Steven Soderbergh does indeed appear to be retiring from directing for the time being, but he's going out with Behind the Candelabra, a slice of decadent drama based on the real life relationship between Liberace and Scott Thorson.

HBO Films has rolled out an official trailer showing off Michael Douglas and Matt Damon as Mr. Showmanship and his lover in the telemovie, set to air on HBO this May 26th at 9pm/8pm Central.

Though the East Coast is currently buried under a whole lot of snow thanks to a blizzard that shares its name with an adorable fictitious Disney fish, nature couldn't keep Identity Thief from scoring the biggest opening weekend of the year so far. 

Yes, it's still a very young year, but the performance of this comedy is nonetheless nothing at which to sneeze.

Scott Z. Burns has worn many different hats in Hollywood. 

The filmmaker first gained attention for directing the 2006 film Pu-239, and would eventually go on to produce former Vice President Al Gore’s Academy Award-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth, as well as write the box office hit The Bourne Ultimatum. But it is his frequent collaborations with Oscar-winning director Steven Sonderbergh, including The Informant!, and Contagion, that has made everyone take notice. 

Since then the scribe has penned a draft of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, a sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes, as well as being attached to write The Man from U.N.C.L.E., which is based on the popular ‘60s spy series starring Robert Vaughn. But first, he has reunited with Soderbergh again on, what may be the director’s final theatrical film, a psychological thriller entitled Side Effects, which Burns wrote and produced, and will opens in theaters on February 8th.

Side Effects centers on Emily (Rooney Mara) and Martin (Channing Tatum), a successful New York couple whose world unravels when a new drug prescribed by Emily’s Psychiatrist (Jude Law), which is intended to treat anxiety, has unexpected side effects. In addition to Law, Mara, and Tatum, the excellent cast of actors also includes Vinessa Shaw (Puncture), Mamie Gummer (The Ward), and Academy Award-winner Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chicago). 

I recently had a chance to speak with producer and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns about his work on Side Effects. The accomplished filmmaker discussed the new film, its unique concept, his research, plotting its twists and turns, why he writes every role for Matt Damon, the film’s impressive cast, collaborating with Steven Soderbergh, and if he truly thinks Side Effects will be the acclaimed director’s final theatrical film. 

Side Effects, which hits theaters in just over one week, is likely to be the last theatrical feature from Steven Soderbergh, one of most prolific and fascinating auteurs.  If that's not enough to get folks to pay attention to Side Effects, then the fact that the film looks like a twisty, sexy psychological thriller ought to do the trick.

Open Road Films has released a barrage of abbreviated trailers to promote next Friday's release, and one in particular demonstrates the potential of this drug-addled tale, giving a sense of just how propulsive and dangerous the story gets.

Synopsis: A provocative thriller about Emily and Martin, a successful New York couple whose world unravels when a new drug prescribed by Emily’s psychiatrist – intended to treat anxiety – has unexpected side effects.

With the film's debut just weeks away, Open Road Films is getting serious about drumming up anticipation for Side Effects, which may or may not be the final theatrical feature from Steven Soderbergh. 

Today, the promotional effort means that we get to see the first clip of Rooney Mara and Channing Tatum in action, as well as a spoiler-filled TV spot that puts the focus on Jude Law's character.

Synopsis: In a story inspired by Channing Tatum's real life experiences as a male stripper, the film follows Mike as he takes a young dancer called The Kid under his wing and schools him in the fine arts of partying, picking up women, and making easy money.

Usually, red band trailers and spots allow a film to show off abundant bad language, nudity, and general lewdness.  Magic Mike is a comedic drama all about male strippers and the business of male stripping.  So can you guess just what's on display in two new international red band spots selling Steven Soderbergh's stripper fest?

Just last Friday, a theatrical poster for Magic Mike presented that film's title and no fewer than five greased-up male strippers standing topless in the middle of said title.  It looks like somebody at Warner Bros saw that poster and said, "Dammit, nobody's going to understand that this is a movie with men stripping!"  To make it even clearer, there's a new poster online today featuring those same five greased-up thrustmonkeys more prominently than its predecessor.

The male gaze of the camera has been objectifying women long enough.  It's time for a movie to strike back.  It's time for a movie to feature some ridiculously in-shape, impossibly idealized men in leather chaps thrusting about with no shame, no reservations, and, most importantly, no shirts.  That movie, dear reader, is Magic Mike.