“”Slow Jam King” is an example of do-it-yourself filmmaking at its purest…with spirited characters and high levels of comic energy.”
– New York Times
“Road trip movies are a venerated genre, and this one fits right in – the characters are well-drawn and you find yourself rooting for JoJo, DeVaun, and Vance’s inevitable growth, maturity, and development as the movie develops… the movie itself is such a fun lark and the various twists and turns of the plot are so entertaining that it doesn’t really matter how true to life it is. It’s clearly a very, very personal project for Mallorca (and his country/hiphop/R&B songs are hilarious) – and we’re always a sucker about the mixed-up nature of racial identities and American culture in the 21st century. ”
– SFist
“Mallorca’s feature film debut is genuinely affecting… Among the memorable characters, Rona Figueroa shines as Rese, the love interest we’re introduced to in — where else? — a medieval-themed strip club in a Southern hick town.
– Pittsburgh City Paper
“Slow Jam King is somewhat revolutionary in the sense that there’s nothing else out there in the wide world of film quite like it. The pieces that comprise his weird-ass magnum opus are scattered across genres, and decades and countries, brought together by a highly skilled pastiche artist who’s been suborning conventions since high school…. Just try to pin Steve Mallorca to a single culture or genre – a single profession for that matter – and you’ll get to witness the stick-and-move skills that have made this musician-auteur a creative success. ”
– Ghettoblaster Magazine, feature article on Steven E. Mallorca
“How in the world Steven Mallorca (who wrote, directed, produced, hell he event acted) makes a cohesive story involving a wannabe Filipino American thug, a black father and husband, and a white country singer/perfume salesman is really quite mind boggling. The script was excellent.”
– Hyphen Magazine
“Slow Jam King could have turned into the fiasco that many indie films tend to succumb to if it was not for Mallorca’s keen eye, storytelling capability and steady hands behind the lens. Shot in 31 days and over a dozen locations from New York to Nashville, Slow Jam King is witty, funny and will hold your interest from beginning to end… Everything that comes to the surface is just an unrelenting dose of talent. Slow Jam King proves that you don’t need and over-inflated budget when good film making is involved. It might prove to be the blueprint necessary for other directors to follow.”
– Ghettoblaster Magazine, review of Slow Jam King
“Rambling road-trip comedy “Slow Jam King” offers agreeable shenanigans as three mismatched characters find themselves stuck together on a long drive from New York City to Nashville. Writer-director Steven E. Mallorca demonstrates resourcefulness on a minimalist budget . . . the Pic is a solid calling card that should attract fests looking for new Amerindie talent . . . game performances, nice use of locations and project’s overall good-naturedness make “Slow Jam King” pleasant.”
– Variety
“DIY music videos that always come with creative concepts that easily put big budget videos to shame.”
– Getdown Blog