Here’s one hell of a way to remember just how strange “Pinocchio” (1940) was: watch Robert Zemeckis’ hallucinatory live-action remake of it, now playing on Disney+. Some of the kooky parts here are not from the script by Simon Farnaby and Chris Weitz—to their credit, they didn’t invent the hedonistic sugary kid-hell of Pleasure Island, or the concept of an innocent boy whose wooden appendage grows, or a lonely man’s fixation on having a manic pixie dream son (Italian author Carlo Collodi did).

Continue reading ‘Pinocchio’ Review: Tom Hanks Can’t Save Robert Zemeckis’ Latest Soulless, Weird, Uncanny Valley Effort at The Playlist.

If Disney hires Robert Zemeckis to direct a live-action “Pinocchio” remake, you better believe Tom Hanks is on board to star, right? And that’s exactly what’s happening. But Tom Hanks can’t possibly play all the characters, so now we know who the filmmaker is bringing out to join the Oscar-winning actor in Disney’s latest attempt to remake a classic animated feature.

READ MORE: Disney Continues To Bet Big On Streaming; ‘Raya,’ ‘Pinocchio,’ ‘Enchanted’ Sequel & More Headed To Disney+

According to THR, Disney is bringing on Cynthia Erivo, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Keegan-Michael Key, Lorraine Bracco, and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth to round out the cast for its upcoming “Pinocchio” remake that will begin production in the UK later this year.

Continue reading ‘Pinocchio’: Cynthia Erivo, Joseph Gordon-Levitt & More Join Tom Hanks In Disney’s Live-Action Remake at The Playlist.

Mike Flanagan is back to ruin your sleep this October. The director of Netflix hits like “Gerald’s Game” and “The Haunting of Hill House” has returned with his most ambitious piece to date, a textured mini-series that weaves multiple stories by Henry James into a tale of possession and how people can have a hold on someone in life or death. A deeply melancholic piece of work, “The Haunting of Bly Manor” drips not with ghostly ooze but loss and regret.

Continue reading ‘Haunting Of Bly Manor’: Mike Flanagan Returns To Ruin Your Sleep In Creepy ‘Hill House’ Followup [Review] at The Playlist.