We might not know exactly what Sylvester Stallone is doing next, but we do know he's apparently got a thing for remaking old Charles Bronson films. Not long ago, Stallone expressed interest in remaking Death Wish, and now Dark Horizons tells us the aging action star will star in a remake of the 1972 Bronson flick, The Mechanic (and though they say nothing of the man also directing, other sites are jumping to that conclusion). DH also claims the film's budget clocks in at around $40 million, and that MGM is looking at folks like Ryan Gosling, Ben Foster, Cillian Murphy and Elijah Wood to co-star.

The original film revolved around an aging hitman (played by Bronson, and now Stallone) who befriends a young man that wants to become a professional killer. Over at IMDb, however, they claim the film will be totally re-imagined as a thriller in a post 9/11 world. A few days ago, Stallone struck a deal to star and produce two new action films, though there was no further info on what those two films would be. Perhaps Sly is off the Death Wish train and now setting his sights on The Mechanic? Could one of these (or both) eventually become the film(s) included in that deal? Which would you rather see Sly remake: Death Wish or The Mechanic?

So we know Peter Jackson will indeed be returning to The Lord of the Rings universe as a producer on two more films, one of which is based on The Hobbit. Until now, we all assumed The Hobbit would be broken into two parts over two films and that would be it. But wait! Maybe not. MTV spoke with Frodo himself, Elijah Wood, who shared a few tidbits with regards to what exactly Peter Jackson has planned for this second Hobbit film. He says, "I haven't spoken to him directly about it [but] I've e-mailed him, and as far as I know, the two films that they're doing, one will be 'The Hobbit' and another will take place between the 60 years that happened between 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings.'" No sh*t. Now that's pretty damn cool.

So if that's the case, then there should be plenty of room in that second film for Frodo, Aragorn and others, right? Says Wood, "If I'm asked to go back and revisit that character and it makes sense, I would love to. I would absolutely love to." Personally, I'm not as attached to the source material as others are, and so this bit of news could potentially upset some of the more hardcore LOTR fans out there. Then again, considering Jackson (and whoever directs) would probably turn the first Hobbit film into a three-hour epic, I'm not so sure there's enough worthwhile content in the book to stretch it into two three-hour films. So a bridge film does make sense, from a Hollywood standpoint, but not so much in the eyes of all those loyal readers out there. We'd love to get your opinions on this, so chime in below.

Having just come off the Tribeca film festival, I should be perfectly attuned to an experimental short film anthology like Paris Je T'Aime, (Paris, I Love You) and some segments of it are definitely enjoyable, but the overall hit-miss ratio is too low to ignore. This, despite a juggernaut talent bench that includes the Coen brothers, Wes Craven, Natalie Portman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Alfonso Cuaron, Nick Nolte, Miranda Richardson, Bob Hoskins, Elijah Wood, Steve Buscemi, Gus Van Sant and Juliette Binoche. In fact, these are only a few of the notable performers and directors who contribute to the 18 shorts, only a few of which actually intersect with the others. My favorite of the lot is the one that the Times' Stephen Holden declared to be the worst: a snappy little love note to Parisian vampires titled Quartier de la Madeleine. Starring Olga Kurylenko as a classic vampire with opaque, milky eyes who is interrupted in the midst of her work by Elijah Wood, it's a beautifully photographed little love story with lots of blood that seems made of melted pink plastic.

Strangely enough, that's not the short directed by Craven (even though he makes a cameo in it -- how could he not?) Craven's entry is Pere-Lachaise, focusing on a visit to that famous cemetery -- where Oscar Wilde, Marcel Proust and Jim Morrison are buried -- by a squabbling couple played by Rufus Sewell and Emily Mortimer. Just when Sewell's character has run out of things to say, the ghost of Wilde actually shows up to give him some advice. Like many of the films, however, it feels like a 30-minute short that was cut down to about one-third of that time in order to squeeze it into this crowded phone-booth of a feature format. If you don't pay careful attention, you might actually miss Wilde's appearance and wonder what happened to wrap up the segment. Still, the acting drags it over the finish line. The same can be said for Quartier des Enfants Rouges, starring Gyllenhaal as an American actress shooting a costume drama in Paris and possibly falling for her Parisian dope dealer.

Sometimes I wonder if these little tidbits and sneak peeks help or hinder a film's chances for success. With the nature of the Internet and lightening-fast communications, people often make snap judgments about a film and its relative merits, with only the minimalist of facts. It even happens to your humble Cinematical writers occasionally as well. So, to help facilitate your ability to make snap-judgments, the first pics from the upcoming Elijah Wood starrer The Oxford Murders have hit the web. Now, before you rabid Wood fans (you know who you are) click the link and rush over to the site, there's one caveat -- the site is in Spanish.

Don't get me wrong, I like Spanish. Its a great language. I just don't happen to read it well. If you don't either, all you'll be able to do is look at the pics and you will not get to enjoy any of the commentary on them provided at the site. However, the pics do pretty much speak for themselves and provide a few clues as to the nature of the film. As the film follows the story of students at a highly-regarded English school who investigate a murder, one would assume the pics would include students in various situations that follow that kind of story -- and you would assume correctly.

Among the pics are several featuring Wood looking concerned, discovering a clue and, of course, trying to escape the killer. There's also a pic of the requisite love-interest (played by Leonor Watling), the Sherlock Holmes-like professor who mentors Wood's character (played by John Hurt) and one or two behind-the-scenes photos where director Alex de la Iglesia works with Wood and his co-stars. So go, enjoy. And if any of you read Spanish, how about reporting back and telling us what the site says about the pics?

[via Dark Horizons]

Bobby is a Palm Sunday story, about a group of strangers congregating in a place where a Christ-figure is expected to pass through and bless those lucky enough to lay eyes on him. The Christ-figure is Robert Kennedy, former attorney general of the United States and presidential candidate until he was felled by assassin Sirhan Sirhan in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles during a primary stop. As the time of his arrival draws near, the gathered begin to whisper about miracles Bobby will perform if elected, but no one ever delves into specifics about the man. Instead, it's generally accepted that if you are one of the travelers who has made your way to the Ambassador on this night of nights, then you know what he stands for, and no instruction is necessary. In that regard, Bobby is 'Ben & Jerry's presents Grand Hotel'. It's aimed at only two conceivable audiences: over-50, true-believer, 'it ain't fair, John Sinclair' liberals and 80s-movie buffs who will thrill at seeing Emilio Estevez and Demi Moore reunited on screen.

I have to admit, the reunion scene is a doozy and sure to warm the heart cockles of those who are patiently awaiting a two-disc director's cut of Wisdom. Moore and Estevez play a fringe-showbiz couple, he a manager type, she an over-40 singer who is now reduced to playing hotels like the one that is hosting the Kennedy campaign stopover on the night in question. In their one legitimate scene together, Moore staggers from booze and juts her neck out at the pint-sized Estevez like a dominant hen, while he does that move where his small, round-as-nickels eyes seem to come together another inch or two when he's considering how he's going to get the bottle away from her. Other revelers wandering the hotel during the film include Sharon Stone as a hair-dresser in unkind period make-up, Elijah Wood and Lindsay Lohan as a draft dodger and his hot girlfriend, and Christian Slater as a kitchen manager who openly despises the illegal Mexican workers in his kitchen.

• Bukowski: Born in to This - There is a morbidly fascinating fly-on-the-wall vibe that pervades John Dullaghan's profile of the late Beat writer Charles Bukowski, a base familiarity that parallels the Ham On Rye author's own inimitable hard-lived life and style. Epic in scope (and length), first-time director Dullaghan compiles dozens of meticulously screened hours of archival footage, coupling the best of it with new interviews with Bukowski survivors to present a terrifically real character study of a little-studied real character. The watchable Chuck-alike Happy Hour, starring Anthony LaPaglia as a booze-addled writer, is also just out.

You know how every now and then all the geeks in a particular area gather together, often in costume, to celebrate their geekiness with one another while paying homage to some particular element of geekdom? They call them "conventions," typically. Well the official Lord of the Rings convention is having its way with Pasadena, California this month* (the 20th-22nd); and true to convention form, its got some pretty neat features lined up for the hobbit-clad fans that attend. The convention will feature appearances by actors  Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, Miranda Otto and John Noble, and will also be screening a full lineup of outtakes from all three films. This bit, I think, sounds like a grand time. Given the cast, I imagine that a full on LotR outtakes reel could be quite amusing.

Although I do revel in my geekdom, cons aren't usually my scene. I poke gentle fun at the people who attend- but rest assured that I love you guys. Even the ones dressed as orcs. You are, after all, my people. If you are interested, you can dig the full details of the One Ring Celebration here.

 *thanks to sharp eyed-reader Lith for catching my mistake on the date.