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By Rafa Carvajal | Photos provided by General Motors

The 2020 Stingray Corvette is Chevrolet’s first-ever mid-engine Corvette and the fastest, most powerful entry one. It delivers new levels of performance, technology, craftsmanship and luxury. The new mid-engine layout gives the 2020 Stingray better weight distribution, and better responsiveness and sense of control with the driver positioning closer to the front axle. It also delivers the fastest 0-60 time of any entry Corvette ever – under three seconds when equipped with the Z51 Performance Package. The Stingray sports a 6.2L Small Block V-8 LT2 engine that produces 495 horsepower of torque when equipped with performance exhaust, which is the most horsepower and torque for any entry Corvette. The 2020 Stingray’s canopy forward stance was actually inspired by the F22s, F35s and other modern fighter jets and Formula One racing, with a cockpit that envelops the driver to match its high performance and aeronautic theme. With Stingray’s center of gravity placed close to the driver’s inside hip, this sports car literally turns around the driver, so it completely changes the perception of vehicle handling and responsiveness. It also has dual trunks with a total of 12.6 cubic feet of cargo volume that can provide you storage for luggage or even two sets of golf clubs. Priced from $59,995.

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 5.2020

By Alyn Darnay

Quarantining yourself during the COVID-19 outbreak is unnerving, challenging, and downright boring. Yes, there are things you can do to occupy the endless hours, games to play, friends to connect with online, things to write, and, of course, books and magazines to read. You can also drink, cook and eat food, walk your rooms endlessly, or clean obsessively. There you go, lots of things to do to pass the time with.

Oh, did I forget to mention there are also some decent films to watch? Shame on me! There are some you know, but even better than that, there are some really great films available to stream, movies that are so good they are a reward in themselves just to watch. Films that will suck you in so absorbingly that you’ll lose yourself in them for a couple of hours.

Here in part one, I’ve outlined some of them for you, they are all available on one or more of the streaming services or on YouTube. Some are three-hour popcorn fests, some are trilogies, some are visually beautiful, others have great stories, all are worthy of the time you put in watching. So here we go:

Director David Lean Trilogy

• Lawrence of Arabia: (3 hrs. 48 mins.) The true story of T.E. Lawrence, and how he single-handedly united and led the Arab Tribes against the Turks in WWI.
• Bridge on the River Kwai: (2 hrs. 41 mins.) Another true story, this one about British POW’s building a railway bridge in the jungle, and the men assigned to destroy it.
• Doctor Zhivago:  (3 hrs. 17 mins.) The adventures of a Russian doctor/poet during WWI and the October Revolution.

James Dean Trilogy

• Giant: (3 hrs. 21 mins.) The epic tale of a Texas cattle rancher, his wife, a ranch hand, and all his friends as the decades change their lives. Director George Stevens
• East of Eden: A Cain vs. Abel tale about a young man’s attempt to gain his strict father’s approval while trying to find his place in the world amid falling in love with his brother’s girlfriend. Director Elia Kazan.
• Rebel Without A Cause: A rebellious young man finds friends and enemies when his family moves to a new town. Director Nicholas Ray.

Quentin Tarantino Writing Trilogy

• Four Rooms: Four separate tales by five directors that all take place in a fading Hollywood hotel during New Year’s Eve.
• True Romance: Movie geek marries call girl, steals cocaine, and tries to sell it in Hollywood while the mob chases them. Director Tony Scott.
• From Dusk Till Dawn: Two thieves and their hostages unknowingly take refuge in a ‘south of the border’ truck stop inhabited by Vampires. Director Robert Rodriguez.

Two from Director Tom Tykwer

• Run Lola Run: After her boyfriend botches a money delivery, Lola has 20 minutes to raise and return the money to save him. This movie will constantly surprise you!
• Winter Sleepers: A small town, a man out for revenge, a young couple dealing with life’s problems, and the most exquisite cinematography, make for a most unusual winter tale.

Trois Couleurs (Three Colors) Trilogy from Director Krzysztof Kieslowski

• Blue:A woman struggles to understand life after the death of her famous music composer husband and their daughter.
• White: A divorced Polish immigrant plots to get even with his ex-wife.
• Red: A fashion model stumbles on a retired judge who invades the privacy of others.

There’s something for everyone in this collection of films. I hope they help make your quarantine a little less tense. I’ll follow up soon with a list of lighter films that you might have missed over the years. Stay safe and healthy!

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Digital Issue 2.2020