Very interesting news coming from Variety tonight that Warner Bros. have secured Guillermo del Toro to direct a new version of Beauty and the Beast.

The director is currently filming his Robots Vs Aliens epic Pacific Rim and will also produce the new film for Warners, which will have a script from Andrew Davies, the prolific writer who has adapted most of Jane Austen’s works (notably Pride and Prejudice for the BBC) and the Bridget Jones novels as well the most recent adaptation of The Three Musketeers.

Emma Watson is also named as the actress the studio are actively courting to play the lead and if she were to accept this would mark her most visible role since the end of the Harry Potter films.

Tolkien fans were teased for years with the prospect of having a film version of The Hobbit directed by Guillermo del Toro and though his years working on the film, which will now be brought to the big screen by Peter Jackson, were not in vain it was a disappointing end, and his vision of the film will no doubt go down in history as one of the most intriguing films never made. His take on the classic story of Beauty and the Beast will be greatly anticipated.

Now, who to play the Beast…perhaps Hellboy man Ron Perlman, after all – he’s done that before.

The Guillermo Del Toro produced Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark seems to be being moderately but not exuberantly received by the critical fraternity, with perhaps its increasingly well-worn tropes of gothic buildings, creaks and bumps in the night, alert and aware children and aloof and unseeing parents turning many off.

What it can’t be accused of though is a lack of style, especially with its advertising campaign, which has given us a thoroughly inventive and therefore altogether welcome new poster, making up the title from an assortment of materials and household items.

The US and most of continental Europe have already had the film, with us humble folks in the UK having to wait until this coming Friday. Spare a thought for the Netherlands and Italy though, who won’t get it until late November and early January respectively. Poor things.

Source: IMP.

Optimum Releasing have debuted the superb official U.K. poster for the Guillermo Del Toro-produced Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.

Directed by Troy Nixey, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark stars Guy Pearce (Memento), Katie Holmes (Batman Begins), Bailee Madison (Just Go with It), Alan Dale (Priest), Jack Thompson (The Good German) and Nicholas Bell (Mission: Impossible II).

After moving into her new home with her father Alex (Pearce) and his girlfriend, Kim (Holmes), Sally (Madison) is pursued by ruthless creatures who want to claim her as one of their own…

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark will premiere at Film4 Frightfest this weekend before receiving a nationwide release on October 7. Keep your eyes peeled for for our review.

Check out the U.K. poster below:

Source: Yahoo!

This Thursday sees the first UK screening of the new Guillermo del Toro produced movie, Don’t be Afraid of the Dark. We’ll hope to get our review posted as soon as possible after we see it but in the meantime, here’s a few new images and a couple of new clips from the movie which is released in the UK 7th October.

Don’t be Afraid of the Dark is directed by Troy Nixey, written by Matthew Robbins and Guillermo del Toro & stars Guy Pierce and Katie Holmes.

After moving into her new home with her father Alex (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend, Kim (Katie Holmes), Sally (Bailee Madison) is pursued by ruthless creatures who want to claim her as one of their own.

For all the rest of our coverage, click here!

Our man at Comic-Con was on his email soon after sitting in on the Prometheus panel a couple of weeks ago to tell us about the epic footage Ridley Scott screened for the collected geekery. You can read his take and see the video from the floor here, and it sounds very impressive indeed.

Given the tight security here in the UK on the set of the film it seems fairly understandable that the footage screened didn’t make it online, as is the way with almost everything these days, within a few hours of it playing to the Comic-Con crowds. Days passed and no bootleg video surfaced and fans went back to pour over the scant info and single image Fox had made available. That changes now, as there clearly was someone recording the footage as it played and several still images have surfaced online.

Let me be clear – if you’re looking forward to seeing this film (and who isn’t?) but have a modicum of patience you would do well to wait until a shiny HD version of the teaser trailer is officially released by Fox as enticing as these new peeks into the Alienverse are they beg to move and to be seen clearly. I wanted to post these because I know some of you can’t wait for a further glimpse of Ridley’s Scott return to science fiction.

Here are the images, which came to us from Dread Central (via AICN)

Pics removed at the request of the studio.

These images and more have been collected from the source and uploaded as a video showing off four at a time in this video below. There are clearer images of the cast including Michael Fassbender’s ‘blonde rent boy’, Idris Elba and Charlize Theron.

Comic Con 2011 is now done and dusted but that hasn’t stopped images for movies that were promoted there coming out. Bloody Disgusting have what they claim to be the second official image (the first is here if you missed it) from the movie but it doesn’t really show us too much more. I’m also not sure it’s an image from the movie as is shows a man in a high visibility vest wandering around. I guess that doesn’t mean it’s not from the movie but it could just be a set image of the current filming in Iceland.

During Comic Con, director Ridley Scott joined Hall H’s 6500 attendants to talk about the movie via a Satellite link and people seems to love what they saw. If you missed that too, you can catch Ezequiel’s report here which includes the video of Scott talking.

Prometheus is stars Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace, Kate Dickie, Sean Harris, Rafe Spall, Guy Pearce and The Wire star, Idris Elba and will be with us 1st June 2012. So much to look forward to next year!

Synopsis: Visionary filmmaker Ridley Scott returns to the genre he helped define, creating an original science fiction epic set in the most dangerous corners of the universe. The film takes a team of scientists and explorers on a thrilling journey that will test their physical and mental limits and strand them on a distant world, where they will discover the answers to our most profound questions and to life’s ultimate mystery.

Click the image below to enlarge.

Legendary Pictures have released the first look logo from Guillermo del Toro’s new movie, Pacific Rim which is due out 2013. The movie stars Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba and Rinko Kikuch.

Plot: When an alien attack threatens the Earth’s existence, giant robots piloted by humans are deployed to fight off the menace.

According to IMDb, it should be with us Summer 2013 so only two years to wait people!

Click it to make it get bigger if you so desire!

Source: Legendary Pictures

Film District actually brought two films to comic con today during the same panel.  Filmmakers and actors were present for a discussion of “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” and “Drive”. “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” is written by Guillermo del Toro and Directed by Troy Nixey, both were on hand along with Guy Pearce.  ”Drive” is directed by Nicolas Windin Refn and stars Ryan Gosling, Carrie Mulligan and Ron Perlman; the latter two were present for that film.

I really liked that idea of two films being represented on stage at the same time.  Both filmmakers had seen each other’s film and talked quite a bit, not only their own work, but each others.  In fact Eric Vespe from AICN was the moderator, cementing my theory that online film journalists are the only ones qualified to moderate these things, but Guillermo and Refn asked more questions to each other then anything else.

We were shown the insanely creepy “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” trailer.  The film seems like it could be scary as hell but a lot of fun.  I usually don’t spend a lot of time in the theaters watching horror flicks, but I think I might step outside my comfort zone for this one.

We were also treated to the “Drive” trailer. Simply put, the trailer is awesome.  Gosling plays a very similar character to Jason Statham’s “Transporter” except that instead of simple transportation, Gosling drives…Period.  The film has a great stable of actors that include not only Gosling and Mulligan but Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman and Christina Hendricks.  Now, I have yet to see “Bronson” but I absolutely loved “Valhalla Rising”.  ”Drive” seems extremely macho and wicked fun.  Refn discussed the romanticism of Los Angeles. As someone who doesn’t live in the states he was raised on what he had seen in the films about LA and that gave him the motivation to really use Los Angeles as another character in the film.  He mentions it being both brutal and beautiful.

We were treated to an exclusive clip from the film that really shows off that beautiful/brutal theme in the film.  The clip begins with Gosling and Mulligan entering an elevator with a strange man already inside.  After the doors close Gosling begins to eye the stranger. When he discovers the man is armed he moves Mulligan behind him as to shield her from what was about to happen. But first, they have an extremely intimate make-out session in which I almost forgot about the armed stranger.  Moments after their lips part, Gosling disarms the man, beats him to the ground and begins stomping on his head until it all but disintegrates.  During his rage filled explosion, Mulligan exits the elevator.  As Golsing slows and turns she is starring at him outside the elevator. The door close on Gosling then Lights Up.

From the films I’ve seen from both these visionary directors, they seem to have no boundries.  Refn himself nailed it on the head by saying “The chief enemy of filmmaking is safety”.  Neither of the films presented today seem safe. God bless these filmmakers.

What a night! Jon is currently working on the new image collection from The Hobbit and I’m doing the first image from Ridley Scott’s Prometheus released by Twentieth Century Fox.

Prometheus is currently filming right here in England at the world famous Pinewood Studios and now we get to see this first look image from the movie.

Prometheus is set to star Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace, Kate Dickie, Sean Harris, Rafe Spall, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba and will be with us 1st June 2012. So much to look forward to next year!

Synopsis: Visionary filmmaker Ridley Scott returns to the genre he helped define, creating an original science fiction epic set in the most dangerous corners of the universe. The film takes a team of scientists and explorers on a thrilling journey that will test their physical and mental limits and strand them on a distant world, where they will discover the answers to our most profound questions and to life’s ultimate mystery.

Click the image to view it LARGE!

Emma Watson, who is of course best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, is set to lead Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of the well known fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast, ComingSoon.net report.

The tale was first published in the eighteenth century, and popularised best by Disney in their brilliant 1991 animated adaptation of the tale.

The news comes from producer Denise Di Novi (The Nightmare Before Christmas; Crazy, Stupid, Love.), who says that she and del Toro are developing the adaptation together with Watson set to headline. The specifics of the project are currently being kept to a minimum, and it will be interesting to see the plot synopsis when it emerges.

In the original tale, for example, Belle has two wicked sisters that serve as the antagonists, but in the Disney adaptation, Belle is an only child and it is Gaston and the mob that try and kill the Beast. Just as interesting, of course, will be how del Toro will look to visually bring the tale to life. Animating the Beast made things easier for Disney, but if del Toro were to want a live-action adaptation, and his previous direction certainly suggests he will, then creating the Beast will definitely be something interesting to look forward to.

If anyone can bring the Beast to life in a live-action film, though, it’s del Toro. The makeup teams on his previous films, like Hellboy and Pan’s Labyrinth, have been incredibly impressive, with the latter winning three Academy Awards for Best Makeup, Best Art Direction, and Best Cinematography back in 2007.

Watson is currently riding high on the successes of the final instalment of the Harry Potter franchise, which has been breaking records across the globe this past weekend with its release, taking more than $480m. internationally at the box office in three days. She’ll also be seen at the end of this year in British film, My Week With Marilyn, due out in November, in which she will star alongside Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, Dominic Cooper, and Judi Dench.

With details about the film still at a minimum, it is not yet known if del Toro will be looking to direct this film himself or serve as a producer alongside Di Novi. His next film, Pacific Rim, starring Idris Elba and Charlie Day, will soon be going into production, and with his directing schedule looking empty beyond that, he could well decide to take on Beauty and the Beast himself, and I’m sure there are a lot of people who would be interested to see his take on the tale.

Super hits UK cinemas this Friday, 8th July and to celebrate, Hanway Films have sent us this brand new clip from the movie. We get to see Ellen Page not only practising her martial arts skills but also doing her best to convince Rainn Wilson’s character why she should be his side-kick!

Frank (RAINN WILSON) is an average guy who starts dressing up as superhero The Crimson Bolt after his wife Sarah (LIV TYLER) leaves him for smooth-talking drug dealer, Jacques (KEVIN BACON). What Frank lacks in superpowers, he makes up for with a trusty wrench in his one-man war on petty criminals. Powers or not, every superhero needs a sidekick. Enter Libby (ELLEN PAGE), a cute psychopath working at the local comic book store. Transforming into ‘Boltie’, Libby teams up with Frank to take Jacques down.

If you’ve missed our coverage of all things Super, you can have a recap here including our review. You can also click the poster above (which I think is also new) to enlarge.

“Any movie can be great at 2 1/2 minutes!”

For those of you who may be wondering what Trailers From Hell is but have taken the time to read this review, you are about to be introduced to what will probably be one of your new favourite sites. Trailers From Hell is a site for people who love films, made by people who love films (and make films). Conceived and created by the likes of director Joe Dante, Trailers From Hell draws on the knowledge of a variety of gurus (generally notable genre directors) who provide commentaries for film trailers.

The Trailers From Hell website can be found here and I can highly recommend you check it out, if you haven’t already. Make sure you have a few hours to spare before clicking on the link though.

In addition to the site, a DVD was released last year by TFH which collected together a number of these trailer commentaries and although a great release it did not add too much to what was already available on the site. For the the second volume though, TFH have filled the disc with a selection of trailers and commentaries exclusive to the DVD release, thereby making it more of a special one off release.

The selection of film trailers is absolutely fantastic and the gurus brought in to comment on them provide a lot of background information on the films and their trailers. The commentaries are never just dry and factual though and filmmakers such as John Landis, Brian Trenchard-Smith and Joe Dante have great senses of humour and this shines through in their commentaries.

On this new volume Trenchard-Smith’s commentaries on two Hammer oddities, Devil Ship Pirates and Stranglers of Bombay, are almost certainly my personal favourites but listening to Del Toro speak about his love of Argento (delivered in both English and Spanish) is also an absolute treat and Corman’s recollections of the production of Ski Troop Attack and Premature Burial are also both amusing and insightful.

The disc allows the viewer the option of either watching the trailers with the commentaries/talking heads included or on their own and the option to play all or jump to a particular trailer. The play all function with the commentaries switched on is the way to go as they are incredibly moreish and like the famous BBC mission statement they constantly inform, educate and entertain.

Perhaps appropriately the extra feature on this disc of what could be considered a compilation of extra features is an actual feature film. Presented in a new anamorphic widescreen transfer, the original Little Shop of Horrors is included as a bonus on the disc. This early feature from Corman is a lot of fun and features a particularly memorable performance from a young Jack Nicholson. The print is the best I’ve seen the film look and it’s surprising how enduringly entertaining the film is. A great addition to an already hugely entertaining release.

Trailers From Hell Volume Two is available to buy on DVD from Shout! Factory on the 5th of July and will hopefully be followed by a Volume Three very very soon.

Please note that this disc is Region 1.

***** (5/5)

A full list of the guests and the trailers can be found below,

Roger Corman on trailers for Ski Troop Attack and Premature Burial.

Joe Dante on Donovan’s Brain and The Invisible Ghost.

Guillermo Del Toro on Deep Red and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Ernest Dickerson on The Creeping Unknown.

Mick Garris on Fire Maidens from Outer Space and Flesh Gordon.

Jack Hill on Pit Stop.

Larry Karaszewski on Last Summer and The Tenant.

Lloyd Kaufman on Terror Firmer.

Mary Lambert on Godzilla vs. Mothra.

John Landis on Gorgo.

Josh Olson on Jaws and The Lineup.

Michael Peyser on Seven Days in May.

Brian Trenchard-Smith on Devil Ship Pirates and Stranglers of Bombay.

Point the imagination and creative force of Guillermo del Toro at an audience and chances are there’ll be some spine tingling going on, as the man has been behind the camera of some of the most effective and emotionally engaging horrors of recent years.

News that he was executive-producing Troy Nixey’s debut film Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark was welcomed by genre fans and London Frightfesters will be among the first to see the film when it opens the festival in August.

Three new clips and a whole host of images have popped up online, so its time to get your peek at the story of a young girl who moves into a new house with her father and his girlfriend. Things, naturally, take a turn for the terrifying as they uncover demonic forces lurking, wanting to claim the young girl for their own.

If you want your face to fall off with fear then click here for all of our coverage of the film, and in particular have a look at the trailer which has just the right amount of tease.

On another note is this the first time Guy Pearce and Alan Dale have appeared on screen together since their stint in 80s soap phenomenon Neighbours? Hopefully Bouncer will put in an appearance too.

Oooh. Spooky. It's like they knew....

Anyhoo, here are the three clips and then a main course of stills and a tasty dessert of some behind the scenes snaps. Enjoy,

Pics begins.

Everything you see here, barring the Neighbours pic, is from Fangoria.

As if the cinematic future of Red, Blue and the rest of the BPRD wasn’t looking desperate enough already, Mike Mignola has re-voiced his skepticism regarding the franchise’s future.

Asked at a recent convention in Calgary whether he expected a third Hellboy movie to ever enter production, Mignola expressed his doubt that it would ever happen. A real shame considering the heights reached by the second film in the saga, The Golden Army.

“I love Guillermo; he’s cute! But in every interview there’s a new story on what his next movie is, and he honestly believes he’s going to do them all. Last I heard, he said ‘I’m never gonna get back to Hellboy’. I’m not surprised, because he won’t live long enough to do a tenth of the movies he’s told me he’s going to make.”

But…but maybe he wasn’t taking into account future medical advancements…or a change of heart…or…Oh, what’s the use?

With Ron Perlman in no hurry to return to the make-up chair and Mignola eager to finish his own Hellboy story before Hollywood does it for him, this may well be the final nail in the coffin for Hellboy 3.

Sayonara, Anung Un Rama – it sure was fun while it lasted.

Dailyblam had it first.

Idris Elba is a man on the up and up. Having bagged himself the role of Stringer Bell in HBO’s peerless TV drama The Wire, he went on to cement a solid stateside reputation with work in 28 Weeks Later, The Losers, American Gangster and Thor.

He is currently on UK TV screens again in Luther, but it looks as though he has further high-profile theatrical work ahead of him with Guillermo Del Toro’s “Pacific Rim”.

Elba is said to have signed for the lead role of Sensi in the sci-fi actioner, which Del Toro is due to start shooting in November. Apparently it will involve giant robots piloted by humans, fighting off an alien invasion. Sounds wonderful.

As always, we’ll bring you more as we get it.

Source: Deadline.

This year sees the release of yet another plethora of comic book adaptations, most recently topped by the arrival of X-Men: First Class in cinemas. To coincide with Matthew Vaughn’s prequel – albeit a prequel with reimaginitive tendencies – the internet has inevitably started buzzing with claims that it may constitute The Greatest Comic Book Movie Ever Made (TGCBMEM).

This particular section of geekdom invariably dusts off their hyperbole every year or so, proclaiming some new release the pinnacle of comic book movie-making, having previously crowned such films as Superman (1978), Spider-man (2002) and The Dark Knight (2008) with the unashamedly self-important title.

Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate what makes each of the aforementioned movies great – and I certainly enjoyed X-Men: First Class (though perhaps not as much as Adam Lowes) – but I find it all too predictable tipping which movies might invariable draw such avid fanboy attention. This endless pursuit of hierarchy has an unfortunate tendency to belittle movies never listed as contenders for the coveted title – somewhat of a tragedy in a genre with precious few incontrovertible misfires. With the exception of Catwoman (2004), Blade: Trinity (2004) and Elektra (2005) there aren’t many adaptations completely without merit. In a genre that spans dimensions, planets and publishers, is there really just one definitive, objective winner?

Make no mistake, I have my own favourites, but I find it a difficult and thankless task to lumber them with such an unweildy accolade (and acronym) as TGCBMEM. Perhaps it is because my tastes differ so drastically from the most vocal patrons of the genre. For example: I adored Kick-Ass (2010), a film which beautifully deconstructs the superhero ethos while embodying it entirely; I found much to like in X2 (2003), quite despite my near allergic reaction to Hugh Jackman’s quickly tiresome Wolverine; and, when nobody else would, I championed Fantastic Four (2005), a brilliantly entertaining superhero romp which refused to take itself too seriously. But my own TGCBMEM? Does V for Vendetta (2006) even count? Would Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) qualify? I don’t suppose it even matters, my heart ultimately only truly belongs to one comic book movie: the utterly incomparable Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008).

“What”, you might ask, “the one about the red-skinned, kitten-loving space-monkey?” Indeed, but if you’ll just hear me out? You see, one of the biggest markers of quality I have encountered time and time again, according to the TGCBMEM crowd at least, is realism. A current zeitgeist, the ostensible fad stipulates that all superheroes must be grounded in reality if they are to be taken seriously by genre connoisseurs. Quite beside the fact that these same people would unlikely deride Toy Story for being about sentient children’s toys, or dismiss Inception for dream-hopping, they nevertheless believe a superhero should be gritty, citing the “darker is better” mantra as a categorical imperative.

The result has been a bizarre tendency whereby filmmakers try to prune their properties of everything that once made them super. Spider-man is deprived of his practicality and intellect, his webbing made organic in case there’s only so much super his audience can take. Galactus, meanwhile, is transformed into a nebulous space-fart to save cinemagoers the sight of a giant, purple alien. The worst offender, in my opinion that is, is Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight.

You see, entire pantheons of the comic book’s established villainy have been necessarily denied entry to the director’s own pocket universe lest they show Batman up for what he really is: a comic book character. Deemed gritty and mature by the fun police, this desired realism is nevertheless undermined by a preposterous ninja threat, a far-fetched fear toxin and the sequel’s ridiculous “signal tracking device”. In all honesty, I’d much rather have watched a caped-crusaderless Dark Knight, without Christian Bale there to stupid up (my phrase, you may prefer “compromise”) a perfectly good crime drama with his gravelly growl and tumbling batmobile; none of which is ideal when the sorest thumb in your movie is that of its titular protagonist.

I don’t love Hellboy II: The Golden Army because it’s silly, but because it doesn’t shy away from its more outlandish elements. The film is at times dark, consistently moving and often (intentionally) hilarious. With other franchises going to painstaking lengths to humanise their superhumans, whether by lumbering them with glasses and a paper round, mirroring a more traditional coming-of-age yarn or blinding their protagonist with radioactive waste – audit must have freaked – Hellboy just stands there – cigar in mouth – defiantly, defying logic by navigating such empathetic waters with surprising ease. Guillermo del Toro’s fearless direction obviously helps, with the script’s embrace of humour and character resulting in one of the most heartfelt comic book capers committed to celluloid. I know heart isn’t everything, or so I’ve been informed on numerous occasions, but untroubled by green screen and bat-nipples, Hellboy II at least has the horns to feature an emotional rendition of Barry Manilow’s “Cant Smile Without You”.

It doesn’t disappoint in the action stakes either. While the world might not be trembling before Parallax’s yellow something of whatever, the sparing use of CGI and preference for practical effects lend The Golden Army an earthy feel that works to compensate for the admittedly bonkers sight of a horned demon battling climatically with a martial artist elf. Boasting a small ensemble consisting of a psychic fish, an explosive emo and an ectoplastic diving suit, the arcs devoted so such unusual characters brings them to life in a way the rejection of Robin, the omission of The Mandarin and the integration of the Cuban Missile Crisis otherwise fail to achieve.

Above all, however, I love the film’s confidence. One movie in to a franchise that would soon be stuck in limbo (there are no words), Hellboy II is often quoted as a very personal movie by del Toro and it really shows. The different between it and it’s less successful predecessor is perhaps explained by the director’s bridging project: Pan’s Labyrinth. Earning the director a slew of award nominations, Pan’s Labyrinth is a dark (how’s that for credentials?) fairytale replete with fantastic creatures and realistic horrors. Bleeding though into The Golden Army, such skill and painstaking workmanship – combined with an unmatched understanding of the source material – imbued the film with a dignified quality that goes beyond name-checking Frankenstein and deriving respect from fads.

In my opinion, a good comic book movie prises substance over style – including characters for a purpose and rewarding them with development for their efforts. Spider-man 3 (2007) is the film most often exampled for this failing, but its triad of villainy is positively well-rounded compared to other offenders. X-Men: Last Stand (2006) and Origins: Wolverine (2009) are two films which falter in their preference of cameos and flashing lights over character and subtext, a crime considering the analogous nature of the X-Men series. I suspect Green Lantern (2011) will be just as unsuccessful when it throws Ryan Reynolds at a million dollars worth of greenscreen later this month, though I may yet be proved wrong. A great comic book movie, however, must make you care about the characters, because great power comes with great responsibility – often followed by a healthy serving of investment-sensitive sacrifice.

This year’s Thor was a massive success in this respect, as it took a plethora of characters from numerous realms and fleshed them out with expert aplomb. Thor too was a little on the silly side, boasting a few too many rainbow bridges to gel with the serious faced TGCBMEM crowd. Needless to say it didn’t receive the same attention as First Class, with the latter’s discussion of genetic mutation and allusion to Nazi Germany and Jekyll and Hyde tying it to the respected world: both scientific and literary. I can’t help but feel that Thor is the better movie, however, unburdened as it is by what came before – even if it does make a few exceptions for what might still be to come. You don’t have to deconstruct, retcon or shoehorn superheroes into the real world to produce a great movie, you just need the confidence to realise the character unashamedly – whatever planet he’s from.

Kick-Ass was similarly exceptional, with a potty mouth and well-judged sentiment that leant it depth and emotionality – whether it be enthralled elation or utter hot-chocolate-prompted devastation. More than just a reaction to comic book movies, Kick-Ass came close to eclipsing its competition with a great script, break-neck direction and enough homages to necessitate repeated viewing. Taking the Hulk (2003) route (which to me, for the record, is the definitive Hulk movie – hey, my grave is already dug) and advertising the required suspension of disbelief from the outset by sign-posting its debt to the medium, Kick-Ass came the closest yet to creating a realistic comic book movie, but in the most delightfully incidental way possible.

OK – so my mind might have wandered, but I guess my point is that there is no objective basis in heralding a comic book movie the best ever; there will always be those who disagree – and so there should be – and perhaps I know this better than most. With the current retcon culture rebooting characters after their first box office stumble, and with the orbital nature of fashion and filmmaking trends, the different incarnations and zeitgeists the characters will invariably reflect will doubtless ensure this TGCBMEM ceremony continues. What of next year, then? Is Joss Whedon’s The Avengers in line for the accolade or should I just give in now and anoint Nolan’s next Batfilm? Will darkness ever give in to light? More than anything, however, I’d like to hand the floor over to you. In your opinion, what is the greatest comic book movie ever made – if indeed there is one?

You’ve really got to hand it to the Spanish. They know how to make a classy-looking, nerve-jangling thriller, and it comes as no surprise to see that one Guillermo del Toro has put his weight behind the film here (he’s credited as one of the producers).

Following both Pans Labyrinth and The Orphanage (although set in a slight more realistic milieu) Julia’s Eyes also features yet another powerful performance from an incredibly beautiful and sensual-looking actress, this time in the form of Belén Rueda. She plays the titular character whose twin sister seemingly commits suicide in the opening scenes. Both siblings suffer from a rare degenerate eye disease, which is attributed to the demise of Julia’s sister, although she believes there to be foul play at work and sets out to investigate the real cause.

As her own vision begins to fade, she struggles to retain her grasp on reality and if what she’s seeing is real or imagined, and even her supportive husband begins to doubt her claims of seeing a shadowy figure following her every move.

Julia’s Eyes may not offer much in the way of originality, but director Guillem Morales certainly knows how to craft and shoot a decent Hitchcockian murder mystery. A large part of the film’s success is derived from the young director’s insistence on not over-egging it when it comes to the visuals. Julia’s increasingly deteriorating POV is subtle and feels very organic. An American remake (there have been whispers of one already in the works) would probably be tempted to CGI-it up and use all swirly and trippy visuals, but Morales lets the action unfold using old-fashioned suspense tools like dramatic lighting and voyeuristic camera moves, and is able to wring much tension out of the scenes using these methods.

All this is very much designed to place the audience in the same vulnerable state as the heroine, and those techniques are further solidified in the latter half of the film, where the director uses a creatively bold and effective framing device, where one of the main character’s features are hidden from us for a sizable chuck of the narrative. The end showdown (which borrows a visual cue from The Silence of the Lambs and cranks it up to an abstract level) is very effective too.

What stops Julia’s Eyes from being a 4-star film and puts it slightly further down the ranks from those aforementioned examples of highly-accomplished Spanish fantasy cinemas, is a dénouement which begins to feel a little stretched and tiresome after the initial, shocking reveal. Also, although well-acted and suitably dramatic, the chain of events and incidents from mid-way are played out in such a compressed timescale that it’s a big ask for the audience who has invested their time into the film and its intriguing premise, to then accept large leaps and holes in character’s actions and logic.

There’s still much to recommend here however. Rueda gives it her all, and the more intimate scenes between Julia and her husband (played by veteran Spanish actor Lluís Homar) are very touching and offer a genuine glimpse of true love.

If you’re in the mood for some good old-fashioned, pulpy scares, Julia’s Eyes may just be what you’re looking for, but don’t forget to make sure you turn a blind eye to some of the contrived and improbable elements of the second half.

***~~ (3/5)

HeyUGuys brings you the latest in World Cinema film trailers in association with Film Dates UK.

Each week we’ll be showcasing some of most anticipated foreign releases as well as highlighting a few hidden gems which may have fallen off your radar. It’s no surprise that Hollywood has turned to World Cinema for inspiration in recent years with the number of remakes getting more and more popular.

Whilst it remains to be seen how many of these remakes go on to succeed or stay true to their original story counterparts, we decided it was high-time we turned the spotlight onto the next wave of foreign films to grace our screens.

This week we have 3 new trailers for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

David’s Birthday (Il compeanno)

UK Cinema Release Date: Monday 16th May 2011

Synopsis: A group of friends rent a magnificent house by the sea to spend the summer together. The unexpected arrival of Shary and Diego’s son David sets something off in everyone, especially Matteo, an accomplished psychoanalyst who is married to Francesca. David’s lonely and enigmatic uncle Leonard senses the reasons behind the dangerous tension, hidden beneath layers of silence and friendly banter. This vacation will indelibly mark everybody’s life.

Bol

UK Cinema Release Date: Friday 20th May 2011

Synopsis: BOL is a roller coaster of emotions, yet carries subtleties that make your heartbeat stop. Based in the heart of Lahore, the story takes place in a house full of daughters, with vibrancy of life, yet restrictions on blooming. It questions the worth of a human being, may it be a woman or a person born with a birth defect. It questions the authority of reproducing human beings into this world without taking responsibility of acknowledging their worth. BOL takes you through a journey into the life of this family experiencing their troubles, sufferings, resolves and high points. As family members take decision to solve their problems they step into deeper troubles. The complexity of their circumstances becomes a struggle of life and death.

Julia’s Eye Los ojos de Julia

UK Cinema Release Date: Friday 20th May 2011

Synopsis: The story of a woman who is slowly losing her sight whilst trying to investigate the mysterious death of her twin sister.

Check back next week for more trailers!

We are still 6 months away from the premiere of Breaking Dawn Part I, yet the people at Summit Entertainment have once again decided to tease audiences by releasing another official photo.  T

he photo in question pictures Edward and Bella in that same lovestruck pose that has become all to familiar over the past 3 movies.  Having read the book, I’m still not too sure where the scene in question is meant to have occurred.  My best guess is that this takes place (Spoiler warning) somewhere in and around their scandalous honeymoon in South America.

This is also one of the first tastes we’ve been able to get of cinematographer Guillermo Navarro’s work on Breaking Dawn.  Navarro, a frequent collaborator of Guillermo del Toro, seems almost a perfect fit for the sort of “darker” direction that the series has started to take.

I’m still betting on another horrible adaptation by Melissa Rosenberg, but at least the footage will be pretty to look at.

Regardless of how little we actually know of Ridley Scott’s mysterious Alien spin-off sci-fi yarn, Prometheus, the director certainly isn’t putting a foot wrong in terms of casting choices.

Guy Pearce’s name has been banded around for a couple of days now as a potential addition to the cast, and now it would appear that The Playlist has indeed confirmed that the Memento star is onboard. He’s join the already-impressive line-up of Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron and a host of talented names from the UK, including Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, Sean Harris, Kate Dickie and Rafe Spall.

Pearce has the Guillermo del Toro-produced Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark due for release sometime this year, and it’s nice to see such a talented figure stepping back into the fantasy genre so soon again.