Author: Mark Saldana

A THOUSAND AND ONE

Teyana Taylor and Aaron Kingsley appear in a still from A Thousand and One by A.V. Rockwell, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Focus Features

Black Americans are no strangers when it comes to systemic problems. Whether it is the racial bias within our public educational institutions, the divide within the criminal justice system, or troubles that plague the foster care of children, racial equality still has a long way to go. Writer/director A.V. Rockwell tells a fictional but all-too-real… Continue reading A THOUSAND AND ONE

SXSW 2023: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES

Adventure, excitement, a Dungeons and Dragons enthusiast craves precisely these things! However, D&D fans would have to wait a very long time before they would see their beloved game well represented on the big screen Well, that time has finally come. I was able to behold the magic, action, and beautiful worlds revealed during this… Continue reading SXSW 2023: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES

SXSW 2023: AIR

The programmers delivered yet another treat to the festival attendees for the second “Special” screening and closing night headliner of SXSW. The film was the latest offering from filmmaker Ben Affleck, and his movie tells the true story behind arguably the most iconic labels in athletic shoe history. While everyone knows how this story plays… Continue reading SXSW 2023: AIR

SXSW 2023: JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4

When the programmers at Austin’s largest media and arts festival announced their schedule for this year’s Film & TV section, two “Special” unnamed screenings were programmed on Monday, March 13, and on the closing night of Saturday, March 18. These secrets lasted only briefly, as their titles were revealed days before their screening dates. The… Continue reading SXSW 2023: JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4

SXSW 2023: RAGING GRACE

Undocumented immigration is not only a heated subject in America but also controversial in the UK. Writer/director Paris Zarcilla offers an insightful but haunting glimpse into the experience of an unauthenticated Filipina domestic employee. Joy (Max Eiggenman) struggles as a single mother to raise her daughter Grace (Jaeden Paige Boadill) and provide for both of… Continue reading SXSW 2023: RAGING GRACE

SCREAM VI

I have been a very loving fan since Scream took the world by storm. I will never forget the time I finally watched the first film and its impact on me. I watched the movie two times in the theater and many more times at home. While I have various feelings about the franchise, I… Continue reading SCREAM VI

CHAMPIONS

Based on a Spanish film of the same name, writer Mark Rizzo and director Bobby Farelly have adapted the movie for American/English-speaking audiences. Now, I usually have previously watched the source movie. Still, in this case, I have never seen Campeones, which has earned some critical acclaim and achieved enough praise for Spain to select… Continue reading CHAMPIONS

CREED III

Creed I and Creed II will forever get labeled as Rocky spin-offs. While nothing is necessarily wrong with that label, the main character of Adonis Creed deserves to stand on his own, out of the shadow of Rocky. Well, the beloved character gets that opportunity with this third installment of the spin-off series. Though I… Continue reading CREED III

COCAINE BEAR

What you see is what you get. I cannot think of a better summary of this movie than that. However, that is what made this movie all the more disappointing. With all of the hype and joyful excitement surrounding this film, I wanted a lot more. Maybe I set my expectations way too high, but… Continue reading COCAINE BEAR