By Jan Hamilton Lena Olin plays fictional poet and author Maya Darnel in this film of her last days before she plans to take her own life. In the story, Maya has gone on NPR to make the announcement that she will leave her money, literary works, and legacy in the hands of the winner… Continue reading SXSW 2017 Review: A CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES
Category: Film Reviews
Review: PERSONAL SHOPPER
By Liz Lopez Rating: B- Although Kristen Stewart will be long remembered for her role in the “Twilight” films during her teen years, she has gone on to adult roles since then and after the role in ‘Clouds of Sils Maria’ by director Olivier Assayas, she won a Cesar in the Best Supporting Actress category.… Continue reading Review: PERSONAL SHOPPER
SXSW 2017 Review & Interview: THE BIG SICK
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) At this year’s festival, I enjoyed two comedies about inter-cultural relationships and their impact on familial relations. The first is a truly delightful indie film titled Signature Move, while the other is the Festival Favorite Headliner The Big Sick. Both films deal with Pakistani-Americans from Muslim… Continue reading SXSW 2017 Review & Interview: THE BIG SICK
Review: IN SEARCH OF ISRAELI CUISINE
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Occasionally I have the privilege of reviewing independent films opening in only select markets, and most of the time these films have something truly special to offer. The latest film, a documentary titled In Search of Israeli Cuisine, examines the rich culinary culture that has risen… Continue reading Review: IN SEARCH OF ISRAELI CUISINE
Review: POWER RANGERS
By Mark Saldana Rating: 2.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Considering that I was twenty years-old when the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series first aired on television, it’s not all that surprising that I had little to no interest in that franchise as it continued through the nineties with two feature-length films and other spin-off series.… Continue reading Review: POWER RANGERS
Review: T2 TRAINSPOTTING
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) In 1996, the now iconic classic Trainspotting took the world by storm and kick started the careers of director Danny Boyle and actors Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremmer, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle and Kelly McDonald. The film had a huge impact on the world, not only… Continue reading Review: T2 TRAINSPOTTING
SXSW 2017 Review: SONG TO SONG
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Writer/director Terrence Malick has become one of the more divisive filmmakers of modern cinema. With recent films To the Wonder and Knight of Cups polarizing audiences and critics alike, it isn’t all that surprising that his latest film has had the same impact on the audience… Continue reading SXSW 2017 Review: SONG TO SONG
Review: LIFE
By Laurie Coker Rating: C- Life — a condition that includes the capacity for growth, reproduction, function and change — and the subject of the latest sci-fi thriller, Life, starring Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal. Director Daniel Espinosa creates a visually stunning environment and an interesting enough creature, but Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese’s story… Continue reading Review: LIFE
SXSW 2017: Mark’s Film Festival Recap
By Mark Saldana Source: SXSW After nine days of movies, the 2017 SXSW film festival has come to an end. For the most part, my festival went well. I was able to see twenty-one films and participate in five interviews with some of the films’s available talent. Since 1994, the SXSW film festival and conference… Continue reading SXSW 2017: Mark’s Film Festival Recap
Review: LAND OF MINE
By Mark Saldana Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars) As World War II came to an end, some German prisoners of war were charged with the perilous task of defusing and removing land mines placed in various strategic locations. Land of Mine tells one particular story of a band of child POWs forced by the… Continue reading Review: LAND OF MINE