With the fall film season now in full swing, I’m 100% ashamed to admit that I’ve yet to see two of my most anticipated fall films: Moneyball and 50/50. Now, I have every intention of ending this charade at some point this weekend but, for now, I hope you’ll give me a pass. If I’ve still yet to check them out when we meet here next week, I’ll understand if you choose to revoke my “mildly credible film blogger” credentials. In the meantime…

…In this week’s “Top 5″ installment, you can find all of our Fantastic Fest 2011 coverage. After that, interviews abound with the cast of Jonathan Levine’s dramedy 50/50, the cast, creators, and real-life inspiration for Machine Gun Preacher, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance director Brian Taylor, and Thor/The Avengers‘ Tom Hiddleston. Check out a brief recap and link to each after the jump.

At this year’s Toronto Film Festival, I was able to speak with Sam Childers and screenwriter Jason Keller about director Marc Forster’s Machine Gun Preacher.   The movie is based on the real-life story of Childers (played by Gerard Butler), a former drug-dealer who turned his life around and now devotes his time to saving kidnapped and orphaned children in Sudan.  The film also stars Michelle Monaghan and Michael Shannon.  It’s a hell of a story and one that I’m glad got told.  You can watch some clips here.

During the interview, they talked about how much is based on real events and how much was Hollywoodized, the way they worked together to get everything right, the current status of things in Sudan, and the way regular folks can help out.  Hit the jump to watch.

Marc Forster’s drama Machine Gun Preacher has finally gotten its start date as well as some new co-stars.  Gerard Butler was already set to star as Sam Childers, a biker and drug dealer who found religion and fought against rebels in Uganda and the Sudan who kidnapped kids and forced them into lives of sex slavery or turned them into child soldiers.  According to Deadline, Lionsgate and Mandate International will distribute the film, and shooting will begin sometime this summer.  Michelle Monaghan will co-star as Sam Childers’ wife Lynn, who stays behind in Detroit while her husband goes to Africa to build an orphanage.  Michael Shannon is reportedly in talks to play a friend of Childers.  Marc Forster, Gary Safady, Craig Chapman, Robbie Brenner and Debora Giarranta will produce based on Jason Keller’s script, which is based on Sam Childers’ memoir.  Michelle Monaghan can next be seen in Sofia Coppola’s next film Somewhere and in Todd Phillips’ Due Date.

For a look at the real Sam Childers, hit the jump: