And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself

Starring:Antonio Banderas, Eion Bailey, Alan Arkin, Jim Broadbent, Matt Day, Michael McKean, Colm Feore, Alexa Davalos, Anthony Head, Kyle Chandler, Saul Rubinek, Cosme Alberto, DamiÃ¡n AlcÃ¡zar, Pedro ArmendÃ¡riz Jr., Fernando Becerril, Michael F. Boyle, Steven Calcote, Rita LÃ³pez Carrasco, Carl Dillard, Omar Espino
Director: Bruce Beresford
Studio: Hbo Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
A bizarre footnote from film history comes to life in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself, an ambitious made-for-HBO opus that casts a jaundiced eye on Hollywood and politics. It's based on truth: in 1913, a movie crew went to Mexico to film general Pancho Villa, who was in the middle of leading a revolution in his country. Screenwriter Larry Gelbart and director Bruce Beresford use this mind-boggling situation to measure various Hollywood absurdities, but also to comment on the way showbiz has bent reality to fit convenient, crowd-pleasing expectations. Antonio Banderas gets a full head of steam going as Villa; he's so much better than anybody else in the movie, he underscores the weak performances of the other leads. You get the impression there were so many good anecdotes about this production, the movie can't quite find a focus. Still, for aficionados of movie lore, it's an absorbing look back at truly wild days. --Robert Horton
Description
Antonio Banderas (Spy Kids, Once Upon a Time in Mexico) delivers a powerful, larger-than-life performance as the title character of this incredible true story of how Mexican Revolutionary, Pancho Villa, allowed a Hollywood crew to film him in battle, altering the course of film and military history in the process. The adventure gets its start when early movie giants D.W. Griffith (Colm Feore) and Harry Aiken (Jim Broadbent), send a junior executive, Frank Thayer (Eion Bailey) to Mexico to persuade the cash-strapped, publicity-hungry Villa to let them film his revolution. Stepping into the literal crossfire, Thayer's crew risks their lives in the mingling of fiction and reality. After a string of dangerous exploits, narrow escapes and double-crosses worthy of a silent action short, Thayer and Villa make their movie, and "The Life of General Villa" is released in the U.S. to popular acclaim. The film changes the public opinion in Villa's favor and proves that "the lens is mightier than the sword."

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Audio commentary with writer/executive producer Larry Gelbart
Featurette:Behind the scenes

Average customer rating:

balderdash, marketing film fiction as pseudo history
THE LOST REELS OF PANCHO VILLA
Maybe Not History, but Good Fiction
A surprise preformance, solid production but...uneven.
A Very Solid Movie

And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself
Starring: Antonio Banderas , Eion Bailey , Alan Arkin , Jim Broadbent , and Matt Day
Director: Bruce Beresford
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001FVECM
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Amazon.com

A bizarre footnote from film history comes to life in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself, an ambitious made-for-HBO opus that casts a jaundiced eye on Hollywood and politics. It's based on truth: in 1913, a movie crew went to Mexico to film general Pancho Villa, who was in the middle of leading a revolution in his country. Screenwriter Larry Gelbart and director Bruce Beresford use this mind-boggling situation to measure various Hollywood absurdities, but also to comment on the way showbiz has bent reality to fit convenient, crowd-pleasing expectations. Antonio Banderas gets a full head of steam going as Villa; he's so much better than anybody else in the movie, he underscores the weak performances of the other leads. You get the impression there were so many good anecdotes about this production, the movie can't quite find a focus. Still, for aficionados of movie lore, it's an absorbing look back at truly wild days. --Robert Horton

Description

Antonio Banderas (Spy Kids, Once Upon a Time in Mexico) delivers a powerful, larger-than-life performance as the title character of this incredible true story of how Mexican Revolutionary, Pancho Villa, allowed a Hollywood crew to film him in battle, altering the course of film and military history in the process. The adventure gets its start when early movie giants D.W. Griffith (Colm Feore) and Harry Aiken (Jim Broadbent), send a junior executive, Frank Thayer (Eion Bailey) to Mexico to persuade the cash-strapped, publicity-hungry Villa to let them film his revolution. Stepping into the literal crossfire, Thayer's crew risks their lives in the mingling of fiction and reality. After a string of dangerous exploits, narrow escapes and double-crosses worthy of a silent action short, Thayer and Villa make their movie, and "The Life of General Villa" is released in the U.S. to popular acclaim. The film changes the public opinion in Villa's favor and proves that "the lens is mightier than the sword."

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Audio commentary with writer/executive producer Larry Gelbart
Featurette:Behind the scenes

Customer Reviews:

balderdash, marketing film fiction as pseudo history.......2007-06-01

This is a B grade movie for HBO that is not even up to that networks standards. Disclaimer at the start {this movie could have happened.......] does not cover the utter nonsense of this film.Yes Pancho Villa did cut a deal with a movie company to shoot his revolution and that is where this movie takes off in a blaze of BS. YES, antonio Banderas is handsome, spanish and swaggers around alot. YES, Pancho Villa was an amazing historical character that fought the repressive totalitarian regiems of Diaz and Huerta for ten turbulent years of the mexican revolution. YES, This film is stupid hollywood pulp made to make money and the same old stuff repeated over and oevver again. Also, why does every film have William Randolph Hearst as the "the bad guy". I'm getting tired of this device and it is also fiction passed off as history. negative stars would be better becasue this is bad for you to watch as it totally mis represents the truth.

THE LOST REELS OF PANCHO VILLA.......2006-05-22

It is fair to say that we do not remember Noah for his drunkeness but for the Ark that he built to save many....

Pancho Villa was trully guilty of fighting against a corrupt Mexican Dictatorship and attacking Americans who had illegally settled on Mexican soil. It is easy to undermine such histories when making a film that reads like a one page synopsys of a man who struggled to change his country for the better. Antonio Banderas attempt at portraying Pancho Villa as a charismatic, self determined leader comes off well but falls short due to the limitations in script and budget. This film should be seen as an introduction to versed films like "Pancho Villa" or "The lost Reels of Pancho Villa." Only then might the true complexity of his life and struggles be understood.

"learning without wisdom is like a bunch of books on a donkeys back"
-ZNHurtson

Maybe Not History, but Good Fiction.......2006-01-16

When making this kind of historical fiction, too many people expect that it is going to be a documentary; it isn't anything like that. This film is an interesting, ambiguous study of how perceptions can change by being validated by something bigger than they: something like the movies, which in itself is an absurd premise, but something that we live with every day. I wish the characters in the flim were better referenced, as I know D.W. Griffith, Charles Rosher, Christy Cabanne, and others are part of the plot as in real life, but I couldn't tell you who they were in the production, as their attributions went by so fast. Villa as a villain and charismatic leader of the masses has a built-in paradox to it, as does the documentary format in film in any case. It is a pity that the original film doesn't exist any longer (along with 90% of silent film that was made, unfortunately), especially as it was under D.W. Griffith's auspices, when the rest of his oeuvre exists down to the last reel.

A surprise preformance, solid production but...uneven........2004-12-16

Antonio, my hat is off to you. Who could have guessed how good you really can be? I have been watching movies for over 50 years, and never have I seen a better job of portraying a multifaceted character while never for one second letting go of his true identity. Bravo! As to the movie itself, it exhibits production values and attention to detail far beyond the Hollywood norm, and unheard of in television studio production. The history, the hardware and the costumes, were all excellent. Unfortunately as one of my fellow reviewers has already pointed out, Senior Banderas' inspired performance, the highly polished production, the good presentation of factual history and the stellar performances of many of the minor supporting actors carried the entire production. The script was poorly conceived and crafted. The plot line was confused, confusing and lack luster. The direction was safe and adequate, but not nothing more. Worst of all, the other lead actors were either uninspired or just not really all that good at what they do. Next time, HBO, spend a buck or two on a director who knows the wide screed and on supporting leads who can carry their weight. Still, this is not a horrible picture. Senior Banderas' Tour-de-force performance and the highly polished accuracy of the production make it well worthwhile. I don't think that the movie's intent of showing an accurate picture of the early days of Hollywood was fulfilled. However, they got the history right, not always an easy thin to do.

A Very Solid Movie.......2004-11-02

I've just watched this movie and was curious to see what others had thought about it. I was so suprised to see how low the star ratings were that I felt compelled to comment. I can't say much for it's historical value, but the movie itself is thoroughly entertaining - which is why I watch movies in the first place.
Though I was never a fan of his - Antonio Banderas was awesome in this! The production value was on par with the major motion picture industry, this isn't your low budget 'made for tv' flick.
If you like westerns, this is a good, solid film that will fit nicely in that genre.

And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself [Region 2]

Average customer rating:

balderdash, marketing film fiction as pseudo history
THE LOST REELS OF PANCHO VILLA
Maybe Not History, but Good Fiction
A surprise preformance, solid production but...uneven.
A Very Solid Movie

And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself [Region 2]
Starring: Antonio Banderas , Eion Bailey , Alan Arkin , Jim Broadbent , and Matt Day
Director: Bruce Beresford
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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