For some, news that Paul W. S. Anderson was going to head the Castlevania movie was comparable to running sharp fingernails down a chalkboard, for others like our Scott Weinberg, it was enough to get the anxious blood pumping. Depending on your excitement level, you might be happy or ticked to find out that the latest rumors say that the director has left the film. According to sources at Dread Central, Anderson is off the project, but they're not sure if he was unhappy with how things were progressing or just impatient. Cinematical has been covering the film since back in 2005, so it sure isn't moving very fast.

For those not familiar with all things Konami, Castlevania is a long-running video game series that pits the vampire-hunting Belmont family against Dracula. Me, I can take the news or leave it. I try not to get too amped about a video game or comic book adaptation unless I really, really like the director attached, like Sam Raimi. What I am more anxious about is the fact that he isn't dropping out of Death Race 3000. Give him Castlevania, but don't let him mess with the likes of Sly's Death Race 2000! (Yeah, I'm much more of a Goonies II fan than a Castlevania fan.) It's not so much a slight against him, but the desire for some crappy goodness to exist free of a re-visiting.

[via Dark Horizons]

In case this is the first time you've heard of such a thing, let me clear it up for you: Yes, someone is creating a remake of Death Race 2000 -- although thanks to the changing times, it will actually be called Death Race 3000. Yeah, I know it is weird, but you're going to have to believe me on this one. If you are sadly uneducated, Death Race is mostly just a story about guys in the future who kill pedestrians with their vehicles to score points in this game they play. It is easily one of the most classic B-movies of all time.

The story has been put into the very willing hands of director Paul W.S. Anderson, who will both write and direct the remake. Roger Corman, the producer of the original and a longtime genre geek favorite, recently took a few minutes to discuss the update with Sci Fi Wire. Sadly, Corman is mostly uninvolved in Anderson's film, although he does have a contract which calls him "executive producer." According to Corman, this means he gets to read and comment on all versions of the script -- but he said he doesn't spend much time on it because "I don't believe I will have that much influence."

I still have trouble wrapping my brain around someone bringing Death Race 2000 back to life, mostly because it is such a standard in the B-movie world these days. It is sad the Corman isn't going to be involved, but I guess it gives him an out if the film disappoints. So in order to succeed, does it need to be a fantastic movie ... or a self-aware, cheesy, tongue-in-cheek sorta flick? I'm not really sure, to be honest.