Peter Jackson has made films that many have considered “instant classics”, such as The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, a bloated and unnecessary remake in the form of King Kong, and some little-seen but great cult classics such as Bad Taste, Heavenly Creatures and The Frighteners. His newest film, The Lovely Bones, adapted from Alice Sebold’s novel of the same name, is kind of a combination of all of the above.

The story focuses on Susie Salmon, a fourteen year-old girl who lives in rural Pennsylvania with her parents and two siblings. She describes to us, via narration, what she wants to be when she grows up, her disliking of a snowglobe with a penguin in it, and even how she normally gets the “skeevies” when she sees someone looking at her weirdly. She didn’t get that last feeling soon enough, which inevitably leads to her murder and time spent in the “in-between” Heaven and Earth.

We see that the Salmons are an idyllic family as they get Susie a camera for her birthday. She is in the throes of her first unrequited love, and even has to suffer through a film club that makes her watch Othello with that guy “who has two first names. Laurence. Oliver.” It’s after this class, and a bold move from the boy that she likes, which leads her into the hands of Mr. Harvey.

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Game trailers can be pretty cool, or pretty lame. While some show off the fantastic visuals and impressive character design, others can just be flashy advertisements for a game that’s not quite ready to be shown to the world.

The trailer for Just Cause 2, an upcoming action-adventure from Eidos, in a league of it’s own. Brought to our attention by Kotaku, this trailer gives players a taste of just how interactive the game play experience is in Just Cause 2. At specific times during the “multi-path” trailer, the viewer given several options to click what they’d like to do next.

This then brings them to a new YouTube window, where a new piece of the trailer plays and more options are given. It’s a really cool way to showcase the different ways you can complete a mission, and will definitely get gamers excited for this upcoming title.

Just Cause 2 hits the United States on March 23rd for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC. You can check out the trailer after the jump.

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Casting for the upcoming Green Lantern movie has become a little more interesting over the last few days. It was long rumored that the role of Sinestro, Green Lantern’s nemesis, would be played by Jackie Early Haley (Watchmen, A Nightmare on Elm Street).  It even went so far as to being kind of confirmed.  It turns out that Haley’s involvement may have been rumor all along.

According to director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes) is in talks to play Sinestro and discussed the Haley rumor with MTV:

“No, that’s completely wrong,” said Campbell of the persistent rumor, which popped up again recently despite Haley denying any involvement with the “Green Lantern” movie. “In fact, we’re in negotiations with Mark Strong to play Sinestro.”

I have no doubt this will bring another layer to the debate on who would be the best actor to play Sinestro. Even here at The Flickcast, it was discussed thoroughly. While I originally was in favor of Haley, I conceded to Chris’ choices of either Guy Pearce (The Hurt Locker) or Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix).  I wonder how Mark Strong will stack up against them?

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As you might be aware, the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards are this Sunday and to celebrate, we’re doing something a bit different here at The Flickcast: live coverage. That’s right, starting at 5PM Pacific on Sunday, check back right here for all your live Golden Globe moments, awards and some surprises as well.

Join your host Shannon Hood and the rest of the team as they give you every moment of the show from the red carpet to the final award. Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter for other exclusive updates as the show progresses.

To get you primed for Sunday and to help you get ready to root for your favorite stars, be sure to check out the list of film nominees and the full list of nominees right here. The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards will be broadcast live on Sunday, January 17 at 5 PM Pacific on NBC.

Chuck may have been on the bubble last season, but it seems to be doing beyond well with the first three episodes airing last week on NBC. This week, things seem to be heating up for the gang, as Captain Awesome gets mistaken for a CIA agent and kidnapped. From NBC:

When Awesome (Ryan McPartlin) is mistaken for a super spy by the evil Sydney Price (guest star Angie Harmon), Chuck (Zachary Levi) must become his handler and show him the spy ropes. While on a mission for The Ring, they meet the mysterious Daniel Shaw (guest star Brandon Routh).

Meanwhile, Morgan (Joshua Gomez) gets promoted to assistant manager and must deal with Jeff (Scott Krinsky) and Lester’s (Vik Sahay) latest hijinks. Sarah Lancaster and Mark Christopher Lawrence also star.

That’s right, this week gets not one-but two separate guest stars; Angie Harmon and Brandon Routh. Check out four new clips from the upcoming “Chuck Versus Operation Awesome” episode, airing on NBC next Monday at 8/7C.

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Shortly after I read The Lovely Bones in 2002, I started hearing rumblings that it was being optioned for a movie. My immediate reaction was “Why?” The emotionally devastating novel about the rape and murder of a fourteen year old seemed like dubious source material. The murdered girl resides in a self imposed ethereal limbo-land between heaven and earth for most of the book, making it logistical nightmare to film. I just didn’t understand how a filmmaker could pull it off.

In the case of director Peter Jackson, he couldn’t, and he didn’t. Jackson worked his magic with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but he is woefully out of his element here. The most shocking thing about seeing the film is that it is completely devoid of any emotion or warmth, the very characteristics that made the book so beloved. So much consideration is given to unnecessary special effects (that don’t even look good) that the crucial human interactions are lost, and that is a true pity. If you take those away, there is no reason to see this movie.

Oscar-nominee Saoirse Ronan (Atonement) plays Susie Salmon, who disappears on her way home from school one day. A nerdy and harmless looking neighbor, Mr. Harvey, lures Susie to a root-cellar like building in the middle of a field with the sheepish confession he has built a playhouse for the neighborhood kids. Susie feels honored to be the first child to see the playhouse, but she is ultimately raped, murdered, and dismembered in the claustrophobic dwelling.

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As any video game or movie fan knows, it’s next to impossible to produce a decent movie based on a video game, let alone one based on a fighting game. Many have tried, from Mortal Kombat with Christopher Lambert to Street Fighter with Jean Claude Van Damme, and then again with Kristen Kruek. None have ever succeeded because they try to add backstory to an already luscious universe.

With that in mind comes the upcoming adaptation Tekken. The film is based on the popular Japanese fighting game of the same name. In the film, a rebel decides to go up against the evil Tekken corporation through a global fighting tournament called “Iron Fist”.

The script comes from Alan McElroy, who has penned other genre films such as Spawn, Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, and the Wrong Turn films. The very first trailer just hit, with thanks to Teaser-Trailer.com, and it looks like it may actually be worth watching. Why? Because all we see is punching, and that’s all we really need to see in a film based on a fighting game.

Check out the trailer after the jump, and catch Tekken in select theaters later this year.

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New to DVD and Blu-Ray, The Hurt Locker is a look into the world of an elite U.S. Army E.O.D. unit (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) in their last forty days of a one year tour of duty in Baghdad during the second year of the U.S. led coalition occupation. The three man unit consists of Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner), Sgt. JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie), and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty).

Renner’s character is an adrenaline junky who only feels alive when he is in the heat of battle, or when there is the threat of a suicide bomber or roadside bomb detonating. The three men form a strong bond with one another and try to survive their last forty days so they can rotate back home to their wives or loved ones.

Director Kathryn Bigelow who has directed such action films as Point Break and Strange Days gives the film a unique look as if you are a forth member of the unit and are alongside them in the urban combat zones of Baghdad. Cinematographer Barry Ackroyd positions the cameras perfectly, and sets the look of the shots which makes the film a gritty documentary account of the E.O.D. unit and the everyday dangers they encounter.

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With the news coming in just last week that Glee was getting renewed on Fox for another season, things have already been heating up for the upcoming episodes. Fox has completed most of the second half of it’s freshman season, which starts up again in April and they are now looking at the fans to be part of a few episodes next season.

According to a recent press release from the network, the show will be holding a nation-wide open casting call for a few parts in the upcoming season.

GLEE has also launched the acting and singing careers of its young, talented cast, and turned them into international sensations. Replicating and expanding on the process used to discover the stars from Season One, the series’ executive producers will begin a nationwide casting search this February to fill three new roles that will be added to the show’s second season.

Building upon the show’s incredibly supportive community of GLEEks and with the hope of bringing fans even closer to the series, auditions will be open to amateur individuals as well as professionals between the ages of 16-26, and all hopefuls will be able to submit auditions online. Additional details to be announced soon, please check www.fox.com/glee for updates.

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Originating in Norway back in 1997, Nemi is a weekly comic strip creation of writer and artist Lise Myhre. Focusing on the pop goth Hot Topic mentality of the turn of the millennium, Nemi follows the title character in her exploits in her chocolate eating, boy chasing and alcohol binging unemployed life. UK publisher Titan Books, who brought us the collected volumes of Tank Girl, has begun compiling these weekly strips in to fantastically done hardcover formats.

Because of the nature of the weekly strip format, Nemi Volume III doesn’t have a particular story to speak of. It instead is a series of brilliantly done short character pieces, usually contained to just three or four panels each with the occasional multipage story, but those are few and far between. The best part about Nemi is how relatable a character she actually is.

Whether or not you fell in to a Hot Topic phase during your high school years (which if you had you have hopefully finally grown out of or you have become a Twilight fan), you knew someone who did. This comic does a great job of reminding why even though we thought that person was weird, we were still their friend.

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Fans of the critically acclaimed Breaking Bad are finally getting their wish for more Bryan Cranston. The actor, who picked up an Emmy for his work on the AMC series, has just been signed to fight alongside the titular hero in the upcoming John Carter Of Mars.

Cranston will play a Civil War colonel who clashes with Carter in the early moments of the film. The movie is based on the series of novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs about a Civil War veteran who is transported to another body on the red planet of Mars, where he embarks on an epic journey.

This is quite late casting, as the film reportedly begins production next week. Cranston will join the ranks of an impressive ensemble cast including James Purefoy, Mark Strong, Dominic West, Thomas Hayden Church, Lynn Collins, Willem Defoe, Samantha Morton, Polly Walker, and Taylor Kitsch as Carter.

The screenplay comes from Michael Chabon (Spider-Man 2) with Andrew Stanton (WALL-E) taking the helm. Disney is expected to give the film a mid-2012 release date.

As if it were any surprise, many of next year’s blockbuster films will be coming to IMAX at the same time as they hit regular theaters. With that obvious news comes the neat tidbit that Jon Favreau’s upcoming sequel to 2008′s Iron Man will also be hitting the mondo-screen along with the regular-sized ones.

Unlike The Dark Knight, for example, Iron Man 2 wasn’t always planned for IMAX  and was sent to IMAX to be blown up for next year’s release. The current IMAX release is set to hit on May 7th, the same as as the non-IMAX version comes out.

The sequel will star Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Sam Rockwell, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mickey Rourke, and Samuel L. Jackson. This story will focus on Stark (Downey Jr.) coming out to the public as Iron Man, while facing a backlash of enemies in both of his lifestyles.