Today I was fortunate enough to attend a press screening for Jerusalema: Gangster’s Paradise, and I have to say it was brilliant, it was captivating throughout and by a stretch it was the most gritty and important film I’ve seen so far this year. Expect to see a full review from me in the next few weeks. The film has been doing the rounds on the film festival circuit and is now set to be released to the general public June 11th in the US and July 9th in the UK. South African cinema has released some of the best films of the last few years for me with this, Tsotsi and District 9

Inspired by a true story, Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema is an unflinching look into the crime, corruption and the transgressions of those looking to survive in the most crime-infested district of Johannesburg.

Starting off with simple smash and grabs, and petty crime, Lucky Kunene quickly graduates to more aggressive heists such as armed robbery and carjacking. Soon, Lucky realizes he needs a bigger score to fulfill his goals of making it big, and escaping from the slums, to a dream house by the sea. Kunene hatches an elaborate and violent plan to make his fortune – hijacking buildings from landlords of Johannesburg tenements by winning the favor of the tenants and then holding their rent hostage from the landowners. His high-profile real estate acquisitions attract the attention of the local police force who have no qualms about using unprovoked brutality to bring him down. His trouble with the law, coupled with an escalating war between a local drug lord, creates a tense standoff: both sides are closing in, and Kunene must stay one step ahead—or his empire, and his life, will come crashing down. Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema is written and directed by Ralph Ziman, and stars Rapaulana Seiphemo (Tsotsi), Robert Hobbs (District 9), Kenneth Nkosi (District 9), Eugene Khumbanyiwa (District 9), and Louise Saint-Claire (District 9).

This is the best news of the week for me, I expect comic book lovers having mass nerdgasms all around the world with this bit of news. Warner Bros have officially announced that the sequel to The Dark Knight (Batman 3) will be released on July 20, 2012 in both regular and IMAX theaters. This comes just a few days after IMAX announcing that they had signed a 20-film deal with Warner Bros. With the tentatively titled ‘Batman 3′ listed as one of the films which might be released sometime between 2011 and 2013. Now expect all the casting and ‘Batman 3′ villain rumours to ensue.

Bill Murray cracks me up, he’s so honest it comes across that he doesn’t give a sh*t, I really get the feeling he just wants to play golf, drink and do a film every now and then when he feels like it, I can respect that. From this recent interview with David Letterman he gives a an insight into his thoughts on a 3^rd Ghostbusters movie, it doesn’t sound good for the people looking forward to this. He says the idea of making a 3^rd movie is ‘just crazy talk’ and his ‘nightmare’ and also that he told the producers he would only do it ‘if they kill me off in the first reel I’ll do it, so now they’ve figured out a way to kill me off in the first reel’. One positive from a fan point of view is that he says making the video game was a lot fun. Enough of me writing about it, check it out for yourself below, he tells a pretty funny story at the end. I still think we’ll see a new Ghostbusters film late 2011 or 2012 for some reason.

I love your intelligent, profound movies more than anyone, yet I also love to sit back with a heap of Popcorn, a Pepsi Max, small tub of Ben & Jerry’s Ice-cream and watch a good fun movie, Zombieland fit that bill perfectly, I loved it! The screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick recently talked to MTV about the direction they are going in with it’s equal. (for you 3D haters, just watch it in 2D I know there’s a ever growing band of you!)

“We want to stick with our dysfunctional family,” revealed Paul Wernick, who created the post-apocalyptic zombie world with writing partner Rhett Reese. “But also introduce new characters.”There absolutely will be a sequel, and it will absolutely be in 3D,” Reese revealed. “Now, it’s just a question of what that sequel will be. It’s not a question of having enough ideas, but almost having too many ideas. We have a lot of ideas!”We entirely want to write with 3D in mind,” Wernick added, shooting down the majority of filmmakers who these daysclaim to concentrate on the story first and the three-dimensional stuff later. “We have the vision, and want to have fun with the technology.”

They also talked about the upcoming Deadpool movie they are currently scripting, another film I’m looking forward too. Deadpool is one of the most witty and entertaining comic book characters and I’m pretty sure it’s universally accepted Ryan Reynolds fits the roll to a tee.

“We’re outlining it pretty seriously right now,” explained Rhett Reese. “We’re in the early stages.”We just absolutely adore the character and the comic,” explained Wernick. “And tonally, it’s right up our alley. He’s the unstable, smart-ass, self deprecating guy – and they say write what you know, so [we're perfect for it].”What’s great about Ryan is that he’s been the keeper of the Deadpool flame for many years, he’s loved the character since forever; he lives it and breathes it,” Reese said of some of the specific ideas Reynolds has brought up to them. “We’re a little newer to Deadpool, although we’ve done a bit of catching up. One of the nice things about working with Ryan is that he tonally gets it – if we ever do something that is off the Deadpool path, or if it doesn’t feel like Deadpool, he catches it.”

I’m still not fully sold on this for some reason, the cast is great, with Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Toby Kebbell and Ben Kingsley, all actors I look out for. The first  featurette features a short interview with Jake Gyllenhaal talking about his character Prince Dastan. The second featurette is a behind the scenes look at the film. This definitely looks like it will be one of the big blockbusters of 2010. Check out the 2 Trailer here

From the team that brought the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy to the big screen, Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films  present Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, an epic action-adventure set in the mystical lands of Persia. A rogue prince ( Jake Gyllenhaal) reluctantly joins forces with a mysterious princess (Gemma Arterton) and together, they race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time—a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world

My hopes for this continue to rise, I really liked the first trailer (apart from the sh*tty tagline ‘Titans Will Clash’) and the posters released on Yahoo today measure extremely high on the badassness scale! This is shaping up to be the big blockbuster film I’m looking forward tothe  most next year – along with Inception. I’m generally not a fan of remakes but for me the original hasn’t dated that well so I’m not mad at all with this one.

In the film, the ultimate struggle for power pits men against kings and kings against gods. But the war between the gods themselves could destroy the world. Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus (Worthington) is helpless to save his family from Hades (Fiennes), vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing left to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus (Neeson) and unleash hell on Earth. Leading a daring band of warriors, Perseus sets off on a perilous journey deep into forbidden worlds. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, he will only survive if he can accept his power as a god, defy his fate and create his own destiny.

I saw this back in October at the London Film Festival and really enjoyed it, it was definitely one of my highlights of the festival. The dialogue in the film is some of the wittiest and funniest I’ve seen in along time, if your a bit of a fairy and you don’t like swearing this film is not for you though. The story keeps you engaged and was definitely not what I was expecting, it could of gone in so many directions

44 Inch Chest is from the writers of Brit Flick classic Sexy Beast (no little speedos in this though), and reunites Ray Winstone and Ian McShane, also adding John Hurt, who might I add is brilliant, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Dillane and Joanne Whalley.

This debut feature by Malcolm Venville from a script by Sexy Beast writers Louis Mellis and David Scinto is a powerful drama of a wronged husband trying to regain his self-respect. Colin (Ray Winstone) is devastated when his wife announces she’s leaving him for a younger man, and when we first meet him he is sprawled drunkenly amidst the wreckage of their final argument, as Nilsson’s ‘Without You’ loops in the background. This virtuoso opening really sets the tone for what follows, aggressive and maudlin by turns. Colin’s motley crew of old friends (John Hurt, Ian McShane, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Dillane) rally to his aid, though their plot to kidnap the lover and push Colin into taking revenge is misguided in conception and inept in execution. A provocative and darkly funny study of masculinity at its most troubling, 44 Inch Chest gives the actors full rein to explore the male ego pushed to its limits, and this wonderful ensemble certainly rise to the task.

44 Inch Chest is in UK cinemas 22nd January.