Mann and DiCaprio going noir

Well, apparently my concerns about "Spider-Man 3" did nothing to stop the webslinger's path to world domination, but I've decided not to take it personally. Besides, there's news out there about movies that could definitely be better than Sam Raimi's latest.

First up, if I have my French translated right from the froggy site Cinempire.com, is news about Michael Mann. It seems he will be putting his signature imprint on a film noir, set to star Leo DiCaprio.

The movie, which doesn't yet have a title, is being written by "The Aviator" scribe John Logan. DiCaprio is set to play a 1930's private eye hired by MGM to keep track of the scandalous lives of its stars and starlettes, and chiefly to determine whether or not one particular young lady is implicated in the murder of her husband.

It all sounds terribly familiar, but noir is the one genre where I can forgive that if the flick has the right style, and Mann definitely has the skills to deliver it. Stay tuned.

Foster as Leni Riefenstahl

If you can make countless biopics about the most evil man in world history, why not one about his favorite filmmaker? In more news from Cinempire, it seems there will indeed soon be a Leni Riefenstahl flick in the works, with Jodie Foster set to play her.

Well, maybe not soon, but someday. Apparently producer Gabriele Bacher has been working on this off and on for seven years. A script has finally been assigned to Rupert Walters, with filming tentatively scheduled for next year, though no director has been attached.

I have to imagine that, if the script is strong enough, Martin Scorsese would gladly drop whichever project he's flirting with at the moment to sign on with something as potentially fascinating as this.

For anyone who may not know, Riefenstahl is the director of "Triumph of the Will," easily the most beautiful piece of Nazi propaganda ever set to film. And it seems like Jodie Foster has been coasting through forgettable flicks for years now, so if she indeed stars in this it should be a welcome return to form.

Darla and John Rambo?

I try to keep up with the stars of my favorite TV shows ("Freaks and Geeks," "Buffy," Arrested Development," etc.), and I have to say this is the oddest alumni report I've come across yet.

It seems that Julie Benz, who played the seductress Darla on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and, more memorably, "Angel," will play the female lead in the 57th Rambo film, now filming in Thailand. No matter how ridiculous the finished product turns out to be, a hearty huzzah anyhow for Julie.

And, in case anyone possibly cares, "John Rambo" will have Sly coming out of retirement as a boat repairman in Bangkok to track down missionary aid workers who have disappeared in the jungles of impoverished Myanmar. Not sure what Ms. Benz will have to do in all of this, but I hope for her sake it doesn't entail making out with our 80-year-old-or-so hero.

R.I.P. Ian Richardson

The great Mr. Richardson died back in February, but I just found out about it this weekend, so had to take note. I never would have known if it weren't for a profile of James McAvoy in Sunday's New York Times that talks about his new film, "Becoming Jane."

The movie stars Anne Hathaway as the young Jane Austen, and McAvoy as one of her suitors. Near the end of the article, it also mentioned that the flick features the final performance from Mr. Richardson.

Though he starred in, according the IMDB, 99 movies and TV shows, he's best known to me as the deliciously evil Francis Urquhart (a k a F.U.) of the "House of Cards" trilogy. As the whip who to rises to British prime minister by any means necessary, he was just a delight to behold. You can still get this epic miniseries on DVD through Netflix (the titles are "House of Cards," "To Play the King" and "The Final Cut"), and I can't recommend them highly enough.

Rest in peace, Mr. Richardson.