We can't report on the production of every low-budget horror flick out there (mostly because it would make for some really boring stories), but Variety just tossed out a news blip on something called The Bleeding -- and this flick has too juicy a cast to ignore. According to Variety, the flick seems to be a standard enough tale of "an ex-Army Ranger searching for the killer of his parents who discovers a family of vampires in a former chemical weapons factory-turned-nightclub," which tells me it's probably based on a true story.

The first thing that struck me a little funny was the name of the production company: Indifferent Entertainment. Well, geeee. If you guys are so damn indifferent about your entertainment, why should any of US give a wet slap? Why not Apathetic Productions or Neutral Films?

That's just a little warm-up humor to get you prepared for this ensemble. Ready? Gathered together for a movie called The Bleeding will be: Vinnie Jones, Michael Madsen, DMX, Armand Assante, William McNamara, Michael Matthias, Rachelle Leah, Kat Von D, and Pittsburgh Slim. Heck, I don't even know all these people and it still sounds like The Bleeding will have one helluva wrap party.

The writer is first-timer Lance Lane. The director is veteran stuntman Charles Picerni. One of the producers is Frank Capra III. And it's called The Bleeding. Woo! Production begins in North Carolina next month.

If you're anything like me (lord held you), then you just can't resist a movie in which an inordinately large and aggravated animal decides to chew on a bunch of random stupid people. Doesn't matter how many "OMG it's hilarious!" comments I may see on the IMDb boards, nor does it deter me if every genre-friendly film critic stands up and screams "Dude, it's crap!"

If it's a movie about pissed-off animals eating dumb people, I've got 87 minutes to spare.

So a few months back I noticed a strange little label on a few of the more recent "nature sprinting amok" flicks: It was a little black and red skull logo with the phrase "Maneater Series" stuck on there. Oooh, a mystery! What's this "maneater series" of which this DVD case speaks? Where do they come from? Are there other films in the series? Does anyone besides me actually care?

OK, so as far as a very small amount of IMDb / Google research indicates, it looks like there are to be six Maneater Series titles in total. (Or maybe seven.) The suspects? Production company RHI Entertainment, cable network The Sci-Fi Channel, and DVD distributor Genius Products. Let's examine the flicks...

If you stretch your memory back, you might remember that Cinematical mentioned an indie snow flick last year, which was going to star Michael Madsen. Yes, ear-chopper extraordinaire. The Mikey Hilb film, called Deep Winter, is a buddy sports film about a skier and snowboarder who want to ski a dangerous peak in Alaska, and Madsen plays a bad-ass helicopter guide. I always thought that people who ski those ultra-dangerous slopes were crazy, so I'm not too shocked that they have added a little Madsen madness to the list.

Now the film has been shot and has a nifty trailer which you can check out. It seems to have all the bits that make a classic winter sports film -- the naysayers, life-long dedication, snow, avalanches, the pushing coach, gorgeous mountain shots and a little sexy lip action to boot. Personally, I'm digging it for the darkness to the non-snow scenes. The indie feel to those shots really seems to strengthen the tone -- instead of a bunch of snow bunnies, bright colors and typical mainstream hi-jinx. The cast is also pretty solid, beyond the creepy Mr. Madsen. There's Kellan Lutz, who is starring in the upcoming Prom Night remake, and Eric Lively, who played the creepy voyeuristic perv Mark on The L Word. Topping that off, there's also Luke Goss and Robert Carradine. I wonder if we'll get some screen time with Madsen and Carradine together -- a Sin City meets Lizzie McGuire faceoff!

Yup, that's right. "Delayed." Yesterday, I told you about a little interview which featured Michael Madsen claiming that Sin City 2 might not be moving forward as planned due to the box office failures of Grindhouse. While we're not entirely sure that Grindhouse played a part in this whole ordeal, Frank Miller told Rotten Tomatoes that the film has been officially delayed as both men gear up to take on separate projects before re-visiting the Sin City universe. Miller says, "Sin City 2 is still likely to happen, just not right away. The script is written and Robert [Rodriguez] and I are raring to go, but it looks like I'm going to be doing The Spirit first and Robert's going to be doing Barbarella first." Maybe it's just me, but "likely to happen" isn't the greatest confidence booster in the world. Was Miller holding a Magic 8-Ball when he was asked that question? "All signs point to This Sucks!"

Seeing as both films still need to cast, to shoot and to promote, I can't imagine Sin City 2 happening for at least six to eight months, at least. But with Miller looking to break in as a solo feature director, who knows if he'll even be interested in co-directing again with Rodriguez. Not to mention the Weinstein boys are probably going to take a long hard look at the franchise in the meantime and decide whether or not it's worth the money. Also in the article, Miller said that he was so stoked after watching U2 3D in Cannes that "plans to do my own 3D film are forming in my head." Does that mean The Spirit will be in 3D? Probably not, but I wouldn't be surprised if he moves in that direction once Sin City 2 inevitably sinks to the bottom of development hell. Tis' a real shame. At least we have Miller's next graphic novel to look forward to -- Batman vs. Al Qaeda. Seriously. That's what it's called. Perhaps Uwe Boll can adapt? Whaddya think?

Drug abuse is a terrible thing, kids. It land you in jail, ruin your reputation and turn you from a busy character actor into an uninsurable pariah. Case in point: Crazy Tom Sizemore just got fired from pre-production on a flick called The I Scream Man -- and if you can't hold on to a job in a movie with that sort of title, then you're definitely living life a little too hard. I know his drug problems are entirely of his own creation, but I really do feel for the guy. He went from working with Michael Mann, Oliver Stone and Steven Spielberg -- to a public dismissal on The I Scream Man. Ouch.

According to STYD.com, Mr. Sizemore was fired from the upcoming horror flick and replaced by sometimes co-worker Michael Madsen. The reason for his dismissal? Another visit from the "drugs and jail time" fairy. It might sound like I'm cruelly mocking the guy, but the truth is I feel really rotten for Mr. Sizemore. Here's hoping he can right the ship, toss that monkey off his back and mount a small comeback of sorts. In the meantime, J.T. Mollner's The I Scream Man will go into production this summer with Madsen, Dee Wallace, Haylie Duff, Fred Ward, Judd Nelson and the entertainingly bizarre Crispin Glover as ... The Ice Cream Man. (Yes, it's a horror movie.)

Directed by Oliver Assayas (Clean, Demonlover), the Cannes midnight selection Boarding Gate tells the story of Sandra (Asia Argento) -- a confused young woman trying to figure out her relationship with Miles (Michael Madsen), a financier who's fallen into a run of bad luck. Sandra and Miles used to be lovers, but that's over; Miles also used to hire Sandra to service visiting clients and turn their pillow talk into business intelligence; that's over, too -- but they still have plenty to talk about. ...

People much smarter than I are very fond of Assayas's work -- most especially Demonlover, a movie that elicited love-it-or-hate-it reactions from critics and viewers. Like Demonlover, Boarding Gate takes place in a hinky, kinky realm, a world of secrets and lies where big business, espionage, sex and emotional connection all combine. In Boarding Gate, though, there's one problem; the film has no motor to drive it. Sandra gets into trouble, sure -- and gets in deep -- but neither Assayas's script nor Argento's performance give us any reason to care if Sandra makes it though in one piece; the fact that Argento's character swings between seductive pouting and go-away petulance doesn't help. Argento may be an attractive mammal -- the film certainly thinks so, as it never skips a chance to show us her stripping down -- but as an actual actress, she's a washout. Not to be crass, but if Argento's line readings and character were as well-developed and fully-rounded as her breasts, I've no doubt Boarding Gate would have been a better film.

Last we heard from Quentin Tarantino regarding Inglorious Bastards (ya know, that WWII film he's been attached to for, like, ever?), the dude said he had spent five years writing the script (which was at a whopping 1,000 pages), and still needed one more year before moving forward. Well, that one year has come and gone -- and, while Tarantino has been busy filming Grind House with Robert Rodriguez, we still don't know if he will follow that film up with Bastards or if he'll be a bastard himself and squeeze out something else.

According to IMDB, Michael Madsen and Tim Roth are the only actors attached to Bastards, and there have been rumors that Sylvester Stallone was also interested in a role. Or Tarantino was interested in Stallone. Regardless, while out promoting Rocky Balboa, Stallone officially denied his participation (kind of), saying: "No, I gotta talk to Quentin about that, I've been reading about that. That's possible but I don't know how we would get together, it wouldn't be easy." It appears Stallone will follow up Rambo 4 with that biopic about Edgar Allen Poe (which he'll direct, not star -- thank God), and so his schedule is wrapped up for quite a while. Then again, it could be years before Tarantino actually gets around to making Inglorious Bastards -- if, at that time, there's a part for a 70 year-old Stallone, then why not?

With Bastards, Tarantino intends to pay homage (when is he not paying homage?) to Enzo G. Castellari's 1977 Italian film of the same name, as well as other classic war flicks like The Dirty Dozen and The Great Escape. Story follows a group of soldiers during WWII who are set to die by firing squad for doing bad things, but ultimately are awarded a chance to live for a little while longer when they're sent on a suicide mission for the Allies. Sounds groovy, but will it ever happen?

It's funny; I'm not not a big fan of blood and gore in the movies, and occasionally I get a little squeamish at the Hostel variety of horror, but show me a guy cleft in two with a broadsword and I don't even bat an eye. Sometimes, I even get a sick little giggle out of it. I've always enjoyed historical epics; why else would I have I sat through all of the classic "sword and sandal" flicks and their various incarnations of the last few years?

Variety announced that John Malkovich has joined an international cast that includes Michael Madsen, Peter O'Toole, and Virginie Ledoyen for Raoul Ruiz's Love and Virtue. The film centers on the crusading battles and romantic intrigue during Charlemagne's empire. The film was written by Mia Sperber and Stefano Prates, who used the epic poems The Song of Roland and Orlando Innamorato as inspiration for the story. The poems are full of all those things that are usually in medieval poems, like treacherous nobles, love-smitten knights, and Saracen armies -- which in the end guarantees at least a few large-scale battle scenes. No word yet on who Malkovich will play, but I'm sure it will involve one of his bizarre accents. Love and Virtue will begin production this March on location in Belgium and Luxembourg.

Chalk this one up as yet another rumor chugging its way around the net. Remember that Vega Brothers movie Quentin Tarantino has always flirted with, but never injected enough juice into his brain to actually make? The film was supposed to focus on brothers Vincent Vega (as played by John Travolta in Pulp Fiction) and Vic Vega (as played by Michael Madsen in Reservoir Dogs). Last we heard from Tarantino, he claimed to be into the project, and even revealed that he had found a way to write it even though both characters died in their respective movies. Would it be a prequel? Heck no, these guys are way too old to play younger versions of themselves. Would they come back from the dead? Nah, even Tarantino is smart enough to stay away from that bogus plot device.

So, what did he come up with? Well, CHUD recently sat down with Madsen, and the actor dumped an interesting scenario on the table, one that's still not officially a reality, but could be if Tarantino feels like churning out a script. Says Madsen, " [Tarantino] gave me an idea that would be really outrageous – that John and I would be the twin brothers of Vic and Vincent. We come from Amsterdam to LA to avenge the deaths of our brothers. I think that's pretty interesting. For me, I'd love to do it." If 'interesting' is another way of saying the idea is utterly ridiculous, then I certainly agree with Madsen. Let's get serious here folks, while I'd love to see these characters up on the big screen again, this plot is a bit absurd. Besides, Tarantino already gave us his big revenge pic in Kill Bill, so all he'd be doing is regurgitating a familiar storyline with the same actors (Madsen also appeared in Kill Bill as one of the dudes Uma Thurman comes after for beating her silly inside the wedding chapel). What say you about this latest rumor? Good idea? Bad? Personally, I say Tarantino scraps his Vega fantasy and finally gets to shooting Inglorious Bastards. Yes sir, those are my two cents.

It might be hard to believe, but Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs turns 15 today. Now, before you haul out the abacus, you've probably noted that 1992 + 15 = 2007. Reservoir Dogs premiered in October of 1992 the last time we checked, and it seems like only yesterday there was much fanfare over the tenth anniversary edition of this film (which was released in 2002), complete with five different covers for the same DVD ... collect them all! Perhaps 14 just wasn't as sexy of a number, and of course Lionsgate wants you to double dip when the HD-DVD version comes out at some point, so that leaves us with a 15th anniversary edition a year early. Although if you want to get extremely technical with the dates, Tarantino actually workshopped some of the scenes from Dogs at Sundance in 1991, so is this the date they're shooting for?

At any rate, the packaging alone is pretty cool on this release. They've housed the DVD in a metal case that looks like a gas can, and when you slip the interior packaging out, it is in the shape of a huge matchbook from "Uncle Bob's Pancake House," which is where Steve Buscemi tells everyone "I don't tip" as Mr. Pink. The whole package is sort of a gruesome reminder from one of the scenes in the movie. When the tenth anniversary DVD came out, Lionsgate sent out fake foam rubber ears announcing the release, which have become highly collectible among fans. I guess they like reminding us how violent the torture scene in this movie really is.

Tarantino's now cult-classic film opened the door for ultra-realistic violence in films, but it also helped usher in a new era of non-linear storytelling. After this movie came out, writers and directors began to play with the concept of time a lot more often, using flashbacks and flash-fowards to help make a simple story a lot more interesting, to show it from different angles and perspectives, and to flesh out character development. Tarantino didn't pioneer this technique, but he made such extensive use of it that you can still the effects of it in movies today.

The film also helped establish Tarantino's visual "look," from the black suits with the skinny ties, to the minimal sets with dialogue-heavy scenes. It also showcased his love for vintage and 70s music through "K-Billy Super Sounds of the 70s," on the radio throughout the movie, and DJed by deadpan comedian Steven Wright. Additionally, he took chances on B- and sometime C-list movie stars who had either fallen from the limelight, or had not worked in quite some time, which is something he continues to do -- reviving the careers of John Travolta, Robert Forster, Pam Grier and others.

Tarantino is a self-proclaimed cinephile, and in this movie he has lifted several scenes and plot elements directly from other films, particularly from Ringo Lam's excellent City on Fire which stars Chow Yun-Fat. If you haven't seen it, rent it some time and you'll see how similar the two films are, down to exact scenes. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and while Dogs isn't a direct ripoff, it comes close at times. Tarantino has claimed that he steals from all of his favorite movies, and if that's the case, then Dogs is no different.

Today also sees the release of the Reservoir Dogs video game (featuring the voice and likeness of Michael Madsen), which promises to bring the same ultra-violence to your home gaming systems. It seems an odd choice to make a game out of this film, given the extreme violence and open and closed plot, but we've also seen Scarface and The Godfather made into games as well recently, so stranger things have happened. Just don't look for Jackie Brown: The Game anytime soon. We hope. ...

Believe it or not, I'm always down for a good boxing flick ... even though I find the sport itself to be quite boring. There, I said it! (Personally, I prefer one of them no-holds-barred kickboxing matches -- I don't know what it is, but I find them hypnotic.) In order to hold my attention, a boxing film has to have a solid story built around unique and troubled characters. Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, Robert DeNiro as Jake La Motta or Russell Crowe as Jim Braddock -- all of them, great characters.

The most recent actor to enter the boxing ring is Michael Madsen, who will take on the character of Sean Kelleher in the contemporary boxing flick, Strength and Honor. Pic, which marks the directorial debut of Mark Mahon, will be set in the Irish county of Cork and focus on a boxer who must return to the sport, after promising his dying wife he would retire, so that he can help raise money to save his young son from the disease that claimed the life of his wife.

Starring alongside Madsen will be Vinnie Jones and Richard Chamberlain. Jones will take on the role of Madsen's arch-nemesis, Smasher O'Driscoll, while Chamblerlain will play Madsen's old school boxing coach. Filming begins in Cork next month.

According to reports on the foreign wires, ageless Hong Kong legend Andy Lau is in talks to star in the next film from critic-turned-director Olivier Assayas, a project that would mark Lau's English-language debut. As we reported back in February, the film, entitled Boarding Gate, already features a cast including Asia Argento and Maggie Q (and, if you believe the IMDb and various web reports, Michael Madsen and both Tony Leungs), and is set to shoot this summer in Hong Kong and France.

Early reports indicated the movie has an awesomely convoluted plot, involving "An Italian woman [Argento] who lives in London [and] has a passionate affair with a former financial big gun [Madsen]. She also had a second lover [a Leung], a contract killer who has to kill the big gun. Her second lover's wife [Yeoh] is behind the scenes, pulling the strings." So it sounds pretty damn great, no matter who Lau might play. The problem, however, is that Lau is supposed to be shooting a film with Derek Yee this summer as well, and it may be difficult for him to find time to appear in Boarding Gate. According to Lau, though, there is still hope, because Assayas has said he'll "try to work around my schedule."

I just wish we had a damn release date for this thing -- the combination of cast and director on this one is making it one of my most-anticipated upcoming projects.

I don't know about you, but when I hear "skiing and snowboard actioner," I think "Michael Madsen." Clearly I'm not the only one, because he's been signed to star opposite Eric Lively in Deep Winter, a film about "childhood best friends who want to be the first to ski a peak in Alaska." Alrighty then.

Does anyone else find this news a bit ... disconcerting? First of all, for some reason the though of big, lumpy Michael Madsen on a snowboard or skis sort of freaks me out. Second, when I read about this casting, I figured he'd be playing the Big Bad in some sort of stupid, snow-borne thriller. But no -- unless key information is being withheld, it actually sounds like a nice buddy movie, about Madsen and his pal. Aw. It would be awesome of this worked out well -- sort of a throwback to those nice, non-violent days when he was the dad in Free Willy.

I know Daryl Hannah was in Kill Bill, but other than that I thought she'd spend the last couple of decades under a pretty rock somewhere, dreaming of the glory days of Reckless and Summer Lovers. Apparently, however, that was just me, because according the IMDb, she's been working her tail off  - and, by the looks of the things, 2006 and 2007 will be equally busy. Hot on the heels of last week's announcement of her role in Dark Honeymoon comes the news that she will also star in Vice, an indie thriller from writer-director Raul Sanchez Inglis. The film "revolves around a group of conflicted police officers who become suspects when drugs go missing" and, in addition to Hannah, will feature her Kill Bill co-star Michael Madsen (both will also produce), as well as Mykelti Williamson and Mark Boone Junior.

Vice is due to begin shooting in Vancouver in a couple of weeks.

Looks like our friend Indiana Jones may have a bit of a crush on a dame named Virginia Madsen. Oh, I bet you thought I meant Michael Madsen, huh? Makes one wonder, when you hear the name Madsen, which of the two do you think of first - Virginia or Michael? Personally, I go with Virginia...because she's hotter.

Anyway, while promoting the crap out of his new film Firewall, Harrison Ford had some very nice things to say about Madsen, who plays his on screen wife in the film. "She was an absolute delight - professional, very talented and simply, very sweet." Okay, we get it - you have to kiss her ass a little in order to get folks to watch your movie - but what about Indy 4? "She also took what could have been a fairly one-dimensional damsel in distress role and added so many layers to it - there isn't many who could do that." Actually, there are many who could do that - but what about Indy 4!?

"I'd work with her again. I'm actually hoping she'll come over for Indiana Jones. We've talked about it." Yes! Finally! So if Madsen lands a role alongside Indy, who would she play? A wife? A mistress? An evil wife/mistress? Either way, we know she'd play a love interest of sorts. I mean, c'mon - Indy digs those blondes. Don't we all?