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- Big casting news for Christopher Nolan’s hotly anticipated The Dark Knight Rises has been unveiled with Anne Hathaway announced as taking on the of role Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman. She’ll be starring alongside Tom Hardy as Bane, the heavily muscled and extremely intelligent villain who famously broke Batman’s back during the excellent Knightfall Saga.
- Remakes announced this week include an attempt to recreate popular ‘80s buddy cop thriller Lethal Weapon. Alongside a remake of the excellent Spanish film Timecrimes (presumably on the grounds that people cannot read subtitles).
- Director Mark White has quit Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the film adaptation of the book that is essentially Jane Austen’s novel with added undead. Names touted as replacement directors include Neil Marshall, creator of bloody horror comedy Dog Soldiers and Jeffrey Blitz, best known as the documentarian behind Spellbound.
- After helping create The Karate Kid remake to star his son, Will Smith (with the help of Sony Pictures) is apparently attempting to remake Annie to star his daughter. Perhaps based more on the comic strip than on the film, it will have new music written by Jay Z and it is very much in development stages at the moment.
On Film4 tonight at 11:40pm there is a chance to watch Darren Aronofsky’s most contentious film The Fountain, which traditionally splits opinion between those who love it and loath it. Also on FIlm4 on Saturday, Arnold Schwarzenegger tackles the Predator at 9pm and later in the evening at 1:35am there is a chance to see Ingmar Bergman’s iconic Seventh Seal, one of the finest films ever made. On BBC2 at 11:25pm on Sunday there’s a chance to see Quentin Tarantino’s incredibly popular and hugely entertaining Pulp Fiction whilst on Tuesday you can catch Martin Scorsese’s brilliant 1990 gangster film Goodfellas (at 11pm).
- Black Swan
By far the week’s most exciting release. Acclaimed director Darren Aronofsky’s (Requiem For a Dream) new film stars Natalie Portman as ballet dancer Nina Sayers (a role that has already won her a Golden Globe for Best Actress). A horror thriller about madness inspired by an out of control artistic temperament and deranged sexuality, this is fearless and remarkable filmmaking. A real contender at the BAFTAS with several nominations including Best Film, Director and Actress, this is undoubtedly an unmissable piece of cinema.
- The Dilemma
Director Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon, Da Vinci Code) has made an interesting mix of films in his time, and has now moved into comedic territory with a film about a man (Vince Vaughn) who discovers that his best friend’s wife (Winona Ryder, who coincidently is also in Black Swan) is having an affair. The film features the incredibly likeable Jennifer Connelly but apparently does not hold together and has received predominantly negative reviews.
- Morning Glory
Becky (Rachael McAdams) takes over failing TV breakfast show Daybreak and struggles to revitalise it when faced with Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton. This may not sound particularly interesting but it’s directed by Roger Mitchell (Notting Hill, Venus) and boasts an intriguing cast even if it has only managed mixed reviews.
- I Spit on Your Grave
Another pointless remake that has gained largely negative criticism. This film tells tale of a young woman’s brutal rape and her later gruelling revenge. Cut by the BBFC and Unrated in the States this is definitely not for the faint-hearted.
- NEDS
The new British film from Peter Mullan (Magdalene Sisters) is a grim tale of a young boy’s life in the 1970s. Featuring by all accounts excellent performances by its young cast it has received some excellent reviews and is certainly worth looking out for.
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