http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle Your numer one resource for the latest in Kuno news. en kbonline kbonline Thu, 01 Jun 2006 02:46:12 +0200 daily 1 Mexican actor KUNO BECKER almost missed out starring in soccer movie trilogy GOAL because he could hardly kick a ball at his audition. Becker, who plays footballer SANTIAGO MUNEZ in the DANNY CANNON films, reveals the director almost sent him home after he failed to deliver on the soccer pitch. But Becker persevered because he'd worked so hard on his skills in the weeks leading up to the audition in England. He explains, "I trained so hard that I had stress fractures in my ankles. So the day of the audition, I was icing my feet every two hours. Forget about playing soccer, I couldn't walk. "Danny Cannon told me to do a couple of things with the ball and I couldn't do them. He told me to go back and catch my flight to Los Angeles, and thanks for coming. "I said to myself, 'I'm already here. I broke my freakin' ankles, so he at least has to see what I've learned.' "I went back and told one of the producers, 'Tell Danny Cannon to try to get the ball from me, on the field.' Danny tried five times and... Thu, 01 Jun 2006 02:46:12 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/GOAL-STAR-BECKER-S-SOCCER-PAIN-AT-AUDITION/87/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/GOAL-STAR-BECKER-S-SOCCER-PAIN-AT-AUDITION/87/ Goal! The Dream Begins" is another sports movie that shares the love of the sport with heart. Newcomer Kuno Becker plays Santiago Muñez, an illegal immigrant who came from Mexico to Los Angeles to do yard work with his father's company. The only thing that he does for himself is play soccer. When former scout Glen Foy, played by Stephen Dillane, happens to see Muñez playing club soccer, he tells Muñez that if he wanted to, he could have a chance at going pro. After much consideration and many fights with his father, Muñez catches a plane to Newcastle, England, to try out for their professional soccer team. The trial is long and Muñez suffers many speed bumps in his path to success, even a romantic plot twist, but, of course, his story ends happily. Many Redlands movie goers enjoyed this version of a hero's rise from the gutter, giving the movie an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5. Fourteen people filled out a survey at the 1:55 p.m. showing on May 14 at the Krikorian Theaters in Redlands.... Thu, 01 Jun 2006 02:34:14 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/goal-kicks-one-into-the-net/86/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/goal-kicks-one-into-the-net/86/ BY ROGER EBERT / May 12, 2006 "Goal! The Dream Begins" is a rags-to-riches sports saga containing all the usual elements, arranged in the usual ways, and yet it's surprisingly effective. We have the kid from Mexico who dreams of soccer stardom, his impoverished life in Los Angeles as an undocumented immigrant, his dad who scorns soccer, his grandmother who believes in him, the scout who gets him a tryout with a top British team, the superstar who befriends him, and even a pretty nurse. The movie works because it is, above all, sincere. It's not sports by the numbers. The starring performance by Kuno Becker  is convincing and dimensional and we begin to care for him. He plays Santiago Munez, a busboy in a Los Angeles Chinese restaurant, who plays in an after-work soccer league so deprived that he wears cardboard shin protectors. Then he's spotted by a former soccer pro (Stephen Dillane), who tells him he has potential, and arranges for him to get a tryout with Newcastle United. That would... Thu, 01 Jun 2006 02:15:23 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/goal-the-dream-begins-by-roger-ebert/85/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/goal-the-dream-begins-by-roger-ebert/85/ A large question loomed on the horizon: who would play the role of the endearing and talented central character, Santiago Munez? “We wanted to cast somebody that wasn't already a huge superstar,” says Matt Barrelle. “It was also really important for us to find a guy who looked like an athlete, was a very good actor, and had that Hispanic/Spanish/Argentinean/Mexican look for his heritage. We also wanted someone who had a charismatic presence on camera, and who looked really innocent. Santiago comes across as very cheeky and innocent in the film, which is really important.” It was a tall order, and only a truly unique talent could fill it. But Mexico-born actor Kuno Becker fit the bill. An up and coming actor, Becker is one of Mexico's most recognized stars in the international Hispanic television market. Having a good actor that was really credible was most important to us,” says Barrelle. “We figured we're making a movie here, not running a sports team.... Thu, 01 Jun 2006 02:02:29 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/casting-kuno-for-goal/84/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/casting-kuno-for-goal/84/ As the star of the Goal! trilogy, Mexican actor Kuno Becker certainly knows a thing or two about the beautiful game. Becker worked alongside some of the greatest players in the world while filming Goal! The Dream Begins and is in no doubt as to who will be the first name to go on his Official Fantasy Game list. “David Beckham,” he says. “He is my first choice in the opening round, no question.” In Goal!, Becker shows some fancy footwork of his own in the role of Santiago Munez – a talented young footballer from the barrios of east Los Angeles who dreams of turning professional. His big break finally arrives when he passes a trial with Newcastle United, 6,000 miles from home in the English Premiership. During filming, he picked up tips and advice from some of the game’s leading lights. The experience clearly left a mark on Becker. “Kaka, Ronaldino and all the greats that I had the chance to work with are truly some of the best players in the world. It is hard to see past that... Tue, 30 May 2006 03:13:01 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/kuno-becker-the-world-cup/83/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/kuno-becker-the-world-cup/83/ Under the cover of night, a Mexican family illegally crosses the American border into California. No, this not another current events item on your local news show, but the beginning moments of Goal! The Dream Begins , the latest in the seemingly endless line of sports-themed movies from Walt Disney Pictures (opening in theaters today, under the Touchstone banner). But, unlike the mediocrity of this year’s other such offerings ( Glory Road , Stick It ), Goal! achieves its goal of being a cheer-inducing winner. The immigrant Munez family moves to Los Angeles, where the embittered father (played by Tony Plana) becomes a groundskeeper and the eldest son, Santiago (Kuno Becker), holds down two jobs to save up enough money to fulfill his dreams. What those dreams exactly are he’s not quite clear on, but he knows it is not in his father’s footsteps. A natural on the soccer field, Santiago catches a glimmer of what his life could become when his playing catches the eye of visiting... Tue, 30 May 2006 03:02:16 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/bend-it-like-becker/82/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/bend-it-like-becker/82/ Goal! The Dream Begins opens with a sequence that is now more politically relevant than was likely intended. 10-year-old Santiago (Leonardo Guerra) and his family board a dingy looking van along with a group of individuals also hoping to live the American dream. They depart the van, run up a hill and through a hole in the fence, past screaming American Boarder Patrol. The story then skips ahead to present day where Santiago (Kuno Becker) is now a young man living in a poor section of Los Angeles. He works for his father as a day-laborer, spending his free time as the star player of a local soccer league. One day Santiago is spotted by a former British soccer (actually, it shall hereby be referred to as football) star named Glen Foy (Stephen Dillane). Impressed by Santiago's natural abilities, he tries to get a prominent British football coach, Erik Dornhelm (Marcel Iures) to give the boy a shot. The one problem is that Santiago will have to find a way to pull together enough money to fly to London... Tue, 30 May 2006 02:41:31 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/goal-the-dream-begins/81/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/goal-the-dream-begins/81/ "GOAL! The Dream Begins," which opens Friday, is a classic sports underdog story in the vein of "Rocky," "Remember the Titans," "Seabiscuit," "Miracle" and "Glory Road." But there's one big difference: The protagonist, soccer player Santiago Munez (Kuno Becker), is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who has lived in Los Angeles with his grandmother, father and younger brother for a decade. Producer Mike Jefferies says the decision to make Santiago an undocumented immigrant was made to "touch on the political issue. I have lived in L.A. for many years and am aware that [the immigrant issue] has been brewing and bubbling for some time and would be contemporary at some point." Making Santiago undocumented also served to up the ante for the character. Santiago, who works with his father as a landscaper as well as a restaurant busboy, dreams of becoming a professional soccer player. When he gets the opportunity to try out with one of England's top-ranked teams, Newcastle United, Santiago knows that he... Tue, 30 May 2006 00:54:07 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/timeliness-will-it-help-goal-score/80/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/timeliness-will-it-help-goal-score/80/ Mexican actor Kuno Becker goes global with the American dream LOS ANGELES -- Amidst the immigration debate sparking demonstrations in America, comes the Disney film "Goal! The Dream Begins," about a young Mexican man who got past the border patrol to grow up in Los Angeles and become a pro soccer player in Europe. Kuno Becker, who stars as aspiring footballer Santiago Munez, is a legal resident of the United States, but stands firmly on the side of the illegal immigrants who make their lives here. The actor, a Mexican telenovela star, is grateful to both his German and Spanish grandfathers, who left their homelands to make new lives in Mexico. "I understand immigrants 100 percent. When I see these demonstrations, I see people who want to be part of a society," says the actor. "They want to adapt. I don't believe in trying to change society for you; I believe in you changing for society. "And the story is about that: a kid with a big dream who wants to do something positive," adds Becker. "He... Tue, 30 May 2006 00:26:11 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/soccer-players-and-immigrants-share-common-goal/79/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/soccer-players-and-immigrants-share-common-goal/79/ Goal! The Dream Begins may provide two simultaneous dreams beginning. Santiago Munez gets to fulfill his dream of playing professional soccer and Kuno Becker fulfills his dream of being in a big movie. He plays Santiago, a Mexican immigrant who breaks tradition to follow his heart with a little help from the Newcastle United talent scouts. Kuno Becker Describes How He Got Involved in Goal! The Dream Begins : “Man, it was the most difficult thing in the world. Not only competitive, but also soccer-wise was really, really hard. I didn’t play a lot of soccer when I was a kid. I did play when I was in school but nothing professional. So I had to do a couple of auditions, like normal auditions, and then when I got the role…or at least half of the role. They said, ‘Okay, now can you play soccer?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, whatever. I can play soccer.’ I had to do this audition for two weeks in England with the real team, with the Newcastle United, the team of the film. I had to train... Mon, 29 May 2006 23:46:08 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/goal-the-dream-begins-star-kuno-becker-discusses/78/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/goal-the-dream-begins-star-kuno-becker-discusses/78/ It's about time. Finally there is a feature film about the beautiful game which gets it all right. Goal! The Dream Begins opens in United States theaters next Friday, just in time to catch the buzz for the upcoming World Cup finals. No, this is not another Bend It Like Beckham chick flick, but a film which portrays the drama and excitement of the modern professional game. There have been a few decent soccer films over the years, but they all featured much different aspects of the game. Let's look at a few before we go further. The 1981 film Victory was little more than a soccer version of The Great Escape, set during World War II, featuring Pele and Michael Caine as POWs who must assemble a team to play against the Germans in occupied France. The on-field action was almost believable until novice goalkeeper Sylvester Stallone stops a penalty kick from a top German player. That film did, however, capture some of the spirit of the game in one unforgettable scene; when the French crowd in the... Mon, 29 May 2006 23:11:05 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/goal-the-soccer-crowd-finally-has-movie-embrace/77/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/goal-the-soccer-crowd-finally-has-movie-embrace/77/ Rising star Kuno Becker has a confession to make. Before he signed up as the lead role in feel- good soccer movie Goal!, the Mexican-born star didn't like football. And after completing the film? "I hate it more than ever. I think it? crap!" Becker told Sunday News on a recent visit to Auckland to promote the film. "I actually don't like it, I find it boring," Becker says of the sport at the heart of Goal! "That's why I wanted to play the part, I wanted the challenge." Luckily for Becker - and for others who aren't football fans - it's not necessary to like football to like the film. In fact, much like Kiwi film The World's Fastest Indian, it's a human story of triumph and dreams. "That's the great thing about it - you don't have to be a soccer fan to actually like the film. "I think it works because of the story - everybody relates to it," Becker says. "To be honest it's a very beautiful film. A feel-good movie. "It makes you feel something. It... Thu, 20 Apr 2006 09:21:10 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/goal-star-riding-mexican-wave/76/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/goal-star-riding-mexican-wave/76/ "Yeah, it's kinda weird huh - a German name for a Mexican guy?" laughs up-and-coming young actor Kuno Becker down the line. "My grandfather was German, so that's why. Growing up with the name 'Kuno', it's difficult to even order a pizza in Mexico City, you know," he adds, erupting into more laughter. Becker plays young soccer virtuoso Santiago Munez in this unashamedly feel-good fairytale about a Mexican who gets a shot at the big time in the UK premier league. An illegal immigrant who works with his father tending rich people's gardens, Santiago loves soccer and plays with his local East LA team at every opportunity. One day former club player Glen Foy (Dillane), who's attending his grandson's match nearby, spots Santiago in action and recognises instantly that the boy is a natural, and that, with a bit of guidance and some luck, he could make it as a professional. Foy calls in a favour and Santiago travels a long way around the world to follow his dreams. Even so, there are many obstacles to... Thu, 20 Apr 2006 09:06:01 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/GOAL-THE-DREAM-BEGINS-kuno-s-best/75/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/GOAL-THE-DREAM-BEGINS-kuno-s-best/75/ Football and film share the rare ability to turn a talented performer into an overnight sensation. So it’s appropriate that Touchstone Pictures’ new sports movie “Goal! The Dream Begins” an eagerly awaited rags to riches drama set against the world of soccer, should feature an actor who is unknown in English language cinema. But in his native Mexico, and to Spanish speaking audiences beyond, Kuno Becker is most closely associated with his performance as the handsome playboy son of a wealthy father in the drama series "Soñadoras." It is this role above all that has made him a pin-up hunk in large areas of Latin America and Spanish speaking areas of the US. Acclaimed as one of the best young stars in a burgeoning Mexican film industry , his experience ranges from theatre, short films and movies such as "Lucia Lucia," "Once Upon a Wedding"  and "The Nomad." English speaking audiences would have seen Becker playing the villainous role of Gustavo Santos in... Thu, 20 Apr 2006 09:00:37 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/kuno-becker-kicks-off-career-in-goal/74/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/kuno-becker-kicks-off-career-in-goal/74/ SYDNEYSIDER Matt Barrelle has gone from kicking a ball on Bondi Beach to producing the biggest feature film yet about soccer. After watching Brazil beat England in the 2002 World Cup, Barrelle and an English friend, Mike Jefferies, decided to ditch everything to make a movie about the romance of football. "At that point, we thought, 'Where is Rocky in soccer boots?' - we have got to make this film," Barrelle said during a brief visit to Sydney yesterday. "So we camped out in Hollywood, and annoyed people to tears for two years, trying to convince the big studios the world needed a big story about football." The pair ended up convincing a galaxy of football stars to join the cast, including David Beckham - in his first speaking role in a feature film - Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and former England captain Alan Shearer. The finished product is called Goal! , the first in what Barrelle describes as a "rags to riches" trilogy about a Latin American teenager, played by Mexican actor Kuno... Thu, 20 Apr 2006 08:53:03 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/shot-for-biggest-game-scored-its-biggest-film/73/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/shot-for-biggest-game-scored-its-biggest-film/73/ AUSTRALIA'S World Cup soccer team and local fans will feature in a major Hollywood film – Goal! 3. Australian producer Matt Barrelle, who has been a soccer fan all his life, is behind the film. "We shoot Goal! 3 at the World Cup this year and we have actually changed the script, rolling a bit of Australia in there," said Barrelle, who grew up in Bondi but now lives in Los Angeles. "So you will see Australia on the big screen, especially the fan element." The first film in the Goal trilogy opens nationally this month, following the story of aspiring American soccer player Santiago Munez (Kuno Becker). Munez heads to England to try his luck there and manages to score a spot on the Newcastle United team. "When I was a kid I did play football (soccer) at school but I was obviously nothing close to a professional football player," said lead actor Becker, who is one of Latin America's biggest young stars. "So I really had to train a lot of hours every day to get ready for this." ... Thu, 20 Apr 2006 08:48:57 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/socceroos-to-star-in-film/72/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/socceroos-to-star-in-film/72/ Hollywood has churned out countless rags-to-riches sports movies over the years, but the soccer-themed "Goal!" is one of the better ones. This is an uplifting and heartfelt tale about a dreamer who gets his chance to realise it through hardship and determination. At the age of 10, Santiago Munez (Kuno Becker) crossed the border from Mexico to the United States illegally with only one thing on his mind: becoming a soccer star. Ten years later, Santiago is playing with his local Los Angeles club when a scout, former British football star Glen Foy (Stephen Dillane) discovers him and offers him the chance to train for Newcastle United in the English Premier League - much to the chagrin of his father (Tony Plana). Santiago discovers that the path to success is a bumpy road as he contends with life in a foreign land, difficult team-mates, physical set-backs, the temptations of fame and new love. Directed by Danny Cannon (executive producer of TV's "CSI"), "Goal!" tells a simple, old-fashioned story but... Thu, 20 Apr 2006 08:44:07 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/becker-the-new-beckham/71/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/becker-the-new-beckham/71/ When actress and comedian Angélica Vale found out she would be working once again with Mexican actor Kuno Becker on the animated film 'Los Tres Reyes Magos' (The Three Kings), she couldn't say "no." They had previously collaborated on the soap opera 'Soñadoras' but this time they would be a couple on the animated film, which came out on DVD yesterday (Nov. 1). Vale does the voice of "Sarah," a woman of strong principles, and Becker is the voice of "Tobías," a young good-looking soldier; both of whom accompany the Three Kings. Christian music singer Jaci Velásquez does the voice of "Sarah" in the English language version of the film. Kuno Becker does the voice of Tobias in both versions (English and Spanish) of the animated film. "When they told me that I was going to work with him, I couldn't say 'no,'" she stated during a telephone interview. "Kuno is great." Vale also had other reasons for working on the film. She said that she liked it because it tells the story of the... Mon, 14 Nov 2005 13:13:29 +0100 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/vale-celebrates-with-wise-men/70/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/vale-celebrates-with-wise-men/70/ Friday 7 October, 2005 witnessed the premiere of Goal! The Movie in Zurich, a film which is taking box offices worldwide by storm . The story centres on Santiago Munez (Kuno Becker), a young Mexican immigrant who spends his childhood in the barrios of LA, longing to play professional football. Years later, having been spotted by former-agent Glen Foy (Stephen Dillane), Santiago suddenly finds his dream is within shooting distance - with a trial at Newcastle United FC.  But will he make the grade? Goal! is already been praised by critics and viewers as: 'a warm tribute to the beautiful game with good performances,' 'a film with excellent and realistic match sequences' and for its 'balance of humour and heart.' Therefore it is no surprise that all those who attended the Corso Cinema on Theatrestrasse, Zurich all enjoyed the premiere. In true football fashion, green carpet, rather than the traditional red carpet, was on display and the interior of the cinema was... Mon, 14 Nov 2005 12:26:17 +0100 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/goal-aids-development-tinseltown-comes-zurich/69/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/goal-aids-development-tinseltown-comes-zurich/69/ He's the star of a football film trilogy who can't play football, but Kuno Becker  broke his ankles and his nose while learing to protray the beautiful game . He talks to Steve Pratt about the toughest role of his life.  Kuno Becker looks every inch the footballer in the soccer movie Goal! but until he was 17 he was more interested in the arts than sport. Born and raised in Mexico City, he studied the violin in Austria from the age of six. Only as a teenager did he decide to switch to acting. He says. "I was not into football. That's what's great about this film for me because I wanted to do something that's different for me. It makes no sense to do something I'm used to doing. And I believe Goal! is more about the story than the football ." Becker, now 27, became a teen heartthrob in the US and Latin America through the TV series Sonadoras, picking up several best young actor awards in the process. Goal! is his sixth movie - after starring in 5 other hollywood films. As... Mon, 14 Nov 2005 11:58:52 +0100 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/it-s-a-goal/68/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/beckerbugle/it-s-a-goal/68/