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
Category: Reviews
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
BECKETT
By Laurie Coker Rating: C- Movies that might not have otherwise seen the light of day in past years are popping up on streaming channels to feed the desires of cautious cinephiles who haven’t returned to theaters. ‘Beckett’ is such a film, and an embassy with a portrait of Obama ages the film almost five… Continue reading BECKETT
REMINISCENCE
By Laurie Coker Rating: C- Our memories, good or bad, often drive us and guide our lives. Still, some events are better forgotten, like the over two hours spent watching ‘Reminiscence’ starring Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson, and Thandie Newton. Writer/director Lisa Joy bites off a lofty challenge of playing with time and memories and ends… Continue reading REMINISCENCE
FLAG DAY
By Liz Lopez Rating: B+ Sean Penn (The Crossing Guard, (1995); The Pledge (2001); Into the Wild (2007) returns to the director’s seat for the film Flag Day. The deeply flawed individuals in the screenplay, written by Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth, are characters in the 2005 memoir “Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My… Continue reading FLAG DAY
FREE GUY
By Laurie Coker Rating: B+ Director Shawn Levy with a crisp, although not particularly fresh, script by Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn, creates a wild world where gaming and reality intersect in an action-packed, hilarious character-driven romp. ‘Free City’ creators don’t draw from a single video game, or a sitcom, or any other source material,… Continue reading FREE GUY