Comic heroes collaborate

One of the great joys of the Marvel Comics universe was the way characters would happily flit from one title to another.

Every now and then, Thor would take tea with Sub Mariner. From time to time, Dr Strange would catch a movie with Deathlok the Demolisher. Now that Marvel has its own movie arm, the company has decided that the practice will continue on the big screen. Robert Downey jnr, star of the forthcoming Iron Man, is to make a cameo appearance in the equally forthcoming Incredible Hulk.

On a related issue, Reel News would, using the language of the comic book nerd, like to identify the current Iron Man promo as the best trailer ever.

Would you like to attend the European premiere of Martin Scorsese's upcoming Rolling Stones documentary Shine a Light next Wednesday? Well you can't. But, if you live within a big, fat tongue's length of Cineworld in Dublin's Parnell Street or the Irish Film Institute in Temple Bar, then you can marvel as the event, which takes place in London's Leicester Square, is beamed live into the auditorium. Tickets are currently on sale and each attendee will receive a limited-edition T-shirt.

If it's sold out, then remember You Can't Always Get What You Want. There are other ways of getting Satisfaction. That's just the way the Tumbling Dice fall. (And so on.)

Polish films on Irish tour

The excellent Polish Film Club would like it to be known that their latest presentation, Andrzej Jakimowski's highly praised Sztuczki (Tricks), is currently touring the country. Over the next few weeks, the film, an odd comedy, will find its way to such varied climes as Cork, Dún Laoghaire and Mullingar. Sztuczki will be supported by Changes, a short film by Lorcan Finnegan, featuring Polish subtitles. Check out the club's well-designed website for further details. www.polishfilmclub.com

Breaks for the Borders

As part of the month-long Creative Borders Arts Showcase, Peter Sheridan, the veteran writer and director, will be the guest speaker at Crossing Borders: New Directors Debut on April 3rd at the Droichead Arts Centre in Drogheda. "At the showcase, we will screen short films demonstrating the talent of film-makers from the Border region," Fiona Ashe, director of the event, told us. There will also be an opportunity for these film-makers to network with specially-invited funders, producers and distributors. For more information, contact the Creative Enterprise Office on 042-9396948 or check out www.ceoclub.ie

Lucas strikes back at criticism

Are wounds inflicted following the release of The Phantom Menace still seeping poison into George Lucas's tiny metabolism? The question is prompted by remarks he made last week concerning the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

"When you do a movie like this - a sequel that's very, very anticipated - people anticipate ultimately that it's going to be the second coming," Lucas told USA Today. "And it's not. It's just a movie. Just like the other movies. You probably have fond memories of the other movies. But if you went back and looked at them, they might not hold up the same way your memory holds up."

Hang on. The Phantom Menace wasn't anything like the other movies. It was like a pile of rotting faeces.