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Frontera Mines the Border Crisis
Some movies seem to be put on this Earth just for actors. You look at the synopsis of a picture, and you think, “Well, it could be OK,” but then you notice who’s in it — maybe a performer you like but haven’t seen in a while, or someone you never liked at all, but […]
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Cesar’s Last Fast is Rich with Detail and Exclusive Footage of the Late Labor Organizer
Equally lionizing but richer in detail than the recent Michael Peña-led biopic César Chávez, this occasionally stirring doc portrait of the late Latino labor organizer and civil rights icon frames his legacy around a single act of protest. In 1988, the 61-year-old Chávez undertook a water-only fast that lasted 36 days, serving as both a […]
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Yes We Can! (Make Better Biopics Than Cesar Chavez)
The Chicano labor leader César Chávez can now join Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela in the pantheon of heroes whose world-altering achievements are dutifully recounted in timid, lifeless films any substitute can pop into the school DVD player when the regular history teacher is out with the flu. With César Chávez, Mexican director Diego Luna, […]
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End of Watch
Born in 1968, filmmaker David Ayer grew up in the infamously troubled region known as South Central Los Angeles. As an adult, his Hollywood calling card was the screenplay for Training Day (2001), in which Denzel Washington played a corrupt South Central cop. For End of Watch, his third film as writer-director, Ayer has gone […]
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In Manhattan, Sexual Assault Is (Un)Officially A Worse Crime Than Murder
We hate to say it, but if you’re planning on violently sexually assaulting another human being, you’d be better off murdering them first. Not that we condone violently sexually assaulting or murdering anyone, but in Manhattan, the punishment for murder is often less severe than the punishment for predatory sexual assault, which has led to […]
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New “Rape Cop” Arthur Roldan Just As Rape-y As Old “Rape Cop” (Allegedly)
As we reported yesterday, for the second time in less than a year, a New York City police officer is accused of committing a violent sexual attack on a woman. And if the allegations are true, the latest “Rape Cop” is just as much of a creep as the old “Rape Cop” — who currently […]
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“Rape Cop” Redux; NYPD Officer Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Staten Island Woman
As Michael “Rape Cop” Pena is spending the rest of his natural life in prison for the violent sexual assault of a school teacher last year, history has (allegedly) repeated itself. NYPD Officer Arthur Roldan was arrested yesterday after authorities say he raped a woman in a Staten Island parking lot about 11:30 Tuesday night. […]
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Michael “Rape Cop” Pena Pleads Guilty To Additional Charges; No Time Added To Extreme Life-Sentence
Michael “Rape Cop” Pena did something today that’s somewhat admirable; rather than put his victim through the torture of another trial, he pleaded guilty to additional charges stemming from his attack on a 25-year-old teacher — charges on which a jury deadlocked when he was convicted of three counts of predatory sexual assault in March. […]
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Plaza Hotel Rapist/Pal Of Saudi Prince Gets 10 Years In Prison. “Rape Cop” Michael Pena Will Die Behind Bars
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced yesterday that a pal of a Saudi prince was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the 2010 rape of a bartender at the Plaza Hotel — which is 65 years to life less than the sentence handed down to Michael “Rape Cop” Pena for a vicious sexual attack […]
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Murderer Of Mother Of Three Gets Lesser Sentence Than “Rape Cop” Michael Pena
A Manhattan murderer convicted of killing a mother of three is heading to prison for a long, long time — but his sentence isn’t nearly as severe as the one handed down to former NYPD officer Michael “Rape Cop” Pena, who currently is serving a 75 years to life prison sentence for the violent sexual […]