2013 SXSW Review: A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF WAYNE’S PHONE

By Mark Saldana Rating: 2.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Well, at least the title is truthful. This documentary feature literally consists of video clips taken from the iPhone of Wayne Coyne, lead singer and guitarist of The Flaming Lips.  These clips really have little rhyme or reason to them, other than that they are glimpses… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Review: A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF WAYNE’S PHONE

2013 SXSW Review: GROW UP, TONY PHILLIPS

By Mark Saldana  Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Austin’s filmmaking wunderkind, Emily Hagins (My Sucky Teen Romance) has definitely matured as a writer/director and her latest work, a delightful and heartfelt teen comedy is a clear indicator of this maturity.  This year at SXSW Film, not only were Austin filmmakers well represented, so was… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Review: GROW UP, TONY PHILLIPS

2013 SXSW Review: ZERO CHARISMA

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Scott Weidemeyer (Sam Eidson) lives for writing and developing role playing games. As the “Master” of his weekly gaming group, Scott takes his games way too seriously. So when a new member of the group challenges the master’s authority and game scenarios bringing an element of… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Review: ZERO CHARISMA

SXSW 2013 Review: MALADIES

By Laurie Coker Rating: D+/C- The term maladies refers to illnesses of sort, sicknesses mental or physical. In the film Maladies starring Catherine Keener and James Franco, the title Maladies refers to broken people, in particular three odd, quirky, damaged people who live in the same house and suffer from varying mental defects. The problem,… Continue reading SXSW 2013 Review: MALADIES

Review: OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN

By Laurie Coker Rating: D Independence Day meets Die Hard (the first one) is how I describe Olympus has Fallen, a film about a group of Korean rebels who attack the White House and take all key figures captive. Starring Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart, Olympus has Fallen works far too hard to pull on… Continue reading Review: OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN

2013 SXSW Review: MALADIES

By Mark Saldana  Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) This film really won my heart because of the genuine attempt to realistically portray people with mental illnesses and those suffering from oppression due to these illnesses and other non-traditional behavior. Taking place during the 1960s, Maladies tells a fictional story of a small group of… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Review: MALADIES

Review: ADMISSION

By Laurie Coker Rating: B- From the opening scene of Admission a new comedy starring the talented and funny Tina Fey and the equally appealing Paul Rudd, I knew I wanted to share clips with my senior students as they prepare to write college essays. More than that, however, because of excellent comic and personal… Continue reading Review: ADMISSION