Author: Mark Salcido

Colman Domingo is one of those actors who guarantees a good to excellent performance in film, television, or on stage. The man’s presence burns a hole in the screen, as there has been plenty of evidence in his past work. He can be gentle, or he can be challenging. He can be a monster – or he can be thoughtful. Any way that you put it, Domingo makes it look as natural as breathing and effortless as putting on a hat. His rise as a recognizable star only continues to grow, and Hollywood has been taking notice. Domingo continuously works…

Luca Guadagnino is known as an auteur filmmaker, and his past work is evidence of that. The Italian director tends to bend conventional storytelling to showcase thought-provoking scenes, chalked full of deep-seated emotions and sometimes downright beautiful. Many of his films cover topics such as faith, love, and heartbreak. Yet what they all have in common is being characterized by emotional complexity, eroticism, and reality breaking through stunning or lavish visuals. His latest film, Queer, continues Guadagnino using his tools to tell a compelling story about the thirst for love only to face sorrow. Although the acting and scriptwriting are…

James Muro’s Street Trash is an acquired taste. In a true sense, the 1987 Dark Comedy/Body Horror is a cult classic. Regular movie watchers have probably never heard of it, but at least cinephiles and hardcore horror fans have it on their radar. The film’s story and gore struck many enough people to build a fanbase around it, including director Ryan Kruger. The filmmaker behind Fried Barry felt a strong enough connection that he answered the call when asked to tackle a remake/sequel/reimaging of Street Trash. Producers Matt Manjourides and Justin Martell approached Kruger after the filmmaker finished his cult…

When released in 2019, Joker was a big hit, making over a billion dollars at the box office and granting actor Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar. It would only come naturally that the Todd Phillips-directed movie would get a sequel greenlit—which was released this year. Unfortunately, the critical and commercial flop of that film, Joker: Folie A Deux, might be a sign that audiences could be tired of The Clown Prince of Crime. However, one actor wants a crack at the character, and it’s none other than Jack Kesy from Hellboy: The Crooked Man. Hellboy: The Crooked Man is the latest…

Pharell Williams is one of those artists who has spoken to several generations. The Virginia-born producer has significantly influenced the music industry for decades and has worked with top talents like Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dog, Kendrick Lamar, No Doubt, and many others. It would stand to reason that Williams would carry stories about his creativity, views on the world, and what makes him tick. Of course, anybody can make a documentary on a gifted person like Williams; however, filmmaker Morgan Neville worked with the multi-grammy-winning producer to create something extraordinary with Piece by Piece. The result possibly embodies Williams’s…

A particular type of whimsicalness is expected from a Studio Ghibli film. The vibrant color palette, music, phenomenal voice acting, and simple storylines filled with complex nuance are standard from the well-known studio. With Chris Sanders’s The Wild Robot, you get all of that. The film provides the chance to explore the beautiful world Dreamworks Animation offers and gives it so much heart. It’ll have you leaving the movie with a bit more hope in your core and an appreciative outlook on life. The Wild Robot comes from Chris Sanders and Peter Brown’s creative mind. If the first name sounds…

It’s no secret that Marvel Studio’s track record has been spotty recently. In some of its projects, the powerhouse studio has encountered hiccups, misfires, and straight duds. With some bad, there has been good. X-Men ’97 and Deadpool and Wolverine have been hits among fans, and the studio is hoping to continue that trend with their latest series, Agatha All Along. The spinoff of the widely popular Wandavision promises to put Marvel Studios back on the right track for success with interweaving storylines, visuals, and some order to their chaotic Phase 5. Although the show is somewhat entertaining, it won’t…

2024 is coming to an end, and that means Beyond Fest is upon us! The genre festival, the go-to for any true cinephile, has been a staple in Los Angeles for decades, and the people behind it are back. This year’s festival will be another fantastic feat in cinema viewing, with its lineup of little-known movies all the way to the heavy hitters in cinema. The 2024 slate will include World, West Coast, International Premieres, special screenings, and many more, with the filmmakers and cast in attendance. Beyond Fest has been known to bring their “A” game when showcasing hidden…

Alien: Romulus is around the corner, and questions come with every new installment in an I.P. How will this version differ from the others? Will this respect the source material? How much of the lore do I need to know beforehand? All legit questions in our sequels, prequels-filled entertainment, and the latest Alien movie is no exception. Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus is said to occur between the events of 1979’s Alien and 1986’s Aliens, but it’s ideal to find out if doing some homework on the movies from the Alien franchise is required. The film is the seventh film in…

1996’s Twister was a cultural phenomenon that took everyone by surprise. The disaster film had the DNA of many of its predecessors with a 90s flair that gave it a distinct look. Millennials and above deem this movie a classic with its subtle humor, neat camera tricks, and not-too-shabby special effects/CGI. Now it appears that WB hopes to catch lightning in a bottle twice with filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung’s Twisters. The film has all the markings to be a summer blockbuster; however, a couple of things dampen the chances of Twisters reaching the heights of the 1996 movie directed by…