“There was never just one.” Well, that’s a nifty way to explain why Matt Damon isn’t in the latest installment of the Jason Bourne franchise, The Bourne Legacy. Damon’s out, and Jeremy Renner is in as another victim and/or participant in shady Project Treadstone. This first stylized trailer (complete with Inception-esque “brannngsss” and “brrahhhhmmms”) introduces us to Renner’s character – a bruiser from Reno who is on the run after showing some impressive stuff to all those government heavies who’ve gone through this already with Jason Bourne. Don’t you think Joan Allen‘s Pam Landy is just exhausted by now? Join the program and check out the trailer for The Bourne Legacy after the break.

Seeing as it wasn’t able to bring back series star Matt Damon, the fourth film in the Bourne series is going to have to work hard to get people to accept its existence and not picket theaters. I mean, people can get pretty emotional about their Matt Damon. When it was announced that he wouldn’t be returning, the prevailing sentiment was that a fourth movie wouldn’t make sense, and that making one would be a cynical way to grub money from an unsuspecting public by exploiting the series’ name. But the producers have done everything they can to make The Bourne Legacy look like it fits in with its older brothers. First, they signed Tony Gilroy to write and direct. Seeing as he wrote the first three Bourne films as well, that should lend a nice bit of continuity to a fourth. Then they went and signed Jeremy Renner to star as the new lead character, who will decidedly not be Jason Bourne. That’s gotta take a lot of the sting out of the Damon departure. Renner is a fast rising star and pretty much the new Matt Damon anyways. Now a third step has been taken to legitimize the project, Variety is reporting that Gilroy is bringing some of the characters from the first films back, firmly setting this story in that same world.

I am a long time Michael Mann fan, even Miami Vice I would mark down as a misunderstood masterpiece. But Mann is not only one of the greatest filmmakers working today, he also knows good television. Whether it be the original Miami Vice series or the hit seventies series Vega$, Mann always had a knack for the small screen. Unfortunately, after the not so great Robbery Homicide Division in ’02, Mann sort of stepped away from television and went back to film full time. That is until Luck came along. And here is the first look at the new HBO series: Series creator David Milch described the pilot as “A bunch of intersecting lives in the world of horse racing.” With a cast boasting the likes of Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Farina, John Ortiz, Nick Nolte and Joan Allen, along with Mann directing the pilot, I would say that Luck won’t need much of itself to succeed.

For 36 days straight, we’ll be exploring the famous  36 Dramatic Situations by presenting a film that exemplifies each one. From family killing family to prisoners in need of asylum, we brush off the 19th century list in order to remember that it’s still incredibly relevant today. Whether you’re seeking a degree in Literature, love movies, or just love seeing things explode, our feature should have something for everyone. If it doesn’t, please don’t sully our good name with false accusations of sexual impropriety. Part 2 of the 36-part series takes a look at “Erroneous Judgment” with The Contender.

This movie is like much of Anderson’s films… a big steaming pile of crap, but still a lot of fun to watch.

The third title in a series is like middle age for movies. By now audiences know what to expect.

Compared with its standard DVD counterpart, the HD version is a must have. It does not include a cornucopia of special features, but what it does have is plenty interesting enough.

In spite of, or because of, the flashbacks to the very legal water boarding that I undertook, I found even more reason to love this movie now that it’s on DVD.