Tag: Fantastic Fest 2014

By Mark Saldana Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars) 2014 has been quite the year for biting satires (Birdman) and films portraying sociopathic behavior (Gone Girl).  Dan Gilroy’s Nighcrawler does an exceptional job of combining these two elements in an intense and disturbing crime drama setting.  This closing night feature of this year’s Fantastic Fest… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2014 Review: NIGHTCRAWLER

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Guy meets woman. Woman and guy have their own heavy, personal baggage and other issues. These problems threaten the relationship.  That does sound like the typical romance movie, but in the case of Spring, writer Justin Benson and co-director Aaron Moorehead have put a refreshing and… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2014 Review: SPRING

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) Based on the popular and acclaimed fantasy novel by Joe Hill, Horns is a captivating film that combines various genres and themes within a fantasy.  Director Alexandre Aja (High Tension, Piranha 3D) and his crew brings a distinct visual style that works wonderfully with the story elements. … Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2014 Review/Interview: HORNS

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) From Joe Lynch, the director of Knights of Badassdom and Wrong Turn 2: Dead End comes a wild, balls-to-the-wall, insane action movie which, at Fantastic Fest, was often described as Die Hard with a female hero.  Starring Salma Hayek as the title character, Everly is a… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2014 Review/Interview: EVERLY

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) This horror feature debut from writer/director Jennifer Kent went on to win several Fantastic Fest awards. In the Horror Feature category, the movie won Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Acting awards for stars Noah Wiseman and Essie Davis.  As for my take on the film,… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2014 Review: THE BABADOOK

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) In 1996, the sixth adaptation of H.G. Well’s novel, The Island of Dr. Moreau, hit theaters.  This adaptation, directed by John Frankenheimer and starring David Thewlis, Marlon Brando, and Val Kilmer was actually not the version of the film originally intended for release.  New Line Cinema… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2014 Review: LOST SOUL – THE DOOMED JOURNEY OF RICHARD STANLEY’S ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) From Canadian film company, Astron-6, comes an often hilarious and always over-the-top horror/giallo spoof that made for a fun midnight screening at Fantastic Fest.  Written and directed by and starring Adam Brooks and Matthew Kennedy, The Editor focuses on a string of murders taking place in… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2014 Review: THE EDITOR

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) From Mikkel Nørgaard,  the director of the acclaimed Danish comedy Klown, comes an engaging film involving a crime investigation.  Twenty years following the murder of twin teens, police detective Carl Morck (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) and his partner Assad (Fare Fares) come across the old case and come… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2014 Review: THE ABSENT ONE