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Guillermo del Toro’s “PINOCCHIO” is pure magic for the heart, and mind | MOVIE REVIEW

His most stunning film
Ewan McGregor, John Turturro and Tilda Swinton
Directed by Guillermo del Toro

With artistry and imagination “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” arrives in theaters as one of the most stunningly original and pleasing films of 2022. With a marvelous and inventive screenplay from Patrick McHale, Matthew Robbins, and del Toro, the tale is moved to 1900s Europe as fascism takes hold. Woodworker Geppetto (David Bradley) is a beloved citizen in his small Italian town. As the ... more >

Thora Birch, Terry Zwigoff, Guillermo Del Toro and SOY CUBANA’s filmmaker Jeremy Ungar help cap off EBERTFEST 2022

Festival hadn't been held in person since 2019

CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, Ill.—The final two days of Ebertfest which ended on Sunday featured some great films in addition to stellar guests who spoke about their craft. Mostly, the invited guests discussed what motivated them to create their art, and the organizers also testified to what drives some of them to program the films they do. Chaz Ebert kicked off Friday’s program by introducing Jason ... more >

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Crimson Peak

Jessica Chastain has pushed the dark to the limit
Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston and Mia Wasikowska
Directed by Guillermo del Toro

"Ghosts are real. That much I know." So begins Guillermo del Toro’s spellbinding dark fairy tale, CRIMSON PEAK. Set in the late 1900s it follows aspiring fiction writer Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) as she falls for, and marries, a penniless, seductively handsome English Baronet, Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston). Along with his older sister, Lucille (Jessica Chastain), Thomas brings Edith back ... more >

Pacific Rim

The best game in town this year
Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi and Idris Elba
Directed by Guillermo del Toro

Guillermo Del Toro is a kid again and this summer he's invited us into his room. Digging deep within 20th century pop-geek culture while exploring his beasty imagination ("Hellboy 2: the Golden Army"), Del Toro has turned out one of the most unlikely and eery films I've seen in a while. It had to be done, in a way, and he's done just that. And who better than him for the task of convincing us that ... more >

GUILLERMO DEL TORO to remake Pinocchio in stop-motion 3.D.

The Jim Henson company will produce it

As reported by Variety “Pinocchio” will be the first animated feature by Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro (“Pan's Labyrinth”). He will co-direct with Mark Gustafson. “Pinocchio” will be shot in 3D and stop-motion and will be produced by the Jim Henson Company. Even though the casting has not yet been confirmed, Del Toro is said to be interested in Tom Waits for the role of Pinocchio’s ... more >

Don’t be afraid of the dark

Pre-teen horror shlock disguised as adult-sized horror film
Guy Pearce, Katie Holmes, Bailee Madison
Directed by Guillermo del Toro

If we were loading cultural items onto a deep space vessel headed beyond the Milky Way and you wanted a prime example of the horror movie with a disturbed little girl (Bailee Madison) moves in with her father and stepmother in a threatening old mansion, a crazy secret murder in the basement, a grumpy groundskeeper who knows all the secrets, an oblivious father (Guy Pearce) who refuses to move ... more >