The Spirit

The Spirit: Gabriel Macht

The Spirit

Cast: Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes, Sarah Paulson, Paz Vega, Jamie King, Dan Lauria, Stana Katic, Johnny Simmons

Adapted from the legendary graphic novels, Will Eisner's The Spirit is a classic action-adventure-romance told by genre-twister Frank Miller (creator of 300 and Sin City). It is the story of a former rookie-cop who returns mysteriously from the dead as The Spirit (Gabriel Macht) to fight crime from the shadows of Central City. His arch-enemy, The Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson) has a different mission: he's going to wipe out Spirit's beloved city as he pursues his own version of immortality. The Spirit tracks this cold-hearted killer from Central City's rundown warehouses, to the damp catacombs, to the windswept waterfront ... all the while facing a bevy of beautiful women who either want to seduce, love or kill our masked crusader. Surrounding him at every turn are Ellen Dolan, the whip-smart girl-next-door; Sand Saref (Eva Mendes), the jewel thief with dangerous curves; Silken Floss (Scarlett Johansson), a punk secretary and frigid vixen; Plaster of Paris, a murderous French nightclub dancer; Lorelai, a phantom siren; and Morganstern, a sexy young cop. In the vein of Batman Begins and Sin City, The Spirit takes us on a sinister, gut-wrenching ride with a hero who is born, murdered and born again.

The Spirit is a fictional American masked crime-fighter, created by writer-artist Will Eisner in 1940. The Spirit chronicled the adventures of a masked vigilante who fought crime with the blessing of the city's police commissioner Dolan, an old friend. Despite the Spirit's origin as a detective named Denny Colt, his real identity was virtually unmentioned again and for all intents and purposes he was simply "The Spirit". The stories ranged through a wide variety of styles, from straightforward crime drama and noir to lighthearted adventure, from mystery and horror to comedy and love stories, often with hybrid elements that twisted genre and expectations.

The Notorious Bettie Page

The Notorious Bettie Page:

The Notorious Bettie Page

Cast: Gretchen Mol, Chris Bauer, Jared Harris, David Strathairn, Sarah Paulson, Cara Seymour, John Cullum

In an incandescent performance, Gretchen Mol (The Shape of Things) stars as Bettie Page, who grew up in a conservative religious family in Tennessee and became a photo model sensation in 1950s New York. Bettie's legendary pin-up photos made her the target of a Senate investigation into pornography, and transformed her into an erotic icon who continues to enthrall fans to this day. Complemented by an ensemble cast of acclaimed actors, such as David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck) and Lili Taylor (High Fidelity), the film brings to vivid life Bettie's fascinating world.

(Interview: Gretchen Mol)