Blogamole › Mark Wahlberg

By Ikam Acosta

Mark Wahlberg apparently believes he could have prevented the attack on the World Trade Center, had he been on one of the hijacked planes on that tragic day. It turns out the actor was originally supposed to be on one of the fallen flights, but later changed his plans to attend the Toronto Film Festival.

Marky Mark made some funky comments about the fate of one of the hijacked American Airlines flights on September 11, 2001.

"If I was on that plane with my kids, it wouldn't have went down like it did. There would have been a lot of blood in that first-class cabin and then me saying, 'OK, we're going to land somewhere safely, don't worry."

Oh, OK, Mark. Now you're a pilot, too? Needless to say, people didn't take that comment too well, especially those who knew people on those planes. Deena Burnett-Bailey, the widow of one of the heroes who prevented Flight 93 from reaching the Pentagon, Thomas Burnett, was rather offended.

"It's insignificant to say what you would have done if you weren't there. The plan for Flight 93 was foiled by heroes. For him to speculate that his presence on board could have stopped everything is silly and disrespectful. Sounds like someone is grandstanding."

Wahlberg apologized for his insensitive comments and feels sorry for the families he offended.

"To suggest I would have done anything differently than the passengers on that plane was irresponsible. I deeply apologize to the families of the victims that my answer came off as insensitive. It was certainly not my intention."

It's cool, Marky Mark. Just stick to making movies.

Do you think Mark Wahlberg was being insensitive, or did he just have a bad case of sticking his foot in his mouth?

Tags 9/11, Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Celebrities, Mark Wahlberg

By Horacio Garcia

With a little bit of The Italian Job, a touch of Gone in 60 Seconds and just a dash of Lethal Weapon 2, comes Mark Wahlberg's latest action caper Contraband. Wahlberg is making a career out of playing a character that is very much like him and this retired master smuggler trying to get his life straight fits him like a glove.

Contraband was evidently conceived to exploit the success of the 2003 remake of The Italian Job but seems like they couldn't afford the star power they had then, so instead of an open second installment they went for an alternative story with second-tier movie stars.

I guess Universal executives didn't want to take such a big financial risk on the remake of an Icelandic movie and the truth is that it reflects in some aspects of the movie like the sporadic use they give to that beautiful actress that is Kate Beckinsdale. I'm quite sure Charlize Theron would've had a lot more lines.

The story is based on the script of Reykjavik-Rotterdam, a 2008 thriller in which Baltasar Kormakur, the director of Contraband, played the main character. This version tells the story of Chris Faraday (Wahlberg) whom renounced the path of crime long ago, and lives happily married to pretty Kate (Kate Beckinsdale) and devoted to his wife and children.

Things get hairy when Chris-s brother-in-law Andy (a very good Caleb Landry Jones) has to drop a drug cargo he's smuggling into New Orleans before the authorities catch him. Of course, the drug cargo had an owner who wants his money back; enters Giovanni Ribisi as Tim Briggs, a ruthless criminal who puts the pressure on Andy so in order to save his life. Chris has no choice but to go back to what he does best: contraband.

Despite some sluggish script writing and a somewhat convoluted plot, Contraband is a very entertaining film. Wahlberg walks into the skin of his hero with a confidence that suggests his real life persona is very much like Chris Faraday and you have the impression that the evident pleasure Chris experiences when going to the Dark Side is very much Mark's enjoyment and his confidence gives the character undeniable authenticity. He goes into it so naturally that it makes you wish Tom Cruise was so confident in his latest Mission Impossible.
As I said before, Contraband has a cast of second tier stars but everybody is playing there familiar roles with ease: Caleb Landry Jones's Andy is the youngster way over his head, Ben Foster in his usual scary-as-hell quasi psycho (you just know something is going to go wrong when Chris leaves him in charge of keeping an eye on his family…) and Kate Beckinsdale as a tough blond.

Considering we are in January, and that most of the season blockbusters were launched during the holydays, Contraband is a very good choice for the weekend.

Tags Ben Foster, blogger: Horacio Garcia, Caleb Landry Jones, Contraband, Kate Beckinsdale, Mark Wahlberg

By Michael Lopez

Oh, how we wanted Contraband to succeed. It's got tough action sequences, a killer cast, and a conspiracy-laden plot centered deep in Latin America. Unfortunately it fails to deliver on all levels, ultimately leaving audiences with a half-baked heist film.

Mark Wahlberg is back in tough guy mode after dabbling in comedy flicks like The Other Guys and Date Night. We always knew he was a capable action star and he actually plays it rather well in Contraband. The problem is, he's playing tough against a flimsy storyline, filled with gaps, inconsistencies, and twists you can see from a mile away.

As the story starts out, Chris Farraday (Wahlberg) is an ex-hoodlum who's decided to walk the straight and narrow. He's a got a beautiful wife (played by Kate Beckinsale), two cute kids, and a successful home security business. But his old lifestyle soon comes calling when a family member winds up owing money to some thugs.

Before long, Chris is back to his old tricks and plots an elaborate international smuggling scenario to help cover the debts. Gathering up some old confidants, Chris boards a boat for Panama with the hopes of bringing back counterfeit cash.

Things soon take a turn for the generic, with the arrival of a sheisty Latin drug dealer (played by Diego Luna) and some double crosses back home. But somehow, Chris manages to survive sniper shots, explosions, and the entire U.S. Customs Department to accomplish his mission.

Hey, there's nothing wrong with seeing the main character pull off some incredible feats. But at least TRY to make it believable. Contraband just feels sloppy and strewn together. Worst of all, it never even delivers in the butt kicking action department! This movie goes out much more on a whimper than a fiery bang.

Bottom line: We know the cinema is sorely lacking a good action movie at the moment. Perhaps that's the reason that the makers of Contraband felt they could throw together such a haphazard film. If you're looking for some international drug smuggling flair, pop in the Fast Five DVD…you'll be much more satisfied.

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

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Contraband, Diego Luna, Kate Beckinsale, Mark Wahlberg, Movie Reviews, Movies & CineMás

By Michael Lopez

With all the recent talk of New York and Venice Film Festivals, we thought it would be interesting to add a Cannes selection to our Pelis and Popcorn rotation. This week's movie, We Own The Night, has got a ton of top-notch talent behind it, including a prime role for Tr3s fave Eva Mendes.

Set in the world of New York cops and robbers, Night explores issues like family, revenge, and redemption. There's Joaquin Phoenix (before he went off the deep end) as a disenchanted nightclub owner, Mark Wahlberg as his by-the-book NYPD brother, and acting legend Robert Duvall as the badge-wearing patriarch of the family.

Though it was made in 2007, Night is actually set 23 years in the past and does a great job of emulating the essence of late 1980's New York. Joaquin's nightclub has all of the dated music and fashions you would expect and it's also got an ongoing rotation of shady clientele.

Actor Alex Veadov does a great job playing the evil Russian gangster who becomes Phoenix's number one customer. Rather than cooperate with his "family of cops," Joaquin chooses to keep the underground party going…until someone very close to him gets hurt.

That's when we really start to see Wahlberg, Phoenix, and Duvall flex their acting chops. Keep in mind that We Own The Night was Joaquin's followup to his Oscar-nominated Johnny Cash role in Walk The Line. Here, he's demonstrating just as much talent as he evolves from shady club owner to honorable brother and son.

Part crime drama, part action flick, part 1980's rewind, We Own The Night is definitely a P and P selection to put on your radar. And all you Eva fans may want to take note. She literally "bares all" on the movie's unrated DVD!

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

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Eva Mendes, Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, Movies & CineMás, Pelis and Popcorn, Robert Duvall, We Own The Night

By Ikam Acosta

Watch out, Bostonians. There will soon be a new burger joint on the block.

Mark Wahlberg is teaming up with NKOTB brother Donnie Wahlberg and chef brother Paul for his latest business venture, a reality show. The show will be based on the opening of their new high-end burger restaurant outside of Boston, cleverly named Wahlburgers.

Their plan had screeched to a halt earlier this year when they found out a Rochester area restaurant had a Wahlburger on their menu, but they bought the trademark rights from the owner, Tom Wahl. The brothers are also talking about opening up a pizza joint sometime in the spring, but no word on what clever name has been decided on as of yet.

Restaurants aren't the only business venture in the works for the brothers. Wahlberg also wants to start a clothing line and would also like to open a health and wellness business to get people in shape. They're going to need it after eating all those hamburgers!

When Wahlburgers opens its doors in 2012 we will all have a chance to go behind the scenes of the brothers' burger joint and get a closer look at this entrepreneurial family. Don't expect to see Marky Mark in front of the camera, though. Mark explains he will only lend his voice to the show and jokes of being the "'Charlie's Angels' of reality TV."

Wahlburger's will be located in Hingham, Massachusetts, next to Paul's Italian restaurant, Alma Nove, named after their mother. I can't wait to see what delicious creations Marky Mark and the Burger Bunch make with America's favorite fast food.

Will you be stopping in for a burger if you're ever in the area?

Tags Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Celebrities, Donnie Wahlberg, Food, Mark Wahlberg, Reality shows, Restaurants, Television

By Uky Mendieta

Even in years when there is an unusual number of good films, nominating ten films for best picture may be a bit much. One one hand, the five extra slots allow for the nomination of films that may not have otherwise been nominated, such as Inception. On the other hand, Toy Story 3 does not belong there — and I am a huge Pixar fan. When you have to fill 10 slots, you can get desperate.

The best director nominations usually clue us in to what the members of the academy are looking for. With that in mind, the big contenders will likely be Black Swan, The King's Speech, The Social Network, The Fighter and True Grit. Inception and Winter's Bone could surprise us, but it's not likely. Despite solid performances, The Kids Are All Right and 127 Hours are minor works that, like Toy Story 3, may have been added to fill the extra slots.

Natalie Portman, who was nominated for best actress, and Mila Kunis turn Black Swan's dark, complex script into a sexual tour de force in which reality and hallucination coexist. Black Swan is an aesthetic proposition — from the actresses' sculpted bodies (they trained for six months) to the dazzling wardrobe to the hallucinogenic music — that gracefully dances to the climax, and reserves a twist for the final minutes. It's an example of an excellence in filmmaking in every way.

With Facebook's incredible success, it should be no surprise that The Social Network attracted such a large audience, but no one was prepared for the careful dissection of American capitalism the film delivers. The movie may not faithful to the whole story — for example, Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes is barely mentioned — but The Social Network is direct, witty and a real pleasure to watch.

The King's Speech is the another big contender. Director Tom Hooper honed his historical drama skills with Elizabeth I, featuring Helen Mirren, and the award-winning miniseries John Adams. So when his mother, who is Australian, brought him the script of a theater play about King George VI of Britain and his Australian speech therapist, he was enthralled. Casting Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter simply put everything in its proper place. And let's face it: If anyone looks the part of a king, it's Colin Firth.

Mark Wahlberg worked tirelessly for six years to make The Fighter. He immersed himself so much in the character of Massachusetts boxer Micky Ward, whose career was nearly destroyed by a crack addiction before he won the championship, that at a given point, the real Micky Ward (and his large Irish family) were practically living in Wahlberg's house. Until the emergence of The King's Speech, The Fighter looked like a real contender.

Although True Grit is a personal favorite, it isn't likely to win. First of all, the Cohen boys just got a couple of Oscars for a western. And second, all of the film's main actors — including The Dude — already possess Academy Awards, except for magnificent 14-year-old actress Hailee Steinfeld. Jeff Bridges plays an old alcoholic and sociopathic U.S. Marshal with a deep sense of honor and justice. How do you turn a psychopath (who killed about fifteen men) into the hero of the story? When the Cohen Brothers get together with Jeff Bridges, anything can happen. After all, these are the same people who turned cuddly John Goodman into a serial killer.

My prediction: The King's Speech is the safest bet, along with Black Swan and The Social Network. Hollywood produced an unusually high number of great films this year, so if you can, try to watch them all.

Who do you think should win the Oscar for best picture? Tell us in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Academy Award for Best Picture, Academy Awards, Black Swan, Cohen Brothers, Jeff Bridges, Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Natalie Portman, Oscars, The Fighter, The King's Speech, The Social Network, True Grit

Twilight's Kellan Lutz joins Eva Mendes as one of the new faces bodies of Calvin Klein. Steamy!

The 24-year-old actor will be featured in Calvin Klein’s new underwear campaign for their X underwear line. Kellan joins CK underwear veterans like Mark Wahlberg and David Beckham; so he definitely has some big boxer briefs to fill!

Kellan’s Calvin campaign launches March 1st, but he’ll be putting his pants back on to reprise his role as Emmett Cullen in “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” when the film hits theaters on June 30.

Photo via Google Images

Tags Calvin Klein, David Beckham, Eclipse, Eva Mendes, Kellan Lutz, Mark Wahlberg, Twilight

Max Payne that is...

Amaury Nolasco, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, and Mark Wahlberg are all sharing the big-screen this season in the new thriller film "Max Payne." MTVTr3s caught up with the actors to learn a little more about what to expect from the film, as well as, what attracted them to their action-packed roles.

Famous for his "good guy" role in "Prison Break", Boricua actor Amaury was excited to finally play a bad guy:

It was a great opportunity/ challenge to play a bad guy...I got to go to dark places that I don't get to see much.

Watch the video and find out what sealed the deal for Ludacris. If you look closely you can see the infamous sprinkler scene he spoke about in his exclusive interview with Blogamole. Max Payne is now playing in theaters nationwide.

Photos via Getty Images

Tags Amaury Nolasco, Blogamole, Latin actors, Ludacris, Mark Wahlberg, Max Payne, Prison Break

The king of the South is bacccck....

And he goes by the name of Chris Bridges. The Southern Hospitality rapper was on hiatus for a little while but he is ending 2008 with a bang. Sporting button downs and sweaters, Ludacris is all grown up now, and has a starring role and a new album to prove it. After catching heat for vocalizing his political beliefs it seems like a much calmer, quieter Ludacris is in the spotlight. Hear what the Hot-lanta native had to say about working with fly boy Mark Wahlberg, his thoughts on the Presidential election and what his latest toy is after the jump...

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Tags Barack Obama, Chris Bridges, Kawasaki, Ludacris, Mark Wahlberg, Max Payne, Sucker Free Latino, Suzuki