Piñero (2001)

Director:

Leon Ichaso

Writer:

Leon Ichaso (written by)

Release Date:

12 April 2002 (Brazil)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Plot:

"Piñero" tells the story of the explosive life of a Latino icon, the poet-playwright-actor Miguel Piñero...

Plot Keywords:

Miguel Piñero | Drugs | Sing Sing | Latino | New York City

Awards:

6 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Benjamin Bratt	...	Miguel Piñero
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Miguel Algarin
Talisa Soto	...	Sugar
Nelson Vasquez	...	Tito Goya
Michael Wright	...	Edgar Bowser
Michael Irby	...	Reinaldo Povod
Rita Moreno	...	Miguel's Mother
Jaime Sánchez	...	Miguel's Father (as Jamier Sanchez)
Rome Neal	...	Jake
Mandy Patinkin	...	Joseph Papp
Oscar A. Colon	...	Bodega Man (as Oscar Colon)
Miriam Cruz	...	Bodega Woman
Luis Caballero	...	Shooting Gallery Man
Sophia Domoulin	...	Shooting Gallery Woman
Robert Klein	...	Doctor
Gilbert Callazo	...	Miguel, as teen
Samuel Bruce Campbell	...	Short Eyes Cop
Loraine Velez	...	Tutu
Eric Nieves	...	Nuyorican
Antonia Rey	...	Senora
Griffin Dunne	...	Agent
Lisa Rhoden	...	P.A. Woman
Valentina Quinn	...	Interviewer
Al D. Rodriguez	...	Cuqui
Bruno Iannone	...	Port Authority Cop
Fisher Stevens	...	Public Theatre Cashier
Jack O'Connell	...	Chauffeur
Ray Santiago	...	Willie
Charles Santy	...	Lincoln
Vanessa Del Sol	...	Heist Woman
Jaime Tirelli	...	Marty
O.L. Duke	...	Paul
Ed Vassallo	...	Tito Arrest Cop (as Edward Vassallo)
Amanda KC	...	Barrio Bar Woman
Bill Boggs	...	Lennon Anchorman
Mateo Gómez	...	Auditorium man (as Mateo Gomez)
Tony Vazzo	...	Auditorium Man 2
Charles Sammarco	...	Strange Shower Guy
Lydia Trueheart	...	Woman with Baby
Johnny Ortiz	...	Gang Member (as John Ortiz)
Panchito Gómez	...	Acting Inmate (as Panchito Gomez)
Amiri Baraka	...	Himself
Pedro Pietri	...	Himself
Jamal Joseph	...	Himself
Miguel Algarín	...	Himself (as Miguel Algarin)
Tara Wilson	...	Tito's Girlfriend
Joanne Newborn	...	Fur Woman #1
Francine Berman	...	Fur Woman #2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Philip Del Rio	...	Angry Father (scenes deleted)
Muhammad Ali	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Vincent Bagnall	...	Restaurant patron (uncredited)
Will Fonseca	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)
Don Johnson	...	Detective Sonny Crocket (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ayatollah Khomeini	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Bob Marley	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Casper Martinez	...	Bar patron (uncredited)
Richard Nixon	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Sean Simms	...	Prison Inmate (uncredited)
Philip Michael Thomas	...	Detective Ricardo Tubbs (archive footage) (uncredited)
Marty Vaz	...	Rikers Island Corrections Officer (uncredited)
Adrian Wattenmaker	...	French Filmmaker (uncredited)
Marc Yarrish	...	Principle Inmate (uncredited)

Directed by
Leon Ichaso

Writing credits
Leon Ichaso		(written by)

Produced by
Kathy DeMarco	....	co-executive producer (as Kathy Demarco)
Jamie Gordon	....	co-producer
Caroline Jaczko	....	line producer
John Leguizamo	....	co-executive producer
John Penotti	....	producer
Lisa Rhoden	....	associate producer
Fisher Stevens	....	producer
Glen Trotiner	....	associate producer
Tim Williams	....	producer
Bradley Yonover	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Kip Hanrahan

Cinematography by
Claudio Chea		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
David Tedeschi

Casting by
Ellyn Long Marshall
Maria E. Nelson

Production Design by
Sharon Lomofsky

Art Direction by
Timothy Whidbee

Set Decoration by
Susan Ogu

Costume Design by
Sandra Hernandez

Makeup Department
Mary Cooke	....	key hair stylist
Renee Didio	....	assistant makeup artist
Evelyne Noraz	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Miles Ferguson	....	post-production supervisor
Sean Garrett Fogel	....	production supervisor
Ines Mongil-Echandi	....	production manager
Glen Trotiner	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dean Garvin	....	second assistant director
Glen Trotiner	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Sarah Berney	....	scenic artist
Duke Scoppa	....	property master

Sound Department
Ethan Beigel	....	foley mixer
Andrew Edelman	....	sound
Brian Fish	....	sound utility
Mariusz Glabinski	....	sound effects editor
Marlena Grzaslewicz	....	adr editor
Bruce Kitzmeyer	....	dialogue editor
Ira Spiegel	....	supervising sound editor
Paul Vasquez	....	adr recordist

Visual Effects by
Victor Barroso	....	visual effects
Michael Ventresco	....	title designer: Redscare Inc. (uncredited)

Stunts
Peter Bucossi	....	stunt coordinator
Don Hewitt	....	stunt safety
David Shumbris	....	stunt double: Benjamin Bratt
Manny Siverio	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Nalini Alfonseca	....	grip
Renzo Spirit Buffalo	....	assistant camera
James Casey	....	third electrician
Jesse Cummings	....	video engineer
Eric Gearity	....	key grip
Abbot Genser	....	still photographer
Tim Glascoff	....	best boy grip
Larry Huston	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Lou Massa	....	company grip
Paul Niccolls	....	electrician
Nate Ranger	....	assistant camera
Rob Salviotti	....	first assistant camera
Perry Unjang	....	additional electrician
Cliff Weisner	....	gaffer
John Woods	....	best boy electric

Casting Department
Alexia de Boynes	....	casting assistant
Winsome Sinclair	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sukari McGill	....	set costumer
David F. Zambrana	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Michael Hatzer	....	color timer
David Penotti	....	post-production assistant
Paul Zucker	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Michael Jay	....	music editor
Michael Carey Schneider	....	source music coordinator
Kenny Vance	....	music supervisor
Ken Weiss	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Lucio Amadio	....	assistant to producer
Bob Barress	....	production assistant
Charlynne J. Hopson	....	location manager
Laura H. Kreft	....	key accountant
Scott Lazar	....	production assistant
Dan Lundy	....	assistant location manager
Andrew B. Marcus	....	assistant to producer
Seth William Meier	....	production assistant
Eddie Micallef	....	key production assistant
Julia Morgan	....	production assistant
Anthony Pettine	....	script supervisor
Jorge Pupo	....	adr group supervisor
Vivian Rebella	....	production assistant
Jesus A. Del Rosario Jr.	....	stand-in

Thanks
Miguel Algarín	....	the producers wish to thank (as Miguel Algarin)
Edgar Bowser	....	to the memory of (as Edgar)
Neal Gantcher	....	the producers wish to thank
Tito Goya	....	to the memory of (as Tito)
Don Johnson	....	the producers wish to thank
Bill Nisselson	....	the producers wish to thank
David Nochimson	....	the producers wish to thank
Yoko Ono	....	the producers wish to thank
Joseph Papp	....	to the memory of (as Joe Papp)
Miguel Pinero	....	to the memory of (as Miguel)
Reinaldo Povod	....	to the memory of (as Reinaldo)
Jorge Pupo	....	the producers wish to thank
Philip Michael Thomas	....	the producers wish to thank
Bart Walker	....	the producers wish to thank

Production Companies

• Burnside Entertainment
• GreeneStreet Films
• Lower East Side Films

Distributors

• Media Suits (Japan) (theatrical)
• Alliance Atlantis Communications (2002) (Canada) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (Brazil) (VHS)
• Buena Vista International (Argentina)
• Highlight Film (Germany)
• Miramax Films (worldwide)
• New Films International

Other Companies

• GreeneStreet Films  financing

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for drug use, strong language and sexuality

Runtime:

103 min | Canada:94 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III | Japan:R-15 | New Zealand:R16 | Singapore:R(A) | UK:18 | USA:R | Canada:A | Iceland:16

Company:

Burnside Entertainment

Movie Connections:

References Serpico (1973)

Soundtrack:

Irresistible

my top five movies of the year

Pinero definitely makes it to my top five movies of the year 2001. It's one of the best movies I have seen. I completely dived into the story of this multifaceted artist who lived his live with drugs and poems, success and the streets of the Lower East Side.

Benjamin Bratt gives an astonishing performance - far off the "nice" characters he used to play. I completely bought into him being Pinero. I did not for one second think about him as Benjamin Bratt - he is Pinero with all his might.