As he continues to work on his next film, Cowboys & Aliens, some had assumed that once he was done and dusted there, Jon Favreau would jump straight back to the good ship Marvel for more Iron Man duty. Favreau, to date, has directed the first two Iron Man films, and when it was announced that the third movie was due for release in May 2013, it was assumed that the job was his if he wanted it.

Turns out, he doesn't want it. Or he's too expensive for it, believing which variant of the story you go for.

Vulture is reporting that Favreau has informed Marvel Studios that he's stepping away from the franchise, and won't be directing Iron Man 3. Favreau had hinted that this might be the case earlier in the year when quizzed about the project, and he himself has now confirmed the news on his Twitter feed, stating that "It's true, I'm directing Magic Kingdom, not Iron Man 3. I've had a great run with Marvel and wish them the best."

Magic Kingdom is a fascinating looking project, billed as a fantasy adventure that will dig into Disney's heritage. We'll be talking about it a lot in the months and years ahead.

For Iron Man 3, however, there's little doubt that Favreau is a major loss to the franchise. And rumours of his departure had been circling earlier in the day. Vulture had been suggesting before it broke the big story that money was a factor, with the notoriously frugal Marvel basically hunting for a cheaper director. It now says in its story, however, that "It's unclear whether the impasse was financial or creative or both."

Whatever the reason, Favreau's departure is Iron Man's loss, and very much Magic Kingdom's gain...

Vulture

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Right now, we're currently putting together our writers' choice for film of the year, and as part of the vote, each contributor has been invited to nominate their stinker, too. We have to tell you, friends, that Clash Of The Titans has been making an appearance in at least one of the two lists we're preparing. We'll let you guess which.

The film made, however, a truckload of money, even with its now infamous 3D bolt-on. As such, it's long been confirmed that there's a sequel on the way (possibly two), and a few weeks back, the title of Wrath Of The Titans was confirmed.

Now we also know when to expect the film. It's been earmarked for release on 30th March 2012, pretty much two years after the release of the original.

There's a new director this time, with Jonathan Liebesman (who's helmed next year's Battle: Los Angeles) calling the shots. Sam Worthington, Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton and Liam Neeson are all returning to star.

The film will be shot from the off in 3D this time around, too. If you do have to go down the 3D road, that sounds a far more sensible way to do it to us...

Box Office Mojo

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With nearly $800m in the bank from the cinematic release of Part 1 alone, Warner Bros is, we suspect, mightily pleased with its plan to split the final Harry Potter book into two films. And 2011 looks like being the most financially lucrative year for the Potter movie franchise yet. After all, we've got the cinematic release of Part 2 in July, and the DVD and Blu-ray releases of both films next year.

But when can we expect Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 on DVD and Blu-ray? Well, we've got two suggested dates for you.

Firstly, DanRadcliffe.de has, it reports, had a natter with Warner Bros Switzerland, which is circling a release date of March 18th 2011. That feels about right to us.

Meanwhile, Amazon in German is listing the film for release on April 30th. That may be the case, but it sounds more like a holding date than anything substantive. We'd go with March 18th as far more likely.

Amazon Germany does list, however, a single disc DVD, a double disc DVD, and a Blu-ray release. Plus, there's a limited 2-disc steelbook Blu-ray, too.

When we have a definite date, we'll pass it your way...

DanRadcliffe.de

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A quick one: remember Bing Crosby and David Bowie's collaboration on the song Little Drummer Boy? Well, Will Ferrell and John C Reilly certainly do.

Just take a look at their tribute to it right here - and it's worth staying right to the end...

As we wrote in our spoiler-free review of the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas special, A Christmas Carol, there's a real treat in store on Christmas Day for fans of the show. But to enthuse you just that little bit more, how about three clips from the episode? They're only short tasters, but they might just whet your appetite a little further...

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In the forthcoming Tron: Legacy, Garrett Hedlund plays Sam, the rebellious son of missing programming legend Kevin Flynn. An accomplished motorcycle rider, base-jumper and frisbee thrower, the role of Sam required considerable training to pull off. Back in September, we caught up with the actor for a round-table interview about the film, which was then still in post-production, and his experiences of making it.

Mr. Hedlund began by describing his first exposure to the original Tron...

Garrett Hedlund: I didn’t see it until 2003. I would love to [have seen it at the cinema]. They’ve got to do something like that - bring it back to the cinema. I always thought it was a great film, but I wasn’t aware of how ground breaking it was for its time.

What impressed me the most was the suits they wore, which were just covered in tape. They sent that footage over to Korea, and every bit of tape in every frame was painted over to make it look like there were lights on them.

In this film, we’ve got the self-illuminating lights. It just blows my mind.

I heard you had to train in martial arts and Parkour for Tron: Legacy. How was that?

It was good. It takes a little time to be able to leap over things, and get that trust. To throw your arms out so your body’s completely parallel to the ground - you’ve got to be flexible. I wouldn’t be able to do it at this very moment, but I do know that agility is acquirable.

But it was great. It’s such a benefit, in some films, to gain these abilities and put them in your back pocket, and take them out again and use them should you need them again in the future.

Getting my motorcycle licence, and the training that was involved, and wearing the suit - it was all a great experience.

The suits look cool, but how comfortable are they, really? Are they practical for moving around in?

It was like a sleeping bag in a romantic getaway... [Laughs]

So you could sit down?

No, we couldn’t sit down. We were given these stools to sit on with a bicycle seat on top. Because the suits have all these unique patterns in them, they start getting damaged if you’re not conscious of it. So you’ll be waiting for the next scene in your trailer and you’ll be sitting like this [Adopts an uncomfortable-looking, half standing, half squatting pose].

So presumably, to go to the bathroom, you’d have to be cut out of the thing?

I had it a lot easier than the girls. They had a much harder time. But I just take it - I’m not big on complaining. I’ve been on a lot of long drives where Dad wouldn’t just pull over.

But yeah, it’s difficult, particularly if you don’t have your morning coffee until after you’ve put on the suit.

Today we saw some of the storyboards for the movie. Do they help to get you into the scene?

The pre-viz, or pre-visuals, were more helpful to us. They basically design this whole thing, scene by scene, they do the motions of all the characters in each scene - it’s a really rough computer animation of what we’re going to be seeing. Just so we can get a sense of it while you’re reading the script, so it’s not all on paper.

Sometimes, before a scene, Joe [Kosinski] would come over and show you [a pre-viz], which meant you could imagine what your character’s going to be doing. It was really helpful, because you could be standing on a platform somewhere, but really Joe’s going to be putting an entire city around me.

The Light Cycle, was that essentially you sitting on a piece of scaffolding, and they just added it in later?

Yeah. Basically, they put the dots on your face, and you’re wearing a cap, and you have a helmet on your head, similar to the one Jeff [Bridges] wore as Clu. It lights your face up and captures the movements of your head and shoulders. It’s kind of a long process - it’s about a week of going through all these reactions, with Joe explaining what’s happening. “You’re going round a right turn here, then you’re going straight, and then you’re going to look to your left because another Light Cycle’s coming up behind you.” So you hit those three beats in one.

What was it that drew you to the part? We saw the contrast between the real-world version of Sam Flynn and the one in the Grid - what made you want to play that character?

I tried to imagine it being a bit like being in an accident. You’ve had a freak accident, you;ve messed up somehow, and been in a smash, and all of a sudden you’re in heaven, looking around, trying to figure out where you are, because nothing looks familiar.

You don’t know how you got there, so you’re trying to back track in your head, and remember what happened. And there are people here you’ve never seen before...

So you approached it like a life-after-death scenario?

Yeah. Like I’m trying to figure everything out, and I’m seeing my Father for the first time. I’m hearing this voice that’s far away, and it sounds familiar. It’s kind of like, you haven’t seen your Father in years, and now you’re reunited with him.That was the unknown reference for me.

Garrett Hedlund, thank you very much.

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Usually, I should confess from the off, I find the interview episode of The Apprentice one of the weakest. It’s not because I’m against the idea of it, rather that it’s edited to bits, so you rarely get to enjoy a prolonged moment of any of the interrogations. Still, my hopes were raised this year with the return of Margaret Mountford, this time one of the interviewers. I’m sure I’m not alone: I could watch a chat show with her quite happily. Heck, any show, really. The woman is a legend.

At the start of the episode, I must admit, I couldn’t tell you who was going to win the series. I could tell you who isn’t, as, if Baron von Sugar employs Stuart, then not only would it debase the idea of the TV programme somewhat (based on what we’ve seen), but it might just bugger up his businesses, too. But three candidates were set to go.

As usual, as the interviews approach, we find out who the top earner was. In this case, it’s Jamie. Stuart is the youngest. None of this really seems to matter.

So then, out came the interviewers. Claude Littner was up first, once more coming across like the kind of person no human being would want to work for. Alan Watts, the lawyer was next. Bordan Tkachuk of Viglen third.

Then Margaret Mountford. And heck, from the off she was good. I wasn’t needing as much of the wine this week, friends. I just needed a full hour of The Mountford. Take Jamie’s third nipple joke. She tore it to bits, and comedy gold ensues. She didn't even blink.

Next? Stuart vs the lawyer. He’s not dishonest, he insists. He’s just a bit of a tit. He was in for around 15 minutes, felt probed, and – ah, bugger it. Spar’s finest white wine was duly broken open at this stage.

Stella vs grumpy Claude, next. I bet Claude is a right hoot at his company’s Christmas party, isn’t he? Stella, I thought, held her own here, to be fair. Meanwhile, I helped myself to a Muller Front Corner. Strawberry flavour.

Jo vs Bordan? Jo couldn’t pronounce the word Viglen, Bordan then quizzed her as to what companies Baron von Sugar had. Many have wondered the same thing. Jo, basically, flunked this one, and the camera took great glee in lingering on her suffering. More than anyone else in the episode. She was doomed, wasn't she?

Margaret was back next, so I put my glass down. Her eyes, I have to say, are just amazing. They pierced Chris’ skull with an intensity few human beings can muster. I appreciate this might be more and more coming across as a love letter to Margaret Mountford, but crikey, she’s just brilliant, isn’t she? Were it her, rather than Baron von Sugar, who was recruiting for an apprentice, I do think I might apply myself.

Sadly, we were back to misery guts Claude next. He was biting chunks out of Chris, next, specialising in hunting down negatives in a pool that may be swimming in lots of positives. “You’re not so gifted,” ranted Claude. Have a fucking drink, man, I thought. So I did. Lovely. I thought Chris came out of this one quite well, to be fair, as he did throughout the episode.

Fortunately, back to The Mountford, who was going for Jamie’s parents next. Not for long, though, so we cut to Jamie vs Bordan. Bordan took a more analytical approach, but he must have known in this episode he was onto a loser. We weren’t there to see him. Jamie did quite well, but, as I sank down another gulp of quite the worst bottle of wine I’ve had all series, Margaret reappeared. With Stuart. Win.

Stuart, she found out, is looking to be the Baron’s business partner, giving “110% no doubt”. But it was over too quickly, as instead Stuart moved on to Claude. “Don’t tell me what a brand means,” ranted the Claude. “You’re not a big fish. You’re not even a fish,” he banged on. He almost achieved the aim of making me feel sorry for Stuart. Crikey.

Jo vs Claude? I felt that Jo was dropping out of the episode here even more, which is a shame. Claude patronising her didn’t help. I swear when he opens his Christmas presents, he berates the people who handed them over, one at a time. Maybe the treat in next year’s series could be taking Claude to a happy hut somewhere? That’s one I’d actually watch.

So then. Stella vs the lawyer who clearly wasn’t saying much of massive interest, as they’d barely edited him into the episode by this point. Stella was looking more and more a shoo-in for the final. Chris, too, was coming across well. Were they to be the finalists?

Bordan had the final go at Stuart, before he was inevitably sent to the hills. He perfectly called bullshit, only Stuart didn’t seem to realise it. He then, brilliantly, tried to turn the tables on Bordan. It didn’t really work.

And then, halfway through the episode, the interviews were done. Once again, while they were far better than usual, I did wonder if we’d been a little shortchanged once more. I could have had ten more minutes of that, and cut down the boardroom wrangling that was to follow.

“I don’t think there is anyone out there like me,” said Stuart, before we got the boardroom. I’ll certainly drink to that.

Margaret, then, got showered with compliments as she sat with the other interviewees in the boardroom. And she stood up for Jo as they all started giving their feedback. We also got interview flashbacks for the first time, which showed the candidates in a slightly better light, for a change.

Chris, meanwhile, split the panel. Bordan found him dull. Alan quite liked him. Karren Brady really liked him. Margaret pulled a face. And chucked out another great one-liner about his educational record.

Jamie didn’t impress her much, either. She’s an exquisite bullshit caller, and does it with a comedy edge that the Baron can only dream of matching. At the very least, get her on the payroll to write the script next year.

Stella, meanwhile, had won over Happy Claude. And Margaret. And Karren Brady. And Alan The Lawyer. Bordan wasn’t keen, but then Nick came to her rescue. She was looking more and more likely for the final two.

Finally, Stuart. “Mr Baggs greeted me like a long lost friend,” said Margaret, “which, of course, he isn’t”. Claude, meanwhile, liked him. Karren Brady liked him. Bordan, however, then threw in the bullshit grenade, and patronised Karren Brady a little along the way. Alan The Lawyer wasn’t keen. Most human beings watching the show were surely fearing that he might even make it to the final by this point. Surely not? Surely, surely, not?

And so the firings began. Baron von Sugar went through them one at a time to go over what they'd all banged on about for the 45 minutes we'd just sat through. But he finally went for Stuart, with a "you're full of shit" rant. At last, for the first time, this was the Baron appearing to go off script. He was in a right rage, too. Stuart was off. At bloody last. It was a bit odd, though: the rage just came out of nowhere in the end. Was there more to the story? No doubt a tabloid will fill in the missing gaps.

Next off? After a bit of waffling from the four remaining candidates, Joanna was off, but with a massive pat on the back. Which I thought was strangely positive for this show. And that just left Jamie and Chris, with the former getting the axe. It was Stella vs Chris, and that seemed about right, on reflection.

It wasn't a bad episode in all, either. It was dominated by Margaret, clearly, but it did get it down to two less-showy candidates, who probably deserved to get to the final. And we'll be back for that when it screens this coming Sunday.

Hopefully, Margaret will be too. I'll certainly drink to that.

Read our review of the tenth episode, here.

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See, this is what Michael Parkinson was missing on his chat show - exciting videogame coverage. Over the pond, talk show Late Night With Jimmy Fallon was the venue for a first official look at Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception’s gameplay.

Two things are apparent from the footage, which you can see below: first, that host Jimmy Fallon couldn’t hit the side of a barn, and second, that Uncharted 3 looks absolutely awesome. The fire effects look great, and it appears that Drake has more close-quarters fighting skills than ever.

The footage also reveals that Dake will be taking a trip to France in his new adventure - the spacious building burning to the ground is described by Naughty Dog designers Evan Wells and Christophe Balestra as a château.

There’s also repeated sightings of grizzled sidekick Sully bumbling after Drake - does this hint at a co-op mode in Uncharted 3? We’d certainly welcome it.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is due for release next November. Hurrah!

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The teaser trailer for Transformers: Dark Of The Moon showed that the Apollo 11 landing did not just provide one of mankind's historical moments, but also the discovery of Transformers on the moon.

This melding of true life events and sci-fi is a simple example of how the hybrid genre movie is rapidly becoming more popular in Hollywood. There is even another Apollo-based film coming out that portrays 'fictional' historical events with a horror twist. Apollo 18 will tell the tale of the 'lost Apollo mission' that, no doubt, saw its astronauts come to an icky end at the hands of some alien/monster/red neck conspiracy theorist.

Now, I love genre movies. My DVD collection is made up of many a historical epic, war movie and sci-fi extravaganza, but recently filmmakers have decided to combine these genres to create a film that can be both great fun and ridiculous in equal measure.

However, more often than not, they completely divide audiences. In fact, it seems more and more films are being advertised and pitched as 'Something from one genre vs. something from another genre' Dog Soldiers (squaddies vs. werewolves!), The Warrior's Way (cowboys vs.  ninjas!), Cowboys & Aliens (cowboys vs. aliens!) and Mega Shark Vs Crocosaurus (erm., Mega Shark Vs Crocosaurus!)

Now, obviously, most genres are a hybrid to some degree. A sci-fi film can't just be a 'sci-fi' film, it has to be a dramatic sci-fi or a comedic sci-fi film or something like that. But I'm talking about the extreme mash-up of genres that would not be generally put together at all.

For example, let's look at the historical epic first, shall we? In recent years, our cinemas have been flooded with swords and sandals movies such as Gladiator, Troy, Kingdom Of Heaven and such, but as audiences have become bored with these history lessons, filmmakers have attempted to make them more interesting with a horror/sci-fi twist. 

A few years ago saw the release of two Viking films, Pathfinder and Outlander. Now, Vikings don't generally have a good reputation in cinema, even with decent films like The 13th Warrior and Beowulf dividing audiences and producing a mediocre box office. But Pathfinder and Outlander attempted to do something different with high concept ideas.

The first, Pathfinder, was sold on the premise of Vikings vs. Native Americans, and while it was all well and good, it ended up being a bit dull. However, it was clearly Outlander that had the more intriguing pitch: Vikings vs. aliens!

You can imagine it being pitched as an idea for a early Predator sequel, a Predator hunting history's most brutal warriors in the most remote wilderness. But instead the filmmakers made it a sci-fi-themed inspiration for the legend of Beowulf. It was complete hokum, and as you'd expect, critics were lukewarm to the film. However, I thought it was a rollicking good ride, and how often do you really get to see Vikings fight an alien beast that resembled a dragon mixed with a cougar?

Keeping with the idea of blending history with fantasy, studios have also produced Solomon Kane, based on Conan's Robert E. Howard's creation, a Puritan mercenary who fights demons, and the forthcoming Season Of The Witch, which sees Nicholas Cage's Templar Knight battle a witch and zombie monks.

It seems that demons, monsters, and especially zombies, can be placed into any genre and immediately make it thirty-three percent more entertaining. If that wasn't enough, studios have realised that, if there is one thing worse than a zombie, it is a Nazi zombie! The likes of Dead Snow and Outpost have seen the Third Reich rise from the dead to not just conquer the world, but eat brains, and it looks like there is no stopping them.

Not only do we have the upcoming Fourth Reich (Sean Pertwee, Craig Conway, Jason Flemyng as WWII troops discovering crazy Nazi experiments whilst liberating Europe), but we have Iron Sky, an independently produced film that theorised that the Third Reich has been hiding on the dark side of the moon for the past 60 years, and are now coming back in flying saucers. This is an Internet-only film, but I feel it's crazy enough to get a mention.

Combining the war and horror genres is not a new thing, and while war may be hell, it can be made worse with demons and ghosts. The likes of Deathwatch and Below handled the material reasonably well with a WWI platoon and a WWII US submarine, respectively, being tormented by dark, mysterious forces.

David Twohy's Below, in particular, is a favourite of mine, as it not only combines the horrors and dangers of living and fighting on a submarine, but power cuts, depth charges and possible horrors in the dark make it all the more unnerving. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.

That is not to say all hybrid genre films work. While most try and blend two genres at most (war/horror, sci-fi/historical, western/sci-fi), Neil Marshall's Doomsday tried to combine more. The film tried to be not only an homage to 80s films like Escape From New York, but also tried to blend sci-fi with an historical epic, as well as horror. While the film has its fans (including myself), one can't deny that it is a bit of a mess.

So, what wonderful and weird hybrid genre films do we have coming in the near future? Well, there is the hybrid of classic literature and horror in Pride And Predujice And Zombies, not to mention author Seth Grahame-Smith's other adaptations including Sense And Sensibility And Sea Monsters, and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

For me however, the most interesting one is Werewolves Vs Gladiators: Edge Of Empire (Hey, it's werewolves vs. gladiators!)

On the film's official website, the synopsis reads: "AD 160. The Romans occupy Britain, and the great Hadrian's Wall divides the land, built to keep back the northern warrior tribes, and something far more dangerous; a clan of savage wolf-like creatures which roam the lowlands. Word reaches Governor Flavius that the Emperor has decreed that new, more fearsome beasts should be captured for the games. The ambitious Governor, having heard rumours of the fierce wolf-beasts beyond the great wall, senses an opportunity to win favour with the Emperor and even a place in the senate."

Crazy, eh?

Of course, the big one is Cowboys & Aliens, the awesome idea to combine the Western with an alien invasion flick. We also have the likes of Battle: Los Angeles aiming to combine the grittiness of war films like Black Hawk Down with the destruction of an alien invasion movie.

However, the question is, are these films anything more than low brow entertainment? Are they watch and throw away movies that, due to their ludicrous nature, are nothing better than Friday's night diversions?

Can a hybrid genre movie ever be more than simply a tag line? More importantly, what hybrid films would you like to see? Personally, I've always wanted to see a medieval zombie film. Knights vs zombies. Bring it on...

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Terrence Malick is almost as famous for the paucity of his output as he is for his actual films, but there's no denying that, when he does finally finish editing, honing and crafting a movie, the result is always fascinating.

1973's Badlands still remains my favourite Malick movie (and features one of Martin Sheen's very best performances as oily, leather-clad spree killer, Kit), but The Thin Red Line was a visually stunning meditation on the subject of war, and The New World had moments of brilliance, despite its middling reviews.

For a director who, until five years ago, had only directed four feature films in the space of a quarter century, Malick has become unusually prolific of late. With his current picture, The Tree Of Life, due out next year, his next, top secret movie is already in post-production, and scheduled for release in 2012.

The Tree Of Life, meanwhile, looks like a continuation of the poetic, elemental style for which Malick is famous. Starring Brad Pitt as a stiff-jawed, authoritarian father and Sean Penn as his disillusioned grown son, Jack, the trailer below is full of sumptuous imagery, some of which looks remarkably like the 70s sci-fi classic, Solaris.

The Tree Of Life is due out on the 27 May in the US, with a UK release yet to appear.

Rope Of Silicon

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If you're anything like me, then you'll normally read the introduction of a review and skip to the end for the star rating, until after you've seen the film. In which case, I'll take this opportunity to point out, straight away, that Death Race 2 is fantastic, bloody, fun and delivers in every way you'd expect, and in many ways, better.

Made as part of Universal Studios Home Entertainment wing, it has been pitched perfectly as the kind of action movie night in that so many of us were raised on, aimed directly at its audience with no pretensions and without the extortionate amounts of money that most films have to shell out for any chance of a decent cinematic release.

What's changed, though, since the DTV (direct to video) days of sequels in this case, is the quality in all areas of production and casting. After being left feeling short changed by the lack of screen time in Universal Soldier: Regeneration given to cover stars Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren, I was fully prepared for Death Race 2's stellar supporting cast of Sean Bean, Danny Trejo and Ving Rhames to be conveniently killed off within minutes of appearing. Instead, all three of them have consistently important roles throughout.

The film itself revolves around the origins of the race itself, as well as contributing towards the myth surrounding Death Race's main protagonist from both the old and new versions of the movie. This time, the lead is one Carl 'Luke' Lucas, played by Luke Goss (of Geek favourites Blade 2 and Hellboy 2), who ends up in prison when a bank heist goes wrong (when will movie bad guys ever learn?), then accidentally triggering the evolution of the prison-based entertainment show, Death Match.

The concept of the Death Match is what you'd expect, with prisoners battling each other for 'rewards', using trigger points to activate weapons. Although the fights we see add a Running Man level of violence and excitement that, for me, were more exhilarating than when the film inevitably makes its transition to four wheels.

I was surprised that the film wasn't called Death Match: Death Race 2, as the battles are as integral to the film as the racing and consume a good chunk of the run time and, perhaps, would've helped dissuade people from thinking the whole film would be a straight retread of the Statham version.

Talking of Jason Statham (which I tend to do rather a lot), Luke Goss had the unenviable task of stepping into his shoes. I'd already been building up a steady respect for Goss, since he spattered walls with blood in his opening scenes as Nomak in Blade 2, a character that many people had no idea was played by him, with his normally chiselled features buried beneath make-up and gore.

Recently, Luke Goss impressed me further by reteaming with his Blade director, Guillermo del Toro, in Hellboy 2, as yet another unrecognisable character, Prince Nuada, but I still had reservations that he would be able to cut it as a straight action hero.

Thankfully, despite taking a while to warm to Goss' character, Lucas, when he steps up for his character's heroic turning point, I was sold. And despite being ripped to within an inch of his life, Goss brings a certain humility and warmth to his action hero, which worked especially well in the film's more comical moments.

Death Race 2 also sees several familiar characters making another appearance, such as Frederick Koehler playing Lists, and Mortal Kombat's eternally underused Robin Shou, as 14K, who add a level of continuity and some solid support into the mix.

Add Sean Bean having a blast in full, potty mouthed, gangster mode, Ving Rhames as a sinister letch and Danny Trejo lifting every scene he's in with his own unique brand of cool, and there's a lot to keep the entertainment level up between the action.

Where the film falls down, though, is when it tries to handle its female characters. Tanit Phoenix plays adequate enough love interest, Katrina Banks (as with the first film, introduced as in-car navigator), but has very little to do apart from act a bit tough and conflicted from time to time, although she sparks quite well with Goss.

Lauren Cohan, as the film's ruthlessly ambitious arch bitch, September Jones, doesn't fare anywhere near as well, unfortunately, filling the character type that Joan Allen previously occupied.

Now, Joan Allen is a superb actress and easily portrayed such an intimidating character, even when facing off against Statham's bulk, due to her presence and skill. Yet, even Allen suffered from having to spout a teenage attempt at shocking dialogue in Death Race, which didn't work on any level. I didn't think it was that controversial, but felt very self-conscious.

Cohan, who's relatively unknown, doesn't really stand a chance and shares more in common with the cringe inducing moments from G.I. Jane, even sharing the awful "suck my dick!" line, which should never be spouted by a female action movie character ever again.

Things aren't helped when both she and Phoenix are constantly framed in teenage-boy-o-vision (similar to Bay-o-vision), with the camera sticking closely to cleavage and crotch shots.  I think what’s more of a shame, though, is that the female cast wasn’t given the same attention as the males.

Now, I know that Death Race 2 is sticking to the formula mentioned at the start, and it's very difficult to think of an eighties/early-nineties action flick that didn't have the gratuitous visit to a strip club, but you can't try and make a female character seem empowered and then stick her in a shower. It just draws attention to the primary reason she appears to have been cast.

The version of Death Race 2 screened still had moments of unfinished effects, including some green screen shots, but, if anything, it added to the B-movie charm. It's fast, looks slick, has some great performances and is never dull or nonsensical, a crime committed by so many other similar films.

Death Race 2 stands out from its home entertainment peers and could, no doubt, have an extra star added if you're a teenage boy, craving an action movie fix with a group of friends.

Death Race 2 comes to Blu-ray and DVD on 27th December from Universal Pictures International Entertainment and can be pre-ordered from the Den Of Geek Store.

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It's that time of the year again, the time for lists. And having been taking a look at the more obscure side of cinema for the last few months, I thought it only fitting that my own list should give recognition to those films that haven't had the love of the mainstream, the films that deserve far more reward and respect than those given a place in the local multiplex.

It's not the films no-one heard of. It's just the one's no-one really saw. Luckily for me, I'm not the only one who thinks this way.

Joining me in taking a look through the mainly ignored cinematic gems waiting to be mined by you is Who's Jack magazine film editor, Mark Williams. He's a man dedicated to spending his time alternately watching the back catalogue of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Akira Kurosawa whilst in his pants (Mark, that is. Not Kurosawa), pretty much making him ideal for this site.

I've also asked my fellow DoG writers, a lovely film lecturer, and several others for their opinions and they've all pitched in. Thanks to you all.

Anyway, here there are, in no particular order, ten films you should have seen this year, but probably didn't. And I include myself in that. Some of these will be on my DVD player as soon as I can. Shame on me. Oh, and these are all films which received a 2010 theatrical release in the UK, although I realise a few were released in their own countries the year before.

City Of Life And Death

It won't win prizes for being the cheerful film this year, but it's by far one of the most powerful and affecting films I've watched in a long time. Depicting the 1937 Japanese 'rape of Nanking' in harrowing black and white, the film moves beyond generic horrors of war which we have perhaps become desensitised to, by rooting the story in the characterisation of the initial survivors, especially the women left behind. By creating an intimate portrait of life under occupation, it, in fact, creates a far more epic story of a people destroyed than any conventional action-packed war story.

Seperado!

An adventurous tale with a difference, Seperado! is Super Furry Animal's front man Gruff Rhys' journey to South America in order to track down a lost family member, musician Rene Griffiths. Containing the expected surreal flourishes of the man and his work (the teleporting is a treat), the film also remains a moving exploration of family ancestry and who we are. As Mark puts it, "It's like a good version of Who Do You Think You Are?, but without the posh people finding out they're related to other posh people." Ah, isn't that heart-warming?

The Illusionist

Sylvain Chomet's first full feature film since Belleville Rendezvous, it continues his very unique style of animation and provides both an evocatively rich, and very sweet tale of an old magician and his new assistant, a young girl whom he has taken under his wing. It never develops into some weird love story, but instead is a lovely friendship story. He should maybe increase his output from one film every six years or risk becoming the Terrence Malick of the animated world, but when they're all as gorgeously hand-drawn as this, it seems churlish to complain.

Winter's Bone

Now, this film is bloody excellent and surely deserves some love during awards season (which obviously means it'll be ignored). Having been left seemingly abandoned by her bail dodging father, southerner Ree Dolly (a suitably grubby Jennifer Lawrence) is faced with caring for her younger siblings and almost catatonic mother, whilst also investigating the disappearance of her father. It's hard to describe the power of this film. It's in the stark beauty of the images, the action beats, and the quiet brutality of an unknown rural America.

Breathless

No, not the French New Wave classic. A gritty crime tale from South Korea, this follows an embittered debt collector who befriends a high school girl. (I notice a theme in Mark's choices.) Having lived his whole life as a hard man, the cracks are now beginning to appear. He's essentially a decent man working in an inescapable and unforgiving environment. A brutal and honest portrayal of the never-ending repetitive cycle of violence that poverty and crime draw you into, it's not a slick Tarantino film, but is probably all the more rewarding for it.

Dogtooth

A black family comedy about a Greek family who have kept their children in complete separation from the outside world, this was possibly one of the most bizarre releases of this year. Things start to go wrong for the family when dad brings home a prostitute to satisfy his increasingly sexually mature son, but she instead befriends the girls and disrupts the weird equilibrium. It's unnerving and oddly realistic in equal measure, lending a different meaning to the term family values.

Gainsbourg

A quintessential , ‘I didn't get round to seeing it' film, this is the biopic of the legendary French singer Serge. Charting his life through growing up to success as a songwriter, it seems to be equally cool and enviable, but also hollow and empty. Gainsbourg emerges as an anti-authoritarian folk hero in some respects, and as a snapshot of an artist's life, it inspires and intrigues.

Taqwacore

Witness the birth of a new punk movement. Beginning life as a fictional novel 'The Taqwacores' by Michael Muhammad Knight, it is now a very real Islamic punk movement which has swept America, culminating in the largest gathering in North America by Muslims. Not to pray, but to rock out. While I do not profess to know Islamic culture in any way, this film seems to give Islam a different voice, away from the often scare mongering and negative portrayal depicted in the media. It is also incredibly interesting to see how a new culture adopts and explores punk as an aesthetic and creative movement, vital for youth to both express themselves and assert their independence from the mainstream.

Centurion

Yes, I know it looks a bit out of place on this list. But, bizarrely, it's one film Mark and I were unanimous on. Quite simply, it's a superb British B-movie which will guarantee you a great time while watching it.

After the Ninth Legion is wiped out by Picts, the survivors must fight for their life behind enemy lines. Featuring superb scenery chewing from Dominic 'McNulty' West, and a ripped performance from my current favourite actor, Michael Fassbender, it does tick all the boxes you want from a men on a mission movie. Baddies you can hate, hot women fighting, guys being chased by wolves and an ambush featuring flaming bits of forest hurtling at Roman soldiers. Oh, and it being a Neil Marshall film, lots of blood and guts. It's also the only film this year that made me want to roar, "I am a soldier of Rome, and I will not yield!" Although, to be fair, it would have been weird if I had done it in, say, Inception.

Lebanon

Set during the chaos of the 1982 first Lebanon War, this cinematic tour de force follows the story of a group of young soldiers embarking on a perilous mission to wipe out survivors in a hostile town and, incredibly, confines the action to a single tank. Several people's highlight of the year, it is not only a technical marvel, but it is also a visceral and brutal experience which doesn't flinch from exploring the transgressions of the soldiers against civilians, while also retaining sympathy for them. Tense and claustrophobic, it is also poignantly sad in parts, but always mesmerising.

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One of author Douglas Adams' most under-appreciated creations, Dirk Gently has long existed in the shadow of the hugely successful Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

A self-described "holistic detective" who may be a genius or a charlatan, depending on your point of view, Dirk Gently has finally been adapted into a television pilot by the BBC, starring Stephen Mangan in the lead role, with Helen Baxendale and Darren Boyd appearing as old university friends, Susan and Richard.

In a round table interview, we caught up with the Dirk Gently adaptation's stars, as well as producer Chris Carey, to talk about the books' transition to the screen. Stephen Mangan began by describing his character, Dirk...

Stephen Mangan: Dirk's described as eccentric. A bit of a maverick. Enigmatic. I think he's unusual for a detective. Most detectives when they explain what has happened in a case, everyone goes, "Aah." But when Dirk explains what's happened, everyone goes, "What?"

He comes at things from a very peculiar angle. He's a mystery. He's sort of unknowable, really, and confusing. A bit random.

A conman, perhaps?

SM: I don't think he thinks he's a conman at all. He needs to pay the rent. I think he's got a good heart. I don't think he's a cold manipulator, but sometimes he finds it necessary, for people's good as well as his own, to bend the truth, slightly.

Were you familiar with the book? It's not one of Adams' better-known creations.

SM: Hitchhiker was obviously a colossal success, and everything else he's done seems to lurk in its shadow. But they're written with the same wit and genius that Hitchhiker's was written. Adams himself thought that the Gently books would film better than the Hitchiker's books would.

Darren Boyd: I knew nothing about the book, which is embarrassing to admit, but at the same time, I approached the script as source material. So, in a sense, it frees you up to interpret it as you will. Hopefully, you get somewhere near Adams' intention.

It made my job a bit easier, but at the same time, for those hardcore fans who know the character from the book, you hope you're somewhere in the vicinity of what their expectations might be.

Helen Baxendale: I also had no idea the book existed. But I'd heard of Douglas Adams, and I'd heard of Hitchhiker's, but hadn't read it. I obviously wasn't cool enough as a teenager. But I did read it [Dirk Gently] before - it's quite hard to get hold of, actually - and I just thought, "Blimey"...

DB: [Incredulously] You read the book before we started filming, did you? Wow.

SM: Wow.

HB: Well, actually, that's a lie [laughs]. It's very, very different. He's been very clever, the writer, I think, because you do read the book and you think...

DB: It's sort of a reimagining, right, rather than...

SM: Yeah. I don't think that book's filmable, especially in an hour.

HB: It's very surreal.

It's quite non-linear, isn't it?

SM: The first book especially. Dirk doesn't even appear until way, way into it. He's much more of a presence in the second book. I don't think that you could take either of those novels and film them satisfactorily in an hour.

Hardcore fans can be quite unforgiving. Do you think it captures the spirit of the books?

SM: Absolutely. Hardcore fans are hardcore fans, and some of them will be unhappy that we've deviated from the book at all. You're never going to please everyone. What Howard Overman has done, I think, an experienced television writer, has gone, "Right, these are the characters, these are the stories in the books." - I think this is what he's done, I wouldn't know - "This is for TV, so how am I going to make it work?"

And he's come up with something that I think works fantastically well. But no, it isn't a literal translation of the book onto the screen. As soon as you employ a writer, you're a step away from Douglas Adams. When you read the novel, it's one writer, and read by an audience who will interpret it in their own way, and have their own idea of what Dirk looks like.

As soon as you give it to a writer, it becomes his project, and when you cast actors, they bring what they bring to the project.

You said you'd read it way before this project. So, does the Dirk you play match the Dirk you had in your head when you originally read the books?

SM: No. Dirk, when I was a kid, was an old man! [laughs] Now I'm the old man. I never imagined myself being like that. Is the Dirk my Dirk? Well, it's odd playing these iconic characters. I played Adrian Mole years ago, and they're so vividly drawn.

You have to go, "I look how I look. I can't do an awful lot about that. I'm never going to be a short blonde." I don't know. I've lost my thread...

HB: I love the idea of seeing a character - I mean, there's nothing like seeing a character and having the huge detail and roundness that a character in a book can give you. It's so much more full than a character in a script can give you, isn't it?

DB: You have to look at it as a standalone thing. It's the same with films made from comic books. You can't recreate the storytelling of a comic book. It's impossible.

SM: Also, we're acting. We have a script. We're not acting the book, so that's where you start from. What you work from.

Douglas Adams' family was on the set - his daughter, brother and sister came down - and this wouldn't have happened without their approval. I think they're quite guarded about the Adams estate, and they're not going to let any old rubbish be made. They're protective of his work. And they were happy with it.

What more can you tell us about what happens in the show? It seems to start with a real open-and-shut case with the cat...

SM: An awful lot. It's difficult to know where to start. What does develop is a relationship between the Richard character and the Dirk character, almost like a double act, as it goes through. Dirk is this eccentric, strange character, who needs someone to bounce off.

DB: Richard's cynicism versus Dirk's worldview, which is that all these random events are connected, right? With such a strong view of the world, the story then begins to confirm that ideology, so it's great because it can become very tangential.

The clever thing about the script is that, what seems very radical, esoteric worldview, from someone very much disconnected from reality, becomes really quite affecting.

The story, how it unfolds, kind of confirms that. From Richard's point of view, who's very cynical and questions this radical thinking, it's the best thing for him. He finds a certain redemptive element through it.

And where does Susan fit into this story?

HB: Well, Susan fits in differently from the book. She's now the girlfriend of Richard. And I think she's the voice of reason and earthedness [laughs] compared to the spacedness of Mr. Gently. She's a doctor, so she's very realistic, rational, and therefore can't get her head round...

Does she like Dirk?

HB: I don't think she can help liking Dirk, but he's highly frustrating, and is really leading her bloke astray. Although there's also tension between us. He doesn't help matters.

SM: It's essentially a detective story, and there's a case to be solved. But the whole thing is approached from a different angle. It's not Bergerac, and it's not Marple. It's very esoteric, a weird world. Things are a little bit different in Dirk's world.

HB: There are so many detective shows on television, aren't there? There's a real glut of grisly and violent ones, that aren't my cup of tea. This is an antidote to all that. It's really a one-off, and quirky.

SM: Detective shows are all about forensics and psychological profiling. We couldn't be further from that. Dirk wouldn't know a psychological profile if it bit his nose off.

Dirk has a big whiteboard that he writes things on. He writes down everything to do with a case that he can possibly think of. And because of his worldview that everything is connected somehow, he tries to connect all these seemingly random events, and find out what the common link is. And he's brilliant at it.

DB: I think in terms of liking Dirk, the audience has to like him a great deal, or they might not engage with him. It's an absolute given that Stephen gives him an abundance of charm.

HB: And energy. Energy is infectious.

SM: Tight trousers gave me a lot of energy. [laughs]

Does it explore the sci-fi aspects of the novel, with the time travel and so on?

SM: There are some of those elements in it. It isn't simply a domestic, Earth-bound, world-as-we-know it story. It does explore those areas. And when the BBC commissions the 49-part series, which hopefully they will, it'll go even further. It's not set in the world of the modern day. There are some of those other elements to it.

And in that 49-part series, is there scope to take the story beyond the material in the books?

Chris Carey: Well, I think the approach to the books that [writer] Howard Overman took, which was not to do straight adaptations, as we've said earlier - what the hope is, because there's only two-and-a-half books, is that we can cherry pick little bits from them over many, many episodes. Because, as fans of the books know, they're full of rich, rich detail. And because of the way Dirk processes information, they'll find their way in, regardless of how obscure they might be.

In the pilot alone, there are lots of little art direction messages from the book for people to pick up on, and hopefully, over the course of the series, we'll be able to take little bits, and keep doing so for a lot longer than if Dirk Gently had been adapted straight from the books.

SM: I did an adaptation of Watership Down a few years ago, and we got through the book in the first four episodes. We ended up making five series. We did lots of  "Dad, I'm gay" scenes with rabbits. [profuse laughter] I mean, where do you go?

So, we want to make the book go as far as possible.

On that note, why this project above others, and what does it need for it to be commissioned?

SM: Why this project? Adams is one of our finest writers, I think. I'm not particularly a sci-fi fan, but I think his genius is that he speaks to everybody. His books go otherworldly, but because they're specifically about Britain...

They sucker in the non-sci-fi fan...

SM: Oh, they totally do. They're so witty and they're so clever. They have so much heart. I'm not sure that he's really been successfully... well, Hitchhiker's is a different thing. But nobody's given Dirk a proper go, and it's so different from those other detective shows. I can't believe my luck that it hasn't been done before.

I'm pleased that I'm now old enough to play him!

CC: One of our reasons for doing Dirk Gently was that it hasn't been done before, but also because it's great to do new things. It's great to do a project that we haven't had on television before. There are a lot of things that have been commissioned that are very marvellous, but they're often new versions of things we've seen before.

There's nothing more exciting than thinking, "I wonder how this will go."

The form of Douglas Adams' writing takes in lots of long sentences that double back on themselves. Surely that aspect was quite difficult to take across.

SM: That's a good point, and the reason why you need good writers like Howard, who has the guts and the talent to take it by the scruff of the neck and go, "I'm going to make my own version of this."
Because, like you said, you couldn't simply pick it up and translate it. So, that was our first smart move was to get Howard involved.

Adams always said the problem with trying to write a plot was that his characters would take on a life of their own, and say, "I don't want to do it that way. I want to have a drink somewhere..."

SM: And didn't he often write without knowing where the story would go next? Particularly the early ones.

Was Dirk Gently all filmed in London?

SM: London and other planets. No, it was all filmed in London.

HB: No it wasn't! [laughs]

SM: Oh, no. It was Bristol. We're in London now. There's no real difference. It's all connected. [laughs]

Stephen Mangan, Helen Baxendale, Darren Boyd, and Chris Carey, thank you very much!

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You probably know the story of the movie The Beaver by now, and how director Jodie Foster had the film finished, locked for release, and then Mel Gibson, the star of the movie, managed to self destruct again.

Since then, the film has been yanked from the release schedules as Summit Entertainment worked out just what to do with it. For the film had, to be fair, generated some buzz. The idea of Gibson only talking through a beaver glove puppet was arguably the most off-the-wall idea of the year, and there's been considerable interest in seeing the film.

Well, with the release of a trailer a week or two back, signs were that Summit was prepping it for release. And now Deadline has confirmed that The Beaver has been given a US release date of 23rd March in limited cities, before going wide on 8th April.

In the UK, the film currently has no fixed release date, but we'll keep you posted.

Deadline

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Now this is a bit of a casting coup. As Russell T Davies' upcoming season of Torchwood, The New World, prepares to start its 10-episode shoot next month, it's been revealed that a major part of the casting jigsaw has been filled.

It's been revealed that Bill Pullman, he of Independence Day fame (as well as many better movies, we might add), is set to star in the show as a killer, Oswald Jones, who escapes prison on some kind of technicality. Described as "genuinely repentant yet boiling with lust and rage", the character is set to be a pivotal part of The New World.

Joining Pullman in the cast in one of the lead roles is Mekhi Phifer. He's playing the CIA agent Rex Matheson in the show.

Torchwood: The New World arrives on our screens next summer. Looking forward to it, too...

Deadline

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Amongst the assorted casting rumours that have been doing the rounds for the upcoming Ghostbusters 3, two seemed more tangible than most.

Firstly, there was the news that Anna Faris was a possible recruit for the film, something that Dan Aykroyd went on to suggest was a strong possibility. And Aykroyd, too, confirmed that Bill Hader, who had been mentioned, was also a strong candidate for the film.

Thing is, with the script reportedly pretty much in place, neither Hader nor Faris has been spoken to about the film.

Talking to The Playlist at the premiere of the Coen Brothers' True Grit, Hader said, "I heard about it the same way you guys did! I went online and was like, woah! Cool! All my friends were calling, 'Are you gonna be in Ghostbusters 3?" I obviously am very flattered, but I don't know anything about it."

Meanwhile, Anna Faris has a similar story to tell. She spoke to Making Of about the film and revealed she hasn't been approached either.

It's odd that Aykroyd should publicly speak about Hader and Faris without them having anything concrete since, but we suspect that once the final script is signed off, then there should be some movement on the project. And we're guessing that it may still involve Hader and Faris, whether they know it or not...

The Playlist
Making Of

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Let's be up front about this. Our current policy on the endless rumours for The Dark Knight Rises is this: we're interested in them, we'll talk about them, we don't believe them until something concrete comes from the production, and Christopher Nolan, himself. Given that we're about to discuss the fourth or fifth rumoured villain for the film, it's a policy we've got no intention of changing here.

Because what's been reported now is an apparent leak of the script for The Dark Knight Rises. We saw a supposed script leak for G.I. Joe 2 earlier in the year that we were able to verify with co-writer Rhett Reese was nothing of the sort. This one, as it turned out, has been dunked elsewhere, but we're coming to that.

The script that ended up online has been promptly taking down again (although we found no evidence of anyone who had even seen the leaked version), but over at Comic Book Movie, some of the details from it were gleaned. And they do fit with some of the suggestions that have been doing the rounds.

Firstly, it listed the female lead role as Talia al Ghul, which (as we've noted before) would tie neatly into Batman Begins. Furthermore, Hugo Strange is listed as the main villain, but he's assisted by two more characters in his fight to take down Batman. One is Black Mask, who steps in place of mob boss Salvatore Ramoni. And then Black Mask apparently recruits in Killer Croc to be the muscles of the outfit.

That, therefore, presumably was designed to point to the already-cast Tom Hardy playing Black Mask, but again, that'd be the third role in the film he's been linked with to date.

Comic Book Movie has since taken the article down, and has subsequently posted a note confirming that it's all a hoax (as called by Batman On Film, which went to Warner Bros to find out). And, let's face it, the plausibility of the rumour took a massive hit at the inclusion of Killer Croc, which we just don't see happening at all. Furthermore, how can you buy that a script from the film, which would be treated like gold dust at Warner Bros, would easily leak?

When we have something solid on the film, we'll let you know. In the meantime, you can find the excellent Batman On Film here.

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Remember, before Bryan Singer got his hands on the franchise, that Superman Lives was in the works, being directed by Tim Burton, and starring Nicolas Cage in the title role? The film got quite far into development before the plug was pulled, and as such, we've seen over the past years some of the behind the scenes work that was done on the film.

But we've not seen this before.

For here, we have test footage from the film, which shows the suit that Cage was supposed to wear at one point in the film. Obviously, this is far from the finished deal, but see what you make of this...

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