By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) From November 4 through 14, Cinejoy, a virtual film festival component of the Cinequest Film Festival, will bring films from all over the world to the homes of movie enthusiasts. This year I had the privilege of screening and reviewing a rather impressive entry from Israel.… Continue reading Cinejoy Film Festival 2021 Review: WOMAN ALIVE
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ANTLERS
Rating: B+ This is a horror film. Perhaps not so much because of the creature itself, but what the two elementary school aged boys endure in the film. It could give parents and/or grandparents nightmares. To be very honest, in the first five minutes of the film (or so) when I saw the younger child… Continue reading ANTLERS
Fantastic Fest 2021 Review: LAST NIGHT IN SOHO
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) In choosing my preferred films for this year’s Fantastic Fest, I was definitely blessed in that I was able to receive access to all of my choices. For those unfamiliar with their system, the people in charge of Fantastic Fest utilize a lottery system for seating… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2021 Review: LAST NIGHT IN SOHO
Austin Film Festival 2021 Review and News: HOLIDAYS AT ALL COST
Rating: A The French comedy, Holidays At All Cost, world premiered at Dances With Films 24 in Los Angeles, followed by screenings at festivals in New York City, Montreal and Germany, and recently won awards in Marbella (Best Story), Edmonton (Jury Award for Best International Feature – Dramatic) and Austria (Best Feature – Austrian Indie… Continue reading Austin Film Festival 2021 Review and News: HOLIDAYS AT ALL COST
Austin Film Festival 2021 Review: TIME NOW
Rating: B – Writer/director Spencer King’s Time Now is one of the major marquee titles premiering at the Austin Film Festival. The new mystery-thriller stars Eleanor Lambert (daughter of acclaimed actors Diane Lane and Christopher Lambert) and Claudia Black (“Farscape”, “The Nevers”). Lambert stars as Jenny, who grew up in Detroit, but is married and… Continue reading Austin Film Festival 2021 Review: TIME NOW
THE FRENCH DISPATCH
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) As Wes Anderson has developed and honed his signature style of filmmaking and story-telling, it has become increasingly apparent that the director has much love and respect for French cinema, art and pop-culture. Some of his musical choices, his desired cinematography, his use of colors, as… Continue reading THE FRENCH DISPATCH
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
By Mark Saldana Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars) My first introduction to the music of The Velvet Underground was in 1991 when a couple of their songs played in the background of Oliver Stone’s musical biopic The Doors. Back then, I was such a huge fan of the movie that I was obsessed with… Continue reading THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
DUNE
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) After creating an incredible sequel with Blade Runner 2049, filmmaker Denis Villeneuve has taken on the challenge of adapting one of the more sucessful, iconic, and popular novels of science fiction. Upon hearing that Dune would be Villenneuve’s next project, I had little doubt that the… Continue reading DUNE
MASS
Rating: B Actor Fran Kranz makes his feature filmmaking debut with the drama Mass. When the film begins, it is not clear why a lady in a church is so anxious about getting the meeting room prepared for guests, nor is it clear what the meeting is about. If anyone is very tired or impatient… Continue reading MASS
Austin Film Festival 2020 Review: THE FRENCH DISPATCH
Rating: B+ From the very beginning, The French Dispatch is obviously very much a Wes Anderson film. Fans of the New Yorker Magazine will certainly see how Anderson’s film is a tribute to the publication. The French Dispatch is a special supplement in a fictional Kansas newspaper in the imagined town of Ennui-Sur-Blasé. The proprietor… Continue reading Austin Film Festival 2020 Review: THE FRENCH DISPATCH