Having An Actress Playing La Llorona On Set Made A World Of Difference To The Cast

Having An Actress Playing La Llorona On Set Made A World Of Difference To The Cast

With the advancement of CG technology in recent years, actors playing off tennis balls and green screens has become common place on movie sets. As one can imagine, acting terrified at the sight of ominous neon green figures asks a lot of one’s imagination. Thankfully for the cast of The Curse of La Llorona had Mexican folklore’s “Weeping Woman” to star into the eyes of during the making of the horror film.

CinemaBlend’s own Sean O’Connell sat down with some of the cast during SXSW, where The Curse of La Llorona had its world premiere during the film festival’s closing weekend. During the interview, the film’s star Linda Cardellini gushed about the physical presence of the evil spirit on set with these words:

I was so grateful because there is so much we have to do with her and [Marisol Ramirez] is such a wonderful person, she’s hilarious, she’s fun to be around and a really good sport because that’s a lot of makeup and time in makeup and the makeup artist did such an incredible job too. But it was so much fun not to have to act against something that was later going to be in green screened, which I’ve done before but it’s difficult because you have nothing to work with and she was always there for you, always on her game. I thought it was a real gift that we had a practical 'spirit' to work against.

The titular La Llorona (played by Marisol Ramirez) is an apparition caught between Heaven and Hell, who drowned her own children in rage and now preys to replace them with the kids of Cardellini’s character. The actress shared the difference it made for her to have Ramirez playing the evil presence, especially with the terrifying makeup La Llorona dons in the film.

In the interview, Cardellini also commented on the actress' accessibility off camera, due to her charming personality on set. This especially came in handy when it came time for the kids on set to play opposite La Llorona. Although her appearance was one of an evil spirit, because she was so great with the kids on set, they were able to do their job without actually getting scared out of their wits of the actress.

The Curse of La Llorona director Michael Chaves pitched in, explaining how no amount of CG can replicate the kind of performance Marisol Ramirez gave as the apparition. Here’s what he said:

She was such a partner in this – her performance is just so harrowing, crazy and wild. She got the role because well she’s a gorgeous woman, it’s not because she looks like a monster, it’s because she is such a great actress. She has this real ferocity to her and I think that’s what we were looking for. It was a scary performance… and she was incredible. I think when you have a partner like that and everyone can react to it, it just raises the game. I feel bad for the movies that have to do it in CG because I think there is really something missing in the experience.

While it looks like having the actress on set was an overall positive experience for cast and crew of The Curse of La Llorona, actress Patricia Velasquez admitted having a co-worker with her creepy makeup makes for some off putting breaks. In her words:

It was hard to look at her when it was lunch or dinner time because her makeup was so good.

Can’t blame her, La Llorona looks terrifying! Check out the cast interview below:

The new horror release belongs between the two Conjuring movies in the universe’s timeline though it’s the first spin-off to not be based on the findings of demonologist couple Ed and Lorraine Warren. Will you be braving The Curse of La Llorona this weekend? Let us know in the comments.

Boyz N The Hood Director John Singleton Is Dead At 51

Boyz N The Hood Director John Singleton Is Dead At 51

After suffering a stroke while in the hospital, writer and director John Singleton was put on life support and had been in the ICU. Now, after he was taken off life support, it is being reported that John Singleton has died at the age of 51.

In the middle of April, news broke that John Singleton had suffered a major stroke, and his family said that he was receiving great medical care. Although the full seriousness of his condition was not immediately apparent, the filmmaker had been in the ICU at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles ever since.

On Monday, in a statement to Deadline, a spokesperson for John Singleton’s family announced the difficult decision to take him off of life support. The statement read in part:

It is with heavy hearts we announce that our beloved son, father and friend, John Daniel Singleton will be taken off of life support today. This was an agonizing decision, one that our family made, over a number of days, with the careful counsel of John’s doctors.

The writer and director had long struggled with hypertension (high blood pressure), and in the statement, his family also urged everyone to watch for and recognize the symptoms of this condition by consulting Heart.org. The family also thanked everyone who showed their love and offered their prayers for John Singleton during this time.

Born on January 6, 1968 in South Central Los Angeles, John Singleton had a love for film from an early age. A graduate of USC’s storied School of Cinematic Arts, John Singleton broke out in Hollywood in 1991 with his first feature film, Boyz N the Hood. That urban drama, which was shot in South Central Los Angeles where Singleton grew up, netted the writer and director major acclaim, launching his career.

For his debut film, John Singleton was nominated for Best Director at the Academy Awards, making him the first African-American nominated for the award and the youngest nominee ever at just 24 years of age. Boyz N the Hood also earned John Singleton an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

John Singleton continued to make a name for himself with dramas like Poetic Justice, which starred the late Tupac Shakur, as well as Higher Learning and Rosewood. He also put his stamp on one of cinema’s biggest franchises with 2 Fast 2 Furious, teaming up again with Tyrese Gibson following their time together on Baby Boy.

Other notable titles in John Singleton’s filmography are 2000’s Shaft, starring Samuel L. Jackson, and the crime drama Four Brothers. In recent years, John Singleton has directed several one-off episodes of popular TV shows like Empire, American Crime Story and Billions. In addition to those directorial efforts, John Singleton co-created and executive produced the FX drama series Snowfall, which is expected to premiere its third season later this year.

John Singleton was a trailblazer who helped kick open doors for African-American filmmakers that were long closed (Spike Lee was snubbed for a Best Director nom for Do the Right Thing two year prior to Singleton’s nomination). He brought the kinds of stories that many audiences were unfamiliar with to life in a way that was raw and entertaining and that cemented his place in cinematic history.

John Singleton loved film, sailing and his family. He is survived by his mother and father and his seven children.

CinemaBlend sends our thoughts and condolences to John Singleton’s family and friends in their time of mourning.

This Kris Jenner Captain Marvel Mash-Up Ad Is One Of The Weirdest Things We've Seen

This Kris Jenner Captain Marvel Mash-Up Ad Is One Of The Weirdest Things We've Seen

Bet you didn’t know Keeping Up with The Kardashians matriarch Kris Jenner was part of the MCU – back in the ‘90s anyway. Ahead of the release of Captain Marvel this Friday, Jenner has joined in on the promotion of the film with an unexpected and totally nostalgic advertisement that includes a run-in with Carol Danvers. Check it out:

Talk about random! Kris Jenner posted the video on her Instagram on Monday with the caption “as a momager, I know talent when I see it” before encouraging her 25.3 million followers to check out the movie in theaters this weekend. Who knew the social media influencer would be a last minute supporter to help the film go "higher, further, faster, baby" in its upcoming opening weekend?

The 40-second video sees Kris Jenner and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Lisa Rinna rolling up to Blockbuster video store in a swanky white convertible circa the 1990s. Jenner asks Rinna one question quite specific to the era – did she rewind those VHS tapes? Rinna did not, stating she has better things to do – “think this hair does itself?”

But suddenly, Carol Danvers falls out of the sky and through the ceiling of the Blockbuster, as teased in the trailers for Captain Marvel. This leads Lisa Rinna to drop her VHS rentals and Kris Jenner to show some concern for her friend. Rinna sees Carol in the store, as Jenner calls out for her to help her. At that point, Rinna pulls another hilarious one-liner: “I’m an actress, not a doctor!”

Kris Jenner steps out of the car to see the new MCU lead and says “I don’t think she needs any help, what she needs is her own movie!” as she pulls out a large ‘90s flip phone before cuts from the movie pop up to close out the advertisement.

Since Captain Marvel lands in Los Angeles, California in 1995, the mash-up with the reality television stars is a weird and cheesy – though funny approach for the film’s ongoing publicity. During the movie's time period of 1995, Jenner was expanding her family – her now 23-year-old supermodel daughter Kendall Jenner was born. Rinna was a soap opera star who had starred in Days of Our Lives and would soon find another role on Melrose Place.

Although Captain Marvel was recently plagued with trolls on Rotten Tomatoes prior to release, reviews (a.k.a. people who have actually seen the movie) have recently been published and the consensus is largely positive.

Captain Marvel follows Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, a former Air Force pilot who has become an intergalactic warrior with Starforce. Amidst a war between the Kree and Skrulls, she lands in ‘90s Earth (yes, in a Blockbuster) before meeting and teaming up with a young Nick Fury. You can apparently follow Kris Jenner and see the movie this Friday, March 8.

Avengers: Endgame Directors Explain Why Bucky Didn’t Get That Captain America Moment

Avengers: Endgame Directors Explain Why Bucky Didn’t Get That Captain America Moment

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame. If you haven't caught it in theaters yet, get going!

It's been almost two weeks since Avengers: Endgame hit theaters, and every frame of the blockbuster is being dissected and discussed by the rabid fanbase. The Russo Brothers left no stone unturned in their massive new release, including time travel, tons of plot twists, and more cameos than you can count. But there are quite a few questions left after the credits rolled, especially when it came to Captain America's ending.

After returning the Infinity Stones to their proper homes within the timeline, Steve Rogers decided to stay in the past and live out his life with Peggy Carter. But he eventually returned to pass on his shield and the mantle of Captain America to his buddy Sam Wilson aka Falcon. It was an epic moment, but some fans have been wondering why Bucky wasn't chosen instead. Now The Russo Brothers have explained this choice, with Joe Russo saying:

Cap and Bucky are brothers but you know what's interesting about them is they're very different people and I think that Bucky always has the ability to have his mind corrupted, it can always be taken over by someone else. That hasn't been resolved for him and Sam has his free will and I think that Sam also had a similar ethic as Cap as far as service goes in the military.

Touche, Russos. While Bucky has a longer history with Steve Rogers, it does makes sense that Sam Wilson would be the one taking up Captain America's hammer. At least, if the comics are any indication.

Joe Russo's comments come from his appearance as Comic Book's Game Over event, where the co-directors fielded a number of questions about their tenure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Avengers: Endgame might have brought the dusted characters back to life, but The Russo Brothers were also tasked with giving fitting endings to Marvel favorites Iron Man, Black Widow, and Captain America. While many thought Cap would perish at Thanos' hands, he ended up getting his happy ending.

Related: Sebastian Stan Says He Was Tricked By Avengers: Endgame's Fake Scripts

While Chris Evans may be officially out of the MCU indefinitely, the Captain America franchise looks like it'll live on, starring Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson. Mackie has been a supporting figure in six Marvel movies, but he'll presumably get much more screen time in Phase Four.

The future of the MCU is largely a mystery, but Anthony Mackie is expected to star alongside Sebastian Stan in the upcoming Disney+ series Falcon & Winter Soldier. Perhaps that upcoming series will give Sam and Bucky the opportunity to hash out Cap's decision, and reveal how Wilson has been doing as the new Captain America. Although given the series' title, a prequel isn't out of the question. There should be no more Falcon in the MCU, technically.

You can watch Captain America give Sam Wilson his shield now, as Avengers: Endgame is still in theaters. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Marvel’s Kevin Feige Really Isn’t Worried About Superhero Fatigue

Marvel’s Kevin Feige Really Isn’t Worried About Superhero Fatigue

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame.

It's a very good time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Avengers: Endgame arrived weeks ago, the true cumulation of 22 massive blockbusters. But the future of the MCU is largely a mystery, and it's unclear exactly what is coming next now that the Infinity Saga has wrapped up. There are also concerns of superhero fatigue, where the genre will become too saturated and ultimately cannibalize itself.

But Marvel Studios' head Kevin Feige doesn't seem concerned about superhero fatigue at all. The MCU only continues to get bigger and more interconnected with each new release, and the studio is showing no signs of slowing down. Feige described his confidence in the franchise's continued storytelling, saying:

Nobody would get fatigued before the creative forces at Marvel Studios who do this 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so we believe that if we're still taking risks and making unique choices to keep ourselves excited, the audience will feel the same way.

Touche, Mr. Feige. He seems to think the team behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe would get exhausted with the genre far before the general public, as they're living in it every single day. What's more, he teased some big risks being taken in the mysterious Phase Four.

Kevin Feige's comments come from his recent Reddit AMA, where he fielded all sorts of questions about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The fandom is able to get a peek into the inner workings of the behemoth franchise, and it's clear that Feige and company have big plans for us after Spider-Man: Far From Home completes Phase Three.

Related: Kevin Feige Says The ‘Real Mandarin’ Is Coming

The last two Avengers movies broke all the rules, and introduced some big concepts to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Quite a few characters deaths occurred, which will no doubt shake those who survived the battle(s) with Thanos. And with time travel and the multiverse also in play, it seems Kevin Feige and company can take the story anywhere.

Superhero fatigue has become a concern over the past few years, and tons of studios are trying to get in on the action, and create cinematic universes. The X-Men franchise has been going on since 2000, Sony has the growing Spider-Verse, and Warner Bros. has the DC Extended Universe. There's a ton of comic book movies in theaters, potentially having the power to give each new release less power at the box office.

Regardless of the competition, the MCU has continued to make more and more money in Phase Three, and Avengers: Endgame is the second biggest movie in film history. The blockbuster also did some set up for the franchise's future. But we'll likely have to wait until Spider-Man: Far From Home comes out for any answers.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now, and Spider-Man: Far From Home will arrive in theaters on July 2, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Final Pet Semetary Trailer Is All About Creepy Kids

Final Pet Semetary Trailer Is All About Creepy Kids

With the remake of Pet Sematary hitting theaters this Friday, few probably need any more encouragement to check it out. It's either your kind of movie or its not. However, one final trailer has been released ahead of the film, and if you were at all worried that the new version of the classic Stephen King story wasn't creepy enough, the final trailer should have you covered. Check it out.

While the final trailer for Pet Sematary might be fairly brief, it's incredibly effective. The creepiness scale is off the charts. Watching Jason Clarke brush his daughter's hair in the bath shouldn't be the most awful thing ever, and yet it is, as we hear the child speaking in a voice that's barely more than a whisper, and the fact that we never see her face makes it clear that we may not want to see her face.

A lot of people are looking forward to the new Pet Sematary, some with excitement, some perhaps with trepidation. It's one of Stephen King's more popular novels and it was previously made into a film that many have fond memories of, even if the movie's ultimate value might be questionable at best.

I don't have a dog in this fight. While I've read my share of Stephen King, Pet Sematary is not one of the books that I have any particular connection to. The trailers for the new movie, up to this point, while they've made the movie look reasonably good, haven't particularly made this one a "must see" for me.

That's changed quite a bit with this new trailer. The reanimated daughter being both a constant presence in the new trailer, while also being kept mostly hidden, works remarkably well and makes everything feel extra sinister. The trailer makes you want to see the movie in order to see what it's not showing, while also making you (or at least me) a little afraid to actually see what's being hidden.

Jason Clarke looks great as the heartbroken father who is willing to do something drastic because he's not willing to let his daughter go. It gives the story an emotional resonance that makes him sympathetic, even though what he's decided to do is clearly wrong.

By virtue of the one major change that this version of the story has made, even those well versed in Stephen King's story will certainly want to check out the new movie in order to see just how much else has been changed around and how it impacts the story as a whole. We could be getting a very different movie than people are expecting, which isn't a bad thing if it turns out to be good. Based on the early reactions, it seems that it very much is.

Pet Sematary hits theaters Friday.

5 Questions We Have Before Seeing Godzilla: King Of The Monsters

5 Questions We Have Before Seeing Godzilla: King Of The Monsters

The summer movie season is underway and this week, it's Godzilla's turn to take the spotlight. The long-awaited sequel, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, arrives this weekend. The film will see Godzilla collide with other iconic kaiju like Mothra, Rodan, and Ghidorah, finally rendering these monster fights in state-of-the-art visual effects. While reviews for the sequel have been a bit middling out of the gate, King of the Monsters is still tracking for a worldwide debut of $230-$235 million.

While marketing hasn't been shy about showing off the monsters and their brawls, there are a few secrets still left to figure out. For starters, not too much is known about the plot or the human element of the film. The last thing that anyone seeing a Godzilla movie cares about are the humans, but someone needs to explain stuff in between monster fights. So, before checking out King of the Monsters this weekend, these are the five questions we still have about the sequel.

Whose Side Is Vera Farmiga On?

King of the Monsters has an all-new cast of humans, chief among them Vera Farmiga. The actress plays Emma, a scientist who has created a device that allows for communication with the Titans (ie giant monsters). While Emma is quoted in one of the trailers talking about how the Titans are the only things that can save the planet, a different trailer shows her freeing King Ghidorah from his icy prison.

Ghidorah is kind of a near limitless death machine, so that makes Emma's allegiances questionable. Is she a secret villain or did she just make a desperate decision? She also preaches for letting Godzilla loose, presumably to help clean up Ghidorah's mess, which would indicate that she's a good guy, so she's all over the map.

Also, What's Up With Charles Dance?

Speaking of questionable humans, Charles Dance looks to be set up as the human antagonist in the film. The Game of Thrones star is playing Alan Jonah, a former MI6 agent who went rogue. Apparently, he wants to use the Titans to restore the natural order. That's a pretty vague agenda, so it's not clear what he wants or why he thinks he can accomplish his goals.

Originally, fans theorized that Charles Dance's character was an older version of Tom Hiddleston's from Kong: Skull Island. However, that doesn't seem to be the case, even though it would have been a nice way to connect the MonsterVerse movies before Godzilla vs Kong. Instead he will be an all-new character and one who is evidently not on the side of humanity. It would not shock me if he's eaten before the credits roll.

Will Other Famous Godzilla Foes Appear?

Ghidorah, Mothra, and Rodan are arguable the most iconic of Godzilla's fellow monsters, but the King of Kaiju has fought plenty of more opponents in his long cinema history. However, this film is already packed with monsters, so anything more than a quick cameo is probably out of the question. There are no shortage of options for cameos and eagle-eyed Gozilla fans are sure to be looking for any detail they can find.

We do know, however, that other Titans exist in this world. The trailers make it pretty explicit that giant monsters are coming out of the woodwork, and it's not crazy to think that some of these will be recognizable to fans. If nothing else, it could offer some teases for what to expect in any potential sequels.

How Do Mothra And Rodan Factor In?

The title fight of the sequel is Godzilla vs Ghidorah, but where does that leave Mothra and Rodan? Are the two just meant to warm-up fight to get the crowd going? Are they unknown agents meant to shake things up? It's tough to see where the two fit into the picture when Godzilla has got his sights set on a certain three-headed dragon.

The two monsters have a long history in the Godzilla franchise as both allies and enemies of Godzilla. Mothra is more often than not on Godzilla's side while Rodan usually just does whatever he feels like. There's sure to be plenty of action for the two of them, but juggling their powers and entrances into the film likely wasn't an easy task.

Will There Be A King Kong Tease?

While we can only focus on what's right in front of us, we can't help but think of what this is all building to. In just one year, two of the most iconic movie monsters will fight it out in Godzilla vs Kong. King of the Monsters is the last movie before the big blockbuster, so the chances feel pretty good that there will be some king of tease for King Kong and Skull Island.

The question is: What kind of tease? Will it just be a name drop or a glimpse at some clearly labeled "Skull Island" files? Better yet, will Kong actually show up onscreen, most likely in a post credits scene? Kong hasn't been seen since Kong: Skull Island, and you better believe that the studio wants you to remember that movie as we start making our way to Godzilla vs Kong.

Based on the reviews for King of the Monsters, the plot is the main problem with this movie, and fans might not want to get obsessed with it. However, that's not exactly surprising. People don't typically go to a Godzilla movie to find out what the humans are up. They just want to see Godzilla square off against the latest threat to his kingdom, and by the sounds of it, this sequel delivers on that front. As movie fans, we just can't help wondering about the finer details, and while I'm totally there to see Godzilla blast a molten pterodactyl or a big moth or whatever, I also wouldn't mind knowing a bit more about what happens in the quieter moments.

Thankfully, we don't have to wait very long at all to find out the answer to these questions. Godzilla: King of the Monsters premieres tonight and will be available for your viewing pleasure all weekend. Stick with CinemaBlend and we'll be sure to keep you updated on everything about the movie and how it performs during its opening weekend.