Ralph Fiennes

Has thinking in 140 characters and rapid fire text messages caused the pillars of our language to crumble? Actor Ralph Fiennes thinks so, as he recently told reporters at the BFI London Film Festival Awards.

Ralph, whose directorial debut of Shakespeare's Coriolanus premiered at the film festival, said the communication technologies that have helped to bridge communities around the globe may also result in the end of the poetic speech and intricate words of yore. "I think we're living in a time when our ears are attuned to a flattened and truncated sense of our English language, so this always begs the question, is Shakespeare relevant?" He went on to blame the erosion of language on the "world of truncated sentences, soundbites, and Twitter."

Do you think Ralph has a point? Are social networks responsible for sloppy sentence structure and monosyllabic words?

William Shakespeare's Coriolanus is getting quite an update in Ralph Fiennes's action take on the story. Fiennes is making his directorial debut and starring in the title role of the film, based on Shakespeare's war tragedy of a Roman general who is exiled by his people despite his military successes. The angry soldier rises back up (for a time, anyway) thanks to an uneasy alliance with Aufidius (Gerard Butler). Though Fiennes's version of Coriolanus appears to take place in modern time, the characters use Shakespeare's original dialogue.

It all makes for a pretty epic, heart-pounding preview with an intensely intimidating Fiennes at the forefront. I'm a big fan of Shakespeare adaptations that think outside the box, so I'm eager to check this one out. Jessica Chastain, Vanessa Redgrave, and Brian Cox also star. Watch the trailer when you read more

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• Ralph Fiennes is set to direct The Invisible Woman —Total Film
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I marks the beginning of the end: the final chapters in the big screen adaptation of J.K. Rowling's phenomenal book series. Rabid fans have been waiting for this with bated breath, ready to soak up the final hours with characters they've been bonding with for years. Seeing the final book brought to life will be enough to bring devotees back to the theater for multiple viewings, but the good news is that Deathly Hallows Part I is emotionally gripping, intensely horrifying, and utterly engrossing. In other words, it's a great movie in its own right.

Gone are the games of Quidditch and eventful rides on the Hogwarts express. After Dumbledore's death, Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and his army of dark wizards (the Death Eaters) have regained control. They've gone beyond the magical world and have started to terrorize the "Muggles" (non-wizard folk) as well. Determined to wipe out anyone who isn't a pureblood wizard, the Death Eaters have taken to cruel and ruthless methods that are reminiscent of the Holocaust. At their helm, Voldemort will not rest until he's finally destroyed the only wizard who still stands in his path to ruling the world: Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe).

Harry isn't safe anywhere, so he sets off into hiding with his best friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). His only chance at survival (and saving the wizarding world), is to destroy Voldemort, but it's not as easy as a simple spell. He must find and destroy the seven pieces of Voldemort's soul before the final showdown with the dark wizard himself, which proves to be an emotionally taxing adventure that's both exhilarating and terrifying. For more on why you should see it, just keep reading.

I was pumped earlier today to see the new photos of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, so now I'm just straight overjoyed to have a real life trailer! And is it ever intense. That's actually kind of an understatement for a preview that consists of spine-tingling images, menacing music, and a few lines of dialogue spoken by Voldemort.

There's footage from both parts of the films, with the first installment set to come out Nov. 19. It has me feeling like I need to reread the final Harry Potter book, but mostly I feel just completely, ridiculously excited. Watch it yourself when you read more

Since Clash of the Titans is ultimately a film about history — mythology, at least — let's examine the film's own past, shall we? The original defined campy with a young Harry Hamlin in a toga, Laurence Olivier as the almighty Zeus, and a mix of stop-motion moving creatures that are about as technologically advanced as you get in 1981.

In the film, demigod Perseus is given the task of killing the Kraken, a giant sea monster out to destroy the town of Argos — or devour Perseus's lady love — unless our hero can kill it. It includes a strange mix of Greek myths melded together for a semblance of a plot, yet it's okay, because you feel like it's supposed to be ridiculous. But flash forward to 2010, and the new slicked out (and surprise, 3D!) Clash of the Titans maintains a serious tone with the exception of a few forced jokes, ultimately missing out on most of its predecessor's sense of fun. To see what I mean, read more

It seems like Ricky Gervais is everywhere these days, and it's not for nothing: the man has been really utilizing his range of talents, from hosting the Golden Globes to developing an animated series for HBO. Now we get a peek at some of the fruits of his labor with the trailer for Cemetery Junction. Gervais wrote and directed the film with Stephen Merchant, and makes an appearance as well (though he's not the central focus this time around).

The movie centers around Christian Cooke as Freddie Taylor, a 20-something who's looking for more from life than his job at an insurance company in the '70s. It looks like a coming-of-age film about Freddie and his friends as they wrestle to find their paths in life and love, depending on each other along the way. The trailer definitely has a British feel to it — from the dry humor to "All the Young Dudes" playing in the background — but see it for yourself when you read more

"If The Hurt Locker is not the best action movie of the summer, I'll blow up my car." — A.O. Scott, New York Times.

All of a sudden, I really want to see The Hurt Locker. For one thing, this movie is getting incredibly positive reviews, with most critics noting that this may be the first movie about the Iraq war that audiences will actually enjoy. For another, it sounds suspenseful and action-packed — like, blow-your-mind-and-your-eardrums style. And for a third, it's already gotten some recognition before it even hits theaters in the form of two Independent Spirit Awards nominations. Here's a description:

[The Hurt Locker is] an intense portrayal of elite soldiers who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: disarming bombs in the heat of combat. When a new sergeant, James, takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team amidst violent conflict, he surprises his two subordinates, Sanborn and Eldridge, by recklessly plunging them into a deadly game of urban combat.

The movie stars Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie and also features Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, and Evangeline Lilly. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow (Point Break), The Hurt Locker opens in New York and LA today and will hit another group of cities July 10. This trailer's definitely worth a watch, and you can check it out when you read more