Cronicas (2004) Crónicas (original title)

Popularity:

Down 13% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Sebastián Cordero

Writer:

Sebastián Cordero

Release Date:

6 October 2005 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Inspired by a true story

Plot:

A suspense thriller about a reporter from Miami who travels to Ecuador in pursuit of a serial killer known as the "Monster of Babahoyo."

Plot Keywords:

Serial Killer | Ecuador | Interview | Latino American | Childbirth

Awards:

9 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

John Leguizamo	...	Manolo Bonilla
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Damián Alcázar	...	Vinicio Cepeda
Peki Andino	...	Sargento Saltos (as Peky Andino)
Amira Bustamante	...	Señorita Autógrafo
Carlos Cedeño	...	Hombre Enfurecido 2
Andrés Crespo	...	Preso Medio Gramo
Elena Del Rocío Murillo	...	Partera
Susana Díaz Nieto	...	Secretaria Sociedad Biblica
Jaime Estrada	...	Señor Limpieza
Washington Garzón	...	Joseph Juan
Ricardo Paul Gonzalez	...	Policía Mina
Patricia Higuera	...	Reportera
Hugo Idrovo	...	Lic. Orestes Zambrano
Víctor Feratio Jiménez	...	Roger
Adrián Layana	...	Joven Violento
Henry Layana	...	Don Lucho
Walter Layana	...	Vendedor 'Extras'
Gloria Leiton	...	Esperanza
Camilo Luzuriaga	...	Capitán Bolivar Rojas
Joyce Macías Figueroa	...	Bebé Esperanza
Naidelín Macías Figueroa	...	Bebé Esperanza
Pablo Maldonado	...	Hombre Enfurecido 1
Alfredo Martínez	...	Amigo Don Lucho
Andrés Meza	...	Guía Carcel
Alfred Molina	...	Victor Hugo Puente
Azucena Mora	...	Mujer Enfurecida
Doris Muñiz	...	Señora Teléfono Público
Tamara Navas	...	Doña Etelvina
Lic. Diego Oquendo	...	Presentador Noticiero
Rosa Alina Ortiz	...	Amiga Don Lucho
Gabriel Paredes	...	Policía Patlo de Autos
Luiggi Pulla	...	Robert
José Adolfo Ramos	...	Niño Foto
Manolo Sarmiento	...	Maestro
Nancy Tamayo	...	Azafata
Boris Valverde	...	Médico Forense
Fabiola Villanueva	...	Señora Foto
Leonor Watling	...	Marisa Iturralde
José María Yazpik	...	Iván Suárez
Raymundo Zambrano	...	Cura

Directed by
Sebastián Cordero

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Sebastián Cordero

Produced by
Alfonso Cuarón	....	producer
Guillermo del Toro	....	producer
Isabel Dávalos	....	producer
Carolina Fox	....	line producer
Bertha Navarro	....	producer
James Ordonez	....	executive producer
Lisandra Rivera	....	line producer
Frida Torresblanco	....	executive producer
Jorge Vergara	....	producer

Original Music by
Antonio Pinto

Cinematography by
Enrique Chediak

Film Editing by
Luis Carballar
Iván Mora Manzano

Casting by
Mauricio Samaniego

Production Design by
Eugenio Caballero

Art Direction by
Roberto Frisone
James David Goldmark

Set Decoration by
Barbara Enriquez		(decorator)

Costume Design by
Monica Ruiz-Ziegler

Makeup Department
Lucy Da Silva	....	makeup artist
Regina Reyes	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Paola Herrera	....	assistant production manager
Karla Moles	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tania Hermida	....	second assistant director
Claudio Reiter	....	first assistant director
Mauricio Samaniego	....	second assistant director
Felipe Teran	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Alfredo Mora Manzano	....	art department coordinator
Oscar Tello	....	set dresser: Mexico

Sound Department
Saúl Almaráz	....	foley recordist
Jaime Baksht	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sergio Diaz	....	first assistant sound editor
Martín Hernández	....	sound designer
Martín Hernández	....	supervising sound editor
Pedro Mejía	....	boom operator
Santiago Núñez	....	sound mixer
Alejandro Quevedo	....	sound editor

Visual Effects by
Motassem Younes	....	digital opticals

Stunts
Julian Bucio	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Olivier Auverlau	....	camera operator: second unit
Mauricio Cadena	....	video assist
Aurelia Winborn	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Natalie Arango	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Joe Fineman	....	post-production consultant
Chris Wallace	....	colorist: HDTV

Music Department
Gui Amabis	....	additional music crew
Gui Amabis	....	music programmer
Rica Amabis	....	music mixer
Rica Amabis	....	score mixer
Tejo Damasceno	....	music mixer (as Tejo)
Tejo Damasceno	....	score mixer (as Tejo)
Annette Fradera	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Frederik Bois	....	title designer
Gabriela Calvache	....	production coordinator
Mariana Gironella	....	script supervisor
Mandy Goldberg	....	assistant: Ms. Torresblanco
Mandy Goldberg	....	production coordinator: Los Angeles
Erin Heidenreich	....	sales agent
Christian Hidalgo	....	production assistant
Octavio Hinojosa	....	production intern
Quincy Perkins	....	production assistant
Juan Pablo Rovayo	....	location manager
Lutgardo Vera	....	set
Arturo Yepez	....	assistant location manager

Thanks
Stephen Gyllenhaal	....	thanks
Ron Nyswaner	....	thanks
Fatima Alba Rendon Huerta	....	special thanks: artistic contribution

Production Companies

• Cabezahueca
• Tequila Gang
• Esperanto Filmoj
• Producciones Anhelo

Distributors

• Palm Pictures (2005) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Ascot Elite Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Palm Pictures (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Tohokushinsha Film Corporation (TFC) (2006) (Japan) (all media)
• Versus Entertainment (2006) (Spain) (all media)

Other Companies

• Cinetic Media  sales
• Jeremy Walker + Associates  publicity
• Otto Nemenz International  camera equipment
• Sound One  adr: New York
• Tayrona Entertainment Group  film production services
• Ztrackz  sound editing

Also Known As:

"Crónicas" - Mexico (original title)
"Chronicles" - International (English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, a scene of sexuality, and language

Runtime:

108 min | Japan:98 min | USA:98 min (DVD)

Country:

Mexico | Ecuador

Language:

Spanish | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Japan:R-18 | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:M18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Babahoyo, Ecuador

Company:

Cabezahueca

Trivia:

This was Colombian actor John Leguizamo's first film in Spanish. As all of his projects have been in English, he felt awkward talking in Spanish while acting. He felt he didn't know the language.

Disturbing, but very good

It's hard to rate a movie that you find intensely disturbing and a bit nauseating. I saw this at the Philadelphia Film Festival, and the friend who saw it with me was equally disturbed - we both wanted to give it a rating of F***ed Up. Then again, if you spend the next two hours talking about how much a movie bothered you, that means it was well acted and directed, right?

The reporter (Leguizamo) crosses the boundaries of morality and goes too far in pursuit of his story, and the movie ends on a very unsatisfactory note. Still, the bad guy is very good at being a psychopath, and the reporter and his crew are very good at being morally bankrupt. See Cronicas, but brace yourself for unpleasant subject matter.