Two Words, One Answer.
Victor Espinoza
 The Mask Of Zorro $2.99 The Mask of Zorro Starring Anatonio Bandarass, Catherine Zeta Jones, and Anthiny Hopkins Came along at just the right time. Better than its sequel; The Legend of Zorro, this movie stays true to the character of Zorro.  The Chilchos Valley Revisited: Life Conditions in the Ceja De Selva, Peru (The National Museum of Denmark, Ethnographic Monographs) $21.25 This book on the Chilchos Valley in the northeastern slopes of the Andes in Peru attempts to understand how human activities have changed the landscape in the montane forests during the last 500 years. Settlements and terraces from the Chachapoya and Inca cultures in the Ceja de Selva (the high jungle) were amply used in pre-Hispanic times. After a drastic decline in population during its colonial period, the Chilchos Valley was forgotten for hundreds of years and then rediscovered and revisited in 1900. During the rediscovery of the Valley, new socio-cultural processes of adaptation to the environment began with migrations from the Sierra. This book includes archaeological, historical, sociological and botanical studies of a corner of Peru, which has hitherto not been given much scientific attention.  Kiltro $14.98 As the first martial arts film ever produced in Chile, "Kiltro" is pretty darn good...but as an entry to the tidal wave of direct-to-video action flicks currently flooding box office shelves across the nation, it's not about to stick out. I almost feel bad in saying so, since the film clearly has a lot of heart worked into it and may very well become a cult classic if hero Marko Zaror makes it in the world of action heroes, but as fledging vehicle-to-fame/'80s throwback movie, "Kiltro" is neither fun nor witty enough to make up for the 89 minutes that Zaror is not flying around the set. The story: Zamir (Zaror, Mirageman, Chinango) is a troubled neighborhood tuff who has the hots for Kim - a Korean girl he rescued from assault (Caterina Jadresic). When a mysterious, revenge-seeking assassin (Miguel De Luca) arrives in town and attacks the tae kwon do school of Kim's father, Zamir is nearly beaten to death but rescued by a mystic sect that will not only reveal to him the dark connections between the assassin, Kim's father (Man Soo Yoon), and himself, but also train him in the world of martial arts to redeem himself. Let's make it clear, first and foremost, that Marko Zaror truly is a rising star: a former stuntman and champion of karate and tae kwon do, he certainly has the moves that make him stand out from pack. Comparable to Tony Jaa, he's big on flips and spin kicks, capable of delivering multiple blows in a single leap, and incorporates some wrestling moves for a power effect. A wise old teacher in the movie (played by Chilean TV veteran Alejandro Castillo) instructs him "Your leg should move as naturally as your eyelids", and Zaror achieves this effect without the use of wires, CGI, or the speeding up of footage. With that said, there is not nearly enough fighting in the movie: four hand-to-hand scenes may sound like average, but when they're either very short or feature lengthy pauses inbetween the action, it seems like a lot less. The best encounter is definitely between Zaror and about twenty of the assassin's henchmen, but this sadly also showcases the film's lazy use of CGI blood spurts, which are unrealistic enough to make you pause the film and wonder what in the world you're watching. Being both a throwback to the corny-yet-entertaining era of action's heyday and a film in which three of its stars have never acted before, the thematic aspects are along the lines of what you'd expect from a dumb action movie but passable nonetheless, with a few scenes involving Zamir, his mother, and Kim showcasing at least some dramatic know-how. Sadly, this is undermined by a seemingly endless supply of boring flashbacks that aid the telling of a story that you could've figured out by yourself. Most damning, however, is that the movie just isn't as interesting as the filmmakers wanted it to be: you've got a hero wearing facepaint and blades on his heels, a villain wielding a deadly clawed cane/sword, a mysterious sect, a hot girl, torture via wire suspension, Bruce Lee-inspired training sessions, and a dwarf master called Nik Nak...yet not only does it not all come together seamlessly, but it regularly forgets whether it wants to be serious or tongue-in-cheek. You could've turned the cane into a lollipop, the sect into a catering service, the hot girl into your mother, and the dwarf into a skinny giant, and the movie would probably be pretty much the same because it fails to take full advantage of all of these cool little aspects; I ended up feeling that it could've all been a lot, lot cooler. Still, Marko Zaror is still with us, and that's what counts as long as he fulfills his potential as one of the most able-bodied men in action cinema today. If you're a diehard fan of this man the movie world barely knows, give "Kiltro" a buy...but otherwise just watch the fight scenes online and thereby see the best that the film has to offer.  Tragico Terremoto en Mexico $9.99 "Trgico terremoto en Mxico" narra la solidaridad y los actos de herosmo que caracterizaron a la poblacin de Mxico despus del terremoto ocurrido en el ao 1985. Todo ello a travs de una serie de historias entrelazadas en las que los personajes viven sus alegras y frustraciones cotidianas, las cuales se ven afectadas por el trgico acontecimiento. En Espaol, No Subttulos After Patricia becomes pregnant with Miguels child, she is left to raise her baby by herself, despite the pleas of Miguels mother. A massive earthquake strikes the city just when their son is born and Patricia is trapped with the baby at the hospital. This film shows the human and emotion that can shine thru in times of catastrophe. Original In Spanish No Subtitles |
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