Series on January 31 presents award-winning writer, poet and musician Rick Kearns-Morales with his collection of poetry "The Body of My Isla." The collection published in 2007 deals with the author’s Puerto Rican heritage and identity. This event is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
From the author's bio:
Rick Kearns, aka Rick Kearns-Morales is a poet, freelance writer and musician of Puerto Rican and European background based in Harrisburg, Pa. As a journalist Kearns has written for daily, weekly and monthly news publications since 1986. In the last decade his work has focused on Latino and Native American issues. In 1998 he won Best Interview of the Year from the National Federation of Hispanic Owned Newspapers for his interview with Manuel Rodriguez Orellana, spokesman for the Puerto Rican Independence Party. Since 1999, his articles have appeared in national magazines and newspapers such as Hispanic, Native Peoples, Native Americas. Since February 2006, he has been a contributing writer for Indian Country Today. Kearns writes mostly about indigenous Latin American issues for ICT with special focus on the administration of President Evo Morales of Bolivia along with stories from Ecuador, Columbia, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Guatemala, Paraguay and Puerto Rico among others.
Kearns’ poems have appeared in the following anthologies: El Coro/A Chorus of Latino and Latina Poetry (Univ. of Massachusetts Press, Amherst, 1997); In Defense of Mumia (Writers & Readers Press, Harlem, NY, 1996); and ALOUD; Voices from the Nuyorican Cafe (Henry Holt & Co., NY, 1994. Winner of the American Book Award.) His work has appeared in literary reviews such as: The Massachusetts Review, Painted Bride Quarterly, Chicago Review, ONTHEBUS, Poetry Motel, The Blue Guitar, Drum Voices Revue (So. Illinois University Edwardsville), The Patterson Review, HEART Quarterly, Big Hammer, Palabra: A Journal of Chicano and Literary Art, Yellow Medicine Review, Fledgling Rag and others.
Three of his poems, “Aurelio’s Vengeance, Puerto Rico, 1901,” “Pasteles” and “The Body of My Isla” are included in the poetry section of www.virtualboricua.org (since 2005).
Kearns has given readings of his own poetry as the featured reader in Harrisburg, Lancaster, York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York City, Baltimore, Camden (NJ) and other places since 1988. Much of his work deals with his Puerto Rican heritage and identity.
His poetry has been published in three chapbooks and two full collections: Street of Knives (Warm Springs Press, 1993), Boricua In Between (1997), Jazz Poems (1997), Endtime Poems, (1998, Pacobooks), and in 2007 he published “The Body of My Isla.” Red Pagoda Press has published five of his poems in brochure form since 2000.
He received a B.A. in Spanish from Millersville University of Pa. (1984), and an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University School of Journalism (1986).
Meet the author from 3-5 p.m., Saturday, January 31
Taller Puertorriqueño
2721 N. 5th Street
Philadelpia
FREE
For more information, visit www.tallerpr.org.
From the author's bio:
Rick Kearns, aka Rick Kearns-Morales is a poet, freelance writer and musician of Puerto Rican and European background based in Harrisburg, Pa. As a journalist Kearns has written for daily, weekly and monthly news publications since 1986. In the last decade his work has focused on Latino and Native American issues. In 1998 he won Best Interview of the Year from the National Federation of Hispanic Owned Newspapers for his interview with Manuel Rodriguez Orellana, spokesman for the Puerto Rican Independence Party. Since 1999, his articles have appeared in national magazines and newspapers such as Hispanic, Native Peoples, Native Americas. Since February 2006, he has been a contributing writer for Indian Country Today. Kearns writes mostly about indigenous Latin American issues for ICT with special focus on the administration of President Evo Morales of Bolivia along with stories from Ecuador, Columbia, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Guatemala, Paraguay and Puerto Rico among others.
Kearns’ poems have appeared in the following anthologies: El Coro/A Chorus of Latino and Latina Poetry (Univ. of Massachusetts Press, Amherst, 1997); In Defense of Mumia (Writers & Readers Press, Harlem, NY, 1996); and ALOUD; Voices from the Nuyorican Cafe (Henry Holt & Co., NY, 1994. Winner of the American Book Award.) His work has appeared in literary reviews such as: The Massachusetts Review, Painted Bride Quarterly, Chicago Review, ONTHEBUS, Poetry Motel, The Blue Guitar, Drum Voices Revue (So. Illinois University Edwardsville), The Patterson Review, HEART Quarterly, Big Hammer, Palabra: A Journal of Chicano and Literary Art, Yellow Medicine Review, Fledgling Rag and others.
Three of his poems, “Aurelio’s Vengeance, Puerto Rico, 1901,” “Pasteles” and “The Body of My Isla” are included in the poetry section of www.virtualboricua.org (since 2005).
Kearns has given readings of his own poetry as the featured reader in Harrisburg, Lancaster, York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York City, Baltimore, Camden (NJ) and other places since 1988. Much of his work deals with his Puerto Rican heritage and identity.
His poetry has been published in three chapbooks and two full collections: Street of Knives (Warm Springs Press, 1993), Boricua In Between (1997), Jazz Poems (1997), Endtime Poems, (1998, Pacobooks), and in 2007 he published “The Body of My Isla.” Red Pagoda Press has published five of his poems in brochure form since 2000.
He received a B.A. in Spanish from Millersville University of Pa. (1984), and an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University School of Journalism (1986).
Meet the author from 3-5 p.m., Saturday, January 31
Taller Puertorriqueño
2721 N. 5th Street
Philadelpia
FREE
For more information, visit www.tallerpr.org.
RIP: Puerto Rico’s people champion Jose “Chegui” Torres
Jose “Chegui” Torres was known as a man who wore many hats because he did. Torres, a former light-heavyweight champion who became a boxing official and a writer of books about Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, died January 19 in his native Ponce. He was 72.
Torres was laid to rest in Ponce. His wife of 48 years Ramonita Ortiz said he suffered a heart attack. Torres was honored as the hero he was on the island. The mayor of Ponce declared three days of mourning and ordered flags flown at half staff.
Many in New York City where Torres lived for many years also mourned him.
David Bernier, president of the United States Territory Olympic, spoke about Torres during a radio show, saying, “Puerto Rico has lost a great Puerto Rican, a very valiant person who aside from being a good boxer was a fine human being.”
New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson said: “He cared passionately about this city and all New Yorkers. He gained notoriety in the boxing ring. Eventually, he will be remembered for his strength of character and wealth of generosity.
“He was a role model not just for the Puerto Rican community, but for all New Yorkers who saw that one person could make a difference,” Thompson said. “He wanted our streets/neighborhoods to be safe and clean, and refused to sit on the sidelines because he believed in the power of the people.”
A place that Torres frequently visited in NYC was El Maestro boxing gym in the Bronx. Fernando "Ponce" Laspina, one of the top trainers at the gym, remembered that Torres also made it a point to visit the gym every time he was in town. He wouldn’t work out with the fighters or trainers, but he always talked to the kids, Ponce said.
“He never turned his back on anyone,” Ponce said. “He was always talking to kids telling them to stay in school, not to hurt each other, shaking hands with everyone in the gym. A true sportsman, gentleman.”
Torres was awarded in 1956 the silver medal at the Olympics games at Melbourne, Australia. He turned pro in 1958. In 1965, he became the first Puerto Rican to win the light heavyweight title. He also served as as chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission.
As a writer, Torres contributed to English and Spanish newspapers. He co-authored the book “Sting Like a Bee,” a biography on Muhammad Ali and wrote the book “Fire and Fear,” a book about former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.
In the early 1990s, he served as president of the World Boxing Organization until 1995. He was a member of The International Boxing Hall of Fame. He also served as chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission. – Ismael Nunez
Note: The website Virtual Boricua has a tribute to Jose "Chegui" Torres. To visit, go to
http://www.virtualboricua.org/Docs/cheguitorres.htm
Thursday, January 22, 2009
COMIC: ALBIZU
illustration by Regina Rodriguez who is also known as Silvered Capture
This is a pretty popular Puerto Rican saying which generally means that people need to get their heads out of the sand and recognize all the stupidities they're committing and allowing our politicians to commit. -- Silvered Capture
For more of Silvered Capture's work, go to her flickr site at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/meohmyinthenyc/
Silvered Capture is a member of the Puerto Rico Sun photo group.
This is a pretty popular Puerto Rican saying which generally means that people need to get their heads out of the sand and recognize all the stupidities they're committing and allowing our politicians to commit. -- Silvered Capture
For more of Silvered Capture's work, go to her flickr site at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/meohmyinthenyc/
Silvered Capture is a member of the Puerto Rico Sun photo group.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
'Brown Hips, Red Lips & Hot Skins'
Community calendar
Poetry performance of new work by Maria Aponte with musical accompaniment by Chacho Ramirez and Dwight Brewster
January 30
Cemi Underground, NYC's East Harlem
Click on image to view larger text and for more information.
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