By Mark Saldana Two drone pilots, operating out of a trailer in a Nevada desert, have acquired a target in Afghanistan and are faced with a moral dilemma. They must follow their orders and terminate with extreme prejudice or face punishment for disobedience. This is the premise of the AFF film entry title Drones.
Category: Reviews
AFF 2013 Review: BIG SUR
By Mark Saldana Rating: 2.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Call it perfect timing or strange coincidence, but just last week, I finally watched Walter Salles’ film adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s iconic book On the Road. As much as I liked the movie, I felt that it isn’t quite the adaptation that Kerouac’s novel deserves. Still,… Continue reading AFF 2013 Review: BIG SUR
AFF 2013 Review: THE ART OF THE STEAL
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) After the utter disappointment with Coffee, Kill Boss, I was so incredibly grateful that my next film turned out to be a fun, clever, witty and entertaining heist film in the vein of Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven. The Art of the Steal obviously borrows some of… Continue reading AFF 2013 Review: THE ART OF THE STEAL
AFF 2013 Review: COFFEE, KILL BOSS
By Mark Saldana Rating: 1.5 (Out of 4 Stars) My Austin Film Festival got off to a funky start with their opening night film that often left me exasperated and baffled. I had initially planned to give this film a higher rating as it did occasionally make me laugh; however, I came to the conclusion… Continue reading AFF 2013 Review: COFFEE, KILL BOSS
Review: THE COUNSELOR
By Laurie Coker Rating: D+ I’ve grown tired of pointless plots and tired tales. Casting excellent actors in a film doesn’t matter when the stuff of the story flows with flaws, holes and inconsistencies. Ridley Scott’s latest showing, The Counselor, falls into this well-cast, aimless narrative category perfects. Having liked all but the ending of… Continue reading Review: THE COUNSELOR
Review: I AM DIVINE
By Laurie Coker Rating: A SXSW always offers gems in the documentary category, and I try my best to see at least a few, because I too often focus more on the narrative categories. I did, however, find a true tale Divine, on one trip to the screening library. I thoroughly enjoyed I am Divine … Continue reading Review: I AM DIVINE
Review: JACKASS PRESENTS BAD GRANDPA
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) Most people either love or loathe Jackass and their wild, often puerile and sometimes off-color pranks. I fall somewhere in the middle. Some of their practical jokes and stunts are so smartly planned and performed that they deserve high praise for their comic timing and for… Continue reading Review: JACKASS PRESENTS BAD GRANDPA
Review: THE FIFTH ESTATE
By Renee’ Collins Rating: 3 (Out of 5 Reels) I vividly remember watching news stories about Julian Assange plans to publish thousands of highly confidential communications on his website called WikiLeaks for the world to see because they were calling him a terrorist. This film is a dramatic thriller based on real events that reveal… Continue reading Review: THE FIFTH ESTATE
Review: The Fifth Estate
By Laurie Coker Rating: D Benedict Cumberbatch impresses in spite of his one-dimensional character, while The Fifth Estate falls fatally flat. I truly do not know what else to say. Director Bill Condon manages to create a film about government secrets, deadly lies and the power of technology and turn it, not in to a film of… Continue reading Review: The Fifth Estate
Review: The Summit
By Savanah Wood Rating: B K2 is a beautiful, formidable mountain, located in the Himalayas on the border of China and Pakistan, and its summit is one of the most respected and sought after elevations in the climbing community. Everest may be taller and more well-known to the mountaineering layman, but to say K2 is… Continue reading Review: The Summit