The Baytown Outlaws

The grindhouse-meets-Dukes of Hazzard vibe of the new action comedy The Baytown Outlaws is instantly recognizable, and fits as comfortably as a weathered boot. With that vibe come certain expectations. Three Alabama hit man/brothers will most certainly clean out a house of their targets with shockingly laid-back professionalism. The opening credits will undoubtedly be filled with pulpy comic-book panel still frames announcing the cast and proclaiming the film’s ironic pedigree, a design choice so commonplace as to actually have the opposite effect. There will be hot chicks, blood, dust and lots of twangy guitar rock....  read more

A Dark Truth

The battle over water rights has long been a source for cinematic storylines, from John Wayne westerns like Angel and the Badman to Roman Polanski’s Chinatown. Like Polanski’s classic, writer/director Damian Lee’s latest thriller, A Dark Truth, is also inspired by actual conflicts—with Lee moving beyond California’s Owens Valley to a more global scale, spotlighting underhanded corporate dealings in South America and Africa. Unfortunately, any similarities end there....  read more