2007

September 30, 2007

The Los Angeles red carpet première for Things We Lost In The Fire

will take place on Monday, October 15, 2007 at 6:00 PM

at the Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Boulevard, in Hollywood.

(Source:  www.seeing-stars.com)

September 30, 2007

Things We Lost In The Fire will be shown at the

Chicago International Film Festival which will be held from

October 4^th to October 17, 2007.

The schedule is as follows:

AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois

Click here for ticket information.

September 29, 2007

An article about Things We Lost In The Fire is available online.

Click here to read the article.

Here are a few excerpts from the article:

Suzanne Bier commented about Benicio and Halle Berry:

“Halle and Benicio are both great actors. They’re really interesting

to watch and very original. I just thought it would be very exciting

to put the two of them together. I could imagine a sexy, potentially

aggressive chemistry between them, but also a sense of comfort…

a kind of emotional recognition between the two of them,

which I thought would be great.”

Despite the dark themes and emotionally charged scenes, Suzanne Bier

also made an effort to lace the story with humor and credits Benicio with

helping find the lightness in many scenes. “Benicio is naturally very funny,”

she said. “And I think whatever he does is always going to be loaded with

a great sense of humor. You can always color a scene, and you can

color it with more or less humor, and he would, at any time, color it

as humorously as he could.”

*   *   *

Director Sam Mendes talked about Benicio:

“We lucked out in that Benicio is a genius, really...”

*   *   *

Writer Allan Loeb said the following about Benicio:

“Benicio wanted to know everything. He’s very detail oriented...

It was very interesting talking to [him] about it, because it was always

about finding the truth. What’s the truth about where [he]’s coming from?

What’s the truth of how [he is] feeling?”

*   *   *

Producer Sam Mercer said:

“Del Toro did substantial research on drug addiction for his role. He also

met with medical experts and attended Narcotic Anonymous meetings.

He got inside the head of the character and of anyone who has had an

addiction. He recognized that they are people and have to be treated with

humanity. They’re suffering from a disease and you have to be

human about it.”

*   *   *

In Jerry, Benicio saw a character who was both childlike and nurturing.

“I think it was Kurt Cobain who said something along the lines that

people need to get high to feel the enthusiasm that they felt as a kid,” Benicio said.

But it’s Jerry’s natural rapport with his best friend’s children that does

as much to stabilize his life and restore his spirits as it does theirs.

“I think that children, without knowing it, can give someone a purpose,”

Benicio observed. “And they do give Jerry a purpose.”

Describing the unconventional relationship that emerges between

Audrey and Jerry, Benicio observed, “These are two handicapped people.

It’s like the blind leading the blind in a way. Audrey is trying to deal with

her grief, break out and move on, and Jerry is attempting to deal with

a long-term addiction. There are ups and downs – it’s an emotional

roller coaster.”

*   *   *

Halle Berry said the following about working with Benicio:

“The other actors you’re working with always influence you.

And usually they make you better. You can really help make each other

better by being present in the moment and really understanding your own

character and always making choices. Benicio’s very much like that.

He has definite ideas about who he is as an actor and about the character.

You have to respect that and you work with him on that.”

*   *   *

Click here to read the article.

(Source:  www.artistinterviews.com)

September 28, 2007

A 25-second exerpt of Benicio from the Hunter S. Thompson documentary

Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride is available online.

Click here to view the exerpt.

(Source:  Jack Johnny blog)

September 28, 2007

Benicio will be a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show

next Tuesday, October 2, 2007.  Check your local listings for details.

September 27, 2007

Things We Lost In The Fire will be shown at the

2^nd Cinema Rome Film Fest (Cinema Festa Internazionale di Roma),

which takes place from October 18^th to October 27, 2007.

There will be two screenings of the film, namely:

For the PDF version of the program, click here.

Click here for ticket information.

(Source:  Die Presse.com)

September 26, 2007

El Vocero published today another photo of Benicio

arriving at the airport in Puerto Rico on September 12, 2007:

September 25, 2007

Below is the Puerto Rican theatrical poster of Maldeamores

September 25, 2007

Denver Post's film critic Lisa Kennedy wrote

the following comment about Things We Lost In The Fire:

"Why see it: Last year's best films came in languages other than English

or were made by foreign-born directors. Bier's After the Wedding was one

of them. Now the Danish filmmaker makes her English-language debut

with a story about a widow (Berry) who seeks out her husband's

best friend, a recovering (then not) heroin addict played by Del Toro.

Could it be a contender? If you are going to rely on the close-up, then

you have a powerful ally in Del Toro. In the tight frame, even with terse

dialogue, his face speaks pain and poetry about psychic wounds,

hungering narcissism and intermittent struggle - all traits of the addict.

(Source:  denverpost.com)

September 24, 2007

The photo below was taken at the party in San Pablo de Buceite

(filming end in the province of Cádiz) in the night from

August 18^th to 19, 2007. The photo was only published today.

Benicio with Manolo Sierra (an inhabitant of San Pablo de Buceite).

Photo by: Bernardo Medina
 

(Source:  TioJimeno Digital)

September 24, 2007

Puerto Rican actor Jorge Alberti will portray a soldier of Batista

in The Argentine. Filming in Puerto Rico begins next month.

Jorge Alberti
 

(Source:  Hispanic PR Wire)

September 24, 2007

Lou Diamond Phillips will play the role of Mario Monje in Guerrilla.

Lou Diamond Phillips

September 24, 2007

French Canadian actor Marc-André Grondin will play the role

of Régis Debray in Guerrilla.

Marc-André Grondin

September 24, 2007

Carlos Bardem will play the role of Moisés Guevara Rodríguez in Guerrilla.

Carlos is Javier Bardem's older brother.

Carlos Bardem

September 24, 2007

Composer Alberto Iglesias is composing the music

for both films The Argentine and Guerrilla.

Alberto Iglesias

(Photo by:  Lester Cohen © WireImage.com)

(Source:  The Hollywood Reporter)

September 24, 2007

Maldeamores has been selected in the category of

Best Foreign Language Film to represent Puerto Rico

at the 2008 Academy Awards.

The film, codirected by Carlitos Ruiz and Mariem Perez, has won

over four other awards “because of the creative use of the language

and the resources of cinematographic means”, according to the

judges of the committee that evaluated it. The Selection Committee for

the Puerto Rican Representation to compete for the Oscar is composed

of Márel Malaret, Nannette Rosa, Luis Trelles, Luis Saldaña, Emilio Guedes,

Alvaro Calderón and Jose M. Umpierre, who presided over the board.

Actress Velda González, who is also coordinator of the

Selection Committee, said to the Associated Press that the voting

ended with four to three in favor of Maldeamores.

The judges recognized Maldeamores for its “thematic approach,

its sense of humor, the quality of the performances and

the excellence of its technical accomplishment”.

Until now, the film Lo que le pasó a Santiago, by director Jacobo Morales,

is the only one that has represented Puerto Rico in the Oscar competition

for best foreign film. That was in 1990.

(Source:  ElNuevoDia.com)

September 23, 2007

The Puerto Rican film Maldeamores', which is being shown at

the Fine Arts Café cinema in Hato Rey during this week only,

has become the favorite of the audience, filling to capacity

that theater located in the capital.

Mariem Perez, the codirector of the film, welcomed the

Puerto Rican public, who has crowded all the showings of the film,

even when it was shown in two rooms simultaneously.

"The people who have seen the film, leave very contented, full of laughter

and of proud emotions'', said Perez, who shared the work of direction

with her husband, Carlitos Ruiz.

"Without any doubt, the comments of those who already have seen

the film are so favorable that the mouths have been watered and

many are going early in the morning to buy their tickets, to make

sure they see it'', also proudly added the publisher of the film.

Although they hope to take it to other theaters early next year,

Maldeamores' is shown at the Fine Arts Café during this week only,

to qualify for the selection for an Oscar as the candidate from Puerto Rico.

The Corporation of Cinema of Puerto Rico will announce

the chosen film on Monday morning at 11:00.

In addition to Maldeamores, the following films are also competing

to represent Puerto Rico at the Academy Awards:

Angel, by Jacobo Morales

El Cimarrón, by Iván Gonzalo and Iván Dariel Ortiz

Ruido, by César Rodríguez

El Clown, by Pedro Adorno and Emilio Rodriguez

(Source:  El Vocero de Puerto Rico)

September 23, 2007

New stills of Things We Lost In The Fire are available:

(Click on thumbnails to enlarge)

(Source:  Cinema Blend)

September 23, 2007

During a brief telephone interview with El Nuevo Dia,

Benicio talked about his role as Executive Producer of Maldeamores.

Here's an excerpt of the interview:

“My function within the project was the contribution of a series of small

elements, which I believe helped the film. One of them was to get to know

one of the people of Buena Onda (the company that is going to distribute

the film on an international level) and to talk with and recommend to

them to approach Carlos Ruiz and the project. Another one was to build

the bridge between Carlos Ruiz and Luis Guzmán (who portrays one of the

key figures of the film). The other one was to watch a published version

of the film and to give them my comments about the way in which

the film was being related.

I believe that the executive producer or the producer must try to help the

director, so that he can complete his vision in the best way possible.

I tried to do that as best as I could with what was available to me.

One of the things that I was always saying to Carlitos is that he had

to direct his film. Perhaps, partly I was his 'cheerleader'. The best thing

that you could do, is to go ask him about this”.

You can find the entire transcript of the interview in

the Articles section of this website.

(Source:  ElNuevoDia.com)

September 22, 2007

If you live in Vancouver, Montréal or Toronto (Canada),

click on the banner below to have a chance to win passes

to an advance screening of Things We Lost In The Fire.

Contest ends Monday, October 1, 2007

(Source:  Tribute.ca)

September 21, 2007

There are talks about an upcoming appearance by Benicio

on the Oprah Winfrey Show.  To be confirmed.

(Source:  Chicago Sun Times and Univision.com)

September 20, 2007

In the UK Things We Lost In The Fire is getting a passed 15 rating.
 

(Source:  BBFC)

September 19, 2007

IMDB has updated the release dates for Things We Lost In The Fire:

USA:  October 19, 2007
Mexico:  December 28, 2007
Belgium:  January 2, 2008
France:  January 2, 2008
UK:  January 4, 2008
Denmark:  January 18, 2008
Spain:  January 18, 2008
Germany:  January 31, 2008
Netherlands:  January 31, 2008
Australia:  February 14, 2008
Argentina:  February 21, 2008
Sweden:  February 29, 2008
Turkey:  February 29, 2008
Norway:  March 7, 2008

September 19, 2007

Tony Hawk's 4^th annual Stand Up For Skateparks benefit

will be held in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday, October 7, 2007,

from Noon to 4:00 PM.

Benicio co-chairs the benefit along with Tony Hawk, Lance Armstrong,

Jimmie Johnson, Leeza Gibbons, Jamie Lee Curtis, David Spade,

Shaun White, Jon Favreau, Mat Hoffman, Robert Kotick,

Bob McKnight, and Ron Burkle.

Tickets are sold out, but to be placed on a wait list in the event that

additional tickets are released, please e-mail your name, address and

phone number to SC.C. Flashman: cc@tonyhawkfoundation.org.
 

(Source:  Trans World Business)

September 18, 2007

The U.S. release date of The Wolfman has been pushed back from

November 14, 2008 to an as of yet undetermined date in Spring 2009.

The foreign release dates will be pushed back accordingly.

While specific reasons are not given, it's likely that both are the first

casualties of the potential actor's strike that could hit the industry

next June. The actor's strike is set to take place in June next year and will

in fact manifest itself as a combined strike by the Screen Actors Guild,

the Directors Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America (West)

against the Producers Guild of America. The strike is over royalties from

sales of movies over the internet and on DVD, which are not covered

in the current deal between the various guilds.

(Source:  BoxOfficeMojo.com and Empire Online)

September 18, 2007

Things We Lost in the Fire director Susanne Bier and Chicago-native

screenwriter Allan Loeb will be in Chicago on October 11, 2007

to speak with critics. They will also be in town to promote the film

at the Chicago International Film Festival.

(Source:  HollywoodChicago.com)

September 18, 2007

Things We Lost In The Fire will be shown at the FilmColumbia '07 Festival

which will take place in Chatham, Columbia County, New York,

from October 18^th to October 21, 2007.

In Advance: The Chatham Book Store on Main Street
In Person: At The Tracy Memorial at the event

Online:  http://www.filmcolumbia.com

By Phone:  (518) 392-3445

(Source:  TimesUnion.com)

September 17, 2007

The October issue of Esquire magazine is now available

at newsstands in Canada and in the United States.

You can read the article here.

(Photos by Greg Williams)

(Click on thumbnails to enlarge)

September 16, 2007

More new release dates for The Wolfman:

Australia:  December 4, 2008

Algeria:  November 19, 2008

Bulgaria:  November 14, 2008

Czech Republic:  January 8, 2009

Monaco:  November 19, 2008

Morocco:  November 19, 2008

Tunisia:  November 19, 2008

Romania:  December 5, 2008

Russia - CIS: November 20, 2008

Taiwan: December 5, 2008

(Source:  BoxOfficeMojo.com)

September 15, 2007

Andrew Z. Davis has joined the crew of The Wolfman

as one of the producers.

September 15, 2007

(Click on thumbnail to enlarge)

The photo above is in the Flickr album that belongs to the woman on

the far left.  She worked for the casting department of Guerrilla from

June to September 2007. The photograph was taken at a party to

celebrate the end of the filming of Guerrilla in the region of Madrid

and end of the filming in Spain.

(Source:  Flickr.com)

September 14, 2007

The UK theatrical trailer for Things We Lost In The Fire

has been released today. You can view it here.

September 14, 2007

Here's what author Rafe Telsch had to say

about Benicio in the role of The Wolfman:

"I’ve known from the moment that Benicio Del Toro was announced for

the lead in the remake of The Wolfman that he was perfectly cast.

Now he’s “wolfing out” and showing everyone just how perfect he is.

Ain't It Cool News has gotten their hands on a jokey picture of Del Toro

choking makeup artist Rick Baker, who will be providing the makeup for

the movie. The picture is intended to be an homage to the old monster

movie promotional shots of the ‘50s. What’s really funny about the

image (small version shown [below]) is that Del Toro doesn’t have

a bit of makup on him. That’s all him. Perfect, no?

I have high hopes for this, regardless of how much we typically rag on remakes. Del Toro is perfect. Anyone who disagrees can take it up with Benicio. Just try to stay away from him during the full moon."

(Source:  CinemaBlend.com)

September 14, 2007

Things We Lost In The Fire will have its U.S. premiere at the

30^th Mill Valley Film Festival, which takes place from

October 4^th to October 14, 2007 in Marin County, San Francisco.

The schedule is as follows:

 Smith Rafael Film Center, San Rafael, CA

(If you are a CFI member, you can buy your tickets here for this show)

Smith Rafael Film Center, San Rafael, CA

(If you are a CFI member, you can buy your tickets here for this show)

September 13, 2007

Yesterday afternoon Benicio arrived in Puerto Rico, coming from

New York where was giving several interviews as a part of the

promotion for the film Things We Lost In The Fire. Prior to his

trip to the Big Apple, Benicio was in Spain where the filming of

Guerrilla and The Argentine was initiated.

Benicio will be in Puerto Rico several days for the filming of

The Argentine. Several locations have already been preselected

as well as the cast that will accompany Benicio.

(Photo by: Alfedo Rolón)

(Source:  El Vocero de Puerto Rico)

September 13, 2007

The official Things We Lost In The Fire website has been updated.

The following photos have been added:

(Click on thumbnails to enlarge)

Also, the following wallpaper is available to download in three different sizes:

(Click on thumbnail to enlarge)

September 13, 2007

In the official press release of The Times BFI 51^st London Film Festival, Things We Lost In The Fire is described as follows:

THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE (American Airlines Gala)

In her first English language project, Susanne Bier directs a film which

builds a genuine sense of loss and redemption. Halle Berry shines in the

challenging role of Audrey Burke, a woman who has it all until her husband,

played by David Duchovny, is killed in a random incident. Hoping to turn

her life around, she turns to her husband’s childhood best friend and

long-term addict, Jerry. With an extraordinary performance by

Benicio Del Toro, Bier explores how lives are transformed by dramatic

events and the feelings that emerge in the aftermath.

(Source:  FilmDetail.com)

September 13, 2007

Credits for Things We Lost In The Fire:

Directed by: Susanne Bier
Written by: Allan Loeb
Cast: Halle Berry, Benicio Del Toro, David Duchovny,

John Carroll Lynch, Alison Lohman, Omar Benson Miller
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Country: USA
Year: 2007
Running time: 112 minutes

(Source:  London Film Festival website)

September 13, 2007

Sarah Lutton, who works for the British Film Institute at

the National Film Theatre, reviewed Things We Lost In The Fire

and this is what she had to say about Benicio's performance:

"As Jerry, Del Toro's performance is extraordinary. He is at once generous,

empathetic and powerful, and yet unreliable, weak and dangerous."

(Source:  London Film Festival website)

September 13, 2007

Things We Lost In The Fire is going to be shown at the 51^st London Film Festival, which takes place from October 17^th to November 1, 2007.

The schedule is as follows:

(Source:  Times Online)

September 13, 2007

Michelle Malley-Campos of San Juan, Puerto Rico, is currently working

in the Puerto Rican production office for the film The Argentine.

As an office production assistant, she is serving as assistant to

Steven Soderbergh, as well as the film’s producer, executive producer,

first assistant director and unit production manager. She is also

one of the five recipients of the Women In Film & General Motors

2^nd Annual 2007 Emerging Latina Filmmakers Grant.

Michelle Malley-Campos

(Source: Hispanic PR Wire)

September 12, 2007

Season three of Miami Vice is available at Amazon.com.

Benicio was in the episode entitled Everybody's In Showbusiness.

BUY IT

September 11, 2007

Every day the beginning of the filming of one of the biggest

cinematic productions ever made in Puerto Rico is coming closer.

The first part of the production team and actors of the film

The Argentine arrived on the island yesterday afternoon.

Benicio and Steven Soderbergh are scheduled to arrive later on.

During two months, the production was established in Spain,

in places like Tenerife and Madrid. The European country served

as the scene to film Guerrilla, the part of the project that tells

the story when Che stayed in Bolivia.

“We worked many hours in many beautiful places of Spain. Everything

was very intense. It was good, because we were working with international

actors and the experience with Benicio has been incredible. He becomes

Che and he practically dominates the entire situation”, said

Norman Santiago, the actor who portrays Tuma, the assistant of Che,

during his arrival at the Luis Muñoz Marín Airport.

Santiago and his his colleague Edgardo Rodriguez,

who portrays Arturo, praised the solidity of the production team,

but mainly the work of Benicio and Steven Soderbergh.

“This is totally new. Soderbergh is testing out cameras, that are his

two new toys. He is satisfied with the people and the result that is

being obtained; he is a workaholic. In the morning, when we arrived on

the set, he was already there and at night, when we finished, when we

were going away to return to Madrid, he stayed. In addition, he is

working on a documentary feature”, said Santiago.

In Puerto Rico, the filming of The Argentine will take a month and a half.

The Argentine is about the period when Che and Fidel Castro arrive

with their guerrilla in Cuba, coming from Mexico. In fact, when finishing

the filming in Puerto Rico, the production will move on to Mexico

and Bolivia, where they will film until December.

The actor and director Aaron Vega, resident on the island and the son

of Pastor Vega and Daisy Granados (figures of Cuban cinema), also

arrived yesterday. Vega portrays Ricardo in the film, the brother of Arturo

who organized the guerrilla of Che before he arrived in Bolivia.

The filming on the island will begin in the third week of September.

This week the cast will continue to arrive, including Cuban actor

Jorge Perugorría, Benjamin Bratt, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Jordi Mollá

and Demián Bichir, who will portray Fidel Castro.

From left to right, Norman Santiago, Aaron Vega and Edgardo Rodríguez

at their arrival at the airport yesterday in Puerto Rico.

(Photo by:  Rafael Pichardo)

(Source:  ElNuevoDia.com)

September 10, 2007

Benicio will arrive soon in Puerto Rico to begin the filming of

The Argentine, which will be made almost entirely on

Puerto Rican ground. The filming will take place in and around towns

like Luquillo and Río Grande.

The production will establish a precedent on the island as far as

economic impact, because it is estimated that it will spend more

than $12,000,000 during its stay in the country. Once these costs

will be accredited, the Financial Department will grant it a

contribution credit of 40 percent.

(Click on thumbnail to enlarge)

(Source:  El Vocero de Puerto Rico)

September 10, 2007

Colombian actress Catalina Sandino Moreno is taking self-defence classes

to prepare for her role as Che's wife. She doesn't have any fighting scenes in the film, but she wants to look fit and strong. She says, "I want to be in shape for that movie. Not thin and beautiful, but strong."

Catalina Sandino Moreno

(Source:  ContactMusic.com)

September 9, 2007

(Click on thumbnail to enlarge)

Above is the first photo taken in Luquillo, Cuba, of the set of The Argentine.

The photo was taken by a member of a group of mountainbikers

who made a tour of Luquillo.

(Source:  mtbr.com)

September 9, 2007

The New York Times did an interview with Benicio

for the promotion of Things We Lost In The Fire.

You can read it here.

September 8, 2007

The photo below was taken about three (3) months ago

during Mark Romanek's first meeting with Benicio and Rick Baker.

(Click on thumbnail to enlarge)

Mr. Romanek had this to say about this photo:

"This pose was a jokey homage to the classic

Universal Wolfman/Famous Monsters Magazine-era style,

but seeing Benicio getting "wolfy" for the first time, even in jest,

gave us chills. It was our first glimpse of what we could expect

from this amazingly original and gifted actor".

September 7, 2007

A 26-year-old worker is in a very serious state after suffering an electrical

shock from a cable of average tension which has been providing energy to

the barrage of Batán, in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, while he gathered the

dressing rooms for the filming of Guerrilla.

The accident happened at 10:00 in the morning in the Forest of Herrería,

next to the hermitage of la Virgen de Gracia and, according to what

sources of the National Patrimony confirmed, the organization that

manages the barrage, it happend as a result of an “arc of voltage”

through air that reached the worker, although he was about

a meter away from the cable.

According to sources of the Emergency 112, the sanitary squad

that arrived on the premises, where the young person guided the

conductor of a crane so that it elevated one of the dressing rooms when

the accident happened, found the worker in a cardiac arrest and they had

to carry out “advanced reanimation measures”. Once stabilized, the victim

was transferred in a SUMMA helicopter to the Doce de Octubre Hospital,

where he arrived in a very serious state.

The filming team of Guerrilla was transferred this Friday from

San Lorenzo de El Escorial to Rascafría and will complete its passage

this Saturday in Aranjuez through Madrilenian locations.