In Theaters Now: Bangkok Dangerous & Everybody Wants to Be Italian

Bangkok Dangerous
directed by Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang
Bangkok Dangerous is further proof that Hollywood is seriously running out of ideas. In the Pang brothers’ remake of their widely popular Thai drama about a deaf-mute hitman and his partner, Nicolas Cage steps up to play the role of the assassin (except he can hear and speak perfectly in this watered-down version) and hopefully rekindle his lukewarm career. Though Cage could use another box office hit, remakes of foreign films usually become lost in translation and unfortunately, Netflix-ing the original seems like the best idea with this one.

Everybody Wants to Be Italian
directed by Jason Todd Ipson
For his second feature film, writer-director James Todd Ipson pulls from past experiences to craft a warm-hearted comedy about mistaken ethnicity. This little indie starring up-and-coming actors Jay Jablonski and Cerina Vincent, as well as acting veteran Penny Marshall, doesn’t have enough buzz to become a sleeper hit like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, though it will likely garner praise and support from Boston’s North End (where the film is set) and Italian-Americans seeking an ego boost.