I told you a couple weeks ago how THINKFilm had picked up the gritty prison thriller The Escapist, and how the film, which stars Brian Cox, was the last thing I saw at Sundance this year. Well, I actually had a double helping of Cox that January night, because right before The Escapist I watched Red, another film boasting a terrific Cox performance -- and now it's headed for theaters, too.

Via The Hollywood Reporter we learn that Magnolia has picked up Red, with plans to release it late this summer. The film (which I reviewed here) is a thriller along the lines of Death Wish, only instead of avenging his wife's murder, the Cox character is going after the punks who killed his dog. (Do not mess with a man's dog!)

Director Lucky McKee (May) was replaced midway through by Trygve Allister Diesen (I wasn't able to dig up any reliable info on why), and the shift probably at least partially explains why the movie isn't great. But it's a solid B-minus effort, and Cox's performance makes it eminently watchable. That guy is a powerhouse. I've always said, if you want your movie to be better, just put Cox in it. In fact, I wish we could see more movies with Cox in them! (What? Seriously, what?)

THR notes that Magnolia will also show Red through satellite channel HDNet's video-on-demand program sometime before the theatrical release. Seems like this might cannibalize the film's audience -- some people think releasing Brian DePalma's Redacted that way last year is to blame for is paltry box-office take -- but what do I know? Studios are still experimenting with the whole on-demand thing. Anyway, the film is being released, and now audiences can learn what happens when you mess with a man's best friend.