Already the most intriguing movie in Marvel's Phase 2, Guardians of the Galaxy just keeps getting more interesting as casting progresses.

With production set to being in June for an August 1, 2014 release, the science-fiction adventure has found an actor to play the mysterious villain.  That actor is none other than Lee Pace.

Phase 2 is continuing along without a hitch.  Iron Man 3's about to hit theaters, Thor: The Dark World has a teaser poster, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier is now shooting.

But what of the only pre-The Avengers 2 Phase 2 movie that's not a sequel? 

Guardians of the Galaxy is gearing up to start production in England this June, according to director James Gunn, who is offering new insight on how his film will be different from its Marvel brethren, the influence of Star Wars, the look and sound of Rocket Raccoon, and what makes Chris Pratt the man to play Peter Quill, leader of the Guardians.

Guardians of the Galaxy is getting Rookered.

Michael Rooker is joining the cast of Marvel Studios' Phase 2 non-sequel, which will be the most distinctly sci-fi of all its films so far.

After becoming a hugely-discussed home for transcendent televised drama series with Mad Men and Breaking Bad, cable network AMC surprised a whole lot of people The Walking Dead, a large-scale apocalyptic zombie tale based on the comic book by Robert Kirkman.  Despite initial trepidation from many potential viewers, the series premiere dropped last Halloween to huge ratings and widespread acclaim.  Directed by showrunner and The Shawshank Redemption helmer Frank Darabont, the premiere boasted the polish and sophistication of any feature film, and the bonus features included on the impending Blu-ray and DVD release of the first season provide insight into the production. 

A behind-the-scenes clip entitled 'We Are the Walking Dead' has made its way online, and it shows Darabont appraising an under-construction Abrams tank interior, as well as KNB Effects mastermind and consulting producer Greg Nicotero showing off the tremendous varieties of corpses.  There's even a look at "zombie school."

When Superman first debuted in Action Comics #1 all of 73 years ago, writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster could not imagine that their creation would mark the beginning of an age of super heroes which would extend well into the 21st Century and permeate the popular culture and the collective American imagination for decades.  Over the last three decades in the pages of the comic books from which these spandex-clad heroes originally sprang, super heroes have evolved to include self-aware, postmodern spins on the genre. 

Comic book movies have reigned supreme for the last decade, this self-awareness has fully arrived in theaters with films that place their heroes in new tonal context.  In 2002, well before Kick-Ass, James Gunn wrote a screenplay titled Super, about a normal man who decides to take on crime as Crimson Bolt.  After multiple attempts to get the film off the ground, Super finally arrived this year, starring Rain Wilson, Liv Tyler, Ellen Page, Kevin Bacon, and Andre Royo.  Gunn, who got his start writing for the gleefully down-and-dirty Troma Pictures and moved on to script the Dawn of the Dead remake, The Specials, and Scooby Doo, made his feature directorial debut with Slither in 2006. 

In an exclusive interview with IAR managing editor Jami Philbrick at San Diego Comic-Con last month, Gunn talked about writing and directing Super, which brings his wickedly unique sensibilities to a riff on comic books, comedy, and vigilantism, complete with shocking violence and ultra-phallic tentacles.

Not too long ago, we posted clip from Super, the down and dirty crime fighting flick from writer-director James Gunn.  In that every-shade-of-crazy clip, ultra-phallic tentacles sliced open the brain of Rainn Wilson's character, enlightening him with the idea to become a superhero known as The Crimson Bolt.  Well, the boys over at Twitchfilm have posted the two-and-a-half minute animated title sequence from Super, and it's as deliciously nutty as you'd expect.  Check out the infectious combination of simple animation, power-pop musicality, and neon-bright ultraviolence, right here.

Before you even think about watching this clip from Super, the down-and-dirty superhero comedy from writer-director James Gunn, be warned that it contains imagery that is graphic, to say the very least.  The minute-long clip, which debuted over at Coming Soon, is a variation on the classic cartoon 'lightbulb' moment, offering an imaginative illustration of Rainn Wilson's character having a revelatory idea.  Rather than a lightbulb, though, Gunn slimy phallic tentacles, revoltingly up-close gore, and the hand of God.  Check out the clip, unless you're squeamish.

The Walking Dead are among us! And it seems that people are pretty darn excited about it. The AMC’s 90-minute series premiere of "The Walking Dead" kicked all sorts of butt on Halloween night. This zombie series had the largest numbers in AMC history, which means it surpassed both "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad". Yet that is not all, an estimated 5.3 million viewers tuned in to make it the largest 18-49 audience of any series premiere on any cable channel this year.

This weekend, moviegoers will be introduced to another nightmarish monster from the mind of Wes Craven, The Riverton Ripper! A vicious serial killer who died many years ago who has seemingly found a teenage host, thanks to the seven children born the day he died. You can see Craven’s latest, My Soul to Take for yourself when it opens today at a theatre near you.

In Part 2 of our look at Cinematic Serial Killer Psychos, we find the five most terrifying and messed up silver screen slashers. While some may not surprise you, our number one pick is a rarely seen cult classic… but a must-see it is!

Among the handful of big winners at TIFF this year when it comes to distribution, writer-director James Gunn is certainly up there.  His latest flick entitled Super spawned an all-night bidding war after a successful midnight premiere where IFC won out.  The dark comedy stars Rainn Wilson as a misfit superhero who lacks any heroic skills.  Wilson stars alongside Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, Kevin Bacon and the always badass, Michael Rooker.