Author: Mark Salcido

Director Edgar Wright is primarily known as the guy that enjoys mashing comedy with different genres and sprinkling a bit of rhythmic beat in his films. The Cornetto Trilogy, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, and Baby Driver has a type of direction that is kinetically charged to make anyone notice top tap in unison. I’m not going a hide the fact that I am a huge Edgar Wright fan, but skepticism did pop in my head when the director decided to try his hand at documentary filmmaking with The Sparks Brothers. Joyously, I’m glad that my doubts were squashed as…

Being married is a tough bit. Real-life relationships are complex and have many ups and downs. Big budget-produced films in the modern era usually fall under the same sappy trope that ends positively and is too neat and clean to apply to reality. However, when someone goes into the Indie genre of cinema and attaches a story about marriage, divorce, and relationships in general, you’ll get a real-world result. Such is the case for Robert Machoian’s The Killing of Two Lovers. The film written and directed by Machoian features character actor Clayne Crawford and Sepidhe Moafi on the downswing of…

Noah Baumbach Marriage Story gave the audience a view into a family traversing the obstacles of divorces. The film reinstated with so many people and Robert Machoian’s The Killing of Two Lovers should be no different. The film starring Clayne Crawford and Sepideh Moafi features a relationship on the brink of total desegregation. The performance of the leads and the supporting cast helped elevate the script—also written by Machoian’s—to a degree that makes it poetic and a lesson on bonding. I was able to talk to Machoian and Crawford on what into making this film that will leave a lasting…

Just like death and taxes, it seems that the Hollywood Industry has made sure that award season would be a factor in our lives. The pandemic had put a pause on the filmmaking world, but many award contender movies were already in the can and ready to be viewed by an audience. The Academy of Motion Picture and Arts has been able to pluck some of these films and felt they deserve the covenant gold statue and a self-congratulatory pat on the back. With every Oscars ceremony, all the film news sites like to take a crack to predict who…

Some would call rotoscoping a niche form of animation. These types of movies/television shows are few and far between, but directors Richard Linklater and Ralph Bakshi have pulled the trigger on this amazing visual aid.  It’s no surprise that more filmmakers are using this style to tell compelling stories and directors Morgan King and Philip Gelatt are two who see it for its artful use in The Spine of Night. The film has many elements that go hand and hand in the adult animated science fantasy genre that cinephile’s love and appreciation. Starring Lucy Lawless, Betty Gabriel, Richard E. Grant,…

The Disney+ series, WandaVision, is definitely the fix we need to bring some enjoyment into 2021. Granted, many impatient folks complained and collectively uttered the words “what the fuck is going on” for the first three episodes, but fortunately, realized the mystery by episode four. Many viewers, critics, and comic book fans have been digging through each episode—at the time of this writing, there have been five—to figure out the series finale before we get there. I, myself, have become a fanatic of solving the enigmatic ending to what is sure to be a stepping stone to the next phase…

Marvel Studios has been known to keep a lot of their surprises close to the vest when it comes to plot twist and turns that keeps the audience guessing – but episode 5 of WandaVision will definitely blow everyone’s mind. Major SPOILERS follow about the recent episode – because you can’t talk about the episode without them. This week’s episode, “On a Very Special Episode..”, has been a mixed blend of what’s going on in the real world and Wanda’s reality set in Westview. The plot is being pushed further and at a speed that will surely end with a…

PG: Psycho Goreman is one of those horror movies that deserves a cult cinema following from the jump. The story of a hulking intergalactic monster that begrudgingly befriends a couple of Earth kids is the perfect movie that one easily be passed around in hidden gem group circles. The past work of director Steven Kostanski has always been in the realm of horror, weirdness, and fun all wrapped into one—rhyming not on purpose. PG: Psycho Goreman perfect mixture of comedy and gore is something unique and nostalgic all at the same time. I was able to speak with Kostanski on…

Wrong Turn, Saw, and High Tension. What do these movies have in common? Splatter Horror. These are the type of films where the lead(s) are hunted or tortured by a hulking unstoppable over 6’ tall antagonist in a brutal fashion. Horror fans have come to enjoy this genre in their own way but a few movies have taken the “final girl” or “final guy” trope and flipped it on its head. That’s where writer Robert Benjamin’s Bloody Hell delivers with style. The film stars Ben O’Toole as a man who finds himself on the end of a meat hook in…

Today’s Hollywood and film industry is filled with superheroes and the studios can make those most bang with their buck. The MCU is on top with DCEU trying to catch up while a few others are making their way—I’m looking at you Valant Comics. There have been a few indies and lesser-known comic book films that have slid under the radar but Adam Egypt Mortimer’s Archenemy stands out as an unconventional superhero flick and should not be missed. Archenemy stars Deathstroke himself, Joseph Manganiello. The story follows the vice loving homeless man Max Fist (Manganiello) and the idea that he…