Walter Mercado signed off every one of his wildly popular televised astrology readings with a vital and uplifting message, one which resonates just as much today: “Reciban de mi siempre mucho paz, pero sobre todo mucho mucho mucho amor.” May you receive from me always, peace, lots of peace, but above all, lots and lots of love.
The late Puerto Rican actor and dancer was the first and most widely televised astrologer in the world, gracing TV screens and radio stations in every Spanish-speaking market for nearly four decades beginning in the 1970s. He disappeared from public view amidst an arduous legal battle over the rights to his name and previous work, retreating to a fortress-like villa in San Juan. His outsized personality, dazzling capes, and uplifting message of love earned him the arduous devotion of millions of fans the world over. Mercado passed away in 2019, but his spirit endures,...
The late Puerto Rican actor and dancer was the first and most widely televised astrologer in the world, gracing TV screens and radio stations in every Spanish-speaking market for nearly four decades beginning in the 1970s. He disappeared from public view amidst an arduous legal battle over the rights to his name and previous work, retreating to a fortress-like villa in San Juan. His outsized personality, dazzling capes, and uplifting message of love earned him the arduous devotion of millions of fans the world over. Mercado passed away in 2019, but his spirit endures,...
- 7/9/2020
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
The English-speaking world had Miss Cleo, and the Spanish-speaking world had Walter Mercado. While one turned out to be a con artist, the other disappeared from public eye without so much as a characteristically dramatic flourish. The legendary Puerto Rican psychic and astrologer captivated the Latin world with his glamorous style, gender-nonconforming persona, and warmhearted cosmic readings. Now, he is poised to reach a new level of fandom with a lovingly crafted documentary about his life and career, directed by Cristina Costantini and Kareem Tabsch. “Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado” premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival in January, and will hit screens worldwide on Netflix next week.
Here’s the official synopsis: “Every day for decades, extravagant Puerto Rican astrologer, psychic, and gender nonconforming legend Walter Mercado charmed the world with his televised horoscopes. Equal parts Oprah, Liberace, and Mr. Rogers, Walter reached over 120 million viewers at his peak,...
Here’s the official synopsis: “Every day for decades, extravagant Puerto Rican astrologer, psychic, and gender nonconforming legend Walter Mercado charmed the world with his televised horoscopes. Equal parts Oprah, Liberace, and Mr. Rogers, Walter reached over 120 million viewers at his peak,...
- 6/29/2020
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
If any of the subjects of Andy Sweet’s colorful photographs were alive today, they might wonder: “Whatever happened to that nice boy? He was such a mensch.” They would certainly be saddened to learn of his grisly death, but heartened to see his remarkable work recognized in Kareem Tabsch and Dennis Scholl’s delightful love letter to Miami’s South Beach, the charming new documentary “The Last Resort.”
Using Sweet’s vibrant photography as a framing device and visual palette, this charming documentary — like Miami itself — has a little bit of everything: Old Jews, Art Deco architecture, serious beach style, rival artists, and a dash of queerness for good measure. Just don’t expect funny one-liners from nonagenarian caricatures; “The Last Resort” is more photographic history lesson than comic character study. The film benefits from plenty of truth-is-stranger-than-fiction twists, and the result is a patchwork storytelling technique that leaves...
Using Sweet’s vibrant photography as a framing device and visual palette, this charming documentary — like Miami itself — has a little bit of everything: Old Jews, Art Deco architecture, serious beach style, rival artists, and a dash of queerness for good measure. Just don’t expect funny one-liners from nonagenarian caricatures; “The Last Resort” is more photographic history lesson than comic character study. The film benefits from plenty of truth-is-stranger-than-fiction twists, and the result is a patchwork storytelling technique that leaves...
- 12/28/2018
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
In advance of its New York premiere at next month’s Doc NYC, Kino Lorber has picked up the North American rights to Dennis Scholl and Kareem Tabsch’s “The Last Resort,” a charming look at a Miami Beach that no longer exists, as initially documented by a pair of talented photographers. In the 1970s, Miami Beach was home to a massive cluster of Jewish retirees, the original snowbirds who set out for the warm enclave to escape harsh Northeast winters, only to find a bustling and culturally rich new home.
This budding community eventually caught the attention of photographers Andy Sweet and Gary Monroe, who embarked on an ambitious 10-year project to document the retirees in their new paradise. Sweet and Monroe shot thousands of images of the community, with Monroe opting for more stark black and white images, while Sweet favored the kind of candy-colored photos that informed that early Floridian aesthetic.
This budding community eventually caught the attention of photographers Andy Sweet and Gary Monroe, who embarked on an ambitious 10-year project to document the retirees in their new paradise. Sweet and Monroe shot thousands of images of the community, with Monroe opting for more stark black and white images, while Sweet favored the kind of candy-colored photos that informed that early Floridian aesthetic.
- 10/17/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
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