Spider-Man 3 was far from great but I will say Thomas Haden Church gave a pretty good performance as reluctant villain Sandman. Like Alfred Molina (Dr. Octopus) before him and Willem Dafoe (Green Goblin) prior to that. Church brought a tragic element to the role. Yes, they all ended up portraying villains but you kind of felt sorry for them. I’ll even go so far as to say as much as Venom sucked in the last film, Topher Grace had an ounce of that innate misery in his portrayal of Eddie Brock.

Well, perhaps we’ll see that again in Spider-Man 4 as Dylan Baker will be reprising his role as Dr. Connor. While we have yet to see his true villain side manifest as The Lizard in the films maybe it will finally happen. Collider reports:

“Baker joked with “Trick-r-Treat” writer/director Dougherty about his role in the film, with Dougherty saying that Baker’s character was “just appearing in the background” and that the possibility of the Lizard would just be “a cocktease for another year”. Baker apparently joined in the joking, but it’s unclear whether he was actually confirming a small role for Connors or if he was giving a wink and a nod.”

Come on Sam Raimi, give the fans what they want: The Lizard!  You’ve teased us for three films now, it’s time you gave Baker some green scaly skin and sharp fangs to do battle with Spider-Man. Perhaps more importantly, Baker fits the bill for that tragic quality I talked about above.

Speaking of actors that are due a real role in Spider-Man 4, Raimi confirmed that Bruce Campbell will also return for the film, “I promised him we would write something because I really love putting him in the pictures,” he told the network, adding, “I promised him a good meaty role.”

So, just what kind of “meaty role” do you give a guy who has played a different character in every film?  If Internet rumors hold any water Campbell could dawn the mask of Mysterio.  It would be a perfect role for Campbell when you consider the origins of the character (from Wikipedia):

“Debuting in Amazing Spider-Man #13, Mysterio is Quentin Beck, a special effects wizard and stunt man working for a major Hollywood studio with dreams of making a name for himself in the film industry. However, he came to see his career in special effects as a dead-end job, but realized that his expertise in illusions could make him an effective supervillain.”

Gee, a guy trying to make a name for himself in the film industry? Sure, Campbell is already a name in the industry, but this sounds like the perfect downtrodden character Campbell could really get into.  Here’s hoping this is one Internet rumor that will pan out.

Spider-Man 4 is set for a May 2011 release date.

Trick ‘r Treat is yet another horror film that has been severely mishandled over the last few years. A few other notables are Paranormal Activity (finally out in theaters) and All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (collecting dust on  a shelf somewhere). Trick ‘r Treat was shown at a few genre film festivals last year and a few this year as well. It was received by the audiences with giddy, glowing praise, and was  heralded an instant Halloween classic.

Then it sat on a shelf with no release date.  Fortunately, Warner Brothers threw us horror buffs a bone and released it last week on DVD.  It promptly sold out, which demonstrated the pent up demand to see this movie.

Admittedly, it has been over-hyped a bit. It is not among the best horror movies ever made, but it is really fun. It actually celebrates the traditions of Halloween, and is unique in that respect. In the town where the story takes place, candy still needs to be carefully checked for razors and poison, and you don’t disregard the rules of Halloween. Namely, never blow out the candle in a jack-o-lantern, lest bad things happen.

Spider-Man 3 was not the greatest installment of the franchise. It seemed for every great moment there was an equally bad one. Take Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Venom (Topher Grace) for example. Sandman was a compelling character you could get behind. Venom was a gimmick, tacked onto the last third of the film. That isn’t to say Grace was not brilliant as Eddie Brock, he was, but Venom just felt forced into an already busy plot.

Worse yet was having not one, not two, but three nods to The Lizard throughout the franchise by Dr. Curt Connors (Dylan Baker) but that villain never emerged. What a waste. Whether you love or hate Venom, writer Paul Wernick confirmed that Sony is working on a Venom spin-off:

“We’ve written two drafts of Venom, and the studio has it, and they’re pushing forward in whatever ways they push forward.”.  Of course, this begs the question how will this relate to the upcoming Spider-Man 4.  Wernick provided a very vague response, “Basically, the studio and Marvel and the Arads are taking our drafts and going beyond and figuring out what’s the next step.”

There is a silver lining to this.  Paul Wernick, along with co-writer Rhett Reese, wrote the highly anticipated Zombieland film.  While I’ve only seen the previews the movie looks brilliant. If they can bring that same sense of humour mixed with prevailing dread to Venom, I for one think the film may just work. No other details at this point but you’ll find them here as they develop.

Trick ‘r Treat is a movie that has had a seemingly endless road from production to release. Originally slated to hit theaters back in October of 2007, the studio decided to push the film’s release back. Several bumps and unsuccessful screenings later, Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures finally decided the film would do best as a DVD release this October.

No word on whether or no the film itself was changed at all in the two years, but True Blood fans will get star Anna Paquin in the film before she went all Southern Blond. Also starring in the film is Brian Cox, Leslie Bibb, and Dylan Baker. The film was written and directed by X2 and Superman Returns scribe Michael Dougherty.

Check out the new trailer after the jump, pick up the exclusive Trick ‘r Treat graphic novel from DC Comics Entertainment next month, and grab the DVD just in time for Halloween on October 6th.