Gabe Toro, Author at The Playlist

Remake Of Psychosexual F*cked-Up Classic Given PG-13 Treatment: ‘Hellraiser’ For The Kiddies!

Gabe Toro — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 21:32:00 +0000

PG-13-ifying adult-centric horror classics doesn’t necessarily mean debasing what made the original so great. Given the MPAA’s weird post-millennial bloodlust, releasing John Carpenter’s original “Halloween” today could probably earn the film a PG-13, provided those damaging bare breasts were concealed. And it’s more exciting to consider scares without an explicit focus on blood and gore, so a hypothetical PG-13 remake of something like “Friday the 13th” would sound both incredibly dumb and slightly interesting, given that the restrictive rating might promise a new emphasis on ideas, concepts, and scares that last beyond opening night.

Continue reading Remake Of Psychosexual F*cked-Up Classic Given PG-13 Treatment: ‘Hellraiser’ For The Kiddies! at The Playlist.

Weekend Box Office: The Marketplace Is A Total ‘Jackass’

Gabe Toro — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 15:05:00 +0000

It’s been a rough year. With the recession ending for some people (not us!), the divisions caused by inane topics like the mosque in downtown Manhattan and the specter of doom hanging over us in the shape of the GOP’s return to power, audiences have to feel pummeled by DEADLY SERIOUS ISSUES. What better time for a “Jackass” movie to come along? The opening number reflects the fact that demand probably wasn’t that much higher than for previous installments – the 3D surcharge plus the huge Friday numbers that trailed off, suggest as much.

Continue reading Weekend Box Office: The Marketplace Is A Total ‘Jackass’ at The Playlist.

New ‘Superman’ To Deal With Supes’ Early Days?

Gabe Toro — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 16:27:00 +0000

Speaking to the French press while promoting “Legend of the Guardians,” new “Superman” director Zack Snyder may have spilled the beans on what the plot may entail. If a shaky French translation is to be trusted, we’re going to be blessed with yet another origin story.

According to Snyder, “As I have already explained, the film will focus on the early days of Superman, so there will be no links with other films.

Continue reading New ‘Superman’ To Deal With Supes’ Early Days? at The Playlist.

Exclusive: Larry Fessenden Talks Aborted ‘Orphanage’ Remake; Hopes To Work With Guillermo del Toro Again

Gabe Toro — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 22:04:00 +0000

We sat down and talked with horror auteur Larry Fessenden this week to discuss his 25 year retrospective for Glass Eye Pix, his indie horror production shingle, taking place at the ReRun Gastropub theater in Brooklyn; an excellent two-week retrospective that runs October 22 – November 4.

During our lengthy interview, he discussed the now-dead collaboration with Guillermo del Toro, a remake of “The Orphanage” that he has since departed. The issues? Evidently the same struggles scores of filmmakers point to when working on remakes.

Continue reading Exclusive: Larry Fessenden Talks Aborted ‘Orphanage’ Remake; Hopes To Work With Guillermo del Toro Again at The Playlist.

Review: ‘Conviction’ Is A TV-Like Legal Thriller Anchored On Finding A Box

Gabe Toro — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:30:00 +0000

It’s important to have a fresh perspective on every film. With a number of films being released each week, the insight into why they were made and what they say about our society is invaluable, even if the major studios have done their part to crush the auteur theory. That is no such consolation for us regarding “Conviction,” however, a film with familiar missteps, one that fails to connect in a manner we should all be familiar with.

Continue reading Review: ‘Conviction’ Is A TV-Like Legal Thriller Anchored On Finding A Box at The Playlist.

Should This Be Made? ‘Outlander’ And ‘Scarpetta’

Gabe Toro — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 02:44:00 +0000

Consider this a weekly look at whether these big studio project should be crowding multiplexes or not. If we had our way, everything would be French, in black and white, with Asia Argento smoking cigarettes, naked, but we often try to look at matters in the eyes of the major studios. They have feelings too, you know.

This week: two female-led best-sellers.Click here for last week’s installment.
“Outlander”
Who‘s Behind It: Essential Pictures, screenwriter Randall Wallace, Katherine Heigl
What Is It?: Based on the best-selling series of books, the “Outlander” chronicles concern a British WWII nurse who is able to slip back and forth between her world and the battlefield of 18th century Scotland, where she falls for her ideal mate amidst war.

Continue reading Should This Be Made? ‘Outlander’ And ‘Scarpetta’ at The Playlist.

Adrien Brody Discusses Potential ‘Predators’ Sequel, ‘Ant-Man’ Rumors

Gabe Toro — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 22:32:00 +0000

That Adrien Brody sure gets around, doesn’t he? Since winning Best Actor for “The Pianist,” Brody has probably had the busiest post-Oscar decade of any previous winner. Not all the work has been great, but it’s certainly been diverse, and he’s worked with a number of huge names. And yet, “Predators” stood out as a definite gamble, a strong detour turn into action hero mode. Might we see him do it again?

Speaking at New York Comic Con, Brody chatted up another potential installment in the series.

Continue reading Adrien Brody Discusses Potential ‘Predators’ Sequel, ‘Ant-Man’ Rumors at The Playlist.

NYFF ’10 Review: ‘Hereafter,’ Plus New Photos From The Clint Eastwood Mortality Drama

Gabe Toro — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 17:46:00 +0000

In “Hereafter,” three stories of mortality are told. The first one we learn concerns Marie (Cecile de France), a journalist on vacation in Indonesia. The movie has barely begun when she is swept up in a violent tsunami, one that fulfills the bloodless requirement for PG-13, but is otherwise absolutely harrowing. It’s impossible to understand what really happened during the real-life events depicted in the film, but even with computer generated effects, there is a unsettling universal sensation this sequence captures.

Continue reading NYFF ’10 Review: ‘Hereafter,’ Plus New Photos From The Clint Eastwood Mortality Drama at The Playlist.

Kicking Ass And Chewing Bubblegum SANS Sunglasses? Writer Hired For Remake Of John Carpenter’s ‘They Live’

Gabe Toro — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:19:00 +0000

At New York Comic Con, remake happy Strike Entertainment producer Eric Newman took time out from promoting “The Thing” to discuss the company’s plans for John Carpenter’s “They Live.” In the original, Roddy Piper plays a homeless wanderer who finds a batch of sunglasses that help him uncover a global conspiracy led by aliens trying to seduce humans into complacency through Reagan-era capitalism. He then shoots them all in the face.

Apparently, the glasses might not be an integral part of the remake.

Continue reading Kicking Ass And Chewing Bubblegum SANS Sunglasses? Writer Hired For Remake Of John Carpenter’s ‘They Live’ at The Playlist.

Fourth (Fifth?) Posthumous ‘Dragon Tattoo’ Novel Found

Gabe Toro — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:58:00 +0000

Author Stieg Larsson passed away at the age of 50 due to heart attack, shortly before his work would make him a worldwide literary sensation. His three books in the ‘Millennium’ series have become best-sellers in a number of languages, spawning three major Swedish films and an American version coming next winter from David Fincher. Much has been made of Larsson’s intent to publish ten books in the series, detailing the exploits of superjournalist Mikael Blomkvist and his law-breaking sidekick, damaged ward-of-state/hacker Lisbeth Salander.

Continue reading Fourth (Fifth?) Posthumous ‘Dragon Tattoo’ Novel Found at The Playlist.

NYCC ’10 Trailer & Footage First Impressions: ‘Sucker Punch,’ ‘Green Hornet,’ ‘Battle Los Angeles’ & More

Gabe Toro — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:50:00 +0000

In between film panels at the New York Comic Con they showcased a couple of highly anticipated sneak peeks. Here’s what we saw.

“The Green Hornet”
As in a few other conventions, “The Green Hornet” had a presence on the floor, with the Black Beauty car on display for a number of fans. What was different was an entirely new action sequence, with 3D glasses handed out to patrons. In the short scene, Jay Chou as Kato dismantles a number of thugs using his martial arts expertise.

Continue reading NYCC ’10 Trailer & Footage First Impressions: ‘Sucker Punch,’ ‘Green Hornet,’ ‘Battle Los Angeles’ & More at The Playlist.

Gareth Edwards Talks ‘Monsters’ & New Sci-Fi Project With Timur Bekmambetov

Gabe Toro — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:23:00 +0000

At New York Comic Con, Magnet had a panel set up for “Monsters,” with writer-director Gareth Edwards set to unveil the secrets of his super low budget science fiction drama. Little did he realize going in unprepared would be a mistake, as the gregarious first-time filmmaker, who didn’t know if he should use a moderator or not, intended to fly blind, free-associating his way through a discussion of the movie. When the tech department failed, showing clips and footage that was discolored and distorted, Edwards was at a loss, also slowly becoming aware of the film’s low profile amongst the fans gathered in the auditorium to catch a glimpse at his film.

Continue reading Gareth Edwards Talks ‘Monsters’ & New Sci-Fi Project With Timur Bekmambetov at The Playlist.

NYCC ’10 ‘The Thing’ Remake; Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Calls It An “Orgy Of Blood”

Gabe Toro — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:45:00 +0000

“An orgy of blood” was how “The Thing” was described at NY Comic Con by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, one of the stars of the upcoming prequel. The cast, producers and director unspooled a brief teaser for the film for the Comic Con crowd, but it offered very little hint as to what’s going on in the film. It does take place at the Norwegian base seen in John Carpenter’s horror classic, long after inhabitants fell prey to an unseen creature, and cast and crew confirmed it does lead into the Carpenter film.

Continue reading NYCC ’10 ‘The Thing’ Remake; Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Calls It An “Orgy Of Blood” at The Playlist.

Weekend Box Office: Katherine Heigl, Horse Lose To Nerd Entrepeneurs

Gabe Toro — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 19:00:00 +0000

Like a horse race, this weekend had three photo finishers, with a Sunday winner possibly being a bit too premature to call – expect some Monday morning jostling, especially with the holiday. As in many equestrian events, there was a former first place finisher, a starry upstart, and a stoic newcomer with success painted all over its face. And like a few horse races in the past, “Secretariat” was involved.

The Randall Wallace drama, however, was a definite underperformer, and with numbers still in debate, it does look like Disney’s proud thoroughbred is going to bow before last week’s top picture, “The Social Network.” The critically-lauded internet drama has definitely won over a few fair-weather fans with a muscular second weekend hold.

Continue reading Weekend Box Office: Katherine Heigl, Horse Lose To Nerd Entrepeneurs at The Playlist.

NYFF ’10 Reviews: ‘Carlos,’ ‘Oki’s Movie,’ ‘Film Socialisme’

Gabe Toro — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 20:57:00 +0000

The 2010 New York Film Festival wraps up this weekend on October 10, and while you may have read other reviews on these films from Cannes 2010, here’s another take:

“Carlos”
Oliver Assayas hopes you like your counter-revolutionary rebels naked and set to post-punk. The seductive “Carlos,” opening this weekend in truncated form, is a three-part epic detailing the life and affiliations of terrorist networker Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known to many as Carlos the Jackal.

Continue reading NYFF ’10 Reviews: ‘Carlos,’ ‘Oki’s Movie,’ ‘Film Socialisme’ at The Playlist.

NYFF ’10 Review: ‘We Are What We Are’ Is Not The Mexican Cannibal Film You Think It Is

Gabe Toro — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 20:22:00 +0000

In “We Are What We Are,” an urban family decays from within, infected with the sins of the father. His avarice in the face of his family’s compromised social strata has led them to tradition, to ritual. The free market has kicked them out quite literally, their street-side stolen goods stand threatened by fear from the natural aggression of animals backed against a wall. The politics of the small family – a mother, her two sons, and a daughter – have come to the forefront with dad’s departure, but one senses it’s been a long time coming.

Continue reading NYFF ’10 Review: ‘We Are What We Are’ Is Not The Mexican Cannibal Film You Think It Is at The Playlist.

Should This Be Made? ‘Alien Prequel’ And ‘Superman: The Man Of Steel’

Gabe Toro — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:40:00 +0000

Consider this a weekly look at the biggest projects of the week, and whether they should be crowding multiplexes or not. If we had our way, everything would be French, in black and white, with Asia Argento smoking cigarettes, naked, but we often try to look at matters in the eyes of the major studios. They have feelings too, you know.

“Alien” Prequel
Who’s Behind It?: 20th Century Fox, director Ridley Scott, screenwriters Damon Lindelof and Jon Spaights.

Continue reading Should This Be Made? ‘Alien Prequel’ And ‘Superman: The Man Of Steel’ at The Playlist.

Dwayne Johnson & Tyler Perry To Star In ‘Take My Wife’ (Um, No Thanks)

Gabe Toro — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 00:53:00 +0000

A bidding war has erupted for a curious project. Titled “Take My Wife” (oy!), the script, by Greg Coolidge and Kirk Ward, has Dwayne Johnson and Tyler Perry attached to play two corners of a love triangle. See, Perry’s ex-wife is demanding alimony, but he won’t have to pay it unless she finds a new husband. But it’s not enough for Johnson to just enter the picture. Perry has to, ahem, groom him. This premise doesn’t play out in our head without these two locking lips.

Continue reading Dwayne Johnson & Tyler Perry To Star In ‘Take My Wife’ (Um, No Thanks) at The Playlist.

Review: ‘I Spit On Your Grave’ Is A Deadening, Hateful Experience

Gabe Toro — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:35:00 +0000

In “I Spit On Your Grave,” young pageant-ready novelist Jennifer Hills seeks solitude outside city limits, eager to complete construction of her next work. She stops at a gas station, filling up the tank just as a group of local men gawk and linger, objectifying the nubile beauty from what they would consider a faraway land. These locals, covered in lower-class grime and elbow grease, are the malevolent male gaze, and they seek the debasement and the degradation of the young woman not only for who she is, but what she stands for.

Continue reading Review: ‘I Spit On Your Grave’ Is A Deadening, Hateful Experience at The Playlist.

Red-Band Trailer For ‘Faster’ Showcases Slab Of Red Meat Vigilante Justice

Gabe Toro — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:03:00 +0000

Consider us mixed on George Tillman Jr.’s “Faster.” We’re as accepting of old-school vigilante action as much as the next guy. But Tillman’s resume doesn’t inspire confidence, as he’s had a forgettable career of very few highlights. Then there’s Dwayne Johnson, a personality we like who has otherwise been forced to star in a series of children’s pictures that made us wonder if the former wrestler was interested in his calling, that being middle-to-lowbrow tough guy actioners.

Continue reading Red-Band Trailer For ‘Faster’ Showcases Slab Of Red Meat Vigilante Justice at The Playlist.

Review: ‘Nowhere Boy’ A Suspiciously Anti-Rock ‘N’ Roll Story Of John Lennon

Gabe Toro — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 17:25:00 +0000

The movies trivialize. Unless we’re discussing a once-a-generation feat of filmmaking (not an exaggerated timeline), capturing true stories onscreen minimizes them: the more significant the event, the lesser the film. It’s why most films about historical events and time periods remain successful because they attempt an intimate approach, refocusing the tale history tells with a fly-on-the-wall approach to human drama.

As such, director Sam Taylor-Wood and her collaborators are hamstrung in chronicling the life of John Lennon in “Nowhere Boy.” While there are documents, books and essays, written about the time period when Lennon was a rowdy lad, fans have constructed their own stories about where the titanic troubadour has come from thanks to a staggering body of work left behind, an unimpeachable legacy influencing every pop-centric mind of his generation and beyond.

Continue reading Review: ‘Nowhere Boy’ A Suspiciously Anti-Rock ‘N’ Roll Story Of John Lennon at The Playlist.

Idris Elba Up For ‘Luke Cage’? Or ‘Blade’?

Gabe Toro — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:07:00 +0000

It’s Idris Elba’s world, we’re just living in it. The handsome Brit actor who brought Stringer Bell to life in “The Wire” has done steady work in a diverse collection of films in the last couple of years and is about to explode as the lead in “Cross,” as detective Alex Cross, the star of several hit James Patterson novels. He’s also got a role in next summer’s “Thor,” a Marvel Films production which is expected to cross over into several future films from the company.

Continue reading Idris Elba Up For ‘Luke Cage’? Or ‘Blade’? at The Playlist.

Weekend Box Office: Viewers Log On, Join ‘The Social Network’

Gabe Toro — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 17:50:00 +0000

Reports peg “The Social Network” costing Sony $40-$60 million, which means this number one opening should be more than solid. But then you have to consider prints and advertising – a movie about angry nerds staring at computer screens and occasionally yelling at each other with maximum verbosity doesn’t sell itself. The picture might count as “relevant” and “important” but with a likely costly Oscar campaign coming, Sony’s going to pray this has enough legs to get to $100 million and not settle for $60m.

Continue reading Weekend Box Office: Viewers Log On, Join ‘The Social Network’ at The Playlist.

Emma Stone To Be Offered Mary Jane Role In ‘Spider-Man’ Remake

Gabe Toro — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 21:59:00 +0000

Looks like speculation has ended, with “Easy A” star Emma Stone looking to step into the massive shoes of Kirsten Dunst as Spider-Man’s redhead love interest Mary Jane Watson for Sony’s untitled “Spider-Man” relaunch. Deadline Hollywood has announced that Stone should be expecting an offer very soon to star alongside Andrew Garfield in Marc Webb’s “re-imagining” of the Spidey mythos. Stone has made some good money for Sony with both “Zombieland” and “Easy A,” so it’s no surprise they would pick someone so prominent on their Rolodex.

Continue reading Emma Stone To Be Offered Mary Jane Role In ‘Spider-Man’ Remake at The Playlist.

Opening Moments Of ‘X-Men’ To Be Recreated For ‘First Class’

Gabe Toro — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 21:50:00 +0000

Even after the good folks at Fox skullfucked the continuity of one of their prized franchises, they seemed adamant about making these demented square pegs fit. Bleeding Cool begs to differ, sharing what they’ve learned about a crucial sequence for “X-Men First Class” that borrows liberally from the opening moments of 2000’s “X-Men.”

In Bryan Singer’s original film, many remember the initial moments of Erik Lensherr, the boy who would be Magneto. He is taken by SS soldiers to be lorded over in a concentration camp and separated from his family in WWII Poland.

Continue reading Opening Moments Of ‘X-Men’ To Be Recreated For ‘First Class’ at The Playlist.