by A.J. Focht

Critics across the UK have taken a swing at the web swinger. Amazing Spider-Man is meeting mixed reviews across the pond. While some are calling it good, but not up to the standards of The Avengers, others are saying it was boring and underwhelming. The first review out of Belgium raved about how great Andrew Garfield was as Peter Parker. The others don’t quite agree, many saying he’s lost the classic Peter Parker sarcasm and wit.

A new television spot for The Dark Knight Rises has been released. There are some new clips in the trailer, but the high point is definitely the footage featuring the BatJet. The Dark Knight Rises is the last big superhero movie release of the summer. It hits theaters on July 20, but presale tickets are available now.

Early last week, gossip about Josh Hartnet being cast as Matt Murdock in the Daredevil reboot swarmed the internet. Director David Slade quickly squashed these rumors. He tweeted that not only was Hartnet not taking the part, but that they aren’t at the casting phase for the movie. During his tweets, he also announced that there are no intentions for the movie to be in 3D.

Nerds everywhere can relax. Paramount Pictures has pulled the plug on Michael Bay’s Ninja Turtles. It looks like there will be no alien turtles from space, nor worries that the turtles won’t be teenagers. Although, another source says the movie has only been pushed back ten weeks.

Can the Time Lord live forever? Matt Smith hopes so. In a recent interview, he said he’d be interested in playing the part of the Eleventh Doctor forever, or as long as possible. No one knows when the Doctor number twelve’s time will come, but Smith hopes to stay in the TARDIS until the end of time.

During recent interviews, Chris Pine and Alex Kurtzman talked more about the upcoming Star Trek 2. Kurtzman spoke about the villain in the film, assuring fans that he was a scary badass that threatens to steal the show. Where the first Star Trek was about the crew’s relationships, Star Trek 2 will focus on the villain and how the crew has to work together to defeat him. It was also confirmed the film is being shot in IMAX.

If you can’t wait for Star Trek 2 for your fix of Enterprise-bourne action, you can look forward to the new Star Trek: The Next Generation comic. Entitled Hive, it will debut in September 2012 and will feature Picard and his crew fighting against the Borg who have assimilated the entire galaxy.

by Daniel Robert Epstein

“I never got into this business thinking I’’d be a movie star. I grew up running around the Connecticut countryside pretending I was Hopalong Cassidy’s sidekick.”
– Glenn Close

Glenn Close is hands down one of the greatest actors we have. She has proven that time and time again in films like The World According to Garp, The Safety of Objects and Dangerous Liaisons. Her film, Heights, is a Merchant Ivory production that comes on the heels of her great season in FX’s The Shield.

Heights follows five characters over 24 hours on a fall day in New York City. Isabel [Elizabeth Banks], a photographer, is having second thoughts about her upcoming marriage to Jonathan [James Marsden], a lawyer. On the same day, Isabel’s mother Diana [Glenn Close] learns that her husband has a new lover, and begins to re-think her life choices and her open marriage. Diana and Isabel’s paths cross with Alec [Jesse Bradford], a young actor, and with Peter [John Light], a journalist.

As the interrelated stories proceed, the connections between the lives of the five characters begin to reveal themselves and their stories unravel so that Isabel, Jonathan, Diana, Alec, and Peter must choose what kind of lives they will lead before the sun comes up on the next day.

Read our exclusive interview with Glenn Close on SuicideGirls.com.

by Fred Topel

“You don’t want to be asking permission. Look how that slows you down.”
– Robert Rodriguez

Robert Rodriguez was always an independent self starter. He made his first movie, El Mariachi, for $7000 and kept doing things his own way. He started his own studio facility, Troublemaker Studios, where he’s shot Sin City, Machete, Predators and more. Now he has his own company.

Quick Draw Productions is a step above the production facility Rodriguez already has in Austin, TX. As a production Company, Quick Draw will produce sequels to Machete and Sin City, as well as remakes of Heavy Metal and Fire and Ice. This year Quick Draw partnered with computer giant AMD to use their technology for Quick Draw Animation.

Today’s movie lovers are reaping the benefits of many of Rodriguez’ innovations. He actually made Spy Kids 3-D before the current wave of 3-D films, and the green screen movie (like 300) was largely innovated on Sin City.

He was also a pioneer of shooting digitally. He gave George Clooney his first leading role in From Dusk ‘Til Dawn and he introduced stars like Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and Danny Trejo to English speaking audiences.

During a trip to Rodriguez’ home base of Austin, I got to catch up with the busy filmmaker. This was even before he announced Sin City: A Dame to Kill For was starting production. But we had plenty to talk about with his new production company, animation studio, and even his own network. We also talked about the state of independence, since Rodriguez is now a major player in the industry.

Read our exclusive interview with Robert Rodriguez on SuicideGirls.com.

by A.J. Focht

The Avengers has steadily been slipping in the box office, but Marvel has one last trick up their sleeves to try and capture the box office crown from James Cameron. It intends to rerelease The Avengers Director’s Cut at the end of the summer with over 30 minutes of new footage. Avengers is currently $200 million short of Avatar’s record, and the release of the director’s cut might be enough to help The Avengers close the gap.

With three weeks until the Amazing Spider-Man swings into theaters, Sony has released three new television spot trailers. There isn’t much new footage to be seen. In fact, these trailers are more like teaser trailers compared to the most recent previews. The Amazing Spider-Man premiers on July 3rd on IMAX 3D, 3D, and 2D.

Avi Arad and Mathew Tolmach, the producers of the upcoming Venom movie, intend to tie Venom into the Amazing Spider-Man. Aspiring to go even further, they hope to take steps to crossover the Spider-Man properties owned by Sony and the movie properties owned by Disney, such as The Avengers. Despite the movie rights being owned by different companies, Tolmach said he hopes all of the movie worlds can live together in peace one day. Chronicle director, Josh Trank, is currently rumored to be directing the Venom project.

The leaks from the Iron Man 3 set of pictures of the Iron Patriot suit are causing even more rumors online this week. The newest theory is that we are not seeing Iron Patriot, but a patriotic painted version of the War Machine suit. For everyone already getting in a huff about the Caucasian actor in the pictures that was clearly not Don Cheadle who plays the War Machine pilot Rhodey, the claim is that he was the stunt double. For now this is just further speculation on what the red, white, and blue Iron Man suit was.

There may be a new addition to the cast of Thor 2. Josh Dallas, who played Fandral in Thor, can’t return for the sequel due to commitments on Once Upon a Time. Marvel Studios is now looking to fill the part with Chuck actor, Zachary Levi. Thor 2 is currently scheduled for release in 2013.

Superman’s suits from Man of Steel have finally been revealed. There are multiple different suits shown, but only one that looks like the traditional Superman suit. Two of the other suits are assumed to be worn by Jor-El and Faora. Man of Steel is set to release June 14, 2013.

Another new trailer has been released for the television series Arrow. The trailer explores Arrow’s (he officially doesn’t call himself Green Arrow in the show) vendetta and the forces working against him. The most interesting thing is a shot that lasts less than a second that resembles Deathstrokes mask. Could the trailer be hinting at the series main villain?

To celebrate the success of the New 52, DC comics is releasing #0 issues for all of the New 52 still running this September. Each comic is getting a #0 issue for their one year anniversary. The comics picked up in May are also getting #0 issues, as well as a few new comics. Of the new comics, the most intriguing is Talon which starts on issue #0.

World War Z has finished shooting, but now they are talking rewrites. Damon Lindelof has been called in to try and save the movie. The new shooting is set to take place in September and October so the clock is ticking.

Speaking of Lindelof, in a recent interview with Trekmovie.com, Damon Lindelof talked about Star Trek 2 and the future of the series. He announced plans for the film to be shot in IMAX 3D. Lindelof also mentioned that the production team is already thinking about a third movie in the series.

Wreck-It Ralph is an upcoming Disney animated movie about a video game villain. While you have to wait until November 2nd to catch the film in theaters, you can play the game now. To help make everyone familiar with Ralph, the studio has released a playable 8-bit game.

Stephen King’s novel It has been picked up by Warner Bros. The studio has decided two split It into two movies to capture the entire story. Although, I doubt they are intending to bring Tim Curry back to reprise to roll of Pennywise from the ‘90s miniseries.

by Daniel Robert Epstein

“I did keep the Oompa-Loompa psychiatrist chair which is very appropriate and very comfortable actually.”
– Tim Burton

Tim Burton’’s film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, is his best work since 1994’’s Ed Wood. I would say that casting Johnny Depp as the obsessive compulsive child hating Willy Wonka is an inspired choice, but since this is their fourth collaboration that point appears to be moot. Depp has totally and completely entered himself into Roald Dahl’s universe and given himself over to this wild and wooly character with chocolate running in his veins.

Read our exclusive interview with Tim Burton on SuicideGirls.com.

by Daniel Robert Epstein

American Psycho (Theatrical Trailer) by NakedBrotha2007

“I’’m interested in fear and suspense and dread but I’’m not interested particularly in physical violence or gore. I’’m not a horror director in that way.”
– Mary Harron

Before 2000, Mary Harron was best known as the director of I Shot Andy Warhol. But after taking the reins of American Psycho after Oliver Stone lost interest she turned a very harsh book into a scathing look at materialism and how one perceives their personal reality. Lions Gate Home Entertainment has just released the Uncut Killer Collector’s Edition of American Psycho which has deleted scenes and a brand new commentary from Harron.

I got a chance to talk with Mary Harron from the set of the TV show Big Love about making American Psycho and her upcoming film biography of Bettie Page, The Notorious Bettie Page.

Read our exclusive interview with Mary Harron on SuicideGirls.com.

by Daniel Robert Epstein

“Well I’’m crazy but a different kind of crazy.”
– Nick Nolte

Nick Nolte said it himself, he’’s crazy and I would tend to believe the man. Nolte is easily one of the best actors in the world but he has never gotten an Academy Award and his work is often overlooked because he does mostly independent films now. His latest flick is The Beautiful Country, an amazing film about a half Vietnamese half American who leaves his native country to try and find his father in America.

Read our exclusive interview with Nick Nolte on SuicideGirls.com.