Author: Mark Saldana

Director Alan Parkinson and co-director Richard da Costa tell a fantastic story about a situation where a saturation diver gets trapped underwater to be rescued by his crew members, barely saving his life. That film is the documentary Last Breath. Parkinson has taken this story and turned it into a feature film. While the material… Continue reading Movie Review: LAST BREATH Is Inspired By A Compelling Story, But Hardly Delivers As Such

Though I have read some of Stephen King’s works, the short story The Monkey has always eluded me. During my youth, I recall when The Skeleton Crew collection of King’s short stories was available in bookstores, but for whatever reason, I never bought or read this book. So, when I heard that filmmaker Osgood Perkins… Continue reading Movie Review: THE MONKEY Is Ghoulishly Hilarious.

Written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino, Parthenope takes its audience on a journey through the life of a beautiful young lady, admired by many for her beauty, and follows her life experiences as she pursues a life of academia in Italy. The whole affair is primarily gorgeous, sometimes disturbing, and bizarre, but the big takeaway… Continue reading Movie Review: PARTHENOPE Gives Its Audience An Experience, But Is Unclear About Its Meaning

Both Paddington and Paddington 2 are exceptional movies and are wonderful iterations of the beloved character that captured people’s hearts for several generations. So, it is no surprise that the latest cinematic installment falls short. That said, the new film is still delightful in its own way and is an enjoyable piece of family cinema… Continue reading Movie Review: PADDINGTON IN PERU Is Appropriately Adorable And Fun, But Is Not As Great As The Previous Films

The fourth installment of Marvel Studios’ Captain America franchise delivers another exciting action-thriller but still reveals Disney’s/Marvel’s pattern of playing it safely. I had a great time with this movie. As with the previous Captain America films, this new chapter offers lots of incendiary action and exhilarating thrills but also has a plot that mimics… Continue reading Movie Review: CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD Delivers Exhilarating Action, But Feels A Bit Familiar

Another inventive spin on Valentine’s Day movies is now in theaters, which takes the slasher-horror subgenre and infuses it with romantic comedy. After watching Heart Eyes, I couldn’t help but think about the Scream franchise because that comedic horror saga obviously inspires this movie. Nevertheless, I had a great time with this movie as the… Continue reading Movie Review: HEART EYES Delivers Slasher Thrills Within The Rom-Com Genre

This year, Valentine’s Day has a couple of movies that appeal to couples looking for entertainment of the romantic variety with a unique twist. One of which is Love Hurts. In this film, the filmmakers attempt to combine romance with action and comedy and hope to deliver a satisfying experience. An enjoyable experience depends on… Continue reading Movie Review: LOVE HURTS Has Fantastic Action, But Is Rather Predictable

As a 51-year-old, I have never read any of the Dog Man books. But that doesn’t matter, as I am tasked with reviewing a movie based on these stories. That said, I had some fun with this movie, discovering the fun comedy and some of the more bewildering aspects of this highly imaginative world. The… Continue reading Movie Review: DOG MAN Is a Cartoonish Affair Which Will Appeal to Children, But Will Fall A Bit Short For The Grownups

I am a big fan of both Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell. When I first heard about this comedy movie, I thought it was about time for these two talented actors to perform together. Also, after discovering that filmmaker Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) was attached, I had high hopes for this film. While I… Continue reading Movie Review: YOU’RE CORDIALLY INVITED Is Often Funny, But Is Often Too Ridiculous For Its Own Good.

Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh has remained, in recent years, within a profoundly experimental phase, which is exciting as he continues to play with conventions and cinema tropes and deliver them in some genuinely fascinating ways. His latest film, Presence, presents a haunted house story from the ghost’s perspective. While other filmmakers have attempted this (David Lowery’s… Continue reading Movie Review: Though Not Exactly Original, PRESENCE Delivers An Inventive And Engrossingly Haunting Experience