Nightmare on Elm Street Remake- Screening Reviews Start To Surface

Early reviews of test screenings of the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET remake have started to turn up online, and while they are of an unfinished print of the film, there are still legitimate concerns for fans of the classic film.

It seems that a bunch of things that made the original Nightmare on Elm Street movie so special are missing from this reboot, such as the iconic 'tongue phone' shot and the hugely memorable 'blood fountain' that are so very much loved by horror fans.

But that's not all. It also appears that much of the atmosphere of the original is missing too, not helped by a mediocre cast. Jackie Earle Hayley (aka Rorschach in the WATCHMEN movie) apparently gives a great performance as a truly evil incarnation of Freddy Krueger. This is great news, as previous Elm Street movies (in particular entries 4, 5 and 6 in the original batch of films) saw the character become a cartoonish joke.

This time round he's the real deal, scarred and terrifying, cold and pure evil. There are also mentions of his background as a child molester and murderer being talked about more in the film, making his character even more unsavoury for the audience. This is cool, as Freddy Krueger should always be the villain and not the hero of a film like this.

Hopefully the film will be tightened up for its release, and some of he pacing issues and scare cues are dealt with. Now that we know this won't be brilliant but it also won't be terrible, we can all stop worrying. It's the same old remake deal. decent, but could be so much better, and nowhere near as great as the original.

San Diego Comic Con: New Movie Posters for SAW 6, NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, JONAH HEX and the new TRON: LEGACY logo!

There are some fantastic new movie posters being revealed at this year's annual San Diego Comic Con!

Many are only visible at the event as banners, but we've looked around for good, clear images of these great new posters.

While you can catch up on the biggest events at the convention with our San Diego Comic Con coverage and the new items from Sideshow with our Sideshow Collectibles San Diego Comic Con coverage, here we'll show you some of the new posters that are doing the rounds at SDCC!

SAW VI

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (REMAKE)

JONAH HEX


THE TRON: LEGACY LOGO

More news on the latest unveilings soon!

Green Lantern: First Flight - The best animated comic book movie yet?

Following on from hits such as Superman Vs Doomsday, Justice League: New Frontier and the awesome Wonder Woman animated movie, the latest DC hero to get the animated feature film treatment is The Green Lantern.

In Green Lantern: First Flight, fans of the character get to see Hal Jordan's transformation into the Green Lantern and his iconic first meeting with the intergalactic Green Lantern Corps. Featuring the voice talents of Michael Madsen and Trisha Helfer along with Christopher Meloni as Hal Jordan/Green Lantern, it looks set to be another hot for the DC Universe range of DVD movies.

These films are a great idea. They help fill a niche until live action movies come out, and they can also help gauge the demand for other films, as well as being superb entertainment. Something that is great about all of these animated DC universe films is the faithful representation of these classic characters in updated settings.

The films are an interesting diversion, but as they are being released, the DC Universe animated movies are building up their own unique vision of DC continuity and stories, and it will be fascinating to see where the range goes next.

Some of these films are surprisingly violent and brutal, such as the Superman Doomsday movie or the recent Wonder Woman 2009 animated film. They're cartoons, but they ain’t necessarily for kids.

That's cool, but parents need to keep an eye on what their children are being exposed to. That said, having children watch DC Universe animated movies is a damn sight better than exposing them to things like Gears of War, Halo and Resident Evil. Get your kids into something good. Try the Green Lantern: First Flight movie for starters.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Diamond Select Enterprise D models in stock!

A fantastic pair of Enterprise models have arrived in store this week, with 2 versions of the USS Enterprise D landing on our shelves. One is the original Star Trek: The Next Generation version, and the other is the enhanced version seen in the series finale, 'All Good Things'.

Both of them are awesome pieces of Star Trek memorabilia that are an absolute must-have for any fan of this iconic incarnation of the famous Star Trek flagship.

Made by Diamond Select and stuffed with sounds and lights, these large format ships are a thing of beauty that no fan can really be without. The detail on the ships is gorgeous, and they are very reasonably priced for a model of such size. Brilliant.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen -The Starstore Movie Review

The hotly anticipated sequel to the hugely successful Transformers is here. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is the original on steroids. Its bigger, longer, with more battles and a whole host of new Transformers. So does Revenge of the Fallen crush its puny fleshling prequel?

The sheer scale of Revenge of the Fallen is epic, and Michael Bay has managed to fix one niggling problem from the first, and that’s the fight scenes. In the original, the fight scenes between Autobots and Decepticons where great, but it was hard to tell between them and the camera was too shaky. However, Bay has managed to overcome this and the fight scenes go from great to absolutely freaking awesome!

The one that sticks out the most is Optimus Prime's last stand in the woods, where he fights Blackout, Starscream and Megatron. It’s obvious Bay has had a lot of money to spend on special effects and it shows as the special effects are incredible, shown greatest with all the environmental destruction that ensues with Autobot on Decepticon fights. It’s not only the battles that have grown in scale, but also the locations. The original was mainly in LA, this time it’s on a global scale, with Autobots and the US special forces hunting down Decepticons that have gone into hiding in China, and the massive onslaught in Egypt.

One thing Bay is notorious for is his humour in his action flicks, most notable is the Bad Boys films. In the first film it seemed a bit strained and tacked on. However, the writers have done a much better job, especially with Judy and Ron Witwicky who stole the show. Their comic performances were brilliant, more so when Judy ate some marijuana cake.

As with most action flicks the story of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is simple, but works, the Autobots and the US military, along with Sam have to stop Megatron and the Decepticons, lead by The Fallen - probably the most evilest Transformer ever, from harvesting the Sun into Energon. The only problem with Revenge of the Fallen is it takes too long to get to the inevitable final battle. With it being over 2 hours long you are too stiff and numb to enjoy the epic final battle, but this is the only negative to what was an absolutely rollercoaster film that made the inner geek scream with delight as giant robots tried to smash each other up.

Doctor Who: New companion announced

The next big Doctor Who announmcement is here! The build-up to the era of Matt Smith's eleventh Doctor continues with the long-awaited reveal of the 11th Doctor's companion!

Scottish actress Karen Gillan has been cast in the role alongside Smith, and will be appearing alongside the eleventh Doctor in the 2010 series 5 of Doctor Who. Fans have already seen her in the show, as the Soothsayer in the series 4 episode 'The Fires of Pompeii'

The BBC press release features a quote from new showrunner Steven Moffat: "We saw some amazing actresses for this part, but when Karen came through the door the game was up. Funny, and clever, and gorgeous, and sexy. Or Scottish, which is the quick way of saying it. A generation of little girls will want to be her. And a generation of little boys will want them to be her too."

Looks like Doctor Who series 5 is shaping up to be something special. The main players are in place now, so who do you think will be the big villain this year? Here's hoping for sonething new. Moffat is in charge, so I think the series is going to turn out to be fantastuc, no matter who is in it.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Douglas Adams and the answer to everything

For our next look at a classic author and work, we'll be covering The Hitchhiker's guide to The galaxy by Douglas Adams.

Let's face it, if you've ever read much SF, or indeed much fiction at all, chances are that you'll have read the Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy, by the late Douglas Adams. There's a much more to HHGTTG than the movie or the much-loved BBC TV series. The original radio series was marvellous, and the five books in the 'trilogy' are wonderful things that nothing else has genuinely been able to capture the magic of.

The use of language is ingenious, and it is a testament to the talent of Douglas Adams that the books have not only been hugely popular, but also have become deeply ingrained into popular culture.

The character of Arthur Dent is a very recognizable Everyman character that the general populace really latched onto. Add to this the wild levels of creativity in painting his vision of this science fiction universe and you have the basis for a classic.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy captured the imaginations of millions of readers, and via the TV series, radio plays and movie it found generations of new addicts. Not bad for a comedy Sci-fi story about not forgetting your towel. The various versions do differ from one another in subtle ways as Adams liked to rework the universe he created for it for each medium that it went to.

Arthur Dent is a very interesting character to have as the central protagonist in a science fiction comedy. he's not a hero, not particularly bright, but is someone audiences can really relate to because of those very things. Arthur was played in the 2005 movie by Martin Freeman of 'the Office' and other popular comedy shows, and while the film itself was flawed and imperfect, martin was pitch perfect as the rather hapless Arthur.

After Douglas Adams sadly passed away, it seemed the saga had ended. Not so. A new sixth book in the series is on the way from author Eoin Colfer, who used Adams' notes to help continue the legendary book series.

Why is it seen as one of the greatest works of fiction ever produced? Well, the simple answer is that it is brilliant, and the other answer, even more simply, is 42.

MARS ATTACKS: Tim Burton’s flawed pulp classic

When it comes to visuals that leave a lasting impression, there is little in the modern cinema era that match up to the films of Tim Burton. Whether it’s Johhny Depp’s mad turn as Edward Scissorhands or, erm, Johhny Depp as Willy Wonka, Tim Burton’s movies have a visual style and language all of their own. Before every film he made had Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter in starring roles, Tim Burton was responsible for Mars Attacks, a loveable yet flawed tribute to the classic era of Pulp SF and genre cinema.

With a hugely impressive cast and some eyepopping effects, Mars attacks is one of the most entertaining films of the 1990s, that most annoying of decades.

Mars Attacks features such sheer visual inventiveness that it is hard not to get swept away by it., This is probably a good thing, as the plot is paper thin and the acting (despite the pedigree of the cast), is far from perfect. The CGI had certainly dated since the movie was released, and looks even cheaper than it was intended to in the first place now, but you can still get a kick out of seeing bubble-headed aliens zapping people left right and center. You really can’t go wrong with people getting zapped, can you?

Mars Attacks is a curio now. Not one of Tim Burton’s most remembered or appreciated films, it was a huge hit at the time and was also very popular on Video (and latterly DVD) following its release. Definitely flawed but a ton of fun, Mars Attacks deserves a well-earned repeat viewing.

While you’re at it, you could follow up on Mars Attacks by sticking Galaxy Quest on after it. With movies like Fanboys, Free Enterprise and so on bringing the Geek manifesto to the masses in recent years, it’d be cool to go and check out this spoof SF gem from 1998. Thanks to the awesome cast headed up by Sigourney Weaver, Tim Allen and Alan Rickman, its cheesy (but oh so true) stabs at Star Trek and SF fan culture hit close to home, and are still hilarious.

Anne McCaffrey: Creator of the Pern books

The beginning of a series of articles in which we appreciate the true greats of the science fiction and fantasy genres.

If anyone has earned their status as a legend in the fields of science fiction and fantasy, then it is Anne McCaffrey. As creator of the Dragonriders of Pern and the hugely popular series of science fiction and fantasy novels that followed the first book ('Dragonflight', which was made up of two novellas originally published in Analog magazine), Anne has secured her place in the history books as a writer of monumental power and talent.

The Pern novels now number well over twenty, and many of them have become essential titles in the science fiction genre.

But there is more to Anne McCaffrey's career than just creating the Pern novels and the world that they take place on. She is also author (and co-author on several books) of several science fiction novels dealing with sentient spacecraft.

Some of the most influential of these books are probably the anthology The Ship Who Sang and the novel The Ship Who Fought. These showed a different side to her writing, allowing her to deal with a more SF style universe than the science-fantasy worlds of the Pern novels.

She is also the author and co-author of many other books in the science fiction and fantasy genres, and while her output has slowed in recent years, she remains one of the finest exponents of the genre around.

What is it that makes her work so special though? Dragons? Crystal Singers? Children hardwired into starship computers? maybe all of these, but she is also an incredibly talented writer when it comes to characterization and social issues within the fictional universes she has created.

Her books aren't just action extravaganzas or character studies, they are both and much more. Each book of hers boasts many layers that a lot of other writers wouldn’t even contemplate, and thus she achieved her status as one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time, as well as creating one of the most loved science fiction series ever conceived- Pern.

ROBIN HOOD: William Hurt joins the cast

Now here’s a project that is slowly gathering some interest to film fans. Ridley Scott’s forthcoming and as-yet-untitled Robin Hood movie has now added William Hurt to its cast. William Hurt is to play William Marshall, the Earl of Pembroke in the film.

Other actors now confirmed for the project include Russell Crowe (Billed on the IMDB as both Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham), Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian and Vanessa Redgrave as Queen Eleanor.

I guess it is something to do with Kevin Costner’s mullet in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, or that bloody Brian Adams song that went with it, that had me fearing any new versions. The thought of those things strikes fear into the heart of any seasoned film fan.

The good news is this Ridley Scott version of the classic Robin Hood tale looks set to be rather special. Well, anything has to be better than that atrocious TV version from 2006, anyway. Hopefully.

Sarah Michelle Gellar: 'Would love to see Buffy as a Mum'

Sarah Michelle Gellar, star of the TV phenomenon Buffy The Vampire Slayer and several movies, has said that she would consider returning to her legendary role as the vampire-killing cheerleader, but only if the story was right for her. The actress states "There is an idea for a script and to pick the story up with Buffy older and maybe even a mother", which kind of negates the whole 'Season 8' comics series created by Joss Whedon that has been such a hit. This is a shame really, as the stories that covered were great. Nevertheless, this may well be great news for fans of the Buffyverse and its characters. here's hoping that if this movie does get made, it is a damn sight better than the 1992 version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I still have nightmares about Luke Perry's hair.

NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET: One, Two, Rorschach's coming for you?

I love this one. The forthcoming Wolverine movie remake, which I was previously very dubious of, may have actually won some points. Word has come down that the current frontrunner for the role of iconic undead serial killer Freddy Krueger is none other than WATCHMEN's sociopathic nutter Rorschach, aka Jackie Earle Hayley.

This could actually work really well. Judging from his performance in Watchmen, he can certainly handle a deranged character well, but I'd worry a little that the makers of this new version of the 1984 horror classic may try and give Freddy too much of a sympathetic character overhaul.

There seems to be this trend in current horror remakes to explain away the background of horror icons and as such take away much of the impact they originally had. If the new Wolverine movie movie can stick to the basics and not go too deep into Kruger's motivations for what he does, then I think it can be saved.

The casting of Jackie Earle Haley would be a huge step in the right direction for a film I'd really rather not get made in the first place

DOCTOR WHO: Planet of the Dead trailer reaction

So then, the first trailer for the next Doctor Who special episode, Planet of the Dead, has now aired and also leaked online (but not through the BBC yet, so I'm not posting it here), giving us a glimpse at one of the tenth Doctor's final few adventures. While it seems that stylistically the episode will have some elements in common with season 4's 'Midnight' episode, I think it is going to be a winner.

Thanks to the fact that it doesn’t have to have any Christmas elements nailed to the script, it looks like a solid Doctor Who story with some interesting effects (although the Tritovore still look horrendous to me) and a nice, strong science fiction setting.

The Dubai footage has a beautiful look to it, and will hopefully provide the episode with a great atmosphere. I'm curious to see if the edit style in the trailer matches that of the episode itself- a little adventurous editing and visual effects will help elevate it above a mere episode into something more special. After all, isn’t that the point?

I'm still not quite sold on Michelle Ryan yet, but I'll reserve judgment until I see the episode itself. The Doctor seems a little on autopilot, but that is probably/hopefully just down to the limited running time of the trailer. It does look promising. Not long now!

Angel star Andy Hallet dies of heart failure

As reported across the media, Andy Hallet, aka Lorne in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off series Angel, died last night from heart failure. This sad news ends the story of his five year-long battle against heart disease. He was 33.

Hallet brought a unique personality to the character of Lorne, a demon who sings at a supernatural bar, in more than 70 episodes of the Joss Whedon creation. Hallet's talents as a singer came in handy, and in recent years he had been concentrating on his music career rather than acting.

Lorne became a fan favourite character throughout Angel's run, and while this is partly down to strong scripts, it is Hallet that really gave the character his sparkle.

Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time- The End is Coming

The late Robert Jordan's legendary series of books The Wheel of Time commences its final trilogy this November. The final three books are being completed by bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, working from material Jordan wrote before his untimely death in 2007. Originally intended to be one book, such was the scope of the story that it was decided that the final part of the iconic fantasy series would work better as a trilogy.

According to various reports, comics and a movie are also in the works (The movie will be made by Universal Studios).

The first book of these final three installments, The Gathering Storm, will be released on the 3rd of November this year. The previous eleven volumes of this truly epic work have each become mainstays of the fantasy literature pantheon, thrilling and enthralling millions of readers the world over. While each volume is a chunky beast of a book, there is so much action and plot on offer that fans have been gripped since page one.

Robert Silverberg- A grand master returns

In a message posted to his Yahoo group, science fiction legend Robert Silverberg has revealed he is to write a brand new novella. While he has been writing the occasional short story, this will be the first new book (albeit novella length) he has released in years.

The message reads:

"I've just signed on to write a new novella, tentatively called "The Last Song of Orpheus," to be published as an original book by Subterranean Press in 2010. I expect to write it this fall and it will probably run about 25,000 words, and, no, I'm not sneaking back into writing novel-length books in some gradual way by doing this one. It's a theme that appeals to me and I've been meaning to write it for the past two or three years, and finally the impulse to do it reached the surface. But it's just a novella, and I'm not quietly hatching any novels for later years."

Clerks 2: Damn you, Pillow Pants

While Zack and Miri Make a Porno saw Kevin Smith return to the gross-out humour of Jay and Silent Bob strike Back, while keeping hold of the very human comedy and drama of Chasing Amy, Clerks 2 seems to have been somewhat forgotten. While it differed in many ways from the classic original, it is still a fantastic, funny, moving and rude film that holds a special place in the hearts of many fans.

I personally love the Clerks 2 movie`, and in the characters of Dante and Randall is see big chunks of my life being played out in front of my very eyes. The situations may be ridiculous, but then, so is life.

Beck, played by the delightful Rosario Dawson (Seven Pounds, Sin City, and, erm, Josie and the Pussycats) is one of Kevin Smith's most delightful creations- a woman with her own problems, a real sense of humour and a very believable emotional connection to Dante (Brian O'Halloran). Dante and Randall are still very much the same characters they were in the original Clerks, just a little more jaded, a little more sad with their lot in life.

The dilemmas they face throughout Clerks 2 movie as they hurtle on deeper into their thirties are something that resonate deeply with Kevin Smith's last few films, which tells us something about the filmmaker himself. Yes, his earlier films were juvenile and puerile, but he's growing up at last, and wants to make something a little deeper.

Sure, I can’t really argue that a film with a Donkey Show in it is anything remotely deep, but the pop culture obsessed main characters are drawn as pretty real people. Hell, even Jay and Silent Bob seem to have matured a bit in Clerks 2. The film works as a sequel to the first Clerks very well, but it also works as a denouement of that period in Kevin Smith's career- the Jersey series, the Jay and Silent Bob stuff, and one of the most beloved pieces of Geek culture there has ever been.

It holds up very well on repeated viewings, and even though a couple of things are now rather dated (the announcement of a live action Transformers movie, for example), the story is moving and funny, which is pretty much we want from a Kevin Smith film.

Mind you... That poor Donkey...

NEW STAR TREK AND WOLVERINE TRAILERS

New trailers for JJ Abrams' Star Trek reimagining and the new Wolverone Prequel have gone live, and both look impressive. The Star Trek trailer is nothing short of brilliant, while the Wolverine trailer (which is embedded at the USA today site on their piece about the movie here) looks, erm, like it is going to screw up continuity even more than the Star Trek film!

Check out the new Star Trek movie trailer below:

ALIEN VS PREDATOR: SCOOP ON THE NEXT TWO FILMS?

According to undisclosed sources, the next two films in the Alien Vs Predator franchise are set to go into production back to back later this year.

The two films are allegedly to be called ALIEN VS PREDATOR: SURVIVAL and ALIEN VS PREDATOR: INSTINCT and take a much more hard sci-fi approach to the series, taking it back to the roots of the creatures themselves.

AVP3 is said to be set on a derelict space freighter, which is being used as a hunting ground for a band of Predators who have discovered and Alien nest on the vessel.

A group of human survivors from a skirmish on a remote outpost have landed their escape pod on the derelict station, and with failing air and supplies, they must survive the combined threats of the Predators and Aliens as the two races of alien creatures battle it out.

This is said to lead into the fourth film, INSTINCT, which sees the remaining survivors of AVP3 bringing the freighter down for a crash landing on the Alien homeworld, right into the middle of an all-out war between Aliens and Predators that is to feature the most epic battle scenes ever attempted for the franchise.

This is intended as an ending for the VS series in order for new films in the individual Alien and Predator franchises to be made in years to come.

None of the characters from previous films are to return for these two films, although various nods to the earlier films, and the original Alien and Predator films, will feature throughout. The rumour mentions a number of Colonial Marine Dropships arriving at the climax of AVP4 in order to rescue the last survivors before the planet is purged of all life.

As yet there is no confirmation as to whether these rumours are true, buit we thought we would put them out there for you as they sound awesome, and hell, they can't be any worse than Requiem...

Where next for fantastic fiction?

With Star Wars complete, the Watchmen film on the big screen, all the superhero movies we have always dreamed of and countless other much-dreamed of pieces of entertainment at our disposal, where will science fiction, fantasy and other genres go for its next fix? We have had the previously 'unfilmable' stories such as The Lord of The Rings, and now Watchmen, made into huge blockbuster movies. We have had Anakin's fall to the Dark Side.

We have had a trilogy of X-Men movies, Spider-Man films, Batman, Iron Man, Hulk, a reimagining of the Star Trek universe, video game films and TVs alight with Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica and many other huge genre franchises.

All of which means the studios and networks will have to look a little further afield for the next big thing. The big names have been taken care of- now its time to move onto other classics of each genre and make something spectacular for audiences.

Long-mooted projects are moving forward that may provide some cause for celebration, with science fiction classics such as Asimov's Foundation books and Orson Scott Card's Ender's game heading to the screen at varying speeds being two good examples.

The possibilities are endless, but what we must also take into consideration is the possibility that new ideas will go ahead. New ones! Could you imagine that? New films and TV series based on original ideas instead of rehashed versions of the same old song and dance. That would really be something else, and while there are numerous things I would love to see adapted into movies, I would also love to see some new and vibrant original ideas go forward.

I think that the current trend for adapting everything in sight does have it's strengths, though. It is keeping the genres of the fantastic alive in the cinema and the general public consciousness with properties that are at least familiar to the masses if not well known. This keeps an interest in science fiction, superheroes and whatnot alive and helps smaller, more daring projects go ahead.

So I guess my point is that to move forward, there are areas of the entertainment industry that need to remain the same. Carry on adapting the classics, but now that the various Holy Grails have been found and made into movies, maintaining a sizable interest in the general public is going to be kind of hard. Thankfully, with two Hobbit movies, more Transformers, superheroes and epics to come, we will be enjoying this current age of wonder for some time to come.

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN- FALLEN AND DEVASTATOR!

Here are two awesome pictures from the new TRANSFORMERS movie- REVENGE OF THE FALLEN! These are fantastic character shots of THE FALLEN and DEVASTATOR! Of course, Devastator is made up of the CONSTRUCTICONS, hence the multicoloured look. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is going to be EPIC. These pictures have been floated on a number of movie sites, and originate from a Japanese toy company's site. Check out these monstrosities:

FINAL FANTASY 13 TRAILER

The trailer for the long-awaited FINAL FANTASY XIII has been posted on the front page of the Square Enix site! If you can't wait, here's a lower quality version:



It certainly looks impressive, but will the latest Final Fantasy game be able to replicate the success of the previous entries in the series? The new game looks much more sci-fi than the last couple of games, but the real test will come with the gameplay itself.

SUPERMAN- DOOMSDAY FOR THE LEGENDARY HERO?

With DC's apparent U-turn on all of their comic book movies, (see this article) it seems that the original DC superhero, Superman himself, is in limbo once more. With the Superman Returns film being something of a damp squib with fans, critics and the box office, it was clear that the franchise needed a new direction to survive. Now, there had been many attempts to bring Superman back to the screen before that film, and most of them would have fared better than what was eventually released. It wasn't the fault of Brandon Routh or director Bryan Singer- it was a pedestrian script and a lackluster story that just came off flat and tired, which was a shame.

How should Superman come back to the screen? We need a better villain than tired old Lex Luthor, for a start. Braniac or Darkseid would be fantastic, but then again, they might not have enough of an impact to really invigorate the series, so how about adapting that most hard-hitting (literally) of modern Superman stories...

DOOMSDAY.

If Superman was to face off against Doomsday, as in the Death of Superman story from the early 90s, we would have a massive film full of action and drama that could tie into the larger DC movie universe that so sorely needs to be created for the DC movies to survive and grow beyond the blinkered view that everything should be like The Dark Knight now. It would also provide Warners/DC with huge merchandising opportunities for the character, not to mention the other DC heroes that show up in the story. It could even be the precursor to a Justice League movie, if you think about it.

The Death of Superman storyline would even be a good idea for a trilogy of films. There could be the Death of Superman story to start with, then the second film could be the World Without a Superman/Reign of the Supermen stories rolled into one. The third would take care of the Return of Superman and maybe the second Doomsday story. think about it. It has the potential to be the greatest superhero movie trilogy ever, with genuine danger and something at stake as the heroes take on this terrifying foe.

The source material is there. The ideas are there. The graphic novels are there to be adapted. The talent is out there. Come on Warners, give us a Superman film we can be thrilled with. It's been far too long since Zod did his stuff.

80's Ninja Movies. I blame you for making me this way.

Joseph Lai has a lot to answer for. He was the man that filled the 80s with a million and one insane Ninja movies. Some of those films, such as NINJA THE PROTECTOR, NINJA HUNT, RAGE OF A NINJA and NINJA CAR BOOT SALE (I made that last one up) were amongst the most deliriously odd things ever committed to film. Haven't seen any of them? Don't, unless you are drunk, insane, or work in a comic shop. Well, go on then, watch them, but don't say I didn't warn you.

Here was a genre all by itself; Asian action movies intercut with footage of European and American actors in luridly coloured Ninja costumes, beating the hell out of each other (usually in a forest) and acting like superheroes. These Ninja movies made little sense, regularly defied all notions of physics and story, and were really quite brilliant. The fact that these films got released at all astounds me, and they remain a guilty pleasure of many geeks to this day.

Watching a film in which the major action sequences take place with a different cast and have little to do with the film itself is an odd experience, and I do wonder how many of these have been used as models for modern Hollywood flicks. They make about as much narrative sense.

I blame Joseph Lai and his merry band of demented, costumed action heroes, plots on secret documents and crime lords, explosions made of coloured smoke, music made on someone's watch and NINJA headbands for turning me into this seething mass of oddness. have you any idea what you did to my teenaged self? It's all your fault, Lai, and now I'm going to spin in the air and transform into a superhuman ninja and fly through the air, shooting fire, smoke and plastic shuriken at you.

Seriously though, you can't go wrong with guys in white/yellow/pink/red/silver ninja costumes beating each other to death with the same sound effect (BOOOCH) for every hit. These were grown men playing dress-up, with swords that shot smoke, magic teleportation powers, blunt swords and the acting abilities of a shoelace.

Quite simply, they were awesome, and you know it.

Plus, they kick the ass of pirates any day. Fact.

COWBOY BEBOP- COWBOY KEANU?!!!

Altogether now: Whoooa. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox are going to be bringing anime classic Cowboy Bebop to the big screen, with none other than Keanu 'One trick Pony' Reeves as lead character Spike. Now, I like a bit of anime myself, and to be frank, this is about as needed as, well, that Dragonball movie Fox are spitting out.

Maybe I'm wrong and this wwill be fantastic, but thus far we're yet to see any anime adaptations that really kick any ass. Hmm. I'll have a think about it, but I really can't think of any that have really grapsed the original feel of the source material. Maybe the two recent Appleseed movies, but they were animated!

Oh, hang on, yueah- the Death Note movies
were pretty spot on, as well as the Boogiepop adaptations, but nothing from a US based studio has been that good, and with a franchise as beloved as Cowboy Bebop, can a movie version actually do anything other than be picked apart?

Prove me wrong, Hollywood. I dare you.

TRANSFORMERS: SIDESWIPE REVEALED!

He may not be the red Lamborghini Countache that we remember from our childhoods, but he's certainly in the movie. Taken from a leaked toy packaging image, this is the internet's first look at Sideswipe from TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN, this summer's dose of giant robots beating the hell out of each other.

It certainly looks like the makers of TF2 are tonibng down how 'busy' the robot designs are, which is going to make for some much clearer onscreen action and more fun for viewers who found the uber-complicated designs in the first film a bit hard to follow. Everything is pointing at this sequel kicking all kinds of ass, even though we still have to stare at Shia Labeouf's sole facial expression.

CHUN LI MOVIE POSTER REVEALED

Um, is that it? Sorry, but that's not much of a movie poster is it? Especially considering the franchise the movie is from. The Japanese poster included the proper Street Fighter logo, and actually looked pretty cool (moreso than the lacklustre trailer did), so why the half-arsed attempt shown here (click to view the full image)?

Surely this five minute photoshop job isn't the best they could come up with for the first 'serious' Street Fighter movie? It looks like some kind of Fast and Furious knockoff instead of a film based on a huge video game phenomenon with a global following.

Plus, there's no sign of the proper Chun Li costume, and the film's lead star, the lovely Kristen Kreuk, doesn't even get that much space on the damn thing. I hope the film is better than this sorry excuse for a poster.