Signs of a slow, post-holiday news day: Cinematical reports on the signing of a second unit director. Ah, but this isn't just any second unit director, and Dan Bradley hasn't signed on to just any movie. The Hollywood Reporter tells us that Bradley, who's been the action designer behind the last two Bourne films, has hopped onboard Bond 22 as the film's second unit director. Not a bad decision if you ask me; Bond has taken a backseat to the highly-acclaimed Bourne series over the past few years, and it's wise for EON Productions and Columbia Pictures to look toward the latter in an attempt to bolster their franchise going forward. Casino Royale was certainly a good start, and Bradley's involvement means the next Bond installment will at least kick tons of ass in the action department.

According to HR, Bond producers want Bradley to "continue and build on the more realistic and gritty approach to the veteran British spy begun in last year's Casino Royale." Apart from Bond 22 (which will most likely begin filming this winter), Bradley has also done work on two Spider-Man sequels, Jackass: The Movie (now there's an interesting assignment), Seabiscuit and, most recently, Indiana Jones 4. I'm not sure whether the guy was in a lot of fights when he was a kid, but he sure knows how to help deliver some fantastic action sequences, so much so that I wouldn't be surprised if the man is considered to potentially helm Bond 23 if director Marc Forster doesn't decide to return. So far Daniel Craig (Bond) and Judi Dench (M) are signed on to reprise their roles in the next Bond film, with a Bond girl(s) announcement due (hopefully) fairly soon.

Alright, all you movie hounds. We know you've spent all summer watching the endless slew of sequels, from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End to Shrek the Third, from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix to The Bourne Ultimatum, from Spider-Man 3 to Rush Hour 3 -- it's been one long, hot, summer. But how well do you know your movie sequel history? Over at the Guardian, they have a nifty little quiz up with questions that will test your sequel mettle. I scored 70% on the first pass, not too bad, I guess (hey some of the questions are a little tricky, I'm not that up on my Leonard Part 6). Go check it out, then let us know how you did.

Now here's a little movie sequel pop quiz for you: Can you put the three stills of each of these series in order?



More after the jump ...

If Alfred Hitchcock were alive and well and directing action films, I bet they'd look a whole lot like Paul Greengrass' superlative spy thriller The Bourne Ultimatum. I find it hard to express how welcome a movie like this feels right now, coming as it is like a big meaty dinner after three straight months of sugar-laden desserts. Those who enjoyed the first two chapters (Doug Liman's The Bourne Identity and Greengrass' The Bourne Supremacy) will undoubtedly have a ball with this third and final entry and here's why: Forget that it's a sequel and ignore the fact that the film has next to no connection to its Robert Ludlum source material -- The Bourne Ultimatum still stands as one of the most invigorating action movies I've seen in years. Not only did it propel me out of the theater on a tasty little 'movie buzz' ... it may have re-ignited my passion for the whole damn genre.

Looking for proof that you don't need $95 million dollars worth of digital trickery to create a kinetic spectacle that will have moviegoers cheering? Here it is. How novel it is to come across an action film that delivers thrills and intensity through use of character and story over eye-candy and hollow noise ... but here it is. Simple enough to follow but just circuitous enough to sink your teeth into, bolstered by a stellar lead performance from Matt Damon, stuffed with powerfully gripping action bits that are deliciously complex and actually feel germane to the story...