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By Michael Lopez

We know what you're thinking. Sure Immortals kicked ass, but where were all the Latinos? Well, even though there wasn't any Hispanic talent onscreen for this movie, la cultura was still present behind-the-scenes. Mexican-born Andres Vergara played a pivotal role in creating the movie's visual effects and spoke to us exclusively about the process.

"We worked on this movie for over a year," Andres explained. "Our team did over 130 effects shots for the film. It was definitely a long and difficult process."

Anyone who watched Immortals over the weekend, knows what a big role CGI played in the film. There were gods flying down from the heavens, magic bow and arrows, and giant tidal waves crashing atop ancient Greece. Vergara was part of the massive team that put those scenes together and gave us some insider info on how the VFX process works.

"We would get a lot of scenes that were shot with a green screen in the background," he said. "Our job was to fill in the gaps and visually create the universe of Immortals. It was really a lot of fun to do."

Andres also explained what went into the movie's bloody battle scenes. Immortals makes no apologies for its R-rating, showcasing flying heads, brain splatters, and tons of 3D bone-crunching. And Vergara is no stranger to the world of gore, having just come off the recent horror flick, The Thing.

"I had just come off The Thing before Immortals," he said. "That was a pretty complicated one too. I had to do the spaceship scenes, the stuff in the underground ice cave, and a lot of the creature work."

And proving that he's still a very hot commodity, Vergara has already moved on to Twilight: Breaking Dawn (handling the Taylor Lautner werewolf scenes), followed by the highly-anticipated Battleship movie.

"Right now I’m working on Battleship," he confessed. "I can't say too much about it, but I can tell you that it's going to look really cool. There's going to be a ton of great effects in it."

To many, it would seem like Andres has a dream career. But he told us it took a lot of hard work to get to where he's at now. And getting a movie like Immortals required even more dedication. Vergara explained how he put in countless hours to make sure each effects shot was picture perfect.

"Immortals was a lot of hard work," he said. "I put in tons of overtime, worked weekends, whatever it took to meet our deadlines. I also spent a lot of time watching [director] Tarsem Singh's earlier works like The Cell and The Fall to help with inspiration."

Clearly Andres' diligence is paying off and we wouldn't be surprised if his fancy VFX work even makes it into Oscar territory before the year is up!

Which 2011 movie do you think had the best visual effects? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Andres Vergara, Battleship, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Exclusive Entrevistas, Immortals, Movies & CineMás, Tarsem Singh, Tr3s Exclusives, Twilight: Breaking Dawn, Visual Effects

By Michael Lopez

Are you checking your calendars? There's only one more day until 11/11/11 and the debut of the action flick Immortals. The highly anticipated fantasy film features a ton of compelling mythological characters. But it wouldn't be complete without the villain Hyperion, who is played brilliantly by Mickey Rourke. The legendary actor recently spoke to us about how he approached such a grandiose role.

"It was fun playing the bad guy," he said. "Although I didn't really look at Hyperion as pure evil. I tried to dig deeper and find the reasons for his actions."

Mickey may not feel Hyperion's pure evil, but we're certain the rest of the movie-going audience will. A Titan god, he wreaks havoc on humanity. And squeamish viewers take note; throughout the film, Hyperion slices throats, burns peasants, and brings entire villages to their knees!

Rourke explained that he enjoyed being part of such an epic production.

"I've never done a film quite like this before," he said. "It's wild when you watch it on the big screen. It's two hours of something you can escape to and it's very different from what else is out there."

Mickey went on to say how it was the director, Tarsem Singh, who first attracted him to the project. He had been a fan of Tarsem's commercial and music video work and seemed willing to join on before even reading the script.

"The main reason I took the movie was because of Tarsem," he said. "He was very prepared and had such a fabulous look. I knew he could take this material to another level."

Rourke also explained how he bonded with the much younger cast. Many of his scenes were with Henry Cavill, who Mickey said almost reminded him of himself back when he was starting out as an actor.

"Henry’s very young and enthusiastic. It's nice to work with someone who's right at the beginning of their career. He’s very gung ho when he’s on the set."

And Rourke was also quick to point out how grateful he was to still be in the acting game after all this years. He even referenced Robert Rodriguez' Sin City as a pivotal turning point in his career.

"I'm very grateful that the hard times are over," he said. "I was out of work for 13 years, then I went back with Robert Rodriguez and Sin City and I thought, oh my God, I'm getting a second chance again."

With acclaimed roles in The Expendables and Iron Man 2, it's clear Mickey has taken great advantage of his "second chance." And we're sure with the success of Immortals, he'll be back on the big screen for a long time to come.

What's your favorite Mickey Rourke movie? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Exclusive Entrevistas, Henry Cavill, Immortals, Mickey Rourke, Movies & CineMás, Sin City, Tarsem Singh, Tr3s Exclusives

By Michael Lopez

Ok, we admit it. We can't seem to get enough Dyland y Lenny these days. The Puerto Rican duo have delivered some incredibly hot party anthems and this month, they're lending their talents to Tr3s! D y L are currently sitting in the celebrity judges' seat for the November El Headliner contest and they'll be guesting on an upcoming episode of Rock Dinner.

"Nos sentimos orgullosos de participar en El Headliner," Dyland told us in an exclusive interview. "Creo que lo más importante es que los concursantes sepan lo que quieren; a veces lo que más importa no es tener el mejor físico ni la mejor voz, sino sacar lo máximo de su talento."

And you can bet we're proud to have the guys on board too. D y L's latest dance single "Pégate Más" has become an mp3 sensation. But according to Dyland, it's just a taste of what's to come with their 2012 My World 2 album.

“Buscamos retarnos a nosotros mismos con My World 2, donde cada canción es un punto más alto en relación con nuestros temas anteriores,” he said. “Y sabemos que marcará nuestra carrera.”

Part of what makes Dyland y Lenny's chemistry work is their unique and very different styles. As Dyland explained, each of them play a pivotal role in achieving their edgy yet soulful urban sound.

"Mi base es más el hip hop," he explained. "Lenny es más de baladas y esa combinación creo que nos hace únicos."

You can see even more of the guys in their upcoming Rock Dinner episode. Zeroing in on their love of classic Puerto Rican dishes, Lenny told us that he couldn't get enough of the tasty treats his female fans cooked up.

"La pasamos superbién, he said. "Las chicas cocinaron riquísimo, hubo lasagna, hongos rellenos de tocineta, amarillo puertorriqueño y mucho más. Estamos agradecidos con la producción por hacernos pasar un rato tan agradable, y que las chicas se sintieran cómodas, todo salió muy espontáneo."

You can catch nonstop D y L all month long on Tr3s. And if that still isn't enough, make sure to visit their official site and Twitter page!

Are you a fan of Dyland y Lenny’s music? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Dyland y Lenny, El Headliner Contest, Exclusive Entrevistas, Música, My World 2, Pégate Más, popnews, Rock Dinner, Tr3s Exclusives

By Michael Lopez

Every now and then, you hear an album that is so sonically diverse, it can qualify as art. ArtOfficial's newest release Vitamins & Minerals falls right into that category with its mixture of funk, jazz, and "golden era" hip-hop. Logics' lyrics play a big role in that fusion and he spoke to us exclusively about what makes his band so unique.

"I really think this project is going to take us to the next level," he explained. "We're already pretty well known in our home town of Miami, but now we’re hoping to expand on a national level."

Vitamins is the second big release for the five-piece ensemble, which includes Danny Perez on keyboards, Ralf Valencia on bass, Keith Cooper on saxophone, and Logics and his partner Newsense on vocals. Logics explained that at first, each member of the group came from a very different background. But once they connected, the chemistry was instant.

"Me and Newsense were in a hip-hop group," he explained. "And all of the other guys were sort of this jazz/reggae/funk band. Both of our groups were breaking up at the same time and we wound up getting together for a quick gig. From there, things blended together really well."

As ArtOfficial's reputation grew in South Florida, they began booking more and more high-profile gigs. Eventually the guys were sharing the stage with legendary acts like N.E.R.D. and even traveling the world.

"When we first started out in music, we had small goals," Logics said. "But now, our music has taken us to places like Barcelona, which was amazing! We even signed an album deal in Japan."

Judging by the group's name, you can bet that visuals play a big role in the ArtOfficial mantra too. And, as Logics put it, that's something the guys have definitely learned to embrace.

"We thought what we were doing was a little off the mainstream and a little more artsy," he said. "I'm also a graphic designer, so I felt our name tied in to a lot of what we felt as a band. Music and art just seem to go so well together."

The band's cover design for Vitamins clearly illustrates that point. But beyond the graphics, Logics explained that it’s the music he really wants his fans to pay attention to.

"Vitamins & Minerals is something we're really proud of," he said. "I'm really happy with the progress we've made in the studio. There's a great collaborative element to this record. We even brought in horn players, string players, and extra vocalists to help us achieve our vision."

You can download ArtOfficial’s Vitamins & Minerals record on iTunes or sample tracks on their official site.

Have you listened to ArtOfficial's new album yet? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags ArtOfficial, Danny Perez, Exclusive Entrevistas, Keith Cooper, Logics, Música, Newsense, Ralf Valencia, Tr3s Exclusives, Vitamins & Minerals

By Michael Lopez

Though he's only directed two features, Tarsem Singh has built a huge following among movie fans. His films The Cell (which starred Jennifer Lopez) and The Fall were universally praised for their visuals and their unique style of storytelling. This week, he's bringing his signature stamp to the big screen again with Immortals and spoke to us exclusively about what went into the project.

"It took 2-3 years to get this project off the ground," he said. "I knew this was an action flick and I knew it needed to be entertaining."

Truly an epic on every level, Immortals follows the adventures of Thesus, the Athenian hero from Greek mythology. Along with Phaedra the oracle and Stavros the slave, he's on a mission to destroy King Hyperion and endures many bloody battles to along the way. Tarsem explained that he referenced quite a bit of Greek literature when crafting his vision, but added several creative liberties to beef up the excitement.

"I like to look at the structure of the literature," he said. "It's truly great work, but I knew we had to contemporize things. We felt it was important to use a young cast and make this an entertaining action movie."

One particular technique Singh used to enhance the movie was the addition of 3D. Immortals marks Tarsem’s first venture into the third dimension and he believed it brought quite a lot to the final product.

"There are certain styles that lend themselves to 3D," he said. "I love the 1950's 3D movies and I'm influenced by them all. I also think my style lends itself to 3D. All I had to do was learn the technology and it was pretty easy to pick up."

Singh also heaped praise on his diverse cast. Immortals features a who's who of up-and-coming actors. Henry Cavill (who plays Thesus) is currently shooting the next Superman movie and Luke Evans (who plays the god Zeus) will be in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit.

One other actor who's generating a ton of buzz for Immortals is Mickey Rourke. Tarsem explained that it was quite interesting to have a presence like Rourke on the set.

"Usually I pick one person who's larger than life for the cast," he explained. "It was JLo for The Cell and here it was Mickey. I wanted one person to be edgy and go to places you don't expect. He makes a great bad guy."

Of course, we had to ask Singh about the inevitable comparisons between Immortals and the 2006 epic, 300. Though he did acknowledge the similarities, Tarsem emphasized that Immortals stands completely on its own.

"I always said that I didn't want to do a comic strip movie," he explained. "I welcome the 300 fans though. I say come in and take a look!"

Something tells us that A LOT of fans will do just that when Immortals opens this Friday.

Are you planning on watching Immortals? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Don't miss this special clip!

Tags 300, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Exclusive Entrevistas, Henry Cavill, Immortals, Luke Evans, Mickey Rourke, Movies & CineMás, Tarsem Singh, Tr3s Exclusives

By Michael Lopez

Who knew Danny Trejo would become such a fixture of the 2011 holiday season? In between his Machete stocking stuffers, Muppet movie cameos, and Harold & Kumar Christmas tidings, he may be getting more exposure that Old St. Nick himself! The versatile actor recently spoke to us about all of the yuletide cheer he's been spreading on the big screen.

"I really love what I do," he told Tr3s exclusively. "I have great fans, I get to bring my kids to the sets, I feel really blessed."

Right now Trejo is getting big laughs as John Cho's father-in-law in A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas. Taking his "bad boy" image to the 10th degree, Danny has some great moments terrorizing his daughter's hubby and flossing that mean growl in glorious 3D.

"Harold & Kumar is hilarious," he said. "I'm Harold’s father-in-law that absolutely hates him. There's some situations I go through with Harold that are amazing. I know the Harold & Kumar fans are going to love it!"

Trejo made sure not to give away too many of the jokes, but he did call one of his R-rated moments, "the freakiest 3D scene ever!" And we're sure all of you H&K fans that have seen the movie know exactly what sequence he's referring to.

But aside for Harold & Kumar, you can catch Danny in the FX series Sons of Anarchy, an upcoming Death Race sequel, and this month's highly-anticipated Muppets movie. Trejo seemed particularly excited about acting alongside Kermit and company.

"The Muppets have been around forever!" he said. "When they asked me to be a part of this latest film, I was like hell yea!"

But despite all of his latest projects, there is one movie that Danny always gets associated with. And any Tr3s fan knows exactly which flick that is.

"I get asked about Machete all the time," Trejo explained. "I've been asked to sign Machete dolls at the weirdest places. At nightclubs, on the streets, even at fancy restaurants. But, to be honest, I'm a fan of that movie too. I would have loved Machete even if I didn't star in it!"

And, of course, we had to ask Danny about the rumors concerning Machete 2. Though he didn't reveal any solid details, he did open up about plot ideas currently being tossed around by director Robert Rodriguez.

"Robert did mention something about having Machete go to outer space," Trejo said. "The good thing about Machete is that we can do anything we want with him. He can fight terrorists, he can travel in time, he can do whatever we want!"

We're just hoping that Danny's schedule frees up enough for him to do it! You can catch Trejo in Harold & Kumar 3 right now and in The Muppets starting November 23.

What's your favorite Danny Trejo movie? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, Danny Trejo, Exclusive Entrevistas, Harold & Kumar, Machete, Machete 2, Movies & CineMás, The Muppets, Tr3s Exclusives

By Michael Lopez

In all honesty, Formula is an ideal name for Romeo Santos' upcoming album. Truly a collaborative effort, the Aventura frontman brought along a ton of talented artists to help him create his solo masterpiece. And a key ingredient in that mix is Rico Love, the ace songwriter who helped pen the hit "Promise."

"Making Formula was a super cool process," Love told us in an exclusive interview. "I had to listen to a lot of bachata to get into it. Romeo filled me in and educated me on a lot of great bachata artists."

In total, Rico collaborated on three songs with Romeo. And his "Promise" track has proven to be one of the most popular. The single has already topped the Billboard Latin Pop charts and is rising fast on the Hot 100. Usher also guests on "Promise" and Love told us they have had a long and lasting musical partnership with each other.

"Usher's like my big brother," he said. "We've got a great vibe and we fit so well together."

They most certainly do. One of their most recent collaborations, "There Goes My Baby," topped the R&B charts. And Rico's songwriting resume extends far beyond that. The 28-year-old hit maker has written singles for Nelly, Beyonce, and Fergie (just to name a few).

Formula actually marks Love's first stab in the Latin music world and, by the sound of things, he's eager to dabble in even more untested genres.

"I listen to all kinds of music on a daily basis," he said. "I respect all forms of music because I understand it from a fan's perspective. There’s so much more I want to do. Eventually I even want to write a country song."

Perhaps Rico can call up Scotty McCreery for that idea. But, he was also quick to emphasize that he'd love to jump back into bachata again too.

"I respect bachata a lot," Love told us. "In fact, I would love to work with Don Omar. He's got a great sound. I’m also digging the style of Chino y Nacho."

Hopefully Rico will have the time to pursue all of those musical ambitions. Right now, his schedule is booked with a lot more album work. There are upcoming collaborations with Mario, Melanie Fiona, and Mary J. Blige on the agenda and (hopefully) a Rico Love solo record sometime after that.

Be sure to keep up with all of the Love news by following Rico's Twitter account.

Have you downloaded Romeo's "Promise" single yet? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Exclusive Entrevistas, Formula, Música, Promise, Rico Love, Romeo Santos, Tr3s Exclusives, Usher

By Michael Lopez

You'd think some actors would be hesitant to smoke weed on film or take a shotgun to Santa Claus' face. Not John Cho and Kal Penn. In fact, they've built a whole career engaging in raunchy R-rated shenanigans. And this weekend, they're taking things to a whole new dimension with A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas.

Speaking at a recent media junket for the film, the two seemed very excited to bring back their beloved characters for another over-the-top adventure.

"What I love about this movie," Penn explained, "is that we get away with such bizarre, vulgar humor and still retain the true Christmas spirit."

Believe it or not, in between the defecation jokes, nudity, and car crashes, 3D Christmas does have a lot of heart. Writers Hayden Schlossberg and Jon Hurwitz injected a bit more maturity into the characters this time out, while still retaining plenty of LMFAO moments.

"Six years have passed since the first movie," Kal went on to say. "Now our characters are in their late 20's. They're older and more mature."

Cho made sure to add his two cents to that statement though, assuring die-hard fans that Harold and Kumar's slacker tendencies are still fully intact. He also praised the "sweet" undertones that were added to keep moviegoers in the holiday spirit.

"We made a very traditional Christmas movie," John said. "Yes it has naked nuns and yes there’s a baby on cocaine, but at it’s heart, I think it’s a very sweet picture."

The stars also seemed very excited about the new 3D elements added to the mix. When we asked Cho what his favorite in-your-face moment was, he was quick to answer (without revealing any spoilers, of course).

"I think the opening sequence is awesome," he said. "The smoke you see coming out of the screen was actually really elegant. Plus, there’s a ton of cool 3D Santa Claus stuff."

John definitely has a point with the Santa Claus comment. 3D Christmas may be the first holiday movie ever to feature Old St. Nick smoking a hash pipe. But it's all in good fun and, as Penn emphasized, stoner humor is not the root of the Harold & Kumar franchise.

"I don't think of the Harold & Kumar series as stoner movies," he said. "I think of them more as fun buddy comedies."

Indeed "comedy" is a key ingredient in the H&K equation and this sequel is chock full of it. You can see just how far our holiday heroes go when A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas hits theaters this Friday.

What's your favorite "stoner movie?" Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags 3D, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Exclusive Entrevistas, Harold & Kumar, John Cho, Kal Penn, Movies & CineMás, Tr3s Exclusives

By Michael Lopez

Well, it's official. Puss In Boots is a bona fide smash. The Shrek spinoff scored big bucks at the box office this weekend. And the film's voice cast seemed to see its potential from the moment they stepped in the recording studio, as they explained to us at a recent press conference.

"Working on this film was so much fun," Salma Hayek explained. "Chris Miller is an amazing director. I really cherished the experience I had with him and he really pushed me to explore improvisation and comedy."

And having seen the film, we can definitely vouch for Hayek's comedy chops. Here, she plays the elusive Kitty Softpaws, a new addition to the Shrek universe and a fitting rival for the overconfident Puss (who happens to be voiced by her longtime collaborator Antonio Banderas).

Antonio told us he was thrilled to be playing Puss for the fourth time. He first voiced the character in 2004's Shrek 2 and has been closely associated with swashbuckling kitty ever since.

"Doing this movie was just so easy and fun," he said. "You never feel rushed here like you do in a non-animated feature film."

We're sure part of the "fun" came from Banderas' new animated costar, Humpty Dumpty. Voiced by The Hangover’s Zach Galifianakis, the egg-shaped sidekick has some hilarious lines and a bit of a crafty side too.

"I think Humpty Dumpty is a bit all over the place," Zach said. 'He's a little bit dangerous, but I think he's really trying to have a friendship with Puss. I think deep down in his yolk, he's a good guy."

Other colorful cast members include Amy Sedaris and Billy Bob Thornton as the demented couple Jack & Jill. The Puss In Boots versions of these nursery rhyme favorites are not quite like you would imagine. Here, they're gun-toting outlaws eager for a piece of Puss' hide!

"Fairy tales and nursery rhymes are pretty dark in general," Billy Bob said when describing Jack 2.0. "It was great recreating these edgy and weird characters."

So even though Shrek and Donkey may be gone, it looks like the orange tabby is in some very good company with Puss In Boots!

Who's your favorite Shrek character? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Amy Sedaris, Antonio Banderas, Billy Bob Thornton, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Exclusive Entrevistas, Movies & CineMás, Puss In Boots, Salma Hayek, Shrek, Tr3s Exclusives, Zach Galifianakis

By Michael Lopez

Hungry for a little R-rated entertainment this holiday season? Not to worry. Lovable big screen stoners Harold and Kumar are back in theaters this weekend with their 3D Christmas movie. And their creators, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, spoke with us about what to expect for this latest outing.

"We really love these characters," Schlossberg said at the H&K press junket. "We always wanted to continue their journey. We ended the first movie with a 'To Be Continued' in the hopes we could keep writing more."

And interestingly, each Harold & Kumar film has become more and more successful. The first movie, Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle, became a major cult hit on DVD and H&K 2 (titled Escape From Guantanamo Bay) grossed over $40 million at the box office. Hurwitz confessed that after that kind of success, the studio was eager for a third installment.

"When Harold & Kumar 2 came out, the first Friday it did very well," Jon explained. "We actually got a call that Saturday from the studio asking if we’d be willing to do a third one."

And now, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas has arrived. And this time, the guys have surrounded themselves with a very colorful cast. Tr3s fave Danny Trejo has a memorable appearance as Harold's father-in-law and Bad Teacher's Tom Lennon adds laughs as the new buddy of the group. But the real clincher is the addition of 3D.

"We actually did not write our first draft knowing it was going to be in 3D," Hayden said. "The studio suggested that idea. Then we took a look at the script again and realized there's a lot of things that could be enhanced by 3D technology."

But rather than flying Na'vis and cute dolphins, H&K’s 3D elements include puffs of smoke, flying eggs, and munchie treats. Having seen the movie, we can definitely say that you've NEVER seen the third dimension used quite like this before.

But, Schlossberg and Hurwitz were quick to point out that this latest film also includes a new layer of maturity for the characters.

"We've aged the characters as we've aged," Jon said. "We're older now and we're deriving our comedy from different life circumstances."

You can see just how "evolved" Harold and Kumar have become when 3D Christmas hits theaters this Friday.

Are you planning on watching the new Harold & Kumar movie? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags 3D, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Exclusive Entrevistas, Harold & Kumar, Hayden Schlossberg, Jon Hurwitz, Movies & CineMás, Tr3s Exclusives