Ant Man
Marvelmania is in full swing in Hollywood, with at least three films from the comic universe hitting the theaters each year since 2010. The final one this year is Ant Man, starring … Paul Rudd? Dude’s funny, but I don’t think he’s ever starred in an action film, unless you count the time he fought medieval knights with a foam sword while dressed like Paul Stanley in Role Models. Maybe it’s because of Rudd’s presence, but it seems that in comparison to other Marvel films, Ant Man is much funnier. And the trailer looks awesome. Ant Man not only grows and shrinks at will for some pretty cool action sequences, he has an army of real ants at his disposal. And there’s an epic battle scene on a moving train — a toy one. Oh, and if you’ve seen enough Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, you know the drill: stay through the credits for a not-so-secret final end scene.
Every Thing Will be Fine
After praising Wim Wenders’ poignant documentary The Salt of the Earth, critics aren’t so kind to the German director’s 3D emotional drama. The plot revolves around Tomas (James Franco), a writer whose life falls apart after he accidentally causes the death of a child. The film periodically revisits Tomas, the child’s mother and brother over the following 12 years. It really isn’t clear why 3D is needed in a low-key story that focuses on the emotional, but given Wenders’ success with the technique in his 2011 dance documentary Pina, we should give him a chance. Whether the story is too drawn out or depressing or not, it is sure to deliver some beautiful cinematography.
The Forger
Starring John Travolta, The Forger is a three-generation crime thriller featuring an art forger who gets an early release from prison to spend time with his ailing son. To pay back the crime syndicate that arranged his release, he teams up with his father and son to steal a Claude Monet painting from the Boston Museum of Modern Art while replacing it with a perfect replica. With such a preposterous premise, the film could prove to be fresh if handled well. Probably not, though, as critics say that the film ignores the most interesting part of the premise (art forgery) that could have set it apart. A cross between a heist thriller and a tear-jerking family drama, it could be either entertaining or awkward. It’s hard to put a finger on this film, but one thing is certain: Travolta needs to lose his soul patch.
Burying the Ex
Most people probably have been in a relationship where they wanted out but couldn’t for whatever reason. So did Max, who was too chicken to dump his overbearing girlfriend Evelyn. Max’s problem seems to solve itself when Evelyn is hit and killed by a bus, but months later, she comes back as an obsessive zombie — who still thinks they’re dating, since, he never really broke up with her. Instead of going for Max’s brains as expected, Evelyn goes right back to their old life, albeit with rotting, pasty skin and bones that bend in the wrong direction. Burying the Ex seems to be one of those so-ridiculous-it-could-be-awesome B-movie style horror-comedies, and we’re hoping for big things from director Joe Dante, the guy who brought us Gremlins and Innerspace.
The Search
The Search is inspired by its namesake 1948 film, but it isn’t a remake. The original tells the tale of an American soldier who helps a young Auschwitz survivor find his mother across post-World War II Europe. French director Michel Hazanavicius has modernized the story — it is now set in 1999 during the Chechen-Russian conflict, depicting an EU human rights observer who rescues a boy who had fled his village after a Russian attack. Hazanavicius is best known for The Artist, a silent film. Here, the boy remains silent for most of the film — which happens to also hold true for the original version. There seems to be an emphasis on morality through the dialogue and a side plot where a young Russian is forced to join the army and is brutally stripped of his humanity. In addition to portraying the brutality of war, the film serves as a sobering reminder that even though the Chechen conflict is much more recent and relevant, we know way less about it than World War II.
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
Despite the intense sunshine, we were hardly breaking a sweat as we cruised along the flat, dedicated bike lane, well protected from the heat by a canopy of trees. The electric assist on the bikes likely made a difference, too. Far removed from the bustle and noise of the Taichung traffic, we admired the serene rural scenery, making our way over rivers, alongside rice paddies and through pear orchards. Our route for the day covered two bike paths that connect in Fengyuan District (豐原) and are best done together. The Hou-Feng Bike Path (后豐鐵馬道) runs southward from Houli District (后里) while the
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
Mirror mirror on the wall, what’s the fairest Disney live-action remake of them all? Wait, mirror. Hold on a second. Maybe choosing from the likes of Alice in Wonderland (2010), Mulan (2020) and The Lion King (2019) isn’t such a good idea. Mirror, on second thought, what’s on Netflix? Even the most devoted fans would have to acknowledge that these have not been the most illustrious illustrations of Disney magic. At their best (Pete’s Dragon? Cinderella?) they breathe life into old classics that could use a little updating. At their worst, well, blue Will Smith. Given the rapacious rate of remakes in modern
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