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And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself

  • TV Movie
  • 20032003
  • TV-MATV-MA
  • 1h 52m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
3.3K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Antonio Banderas in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003)
Home Video Trailer from HBO Home Video
Play trailer0:33
1 Video
15 Photos
  • Biography
  • Drama
  • History

Hollywood makes a deal with Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa to film his war and recreate his life.Hollywood makes a deal with Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa to film his war and recreate his life.Hollywood makes a deal with Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa to film his war and recreate his life.

IMDb RATING
6.5/10
3.3K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Bruce Beresford
  • Writer
    • Larry Gelbart
  • Stars
    • Antonio Banderas
    • Eion Bailey
    • Alan Arkin
Top credits
  • Director
    • Bruce Beresford
  • Writer
    • Larry Gelbart
  • Stars
    • Antonio Banderas
    • Eion Bailey
    • Alan Arkin
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 39User reviews
    • 13Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Primetime Emmy
      • 8 wins & 23 nominations total

    Videos1

    And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself
    Trailer 0:33
    And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself

    Photos15

    Antonio Banderas and Jorge Jimenez in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003)
    Antonio Banderas, Jorge Jiménez, and Jorge Jimenez in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003)
    Korey Pollard, Second Assistant Director on "And starring Pancho Villa as Himself" directing Antonio Bandares in a battle sequence.
    Matt Day in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003)
    Antonio Banderas in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003)
    Antonio Banderas in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003)
    Antonio Banderas in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003)
    Antonio Banderas in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003)
    Eion Bailey in Staring Poncho Via as Himself
    Eion Bailey in And Starring Poncho Villa as Himself
    Eion Bailey in And Starring Poncho Villa as Himself
    Eion Bailey in And Starring Poncho Villa as Himself

    Top cast

    Edit
    Antonio Banderas
    Antonio Banderas
    • Pancho Villaas Pancho Villa
    Eion Bailey
    Eion Bailey
    • Frank Thayeras Frank Thayer
    Alan Arkin
    Alan Arkin
    • Sam Drebbenas Sam Drebben
    Jim Broadbent
    Jim Broadbent
    • Harry Aitkenas Harry Aitken
    Matt Day
    Matt Day
    • John Reedas John Reed
    Michael McKean
    Michael McKean
    • William Christy Cabanneas William Christy Cabanne
    Colm Feore
    Colm Feore
    • D.W. Griffithas D.W. Griffith
    Alexa Davalos
    Alexa Davalos
    • Teddy Sampsonas Teddy Sampson
    Anthony Head
    Anthony Head
    • William Bentonas William Benton
    • (as Anthony Stewart Head)
    Kyle Chandler
    Kyle Chandler
    • Raoul Walshas Raoul Walsh
    Saul Rubinek
    Saul Rubinek
    • Eli Mortonas Eli Morton
    Cosme Alberto
    • Abraham Sanchezas Abraham Sanchez
    Damián Alcázar
    Damián Alcázar
    • Gen. Rodolfo Fierroas Gen. Rodolfo Fierro
    Pedro Armendáriz Jr.
    Pedro Armendáriz Jr.
    • Don Luis Terrazasas Don Luis Terrazas
    • (as Pedro Armendáriz)
    Fernando Becerril
    Fernando Becerril
    • Priestas Priest
    Michael F. Boyle
    • Sgt. Edward Emersonas Sgt. Edward Emerson
    Steven Calcote
    Steven Calcote
    • Reporter #1as Reporter #1
    Rita López Carrasco
    • Carmenas Carmen
    • Director
      • Bruce Beresford
    • Writer
      • Larry Gelbart
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa (Antonio Banderas) finds himself without adequate funding to finance his war against the military-run government. He also finds himself at odds with the Americans because of the Hearst media empire's press campaign against him. To counter both of these, he sends emissaries to movie producers to convince them to pay to film his progress and the actual battles. Producer D.W. Griffith (Colm Feore) becomes interested and sends Frank Thayer (Eion Bailey) with a film crew to develop film reels. Thayer becomes horrified and fascinated by the bandit. He finds an enigmatic individual that is both ghoulishly brutal and charmingly captivating. The resulting film became the first feature length movie, introducing scores of Americans to the true horrors of war that they had never personally seen. Thayer sold the studios on making the film despite their concerns that no one would sit through a movie longer than 1 hour by convincing them that they could raise the price of movies to ten cents, doubling the going price at that time. —John Sacksteder <jsackste@bellsouth.net>
    • revisionist western
    • man murders a woman
    • pancho villa
    • battle
    • bandit
    • 66 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Lights. Camera. Revolution.
    • Genres
      • Biography
      • Drama
      • History
      • War
      • Western
    • Certificate
      • TV-MA
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      While filming a battle between the forces of Pancho Villa and federal troops near Ojinaga for Life of Villa (1912), cameraman Charles Rosher was captured by federal soldiers and brought before their commanding general. Rosher thought he was about to be executed as a spy, and things didn't look too good for him until the Mexican general noticed Rosher's Masonic pin in his lapel. The general then gave Rosher the Masonic greeting; it turned out he was a Mason, too. Instead of being shot as a spy, Rosher was treated as a guest, and was later released after the Mexican government made a deal with the American government that allowed their troops to cross into American territory in order to outflank Villa's forces and attack them from the rear.
    • Goofs
      The screen title "May 9, 1914 - New York City" appears over a shot of Times Square. A billboard reads "The Broadway Melody - Metro Goldwyn Mayer". That studio was founded in 1924, and that movie was released in 1929.
    • Quotes

      Sam Drebben: Another day, another dollar.

    • Connections
      Featured in The 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2004)
    • Soundtracks
      Tierra Mestiza
      Written by Gerardo Tamez

      Perforrmed by Los Toenegritas

      Courtesy of Directóra del Toenegre

    User reviews39

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    A Movie About a Revolutionary and a Legend of a Lost Movie
    In 1914, the Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa (Antonio Banderas) invites studios to shoot his actual battles against Porfírio Diaz army to raise funds for financing guns and ammunition. The Mutual Film Corporation, through producer D.W. Griffith (Colm Feore), interests for the proposition and sends the filmmaker Frank Thayer (Eion Bailey) to negotiate a contract with Pancho Villa himself. They become very close and along months, Frank makes the first feature five reels length movie, "The Life of General Villa", when the usual was two reels only. After edition, another reality about Pancho Villa is screened for the audience.

    "And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself" is a surprisingly good made for television movie. The story about the life of Pancho Villa is also homage to a lost movie. In accordance with the legend, the first five reels length movie would be "The Life of General Villa", directed in 1914 by Frank Thayer with Pancho Villa as himself. Truth, or legend, this interesting movie was nominated for Golden Globe, awarded with seven wins and another eighteen nominations. The cast is splendid, highlighting the performance of Antonio Banderas, who gives a great credibility to General Pancho Villa. My vote is eight.

    Title (Brazil): "E Estrelando Pancho Villa" ("And Starring Pancho Villa")
    helpful•9
    3
    • claudio_carvalho
    • Oct 1, 2006

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 7, 2003 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Mexico
    • Official site
      • HBO Films
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Med Pancho Villa som sig själv
    • Filming locations
      • Guanajuato, Mexico
    • Production companies
      • City Entertainment
      • Green Moon Productions
      • HBO Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 52 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

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