Review: THE SUMMIT

By Laurie Coker Rating: C+ As a bit of a daredevil myself, I do understand the desires of some people to dare the seemingly impossible, to bungee jump from bridges, to swim oceans, hike across continents and to climb the world’s highest mountains. K-2, located in a remote region between Pakistan and China, has challenged… Continue reading Review: THE SUMMIT

Review: THE SUMMIT

By Mark Saldana  Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) In 2008, groups of mountain climbers, representing different nations, lost eleven people while attempting to climb and descend from the infamous K2 between Pakistan and China.  Deemed the second highest mountain on earth after Mount Everest, K2  presents an intense and hazardous challenge for mount climbers.… Continue reading Review: THE SUMMIT

Review: CARRIE

By Mark Saldana Rating: 2 (Out of 4 Stars) With the 1976 version of Carrie, director Brian De Palma adapted Stephen King’s novel with a style and panache obviously inspired by Alfred Hitchcock. The result is an iconic horror film with excellent performances by Sissy Spacek in the title role and Piper Laurie who portrays… Continue reading Review: CARRIE

Review: ESCAPE PLAN

By Mark Saldana  Rating: 2.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger once again team up in an action/thriller that attempts to recapture cheesy 80s action gold.  The film comes close, but does come up a bit short.  A fun and exciting climax will please 80s action fans; however, the journey there often… Continue reading Review: ESCAPE PLAN

Review: CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

By Savannah Wood Rating: A Captain Phillips opens with  the titular character, Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) in his remarkably average home, driving to the airport in a minivan, discussing commonplace family matters. We understand from the get-go that Captain Phillips is not a man of any extraordinary means or background; he could be your… Continue reading Review: CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

Review: WE ARE WHAT WE ARE

By Laurie Coker Rating: C+ We Are What We Are – the title of Jim Mickel’s bizarre thriller might, on one hand, seem simply a statement of the obvious, but sometimes “what we are” is downright strange. Fortunately for Mickel, I like weird, and in some cases, such as this, works – for the most… Continue reading Review: WE ARE WHAT WE ARE

Review: MACHETE KILLS

By Mark Saldana  Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) Feeling less “grindhouse” and more cartoonish than the first film, Machete Kills plays out more like a Spy Kids spin-off for grownups. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially when writer/director Robert Rodriguez and his co-writers Kyle Ward and Marcel Rodriguez make the film an often… Continue reading Review: MACHETE KILLS

Review: RUNNER RUNNER

Savannah Wood Grade: C- With a few notable exceptions (Oceans Eleven and Casino Royale, to name a few), gambling films have never held any place of honor in my heart. I’ve heard enough stories about overconfident prodigies scamming their way into the big leagues (and the big bucks) enough times that I feel sated enough… Continue reading Review: RUNNER RUNNER

Review: RUNNER, RUNNER

By Laurie Coker Rating: C- Watching Runner, Runner, I waited for someone or something to run, and it never happened – no characters, no scary animals, no speedy cars and especially not the storyline. Apparently, “runner, runner” is a poker term, or so I learned, but I saw little poker either. Justin Timberlake and Ben… Continue reading Review: RUNNER, RUNNER