By Laurie Coker Rating: D+ Well-crafted, slow-burn character-driven dramas can entertain more effectively than those riddled with nonstop action. Still, under the hand of an ineffective director, slow-burn can turn to listless and dull. ‘The Gateway,’ starring Shae Whigham and Oliva Munn, smolders so sluggishly and somberly that the story gets lost in the shadows… Continue reading THE GATEWAY
Category: MAIN
aGLIFF News: Centerpiece film Boulevard! A Hollywood Story and Firebird
By Liz Lopez Austin’s oldest film festival, aGLIFF (All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival) announces changes to the schedule and access availability for screenings and special events for PRISM 34 taking place August 26 – September 6, 2021. The Opening Night screening of the North American premiere of Blitzed: The 80s Blitz Kids Story… Continue reading aGLIFF News: Centerpiece film Boulevard! A Hollywood Story and Firebird
CANDYMAN (2021)
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) At this point, I believe that horror producers seriously need to give Jordan Peele all of the sequel/reboots. YES! Offer them all to him. The man has a brilliantly creative mind for horror. He has proven it with his original films Get Out and Us, but… Continue reading CANDYMAN (2021)
Fantasia 2021 Review: SWEETIE, YOU WON’T BELIEVE IT
From Kazakhstan, comes an uproarious horror comedy that actually made me laugh so hard I cried. The movie follows a trio of Kazakh men looking to get away from it all by taking a fishing trip in the woods. Nevermind that they know so little about fishing, camping or anything of the sort, these guys… Continue reading Fantasia 2021 Review: SWEETIE, YOU WON’T BELIEVE IT
Fantasia 2021 Review: KING KNIGHT
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) I love a good off-beat comedy. And for all intents and purposes, King Knight is a good one, but not exactly great either. For my second film of Fantasia 2021, I chose what I thought sounded like a highly entertaining and potentially uproarious comedy about a… Continue reading Fantasia 2021 Review: KING KNIGHT
Fantasia 2021 Review: ALIEN ON STAGE
Rating: B Who would imagine taking a classic sci-fi film like Alien and adapt it for the stage? Well, a group of very daring and creative amateur dramatics group led by Dorset Bus Drivers did just that! Their serious stage adaptation for their community was most unsuccessful and of course disappointing. In the documentary, Alien… Continue reading Fantasia 2021 Review: ALIEN ON STAGE
Fantasia 2021: BABY MONEY
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Stupid criminals. What are you going to do? Greed and desperation can be powerful motivators, but they can also seriously affect intelligence and judgment. These are the main themes that propel this tense and unnerving crime drama, and filmmakers Mikhael Bassilli and Luc Walpoth utilize them… Continue reading Fantasia 2021: BABY MONEY
HOSTAGE
By Liz Lopez Rating: B – Hostage is the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Eddie Augustin after work on several short films. He and his long-time collaborator, Laura Polisena co-wrote and produced a story about a character, Ashley (Nicole Henderson, “Bizarre Murders” TV Series”). The pre-teen has a life altering change and some people who… Continue reading HOSTAGE
THE PROTEGE
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) From director Martin Campbell (Goldeneye, Casino Royale), comes a new action-thriller that displays his filmmaking skills when it comes to the genre, but is definitely limited by the weaknesses of the screenplay. Writer Richard Wenk penned said script, and though the movie does have some rather… Continue reading THE PROTEGE
THE NIGHT HOUSE
By Mark Saldana Rating: 2.5 (Out of 4 Stars) From director David Bruckner (The Signal) comes a mostly captivating and utterly unnerving horror film that ultimately disappoints when it fails to stick the landing. Starring Rebecca Hall, the movie has an amazing, relatable set-up, and has uses a lot of fascinating concepts, but the imagination… Continue reading THE NIGHT HOUSE