Review: A UNITED KINGDOM

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) This week I watched and reviewed two very different stories on race relations and romantic interracial relationships.  One is Get Out, a fictional, horror-thriller film with a biting sense of humor.  The other is this film, A United Kingdom, which is a straightforward, biographical drama about… Continue reading Review: A UNITED KINGDOM

Review: GET OUT

By Laurie Coker Rating: B Clearly, a deeply satirical piece, director Jordan Peele’s new horror film Get Out, starts with a slow roll and builds to a jolt a minute revelation. Still, there is a predictability that over shadows many aspects of the fear factor. Thankfully, the film’s exceptional cast and Peele’s narrative – a… Continue reading Review: GET OUT

Review: FIST FIGHT

By Mark Saldana Rating: 2.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Three O’Clock High, the movie which loosely inspired this movie, offers a slightly subversive, comedic take on a showdown story.  Director Phil Joanou and writers Richard Christian Matheson and Thomas Szollosi came up with a highly inventive and thoroughly entertaining movie that has a unique style of… Continue reading Review: FIST FIGHT

Review: A CURE FOR WELLNESS

By Mark Saldana Rating: 2 (Out of 4 Stars) A problem with some slow-burning thrillers is the tendency to fizzle out when they are supposed to erupt with excitement and surprises.  Such is the key issue with Gore Verbinski’s A Cure for Wellness, a creepy and strange movie that spends too much of its run time… Continue reading Review: A CURE FOR WELLNESS

Review: THE GREAT WALL

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) Director Zhang Yimou (Hero, House of Flying Daggers) is a filmmaker, well-known for a gorgeous and majestic style.  For his latest movie The Great Wall, his first film with an American lead actor, Yimou employs some of his elegant sensibilities, but isn’t afraid to get gritty… Continue reading Review: THE GREAT WALL

Review: FIFTY SHADES DARKER

By Laurie Coker Rating: D Scores read the Fifty Shades novels and scores flocked to the theater for the first disappointing film installment of the wildly popular, super-soft-porn novels. Grey and Steel are back in Fifty Shades Darker. While the sex scenes are more frequent, the story is still as lackluster as, um, the color… Continue reading Review: FIFTY SHADES DARKER

Review: JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2

By Renee’ Collins Rating: 4 (Out of 5 Reels) After returning to the criminal underworld to repay a debt, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) discovers that a large bounty has been put on his life (IMDB). Missing the first installment of John Wick will not matter because this installment stands on its own. This film is… Continue reading Review: JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2

Review:THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE

By Laurie Coker Rating: A “Everything is awesome” about the new Lego Batman movie! Director Chris McKay and a slew of writers give audiences a classic spoof film that delights viewers of all ages. It pays homage to every batman version (ever) and does so with flourish and impressive animated flare. The Lego Batman movie… Continue reading Review:THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE

Review: FIFTY SHADES DARKER

By Mark Saldana Rating: 2 (Out of 4 Stars) The title of this movie promises a much darker tone than the first installment of the series. However, after watching it, I can definitely say that Fifty Shades Darker is a misnomer.  If anything, this sequel offers an attempt at something more romantic, poignant, dramatic and… Continue reading Review: FIFTY SHADES DARKER

Review: THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) With Batman becoming such a delightfully comedic, breakout character from The Lego Movie, it makes perfect sense that the Warner Animation Group gave him his own spin-off movie.  And with actor Will Arnett delivering an exceptional voice performance as the Dark Knight in The Lego Movie,… Continue reading Review: THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE