Author: Mark Salcido

“I know that nothing can change, and I know there is no hope.” I’ve never been a fan of religious films. The idea of watching a story where the power of God gets our characters through their endeavors always seemed full of it, like the Bible. If I do watch a film with religious undertones, it’s normally a movie that showcases the brutality of the subject like The Last Temptation of Christ and Silence. I’m also more inclined to watch a religious film if it has realistic discussions, like Dogma and The Seventh Seal—Dogma and The Seventh Seal in the…

“Let me give you some advice. Assume everyone will betray you and you will never be disappointed” The Star Wars train that Disney has purchased and upgraded keeps chugging along each year. With a new film in the in the ever-growing franchise, many audience members question if spinoffs are necessary. It can work surprisingly well like in Rogue One, or it can crash and burn before the film reaches pre-production, like Josh Trank’s Bobba Fett. Thankfully, James Mangold is in the pilot seat for the latter and is set to write and direct the film. Lucas Films’ next installment in…

“Dread it, run from it, destiny arrives all the same. And now, it’s here. Or should I say, I am.” Very few film franchises can do what Marvel has done. They’ve taken an idea that had a million ways to fail, but to the surprise of everyone, has continued to succeed with hit after hit – culminating in Avengers: Infinity War.  Sure, there were several hiccups in the form of The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Thor: The Dark World, but Marvel always recalibrated and knocked it out of the park with their other films. Audience members have…

Solo: A Star Wars Story has been making a lot of news since the film was first announced. Most of it bad news involving original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller unceremoniously being fired from the project when 80 percent of the film had completed principle photography and rumors of Alden Ehrenreich’s atrocious acting. Many fans and non-fans of the Star Wars franchise are already calling the film a failure before it even hits theaters and bringing in Ron Howard to finish the film, along with a few reshoots – doesn’t seem to sway the naysayers either. Well, Lucasfilm is hoping…

Lynne Ramsay is one of those directors whose films has always received critical acclaim. Though she is known in the film industry as a heavy hitter when it comes to thought provoking films and amazing storytelling, the general audience is unfamiliar with her work. Yet, she keeps coming back with amazing works of art and her latest film, You Were Never Really Here, shows that Ramsay is here to stay no matter what and deserves every bit of recognition that she will get. Let’s go ahead and find why you need to watch this piece of cinema art ASAP. You Were…

2018 WonderCon has passed, and it was an interesting year for studios, filmmakers, and comic book creators to showcase their latest work. Attending this year’s WonderCon was Doug Liman, director of The Bourne Identity and Edge of Tomorrow, along with Maddie Hasson. The two were at the con to spread the word on their new show, Impulse, (which Hasson is the lead star of) set to be released on the streaming service YouTube Red. The show Impulse is based off the Jumper novel series and I had the chance to sit down and talk to the director and his lead…

It’s 2018 and with every year in film comes the Oscars Last year was a wild ride at the end when Damien Chazelle La La Land was announced as the Best Picture of 2017 only to have been corrected on stage and on the air. Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight was rightfully declared as Best Picture of the year and history was made. This year, there were so many great films from directors and great performances from the actors and actress that it would look like the winners are anybody’s guess. Although the Oscars are only a short time away, predictions are…

Iron Man. The film that started the Marvel Cinematic Universe on a path that would have fans salivating for any future Marvel film and would lead by example on how to create a connected universe. Studios have been trying to emulate the success that Marvel has garnered since their Phase One of films and being bought by the juggernaut studio that is Disney—plus, the soon to be done deal with FOX – the MCU is here to stay for the foreseeable future. Who would have thought that a studio could take a C-Level comic book character, an indie director that…

It’s here. It’s finally here. After his introduction into the MCU in Captain America: Civil War and being called the most anticipated movie of 2018, Ryan Coolger’s Black Panther has hit the big screen. The film has had a lot of talk since the project was announced to have a stunning cast and one hell of director behind the lens. Is the movie worth all the hype and is it a game changer for the MCU? The answer to that question is a resounding “Yes”. Didn’t mean to spoil it for you but this is a damn good movie and…

Black Panther has been a staple in Marvel – in either his own run or guest spots in other superhero comics – since his first appearance in 1966. True, he is not the only comic book superhero or even the first black superhero to get his own movie. His presence in the pop culture consciousness is vital now more than ever. The new installation into the MCU by director Ryan Coogler – only his third film I might add – stars a plethora of great actors and actresses and can be considered as a rally point for the African and…