Pursue the Possibilities…

Can
‘Dark
Can ‘Dark
Knight’
Knight’ out
out gross
gross
‘Titanic’
‘Titanic’ to
to become
become
Box-
box-office
Office
champ?
champ?

INSIDE Movie
Rachel Weisz:
Ledger Oscar Reviews:
Gorgeous, Smart,
Possibilities The Best of
and Oscar, Too
the Best
MONTE
PICTURES ©
Monte Pictures© was
founded by Javier Abraham
Serrano in San Diego,
California in the year 2007.
In his quest to pursue a
career in filmmaking, Mr.
Serrano composed a
monthly newsletter to
express visually his passion
for cinema to all variety of
audiences. In his non-
published autobiography,
“What a Life,” he writes, “if
I could achieve this dream
and goal of mine to open a
film production – Monte
Pictures, then it is
obviously possible for
anyone to achieve their
dreams.”
Contact info: Javier Serrano
Phone: (619) 450 – 3638
Email: info@montepictures.com
www.montepictures.com
August is here. I simply cannot believe how
the time is just passing by so quickly. First
things first, I must give my appreciation and
dedication of this month’s newsletter to my
sister Elaine Serrano – Vasquez, who turned
twenty – two on the tenth of August; to my
dearest colleague Toni Laree Washington,
also her birthday, on the eighteenth of
August. Lastly, to Ronald Johnson a loving
individual and a great step-grandfather.
I just wrapped up my summer courses at San
Diego City College, and I am very exhausted,
but I am living a dream of pursuing an
education. In this issue, there will be
changes. In these changes I plan to compose
my newsletter into a publication-like
magazine. I have so much charisma,
ambitions, and expansion for Monte Pictures
and if all goes well, which I know it will,
then expect to see Monte Pictures on the
Forbes® list of most powerful motion
pictures studios in North America. I wish
you and your family great health.
- Javier

DiCaprio and Winslet run through icy waters
in the $200 million production of Titanic.
James Cameron’s “Titanic” not only garnered fourteen
Academy Awards nomination and walked away with
eleven Oscars, tied with William Wyler’s 1959, Ben-
Hur and Peter Jackson’s 2004, The Lord of the Rings:
The Return of the King, but it is currently the all time
box-office champ with a mere $600 million
domestically in the United States. The Batman sequel:
The Dark Knight was intentionally “not to break any
records” said the director Christopher Nolan (notably
directed 2006, Batman Begins and 2001, Memento).
With a production budget of (US$) 185 million dollars

and nearly becoming the all time box-office champ, The Dark knight has built it’s success
from the mesmerizing performance from Heath Ledger as The Joker in the film, winning
the role from numerous well-known actors like Oscar winners Adrien Brody, Robin
Williams, and Steve Carell, even Jack Nicholson expressed interest in reprising the role
which he helped established the Batman franchise as The Joker in Tim Burton’s 1989,
Batman.
Oscar Win
or just
sympathy?

I simply can not argue that Heath Ledger

Jack Nicholson in 1989, Batman
and Heath Ledger in 2008, The
Dark Knight, both portrayed The
Joker
performance brilliantly as The Joker in the 2008, The
Dark Knight. Few film critics assumed Ledger was
wrongfully robbed an Oscar for his mesmerizing
performance as Ennis Del Mar in the ill-fated 2005
Academy Award winning film Brokeback Mountain,
which Ledger won his first Oscar nomination in the
Best Actor category. No one expected Ledger to come
off with an Oscar nomination, and, of course, not win,
to star in one of Hollywood’s greatest box-office hits in
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight.

Unfortunately, we will never know what potential lied in Ledger’s future because his career
was just launching with successful commercial films. A decade ago, Ledger was known in
several teen films, including: the 1999 film 10 things I hate about you, co- starring with Julia
Stiles, and the 2002,A Knight’s Tale, which garnered rave reviews and launched him into the
public eye. But, can Ledger actually win the Oscar for his performance as The Joker.
Hollywood loves villains, but can the Academy members acknowledge Ledger performance?
Or “Box-office Champ” is enough?
DOWN
E xquisitely brilliant and a great
ensemble cast. 2005, Downfall was
directed by German acclaimed director
Oliver Hirschbiegel. The film is based
on the accounts of the last days of Adolf
Hitler through the eyes of his private
secretary Traudl Junge, portrayed
superbly by German actress Alexandra
Maria Lara, which is loosely based on
her memoir Until the Final Hour. The
film, like I said is great, but the film
received harsh criticisms around the
world because the film shows the
accounts of Adolf Hitler sensitivity
under the events of World War II, and
assumingly, film critics and audiences
were demanding the film to explain one
major subject that was simply left out:
the Holocaust.

F ilm critic Richard Nilsen of the

Arizona Republic, wrote, “"Don't
bother voting. Just give the Oscar
to Marion Cotillard now.” And I
must agree with Richard Nilsen
because Marion Cotillard’s
performance as the French – singer
Edith Piaf was captivating and,
by far, the greatest film
performance to date, and I mean
that literally.
This was the only performance in 2007 for which I had given it a standing ovation. I must warn you,
the film is a mess, and by mess; first, the film is spoken in French, and you the French, they intend to
speak French quickly and aggressively. Secondly, every minute of screen time means years past of
Edith Piaf’s life which the film transition into flash back sequences, for most, a handful of people do
not enjoy. If you enjoyed Reese Witherspoon in the 2005, Walk the line, for which she won the
coveted Best Actress, then you’ll like La Mome in French, but the American version La Vie En Rose.
Gorgeous, Smart and Oscar, too
Academy Award winner® Rachel Weisz

You may recognize Rachel Weisz in the 1999 and 2002 box-office hits The Mummy and The
Mummy Returns, as Evy or Evelyn O’Connell. Rachel Weisz was born in London, England in 1971.
It was not until her college years at the respected prestigious Cambridge University in England,
where she pursued interest in acting. She had co- founded a student drama club called Cambridge
Talking Tongues, which received critical acclaims for many successful theatre productions. After
graduating Cambridge with a degree in English, she further more pursued her acting career. She
has appeared in many notable films, which includes: 1996, Stealing Beauty; 1999, Sunshine; 2002,
About a Boy; 2002, Confidence; 2003, The Shape of Things; 2005, Constantine; 2006, The Fountain.
Having all ready establishing a leading lady, she had several box-office hits to her credit, but it was
not until 2005 when Fernando Meirelles, the director of The Constant Gardner, gave Weisz the
opportunity of a lifetime to portray Tessa Quayle, a doomed activist in pursuit in alerting publicly
of the pharmaceutical industries targeting the African illness. The role brought her an Academy
Award ® for Best Supporting Actress.
 Frida : Seven Years in the Making
The first time I’d seen “Frida”
starring Salma Hayek, also
served as one of two Producers
of the film, was when I was a
student in A.P. Art History.
My professor was deeply
fascinated in the subject of art
and once he took the entire class,
combined students of thirteen,
to the cinema and watched the
film as a class. It was an
amazing experience because we
were permitted off school
campus and we had the privilege
of watching a film entirely on
the subject of art history and also
The life of Frida Kahlo. Unfortunately, Salma Hayek failed to win the
Oscar for Best Actress at the 2003, Academy
Awards®; Nicole Kidman won for her
performance in The Hours. I felt Salma Hayek’s
performance was much more convincing, artistic,
and simply ravishing. Salma was Frida and
why not? Salma embarked on a seven years
journey to buy the rights to the publication,
funding, and the director. Salma did not want to
put her entire dedication into the wrong hands;
luckily, Julie Taymor, the first woman to win the
prestigious Tony® award for Best Direction for
her Broadway hit The Lion King®, was hired as
the film’s director. Together, as women, they
both collaborated brilliantly, and the film’s crew
was conducted by many elite and acclaimed
filmmakers in Mexico, they include: Gregory
Nava, directed Jennifer Lopez in Selena;
Academy Award® winner composer Elliot
Goldenthal, notably for Neil Jordan’s Interview
with the Vampire; and lastly, Director of
Photography Rodrigo Prieto, worked with Ang
Lee in the Academy Award® winning film
Brokeback Mountain. Also, many well-known
Salma Hayek as Frida film stars like Alfred Molina, Antonio Banderas,
Mia Maestro, Edward Rush, Ashley Judd, and
Edward Norton, all to whom are dearest friends of Salma Hayek, all agreed to work for low
wages for their performances.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
J. K. Rowling did a magnificent job by alluring our imagination into the world of wizardry and
magical powers in her multi-billion franchise of Harry Potter. Harry Potter and the Goblet of
Fire is my absolute favorite, thus far, and honestly, I have to come clean and admit admirably
that I was not fond and early rejected the entire Harry Potter, but what changed my mind
completely was how well the books were selling globally. This one-time welfare mother turned
billionaire writer from London, England changed the way kids read today, and one book critic
raved Ms. Rowling’s dedication in bringing Harry to life which has been an extraordinary journey
for everyone alike.

This is the fourth film in the popular Harry Potter series, directed by Mike Newell. The film is
gorgeously acted, the music is haunting and inspiring and the special effects are simply perfected.
From the beginning of the film to the ending credits, this film “the Goblet of Fire” is definitely
entertaining.

Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley enter their fourth year at Hogwarts School.
The school has been selected to host the Triwizard Tournament, a legendary event in which one
wizard each from two rival schools and Hogwarts compete in three dangerous tasks.
Dumbledore, head of Hogwarts, reveals The Goblet of Fire, a magical cup which acts the
judgment by selecting the candidates. Three students from each school will participate under
restricted age requirement of the age of seventeen. But, when all three names are selected an
additional fourth name is thrown out of the cup of the Goblet of Fire revealing the name of
Harry Potter.
All rights reserved. This monthly newsletter is composed by Monte
Pictures©, and the subject is owned by Javier Serrano. For no reason this
newsletter cannot be re-produced, barrowed, and/or distributed without the
permission from Javier Serrano. All photographs used in this newsletter are
reserved from Google® and used responsibly for educational purposes.
Monte Pictures was inspired and is dedicated to Olivia Caballero, Elaine
Serrano and Pepe Meza.