Every year, when I was a kid, my Mexican family celebrated Christmas in the same labor-intensive but absolutely delicious way. Dad would buy 40-pounds of masa fina para tortillas along with an almost equal amount of pork and beef, dried chilis, several bags of corn husks and enough manteca to coat the entire outside and inside of the house in lard. Thus we would begin the annual holiday ritual of making enough tamales to feed our large extended family, all the neighbors plus all the starving kids in Africa, India and China.

Beginning on Christmas Eve until Easter, we ate tamales for breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight snacks. Who cared if our HDL and LDL cholesterol numbers were higher than our zip code? So what if we had to buy our summer clothes at Tent city? Tamales meant Christmas to us. I’m sure Jesus, Mary and Joseph would have appreciated it more if one of the Three Wise Guys had brought them an olla full of warm tamales rather than myrrh. What the hell is myrrh anyway and what good is it in a freezing stable in Bethlehem on Christmas Day?

But of course, the other tradition was watching our three favorite Christmas films: Miracle on 34th Street, A Christmas Carol and It’s A Wonderful Life. All the years I watched those and other beloved “White” Christmas movies, it didn’t dawn on me: “Hey, how come no Latino Christmas films?” We can linguistically claim Christmas is a Latino holiday. Baby Jesus has a uniquely Hispanic first name. As far as I know, there are no Jews, Muslims, Amish, Upper Patagonians or Anglo-Saxon Protestants named Jesus. 

I have a cousin named Jesus. Hell, all Chicanos have a cousin named Jesus. Jesus had long hair, a beard and hung out with twelve dudes. So did my cousin, Jesus, until he got busted on some exotic “import, export” charges and is doing hard time in Huntsville where they don’t show Christmas movies of any kind.

Now that I have established a dubious cultural Latino link to Christmas, here are three Latino-themed holiday flicks to consider adding to your viewing list:

NOTHING LIKE THE HOLIDAYS

This dramedy deals with a Puerto Rican family facing what may be their last Christmas together.

Stars: John Legizamo, Luis Guzman, Freddy Rodriguez, Alfred Molina, Jay Hernandez, Debra Messing, Elizabeth Peña. Written by:

EL CAMINO CHRISTMAS

In this wacky comedy crime film, some unlucky liquor store mart customers find themselves being shot at by a drunk local cop.

Stars: Kentwood Smith, Dax Shepard, Jessica Alba, Hope Diaz

HOLIDAY IN HANDCUFFS

A struggling artist working as a waitress kidnaps one of her customers to bring home to meet her parents at Christmas.

Stars: Melissa Joan Hart, Mario Lopez, Timothy Bottoms, Markie Post

None of the movies cited here will ever find their way into the sacred canon of traditional holiday movies. But our day will come. As Latino Hollywood continues to make inroads in telling our stories on streaming platforms, movies, TV and theater, our Latino Christmas traditions will find their way into the collective unconscious of our increasingly diverse country.

All three films featured are currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

¡Feliz Navidad! Don’t eat too many tamales. Save some room for the flan and capirotada.

Featured Photo: Mario Lopez in Holyday in Handcuffs (Photo: ABC Family/Freeform)

The post I’m Streaming of an Un-White Christmas first appeared on .

Written by Roberto Leal

The Netflix animated mini-Series Maya and the Three is a colorful, action-packed adventure tale that reminds us of the little-known and rarely shown great mythology of Mesoamerica and the ancient civilizations from which they came. Thanks to Maya and the Three the mythology of Mesoamerica will take its place alongside those of Greece, Rome, Asia and England.

THE QUEST

All great myth stories involve the hero embarking on a journey in a quest for something that will bring change or resolution to a problem. It can be a Golden Fleece, a Holy Grail or a sword embrued with magical powers. It often means the hero has to cross a threshold into a different world or realm.

Maya, the Princess of Teca, balks at becoming a mere royal diplomat. She wants to become a warrior and seek out and destroy the evil god of the underworld who threatens the existence of all humanity.  Zoe Saldana (Avatar) is the perfect voice-over actor to portray Maya. Beginning with her role in Avatar and other action-adventure films, the actress is the live-action embodiment of a warrior princess. But in Maya and the Three, Saldana uses only her voice acting skills to project a sense of physicality and urgency to Maya. The temptation is to go over the top and turn Maya into a one-dimensional, strident character. But Saldana controls and modulates her vocal performance and gives Maya nuanced emotional notes especially when she makes mistakes and wrestles with regrets and doubts. Saldana makes Maya a hero the audience can emphasize and cheer on to victory.

However, in order to achieve that victory over the evil god of the underworld, Maya recruits three legendary fighters to help her in her cause. Rico (Allen Maldonado, Heels), Pichu (Gabriel Iglesias, Fieldhand) and Chimi (Stephanie Beatriz, Brooklyn Nine Nine) join Maya on her quest. All three are fearless fighters. All three are flawed and bring their own personal baggage to the journey. Not only do they fight the evil god of the underworld but also battle their personal demons.

A TRIUMPH OF ANIMATION

Jorge R. Gutiérrez is the artistic and creative genius behind the visual landscape of the fantasy world of Maya and the Three. Gutiérrez’s deft drawing hand is responsible for the animation in The Book of Life, El Tigre, The Adventures of Manny Rivera, Space Punch plus many other Latino-themed animated shorts and TV series.

But Maya and the Three is by far his most ambitious undertaking to date. “I love those great Hong Kong martial arts movies,” says Gutérrez. “I was inspired by the choreography of those martial arts fight sequences.” Gutierrez points out all the time, effort and detail that went into choreographing the fight senses in Maya and the Three. “Every episode ends with a totally different fight sequence,” declares Guitérrez with a hint of pride. He goes on to effusively discuss what inspires his approach to animation.

“The animation style in Maya and the Three is very much a love letter to everything I love,” says Guitérrez. “I love Japanese animation. I love the classic American rubber hose animation of the ’30s.” Gutiérrez continues, “I also love super-flat, super-stylized European animation from the ‘50s.” And finally, Gutiérrez concludes with, “I love stop motion. I also love imperfect folk art because it reflects the humanity of the artist.”

That’s a whole lot of loving for one animator. Regardless, Gutiérrez uses colors from all those influential palettes and creates an animated fantasy world that reflects not only his humanity but that of his characters as well.

MEXICO IN THE MIST

The classic Mesoamerican civilizations of the Olmecs, Toltecs, Mayans and Aztecs are the inspiration and backdrop for the fantasy landscape of Maya and the Three. In every episode, we see the temples and pyramids that were found in Teotihuacán, Chichen Itza and Cholula that equaled anything built in Egypt. The names are slightly changed. For example, Maya is the Princess of Teca. Teca? Could that be shorthand for Toltec? One of Maya’s legendary fighters is named Pichu, which is a nod to the city of Machu Pichu of the majestic Inca Empire. And of course, there’s our hero, Maya, her name refers to the Mayans who built enormous cities in the jumble, developed a lunar calendar and invented the mathematical concept of “zero.”

The characters can often be heard speaking words or phrases in Spanish. But wait! ¡Uno memento, por favor! This fantasy story is set in an epoch long before the Spanish Conquest. So where did these folks learn Spanish? Was thee some ancient Berlitz course we are not aware of?

No, Gutiérrez is just taking a little historical poetic license to impress on us Maya and the Three is about the past cultural glories and legacy of Mexico that, as proud Latinos, is our treasured heritage.

AN ALL-STAR CAST OF VOICES

The list of actors who lent their voices to Maya and the Three reads like a Who’s Who of Latino Hollywood: Kate del Castillo, Cheech Marin, Rita Moreno, Rosie Perez, Sandra Equihua, Jorge R. Gutiérrez, Alfred Molina. Even Queen Latifah gets in on the fun. But it’s the strength, power and humanity of Saldana’s voiceover as Maya, Warrior Princess, that draws us through episode after episode on this action-packed adventure fantasy ride to its thrilling conclusion.

Maya and the Three is currently streaming on Netflix.

MAYA AND THE THREE

Cast: Zoe Saldana, Allen Maldonnado, Stephanie Beatriz,Gabriel Iglesias, Jorge R. Gutiérrez, Diego Luna, Dee Bradley Baker, Sandra Equihua, Grey Griffin, Alfred Molina, Carlos Alazraqui, Eric Bauza, Stephanie Beatriz, Kate del Castillo, Rita Moreno, Queen Latifah, Jeff Ranjo, Cheech Marin, Gabriel Iglesias, Joaquín Cosío, Hailey Hermida, John DiMaggio, Isabela Merced, Carolina Ravassa, Gael García Bernal, Chelsea Rendon, Wyclef Jean, Danny Trejo, Rosie Perez and Raphael Alejandro. Additional voices: Alanna Ubach and Andy Santana.

The post Zoe Saldana Rules as a Warrior Princess in ‘Maya and the Three’ first appeared on .

Set for a Dec. 17 release this year, the film is executive produced by Argentina-born Victoria Alonso, one of the most powerful women in Hollywood who has also worked pretty much with every other superhero film of the Marvel Universe wheres she serves a executie VP of production at Marvel Studios. She has produced such hits as Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger among many.

In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker, for the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a Super Hero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man. However, the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing Spider-Man to discover the true meaning of being the superhero whose motto is “with great power, there must also come great responsibility.”

British actor, Molina came into prominence for his work in theater. Since then he n West End, . Since then who has appeared in over 200 film, television, and stage productions. On of is standout performances was playing Diego Rivera opposite Salma Hayek in the title rold of Frida. Younger audiences know him as Docor Octopus.

Holland leads a cast that also features actress/singer Zendaya, Academy Award-nominated Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, Jon Favreau, Jacob Batalon and Oscar winner Marisa Tomei. 

The film is directed by Jon Watts, who also helmed the previous two Spider-Man installments featuring Holland, too. The screenplay is by Chris McKenna and Eric Sommers, who also wrote the 2019 Spider-Man: Far from Home. The producers are Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal. 

Joining Alonso in exec producing are Louis D’Esposito, JoAnn Perritano, Rachel O’Connor, Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach.

The post Tom Holland and Alfred Molina Return in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ first appeared on .

by Ana Perez

Alfred Molina to reprise Doctor Octopus in untitled Spider-Man 3 

Alfred Molina’s performance as Doctor Octopus is too iconic to recast. 

Molina played the infamous villain, Dr. Octopus in the 2004 sequel Spider-Man 2 and has been tapped to reprise the role in the upcoming Spider-Man movie starring Tom Holland. Molina quickly became a fan favorite as Otto Octavius, a brilliant scientist turned villain who faced off against Tobey Maguire‘s Spider-Man. 

Sony has dated the untitled film for Dec. 17, 2021, with Jon Watts back in the director’s seat. Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange, The Grinch, Sherlock Holmes) will appear in the film as Doctor Strange, with Zendaya (Euphoria), Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny), Jacob Batalon, and Tony Revolori (The Grand Budapest Hotel) returning to the screen.

Jamie Foxx has also confirmed he will be returning as Electro after playing the role in 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which starred Andrew Garfield as the titular character. The rumor going around amongst fans is that the three generations of Spider-Mans will come together for the film similar to what the 2018 animated Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse gave fans.  

Molina, who earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for 2017’s Feud: Bette and Joan,  starred in Frozen II last year and starred alongside Salma Hayek in 2002’s Frida.

Up next for Molina is Netflix and DreamWorks’ Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans which will release next year.

Oscar Isaac Tapped to Play Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid for Sony

Oscar Isaac’s phone does not stop ringing! Isaac is set to play Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid, a movie adaption of the 1998 Playstation video game. 

The film is currently in development at Sony Pictures with Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Kong: Skull Island) slated to direct the project. Avi Arad will produce the movie for Sony.  

The film is based on the video game created by Hideo Kojima and published by Konami. The script is written by Derek Connolly (Jurassic World: Fallen Kindgom, Kong: Skull Island, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker).

The video game follows Solid Snake, a soldier who infiltrates a nuclear weapons facility to stop a terrorist group known as Foxhound from launching a nuclear strike while liberating hostages.

2021 will be full of Isaac. He is set to star in HBO’s Scenes From A Marriage alongside Jessica Chastain, followed by playing the title role in Marvel’s Moon Knight. Isaac will be seen in the reboot of Dune starring Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name) and Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter. He is also set to star in and produce the adaptation of Brian K. Vaughn’s Ex Machina comic The Great Machine and star in Barry Levinson’s Francis And The Godfather alongside Jake Gyllenhaal (Spider-Man: Far From Home).

Isaac is repped by WME, Inspire Entertainment and Mitch Smelkinson at GGSSC. 

Ana de Armas Named IMDb’s #1 Star of 2020 List 

Ana de Armas (Knives Out) has had an incredible year which only continues to be highlighted by IMDb’s list of the Top 10 Stars of 2020. 

Originally reported by TheWrap, de Armas led IMDb’s list ranking No. 1. According to IMDb, the list ranks the 10 stars “who consistently ranked highest on the IMDbPro STARmeter chart throughout 2020.”

Not too far behind de Armas is yet another Latina star! The Queen’s Gambit’s Anya Taylor-Joy ranked at No. 8 amongst IMDb’s Top 10 Stars of 2020. Taylor-Joy known for her breakout role in Robert Egger’s The Witch and M. Knight Shyamalan horror-thriller Split. 

The full Top 10 Stars and Top 10 Breakout Stars list is below: 

IMDb Top 10 Stars of 2020

1. Ana de Armas

2. Julia Garner

3. Anya Chalotra

4. Millie Bobby Brown

5. Erin Moriarty

6. Margot Robbie

7. Aidan Gallagher

8. Anya Taylor-Joy

9. Linda Cardellini

10. Henry Cavill

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