First is the blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. In a past movies post, I told you that former cast member Alan Dale would be in the film. I’ll be honest with you: I forgot about it. So, here I am enjoying the movie, and early on, out walks Dale in full military dress. My wife and I both exclaimed “It’s Bradford Meade!”, before getting shushed by others who did not share our Ugly Betty infatuation. I told you Dale would land on his feet. Good for him.

Next, we rented 27 Dresses. I remember that during the live blog for episode 2.16, Betty’s Baby Bump, some of you commented that the yoga scene was right out of 27 Dresses. My goodness, you were right! I’ll say this to Silvio Horta: there’s a fine line between paying tribute to another artistic work and outright bootlegging. Yes, I realize that the movie had some serious product placement in Ugly Betty episodes after the strike, but…wow.

I wouldn’t feel so bad about it, except the whole time I was watching the love triangle in 27 Dresses, I kept thinking, “I’ve seen this before. George and Kevin are slightly better looking versions of Henry and Gio. Jane and Betty have some pretty striking personality similarities.”

I don’t want to make it sound like I think the post-strike version of Ugly Betty was an absolute rip-off; I don’t. I think there were many brilliant, original moments late this season. But there can be absolutely no doubt that Silvio Horta has seen 27 Dresses, and doing so influenced his writing this season.

Once again, I still think Ugly Betty is the most enjoyable, original show on television today. I was just taken aback by seeing many UB elements on the big screen in an unrelated film.

More Ugly Betty movie news is upcoming (Don’t forget America Ferrera!). I just had to share my Ugly Betty movie thoughts from this weekend.

Illustration: Newscom

Post from: Ugly Betty News

Ugly Betty’s America Ferrera recently spoke with the San Jose Mercury News, and she’s quite frank as usual. She’s quick to admit that her high school years were not very happy. “I had a really rough time through high school. I don’t think I liked myself very much. High school is a very hard place to like yourself. It’s easier for some people, but it wasn’t very easy for me.”

Join the club, America. I’ve just about come to the conclusion that nobody had an easy time in high school. But,apparently, Ferrera has always known where she wanted to go, even before high school. “I’m very much in awe of how young children have such bravery to dream so big. They just don’t question it,” she says. “I never questioned it. I used to lie in bed and say, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to get there. I just know I’m going to.’ I was, like, 10 and thinking, ‘What is taking so long? Why has my life not started?’”

America is about to turn 24 in April (as is her character, Betty), and although she’s enjoying success, she’s also looking inward.

“There is no possible way someone standing on the outside could know what I’ve been through in my life,” says Ferrera. “Sure, it looks like a Cinderella ball. It’s an amazing show, and the fame and the awards and recognition, but those are just the side effects of what, for me, is truly fulfilling. I work really hard for something I’m really proud of. ”

There’s kind of a calm about it for me,” she continues. “There are so many ways to become frightened of your own success. It’s a big learning lesson in questioning ‘Why do I do this and what is it for?’ And what do I want out of it?”

More after the jump.

She told the Mercury News that, although happy that the show has been embraced by the gay community, latinos, and parents of young girls concerned about body consiousness, there is only so far she can go as a role model. She says that gasp! she no longer reads message boards or blogs.

Oh, dear. Shame, that.

Ferrera has recently returned to the set of Ugly Betty, but in general knows no more than we do about where the show is going. (If she would read Ugly Betty News, she’d get all kinds of juicy spoilers).

About her latest movie “Under the Same Moon”, in which she plays non-Spanish-speaking American who tries to earn money for her brother’s college tuition by smuggling Mexican babies over the American border, she says she didn’t expect much when she first heard of the project. She was sent the script, then called “Immigrant Boy”, and read it at bedtime as a sleep aid.

“I thought I’d be asleep by Page 4. It usually works,” she recalls. “Of course, at 2 a.m., I’m on the last page, crying. I just really connected to it on a very human level.

“I just thought it was a perfect way to get a human connection to what immigration is all about,” she adds. “Yes, it’s deemed a crime and it’s illegal, but to call this 9-year-old boy who wants to be with his mother a criminal, something about that seems not complete.”

Ferrera is an important voice coming out of Hollywood these days. Here’s hoping that her meteoric rise just continues (as far as she wants it to go)

Source: San Jose Mercury News

Post from: Ugly Betty News

Ugly Betty star America Ferrera is slated to be a starring voice in the upcoming CGI film “How to Train Your Dragon,” the CGI fantasy feature from DreamWorks Animation. She will star alongside Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

The movie is based on Cressida Cowell’s first novel in the children’s book series. It is centered on the timid son of a Viking chief who must capture and train a dragon in order to be initiated into his tribe.

Baruchel will voice that boy, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third (you have to love that name!). His dragon happens to be quite uncooperative.

Ferrera wll be the voice of Astrid, who partners Hiccup for the initiation. Hill plays the bully Snoutlout, and Mintz-Plaase plays Fishlegs, a large Viking with not a lot upstairs.

My son tells me this book series is quite popular, so I have no doubt America will have another hit on her hands. The project was moved back from a March 20,2009 release to March 26,2010.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Post from: Ugly Betty News

I love how they match with the earthtones.

They were there to speak in the Warner Bros Pictures presentation “The Big Picture ‘08″. The two star, along with Ferrera pal Amber Tamblyn and Blake Lively in this summer’s sequel “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2“, set for release August 8.

For a blow-by-blow report of the convention, check out USA Today’s Scott Bowles’ blog.

Lots more pics after the jump.

Post from: Ugly Betty News

I am really looking forward to this film, which has a limited opening March 19th. Here is a Variety review from the showing at Sundance in January.

We’ve seen it before, but purple is a wonderful color for America. I think she looks quite beautiful in these photos.

More after the jump!

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