Dude... the supense is KILLING me... does anyone know when this movie is coming out?!?!?!

Let me preface this by saying I LIKE ANDY GARCIA’s work.
But as a Cuban voice he has done VERY little for the Cuban cause by his utter unwillingness to take a STRONG anti-KaSStro stand.
Yes, his story is the same than another 200,000 Cubans “we had no money we worked hard …” yeah fine.. Then what?. Now what ?
He receives all the credit in the world for having struggled up the slippery ladder to success that is Hollywood. But I HARDLY would characterize him as a “Pro-Cuban” voice.
“The Lost City” is NOT and anti-KaSStro statement any more than “that other piece of shit by MoroN was.
“Before the Night Comes” THAT was an anti-KaSStro movie WHILE telling a very poignant and terribly sad story, so... IT CAN be done.

Garcia’s movie is a LOVE story that takes place in Pre-KaSStro days and has the fucking ROBOlution as a peripheral issue. Nothing that a non Cuban is gonna see and go “Woah! Man is that KaSStro one motherfucking prick!

As far as having pictures of KaSStro and el Che on his walls… hmmmm , do you REALLY need THAT to do a movie. ?

Let’s say he’s casting for those parts, does he NEED pictures of KaSStro and El Che on his walls. He doesn’t remember what those pricks look like? AND.. he goes to say .. “Maybe those pics will be never taken down ... Yihai! Andy! Good going Bud, a fucking picture of The Beast and The Butcher on your wall. Datta boy!

I can think of three Cubans who could do TREMENDOUS damage to The Beast and choose not to mix business with ideology. One is Andy Garcia; the others are Gloria & Emilio Estefan. The reason is VERY simply economics. Any views that may be considered polarizing to an audience are usually stifled by producers and industry moguls.
I remember with TOTAL horror, an interview where Gloria is asked point blank about KaSStro , her reply “ I wish he cut his nails”..
Uh??? What did she just say?
Open microphone, wide open question and all she has is grooming tips to the SUMO HIJO DE PUTA ? I personally found it reprehensible.

Other actors embrace a cause and by God they will shove it down your throat at any possible moment. Richard Gear for example will pummel you with Daly Lama shit until you get woozy. It doesn’t seem to affect his earning powers.
I must be honest, I do NOT know what Andy Garcia, or Gloria Estefan do behind close doors . I do not know how much money they donate, whose ear they bend regarding the Cuban cause. But it just does not happen on the Today Show.
In fact Andy Garcia had a one hour episode on “The Actors Studio” and NOT a fucking peep about Cuba. ‘Mon dude you still have the accent, you have tried to get rid of it but it is THERE! We all have it, if you came to the USA after age 5 you will have the accent!
Now in comparison a week before Denzel Washington was on the same program and he was eloquent about the USA, patriotism etc. Andy?!, what the fuck happened ?
So if YOU want or if you are NOT afraid to repercussions you speak your mind. . And I am not talking about trying to come across as a pundit on the subject just drop the name of let’s say Humberto Fontova and urge the American people to read his books.
I don’t think that is a LOT to ask from a voice with a sizeable audience.
If you do not.. Then, well then.. You are just USING Cuba to make a buck.

Why is this guy taking so much credit?
He was given Babalu print outs, for example, and he hasn't even commented one time or contacted any one of us for anything. Did he stop by Cuba Nostalgia to offer support (moral or financial)? Is he supporting the independent libraries or the disidents?
I tend to think that they don't give three flying shits about whatever is happening in Cuba, but then at the end they will rock the world AFTER the fall of cagastro is fact accompli.
Besides, I question those photos of cagastro and che that he has on his walls. I don't have any. And I don't go around and out of my way to take any credit for what I do and much less for what I don't do. Don't get me started. I do not respect anyone for the mere fact of being a celebrity, I respect people for what they dare to do. Where are the Cuban gazillionaires when you need one? Not here. Not there. Not anywhere. Oh, yeah! They are in a club in Palm Beach or the Hamptons or NYC or LA! Look at our own lovely Cameron Diaz.
I still have to hear denounces by our luminaries. I hear them from all of you guys... But not from them.
OK, enough, enough for my rant. Where the hell were they that they didn't mob Clinton to prevent him to send Elian to Cuba or to prevent him from treating balseros like terrorists. Nofuckingwhere.

CB,

He spoke out publicly against sending Elian back to Cuba. He stood in front of Elian's house along with Gloria Estefan and several others just a few days before he was taken by the agents.

Ok, I take that back, but they didn't lobby other celebrities, they didn't call the president or they didn't raise enough hell. And they didn't bring other celebrities to understand why Elian was so important. The Fanjuls didn't do shit either. And when Fanjul called Bill, Monica stopped her "job" on him. Too bad he didn't call when Bill and Janet Reno were implementing the plan to send Elian back. We need not fall in the celebrity trap. I ain't taking any lesson from any celebrity that's ready to take credit just for showing up somewhere. They ain't walking the walk. They don't dare. I ranted more on killcastro-a war blog.

Maybe showing at Elian's house was a nice publicity stunt. I bet you that Gloria sold more CDs and that Andy's movies rented better on those days, among Cubans at least.

Ah...creo que entiendo...no solo hay que protestar la dictadura, sino pa' ser un "buen cubano revolucionario", mejor dicho, un "buen cubano anti-castrista", pero hay que hacerlo en la manera, con el volumen, y en 100% de las ocasiones que "CB" y "KillCastro" demandan.

Porque si no...bueno...son unos lumpen, mejor dicho, they're just out to make a buck...son unos gusanos, mejor dicho, they're "AFRAID" of repercussions....etc. etc. etc.

Yo creo que es mejor dejar eso de tratar de decir lo que motiva la actuacion de personas que no se conocen al que se cree adivino y/o psicologo amateur y/o psiquico...asi que otro tendra que deconstruirlos a ustedes como deconstruyeron a Garcia/Estefan (la pobre Gloria...no tenia ni vela en el articulo y aun la cogio el vendaval y quedo salpica').

Pero...por curiosidad na' ma'...si quiero preguntarles algo..saben quien fue el que dijo algo que, no se porque, me vino a la mente al leer su descarga en contra de Garcia/Estefan...algo como:

"Adentro de como yo soy y pienso todo, afuera de como yo soy y pienso..a la reja con ellos"?

Y no...no...sorry...no fue Trespatines.

Un abrazo cubano,

M.

PD BTW...por un momento...me parecio ver tambien una refleccion de Jim DeFede en sus escritos (esos ricos poderosos no hacen lo que yo creo que deben hacer). O fue de Michael Moore? Hay vecez, por sus fisicos tan parecidos, me confundo entre los dos.

PPD Si uno tiene tres biografias del Che (con fotos!) en su coleccion de libros sobre Cuba, se puede considerar de los "buenos" porque tambien tiene todo libro escrito por Cain, el viejo Suchlicki y hasta una edicion original libro de Mario Lazo en la misma? O sigue siendo "sospechoso" y/o un posible "contra-exilionario"?.

I really think NONE of us here have any reason to bad mouth Andy Garcia. He has worked for change in his own way. Doent anyone remeber his portrayal of Arturo Sandoval? Or his work with cuban musicians in exile?

Next thing you know we'll be bad mouthing Celia as well, and Gloria, and Desi.

Absolutely agree 100% with Val and Malanga.

Thank you Val. We all have our own contributions to a free Cuba, some more than others, and we all do what we can with what's available within, without, and around us. Andy is not without his contribution. Could he do more? Maybe. But it is not for us to judge since I don't see any of our faces on the big screen, and I don't know of anyone one of us who is working on a movie from within Hollywood on the errors of Castro. We all have our part. It's not about what he's lacking, but more about the gaps that perhaps WE need to fill.

Piensa como quieras, actua como necesitas. -Felix Varela

Just a nickel's worth. While we can't totally judge Garcia, we sure can't praise him. I understand what CB and killcastro are saying and that is that Garcia has the soapbox as well as Estefan and it is nothing less than irresponsible to not use the opportunity.It is their choice and their freedom, but when you use your "cubaness" to your advantage it comes with responsibility. Membership has its privileges and its responibilities.

OK, whatever problems one might have with Garcia, I'd like to point out that the Indy running an interview with a Cuban who isn't 100% militantly pro-castro is something of a minor miracle. The paper is sometimes at least as bad as the Guardian, or even worse.

A question. Why don't Garcia, Estefan and other Cuban celebrities take better advantage of their access to the media to publicize the plight of Cubans and why aren't they more widely criticized for this lack? CB and KC often make me uncomfortable with their blunt on the mark reactions which force a choice and I love them for it. If something makes you squirm, there's a reason. CB & KC have every right to criticize their fellow Cubans.

Ok...here is my two "kilos" worth...
KC and CB I totally agree with you!! Andy Garcia, and the Estafanclan have had ZILLIONS of great opportunities to speak out against Castro's atrocities,yet, they seemed to be a little "deaf" when confronted in interviews. So...what is their excuse?? I think we all know the answer.
As much as we want to LOVE and Idiolize and embrace Andy Garcia as one of our "own", I believe he has left too many Cubans dissapointed.
Sean Penn, Madonna,Cher and all those other Hollywood megaphones have no problem humiliating Americans,our soldiers fighting the war, they speak out against Bush, and the Virgin Mary and their movies are still in the big screen making big bucks!!
Now...you want a real CUBANAZA con los cojones bien puesto?? AZUCA!!! Celia Cruz!! she was not afraid or intimidated by NO ONE!! her integrity and her cause was never compromised when it came to issues about Cuba, she spoke loud and clear through her music and her fine example.

Thanks to all of you who disagree and agree with me. I have the right to criticize whoever I feel that is not doing what he-she should. They have a tribune. I hope they use it, and I hope my criticism along with that of others steer them in that direction. I loved the way Desi conducted himself. I followed his actions from Cuba, and it felt really good to hear my elders say: He doesn't cut cagastro any slack! And I admire the enormous dignity of Celia, who was a queen in all aspects. Specially in the aspect of calling the beast by his well deserved name with no fear. Now, I don't think that anybody is untouchable. But that's me. I was pretty disturbed by the thought of those photos of che and cagastro, to say the least.

Ay-Ay-Ay!!
I just read the article about Andy Garcia. HE HAS PICTURES OF CASTRO AND CHE on his walls, and he might not take them down???
Well..Ok..let me give him the benefit of the doubt, maybe he will be using them for dart boards???
UGHHHHHHHHH!!!

Carmen,

Gloria Estefan has spoken out against fidel and the regime many times. Remember those "Cuba BC" shirts that were popular for a time? Gloria wore/wears them in public quite often, I've seen it in pictures and interviews.

If you're standard for actors speaking out is Madonna, Sean Penn, and Cher, then I'm glad that Gloria and Andy will never reach those morons' lofty heights. If they are still popular and making money, it's because the Hollywood sleaze machine keeps them alive and the public eats it up. Doesn't say much about our values in this country, does it?

Celia is a different story. Remember, Celia was an adult when fidel took over. Gloria and Andy were toddlers when they came to the US. Different perspectives, different experiences.

Robert. You are right, Celia was an adult and Garcia and Gloria todlers when they came to the US. As I recall, Glorias father was a victim of Playa Giron, I am sure that alone, was plenty for discussion growing up in her Cuban home in Miami, so she is very informed and aware.
Garcia like KC said so well, is just like 200,000 other Cubans with their story, and he too could use his power and influence to be a voice for our community.
Celia was an adult, but so what..there are thousands of Cuban Americans that have never been or seen Cuba and are doing a great job for us as well..and they don't even wear tshirts with Cuba BC or AC.
These "elites" choose to stay on neither side of the fence, and we all know why.

From the Herald article, Andy is quoted:

"In fact, the Cubans I know are not right-wingers, but people think we all are. "

Amen. Thank you Andy!

I AM CUBAN, MY FAMILY IS CUBAN WE ARE ALL RIGHT WINGERS AND PROUD OF IT.
ANYONE ELSE??

N~o...que sensacion de...como diria el Yogi... de deja vu all over again.

En los primeros an~os de la revolucion, en Cuba, a los "elites" le llamaban (con el mismo tono de desprecia, of course) los "burgueses"...y estos inmediatamente eran sospechosos y dignos del repudio por parte de los "wingers" del otro la'o (entre ellos, segun dicen, muchos cuya motivacion era la envidiologica ademas de ideologica").

Y declaraciones como "esta familia esta con Fidel al 100%...TODOS y toditos" tambien estaban al tolete.

Lo que no estaba al tole-te era la tole-rancia.

Food for thought for those who G_d gave a libreta coupon for such?

Salu2,

Malanga el Historiador de Viandas Cubanas

PD Hilda?!? The former Hilda Alvarez Pi? The famous left wing hussy? Is it you? How's it going child?

Hilda and Malanga, why don't you move to La Habana so you can have the thrill of kissing a mass murderers ass in person?

Hablando de La Habana.... en los 60s, los seguidores del "mass murderer" rodeaban a los que no consideraban buenos revolucionario y/o manifestaban comportamiento sospechosos, y tambien eran invitados darse un viaje. En este caso afuera de la Habana, a unos sitios lllamados UMAP.

Era una manera de prevenir contaminacion, decian...y pa'lla mandaron a catolicos, homosexuales, democratas, escritores, historiadores, artistas etc..

Tengo que pensar que entre estos se encontraban personas en cuyas casas la VCC* habia visto fotos de personajes considerados contra-revolucionarios, algo que estas VCC* reportaron a las autoridades.

En los UMAP el "thrill" ofrecido era la labor forzada y claro las interminables indoctrinaciones politicas. En estos, uno tenia que tomar la dificilisima decision de o hacer el papel de besarle el culo a la revolucion y su lider o de tomar el riezgo de nunca regresar a los brazos de sus seres queridos. Decision sumamente dificil bajo las circumstancias, algo no tan facil como tomar la decision (o hacer recomendaciones) desde la comodidad de un salon en el mundo libre.

No creo que hay datos si los "elites" besaron mas culo que los "plebeyos" en los UMAP...en estos campamentos no habia el tiempo para comemalanguerias como la guerra de las clases. Generalmente, para la mayoria que estaban en esto, era obvio quien era el enemigo y porque estaban todos alli.

Claro, me imagino que tenia que haber alguien adentro de los UMAP que se creia mas opositor, mas cubano, mas fidel que nadie...after all....estos personajes y este tipo de actuacion se ha manifestado en toda las epocas de la historia cubana.

Saludos,

Malanga
Historiador de Viandas y, tambien, Nyames Cubanos

PD Por si estan curiosos, VCC = la Vieja Cagalitrosa del Comite, esa especie que dedicaba to' su tiempo a investigar la "pureza" de vida y de pensamiento de sus vecinos. Estas determinaban si estos actuaban/eran como debian de actuar/ser. En muchos casos, se importaba una VCC de afuera (de las clases no-"elite"), a los barrios de los "elite". After all, quien mejor que alguien llena de basofia revolucionaria, de complejos y/o de delusiones de grandeur, pa' hacer el papel de soldado de la inquisicion en el medio de la burguesia?

Gracias que en el exilio, donde nos fuimos en busqueda de la libertad, no existen instituciones que nos imponen Viejas Cagalitrosas del Comite. Y si en ocasion nos topamos con algunos/algunas que actuan como estas, que no hay que hacerle caso y que hasta podemos, si uno quiere, reirnos de estos.

Carmen YELLS:

"I AM CUBAN, MY FAMILY IS CUBAN WE ARE ALL RIGHT WINGERS AND PROUD OF IT.
ANYONE ELSE??"

That's fine, but I am Cuban-American and my family is Cuban and we are not ALL right wingers.

It's all about the Exile community not being a monolithic Borg.

Malanga writes:

"PD Hilda?!? The former Hilda Alvarez Pi? The famous left wing hussy? Is it you? How's it going child?"

OHMYGOD! Malanga? The Malanga from the wilds of Ohio? LOL! Wow!

Ay, Val...pobrecito...lo que te ha caido! Ahora si que se te descuajeringo esto. Malanga es una pituita cuando se le mete algo entre tarro y tarro...

Malanga, mi vida...tanto tiempo! Yes, it's me! So how's it going to be here? Vamos a ser amiguitos del corazon o a tirarnos los trastos? Or just for fun, a little of both?

Oye - por ahi vi alguien que firma "Ray Sands" - no es ese tambien un "survivor" de SCC?

Really great to find you again Malanga...at least for now. And horror of horrors - from what I've read here so far, I agree with you!

Kathleen writes:

"Hilda and Malanga, why don't you move to La Habana so you can have the thrill of kissing a mass murderers ass in person?"

Hey Kathleen, why don't you find yourself a dictionary so you can have the thrill of learning a new word: *tolerance*?

Malanga writes:

"Ah...creo que entiendo...no solo hay que protestar la dictadura, sino pa' ser un "buen cubano revolucionario", mejor dicho, un "buen cubano anti-castrista", pero hay que hacerlo en la manera, con el volumen, y en 100% de las ocasiones que "CB" y "KillCastro" demandan."

Si seguimos el ejemplo de killcastro y comparsa aparentemente hay que ser chusma, o si no "no vale".

Asi que ya tu sabes Malanga, tu ponte la camiseta "wife-beater" y yo me pongo mis chancletas y nos vamos tu y yo pa'l sola' para que nos digan "patriotas"!

Hilda, I have plenty of tolerance, in fact I'm really an easy going party girl at heart. However, my tolerance does not extend to the following: Racism, murder, starvation, torture, denial of human rights, and depraved living conditions. How would you like to shit in a plastic bag or manage your period without tampons or kotex? Oh yeah, and I also have no tolerance for self-righteous liberals who by their “tolerance” support murderous dictators and their whoring collaborators.

And oh yeah, Malanga your class is showing.

GUYS....
DID YOU SAY CARMEN YELLS?? WOW!! I THOUGHT I WAS A "BLOGERA" I GUESS NOW YOU HAVE QUOTED ME AS A "GRITONA" AS WELL
I AM FLATTERED!!
AND BTW, YOU HILDA, AND MALANGA ARE CLASS ACTS..
YOU COME HERE EXPECTING WHAT? TOLERANCE FOR FIDEL AND HIS REGIME???
KATHLEEN, YOU ARE GOOD AND YOUR WORDS ARE SO TRUE!!
HILDA AND MALANGA GOOD LUCK!!
AND FOR EVERYONE ELSE...I PROPOSE WE GET HILDA, GANSIBELE, BAM AND LUIS MORO A ONE WAY TICKET TO CUBA FOR AS LONG AS THEY WANT!! ROBERT, IN MY OPINION, YOU ARE INTELLIGENT, VERY ARTICULATE AND WORTH KEEPING! :)

kathleen writes:

"Hilda, I have plenty of tolerance, in fact I'm really an easy going party girl at heart."

Really? It must have been the "kissing the mass murderers ass" line that gave me the wrong impression.

"However, my tolerance does not extend to the following: Racism, murder, starvation, torture, denial of human rights, and depraved living conditions."

Ummmm...I don't do any of those things Kathleen. See, I wasn't advocating for tolerance for Castro - I was advocating for tolerating opinions different from yours. Guess that went right over your little party-girl head, huh?

"How would you like to shit in a plastic bag or manage your period without tampons or kotex?"

That would suck.

"Oh yeah, and I also have no tolerance for self-righteous liberals who by their “tolerance” support murderous dictators and their whoring collaborators."

Interesting, although I'm trying, *I* have trouble tolerating intransigent knuckle-draggers who extrapolate lies from what someone else has written.

But then again, a girl has to have goals. Maybe someday I'll be able to deal with crap like yours.

Carmen writes:

"GUYS....
DID YOU SAY CARMEN YELLS??"

YES I DID!!!!!

"WOW!! I THOUGHT I WAS A "BLOGERA" I GUESS NOW YOU HAVE QUOTED ME AS A "GRITONA" AS WELL
I AM FLATTERED!!"

Well, it wasn't a compliment, but I guess you have to take what you can get.

"AND BTW, YOU HILDA, AND MALANGA ARE CLASS ACTS.."

Thanks, I didn't think you'd notice. Or know how to recognize it. :)

"YOU COME HERE EXPECTING WHAT? TOLERANCE FOR FIDEL AND HIS REGIME???"

No Carmen...I expect tolerance for other people's opinions. Go ahead and find where I advocate tolerance for Castro.

Dale niña - knock yourself out.

"KATHLEEN, YOU ARE GOOD AND YOUR WORDS ARE SO TRUE!!"

Birds of a feather...yadda, yadda, yadda.

"HILDA AND MALANGA GOOD LUCK!!"

Thanks Carmen. Good luck to you too.

"AND FOR EVERYONE ELSE...I PROPOSE WE GET HILDA, GANSIBELE, BAM AND LUIS MORO A ONE WAY TICKET TO CUBA FOR AS LONG AS THEY WANT!!"

Oh see sweetie...you can't deport me. First of all - you're nobody. And secondly, I was born in the U.S. "you can't touch this" (with props to MC Hammer), so...in language you'll be sure to understand...te jodiste.

"ROBERT, IN MY OPINION, YOU ARE INTELLIGENT, VERY ARTICULATE AND WORTH KEEPING! :)"

WOO HOO! Somebody has a crush!

Robert te la sacaste con lazito en la cabeza! Lucky boy!

HILDA.
YOUR TRUE COLORS ARE RUNNING ALL OVER
RED, RED, AND MORE RED... TRYING TO TALK AND EXCHANGE OPINIONS WITH YOU IS IMPOSSIBLE, THEREFORE, WHAT RESPECT CAN ONE HAVE FOR YOU? YOU DO NOTHING BUT INSULT EVERYONE WITH YOUR "little" COMMENTS.
BTW, IN CUBA YOU KNOW WHAT THEY CALL PEOPLE LIKE YOU?
CHUSMERIA!!

Hilda,I take it back what I said about La Habana. I think a corner in Tijuana is more your style.

LOL...:)

LOL AND LOUD!!