By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) The biggest fear that circulated online has to be that this film, judging from trailers and TV spots, that this had the makings of a really bad Will Ferrell comedy. Well, thankfully this film did not play out quite as poorly. This riff on Vegas… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Review: THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE
Author: Mark Saldana
2013 SXSW Guest Review: THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE
By Jan Hamilton Rating: B After many years on top, Burt (Carell) and partner (Buscemi) Anton’s Vegas magic act is losing popularity. Their competition is Steve Gray, the star of the internet sensation ” Mind Rapist”, played by Jim Carrey. He seems to be the new face of magic, though his act mostly consists of… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Guest Review: THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE
2013 SXSW Interview: REWIND THIS!
By Mark Saldana SXSW Film 2013 has turned out to be a stellar festival for showcasing Austin filmmakers. With films like Zero Charisma, Grow Up Tony Phillips and Rewind This! on the schedule, Austin’s talent is proudly displayed. I was more than happy to sit down and speak with director Josh Johnson, producer Carolee Mitchell,… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Interview: REWIND THIS!
2013 SXSW Interview: SAKE BOMB
By Mark Saldana For my second entry in my SXSW Film interviews series, I had the pleasure of speaking with director Junya Sakino and lead actors Gaku Hamada and Eugene Kim of the movie Sake Bomb. The day prior to the interview, I attended an afternoon screening. I found the film to be funny, sweet… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Interview: SAKE BOMB
2013 SXSW Interview: CHEAP THRILLS
By Mark Saldana NOTE: This is a reposting of an interview conducted at last year’s SXSW Film Festival, and not at the 2014 SXSW Festival. It was with great pleasure and anticipation that I sat down with director E.L. Katz, producer Travis Stevens and star Pat Healy from this film. Friday night I watched the… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Interview: CHEAP THRILLS
2013 SXSW Review: DOWNLOADED
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Writer/director Alex Winter recounts the story of Napster in a fascinating and compelling documentary which details the birth, rise and decline of this groundbreaking internet company, as told mostly from the perspective of those who started it. Shawn Fanning, Sean Parker, and their techie friends began… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Review: DOWNLOADED
2013 SXSW Review: SCENIC ROUTE
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) This particular film actually was not on my originally planned SXSW schedule. I just happened to be at the Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter and since I had trekked south of all the madness downtown, I decided to remain at the theater and see the next film. After… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Review: SCENIC ROUTE
2013 SXSW Review: V/H/S/2
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) In preparation for this screening at the festival, I made sure to watch the first film which I had never previously seen. The concept for these movies is really remarkable. For film buffs who have a love/hate relationship with “found-footage” movies, the first installment brought a… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Review: V/H/S/2
2013 SXSW Review: HEY BARTENDER
By Mark Saldana Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars) I watched my first documentary of SXSW Film 2013 very early, courtesy of a screener. Writer/director Douglas Tirola educates his audience on the history of bartending and mixology, and showcases some modern masters of the art/science, as well as highlighting a simple bartender/bar owner who, in… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Review: HEY BARTENDER
SXSW Review: CHEAP THRILLS
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Going into this movie, I had no idea what to expect. The fact that David Koechner, an actor known for goofy, cartoonish characters, has a starring role, really threw me off. While this film does have its silly, light hearted scenes, the film slowly devolves into… Continue reading SXSW Review: CHEAP THRILLS