Total Film magazine Issue 194

This month, Christian Bale’s Batman marks the end of an era and makes a stand as our coverstar.

Inside, he heads up our coverage of the final instalment in Christopher Nolan’s epic saga, and we chat to all the key talent involved in The Dark Knight Rises to ensure that the Caped Crusader gets a fitting send off.

And you may have heard that we’ve launched a brand new interactive iPad edition of Total Film . Get the historic first issue for the special launch price of only £1.99 - that's half price! But hurry, the offer's only valid for two weeks from 11 - 25 May. Head here for all you need to know about the iPad version.

Fans of the good old-fashioned paper edition need not worry – this version ain’t going anywhere! Like the look of that coverline free subscribers-only cover? Well, subscribe to Total Film magazine then!

The Last Crusade…

Some four years after The Dark Knight crushed box office records, Batman is back for a final mission.

Dream team Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan bring a few tantalising new additions along for the blowout, including Tom Hardy’s hulking Bane, and Anne Hathaway’s murkily moraled Catwoman.

Come behind the masks with us for full coverage on the most anticipated film of the year.

And if our Dark Knight Rises coverage has you nostalgic for all things pointy-eared, join us for a comprehensive celebration of the best of the Bat on screen.

Our essential guide examines the past, present and future of Batman, as we look at the highs and lows of Batman’s 73 years of crime fighting.

Tim Burton explains why he was drawn to the Dark Knight, and the Bat Baddies face a line-up in our rogues gallery. Exclusive unseen shots from the sets of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight offer a thrilling glimpse of the magic in the making.

In Buzz this month, we get our hands on James Bond’s signature PPK on the set of Skyfall , talk Red Tails with George Lucas protégé Anthony Hemingway, and round-up the biggest animated movies headed your way.

And we also find time for exclusive chats with Edgar Wright, Luke Evans and Cillian Murphy.

Meanwhile, in Agenda we profile the next action hero, Liam Hemsworth, place our bets for the hottest flicks in Cannes 2012 , and talk cult flicks, ass-kicking superheroes and sex symbol status with Scarlett Johansson.

Genre-hopper Emily Blunt proves that she’s the sharpest girl in Hollywood, as we catch up with her in LA ahead of the release of The Five-Year Engagement , Looper and Your Sister’s Sister .

The disarmingly charming Brit also tells us about her ideal superhero role, after coming so close to playing Marvel’s Black Widow.

He’s Mad Men ’s Don Draper, TV’s most iconic character. But can Jon Hamm ‘pull a Clooney’ and make the leap to big screen stardom?

About to star for/with partner Jennifer Westfeldt in Friends With Kids , the former teacher opens up about his humble beginnings, remembers countless rejections and contemplates a future directing.

TF meets the voice of a generation on the set of Ill Manors , the directorial debut of rapper Ben Drew (better known as Plan B).

On a rough council estate tucked away behind Stratford in east London, we discover how Drew is making himself heard in a whole new medium.

Admit it: we’ve all been there. Idly daydreaming, you concoct an idea for a movie so delicious it’d ignite a bidding war between Ridley Scott and James Cameron.

But how do you sell it? With PitchFest, a sort of speed dating for screenplays. We join the wannabes hoping to strike box-office gold.

In the front row of Screen this month sits Dark Shadows , as we assess the latest collaboration between cinematic best buds Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. Plus, we give you are official verdict on all of the new releases, including a Will Ferrell’s Spanish adventure, Simon Pegg’s A Fantastic Fear Of Everything , and a certain horror film that’s been awarded five big bright shining stars.

And in Lounge, we give a penetrating reassessment of Michael Fassbender in Shame , asking why the sex-addict drama and Oscar make such incompatible bedfellows. Culty smashes Martha Marcy May Marlene and Chronicle are just two of the films we take another look at ahead of their home entertainment releases.

After almost 20 years in movies, Matthew McConaughey is entering the hottest streak of his career.

One of the most loquacious interviewees to ever bend Total Film ’s ear, the laid-back ladies’ man waxes lyrical on everything from his sleazy turn in Killer Joe to the thought of his shirtless torso projected onto a 40ft tall cinema screen for Magic Mike .

Elegantly tracing the ups and downs of his career, McConaughy makes for a frank and fascinating raconteur.