Another year has come to an end. And it has been an unusual 12 months on our planet with so many crazy changes taking place, particularly in our country (USA). Thankfully, I can say film has mostly remained undaunted, at least when it comes to some of our most talented filmmakers. At the same time,… Continue reading 2025 In Cinema: Vive La Revolucion!
Author: Mark Saldana
MARTY SUPREME Is A True Safdie Film
Based on the life and career of table tennis player Marty Reisman, filmmaker Josh Safdie has developed a film that feels true to his style, given the level of stress and tension he is known for in his movies. The result is a captivating and entertaining experience that is one-of-a-kind for this year, but feels… Continue reading MARTY SUPREME Is A True Safdie Film
ANACONDA Attempts To Pull Off A Tropic Thunder, But Lacks Depth
Writer/director Tom Gormican and co-writer Kevin Etten have attempted to pull off a fun spin on the bad monster movie Anaconda. In 1997, the monster movie Anaconda was released in theaters and had a mixed reception. Obviously, there are those who have much love for the silly film and have decided to make a more… Continue reading ANACONDA Attempts To Pull Off A Tropic Thunder, But Lacks Depth
SONG SUNG TRUE Presents A Passionate Story About A Tribute Act
From director Craig Brewer comes a film that details the story of a tribute act to Neil Diamond that captured the hearts of many Neil Diamond fans, but there is much more to their story than I had anticipated. I was pleasantly surprised by the story behind Lightning & Thunder, a Neil Diamond tribute group… Continue reading SONG SUNG TRUE Presents A Passionate Story About A Tribute Act
IS THIS THING ON? Shows The Healing Power Of Art
The new movie by director Bradley Cooper focuses on a man dealing with divorce, depression, and his struggles to find happiness in his life. After his marriage seems to fall apart, the man initially finds himself lost and aimless, but eventually discovers an outlet not only to express himself but also to learn more about… Continue reading IS THIS THING ON? Shows The Healing Power Of Art
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH Reinvigorates A Saga Stalled By Second Installment
James Cameron definitely has a vision for his Avatar saga. After he blew me away, visually and sonically, with his first installment, I noticed the movie’s lack of originality in its story. Still, I was intrigued enough to see what else he had to bring to his Pandoran world. The second installment, for me, is… Continue reading AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH Reinvigorates A Saga Stalled By Second Installment
THE HOUSEMAID Has A Generous Dose Of Lifetime With A Dash of Late Night Cinemax
Perhaps I am dating myself, because I don’t know, and I haven’t known for some time, if Cinemax still features soft-core material in their late-night programming. Maybe the channel does, maybe it doesn’t. But I do know that during the late 90s and early oughts, Cinemax often featured films that were not quite pornographic, but… Continue reading THE HOUSEMAID Has A Generous Dose Of Lifetime With A Dash of Late Night Cinemax
ELLA MCCAY Has So Much Going For It, Minus A Solid Script
After delivering such great films as Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News, and As Good As It Gets, filmmaker James L. Brooks has yet to deliver another great motion picture. His latest entry, Ella McCay, has a tremendous cast, a talented cinematographer (Robert Elswit), and an incredible score composer (Hans Zimmer), but the direction and writing… Continue reading ELLA MCCAY Has So Much Going For It, Minus A Solid Script
AFF 2025: JAY KELLY Delivers Stellar Turns By George Clooney And Adam Sandler
This year’s Austin Film Festival had programming stacked with movies that were generating buzz at other festivals. After receiving lots of positive feedback from the Venice International Film Festival and knowing it is a Noah Baumbach film, I knew I must attend the screening at AFF. Jay Kelly does not disappoint. Baumbach’s attention to story… Continue reading AFF 2025: JAY KELLY Delivers Stellar Turns By George Clooney And Adam Sandler
LEFT-HANDED GIRL: A Sean Baker-Style Story Presented Through Chinese Working Class Culture
From writer-director Shih-Ching Tsou and co-writer/producer/editor Sean Baker (Anora, The Florida Project, The Red Rocket) comes a movie that portrays the struggles of a single Chinese woman attempting to provide for her two daughters, on her own terms, while maintaining some semblance of pride and honor to please her parents. However, they have some skeletons… Continue reading LEFT-HANDED GIRL: A Sean Baker-Style Story Presented Through Chinese Working Class Culture