News

Anton Chekhov’s The Duel, the acclaimed English-language adaptation of Chekhov’s 1891 novella directed by Dover Koshashvili (Late Marriage), is coming to Blu-ray and DVD from Music Box Films on May 24.

Tobias Menzies takes aim in Anton Chekhov's The Duel.

Set during a sweltering summer at a seaside resort on the Black Sea, the 2010 independent film centers on the ne’er-do well Laevsky (Andrew Scott, HBO’s John Adams) and his illicit relationship with his mistress Nadya (Fiona Glascott, TV’s Clone). Laevsky has convinced Nadya to leave her husband for him, but now he wants to abandon her, which doesn’t sit too well with Von Koren (Tobias Menzies, HBO’s Rome), a former friend who can no longer tolerate the morally and financially bankrupt Laevsky’s irresponsibility. The only way for the three to maintain their honor and possibly achieve a modicum of satisfaction is for the men...

How desperate is Hollywood for box-office money? Not only was Avatar re-released a couple of weeks ago, now The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is getting a re-release as well. But I'm liking the fact that the Winnebago Man travels over to Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar this week, and is getting some other screenings at various Alamos, so check their schedule to see all the options for seeing it.

Meanwhile, here's what's opening in Austin this week -- sadly, none of these movies screened for press, so we have no reviews. We've been watching aGLIFF movies instead, and urge you to do the same through Sunday.

Anton Chekhov's The Duel -- A Chekhov book is adapted for the big screen by director Dover Koshashvili (Late Marriage). (Arbor)

Everyone Else -- Vacationing on the Mediterranean tests a German couple's relationship (pictured above, courtesy The Cinema Guild). (Arbor)

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Daniel Barber's "Harry Brown" will provoke justifiable comparisons to 2008's surprise hit "Gran Torino" -- geezer with a past decides to clean his neighborhood of punks -- but in some ways, it feels closer to that winter's other surprise hit "Taken" -- likable actor kills legions of faceless hoods.

Michael Caine is the geezer in question -- a former British soldier who was stationed in Northern Ireland, now widowed and living in a rundown council estate (the UK equivalent of a housing project) that's going to the dogs. Mild-mannered Harry minds his own business, preferring to spend time in his local pub playing chess with his friend Leonard (David Bradley), even as drug transactions and acts of senseless violence increasingly swirl around him. When Leonard is killed, Harry loses it, deciding to take justice into his own hands. And... well, he does.

This is pretty straightforward vigilante justice stuff -- lean,...