By Mark Saldana Rating: 2.5 (Out of 4 Stars) An alien invasion premise sounds like the fodder for a joke directed at 2020. It also happens to be the basic premise for a new comedy movie getting released in this bizarre year. Though the idea of a global, catastrophic event might seem inappropriate given our… Continue reading SAVE YOURSELVES!
Category: Film Reviews
THE SWERVE
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) There have been several kinds of movies about mental health disorders. Some have that feel-good, triumph over adversity feel, while others serve as cautionary tales, presenting the worst-case scenarios. The Swerve definitely falls into that latter category, serving as stern, disturbing warning that if left unchecked,… Continue reading THE SWERVE
THE RACER
By Mark Saldana Rating: 2.5 (Out of 4 Stars) At this point in our history, most people already know that performance-enhancing drugs have had a huge impact in the world of sports. One of the major controversies to affect professional sports has to be the doping scandal that tainted the sport of cycling. A new… Continue reading THE RACER
ANTEBELLUM
By Mark Saldana Rating: 2.5 (Out of 4 Stars) There is little doubt that the life experiences of Black slaves can be best described as horrific. However, as far as I know, most cinematic portrayals have never fully gone the horror route. Such is the attempt of filmmakers Gerald Bush and Christopher Renz with their… Continue reading ANTEBELLUM
RATCHED – a Netflix Series
By Laurie Coker Rating: B+ I taught the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest as a senior English teacher and many of my students agree that Nurse Ratched is one of the most interesting antagonists ever written. In the 1975 film version of the novel, Louis Fletcher put the perfect pursed puss on the… Continue reading RATCHED – a Netflix Series
ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY
By Mark Saldana Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars) In the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election, Stacey Abrams became the first African-African female nominee for a major party. After a hard-fought campaign, Abrams lost to her Republican opponent Brian Kemp. On the surface of things, this kind of loss probably seemed normal; however, to Abrams and… Continue reading ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY
TENET
By Laurie Coker Rating: B+ I remember sitting through Inception and leaving confused and unimpressed. I watched it again and some aspects became clearer, but I never really did love the film. With Tenet, the ride, even in reverse action, entertains and engages completely. Action-packed from the first moment, Christopher Nolan’s thriller, like Inception, bends… Continue reading TENET
ENTWINED
By Laurie Coker Rating: D+/C- Entwined demonstrates how a director can lose his way as he tells his story. Minos Nikolakakis’ takes on more than he can handle in his fairytale horror pick set in tiny cabin in an ominous forest. While his imagery is stunning, Nikolakakis delivers little in the way of entertainment. Encumbered… Continue reading ENTWINED
BILL AND TED FACE THE MUSIC
By Laurie Coker Rating: C- Some thirty-one years after their “excellent adventure” and nearly thirty years post “bogus journey”, Bill and Ted are back facing the music. Reprising their roles as goofy rockers, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter stop at nothing to be Bill and Ted – awkward and seemingly clueless and they do an… Continue reading BILL AND TED FACE THE MUSIC
THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) From wrtiter/director Armando Iannucci, the critically acclaimed filmmaker behind In The Loop and The Death of Stalin, comes this highly lovable and delightfully entertaining adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic novel. Featuring a tremendously gifted and culturally diverse cast, Iannucci has crafted a Dickens adaptation that has… Continue reading THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD