Category: MAIN

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) From writer/director Michael Winterbottom, comes this sharp satire that takes aim at the wealthy and their excessive lifestyles. Though Greed is absolutely spot-on when it comes to social commentary, it just does not have an equal level of humor to adequately lampoon its intended targets. To… Continue reading GREED

By Renee’ C.Rating: 4.5 (Out of 5 Reels) In 1800s England, a well-meaning but selfish young woman, Jane (Anya Taylor-Joy), meddles in the love lives of her friends (IMDB). I, for one, love period pieces and am a huge fan of Jane Austen’s writing. I have also seen just about every version of the movies… Continue reading Emma

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) How does a filmmaker adapt/remake a classic horror story and make it something unique and able to stand on its own? That obviously is the million dollar question going into this modern update of a celebrated H.G. Wells story. Well, writer/director Leigh Whannell has accomplished this… Continue reading Review: THE INVISIBLE MAN

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) It has been often said that CGI and motion-capture are necessary components of modern movie making. While there may be some truth to this argument, the over-reliance on these advances in technology can take from a film’s credibility and come across as a shamelessly cheap cheat.… Continue reading Review: THE CALL OF THE WILD

By Mark Saldana Rating: 2.5 (Out of 4 Stars) To coincide with Valentine’s Day weekend, Universal Pictures is hoping that their newest release will fill theaters for THE date night of the year. The Photograph does actually make for an interesting film. It features a compelling story that intertwines two romances–one of the past and… Continue reading Review: THE PHOTOGRAPH

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) In 2014, the Swedish comedic drama Force Majeure earned a well-deserved critical acclaim. The film delivers a a subtle and and moderately paced bulid up of tension and awkwardness, as audiences witness marriage in crisis that gets catalyzed by a supposed near-death experience. The film can… Continue reading Review: DOWNHILL

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) After receiving mixed critical and public reactions to some of their films, particularly Suicide Squad, Warner Bros’s DCEU has gone into clean-up/rebuilding mode. This new strategy hopes to capitalize on the strengths of their otherwise problematic previous entries and build on them without completely ignoring and… Continue reading Review: BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN)

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) The Grimm fairy tale, Hansel & Gretel, has inpired multiple adaptations in various media. Often comedic or juvenile, most film adaptations have failed to explore the dark undertones that the Brothers Grimm brought to their bewitching story. Writer/director Oz Perkins and co-writer Rob Hayes have made… Continue reading Review: GRETEL & HANSEL

By Mark Saldana We have reached both the end of 2019, as well as the end of another decade. I have now watched my final screeners and attended my last screening of the year. 2019 got off to a bit of a slow start with most of the top films saved for the end. The… Continue reading Mark’s Best of 2019