by A.J. Focht

The Avengers is just over a week away, and the last batch of promotional material has hit. A new scene from the movie was released, as well as a behind the scenes video. Director Joss Whedon gave more insight to the movie and why you should see it during an interview with some collegiate newspapers this past week.

During an MTV interview with Samuel L. Jackson, the actor described his vision of a S.H.I.E.L.D movie. His casting leaves out Agent Coulson which has again given rise to the rumor that he will die in The Avengers, and even possibly be recreated as Vision. Whedon previously went as far to say they would change his background so he was created by Tony Stark. Could Coulson become Vision? Could Vision be Marvel’s secret unnamed movie for 2013? Guess we have to wait till May 4 to know for sure.

The Dark Knight Rises has been all but forgotten in the wake of excitement for The Avengers. Now, they plan to capitalize on that by releasing their trailer before The Avengers. Christopher Nolan is really pushing the IMAX release with over an hour of IMAX footage. A ‘reliable source’ at Cosmic Booknews who saw the first showing says it is better than The Dark Knight. In a similar vein, Tom Hardy recently compared Bane to the Joker to show why he was worthy to come after the Clown Prince.

While the superhero movies are fighting it out for the summer box office crown, Peter Jackson is using The Hobbit to advance film production everywhere. Jackson has shot the first half of The Hobbit: An Enexpected Journey at 48 fps (frames per second). Current industry standard is 24 fps. Because Hobbit is looking to be such a major movie event, many theaters will be forced to upgrade their equipment to show the film. This paves the way for other filmmakers, who will be able to shoot movies at 48 fps without fear of the theatres not having the equipment to show them.

Before Watchmen will hit comic stands everywhere in June. You don’t have to wait till then to get an idea of what’s in store however. Twenty-one illustrations and concept art pieces were leaked this past week. The leaked images include costume designs for most of the characters, including some you wouldn’t expect like Hooded Justice. There are also a few full page sketches.

Premiering on April 27th on EPIX is With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story. Just before its release, a sneak peek was let out to show fans what’s in store. The documentary covers the life of comic book legend, Generalissimo Stan Lee.

New photos have landed on the Ender’s Game production blog. The pics now include: Ender’s room, the neck implants, and a simulator. The Ender’s Game movie is scheduled for release in November 2013.

Would you like a new Star Trek series? Well whether you get one is apparently up to J.J. Abrams. The creator of Pushing Daisies, Brain Fuller, was really gung-ho about pitching the idea. Now Fuller says that if a Star Trek series were to happen, it would be after the next movie and Abrams would be in command. J.J. Abrams has apparently become ‘the guardian of Trek’ and nothing will happen without his input.

by Alex Dueben

Caitlin R. Kiernan made a splash in 1998 when her novel Silk was released. Since then, Kiernan, who was trained as a vertebrate paleontologist, has written a number of novels including Murder of Angels and The Red Tree in addition to becoming a prolific short writer with more than half a dozen collections. Besides the dozens of magazines and anthologies she contributed to, Kiernan also releases Sirenia Digest, a monthly collection of “weird erotica.” She also was the regular writer for The Dreaming, the comic series which spun off of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman.

Kiernan just released The Drowning Girl: A Memoir, a novel that is arguably her best to date. The book centers around a schizophrenic woman, the new woman in her life, a nineteenth century painting, myth, family history, memory and truth, leaving one pondering what is real and what is not.

This month Dark Horse Comics released the first of five issues of a new comic series, Alabaster, which stars Dancy Flammarion, a character that Kiernan fans know from the novel Threshold and short story collection entitled Alabaster. For the uninitiated, Dancy is a young albino woman who has been sent by an angel to hunt monsters in haunted corners of the deep South. We reached Kiernan at her home in Rhode Island.

Read our exclusive interview with Caitlin R. Kiernan on SuicideGirls.com.

by Blogbot / Photography: Zach Roberts

On the second Tuesday of each month, the ladies and gentlemen of Geek Girl Burlesque take over the Bowery Poetry Club in NYC for a night of naughty ‘n’ nerdy fun. April’s Geek Girl performance was dubbed “Pasties and Popcorn,” and paid tribute to some of the troupe’s favorite movies. The evening, which did indeed feature both pasties and bags bursting with popcorn, included performances inspired by classics such as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Sweeney Todd, Nightmare on Elm Street, Hocus Pocus and Saw.

The show was compered by Whit Leyenberger and Jilli Puff, who were in character as the under-age couple at the heart of Diablo Cody’s Academy Award-winning tale of teenage pregnancy, Juno. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the evening came at the end, when, after a quick costume change Jilli Puff returned to the stage as Penny Johnson from Dirty Dancing and revealed her bump was no stage prop while doing a turn appropriately enough to the tune of “Be My Baby.” Another highlight was watching Little Miss Rollerhoops, as Wednesday Addams, having a little too much fun with the disembodied hand from The Addams Family. Who knew The Thing could be so, errr, handy?

The next Geek Girl performance is on May 8th and will be steampunk themed in anticipation of the Steampunk World’s Faire, held May 18-20 at the Radisson in Piscataway, New Jersey, where the ensemble will also be making an appearance.

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by Daniel Robert Epstein

When one talks about the greats in movie music composing the name Danny Elfman invariably comes up. His collaborations with Sam Raimi, Gus Van Sant and the creation of The Simpsons’ unmistakable theme song have made his name synonymous with great works.

However, it’’s his collaborations with visionary director Tim Burton that has brought him his most acclaim. From his starring role in The Nightmare Before Christmas to his Oscar nominated score for Big Fish, their names have been eternally linked.

Now they have collaborated again on the score and original songs for Tim Burton’’s Corpse Bride. Not only did Elfman create a wonderful and romantic score but he wrote and sang one of the best songs in the film, “Remains of the Day,” as the skeleton man Bonejangles.

Read our exclusive interview with Danny Elfmann on SuicideGirls.com.

by Steven-Elliot Altman (SG Member: Steven_Altman)

Our Fiction Friday serialized novel, The Killswitch Review, is a futuristic murder mystery with killer sociopolitical commentary (and some of the best sex scenes we’ve ever read!). Written by bestselling sci-fi author Steven-Elliot Altman (with Diane DeKelb-Rittenhouse), it offers a terrifying postmodern vision in the tradition of Blade Runner and Brave New World…

By the year 2156, stem cell therapy has triumphed over aging and disease, extending the human lifespan indefinitely. But only for those who have achieved Conscientious Citizen Status. To combat overpopulation, the U.S. has sealed its borders, instituted compulsory contraception and a strict one child per couple policy for those who are permitted to breed, and made technology-assisted suicide readily available. But in a world where the old can remain vital forever, America’s youth have little hope of prosperity.

Jason Haggerty is an investigator for Black Buttons Inc, the government agency responsible for dispensing personal handheld Kevorkian devices, which afford the only legal form of suicide. An armed “Killswitch” monitors and records a citizen’s final moments — up to the point where they press a button and peacefully die. Post-press review agents — “button collectors” — are dispatched to review and judge these final recordings to rule out foul play.

When three teens stage an illegal public suicide, Haggerty suspects their deaths may have been murders. Now his race is on to uncover proof and prevent a nationwide epidemic of copycat suicides. Trouble is, for the first time in history, an entire generation might just decide they’re better off dead.

(Catch up with the previous installments of Killswitch – see links below – then continue reading after the jump…)

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by Shotgun Suicide

Suicide Girls are more than just pretty faces. When they’re not taking their clothes off and posing for pictures (and writing blogs), they’re making music, playing video games, getting dermal piercings, doing their hair, dancing in their undies – and making videos of themselves doing it.

This compilation, put together by Shotgun Suicide, highlights some of the best, the most memorable, and the plain silliest, from the past month. Tune in next month for another “Best Of” compilation.

Enjoy!
XOX

Music: “Mirror” by Tokyo Pinsalocks – courtesy of conspiracymfx.com

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by Daniel Robert Epstein

Keira Knightley is one of the hottest actors in Hollywood. Her most popular roles haven’’t given her much of a chance to prove her talent. When the latest film adaptation of Pride & Prejudice is released, Knightley in the role of Elizabeth Bennet, is going to surprise everyone who saw her as an action star in Pirates of the Caribbean and King Arthur.

Read our exclusive interview with Keira Knightley on SuicideGirls.com.