by Damon Martin

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
~ Albert Einstein

Curiosity and a search for our origin is the heart of the new Ridley Scott film Prometheus which opens in theaters on today. In many ways the film was engineered as a moderate prequel to the popular Alien franchise, also launched by Scott some thirty-plus years ago.

Following the discovery of some ancient cave paintings that show early man pointing towards the a group of planets, scientists on Earth realize that these same images show up over and over again in different relics all over the world in civilizations that never, ever touched one another.

It’s with the premise of discovering where humanity started that the starship Prometheus is launched to try and find these planets, and possibly the origin of our species.

Archaeologists Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) and his girlfriend Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) are on the hunt for how humanity was born. Was it all spawned from some ancient alien race from another world that brought life to Earth?

As they land on a desolate moon that looks similar to Earth, the crew of the Prometheus soon discover a vast pyramid that houses perfectly breathable oxygen and the remains of an alien race whose DNA matches perfectly that of humans.

Without giving away too much plot at this point, it’s clear to see that there is something amiss with this planet and the species that once inhabited it, and needless to say all hell breaks loose shortly thereafter.

Prometheus plays on the very old idea that curiosity sometimes kills the cat, and the crew of this ship is definitely a little too curious for their own good. The leader of the ship played by Charlize Theron is a cold detached bureaucrat sent into space to guide this crew of scientists on their mission to find out where life first started.

But the real star of the film is Michael Fassbender, who plays the ship’s resident android named David. Like the other films in the Alien franchise where actors like Lance Henricksen and Iam Holm stole the show as robots who come to life, it’s no different with Fassbender who is simply brilliant in this movie. A secret motive behind every action, Fassbender is calculating and cold with his actions, but creepy and sly with his familiar smile.

The biggest problem with Prometheus is the fact that the film pulls the audience in too many different directions with plotlines that head in numerous directions. Throughout the 2-hour affair, there are several references to the Alien franchise, which call out to the idea that this really is a prequel to the popular science fiction series.

But what Prometheus also attempts to do is pull the story in a whole new direction with the questions about the origin of our species and where we all came from. It almost seems like too much by the time the film comes to an end, and you are left wondering which storyline you were supposed to care about more.

While the acting in Prometheus was largely very well done, the lead actress in the film, Noomi Rapace, fails to show the same kind of strong female character that Sigourney Weaver did in the original series of Alien films. It may not be fair to compare anyone to what Weaver was able to do with her character of Ellen Ripley, but Ridley Scott has made strong, female characters a centerpiece of these series of films and Rapace fails to repeat even a small part of Weaver’s powerful presence.

On its own, Prometheus is a solid film worth seeing, but ultimately when it was over the biggest feeling I was left with wasn’t about a sequel for this movie (which will inevitably happen), I just wanted to go home and watch the 1979 Alien classic. 


by Daniel Robert Epstein

“It’s not like I’m only compelled to tell stories about sex!”
– Maggie Gyllenhaal

Maggie Gyllenhaal has been a SuicideGirls favorite since she starred in the critically acclaimed S & M film, Secretary. Normally when an actor delivers such a spot on performance in a popular movie like that they will get trapped playing those roles over and over again. But due to her diligence and great acting she has consistently turned in great performances in such as films as Mona Lisa Smile, Criminal and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.

Her latest role is that of Jude, the sexually manipulative free spirited girl in Don Roo’s’ Happy Endings. Jude puts herself into a home where she seduces the son of the house in order to live there and ingratiate herself with his very wealthy father.

Read our exclusive interview with Maggie Gyllenhaal on SuicideGirls.com.

by Alex Dueben

“Piety in poetry annoys me.”
– Michael Robbins

Michael Robbins made a splash in the poetry world when his poem “Alien vs. Predator” was published in The New Yorker in 2009. The poem, which called Rilke a jerk and included the line “That elk is such a dick,” was atypical for the magazine. Robbins, who received a Ph.D. in English, would go onto write poems like “Dig Dug,” which was inspired by the video for Guns N’ Roses’ “November Rain” and has just had his first book published by Penguin Poets, Alien vs. Predator.

Robbins’ poetry owes as much to hip-hop and contemporary music as it does to classical poetry and it’s clear from talking with Robbins that while he is as obsessed with pop culture as the rest of the us, he’s more concerned with poetic form. His poems take place amidst chain stores and suburban wastelands with references to the Care Bears, Jeffrey Dahmer, Soylent Green and everything in between.

However, he’s interested in what has always been the focus of poetry: truth, beauty, ugliness, vulgarity and making some sense of the world in a fun way that sounds good when read aloud. In talking with SG, Robbins quoted Rimbaud and Eliot with the same ease with which he discussed Guns N’ Roses. and complained about the laziness of many contemporary artists, and, as in his work, was not just fun to talk with but was thoughtful in talking about life and art.

Read our exclusive interview with Michael Robbins on SuicideGirls.com.

by Daniel Robert Epstein

“When I saw the glamorous photos of burlesque queens of the ’30’s and ’40’s, there is a confidence in their sexuality that they seem to radiate.”
– Liz Goldwyn

Pretty Things is a documentary about the burlesque stars of the 1940’s through 1960’s, such as Zorita, Betty Rowland, Sherry Britton, Dixie Evans and Lois de Fee. It’s a very serious but still entertaining look at the golden era of the art form. We got a chance to talk to the director of Pretty Things, Liz Goldwyn who worked on this film for over eight years, and also authored a book which shares the it’s name.

Read our exclusive interview with Liz Goldwyn on SuicideGirls.com.

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by Daniel Robert Epstein

“The whole thing about directing is you have to find a special way to manipulate each actor to do exactly what you want.”
– Rob Zombie

Rob Zombie has followed up his horror hit House of 1000 Corpses with a much more brutal, ugly and sadistic film, The Devil’s Rejects. It keeps some of the characters such as Captain Spaulding [Sid Haig], Otis [Bill Moseley] and Baby [Sheri Moon], but now instead of them being hunters they are being stalked by Sheriff Wydell [William Forsythe] whose brother they had killed.

Read our exclusive interview with Rob Zombie on SuicideGirls.com.

by Daniel Robert Epstein

“It’’s my music but in a totally different context, and it made me realize that it’’s possible for me to do things like that.”
– Clint Mansell

Clint Mansell was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the British band Pop Will Eat Itself. But now he is scoring major Hollywood movies such as Murder by Numbers, Suspect Zero and the upcoming videogame adaptation DOOM. But he is currently in the middle of his biggest challenge, scoring The Fountain for his long time collaborator Darren Aronofsky. I got a chance to catch up with Mansell on the Montréal set of The Fountain.

Read our exclusive interview with Clint Mansell on SuicideGirls.com.

by A.J. Focht

Men In Black III topped the box office for Memorial Day weekend, knocking The Avengers down a peg. It pulled in $73.4 million over the four day weekend. It’s currently rated at 77% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Warner Bros. is pushing the advertisements for The Dark Knight Rises at full force, with dozens of poster releases and a new television spot. Christian Bale also gave an interview in June’s Rolling Stone Magazine.

The Amazing Spider-Man is not rushing their ad campaign, instead they are maintaining a steady approach Most recently, a new Australian trailer has surfaced that includes new footage. Not too much new footage, but it’s more of the steady stream of bait we’ve been seeing.

Kevin Fiege spoke with Empire Magazine, giving information on both Thor 2 and Iron Man 3. Fiege revealed they would be featuring a new major villain in Thor 2. When it was announced Mads Mikkelson was cast in the film, many assumed he was the villain. If he is, he likely won’t be the major villain, unless he can pull off a blonde female wig. A reliable source has told Bleeding Cool the major villain will be Enchantress.

In the same interview, Fiege talked Iron Man 3. He confirmed they will not be doing the Demon in a Bottle storyline that tackles Tony’s alcoholism. Fiege says, Iron Man 3 will be the most personal journey Tony Stark has taken since Afghanistan and will be the most spectacular of the Iron Man movies. He also teased that they will be introducing a new hero outside of the Avengers. Ashley Hamilton is also in talks to play the villain, Firepower.

Two new clips from Prometheus have been released. There is both behind-the-scenes footage and new scenes from the movie included. Director Ridley Scott is also thinking about the future, and he wants Harrison Ford in the Blade Runner sequel.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation has been pushed back. The additional time is going to be used to film new scenes in 3D. There is also talk of other ulterior motives, such as bringing in Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cobra Commander.

After firing Community creator Dan Harmon, NBC released a memo which gives detailed answers that the cast is supposed to use to avoid any interview questions about Dan Harmon’s release. Below are examples of the stock answers NBC has asked the cast to give:

Why did Dan get let go from the show?

We’re not made aware of why staffing changes take place, but I will always be grateful to Dan for his great work on the show and wish him only the best. We’re also excited that we’ll be back on NBC’s schedule in the fall and are looking forward to working on those episodes.

Were you aware that Dan was going to be let go?

No, that’s not something we’re consulted on. I’m sad to see him go, but I am looking forward to starting our next 13 episodes of “Community.”

Did the studio or network consult with you about these changes?

No they didn’t, but we’re looking forward to working with David Guarascio & Moses Port on a new season of “Community.”

Doctor Who’s Matt Smith has been given the honor of running the Olympic Torch. He was the lead runner on Saturday May 26. The Time Lord ran from the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay to the National Assembly building.