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You can file this under strictly rumour for the time being, however, there have been some exciting 'leaks' regarding the cast for Robert Rodriguez’s Machete. For those of you playing at home, Machete is the latest project from my favouritist director in all the land and is an expansion of a faux trailer Rodriguez created to play at the start of Grindhouse. Like the spoof trailer, the feature film adaptation will pay homage to exploitation films of the 60s and 70s, probably in a similar fashion to the awesome Black Dynamite reviewed below. Rodriguez originally came up with the idea whilst filming Desperado and wanting to create a Mexican Jean-Claude Van Damme. It has taken until now to get the idea off the ground and into production, with there being no shortage of hype surrounding the project. The latest and most reliable tid-bit comes from a Bloody-Disgusting.com contributor who revealed the four main cast members as being *drum roll please*:

Danny Trejo

Okay, so I started with the biggest unsurprise ever as its common knowledge (to all with a cranium) that Trejo is taking up the title roll of Machete. A Rodriguez regular, the character and film were created around Trejo and his signature, erm, charm.

Michelle Rodriguez

Robert’s twin sister Michelle is said to be playing the character of Luz. I should point out here the above is a lie and despite the last name, the action-babe is in no way related to Mr Rodriguez... that we know of.

Jonah Hill

Everyone’s favourite Seth Rogen doppelganger is tipped for the role of Julio.

Robert De Niro

To conclude the cast gossip with a bang, the legend De Niro will star as Senator McLaughlin in the film which, in my humble opinion, is quite unlike anything he has done before. Ballsy.

So, if the above cast info turns out to be true — what an amazing ensemble! All very different actors with very different backgrounds, this should make for an exciting collaboration. Speaking of collaborations, Rodriguez will be co-directing the picture with Ethan Maniquis who has worked with Rod-man as editor on a bunch of his past films (Planet Terror, Sin City and the upcoming Shorts). Machete has a release date for sometime in 2010 but for those wanting a taste of what to expect I suggest you watch the spoof trailer (below) where it all began.

P.S. I know, I know. Just because I finally worked out how to post whole clips from YouTube straight to my blog, that doesn't mean I need to saturate you all with videos. That said, I just came across the wicked trailer for Jennifer's Body. I've been hanging out for this comedy-horror for quite a while... mainly because it's the second film written by stripper turned wordsmith Diablo Cody. Cody had her first major hit with Juno which nabbed her the best original screenplay Oscar back in `08. Unlike her uber-successful debut, Jennifer's Body is a tad darker and (from watching the trailer) I'd say a whole lot similar to personal fav Idle Hands. There's also a strong hint of the Canadian film Ginger Snaps which had a similar plot if you trade werewolf for demon. I guess it was only a matter of time before someone `adaptated' the horror franchise and gave it a mainstream makeover. Jennifer's Body stars Amanda Seyfried as a dorky highschooler who has to try and stop a cheerleader (Megan Fox) who is possessed by a demon and killing her male classmates. Sounds like a rad concept if you ask me but you can make your own mind up by watching the trailer below.
Thoughts??? In a completely un-movie-related comment I applaud the use of Cherry Bomb from The Runaways as backing music. They're one of my favourite bands ever and the song is utilised perfectly. Jennifer's Body has a clever release date of October 29 in Australia, right on Halloween (my favourite holiday).

P.P.S. Vazzzup readers? Since chameleon-comic Sacha Baron Cohen's latest movie Bruno is out in a few days, I thought I'd treat you to some vintage Bruno. I mean heck, you know people are going to be doing Bruno impressions at the water-cooler at work for the next few months so here's some material not from the movie. Plus, this is a nice warm-up to the type of humour you can expect from the Austrian Gay TV reporter. Enjoy.

Everyone loves a good biff, especially when it has absolutely nothing to do with The Footy Show. Here, I’m speaking about the one and only Brisbane International Film Festival also known as BIFF. The Gold Coast, being the cultural vacuum that it is, us film geeks eagerly await the annual BIFF where a selection of films from around the world are screened over the course of one and a bit weeks. This year I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the BIFF crew by putting together articles on various films for the website and daily newsletter. With dozens of movies crammed into the 11-day event it would be easy to miss some of the real gems. The good news is I’ve taken a look at the complete line-up of films screening at this year's festival and even watched some of them early. So, the following is my list of the films you MUST SEE or die at this year's BIFF.

For you international readers this can be a handy guide of limited release films you should keep an eye out for in the coming weeks/months.

• An Education — the opening night film starring Peter Sarsgaard and set in the 60s. The Sars-man in a film with romance, drama and intrigue sounds like too rare an opportunity to miss.
• BALIBO — the notorious tale of five young, Australian journalists who were executed while reporting on Indonesia’s invasion of East Timor in 75. An impressive Aussie cast including Gyton Grantley, Nathan Phillips and Anthony LaPaglia expose the Australian and Indonesian governments shameless efforts to cover-up this important story.
• Coraline — has been covered extensively on this blog given its beautiful visuals and dark storyline. Directed by Henry Selick, director of the classic Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline follows the adventures of a young girl who discovers a secret door leading to an alternative reality.
• 500 Days of Summer — a last minute addition to the festival line-up, this quirky, nontraditional love story deserves to be seen purely because it features the talents of my favourite Joseph Gordon Levitt. It also stars everyone’s favourite indie film star Zoey Deschanel.
• CHE: Parts One & Two — director Steven Soderbergh’s stunning two-part opus based on the life Che Guevara and starring Benicio Del Toro in the title role. You’ll be hard pressed to catch this screened back to back anywhere else in Queensland.
• Away We Go — highly peculiar, yet, interesting film which looks at the journey of two thirtsomethings who discover they’re going to have a baby. Instead of settling down and preparing, the couple take to the road to visit old friends. This is the latest thing from the amicable Sam Mendes and marks a return to his off-beat indie roots.
• The September Issue — one of the most anticipated documentaries of the year, this film delves into the life of legendary Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour in the lead-up to the massive September issue.
• Jules And Jim — this French film from the 60s is a classic love-triangle with arguably the most recognisable face in French cinema — Jeanne Moreau.
• Moon — one of the films I’m most looking forward to, this sci-fi thriller i s the debut feature from David Bowie’s son Duncan Jones and stars Sam Rockwell in what is said to be the performance of his career.
• The Missing Person — a private detective is hired to follow a missing person but what started as a simple job rapidly develops into a complex mystery. Full of double-crosses and classic noir moments, this is a film not to be missed by lovers of all things noir.
• The Strength of Water (below) — having Maori parentage, I like to pay special attention to films from indigenous New Zealand filmmakers. The Strength of Water is definitely worth the gaze. A unique look at the complexity of grief through the eyes of a 10-year-old living in an isolated Maori community. Beautiful, naturalistic, creative and moving. A must-see.
• Van Dieman’s Land — the infamous tale of Australia’s very own Hannibal Lecter gets the big screen treatment from a filmmaker heading for the stratosphere.Subdivison — Brisbanite Ash Bradman (from Nova radio fame) wrote and stars in this appealing comedy set in semirural Hervey Bay. Fans of Aussie films like Crackerjack, The Castle and Kenny are likely to enjoy this.
• The Cove — along with Cathy Henkel’s The Burning Season, this has to be one of the most important documentaries of the year and looks at the culling of dolphins in the picturesque town of Tokyo, Japan. Part horror film, part espionage thriller and part environmental documentary, The Cove is all part's essential viewing. It Might Get Loud — there’s no time for air guitar in this documentary which takes the audience on a candid trip into the world of three of rock’s most iconic electric guitarists; Jimmy Page (Led Zepplin), the Edge (U2), and Jack White (The White Stripes).
• Black Dynamite — if I even have to explain to you the plot of this film, given the sheer volume of posts about it on this blog, then you deserve to be pimp-slapped into a China cabinet. Here’s your chance to see what all the fuss is about.
• Dead Snow — Tarantino and Rodriguez fans, like myself, are likely to adore the work of the Norwegian lads behind this low-budget, horror slapstick about Nazi zombies. Writer/director Tommy Wirkola and writer/star Stig Frode Henriksen have been pipped for big things since their debut short Kill Buljo and their first feature doesn’t disappoint. Catch their work before it explodes as their next film Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters has been picked up by The Weinstein Company (bada-boom).
• Storage — a tense, edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller from Brisbane filmmaker Michael Craft and starring Gold Coast actor Matt Scully in the lead role. An impressively clever debut from Craft who shot the film in storage facilities in and around Brisvegas. Creepy.
• The Horsemen — containing what is said to be one of the `most amazing fight scenes captured’ is there really any other reason to see this?

Ticket prices are cheap as chips compared to a normal outing at the movies and BIFF is running a series of workshops where you can meet the director, producer, writer and/or stars of some of the films.