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By Michael Lopez

It seems like for the past several weeks, the name Gina Carano has been popping up a lot. A superstar in the world of mixed martial arts, Gina is now ready to break into the movie world with her new film Haywire. And though many doubted her acting abilities, the bare-knuckled beauty has been wowing critics with her performance. Carano spoke to us at a recent press conference about her exciting new career.

"Working on Haywire was one of the most beautiful experiences I've ever had," she confessed. "I got to see places I’ve never seen and travel to places I’ve never been."

The daughter of former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Glenn Carano, Gina grew up in a very loving (and very competitive) household. She described herself as a "tomboy," with a soft spot for Jane Austen.

"I actually grew up on Pride & Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables," Carano jokingly told us. "There were no real female action stars on the TV at our house."

But she did grow up loving martial arts and eventually channeled that into a career fighting for the Strikeforce organization. As she told us, her years in the ring helped bring her to the attention of Haywire’s casting agents.

"My martial arts background is how I got the Haywire job. My agent called me after a fight and told me [director] Steven Soderbergh wanted to meet me. We had lunch and after that he offered me the movie."

A few months later, Gina was going toe-to-toe with some of the acting world's biggest heavyweights. Throughout the film, she shares screen time with Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, and Antonio Banderas.

But Carano assured us that it was a very comfortable set and she seemed eager to return to the big screen again.

"I would love to do more acting," she said. "We have a lot of ideas for a Haywire Part 2, but I think we're going to wait and see how this film does before we talk about any sequels."

You can see just how well Gina "acts" when Haywire arrives in theaters this Friday.

Are looking forward to Gina's big screen debut? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Antonio Banderas, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Ewan McGregor, Exclusive Entrevistas, Gina Carano, Haywire, Michael Douglas, MMA, Movies & CineMás, Steven Soderbergh, Strikeforce, Tr3s Exclusives

By Michael Lopez

Usually we expect introspective dramas from acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh. Not this week. Friday, he'll be delivering the hardcore action flick Haywire and several of the movie' s biggest stars shared their thoughts on this butt-kicking bonanza.

"First and foremost, Haywire has a very strong script," lead Ewan McGregor told us at an exclusive press conference. "It's a solid piece of writing. But it also has some great undercover James Bond spy elements."

Ewan plays the role of Kenneth in the film. Falling somewhere between the lines of secret agent shot caller and soldier of fortune, he's definitely at the center of Haywire’s biggest mystery. Lead actress Gina Carano makes her feature debut in the movie after coming from a very successful career in mixed martial arts.

"Gina is beautiful as an actress," costar Antonio Banderas said. "Her performance is very smooth and very strong."

Fellow star Channing Tatum seconded that motion and told us how Carano is probably one of the toughest leading ladies he's ever acted against.

"I was telling my wife, find me a girl who can kick my butt and I’ll go to her movie," he said. "With Gina, they really found her! She's one of the best athletes I’ve ever gotten to work with."

"We were in really safe hands with Gina," McGregor added. "She's so precise and I think she did a great job in the film."

Of course, the praise wasn't all just directed at Gina. Each of the three male leads seemed to have a fantastic time working with Soderbergh (and interestingly, Tatum will be working with him again in this spring's Magic Mike).

"Steven is a very smooth and confident filmmaker," Channing went on to say. "He really expects you to bring something to the table."

Banderas heartily agreed, saying,

"Soderbergh is one of those guys you say yes to before reading the script. I first met him about 20 years ago, but because of scheduling conflicts we didn’t actually get to work together until now."

And those of you who were a little thrown off by Steven's last film, don't worry. There will be no depressing virus epidemics floating around Haywire, just good old fashioned fun, much in the vein of Soderbergh's Oceans Eleven movies.

"This film has a very fun quality to it," Antonio went on to say. "It feels kind of like an action movie that was made in the 1970's."

You can see for yourself, when Haywire goes wide this Friday.

Are you planning on watching Haywire this weekend? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Antonio Banderas, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Exclusive Entrevistas, Gina Carano, Haywire, Magic Mike, Movies & CineMás, Steven Soderbergh, Tr3s Exclusives

By Michael Lopez

By this point, we're all in agreement that Puss In Boots is a nationwide smash. Opening at #1 this weekend, the animated Dreamworks flick raked in over $35 million at the box office. But it's also interesting to note that Puss hit it big in other worldwide markets like Russia, the Ukraine, and the Philippines.

And, as expected, Puss In Boots connected with Latino audiences too. Stars Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek made sure to heavily push the film to the Spanish-speaking crowd, appearing on shows like Despierta America to promote it.

And according to the latest stats, the Latin promo tour worked. Hispanics accounted for 35 percent of the ticket buyers this weekend. And Dreamworks execs still have very high hopes that Puss and company will stay on top for several more weeks.

"Being the No. 1 movie and the likely Halloween weekend record-breaker, we're well-positioned to go into week two, as well as play through the holidays." Dreamworks worldwide marketing head, Anne Globe said.

Of course, Shrek’s furry friend may have some competition on his hands this coming Friday. Can the mighty Puss conquer the stoner exploits of Harold & Kumar? We’ll be very curious to find out.

Did you see Puss In Boots this weekend? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Antonio Banderas, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Dreamworks, Movies & CineMás, Puss In Boots, Salma Hayek

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

Honestly, it's hard to go into Puss In Boots without a little hesitation. Is this movie going to be a fantastic adventure with Antonio Banderas' swashbuckling kitty? Or an excuse for Dreamworks Animation to juice more money out of the Shrek franchis? Truth be told, it's a little of both. But thankfully, with a winning cast, engaging story, and touches of Latin flair, we're declaring it a winner.

Puss is actually quite an accomplishment in the Hispanic movie making realm. Never before in the U.S. has a mainstream animated film featured two Latin leads. And boy do they help sell the project. Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek fit their feline alter egos perfectly and have just as much chemistry in the cartoon world as they do in those Robert Rodriguez movies.

Director Chris Miller deserves a lot of the credit too. Taking cues from Clint Eastwood westerns and modern day action movies, he's crafted some incredible animated sequences. There's even an homage to Antonio and Salma's first onscreen collaboration, Desperado (flamenco guitars and all).

Despite the fact that our favorite green ogre is nowhere to be found, Shrek fans will find a lot to enjoy with Puss. Known as somewhat of a mysterious character in his last three animated outings, we now get the full Boots back story (including some adorable scenes with him as a kitten).

In his younger years, we learn that Puss formed a bond with an egg-shaped troublemaker named Humpty Dumpty. Though cheery at first, Humpty (voiced by Zach Galifianakis) soon shows some bad guy tendencies and, along with a mischievous cat named Kitty Softpaws, lures Puss into all kinds of trouble.

From there, it's all the typical fairy tale fare you'd expect from a Shrek movie. Giant beanstalks, a demented Jack & Jill, golden eggs dropping from the sky…you get the picture. Though the Puss story doesn't necessarily break new ground in the originality department, the witty dialogue, 3D effects, and fast pace will keep you entertained throughout.

Bottom line: There is no denying that you'll be belting out some solid laughs while watching Puss In Boots. Antonio Banderas is in full machismo mode with this character and that alone may be worth the price of admission. But if you're looking for some Pixar-caliber storytelling, you may be a tad disappointed. Puss doesn't quite live up to all of his swashbuckling potential, but he comes pretty darn close.

Are you planning on watching Puss In Boots? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Antonio Banderas, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chris Miller, Movie Reviews, Movies & CineMás, Puss In Boots, Salma Hayek, Shrek, Zach Galifianakis

By Michael Lopez

It sure looks like President Barack Obama made the most of his recent visit to Los Angeles. Not only did he get to enjoy the signature flavors of Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles, he got to mingle with stars like Antonio Banderas, Eva Longoria, and George Lopez!

Banderas even so far as to host the Prez at his private home. Monday night, Antonio and his wife Melanie Griffith welcomed Obama for a private event. Catering mostly to Latino fundraisers, the affair attracted over 120 guests at $5,000 a ticket.

Lopez and Longoria were spotted shaking hands with Barack, as was L.A.'s Mexican-American mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa. Hoping to stir up Hispanic support for his 2012 re-election, Obama pledged to fight for immigrant rights and fix the economic crisis.

And proving that he could still connect with the public at large, the President hit up Jay Leno's Tonight Show too. While there, he touched on important issues like the death of Moammar Gadhafi, the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, and what candies his wife plans to hand out on Halloween.

Will you be voting for Obama in 2012? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Antonio Banderas, Antonio Villaraigosa, Barack Obama, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celebrities, Eva Longoria, George Lopez, Jay Leno, Melanie Griffith, Politics, President Barack Obama

By Michael Lopez

Get ready Shrek fans. In just four days, the green ogre's courageous kitty sidekick is getting his own movie. Anticipation is already huge for this week's Puss In Boots release and the film's director, Chris Miller, spoke to us exclusively about how he brought the animated orange tabby to life.

"We wanted to make a movie that had a legendary, epic feel," Chris explained. "There's some Clint Eastwood in there, along with Indiana Jones and a bit of James Bond."

From a technical perspective, Puss In Boots features some amazing animated action sequences. There are dynamic rooftop chases, journeys to the top of a giant beanstalk, and even a wild ride on a monster goose. Miller explained how adding the element of 3D helped take the project to a new level.

"3D really lends itself to Puss In Boots’ world," he said. "The story really plays well in that format."

Chris also mentioned how having voice actors like Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek helped breathe more life into the film. Each of them threw in improvised lines that actually made it into the final cut.

"Making this movie was such a collaborative effort," Miller said. "Working with the entire cast. They're all great writers and great improvisers. Having them around makes my job a lot easier."

Another famous collaborator who helped out with Puss was horror director Guillermo del Toro. Listed as an executive producer on the film, Chris told us that he offered quite a bit of input during the story boarding process.

"Guillermo really fell in love with this movie and wanted to be a part of it," he said. "Having him on board was great. It pushed us to make things more fun and more exciting."

But Miller made sure to emphasize that the Puss character is the ultimate selling point of the movie. With his trademark one liners, exaggerated "sad kitty" eyes, and boot kicking dance moves, he's definitely proven himself to be a major leading man (and feline).

"Puss is such a bold and romantic character," he said. "He's larger-than-life and everything kind of springs out of his personality and what Antonio created. One of the things I love about Puss In Boots is how serious he takes himself and how dramatic he can be at times. It brings a great amount of comedy to the character."

You can see Antonio's furry alter ego in action when Puss In Boots arrives this Friday!

Are you planning on watching Puss In Boots? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags 3D, Antonio Banderas, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chris Miller, Exclusive Entrevistas, Movies & CineMás, Puss In Boots, Salma Hayek, Shrek, Tr3s Exclusives

By Horacio Garcia

Genetic experiments, date rape, sex change, murder and secret identities make for an unbelievable cocktail only worthy of a soap opera or a really creepy reality show, but in the hands of the great Pedro Almodovar, are turned into the most deliciously twisted plot a horror movie has had in many years.

Longtime Almodovar fans won't be surprise by all the twists and jumps in the story, given the fact that many of them are rehashes of older Almodovar plots (especially some of his earlier works), but seeing Pedro's convoluted mind working on a horror theme is an added pleasure. Not to mention his long awaited reunion with favorite pupil Antonio Banderas as his crazed lead man.

After a shaky beginning in Hollywood, Banderas managed to build an American movie star career, (famous wife included) but in the last few years was mainly relegated to kids movies and cheese Hispanic characters in second-rate thrillers. Now he goes back smoothly into his Almodovaresque skin and reminds us why he was the biggest European star of his time; he is slick, dark and incredibly attractive as a surgeon obsessed with finding an artificial skin resistant to fire.

When the movie begins (and this is the only bit of the plot I'll give you in advance…) Banderas's character has succeeded in his research for an incombustible skin, a task that has alienated him from the rest of his colleagues for the unethical implications in mixing human and animal DNA. Even worse, Dr. Robert Ledgard (Banderas) imprisons the human subject of his experiments, a young woman named Vera, with the help of his longtime servant Marilia.

Things get hairy when Marilia's son Zeca shows up after committing a robbery, looking for a hiding place. From that point on, things get more and more complicated and the creepiness scales in a series of mind-bending twists,  mostly through the story told by Marilia, an incredible Marisa Paredes.

Like many of Pedro Almodovar’s films, The Skin I Live In rests heavily in his female characters and this one is not the exception; along with Marisa Paredes' great performance we have the pleasure of encountering again the beautiful Elena Anaya as Vera, the sequestered patient.

American audiences might remember Anaya as one of Dracula's vampire wives in Van Helsing (she is the pretty brunette one with the silly accent…) and in the very erotic drama Room in Rome. Anaya supplies the intense sexual appeal any horror movie needs.

The Skin I live In is a fine example of the kind of convoluted plot Almodovar used to favor in his earlier and more audacious films (La Ley del Deseo and Laberinto de Pasion come to mind…) but time and experience have refined the hand of the Master and La Piel que Habito is far better told than any of his previous films (except maybe Tacones Lejanos) and a real treat for the Halloween crowd. Truly a five star movie.

Tags Antonio Banderas, blogger: Horacio Garcia, Elena Anaya, Marisa Paredes, Pedro Almodovar

By Ikam Acosta

Spanish actor Antonio Banderas has explainied how his private life is riddled with problems "just like everybody else." The Spanish hottie is, of course, referring to marital strife encountered with wife of 15 years, Melanie Griffith. These problems include gringa wifey being in rehab for the third time during their marriage, only two years ago.

They have never hid their private drama. He even said during an interview,

"Nunca lo hemos escondido. Hemos sido abiertos respecto a las adicciones, en el caso de Melanie."

Banderas goes on to state that they have always been very candid about their private life, including that of their children. Parenting is difficult sometimes, because the kids are very receptive, seeing through whatever facade they try to put up.

"Pueden ver a través de situaciones como estas y so no le hablas abiertamente, se crea un ambiente muy oscuro. Entonces, cargarían con eso el resto de sus vidas, a sus matrimonios, a sus hijos."

Antonio believes the best thing to do is be honest with the kids, otherwise they will be doomed to carry on the same pattern in their lives and with their own children. Honesty is the best policy in this case. Otherwise, history is bound to repeat itself unless they learn from their parents' mistakes.

Banderas and Griffith have a daughter in common, Stella, who is 15 years old. Melanie has two children from previous relationships, 26-year-old Alexander and 21-year-old Dakota.

Antonio recalls how they all made it through Melanie's most recent relapse, and how the family pulled together through counseling and being present in each others healing process.

Do you think this Hollywood couple has what it takes to survive public scrutiny?

Tags Antonio Banderas, Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Celebrities, Celebrity Couples, Chisme, Melanie Griffith

By Michael Lopez

It's hard to believe that the long-awaited Puss In Boots movie is less than two months away. And to help build the buzz for Shrek’s sidekick kitty, Dreamworks has put out an LOL online video starring the voice of Antonio Banderas.

Entitled "He's So Legendary," the new Puss ad is a playful parody on the Dos Equis beer commercials featuring "The World’s Most Interesting Man." In it, you'll see the courageous feline ride bulls, woo the ladies, and drink a shot of milk straight up.

But perhaps the best moment of Puss spot is the speech at the end, recited perfectly by the one-and-only Antonio.

"Stay furry my friends," he playfully says.

Fans of Dos Equis know that line is a hilarious play on the "Most Interesting Man's" catchphrase. But beyond that, the Puss promo shows that this movie has some extremely sharp writers and one very witty kitty!

Are you looking forward to Puss In Boots? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Antonio Banderas, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Dos Equis, Movies & CineMás, Puss In Boots, The World's Most Interesting Man