When charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) endears himself to clairvoyant Zeena (Toni Collette) and her has-been mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn) at a travelling carnival, he crafts a golden ticket to success, using this newly acquired knowledge to grift the wealthy elite of 1940s New York society. With the virtuous Molly (Rooney Mara) loyally by his side, Stanton plots to con a dangerous tycoon (Richard Jenkins) with the aid of a mysterious psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) who might be his most formidable opponent yet.

Long regarded by Guillermo del Toro as a passion project, Nightmare Alley which is an adaptation of the classic noir novel by William Lindsay Gresham takes audiences back in time to the late 1930s and early 1940s and into the world of travelling carnivals, huckster showman and manipulation of the soul. Always a passionate filmmaker who gives everything of himself to the projects he works on, del Toro brings a great vision to Nightmare Alley and strives to bring audiences back into the fold of classic film noir tropes of the time period. With a finely attuned sense for detail and story, del Toro lets the narrative of Nightmare Alley plays out at its own pace and this is a slow-burn thriller that takes its time and wraps you up in its twisting and complex narrative.

With Nightmare Alley del Toro presents a lavish canvas of time gone by. We are first introduced to the nomadic world of the travelling carnival and its strange inhabitants via the film’s protagonist Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) who stumbles into their world and soon becomes a part of it. As the story grows we then see Stanton drift off to the pull of the big city and del Toro juxtaposes a sepia landscape of Rockwell inspired carnival imagery with the austere might and power of Art Deco Chicago and the harsh shadows and sterns lines that make up its skyline. With frequent cinematographer Dan Laustsen, del Toro produces some incredibly gorgeous imagery that pulls you further into the narrative stylings of the time. With its gorgeous visual trappings, Nightmare Alley is a film that is hard to avert your eyes from and as the narrative moves deeper into the abyss the images grow stronger and stronger.

Being a Guillermo del Toro film, audiences can also expect the usual accompaniments of the directors’ noted style. Dark shadows, dynamic colour palettes, misunderstood and complex characters and a haunted, creepy atmosphere all make their way into the production. Along with a good helping of gore. With Nightmare Alley Guillermo del Toro peers into the mind of a dark and troubled individual who’ll go to any means necessary to get what he wants and what begins as a tale of the American Dream soon turns into a total nightmare. A noted fan of the noir genre, as a director del Toro works to keep Nightmare Alley firmly entrenched in the scope of the genre, but also injects his own unique visual and narrative ideas and the results make this film a very intriguing and heightened watch.

Standing front and centre in Nightmare Alley as its haunted, no-good protagonist Stanton ‘Stan’ Carlisle is Hollywood A-lister Bradley Cooper and he cuts an impressive figure in the part. As the dashing and handsome Stanton, Cooper builds a character who begins as a dreamer who soon takes a darker turn and as he tastes the power that his act gives him, he’ll go to any length to keep it no matter how dark or traumatic the results. Cooper is a pure hustler as Stanton and his good looks, charm and ability to read people take him a long way as master psychic ‘The Great Stanton’, but his haunted past gives him a dangerous and feral edge and god help anyone who gets in his way. On-screen Cooper is very reminiscent of Clark Gable in his performance and he brings a matinee idol sense to Stanton and his gift and control over drama makes for an interesting character who will pull you into his dark side.

Playing opposite Cooper is Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett and she brings out her inner vamp as the calculating and clever Dr Lilith Ritter. A classic femme fatale in every sense, Lilith is an excellent foil for Cooper’s Stanton and when she exposes his con she can’t help but fall into his game. Giving Lilith a keen intelligence and cat-like poise, Blanchett brings a dangerous sexuality to the role and slowly but subtly works her way into Stanton’s plan to con as many wealthy spiritualists as he can. As adversarial lovers, these two characters make for very interesting eye candy and each plays off the other with lustful zeal. As the narrative progresses in Nightmare Alley we begin to see Lilith’s claws come out and they’re sharp and ready to draw blood and it’s as the tension builds that Blanchett lets her bad girl persona out.

Stuck in between Stanton and Lilith is Rooney Mara as carnival ingenue Mary Elizabeth “Molly” Cahill who falls blissfully in love with Stanton and who builds a life with him early in his career as ‘The Great Stanton’. Mara brings an innocence to the role of Molly and gives audiences another perspective to view Stanton in as he becomes enamoured by his power and his ability to work ‘spook shows’; clairvoyant cons where he claims to speak to the dead. As the tension of the narrative heats up, Mara’s Molly moves in an interesting direction and her presence is key to the third act and the make or break decision that Stanton is forced to make.

Rounding out the rest of Nightmare Alley is a list of total A-list performers including the likes of Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins and Del Toro’s good friend and long time collaborator Ron Perlman. Collete brings a sensual maternity to psychic Zeena Krumbein, who takes Stanton under her wing in more ways than one and guides him in the art of her act with her alcoholic husband and Stanton’s mentor Pete (David Strathairn). Then there’s the great Willem Dafoe who is an utter scene-stealer as carny ringmaster Clem Hoately. Best described as a pimp and a peddler, Clem is a devious and dangerous individual who prides himself on presenting the most grotesque attractions including the infamous ‘Geek Act’ for his patrons and Dafoe dives into the role with plenty of zeal. There’s a sly, cutthroat quality to his performance and Dafoe holds your attention with his menacing character.

Haunting, menacing, thrilling and beautiful, Nightmare Alley is a cinematic presentation that delivers a true spectacle to the big screen. Holding to the tropes of film noir, while also working with the director’s style, Nightmare Alley is a film of considerable grandeur and spectacle and it presents a narrative packed out with twists and turns that deliver on the unexpected.

Image: 20th Century Studios

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Here’s the official synopsis:

Watch the brand new trailer for Nightmare Alley here:

When charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) endears himself to clairvoyant Zeena (Toni Collette) and her has-been mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn) at a traveling carnival, he crafts a golden ticket to success, using this newly acquired knowledge to grift the wealthy elite of 1940s New York society. With the virtuous Molly (Rooney Mara) loyally by his side, Stanton plots to con a dangerous tycoon (Richard Jenkins) with the aid of a mysterious psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) who might be his most formidable opponent yet.

Building off of the noir edge of the first teaser trailer, this second trailer for Nightmare Alley takes audiences further into the dangerous con game of the charismatic, yet dangerous trickster Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper). Cooper brings a charming charisma to the the role of Stanton, while also hiding his characters darker intentions and it becomes clear rapidly that his con game has the stakes raised all the way up.

Facing off against Cooper’s Stanton is Cate Blanchett as the clever and calculating psychologist Dr. Lilith Ritter who sees through Stanton’s game and while at first trying to reveal him as the fraud he is, soon begins to revel and take a role in his dangerous scheme. Blanchett brings an alluring femme fatale style to the role of Ritter and she goes toe-to-toe with Cooper’s Stanton and you can tell that there’s certainly going to be some solid give and take between the two of them here.

Nightmare Alley is a visual splendour to look upon thanks to the gorgeous photography of cinematographer Dan Laustsen and cinema fans who ache for a feeling that is evocative of Hollywood’s golden age will be very pleased with the setting, tone and style that Del Toro brings to the screen here in Nightmare Alley.

Prepare yourself to be on edge from beginning to end with Nightmare Alley and brace yourselves for an utterly memorable cinema event when it arrives in cinemas on January 20, 2022.

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Watch the brand new trailer for Nightmare Alley below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Stan Carlisle (Bradley Cooper), an ambitious carny with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words, hooks up with Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett), a psychiatrist who is even more dangerous than he is.

Based upon the classic psychological thriller published in 1946 by William Lindsay Gresham, Nightmare Alley stars Bradley Cooper as Stanton ‘Stan’ Carlisle, a drifter with a talent for showmanship and the con job, who decides to strike out on his own and build a fortune by any means necessary. This brings him to the attention of calculating psychiatrist Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett), who at first sets to expose him, but then becomes intrigued by Stan’s game of cat and mouse and that’s when things really get dangerous.

Nightmare Alley represents new territory for Guillermo del Toro who is swapping his usual monster horrors for a story of man’s darkest side and the result is a tense and calculating film noir experience that will be certain to leave your heart pumping.

This first look trailer sets up the world that the story takes place in and it’s a setting where the lowest fringes and high society meet on equal turns and there’s plenty of spooky moments that will have you gripping your seat with tension.

Cooper and Blanchett lead an all-star cast that includes the likes of Willen Dafoe, Toni Colette, David Strathairn, Rooney Mara and Ron Perlman, and this a-list cast is certain to bring their all and they all look perfectly cast in their respective parts.

For Guillermo del Toro, Nightmare Alley is a project that has been long in the making with the filmmaking being introduced to it back in 1992 by frequent collaborator Ron Perlman, and this first look certainly has our attention.

With its standout casting, uneasy story and beautifully rendered imagery, Nightmare Alley is a piece of cinema you’re certainly not going to be able to look away from and there’s serious awards buzz building for this project.

Get ready to discover the dark side of man when Nightmare Alley arrives in cinemas on January 20, 2022.

Images: 20th Century Studios

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In a special presentation from Vanity Fair, we now have our first look at this edgy new production which stars Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Willen Dafoe, Toni Colette, David Strathairn, Rooney Mara and Ron Perlman, and it’s got the trappings of an incredibly interesting and intense watch.

Nightmare Alley which is based on the 1946 novel by William Lindsay Gresham, and which was filmed in 1947 starring Tyrone Power, is new territory for del Toro, but the director wanted to go back to the source for this project.

“From the beginning, our interest was to go for the novel, but it’s almost impossible to adapt because it has a very kaleidoscopic, very peculiar voice. You would need a six-hour miniseries and shifting points of view, and this and that. We started from the novel, and didn’t want to do a remake as much as a new adaptation.”

The director also confirmed that the project was first brought to his attention back in 1992 by his friend and frequent collaborator Ron Perlman who suggested they work on it together. Always wanting to do a film noir, del Toro found the right subject matter with Nightmare Alley, although the director is very upfront in that he wants to bring something different to the genre.

“Curiously enough, in approaching Nightmare Alley, I said I’m not going to do any of the clichés associated with the genre. I’m not going to do an artifact. I’m not going to do the Venetian blinds, and voiceover, and detectives walking with fedoras in wet streets. I wanted to do the universe of the novel, which is a little gritty, but also strangely magical. It has a very strange, mystical allure— and mythical. I was very attracted to that possibility.”, said del Toro.

del Toro is also looking to invert the expectations of audiences with Nightmare Alley and the genre of film noir and this is clearly seen through Bradley Cooper’s performance as the lead character and ambitious carny Stanton Carlisle. Where normally audiences are used to an alluring and seductive female presence, in Nightmare Alley del Toro is looking to switch that up instead

“Thematically, I’m very interested in exploring the genre from a different point of view,” the director says with a chuckle. “Instead of a femme fatale, I have three very strong female figures and an homme fatale.”

Nightmare Alley is shaping up to be one of 2021’s most intriguing pictures and audiences and film fans will be ready to step into its dark corners when it arrives in cinemas in January 2022.

Source: Vanity Fair

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As reported by MovieWeb, del Toro recently said that the project still remains very close to him and that he keeps a unique memento on him at all time to help him in his quest to see it brought to life.

Alluding to a signet ring that he wears, del Toro said, “this is why I wear this ring, since the project got cancelled. This is the fake ring about a fake university, the one that appears in the book, Miskatonic University, and I’m gonna wear it until I make the movie. They may bury me with it.”

Originally published in 1931, Lovecraft’s horror is a classic of the genre and concerns a group of explorers stranded in Antarctic, who then realize they are being picked off one by one by a malevolent, otherworldly entity.

At the Mountains of Madness feeds into Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos, and in 2010 del Toro was readying to adapt it with support from James Cameron, who would produce the film, and Tom Cruise, who would produce and headline the film as its main star. However due to delays we would never see del Toro’s vision brought to life and the film would eventually be cancelled.

Of the experience, del Toro said,”it’s difficult to tackle. We had James Cameron as a co-producer with me …. we had Tom Cruise [to star] and we thought we were gonna get it made and we didn’t, it didn’t happen. These are not decisions you make. Most of us filmmakers, we exist in a world that moves above our paygrade. People think that our career is a series of decisions. Our career is a series of accidents happening with your decisions on top. You don’t decide to do one movie instead of another.”

Still it’s good to hear that del Toro’s passion for the project has never left him and maybe one day down the road we might finally get to see this grand filmmaker finally realise his hope to bring this legendary horror adaptation to the big screen.

Source: MovieWeb

Image: 20th Century Studios

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Charting a unique and colorful love story, The Shape of Water follows the actions of a mute janitor named Elisa (Sally Hawkins) who forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature in a water tank in a covert government agency overseen by the vindictive and ruthless Colonel Strickland (Michael Shannon).

Guillermo del Toro is the undisputed king of monsters and has long made a career of analysing their deep significance and the meanings that are detached behind them. He asks the deep questions of these things of our imagination and how often they can be even more human than we are. It’s this desire to explore the dark recesses of the human imagination that really sets the filmmaker apart and here in The Shape of Water, he dissects the very notion of love, in a way that only he can.

Equal parts life-affirming and creepy, The Shape of Water is a beautifully rendered exploration of love and of the two misfits, completely alone in the world who find one another. Make no mistake this exploration of love is extremely different and at times you will be weirded out, uncomfortable almost. Part of that is due to the relationship between a female woman and a mythical creature and their inter-species relationship that takes a very physical and emotional path. But isn’t love supposed to make us uncomfortable? That’s part of what makes love, well, love, it’s a force that moves us to do crazy and unexpected things, and that’s exactly what Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water does.

Guillermo also explores the nation of the classic Beauty and the Beast story and the idea of what makes a monster a monster. In exploring the meeting of the Beauty and the Beast del Toro focuses in on the form of Sally Hawkin’s Elisa a mute who is by no way a classic beauty, but who longs for acceptance and some form of companionship. She is most definitely an oddball, at all kinds keeping to herself and sharing a platonic relationship with her neighbour, the cheer, yet closeted gay Giles (Richard Jenkins). Longing for connection leads her to The Asset (Doug Jones), a mythical creature who is being experimented upon and the two of them strike up an unlikely relationship together.

This relationship is most definitely a beautiful exploration of ‘boy meets girl’, and as the movie progresses it becomes clear that these two characters are most definitely soul mates. They move as together as one and their relationship is a very sweet and tender. But with all forms of love there is most likely always a villain waiting and here it is personified in the terrifying presence of Michael Shannon’s Colonel Strickland.

Like The Asset, Shannon’s Strickland is also a force of nature and his is humanity at it’s most callous, cruel and dangerous. Strickland is a man for whom the end always justifies the end who and has little empathy or thought for those around him. Del Toro has a history of crafting despicable villains and the character of Captain Vidal from Pan’s Labyrinth reminds me of one. Here we get a similar circumstance with a terrifying performance from Shannon. The actor is a complete monster who does unthinkable things to The Asset and who is not above doing despicable things to Eliza. Whenever you see him on the screen your holding your breath at the fear of what he might do next and when the credits draw to a close you are in no doubt as to who the true monster of the film was.

In watching The Shape of Water I must praise del Toro’s artists eye as this film is most definitely a fairy tale come to life. Every aspect of design is well thought out and is infused with an aqua colour scheme that brings you into its world. Through his use of production design, set design, costuming and lighting del Toro draws you into his aqua tinged world and it is a beautiful world to behold. The production design on The Asset, who is portrayed by the supremely talented Doug Jones, is incredible to watch and is beautiful to behold. The Asset can be both romantic and terrifying and is a fully realised creature. While del Toro obviously took reference elements from The Creature from the Black Lagoon for his creature, he has made The Asset his own and with Jones’ performance, it is one of the most misunderstood and sweet creatures to have ever graced the screen.

The Shape of Water is a type of film you rarely see nowadays in today’s superhero tinged world. But having found it I am so grateful that I did because this is cinema that truly moves you and which celebrates the very nature of love and its ability to lead us in our lives. It is a truly miraculous masterwork and you would do yourself a great service to see it. Some movies demand to be seen as pure cinema, up on the big screen with the lights dimmed and eyes focused in on its frame. This is indeed one of them.

Image: 20th Century Fox

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Set in a crumbling mansion in a largely rural and mountainous region of northern England in the 19th century, young author Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) discovers that her charming new husband Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) is not who he appears to be.

Here’s five reasons to watch del Toro’s latest offering:

5. Ghoulish Ghosts

While Crimson Peak may be grounded in the genre of gothic romance, it certainly doesn’t skimp on the scares, and there are plenty of ghostly moments that will send a shiver down the spines of audience members. Not long after its opening frame we are introduced to Guillermo’s benevolent spirits who have much to contribute to the evolving drama of Crimson Peak. Del Toro is clever in how he uses them to the film’s advantage, and combined with crisp, eerie sound design, the hauntings of Crimson Peak are disturbingly real.

4. Tom Hiddleston, and Jessica Chastain: The Darkest of Siblings

Crimson Peak is a phenomenal movie to behold, thanks in large part to the casting of Tom Hiddleston, and Jessica Chastain as the menacing Sharpe siblings. Both performers excel in their respective roles, with Hiddleston owning the screen as the dapper and mysterious Sir Thomas Sharpe, while Chastain brings a venomous menace as his horrific sister Lady Lucille Sharpe. Hiddleston and Chastain are totally in command of their twisted and enigmatic characters, and the subtlety in which they reveal every character trait makes for a compelling watch. When all is finally revealed, a twisted sense of shock will come over audiences, and it’s all thanks to the stellar performances from these incredible thespians.

3. Allerdale Hall: A Living Creature

While ghosts may lurk through its dark, haunted halls, the manor house of Allerdale Hall is without a doubt the creepiest character of all. This grand manor home is a living, breathing creature that howls in the dark, and whose rotting walls and hallways are filled with secrets that refuse to remain buried. The construction and attention to detail within Allerdale Hall is incredible, and del Toro and his skilled artisans have crafted a remarkable set. With shadows at every turn, it’s a place where one would be advised not to get lost.

2. Mia Wasikowska: From Ingénue to Heroine

At the centre of Crimson Peak is the brilliant Mia Wasikowska who gives a compelling performance as the film’s heroine Edith Cushing. Designed as a thoroughly modern heroine in a bygone era, Edith is a determined novelist whose interests in ghosts and the macabre becomes all too real when she falls for Sir Thomas, and accepts his proposal. Wasikowska is so natural and involved as Edith that she loses herself within the part, and her journey from a slightly lovelorn ingénue to a feisty survivor, who is determined to end the horrors at the heart of Allerdale Hall, is an inspired cinematic journey.

1. A Love Letter from Guillermo Del Toro

Above all else, Crimson Peak is a love letter to the genre of gothic romance from its director, the brilliantly creative and passionate Guillermo del Toro. Not only has he created a rich and layered film experience that audiences will lose themselves in, but del Toro has once again demonstrated his passion and flair for detail with every frame. Filling every scene with beautiful crisp colours and haunted architecture that feels aged, del Toro has also taken incredible care with every aspect of the story, which ultimately heightens the struggle of Edith Cushing. Crimson Peak is a touching love letter to the beautiful scares and intense drama of Grand Guignol horror, and del Toro has once again crafted a piece of cinema that will stick with audiences.

Image source: Paramount Films.

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Set in Crumbia, in a crumbling mansion in a largely rural and mountainous region of northern England in the 19th century, young author Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) discovers that her charming new husband Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) is not who he appears to be.

The new trailer is alarmingly creepy and forboding with signs of horror around every corner. Get set for a thousand jump scares, and be ready to sleep with the lights on after Crimson Peak is released in cinemas on October 15.

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