16 episodes

S2: On this season of More Than a Movie, host Alex Fumero takes us through some of our favorite films that have impacted Latino Cinema. From Andy Garcia’s 1990 breakout role in Godfather III to Natalie Morales’s 2021 double directorial debut with Plan B and Language Lessons, this podcast looks at the story behind the story of Latino movies over the last several decades. Every episode will reveal something about the movie you didn’t know, feature interviews with the biggest actors, directors, writers and producers behind them, and tap into the history of Latinos in film.



S1: When Edward James Olmos set out on his directorial debut, American Me, he wanted to accomplish two things: to represent Chicano culture on the big screen and to save part of his community from gang violence. But when people were allegedly murdered because of their participation in the film and Olmos himself was allegedly extorted by the real life Mexican Mafia, it exposed the unintended risks of trying to represent someone with an agenda in mind, even a well-meaning one. On the 30th anniversary of the cult classic, host Alex Fumero and producer Nigel Duara delve into the true story of American Me and the legacy the controversial film left behind.

More Than a Movie My Cultura Network

    • TV & Film
    • 4.3 • 92 Ratings

S2: On this season of More Than a Movie, host Alex Fumero takes us through some of our favorite films that have impacted Latino Cinema. From Andy Garcia’s 1990 breakout role in Godfather III to Natalie Morales’s 2021 double directorial debut with Plan B and Language Lessons, this podcast looks at the story behind the story of Latino movies over the last several decades. Every episode will reveal something about the movie you didn’t know, feature interviews with the biggest actors, directors, writers and producers behind them, and tap into the history of Latinos in film.



S1: When Edward James Olmos set out on his directorial debut, American Me, he wanted to accomplish two things: to represent Chicano culture on the big screen and to save part of his community from gang violence. But when people were allegedly murdered because of their participation in the film and Olmos himself was allegedly extorted by the real life Mexican Mafia, it exposed the unintended risks of trying to represent someone with an agenda in mind, even a well-meaning one. On the 30th anniversary of the cult classic, host Alex Fumero and producer Nigel Duara delve into the true story of American Me and the legacy the controversial film left behind.

    The Godfather Part III with Andy Garcia

    The Godfather Part III with Andy Garcia

    “I remember saying to myself, ‘that’s my part.’” For the season two premiere of More Than a Movie, we sat down with Andy Garcia to discuss the path to his legendary acting career, navigating Hollywood as a Latino, and manifesting his role as the successor to the most notorious crime boss in film history.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 38 min
    Introducing: More Than A Movie Season 2

    Introducing: More Than A Movie Season 2

    On this season of More Than a Movie, host Alex Fumero takes us through some of our favorite films that have impacted Latino Cinema. From Andy Garcia’s 1990 breakout role in Godfather III to Natalie Morales’s 2021 double directorial debut with Plan B and Language Lessons, this podcast looks at the story behind the story of Latino movies over the last several decades. Every episode will reveal something about the movie you didn’t know, feature interviews with the biggest actors, directors, writers and producers behind them, and tap into the history of Latinos in film.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 2 min
    American Me: The Backstory

    American Me: The Backstory

    American Me was supposed to help end gang violence — instead, it may have led to the murders of at least three people.

    Host Alex Fumero unpacks the story of American Me, a film directed by legendary Latino actor Edward James Olmos, and his choice to base the film on a real-life gang called the Mexican Mafia or La Eme. Did Olmos' decision to fictionalize the lives of these men lead to the murders of several crew members?
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 25 min
    Edward James Olmos (Santana)

    Edward James Olmos (Santana)

    Edward James Olmos is one of the most decorated and respected actors alive, especially in the Latino community. Who is the man responsible for American Me, and why did he make it?

    Most of us know Edward James Olmos as a legendary actor, but he's also an activist who for decades has worked on behalf of Latino causes from Hollywood to Washington D.C. But when both of those sides of him collided to make a movie that would stop gang violence what resulted may have been the exact opposite. Why did Olmos make American Me and what went wrong in the process?
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 38 min
    Jacob Vargas (Paulito)

    Jacob Vargas (Paulito)

    Actor Jacob Vargas shares his experience on and off screen with gangs, movies and American Me.

     

    Jacob Vargas caught a big break when at the age of 20 he was tapped to play Paulito in American Me. Since then he's had a career most actors would envy and continues starring in TV and film even today. How has he thrived as a Latino in Hollywood? What was it like being a kid in LA growing up around real gangs? And what impact did American Me actually have in his neighborhood? Was it the cautionary tale Olmos claims it was or did it somehow make kids think gangs were cool?
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 38 min
    The Puppets: Danny de la Paz and Daniel Villarreal

    The Puppets: Danny de la Paz and Daniel Villarreal

    The actors who played Puppet and Little Puppet, Danny de la Paz and Daniel Villarreal, share their experiences on-set and in the aftermath.

     

    Danny de la Paz (Puppet) and Daniel Villarreal (Little Puppet) weren't just actors cast in American Me — they were part of a family of actors and filmmakers assembled by Edward James Olmos over the years that culminated with two powerful performances in American Me. They also share how the news hit them when they heard about the murder of gang interventionist and crew member, Ana Lizarraga.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 34 min

Customer Reviews

4.3 out of 5
92 Ratings

92 Ratings

elkc248 ,

Great podcast, too many ads!

Love the content and execution but the length/number of ads in it is insane. And trust me I wouldn’t be writing this if I didn’t think it was really bad. Hopefully you guys take a look at other podcasts and make them a similar length because multiple 2.5 minute long ads within a single episode is not it. This is one of the podcasts where I actively skip the ads because they are so long.

NOTAPUSSYDAD🖕🏻 ,

2nd to last episode

With the words the guy is using, it sounds like mundo. Listen to him on game of crimes. It sounds like him

Benji F ,

Fuego

Just started listening and I’m hooked. Loving this deep dive into this classic LA film

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