By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Steven Spielberg’s latest film may not be a grand slam, but it is definitely a home run. Based on the true events involving Soviet spy Rudolf Abel, American spy Francis Gary Powers and the lawyer James B. Donovan who negotiated for their trade, Bridge of Spies… Continue reading Review: BRIDGE OF SPIES
Category: Reviews
Review: GOOSEBUMPS
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) I have never read any of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books nor have I ever seen the television series, based on those novels, which aired during the late 1990s. I do recall that the TV series actually looked rather creepy for children’s programming, but I never bothered… Continue reading Review: GOOSEBUMPS
Fantastic Fest 2015 Review: CRIMSON PEAK
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) This year, Fantastic Fest offered its attendees two secret screenings. The first one took place on Friday evening with audiences excitedly anticipating their surprise. As it turned out, the film was Guillermo Del Toro’s Crimson Peak and Del Toro and Tim League took the stage to… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2015 Review: CRIMSON PEAK
Review: LADRONES
By Liz Lopez Rating: B- In the fall of 2007, audiences in the United States were introduced to the Spanish language feature film, Ladrón que roba a ladrón (Thieves Who Rob Thieves), directed by Joe Menendez and written by JoJo Henrickson. It has a huge draw featuring several Latin American telenovela and film heart throbs… Continue reading Review: LADRONES
Fantastic Fest 2015 Review: GRIDLOCKED
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) As a fan of 80s and 90s action movies, I had an absolute blast with this movie. Fans of that era/genre will no doubt love this movie and all that it has to offer. The film stars Dominic Purcell as David Hendrix, a hardcore, highly skilled… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2015 Review: GRIDLOCKED
Fantastic Fest 2015 Review: THE MISSING GIRL
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Written and directed by A.D. Calvo, The Missing Girl plays out like comic books written by the late Harvey Pekar (American Splendor) or Daniel Clowes (Ghost World) where the trials and tribulations of ordinary average people make for fascinating and compelling story material. In Calvo’s film,… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2015 Review: THE MISSING GIRL
Fantastic Fest 2015 Review: IN SEARCH OF THE ULTRA-SEX
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) More like a novelty comedy, In Search Of the Ultra-Sex is a clever film project by French filmmakers Nicolas Charvet and Bruno Lavaine who watched over 2500 porn films to compile scenes for a story of their own. And their story definitely sounds like the plot… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2015 Review: IN SEARCH OF THE ULTRA-SEX
Fantastic Fest 2015 Review: DER BUNKER
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) It wouldn’t be a Fantastic Fest without a bizarre entry or two, and this import from Germany definitely fits this description. A young student (Pit Bukowski) in search of a quiet residence to continue his work moves in with an unusual, isolated family living in the… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2015 Review: DER BUNKER
Fantastic Fest 2015 Review: LAZER TEAM
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) My Fantastic Fest got started with a science fiction movie of the late-night comedy variety. From Rooster Teeth Productions, a company known for their online shorts, comes their first feature film. When the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence discovers that the threat of attack is imminent, government… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2015 Review: LAZER TEAM
Review: 99 HOMES
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) Despite this film’s not-so-original plot, predictability, and it’s all-too-familiar archetypes, writer/director Ramin Bahrani keeps the material highly relevant and the stakes heartfelt and relatable. These positive points helps prevent 99 Homes from becoming just another tiresome morality parable. Economic strife is an issue with which most… Continue reading Review: 99 HOMES