There are several ways to soundtrack a journey back from hell. On a Wednesday afternoon in late November, Jorge Pabón lifts himself out of his wheelchair, props himself up, and scrolls through his iTunes until the right song hits him. “Órale!” he exclaims, as the chugging guitar riffs of “Disposable Heroes,” Metallica’s adrenaline-pumping war epic, fill his own personal purgatory: the unassuming physical therapy gym inside New Franklin Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Queens, New York. He clasps his hands on the arm bike and propels bicycle pedals with his hands.
- 12/22/2023
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
Daniel Baker still remembers the field trip he took in third grade to the Bronx Museum of the Arts.
Baker, better known as Desus Nice and as the co-host with The Kid Mero (aka Joel Martinez) of Showtime’s “Desus and Mero,” told the crowd at the museum’s annual fundraiser on Monday night that the trip stands out in his mind because his mother came along as a parent chaperone, and because at the time he thought of museums as something that were found in other boroughs, not the Bronx.
“It was a great field trip” that helped open his eyes to the world of art, Baker recalled as he and Martinez were feted with the museum’s Visionaries award, presented at the gala held at Capitale in the Bowery.
Martinez was effusive about getting a hometown salute.
“This means more than any Emmy or Oscar or whatever,” he...
Baker, better known as Desus Nice and as the co-host with The Kid Mero (aka Joel Martinez) of Showtime’s “Desus and Mero,” told the crowd at the museum’s annual fundraiser on Monday night that the trip stands out in his mind because his mother came along as a parent chaperone, and because at the time he thought of museums as something that were found in other boroughs, not the Bronx.
“It was a great field trip” that helped open his eyes to the world of art, Baker recalled as he and Martinez were feted with the museum’s Visionaries award, presented at the gala held at Capitale in the Bowery.
Martinez was effusive about getting a hometown salute.
“This means more than any Emmy or Oscar or whatever,” he...
- 3/3/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Daniel Baker and Joel Martinez, the pair better known as Desus and Mero, are set to receive a hometown salute on March 2 when they will be honored along with others by the Bronx Museum.
The hosts of the Showtime late-nighter “Desus and Mero” will be included as part of the museum’s Visionary Duos gala recognizing those from the New York City borough who have made great strides in social justice, education and art.
Baker and Martinez have brought their Bronx-bred perspectives on everything from pop culture to politics to the Showtime series, which returns for its second season on Feb. 3. The pair also host the “Bodega Boys” podcast, which was a springboard for Baker and Martinez to host a TV talk show, first on Viceland and, as of February 2019, on Showtime. “Desus and Mero” airs twice-weekly in an hourlong format, with the hosts riffing and bantering about the week...
The hosts of the Showtime late-nighter “Desus and Mero” will be included as part of the museum’s Visionary Duos gala recognizing those from the New York City borough who have made great strides in social justice, education and art.
Baker and Martinez have brought their Bronx-bred perspectives on everything from pop culture to politics to the Showtime series, which returns for its second season on Feb. 3. The pair also host the “Bodega Boys” podcast, which was a springboard for Baker and Martinez to host a TV talk show, first on Viceland and, as of February 2019, on Showtime. “Desus and Mero” airs twice-weekly in an hourlong format, with the hosts riffing and bantering about the week...
- 1/28/2020
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
A former child actor who was born and raised in New York City, Reynier Molenaar made his debut in the entertainment industry as a child actor, premiering in such landmark music videos as Krs-one's My Philosophy, and the Latin Empire's Puerto Rican And Proud, directed by Henry Chalfant (Style Wars). He would later in life attend The California Institute of the Arts, where he made the switch from acting to directing-producing and began his career at Fox Searchlight Pictures, where he produced original content for films such as I Think I Love My Wife, Notes on a Scandal, The Namesake, and Little Miss Sunshine, among many others.
Leading up to the release of mega selling multi-platinum metal band Metallica's documentary, Metallica Through the Never, IMAX reached out to him to create a short film 'Metallica – Amped For IMAX' for the fans which was a collaboration with the band themselves. We asked him to share his experiences with us.
LatinoBuzz: How did you discover filmmaking?
Reynier: My dad took me to see E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial when I was about 3 years old. It was my first movie and I was captivated by the magic on the big screen. Pet aliens, flying bikes, kids outsmarting adults -- I was hooked! But when I found out that E.T. had to go home, I had a stage-4 meltdown. My dad carried me out to the lobby where he tried to comfort me. As he wiped my tears away, he revealed that movies were make-believe. He told me that they were all pretend. Somebody just made that stuff up! He even said, get this, a director's job was to make-believe with cameras. ...wait, what? Mind Blown. I've been playing with film ever since.
LatinoBuzz: What is the most rewarding thing about film & video for you?
Reynier: I love dreaming up stories and making them come to life. I love shepherding ideas through that creative process. There's something magical that happens when you focus all your energy on realizing your imagination -- life takes you on some incredible adventures. I've bombed around with parkour stuntmen, flown in hot-air balloons, hung off the sides of speeding cars, battled zombies, and most recently, hung out with rock legends. Every project feels like a chance to dream my next adventure into existence, which makes the work a reward unto itself.
LatinoBuzz: When you were approached by Metallica's people, what were your first thoughts and what was the creative process behind the concept you came up with?
Reynier: I was pretty stoked when IMAX contacted me about directing a branded short for Metallica Through the Never. I had just finished working with IMAX on another production (for Disney), so it was pretty gratifying to hear they wanted me back so soon. Not to mention I'm a huge Metallica fan! We kicked-off the production with a screening of Metallica Through the Never in IMAX 3D -- which was a lot of fun! It was all I could do not to break out my devil horns during the film. Then I went home and watched all of Metallica's documentaries. I found backstage footage of the band. I listened to all of their music. I wanted to make sure our short felt authentic to the fans. I wrote four concepts and then designed some visual boards. I always try to put some visuals together when I'm pitching ideas to clients
. On short-form projects, like commercials, it can be hard to convey the proper tone with just a written script. I think visuals can help everybody get on the same page very quickly. Once Metallica and IMAX signed off on the concept, things started to move really fast. Sedna Films prepped our crew in record time, including 2 units lead by my talented director of photography, Spencer Goodall. And after a couple of short weeks, we were filming Metallica, a biker gang and 1,600 screaming fans at a secret show in San Diego. I'm still pinching myself!
LatinoBuzz: I can't imagine what it is like to hang with those guys, how were they to work with?
Reynier: They were all super nice dudes, and such natural performers. I got to film with them individually, so it was cool to style each of their scenes to match their personalities. Robert Trujillo was a lot of fun to work with, since he was just as enthusiastic as some of the fans. He was incredibly generous with his takes, which helped me find some great improvised moments with him. Lars Ulrich had a really strong presence. It was pretty obvious we didn't need to do much more than point a camera at him. So we gave him some bold, dramatic lighting and let his expressive eyes do all the talking. His shots are some of my favorite in the short -- so much intensity.
We shot Kirk Hammett's scenes while he warmed up for the show. It was a pretty incredible experience to hang with the maestro while he rocked his personal axe, affectionately labeled "Kirk's Guitar." At one point my camera team and I broke away for a late bite. Since we happened to be eating an hour later than everybody else, we were the only ones around to find Metallica jamming out in their private "tuning room," next door. When James Hetfield emerged and found us scarfing down our dinner, he apologized for the loud music. We just thanked him for the awesome tunes and said we dug listening to Metallica rock while we ate. James chuckled as he walked off toward the stage, "yeah man! Dinner music!"
LatinoBuzz: What are you working on next?
Reynier: I'm on hold to direct a commercial that involves some spy action goodness... I would tell you more, but then I'd have to kill you. Just take my word for it, as a grown man with a James Bond ring tone: I'm excited!
For more of Reynier Molenaar's work, check out: http://reyniermolenaar.com
Written by Vanessa Erazo . LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook .
Leading up to the release of mega selling multi-platinum metal band Metallica's documentary, Metallica Through the Never, IMAX reached out to him to create a short film 'Metallica – Amped For IMAX' for the fans which was a collaboration with the band themselves. We asked him to share his experiences with us.
LatinoBuzz: How did you discover filmmaking?
Reynier: My dad took me to see E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial when I was about 3 years old. It was my first movie and I was captivated by the magic on the big screen. Pet aliens, flying bikes, kids outsmarting adults -- I was hooked! But when I found out that E.T. had to go home, I had a stage-4 meltdown. My dad carried me out to the lobby where he tried to comfort me. As he wiped my tears away, he revealed that movies were make-believe. He told me that they were all pretend. Somebody just made that stuff up! He even said, get this, a director's job was to make-believe with cameras. ...wait, what? Mind Blown. I've been playing with film ever since.
LatinoBuzz: What is the most rewarding thing about film & video for you?
Reynier: I love dreaming up stories and making them come to life. I love shepherding ideas through that creative process. There's something magical that happens when you focus all your energy on realizing your imagination -- life takes you on some incredible adventures. I've bombed around with parkour stuntmen, flown in hot-air balloons, hung off the sides of speeding cars, battled zombies, and most recently, hung out with rock legends. Every project feels like a chance to dream my next adventure into existence, which makes the work a reward unto itself.
LatinoBuzz: When you were approached by Metallica's people, what were your first thoughts and what was the creative process behind the concept you came up with?
Reynier: I was pretty stoked when IMAX contacted me about directing a branded short for Metallica Through the Never. I had just finished working with IMAX on another production (for Disney), so it was pretty gratifying to hear they wanted me back so soon. Not to mention I'm a huge Metallica fan! We kicked-off the production with a screening of Metallica Through the Never in IMAX 3D -- which was a lot of fun! It was all I could do not to break out my devil horns during the film. Then I went home and watched all of Metallica's documentaries. I found backstage footage of the band. I listened to all of their music. I wanted to make sure our short felt authentic to the fans. I wrote four concepts and then designed some visual boards. I always try to put some visuals together when I'm pitching ideas to clients
. On short-form projects, like commercials, it can be hard to convey the proper tone with just a written script. I think visuals can help everybody get on the same page very quickly. Once Metallica and IMAX signed off on the concept, things started to move really fast. Sedna Films prepped our crew in record time, including 2 units lead by my talented director of photography, Spencer Goodall. And after a couple of short weeks, we were filming Metallica, a biker gang and 1,600 screaming fans at a secret show in San Diego. I'm still pinching myself!
LatinoBuzz: I can't imagine what it is like to hang with those guys, how were they to work with?
Reynier: They were all super nice dudes, and such natural performers. I got to film with them individually, so it was cool to style each of their scenes to match their personalities. Robert Trujillo was a lot of fun to work with, since he was just as enthusiastic as some of the fans. He was incredibly generous with his takes, which helped me find some great improvised moments with him. Lars Ulrich had a really strong presence. It was pretty obvious we didn't need to do much more than point a camera at him. So we gave him some bold, dramatic lighting and let his expressive eyes do all the talking. His shots are some of my favorite in the short -- so much intensity.
We shot Kirk Hammett's scenes while he warmed up for the show. It was a pretty incredible experience to hang with the maestro while he rocked his personal axe, affectionately labeled "Kirk's Guitar." At one point my camera team and I broke away for a late bite. Since we happened to be eating an hour later than everybody else, we were the only ones around to find Metallica jamming out in their private "tuning room," next door. When James Hetfield emerged and found us scarfing down our dinner, he apologized for the loud music. We just thanked him for the awesome tunes and said we dug listening to Metallica rock while we ate. James chuckled as he walked off toward the stage, "yeah man! Dinner music!"
LatinoBuzz: What are you working on next?
Reynier: I'm on hold to direct a commercial that involves some spy action goodness... I would tell you more, but then I'd have to kill you. Just take my word for it, as a grown man with a James Bond ring tone: I'm excited!
For more of Reynier Molenaar's work, check out: http://reyniermolenaar.com
Written by Vanessa Erazo . LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook .
- 10/2/2013
- by Juan Caceres
- Sydney's Buzz
A writer who first encountered the artist during the dawn of rap remembers him and his influence on the scene.
Rammellzee was remembered Wednesday with affection and admiration as a man whose originality and idiosyncratic vision was a hallmark of early-'80s hip-hop. He died Tuesday at age 50 from causes unknown at the time of writing.
"Beat Bop," the 10-minute single he cut with K-Rob in 1983, was tinged with the surreality of dub music; the sleeve designed by his close friend, Jean-Michel Basquiat, (who also produced the track) quizzically states that the disc is a Test Pressing. Well, of course. Though the disc's "iconoclastic panzer" rhythms really were meant to be just a test pressing -- for Rammellzee everything was a test, an experiment.
[youtube 9I56Kkxh_os]
Rammellzee was truly different -- not just from the other artists who surrounded him, like Fab5Freddy, Basquiat, and Futura 2000, innovators all, but from anyone else on the planet.
Rammellzee was remembered Wednesday with affection and admiration as a man whose originality and idiosyncratic vision was a hallmark of early-'80s hip-hop. He died Tuesday at age 50 from causes unknown at the time of writing.
"Beat Bop," the 10-minute single he cut with K-Rob in 1983, was tinged with the surreality of dub music; the sleeve designed by his close friend, Jean-Michel Basquiat, (who also produced the track) quizzically states that the disc is a Test Pressing. Well, of course. Though the disc's "iconoclastic panzer" rhythms really were meant to be just a test pressing -- for Rammellzee everything was a test, an experiment.
[youtube 9I56Kkxh_os]
Rammellzee was truly different -- not just from the other artists who surrounded him, like Fab5Freddy, Basquiat, and Futura 2000, innovators all, but from anyone else on the planet.
- 6/30/2010
- by Vivien Goldman
- Fast Company
Wesley Pentz is better known as Diplo. And he's better known as a DJ who's worked with M.I.A., who co-wrote "Paper Planes," who's toured with Justice and who brought baile funk to the mainstream masses with a series of nasty-good party-making mixes. But with "Favela on Blast," which had its premiere at SXSW last month, Diplo's now also a filmmaker, collaborating with Brazilian co-director Leandro Hbl on a documentary about the world from which baile funk comes. "Favela on Blast" goes deep into the teeming slums of Rio de Janeiro, whirling through interviews with producers and DJs to street-level party footage to dance numbers, a pulsating document of both life in the marginalized economic sidelines and of a vibrant and unique music scene.
Where'd "Favela on Blast" start?
The idea [was] for it to be another bootleg street DVD, really simple -- it just became a big project. I...
Where'd "Favela on Blast" start?
The idea [was] for it to be another bootleg street DVD, really simple -- it just became a big project. I...
- 4/16/2009
- by Alison Willmore
- ifc.com
The fifth annual Music on Film-Film on Music (Moffom) Film Festival is bringing New York City to Prague. This year's festival focuses on the Big Apple and its influences.
The city's influences, such as the Harlem jazz from the 1950s, the disco era of the 70s, and the birth of hip-hop in the South Bronx just a few years later, are predominantly present in the festival.
One of the film selections that showcase the culture is "From Mambo to Hip Hop" from director Henry Chalfant, which features the beat-obsessed sound of the South Bronx.
Other shorts that focus on the city include Steven Lippman's "Life on a String," "Lords of the Revolution: Andy Warhol," "Tony Conrad DreaMinimalist," and "Wine and Cupcakes."...
The city's influences, such as the Harlem jazz from the 1950s, the disco era of the 70s, and the birth of hip-hop in the South Bronx just a few years later, are predominantly present in the festival.
One of the film selections that showcase the culture is "From Mambo to Hip Hop" from director Henry Chalfant, which features the beat-obsessed sound of the South Bronx.
Other shorts that focus on the city include Steven Lippman's "Life on a String," "Lords of the Revolution: Andy Warhol," "Tony Conrad DreaMinimalist," and "Wine and Cupcakes."...
- 10/16/2008
- icelebz.com
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