By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Austin’s filmmaking wunderkind, Emily Hagins (My Sucky Teen Romance) has definitely matured as a writer/director and her latest work, a delightful and heartfelt teen comedy is a clear indicator of this maturity. This year at SXSW Film, not only were Austin filmmakers well represented, so was… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Review: GROW UP, TONY PHILLIPS
Tag: SXSW FILM 2013
2013 SXSW Review: ZERO CHARISMA
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Scott Weidemeyer (Sam Eidson) lives for writing and developing role playing games. As the “Master” of his weekly gaming group, Scott takes his games way too seriously. So when a new member of the group challenges the master’s authority and game scenarios bringing an element of… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Review: ZERO CHARISMA
2013 SXSW Review: MALADIES
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) This film really won my heart because of the genuine attempt to realistically portray people with mental illnesses and those suffering from oppression due to these illnesses and other non-traditional behavior. Taking place during the 1960s, Maladies tells a fictional story of a small group of… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Review: MALADIES
2013 SXSW Review: SPRING BREAKERS
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Given Harmony Korine’s reputation for making dark and often bizarre films, I really didn’t know what to expect from his latest entry. Considering that former Disney actresses were cast in lead roles made any kind of real expectations nearly impossible. Now as for audiences unfamiliar with… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Review: SPRING BREAKERS
2013 SXSW Review: REWIND THIS!
By Mark Saldana Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars) This film has to be my favorite documentary at SXSW this year. As a huge film geek and someone who grew up renting and watching VHS movies, this film definitely struck a chord with me. Director Josh Johnson’s Rewind This! recounts the history of the home… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Review: REWIND THIS!
2013 SXSW Review: I AM DIVINE
By Mark Saldana Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars) Divine was born as Haris Glen Milstead in Baltimore, Maryland in 1945. As a young man, he struggled with coming to terms with his sexual orientation, but during the 60s and 70s, he came out in a huge way and found his calling as a wildly… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Review: I AM DIVINE
2013 SXSW Interview & Review: AND WHO TAUGHT YOU TO DRIVE?
By Renee’ Collins Rating: 4 (Out of 5 Reels) And Who Taught You to Drive? was the first film I saw this year at the 2013 South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival. And, I am glad it was because it is just the kind of quirky slice of life film I love to see at… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Interview & Review: AND WHO TAUGHT YOU TO DRIVE?
2013 SXSW Review: SAKE BOMB
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Written by Jeff Mizushima and directed by Junya Sakino, this culture clash comedy gives some genuine insight into Sakino’s experiences and observations regarding some of the vast differences between Japanese and Japanese-American cultures. Through the character of Naoto (Gaku Hamada), audiences get to see through his… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Review: SAKE BOMB
2013 SXSW Review: THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) The biggest fear that circulated online has to be that this film, judging from trailers and TV spots, that this had the makings of a really bad Will Ferrell comedy. Well, thankfully this film did not play out quite as poorly. This riff on Vegas… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Review: THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE
2013 SXSW Guest Review: THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE
By Jan Hamilton Rating: B After many years on top, Burt (Carell) and partner (Buscemi) Anton’s Vegas magic act is losing popularity. Their competition is Steve Gray, the star of the internet sensation ” Mind Rapist”, played by Jim Carrey. He seems to be the new face of magic, though his act mostly consists of… Continue reading 2013 SXSW Guest Review: THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE