MY MOVIE WEEKwith Mike Shaw

» It’s never good when someone in cinema dies (in real life, as opposed to in a film, obviously) but it’s especially sad when that person is someone who has made a connection with you, whether they know it or not.

The director of one of my top 10 films of all time, Sidney Lumet, died last weekend, aged 86. His very first feature was the incredible jury room drama 12 Angry Men, a film which has a coveted spot in my top 10.

It’s not like he was a one-hit wonder though, and Lumet went on to make The Verdict, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon and the incendiary, prophetic, newsroom satire Network.

Even though he was nominated for five Oscars, he never won one, but was given an honorary award in 2005. Robert Redford has an Academy Award for Best Director, but Sidney Lumet doesn’t? Something in the universe went very wrong. If you haven’t seen a Lumet film in a while (or at all), buy/rent/download one this weekend. You won’t regret it.

» I love how every week we have more and more details about the new Superman film, and now we know who the baddie is. Reprising the role made famous by Terence Stamp in Superman II, Michael Shannon will be playing evil Kryptonian General Zod.

Michael Shannon has appeared in Vanilla Sky, 8 Mile and Sidney Lumet’s last film, 2007’s Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead, but is probably best-known for his Oscar-nominated performance in Sam Mendes’ Revolutionary Road. He has also been on screens recently in the Martin Scorsese-produced TV series Boardwalk Empire.

Superman: Man of Steel director Zack Snyder said: “Zod is not only one of Superman’s most formidable enemies, but one of the most significant because he has insights into Superman that others don’t. Michael is a powerful actor who can project both the intelligence and malice of the character, making him perfect for the role.”

Cinema gods, please, please, pleeeeeeease let Snyder have Shannon say: “KNEEL BEFORE ZOD.”

» Mel Gibson was famously sacked from The Hangover 2 after another racist tirade and replaced by Liam Neeson. However, due to the Irish actor not being available for reshoots, he’s now been replaced too, so instead of an A-lister, people who go to see the film will be treated to the acting stylings of Nick Cassavetes, otherwise known as the director of The Notebook.

Director Todd Phillips, said: “We were in a complete time crunch so I called up Nick and asked if he would do the part. He came in and crushed it and that is the scene that you will ultimately see in the film. (I’m excited for everyone) to see the film. It turned out great.”

I know what you’re thinking, but losing a Hollywood star then recasting and shooting new scenes just five weeks before the movie opens is a good sign. It means the jokes will be fresh.

» Charlie Sheen has taken his slow descent into madness onto the road and is performing one-man shows across the US; shows which appear to be little more than rambling soliloquies based on his Tweets. Unsurprisingly, it turns out that having an obviously damaged man rant at you for the best part of two hours isn’t as fun as reading 140 character missives on a screen from the comfort of your own home.

Depending on which reviews you read, his shows to date have either been terrible, or completely terrible. Entertainment Weekly said: “It was an aimless and slovenly disaster, with the crowd taking less than 20 minutes to turn on him. And once they did, the boos and the catcalls just kept slowly escalating.”

While writing this, reports of another show which was slightly better were trickling in, but based on the previous reviews “slightly better” could just mean he didn’t soil himself on stage.