Check out this youtube video of The Today Show’s Al Roker visiting the Chicago set of ‘The Dark Knight’. Roker talks with both Christian Bale and director Chris Nolan. Heath Ledger is mentioned but not interviewed.

Dark Knight promos, primarily featuring Heath Ledger as the Joker, have been posted on the Internet. To view the full images click here.

UPDATE:

The Dark Knight Promo images are no longer available from the link above. Warner Bros. has taken action against web sites which published the photos.

Action flick fans will be pleased to learn that a third film in the Vin Diesel “Riddick” franchise could be on the way. From latefilm.com, David Twohy, director of both Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick, has written on his personal web site that we may see Riddick on the big screen again. Don’t get too excited, Diesel fans, the film is far from certain. The project is only in the discussion phase and whether a big studio will produce isn’t settled yet. Here’s the full quote from Twohy:

Okay, okay, now on to the really important stuff like “What the fuck is happening with RIDDICK?”  Yes, I get your emails demanding another movie; yes, I keep bumping into you guys in airports and at conventions and I take your pleas to heart.  All I can say now is “We’re talking about it.”  The DVD numbers were really good – we know that, and some potential financiers know that.  But if another movie surfaces, it probably won’t be a Universal movie and probably will be an independent movie.  Which means we’ll have to make it for substantially less than the last installment.  But that’s okay.  PITCH BLACK was $22 million all in.  Maybe it’s time to go back to our roots – as we go on to The UnderVerse.

Oh boy! Another video game adaptation! This time its Eidos Interactive’s Hitman, a video game franchise that produced four games in the series. While gamers have enjoyed Hitman, movie reviewers are widely panning the film - its script, its visuals, its casting. Taking a page from numerous predecessors Hitman, directed by Xavier Gens, follows an assassin known only as “agent 47″ played by the respected, but miscast, Timothy Olyphant. Agent 47 is tasked with assassinating the Russian President but is double crossed. He spends the bulk of the film trying to track down who crossed him while simultaneously being hunted down by other assassins and Interpol. Not exactly a genre shattering plot and to all accounts a poor script (penned by Skip Woods) to boot. Though its bloody violence and gratuitous boob shoots, courtesy of co-star Olga Kurylenko, will appeal to preteen boys, its R rating will keep them out of theatres. Visit the Hitman offical website.

Why didn’t I hear more about The Painted Veil?  After keeping it at the bottom of my Neflix queue, I finally moved it up, not thinking it would be anything special.  To my delight, I was mistaken! This story by W. Somerset Maugham, starts in London, then moves to China during the 1920’s.

First, the excellent photography captured the breathtaking scenery.  Second, the story keeps you fascinated, wondering what the next turn will be.  (Not surprising, since it’s based on such a wonderful author’s book.) Third, the acting is above the usual performance by all, but especially by Edward Norton.  Yes, I’m an avid fan, but he rose above my expectations.  For the first part of the movie he seems a background player, there for contrast with Naomi Watts.  But when he goes to rural China to help with a cholera epidemic his strength emerges.  Norton plays this part with such depth and sensitivity!

If you missed this one, go back and rent it.  It won several awards, but should have won more.  If only for the scenery it’s worth seeing, but its value is in the story and acting.

I’m not really into these films, but for those that are, here is the latest trailer for SAW IV. Scheduled for a 10/26/07 release, the latest installment is helmed by young director Darren Lynn Bousman who also directed Saw II and Saw III. All together, the first three Saw films only cost $15 million to produce. Worldwide, the Saw franchise has pulled in over $400 million in box office receipts. With returns like that for distributor Lions Gate, who knows when we’ll see the last Saw film.

It was embarrassing seeing Diane Keeton in Because I Said So. Every actress seems to have her bombs, but how could this even be the same person who did Annie Hall, Reds, The Godfather, Something’s Gotta Give, etc?

The story was also so unbelievable. No mother who was that controlling would have been so close to her daughters. They would have stopped speaking to her long ago! And would an architect and a musician, who were both good looking, really need to ‘apply’ to find a woman?

Now, is there anything good I can say about this movie? It would be good to save your money and time by not renting or buying it.

Guillermo del Toro not only wrote this story, but also directed it with crisscross patterns of creative fantasy and harsh reality. The animation is nothing like Disney. The sometimes crude and frightening fairies and faun serve his purpose well. His creatures are reminiscent of Return to Oz when they evolve from rocks and insects.

In this dark fairy tale, only for adults, the strength of women is uplifting. The young lady, Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), from her first meeting with Capitán Vidal (Sergi López), exhibits an unconquerable spirit. Her mother (Ariadna Gil) and Mercedes (Maribel Verdú) all show a shadowed optimism in this 1944 Franco Spain setting. All three exhibit outstanding performances that captivate the audience’s empathy.

The exact opposite is the Fascist Capitán Vidal. From the first words about his wife’s arrival being fifteen minutes late, you know he is evil. His handsome charm betrays his sinister obsession with cruelty. His military genius gives him many opportunities to exhibit this side. He exploits his wife and those who care for her only to gain a son, not for love but to extend his military heritage. López gives a performance that should be rated with the renowned villains of all time.

This historic fiction enriches the viewer’s knowledge of the emotions during WWII in Spain. The fantasy, like del Toro’s Book of Crossroads, gives the mind an imaginative blank book, ready to be filled with challenges. Watch it at least once.