For those who haven’t visited Havana and traversed seafront promenade Avenida de Maceo from old Havana to the central business district of Vedado and then on to upscale Miramar, taking in the myriad stories of grandeur, genteel decay, resignation, resilience, and optimism, while hearing strains of rumba, jazz, and nueva trova, and seeing the murals of ‘Commandante’ (Fidel Castro) or ‘Che’, there is an alternative.
Books.
There is a wide array of books, both fiction and non-fiction, by authors new and old, known and unknown, that bring Havana, and Cuba, to life from the times of soldier-turned-dictator Fulgencio Batista to Castro and further.
The focus, though, is more on the days of Mafia dominance, Castro and his revolution, and the Cuban Missile Crisis – the first time the world was on the brink of a nuclear war.
And they span genres from gritty stories of life to crime noir and police procedurals,...
Books.
There is a wide array of books, both fiction and non-fiction, by authors new and old, known and unknown, that bring Havana, and Cuba, to life from the times of soldier-turned-dictator Fulgencio Batista to Castro and further.
The focus, though, is more on the days of Mafia dominance, Castro and his revolution, and the Cuban Missile Crisis – the first time the world was on the brink of a nuclear war.
And they span genres from gritty stories of life to crime noir and police procedurals,...
- 3/26/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
One to hit the market that is creating the sniff of an auction for film and TV rights: The Last Kilo: Willie Falcon and the Cocaine Era That Seduced America. The book proposal is about to hit the market through Verve, and it is written by T.J. English. His previous work, The Corporation: The Epic Story of the Cuban-American Underworld, sold to Paramount in a seven-figure deal with Benicio Del Toro attached to star and Appian Way producing.
The Last Kilo tells the story of Augusto “Willie” Falcon, who, along with partner Sal Magluta and a crew known as Los Muchachos, became the biggest cocaine smugglers in American history — more than $20 billion worth in a two-decade run. The book is based on exclusive interviews with Falcon, who, after serving a 27-year prison term, is currently living under an assumed name in an undisclosed country — to be revealed for the first time in the book.
The Last Kilo tells the story of Augusto “Willie” Falcon, who, along with partner Sal Magluta and a crew known as Los Muchachos, became the biggest cocaine smugglers in American history — more than $20 billion worth in a two-decade run. The book is based on exclusive interviews with Falcon, who, after serving a 27-year prison term, is currently living under an assumed name in an undisclosed country — to be revealed for the first time in the book.
- 8/3/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
In today’s roundup, independent studio Cedar Park announced it will develop the Cuban-focused show “The Exiles,” and Anthony Hemingway will direct the pilot of series “The Purge.”
Development
Universal Cable Productions and Blumhouse Television announced that Anthony Hemingway (“Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G.”) will direct the premiere episode of USA/Syfy series “The Purge.” The show is based on the film franchise and is executive produced by the creator James DeMonaco. Thomas Kelly will be the executive producer and showrunner of the series.
Chris Long and David Ayer’s independent studio Cedar Park announced Tuesday that they are developing the Cuban-focused scripted series “The Exiles.” Jose Daniel Freixas, Tony Gonzalez, and T.J. English will serve as executive producers. Cynthia Cidre is attached as executive producer and showrunner. The show is a saga that includes political events spanning half of the 20th century, including the Cold...
Development
Universal Cable Productions and Blumhouse Television announced that Anthony Hemingway (“Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G.”) will direct the premiere episode of USA/Syfy series “The Purge.” The show is based on the film franchise and is executive produced by the creator James DeMonaco. Thomas Kelly will be the executive producer and showrunner of the series.
Chris Long and David Ayer’s independent studio Cedar Park announced Tuesday that they are developing the Cuban-focused scripted series “The Exiles.” Jose Daniel Freixas, Tony Gonzalez, and T.J. English will serve as executive producers. Cynthia Cidre is attached as executive producer and showrunner. The show is a saga that includes political events spanning half of the 20th century, including the Cold...
- 4/3/2018
- by Ariana Brockington
- Variety Film + TV
Cedar Park, the independent studio formed by Chris Long and David Ayer, is partnering with Jose Daniel Freixas, Tony Gonzalez and author T.J. English, the trio behind The Corporation: An Epic Story of the Cuban American Underworld, to develop Cuban-focused The Exiles as a television series.
Emmy-nominated Cynthia Cidre is attached to pen the series and will also serve as executive producer with Ayer and Long, Exilium’s Freixas and Gonzalez, and English.
Based on research and other materials, The Exiles is described as a a multi-layered saga spanning half a century, encompassing the most significant political events of the late 20th century. The potential series follows members of the CIA as well as the Cuban exiles they recruit to carry out clandestine operations, and the games of manipulation they play with one another in the interest of patriotism, the ongoing Cold War against Communism, and the relentless pursuit of revenge against Fidel Castro.
Emmy-nominated Cynthia Cidre is attached to pen the series and will also serve as executive producer with Ayer and Long, Exilium’s Freixas and Gonzalez, and English.
Based on research and other materials, The Exiles is described as a a multi-layered saga spanning half a century, encompassing the most significant political events of the late 20th century. The potential series follows members of the CIA as well as the Cuban exiles they recruit to carry out clandestine operations, and the games of manipulation they play with one another in the interest of patriotism, the ongoing Cold War against Communism, and the relentless pursuit of revenge against Fidel Castro.
- 4/3/2018
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Martin Scorsese was destined to become a filmmaker. The art and motion of film is engraved into his DNA, as well as the craftsmanship that creates it, and its embedded in his personality as much as his enthusiastic chatter and signature glasses. The wheels were always in forward motion. Or, perhaps more appropriately, the film reel was constantly sputtering inside his mind, and it was only a matter of time before they were transferred onto the screen. After all, growing up, Scorsese was constantly fascinated with ancient pyramids or biblical structures, and he would unknowingly draw storyboards of them on his parents’ fridge. The framework was there; he just needed to find a way to bring his active imagination to its fullest potential, and that’s when he found filmmaking. This contemplative look back at the director’s early history and formative influences are what informed his intimate conversation with T.J. English in 1990. Now,...
- 4/14/2016
- by Will Ashton
- The Playlist
As we wait for Paramount to lift their current silence when it comes to Silence, we’ll take anything Martin Scorsese-related we can get. To do so we’re going back over a quarter-of-a-century to a previously unheard talk he had with author T.J. English in 1990, around the release of Goodfellas. Animated by PBS for their digital series Blank and Blank, it may only run just over five minutes, but it’s as enlightening as one might expect from the director.
In it, Scorsese talks about drawings he did as a kid (see one here) as he started to seriously think about the spectacle of movies and framing. He also opens up about dabbling with priesthood, the experience his parents had when watching the explicit nature of his films. To wrap up, he eloquently says, “The two elements I like best about movies are the sense of motion and performance,...
In it, Scorsese talks about drawings he did as a kid (see one here) as he started to seriously think about the spectacle of movies and framing. He also opens up about dabbling with priesthood, the experience his parents had when watching the explicit nature of his films. To wrap up, he eloquently says, “The two elements I like best about movies are the sense of motion and performance,...
- 4/13/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Martin Scorsese isn't just a filmmaker – he is film. "Sometimes when it all comes together ... you become the film you're making," the revered director told T.J. English in a 1990 interview newly animated by PBS as part of the network's Blank on Blank series.
The wide-ranging chat, brought to life by animator Patrick Smith, finds Scorsese discussing his cinematic technique in detail, starting with his appreciation for title credits. "They promise something," he says. "Like posters, they promise something, you know? Credit sequences are sometimes more important than the movie because...
The wide-ranging chat, brought to life by animator Patrick Smith, finds Scorsese discussing his cinematic technique in detail, starting with his appreciation for title credits. "They promise something," he says. "Like posters, they promise something, you know? Credit sequences are sometimes more important than the movie because...
- 4/13/2016
- Rollingstone.com
Right before production kicks off, Martin McDonagh‘s highly anticipated Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri has improved a remarkably impressive ensemble. The Wrap report on the additions of Peter Dinklage, John Hawkes, and Manchester By the Sea‘s Lucas Hedges, who are to play, in order: a man fancying the picture’s lead (Frances McDormand); said lead’s ex-husband; and said lead’s son.
As previously reported, Three Billboards concerns “a 50-year-old woman whose daughter is murdered and she goes to war with the police in her home town, because she thinks they are more interested in torturing black people than getting justice.” Revealed in the newest update is a bit more about the plot: to shame Ebbing’s police, she “pays for three local billboards lambasting law enforcement officials and goading them into action.” Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell portray the sheriff and “hot-headed protégé,” respectively, while Caleb Landry Jones...
As previously reported, Three Billboards concerns “a 50-year-old woman whose daughter is murdered and she goes to war with the police in her home town, because she thinks they are more interested in torturing black people than getting justice.” Revealed in the newest update is a bit more about the plot: to shame Ebbing’s police, she “pays for three local billboards lambasting law enforcement officials and goading them into action.” Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell portray the sheriff and “hot-headed protégé,” respectively, while Caleb Landry Jones...
- 4/11/2016
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
T.J. English clearly did something right with his upcoming book "The Corporation: An Epic Story Of The Cuban American Underworld." Because even though it.s not been released yet, the novel sparked a huge bidding war between numerous studios, which has now been resolved. Who came out on top to claim the film rights? Paramount Studios and Appian Way, who have Benicio Del Toro already attached to star in the project. The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Benicio Del Toro will take the lead role in "The Corporation," which takes place over the decades between the 1950s and 1980s in Miami and New York. What also made "The Corporation" so appealing was the fact that it.s based on the real life antics of the Cuban mob during this period, which increased the integrity of the story tenfold. In "The Corporation," Benicio Del Toro will play Jose Miguel Battle ...
- 4/8/2016
- cinemablend.com
T.J. English clearly did something right with his upcoming book "The Corporation: An Epic Story Of The Cuban American Underworld." Because even though it.s not been released yet, the novel sparked a huge bidding war between numerous studios, which has now been resolved. Who came out on top to claim the film rights? Paramount Studios and Appian Way, who have Benicio Del Toro already attached to star in the project. The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Benicio Del Toro will take the lead role in "The Corporation," which takes place over the decades between the 1950s and 1980s in Miami and New York. What also made "The Corporation" so appealing was the fact that it.s based on the real life antics of the Cuban mob during this period, which increased the integrity of the story tenfold. In "The Corporation," Benicio Del Toro will play Jose Miguel Battle ...
- 4/8/2016
- cinemablend.com
Along with Sicario 2, Star Wars: Episode VIII, and presumably another appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe at some point, Benicio Del Toro has landed another major role. The Wrap reports that Paramount Pictures won a bidding war last night for the rights to T.J. English's upcoming nonfiction book The Corporation — beating out Warner Bros., Universal, Sony, MGM, and Skydance — and Del Toro will play the lead role in a story about the Cuban mafia.
The book centers on the Corporation’s founder, Jose Miguel Battle Sr., who died in 2007. Known as ‘El Padrino’ and ‘the Godfather,’ he was Fulgencio Batista’s bag man, bringing the Cuban dictator his cut from the gambling casinos when the Mafia ran Cuba. Battle escaped to the States, where he and other Cubans were trained by the CIA to invade the country in the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion.Having saved the lives of 28 of his men,...
The book centers on the Corporation’s founder, Jose Miguel Battle Sr., who died in 2007. Known as ‘El Padrino’ and ‘the Godfather,’ he was Fulgencio Batista’s bag man, bringing the Cuban dictator his cut from the gambling casinos when the Mafia ran Cuba. Battle escaped to the States, where he and other Cubans were trained by the CIA to invade the country in the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion.Having saved the lives of 28 of his men,...
- 4/8/2016
- by Ben Pearson
- GeekTyrant
Image via Rolling Stone
Every so often, there's a hot book or topic in Hollywood that everyone wants to adapt into a feature film. Such is the case with T.J. English's book, The Corporation, which follows the exploits of a leader in the Cuban mafia.
There is no word on specific numbers, but according to THR, after an apparent bidding war, Paramount and Appian Way have officially won the rights to the book for seven figures. Set to star in the film is Oscar-winning Puerto Rican-American actor, Benicio del Toro.
Attached to adapt the book is David Matthews, who is a staff writer on HBO's series Vinyl, and has also written on such shows as Boardwalk Empire, and Law & Order: Svu.
The Corporation has yet to be released, but in it, del Toro will play Jose Miguel Battle, Sr., who headed the Cuban mafia called The Corporation. THR describes...
Every so often, there's a hot book or topic in Hollywood that everyone wants to adapt into a feature film. Such is the case with T.J. English's book, The Corporation, which follows the exploits of a leader in the Cuban mafia.
There is no word on specific numbers, but according to THR, after an apparent bidding war, Paramount and Appian Way have officially won the rights to the book for seven figures. Set to star in the film is Oscar-winning Puerto Rican-American actor, Benicio del Toro.
Attached to adapt the book is David Matthews, who is a staff writer on HBO's series Vinyl, and has also written on such shows as Boardwalk Empire, and Law & Order: Svu.
The Corporation has yet to be released, but in it, del Toro will play Jose Miguel Battle, Sr., who headed the Cuban mafia called The Corporation. THR describes...
- 4/8/2016
- by Joseph Medina
- LRMonline.com
Paramount Pictures and Appian Way have won the film rights to T.J. English's upcoming Cuban mob crime novel "The Corporation". T.J. English's book is based on the real life saga of the Cuban mob from the 1950s to the 80s in Miami and New York.
Benicio Del Toro is attached to star as Jose Miguel Battle Sr., the leader of the powerful Cuban mafia who was trained by the CIA, imprisoned, and then returned to the U.S. to begin building a crime empire that dabbled in gambling, drug trafficking and murder.
David Matthews will adapt the script while Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Davisson, Andrew Rona, Jaydee Freixas, Tony Gonzalez and Alex Heineman are producing.
Source: THR...
Benicio Del Toro is attached to star as Jose Miguel Battle Sr., the leader of the powerful Cuban mafia who was trained by the CIA, imprisoned, and then returned to the U.S. to begin building a crime empire that dabbled in gambling, drug trafficking and murder.
David Matthews will adapt the script while Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Davisson, Andrew Rona, Jaydee Freixas, Tony Gonzalez and Alex Heineman are producing.
Source: THR...
- 4/8/2016
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Paramount has won a seven-figure bidding war for T.J. English’s nonfiction book about the Cuban mafia titled “The Corporation: An Epic Story of the Cuban American Underworld,” TheWrap has learned. Oscar winner Benicio del Toro is attached to star and Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran will produce for Appian Way along with Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman for The Picture Company. Paramount beat Sony, Universal, MGM, Skydance and Warner Bros. for the red-hot book, which will be adapted by David Matthew (“Vinyl”) and published in winter 2017 by William Morrow. Also Read: Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way Signs 3-Year Deal With Paramount The.
- 4/8/2016
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
A Hollywood bidding war is under way for a nonfiction book about the Cuban mafia titled “The Corporation: An Epic Story of the Cuban American Underworld” that was written by best-selling author T.J. English, multiple individuals familiar with the situation have told TheWrap. Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros. are among the studios putting in bids featuring A-list packages. Other entities are believed to be in the mix for the red-hot book, which centers on the Corporation’s founder, Jose Miguel Battle Sr., who died in 2007. The book will be published in winter 2017 by William Morrow. Warner Bros.’ offer comes with.
- 4/7/2016
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
After a massive bidding war, Paramount and Appian Way have won the film rights to T.J. English's upcoming Cuban mob crime book The Corporation for seven figures. Benicio Del Toro is attached to star. David Matthews, a staff writer on Vinyl, will adapt. Appian Way’s Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson are producing along with Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman of The Picture Company. Jaydee Freixas and Tony Gonzalez, who hold the rights to the book that was repped by Paradigm in the deal, also will produce. A bidding war broke out over the book earlier this week, with multiple
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- 4/7/2016
- by Rebecca Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Blank on Blank has released a new episode of their fantastic animated series that takes interviews with pop culture icons and animates them. This features a rare interview from 1988 with Bill Murray in which he openly discusses his true motivations. In one part during the interview, he talks about why he likes being a jerk sometimes:
“I act like a jerk sometimes, and that’s sort of what the product is. You get these people who act like, ‘what the hell.’ When you act obnoxious towards people, like on a movie set, they say ‘we’re ready for you’ and I say ‘oh, go to hell, my feet hurt and my head aches.’ You want to have a margarita for lunch, and people like these little ADs and production assistants are like, ‘well, he’s drinking again.’ Drinking again? Go to hell. All I ever do is make some movies...
“I act like a jerk sometimes, and that’s sort of what the product is. You get these people who act like, ‘what the hell.’ When you act obnoxious towards people, like on a movie set, they say ‘we’re ready for you’ and I say ‘oh, go to hell, my feet hurt and my head aches.’ You want to have a margarita for lunch, and people like these little ADs and production assistants are like, ‘well, he’s drinking again.’ Drinking again? Go to hell. All I ever do is make some movies...
- 11/1/2015
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
With Bill Murray's Rock the Kasbah out, America's favorite raconteur and party crasher is back in the limelight. (Then again, it feels like he's never really out of it.) With impeccable timing, PBS's Blank on Blank series, which animates lost interviews with famous names, has unearthed, repackaged, and published the above tape featuring the elusive actor in 1988. Given all the wise Murray-isms, it's hard to believe this is from that long ago, circa Scrooged, but it is. Here Murray talks to then Irish America magazine journalist T.J. English about Second City, his family, how fame affected his life, and, perhaps most notably, how he's still a punk kid at heart. "I'm just an obnoxious guy who can make it appear charming," he explains. "That's what they pay me to do." You can listen to the full Blank on Blank clip below, and scope out even more outtakes from the...
- 10/28/2015
- by Sean Fitz-Gerald
- Vulture
Read More: Watch: 'A Very Murray Christmas' Trailer and Photos Tease Netflix, Bill Murray and Sofia Coppola's Very Special Holiday Special Bill Murray had an interview with PBS Digital Studios for the newest episode of their "Blank on Blank" segment; as Murray talks, little cartoons appear and animate what he is saying so that viewers can visualize his thoughts in front of them. Murray makes wise cracks on giving back to his mom when he made it big, hijinks on the set of "Ghostbusters," the spiritual change that saved him from destruction, and how fame sort of helps with talking to women. He also elaborates on when he said, "I‘m just an obnoxious guy who can make it appear charming, that’s what they pay me to do," during an interview with T.J. English for Irish America in 1988. Watch the animated interview above. Read More: Watch:...
- 10/27/2015
- by Sonya Saepoff
- Indiewire
Bill Murray couldn't care less if people think he's obnoxious. In a 1988 interview that PBS recently animated as part of its Blank on Blank series, he told journalist T.J. English the secret of his jerky success. "There are a lot of actors that are more talented than me at Second City who quit it before they even got to a paying status," he said. "I had no other option. I'm still just like a punk kid, really. I'm just an obnoxious guy who can make it appear charming. That's what they pay me to do.
- 10/27/2015
- Rollingstone.com
rish American Writers & Artists, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to the celebration of Irish American achievement in the arts, announced today that the recipient of the prestigious Eugene O’Neill Lifetime Achievement Award for 2010 is veteran film, stage and screen actor Brian Dennehy. “Few actors have had the kind of career Brian Dennehy has had,” said Iaw&A co-founder T.J. English in announcing the award. “For over thirty years, in movies, on television and on stage, he has come to embody an iconic image of a certain type of working-class American. The cop, the priest, the fireman, the soldier – Dennehy has brought nobility and passion to these roles and established himself as the dean of American actors.” In recent years, Dennehy has added luster to an already celebrated career that includes six Emmy Award nominations by taking on the works of Eugene O’Neill. He won a Tony Award as...
- 6/17/2010
- IrishCentral
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