He Went To Get The Hanging Judge, But The Hanging Judge Was Drunk

Lawless (Hillcoat, 2012)

Criminal behavior has always been a source of inspiration for the cinematic well for many years. Some of the most beloved contemporary films focus on gangsters and lawbreakers. So when you tell me that John Hillcoat, director of The Proposition and The Road, is making a movie taking place in early 1900's Virginia with a star studded cast of critical darlings (and Shia LaBeouf) one would expect the results to be great. But sometimes when approaching the wrong side of the law, as we do in the aptly titled Lawless, there's the chance that all the thrills can come at the expense of engaging characters or relationships. So does Hillcoat construct a beautiful tapestry of criminal redemption or does he deliver little more than wasted potential?

In The Squares Of The City - In The Shadow Of The Steeple

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Bay, 2011)

I don't think I've ever really liked NASCAR. I know I enjoy elements of the sport, I know I am intrigued at pondering what it represents and where it finds its popularity, but as hard as I have tried I simply cannot discover the appeal on a large scale. As is the case with most sports the only real purpose is to assert dominance, and specifically in racing the appeal comes from watching the wanton destruction on the track when cars crash. Michael Bay's Transformers: Dark of the Moon - and the series in general - has always struck me as sort of similar to NASCAR. I understand it has a purpose, but I never really understood how this purpose is pragmatic. However, much like the motor sport I have attempted to love, perhaps even genuinely found flashes of excitement, I find myself ready to line up for each new entry that Bay attempts to pump out. So whether he is conscious of it or not (I don't think it matters much one way or the other), Bay has to be doing something right. Right?