Manga Latina: Killer on the Loose
Encyclopedia
Manga Latina: Killer on the Loose is a 2005
independent
dark comedy animation
film
by Manga Latina Productions, distributed by H2V Distribution, and directed by Henrique Vera Villanueva. It premiered at midnight
on April 28, on the Providence Latino Film Festival, and tells the story of Víctor La Cruz and his friends from El Barrio, in a satirical quest to stop a bloody serial killer
.
young man and El Chucho, an outspoken repairsman, live with their friends in the peaceful El Barrio, located in Manga Latina - "the 52rd state in the US
". However, a series of disturbing, gory
homicide
s begin to terrorize Víctor's community, and the news of a "killer on the loose" are quickly spread. The media warns about the killer's habit of dismembering victims to the point of leaving them unrecognizable, and that the killer is a master of disguise
with more than 300 victims.
The authorities, on the other hand, don't really seem to care much about the wellbeing of El Barrio's inhabitants. But the rebellious Víctor, far from dismayed by this lack of government interest, decides he will investigate the matter personally, as according to him, these are not just dead people anymore - they're dead Latinos. After consulting El Padrino
, a santería
-practising wise man, Víctor teams up with his delusional and odd friends in order to stop the killer, "Manga Latina" style.
Víctor's group, besides of Chucho, consists of Bello (beautiful), thin and paranoid, who is sure that the killer is after him for no particular reason; Ricky, a pothead
and green-haired man, who is worried that the killer will get him because of his lightheadness; and the Sisters C.C., Claudia and Camila, who just join in to protect El Barrio. Nevertheless, all they seem to be able to do is hang around Rafa's cafeteria, where coffee is always free no matter what, waiting for the latest news on the killer's attacks, and driving around Chucho's car with a megaphone
telling people to stay home.
Eventually, the media starts to give out vague hints to recognize the killer, so vague that the killer could be anybody. Regardless, Víctor starts to suspect an unnamed piñata
maker, or a British
musician, both of whom make life impossible for the other inhabitants from El Barrio (one with his deformed piñatas, and the other with his loud annoying music).
2005 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
independent
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
dark comedy animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
by Manga Latina Productions, distributed by H2V Distribution, and directed by Henrique Vera Villanueva. It premiered at midnight
Midnight
Midnight is the transition time period from one day to the next: the moment when the date changes. In the Roman time system, midnight was halfway between sunset and sunrise, varying according to the seasons....
on April 28, on the Providence Latino Film Festival, and tells the story of Víctor La Cruz and his friends from El Barrio, in a satirical quest to stop a bloody serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
.
Plot
In Manga Latina, Víctor La Cruz, a bold latinoLatino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
young man and El Chucho, an outspoken repairsman, live with their friends in the peaceful El Barrio, located in Manga Latina - "the 52rd state in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
". However, a series of disturbing, gory
Graphic violence
Graphic violence is the depiction of especially vivid, brutal and realistic acts of violence in visual media such as literature, film, television, and video games...
homicide
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
s begin to terrorize Víctor's community, and the news of a "killer on the loose" are quickly spread. The media warns about the killer's habit of dismembering victims to the point of leaving them unrecognizable, and that the killer is a master of disguise
Disguise
A disguise can be anything which conceals or changes a person's physical appearance, including a wig, glasses, makeup, costume or other ways. Camouflage is one type of disguise for people, animals and objects...
with more than 300 victims.
The authorities, on the other hand, don't really seem to care much about the wellbeing of El Barrio's inhabitants. But the rebellious Víctor, far from dismayed by this lack of government interest, decides he will investigate the matter personally, as according to him, these are not just dead people anymore - they're dead Latinos. After consulting El Padrino
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
, a santería
Santería
Santería is a syncretic religion of West African and Caribbean origin influenced by Roman Catholic Christianity, also known as Regla de Ocha, La Regla Lucumi, or Lukumi. Its liturgical language, a dialect of Yoruba, is also known as Lucumi....
-practising wise man, Víctor teams up with his delusional and odd friends in order to stop the killer, "Manga Latina" style.
Víctor's group, besides of Chucho, consists of Bello (beautiful), thin and paranoid, who is sure that the killer is after him for no particular reason; Ricky, a pothead
Pothead
A pothead is a type of insulated electrical terminal used for transitioning from overhead to underground high voltage cable or for connecting overhead wiring to equipment like transformers. Its name comes from the process of potting or encapsulation of the conductors inside the terminal's...
and green-haired man, who is worried that the killer will get him because of his lightheadness; and the Sisters C.C., Claudia and Camila, who just join in to protect El Barrio. Nevertheless, all they seem to be able to do is hang around Rafa's cafeteria, where coffee is always free no matter what, waiting for the latest news on the killer's attacks, and driving around Chucho's car with a megaphone
Megaphone
A megaphone, speaking-trumpet, bullhorn, blowhorn, or loud hailer is a portable, usually hand-held, cone-shaped horn used to amplify a person’s voice or other sounds towards a targeted direction. This is accomplished by channelling the sound through the megaphone, which also serves to match the...
telling people to stay home.
Eventually, the media starts to give out vague hints to recognize the killer, so vague that the killer could be anybody. Regardless, Víctor starts to suspect an unnamed piñata
Piñata
A piñata is a papier-mâché or other type of container that is decorated, filled with toys and or candy and then broken as part of a ceremony or celebration. Piñatas are most commonly associated with Mexico, but its origins are considered to be in China...
maker, or a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
musician, both of whom make life impossible for the other inhabitants from El Barrio (one with his deformed piñatas, and the other with his loud annoying music).
Cast
- Víctor La Cruz - Kerry ShaleKerry ShaleKerry Shale is a UK-based actor, writer and voice-over artist. He is married to Suzanne Shale, a former Oxford University law don, now a specialist in the field of medical ethics.-Theatre:...
- El Chucho - Luis Soto
- Bello / Ricky - Julian Littman
- Claudia / Camila - Laurel Lefkow
- Rafa - Carlos Riera
- Anchorman - Vincent Marcelo
- Pepita Channing - Laurence Bouvard
- Felipa - Lorelei KingLorelei KingLorelei King is a United States-born actress who has been based in the United Kingdom since 1981. She has narrated audiobooks, acted in radio plays for BBC Radio 4 and appeared on television.- Early life :...
- Manconeti - Paul Hicky
- The President - Bob ShermanBob Sherman (actor)Robert Sherman was an American-born dramaturge, playwright, and film and television actor, best remembered for his role as CIA agent Jeff Ross in the British television series The Sandbaggers.-Select television:...
Staff
- Director - Henrique Vera Villanueva
- Executive Producer - Louie Porco
- Producer - Antony Blakey
- Screenplay - Daniel Brandt Hernandez, Kathryn Klassen, Henrique Vera Villanueva
- Character Designer - Yat-Chi Lau
- Cinematography - Eric Heroux
- Art Direction - Marlene Edoyan, Yat-Chi Lau
- Original Music - Roberto C. López, Maxime Lepage,
- Editor - Christian Roy