In the innocence of childhood fantasy, lives the darkness of reality.

Bringing into question which is more horrifying: monsters of the imagination or the history of human violence.

Trapped in the middle of nowhere, well the history of her country unfolds around her, a young girl's only respite is the fantasy life she falls innocently into. Only semi-conscious of the fact that everything she discovers isn't wholly real, but a twisted circus mirror reflection of here life as it is, and that very soon she will have to decide what she truly believes in and what is worth fighting for.

With Pan's Labyrinth(El Laberinto del Fauno), Guillermo Del Toro has added another feather in his film makers cap. Like his previous spanish language films, Cronos and The Devil's Backbone, Del Toro weaves a fantastical tale around real human emotion and drama. Wheres as most modern filmmakers use fx as a crutch to tell simplistic stories, Del Toro uses them as another tool in his arsenal to engulf you in his worlds. He is a storyteller in an industry that has quickly become all about the Big picture and not the subtle nuances.

In the 1950's, there were any number of oddball comic book characters created. There were Mer-people, Robots of any shape and size, guys trapped in Gorilla bodies, Gods and Goddesses galore, and even a space faring hero from....Uranus. And to battle this bizarre assemblage of heroes are monsters of all kinds, the ubiquitous Nazis and stereotypical "oriental" villains like the Yellow Claw. Amongst all this craziness, daring feats were undertaken and the day was won over and over. Alas, like a neglected plant starved for nourishment and attention they die, so to did most of these bizarre concepts, left to languish in the obscurity of their checkered past, until now.

Enter the Marvel Comics mini-series, Agents of Atlas(AoA), recently completing its six issue run. Written by Jeff Parker with art by Leonard Kirk. AoA tells the story of those oddball concepts re-introduced into modern times, and given a place in the Marvel Universe of today. Mixing high adventure of yesteryear with modern day super heroics, AoA maintains a nice balance of nostalgia without coming off corny or dated.

The story starts off with a flashback to when these characters worked together as a team, before their eventual disbanding. We are then shown that the preceding story were reminiscences of Gorilla Man, being interviewed by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. They then explain that the original teams leader, Jimmy Woo, led a squad of agents against a shady company called Atlas and was the only survivor. Gorilla man is then shown Woo, laying brain dead in an infirmary. Suddenly a robot crashes through the wall and assists gorilla man in taking woo and escaping in a flying saucer. Thats just the first issue

The storyline soon revolves around a simple premise, the gathering of a team. This helps to get readers up to speed on these older characters, where they come from and what they can do. Included with the older characters is a new face, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent from Wakanda, Derek Khanata. Khanata was investigating Woo's failed mission, and is a really good stand-in for the reader, experiencing all this super hero business for the first time. He gets caught up, with the rest of this odd team in the search for answers about Atlas, while evading S.H.I.E.L.D. The story takes many twists and turns, as allegiance waver, relationships are formed and enemies are rediscovered. All this leads to a fantastic ending, that makes perfect sense.

As if the story wasn't amazing enough, the art is perfect. Leonard Kirk out does himself on every page. Whether it be an intense action scene, or talking heads, Kirk knows how to move the "camera" around. Each scene flows perfectly to the next, without ever confusing the reader. The art style is very simple, yet detailed. Heavy doses of black help to add a noirish feel when needed. At the same time the art can be open and bright, to showcase these fantastic people and places. Assisting Kirk with inking is Kris Justice and brilliant coloring by Michelle Madsen.

If your in the mood for a cracking good yarn, dressed in modern day sensibilities, or hankering for times past when a new idea showed up on every other page, then Agents of Atlas is for you.

!Review may contain spoilers!

Vincent Cassel should never again be aloud to freak me out, it's unhealthy...for us. He does just that in Sheitan, out now on DVD. A movie mindfuck that's reminiscent of early survivor, horror movies like Friday the 13th and The Hills Have Eyes. Basic setup: a group of inept, young adults find themselves in increasingly bizarre situations and over stay their welcome, and...well...that would be telling.

Okay, you twisted our arms, we'll tell you a bit to snack on. Sheitan is a french movie, directed by Kim Chapiron, that tells a seedy tale of a backwards french town and the sickening rituals one family goes through in preparing for childbirth. Tossed into this dark creepfest are a few oblivious french partiers. They decide to follow a girl to her home in the countryside, and soon they can't escape fast enough. Can they make it? Do you even want them to?

The look is as dirty as the characters. Autumn colours infest the film, creating rusty backdrops and dirt-caked townies. Occasionally the film work veers off course and loses track of its story, but eventually it gets back on course. Not a spectacular film by any means, but there are a few choice camera moves and sequences that use modern techniques and flair.

Story lacks in many ways, quite often confusing, and frequently awkward; but that's not where the fun is. This movie really belongs to Joseph (Vincent Cassel). He is a dark force of quiet madness; an unhinged feeling permeates his every scene. Even when he is doing little more than smiling, you are constantly on edge. When he appears, he may shower affection or rain violence. To say that Cassel excelled in the role is an understatement, he literally is the movie. Had Cassel not gone all out in this role, the movie wouldn't have been a joy (and a nightmare) to watch.

To buy or rent is up to you and your tastes, we think this flick deserves at least a rent. Though it strays off course at times, Vincent Cassel always brings you back. In the end, we really do want Cassel to freak us out, and you will too.

!Review may contain spoilers!

Playing out in a dystopian future, Children of Men,based on the novel by P.D. James, says everything worth mentioning, as humanity is faced with it's own mortality. Clive Owen is Theo, a man who's lost his faith in life and is content to sleepwalk through his days. By chance or fate, he is given a purpose--protect Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey), the first pregnant woman in the past 18 years.

Children of Men does a wonderful job in capturing the essence of such a catastrophe. Countries topple, governments call marshal law to reduce hysteria, anti-government and political groups form, people fight and die for an overall lost cause, industries for suicide and mass anti-depressants open up, people cling to their religions to pray and finger point, and every single person must deal with the situation in their own way. In the midsts of the chaos, Kee and her unborn child are a symbol of hope, as well as a lightning rod for political ideologues.

The acting is above par in most instances. All the main roles are flawlessly played out, but at times, supporting roles seem more like caricatures than people. Questioning the slights of over dramatic acting, two conclusions arise: bad acting or reasonable reaction. Considering suspension-of-disbelief was not broken because of this slight; conclusion is reasonable reaction. Who wouldn't go a little crazy when the end of the human race rides on one's own death?

Of special note is the Directing ( Alfonso Cuaron) and Cinematography (Emmanuel Lubezki). Filmed in very abysmal greys and blues, the overall feel is of an oppressed world, a society on the edge of extinction. Adding to the realism is the hand-held camera work by George Richmond, which is superb and well thought out; it engrosses the viewer into the very moment. One could almost feel the placement of each step and sense the racing heart beats and desperation. While some shots are static to help maintain a focus on dialogue and exposition, many scenes take on a documentary feel. Although this technique has been done ad nauseum in recent years, here it is perfectly integrated into the film so as not to distract but to involve. The film also includes a few startling and impressively long scenes with no visible cuts, clever camera positioning, and subtle use of special effects.

Many of the actions done and topics mentioned may not be popular, and as a whole, no one will find Children of Men a fairy tail. The violence and the rational for the violence is not over the top and never hushed. The social commentary is also hard and unkind, but there's bits lightness and occasionally gentle gestures--quite fitting, coming from the children of men.