Ralph Fiennes

If the rumors surrounding the forthcoming James Bond film are true, it may boast the most prestigious cast yet. Director Sam Mendes is reportedly courting Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes to play major roles. Bardem is said to having been approached to play a villain, while Fiennes would play a mysterious character defined as "a darkly complex role". Before anyone gets too excited, keep in mind that a glorious tradition in the film industry is to throw around rumors about Bond films that often prove to be false. Neither MGM or Eon Productions have commented yet, but the rumors are attributed by The Daily Mail to an executive close to the production. For more click here

Sultry Eva Green is in talks with director Tim Burton about playing the witch Angelique in his big screen version of the 1960s soap opera Dark Shadows. Johnny Depp will star as vampire Barnabas Collins. Green first made an international splash with her performance in the 2006 James Bond blockbuster Casino Royale. For more click here

L TO R: John Martello, Executive Director of The Players, Richard Schickel and Cinema Retro Editor-in-Chief Lee Pfeiffer. (Photos: David Savage)

On January 9, Cinema Retro hosted a special evening in honor of noted film critic and documetary maker Richard Schickel. The event took place at the legendary Players club for the arts at New York's Gramercy Park. Mr. Schickel, who was awarded an honorary membership in the club, was interviewed by Cinema Retro editor-in-chief Lee Pfeiffer. The wide range of topics included Schickel's memories of attending films as a child in his native Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the state of today's film journalism, Schickel's more controversial comments from over the decades, his long-time friendship and collaborations with Clint Eastwood and his opinions of films that have been drastically under-rated. Schickel noted he has just read the script for Eastwood's forthcoming big screen biopic of J. Edgar Hoover and said it has the potential to be one of the great film biographies. Full coverage of the event will appear in Cinema Retro issue #20.