Review: HACKSAW RIDGE

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) In 1945, President Harry S. Truman presented Army medic Desmond Doss with the Congressional Medal of Honor for going above and beyond the call of duty and rescuing 75 infantrymen during the near-catastrophic Battle of Okinawa in World War II.  That is tremendously amazing for a… Continue reading Review: HACKSAW RIDGE

Review: MOONLIGHT

By Mark Saldana Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars) “At some point you’ve got to decide for yourself who you gonna be. And let nobody make that decision.”  Although that advice (as delivered by one of the characters in Moonlight) seems simple and true enough, life has a way of making this path a challenge.  This… Continue reading Review: MOONLIGHT

Review: DOCTOR STRANGE

By Renee’ Collins Rating: 4 (Out of 5 Reels) A former neurosurgeon (Benedict Cumberbatch) embarks on a journey of healing only to be drawn into the world of the mystic arts (IMDB). Doctor Strange is the latest superhero character addition (as well as a few sidekicks) to the film genre from the Marvel Comics world.… Continue reading Review: DOCTOR STRANGE

Review: DOCTOR STRANGE

By Laurie Coker Rating: A Starting out this fall season, Doctor Strange, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, is a virtual cornucopia of visually stunning imagery and seamless CGI. Director Scott Derrickson, along with a plethora of writers, including Austin’s own C. Robert Cargill, give us a droll comic book hero with more arrogance and issues than Tony… Continue reading Review: DOCTOR STRANGE

Review and Interview: WE ARE X

By Liz Lopez Rating: B+ I attended the SXSW Film Festival this past March and viewed numerous music documentaries, but the one that I unfortunately missed is “We Are X” directed by Stephen Kijak (“Scott Walker – 30 Century Man,” “Backstreet Boys: Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of”). The feature documentary won the audience award… Continue reading Review and Interview: WE ARE X

Review: INFERNO

By Mark Saldana Rating: 2 (Out of 4 Stars) Much like Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code before it, Inferno utilizes a wealth of European history, art and literature, blends it with real world issues, and spins it into a conspiracy-laden, mystery-thriller.  And much like its predecessors, the pacing and intensity of the… Continue reading Review: INFERNO

Review: INFERNO

By Laurie Coker Rating: D+/C- Dan Brown is a pedestrian writer – there I said it. Even with the exceptionally popular DaVinci Code, he lumbered insipidly and laboriously through a speculative tale of covert intrigue involving Christian convention and conspiracies, after which he produced two more mediocre novels. They’ve made millions and the first turned… Continue reading Review: INFERNO

SXSW Film 2016 Review: IN A VALLEY OF VIOLENCE

By Liz Lopez Rating: B Filmmaker Ti West, known for his work in genre films, “The ABCs of Death,” “V/H/S/,” “The House of the Devil,” “The Innkeepers” and “The Sacrament,” took a turn towards writing, directing, editing and executive producing the feature film, “In A Valley of Violence.” The World Premiere was held at the… Continue reading SXSW Film 2016 Review: IN A VALLEY OF VIOLENCE

Review and Interview: EL JEREMIAS

Child Star Martin Castro from “El Jeremías” Shares His Experience By Liz Lopez Rating: A Last year, the Austin Film Festival (AFF) had a Stories from Abroad category and they featured the Spanish language film from Mexico, “El Jeremías.” Written by Ana Sofía Clerici and directed by Anwar Safa, this 99 minute family comedy/drama went… Continue reading Review and Interview: EL JEREMIAS

Review: OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL

(L to R) ANNALISE BASSO as Lina and ELIZABETH REASER as Alice, her mother, in "Ouija: Origin of Evil." Inviting audiences again into the lore of the spirit board, the supernatural thriller tells a terrifying new tale as the follow-up to 2014’s sleeper hit that opened at No. 1. In 1965 Los Angeles, a widowed mother and her two daughters add a new stunt to bolster their séance scam business and unwittingly invite authentic evil into their home. When the youngest daughter is overtaken by the merciless spirit, this small family confronts unthinkable fears to save her and send her possessor back to the other side.

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) After disliking the first installment of this young franchise, I found it rather difficult not to go into this prequel with a negative attitude.  Still, I did my best to check my attitude at the door and view this film with an open mind.  Thankfully, this… Continue reading Review: OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL