Author: Mark Salcido

Legendary writer Stephen King has enough novels to adapt into film or television that would sustain two major studios for decades. Some of his works have had a profound cultural impact, including The Stand, It, Carrie, and The Shawshank Redemption, among others. His 1979 book, The Long Walk, published under a pseudonym, has been seen as difficult to adapt by King fans. Fortunately for us, filmmaker Francis Lawrence adapted the dystopian horror novel and might’ve made one of the best adaptations of King’s work. The Long Walk, directed by Lawrence and written by JT Mollner, drops us into a dystopian…

Bullitt, The French Connection, Death Race 2000, and The Driver. Car chase movies are the go-to for high-octane scenes that feature amazing stunts that try to cement their staying power in cinema history. Recent car chase movies like Baby Driver, The Fast and Furious series, and Drive try to bring something new to the genre to varying degrees. Shawn Simmons’s Eenie Meanie pops the film into gear in the hope of becoming a memorable thrill ride for viewers. It succeeds for the most part with its well-crafted action scenes, quippy dialogue, and leading lady Samara Weaving. However, this one slip-up…

Romantic comedies tend to follow the standard formula. Guy meets girl, guy and girl first hate each other, then guy and girl fall in love. Recent romantic comedies are challenging the boring formula with a touch of real-life truth in creative ways. Splitsville is one of those movies that uses genuine chaos to say something about the state of modern relationships. Branded with “An Unromantic Comedy,” the film hits all the comedy beats and showcases the twisted but creative mind of the up-and-coming filmmaking duo. Splitsville, directed by Michael Angelo Covino and written by Kyle Marvin along with Covino, follows…

87North Productions has been the go-to for that type of action Millennials grew up on while keeping it authentic and innovative. The studio has a strong filmography with the John Wick series, Love Hurts, and Kate. Many actors looking to punch, shoot, chase, and blow s**t up their way to big box officer recognition always find their way to the studio. Bob Odenkirk is no exception, as the actor did so with 2021’s Nobody. Hoping to continue his success with 87North Productions, the actor returns for Nobody 2 with director Timo Tjahjanto and turns the sequel into a cross between…

The idea of anthropomorphic animals as characters in film or television is nothing new. Typically, the lead character or characters start on the side of good and have a battle with some force of evil. 2022’s The Bad Guys decided to switch up the formula in hopes of something new and refreshing. The idea of these already established villains—hoping to do right—of The Bad Guys was an entertaining take with a star-studded cast, and the film worked enough to warrant a sequel. The Bad Guys 2 takes it further with better animation, jokes, and more fleshed-out characters, resulting in a…

The theme of relationships in cinema can be applied to any genre, regardless of its specific style or genre. Comedy, romance, action, sci-fi, and even horror are great doorways to exploring the intricacies of relationships. For example, horror can portray the topic as nightmarish or a driving force for the protagonist. However, it’s when we delve into the nuances of love that allow for some great storytelling. Michael Shanks’s Together takes that nuance and makes it a dark body horror twisted tale of toxic relationships and codependency. Together, written and directed by Shanks, features real-life married actors Alison Brie (Millie)…

Ari Aster has been changing the way we think about horror since the release of his feature film, Hereditary (2018). The filmmaker has become one of the key figures in the elevated horror genre (sorry to those that don’t like that label) with splices of dark humor. Although Hereditary’s theme centers on grief, and Midsommar (2019) explores toxic relationships, both movies still contain some comedic moments. 2023’s Beau Is Afraid took Aster’s flavor of dark comedy to the forefront of his storytelling, and the director revisits this approach with his latest film, Eddington (2025). The premise of the contemporary Western…

Director and writer Ari Aster is one of the best and talented filmmakers working today. He pushes the limits of conventional horror, making a statement on grief and toxic relationships that elevates the genre while rendering it terrifying and relatable. When Aster decided his hand at comedy with Beau Is Afraid, I was skeptical, to say the least. The dark humor of the film hooked me from the start, and I couldn’t wait to see the director’s next project. Fortunately, Aster combined his flair for satirical black comedy in his Neo-Western film, Eddington, which has become his most bonkers and…

The legacy of Superman on the big screen has been a part of cinema for decades. Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve made us believe that a man could fly, which tapped into something in all of us. Several of those films instilled hope in humanity, but slowly changed with Zack Snyder’s direction. Hope was gradually giving way to cynicism, as the audience was not entirely on board. Now, filmmaker James Gunn has decided to take Superman back to what he’s known for, with his unique storytelling style. What resulted from 2025’s Superman film is a showcase of what the audience…

It’s been ten years since audiences were reintroduced to the world of dinosaurs with the release of 2015’s Jurassic World. Yeah, I feel like that Matt Damon aging gif too. The legacy sequels to 1993’s Jurassic Park gave us three movies, whose entertaining quality dropped like a pterosaur nose-diving into the ocean. However, the trilogy generated enough of a box office return that Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment gave it another try with Jurassic World: Rebirth. Rebirth is set to be another step in continuing to build the franchise by giving us what we love about dinosaurs in the modern…