Category: Film Reviews

By Liz Lopez Rating: B+ The German director, Thorsten Schütte, premiered his documentary Eat That Question: Frank Zappa In His Own Words at the Sundance Film Festival this year, a film about the musician, composer, filmmaker and family man who is remembered through archival materials. Schütte used interviews, concerts and behind-the-scenes footage as an overview… Continue reading Review: EAT THAT QUESTION: FRANK ZAPPA IN HIS OWN WORDS

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) Frank Zappa was an artist whose musical talent and ingenuity often gets overshadowed by his eccentric personality and his few hit songs.  Case in point, prior to seeing this film, I had no idea how bold and innovative his music really was when first released.  I,… Continue reading Review: EAT THAT QUESTION: FRANK ZAPPA IN HIS OWN WORDS

By Liz Lopez Rating: B+ It is possible you may have already heard of the New Zealand comedy-adventure feature film written and directed by Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Boy), Hunt for the Wilderpeople, especially if you followed the films at this year’s Sundance Film Festival in January and the SXSW Film… Continue reading Review: HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) For cinephiles, the word remake can be a dirty word, or at least an unwelcome one, but the ire and controversy that has snowballed over the new “reimagined” Ghostbusters has become utterly ridiculous, and in some cases, offensively sexist.  Granted, the original 1984 Ghostbusters is movie that holds… Continue reading Review: GHOSTBUSTERS (2016)

By Liz Lopez Rating: B+ Based on true life events, The Infiltrator, is quite suspenseful and a thriller that is very intense. Directed by Brad Furman (The Lincoln Lawyer), the screenplay by Ellen Brown Furman is based on Robert Manzur’s memoir as a law enforcement badass on the job, while managing a home filled with… Continue reading Review: THE INFILTRATOR

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) The history of Pablo Escobar and his infamous reign over his Colombian drug cartel has provided a wealth of material for books, television, and film. During the 1980s, the United States government sought to put him and other drug lords out of business.  Much like the… Continue reading Review: THE INFILTRATOR

By Liz Lopez Rating: B+ I have been watching the trailer for Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures’ The Secret Life of Pets over the past few months now, and I was hooked by several of the scenes with the talking pets and their activities as soon as their owners left the home. I anticipated quite… Continue reading Review: THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS

By Mark Saldana Rating: 2.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Much like Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates tries to put an end to the double standard that women are not supposed to be wild and raunchy while men can carry on as they like.  Though I find this approach refreshing, it isn’t… Continue reading Review: MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES

By Laurie Coker Rating: C- While it’s better than Neighbors 2, far better than the original Neighbors, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates is still just a juvenile, testosterone driven party fest of dirty jokes and nasty gags. Zac Efron and Adam Devine star as the titular characters and Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza play… Continue reading Review: MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES

By Laurie Coker Rating: C+ As evidenced by viral photos and videos of animal antics, pets do the craziest things.  Silly cats and dogs can bring a smile to even the sourest faces. The Secret Lives of Pets, a new film from the creators of the Minion movies, Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures, offers some… Continue reading Review: THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS