Well, I suppose another “Fast and Furious” franchise only with hotter cars and no Vin Diesel can’t be all that bad. Or can it? I’m on the fence after watching the first trailer for DreamWorks’ upcoming Need for Speed. Based on the wildly popular Electronic Arts video game, it stars Aaron Paul (of “Breaking Bad”…
Some, including me, would say the original Chan-wook Park “Oldboy” has no business being remade. But then again, maybe Spike Lee is on to something as the redband trailer for the remake, which was released today by FilmDistrict, actually looks good. For those not in the know, this brutal revenge tale focuses on a man…
Have you ever succumbed to a frightening dream or twisted fantasy where your life slowly falls apart before your own eyes? Well what would happen when you mix these feelings of insecurity with a quelling desperation to mend the bridges that you’ve burned along the way? The answer just may come in the form of…
In the Buddhist tradition, breathing grounds us in the present moment. According to Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, “Breathing opens the door to stopping and looking deeply in order to enter the domain of concentration and insight.” For Roman Kogler (Thomas Schubert) in Karl Markovics remarkable debut film Breathing, it is simply the means to…
Every act has a consequence. In 2002, Fisher Stevens directed “Just a Kiss” which offered an absurd view on what can happen in the case of gross misunderstandings and infidelity. In Stand Up Guys, he proffers an absurd view on what could happen if one were to accidentally kill a kingpin’s son. Only this time…
Screwed is a surprise; the monochromatic DVD cover masking a film that is simplistic yet intelligent, gritty but also emotionally in check, a scrappy little crime drama anchored by an above-the-grade performance from James D’Arcy (turning in equally strong work in “Cloud Atlas” this year). Based on the book by Ronnie Thompson, a former prison…
Something is very wrong with Emily, the lead protagonist/antagonist in Steven Soderbergh’s new thriller Side Effects. What it is, we’re not quite sure of yet, but it has something to do with an experimental drug, a convicted husband, sneaky corporate execs and murder. Tying these facets together is a screenplay by Scott Burns and an…
