Author: Mark Saldana

The Fentanyl addiction crisis is genuine, but unlike this film’s inspiration for its story, this situation is portrayed very poorly. Despite the movie’s solid cast, The Good Mother suffers from poor writing and comes across as a rushed production. The undercooked script does a great disservice to what this movie aspires to accomplish, but the… Continue reading THE GOOD MOTHER Is Not a Very Good Movie

Filmmakers have gotten away with claiming that their supposed biographical movies are based on actual events for so long. As we have learned recently (The Blind Side), these claims should always be taken carefully. Liberties are taken regularly. I only know part of the story behind Jann Mardenborough’s experiences as a skilled Gran Turismo player-turned-professional… Continue reading GRAN TURISMO Benefits From a Winning Underdog Story

This slice-of-an-era film about Golda Mier features a masterful performance by lead Helen Mirren but ultimately lacks scope. It is a good movie. Is it an excellent, awards-worthy movie? It is not precisely that. I could see some future love for Mirren’s acting come awards season, but the film needs to catch up in most… Continue reading GOLDA Features a Great Performance by Helen Mirren

Maybe I am biased, but the new superhero movie from Warner Bros/DC is a prominent love letter to the Mexican-American experience. That main element made me enjoy this movie as much as I did. I am unfamiliar with the character’s comic origins, but what struck me most about this character adaptation is how similar it… Continue reading BLUE BEETLE Has Much Love for the Mexican-American Culture

Everyone knows that trailers are supposed to pique people’s interest in movies. However, if a trailer reveals too much, there is little else to enjoy or appreciate once one has spent money on a movie ticket. Sadly, such is the case with Strays, a movie that attempts to deliver a comedic take on “talking animal”… Continue reading STRAYS: If You Have Seen the Trailers, You’ve Seen the Best Parts

Based on “The Captain’s Log,” a chapter from the Dracula novel by Bram Stoker, The Last Voyage of the Demeter builds on this section of the iconic horror story and delivers a chilling and creepy feature film. With a solid screenplay by Bragi Schut Jr and Zak Olkewicz, director André Øvredal beautifully builds up the… Continue reading THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER Delivers Thrills, Suspense, and Bloody Kills

There have been lots of movies about humanity’s contact with extraterrestrial life. Still, most of these films have either very young protagonists or those who fall under the demographic range of adult to middle-aged. Now, before anyone can yell “Cocoon,” you should know I am well aware of this movie and its sequel. I am… Continue reading JULES Charms Audiences With A Very Sweet Disposition

Even though it has been over seventy years since J.D. Salinger’s novel was first published, The Catcher in the Rye continues to influence multiple types of entertainment media today. In the case of Shortcomings, the iconic book has had a noticeable impact on both the comic book of the same name and its film adaptation.… Continue reading SHORTCOMINGS: CATCHER IN THE RYE meets Relationship Comedy