The twins Danny and Oxide Pang were born in Hong Kong, directed their first movie together in Thailand and now work in English, but it’s hard to think of filmmakers for whom language is more profoundly beside the point.
Their new movie, “Bangkok Dangerous,” opening Sept. 5, is a remake of their 1999 Thai-language debut, which was about […]

Indie film’s easy-money era is over, but new opportunities are emerging.
 
These days, any seller hoping to land a distribution deal at a fest or market like Toronto in September realizes that only a few lucky winners will land a seven-figure minimum guarantee from a studio specialty division.
(Variety)
 

The face in the photograph that accompanies this story is Melissa Leo’s. Leo is an actor and her face, unlike some of her far more famous peers, is naturally aged. Cosmetic tinkering doesn’t do it for her. “I’m not that kind of girl,” Leo said recently during a blunt and boisterous conversation in a downtown […]

Emboldened by this summer’s success with “The Dark Knight,” Warner Bros.’ movie studio is setting a new strategy.
The Time Warner Inc. unit, like some other Hollywood studios, is planning to release fewer films into the crowded marketplace. But the studio, known for making more big, expensive movies than most rivals, plans to make even more of those […]

How could this happen? The question springs to mind as 20th Century Fox claims it has the rights to the graphic novel on whichWarner Brothers is basing “Watchmen,” its giant superhero movie.
Peer deeper into the murk of Hollywood’s business practices, though, and the question becomes: How could it not?
The film industry was buzzing last week after […]

In his native England, Steve Coogan is a big star, known for his hilarious portrayal of nitwit radio presenter Alan Partridge, among other characters.
He also has appeared in the United States as a guest on such TV shows as Curb Your Enthusiasm, as well as in Night at the Museum and other films.
But it’s hard to imagine a […]

Ear-shattering explosions? Check. Gore splattered across the screen? No problem. Graphic sex scenes, or maybe a little torture porn? Bring it on. In Hollywood, anything goes these days — except cigarette smoking.
Rarely in the history of motion pictures have the forces of censorship been as successful as anti-smoking crusaders have been recently. Last year, after […]

HAMLET 2

 
Director: Andrew Fleming 
Stars: Steve Coogan, Elisabeth Shue, Catherine Keener 
Studio:
The Plot: High school drama teacher Dana Marschz (Coogan) looks to bring his Shakesperian sequel to the stage despite the obstacles in his path — namely, a classroom full of disinterested students, potential budget cuts, and his own lack of talent.
 
READ REVIEWS OF ‘HAMLET 2‘
DEATH RACE

 
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson 
Stars: Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Tyrese Gibson
Studio: Universal […]

Only a few hours before I sat down at a roundtable with Jason Statham to talk about Death Race at Comic Con, I had left the Masters of the Web party, been thrown out of a Hard Rock Hotel room (with a bunch of other people; San Diego’s Hard Rock is the weak sister of that hotel […]

Taking in a screening of the film The Longshots starring Ice Cube and Keke Palmer, I was struck by its poignant portrayal of a young girl who makes it to the Pop Warner Football League’s Superbowl as the first and only female football player to ever be a part of its league. Based on the real life […]