fantasy Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Stephen King's The Dark Tower series of novels are probably his most underrated, and that can mostly be attributed to the fact that it took him 22 years to finish the series. It's a sprawling epic story, starring The Gunslinger, Roland, and his companions as they are inexorably drawn towards the titular Dark Tower. Like The Lord of the Rings, it's a travel story, with all of the action happening during the journey itself.

If you haven't read the series, I can't recommend it highly enough. It's got gunslinging, swords and sorcery, time travel, interdimensional doorways, artificially intelligent monorails, and so much more. It also ties most of King's major novels together in bizarre ways, without getting boring. Either pick up the first book in the series and check it out, or listen to the audiobook during your commute. You won't be sorry.

Just do it before J.J. Abrams and his Lost crew begin making the movies. Wait, what's that? Abrams? Lost? The Dark Tower? Read on to see how all of these pieces will soon fit together to produce what some claim is destined to become the next Lord of the Rings.

As I've watched Harry Potter mania spread around the world like something out of The Stand, I've been feeling a little left out of the phenomenon (having never been a huge fan of the fantasy series). But as the kids line up around the block in their 'Snape capes' and plastic spectacles, I've been thinking back to my own days as a 'rugrat' and the fantasy flicks I used to love. So without getting too specific (remember, nobody ever asks a lady her age), the movies I loved as a child were made in a wild and crazy time better known as the 80's, and what a decade it was for fantasy.

The 80's brought us some of the most iconic fantasy flicks ever made, like Conan, John Boorman's Excalibur, and Highlander. But today isn't about ranking the best and the worst -- it's about my favorite fantasy flicks of the 'me generation' and, who knows, you might just find some recommendations for the little ones in your life once that boy wizard finally exits stage left.

After the jump: my fantasy favorites, and a glimpse into the world of prime 80's cheese...

When it was revealed that Tim Burton and Dorian Gray ( I mean Johnny Depp) would be taking us all down Lewis Carroll's rabbit hole in 2010's 3D IMAX adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, a million bat-filled brains exploded with joy. Burton, who could perhaps be held personally responsible for the popularity of black-and-white striped stockings, has stocked his fantasia with a panoply of freaky faves, from Crispin Glover ("I can kick high!") and baby mama Helena Bonham Carter to Hammer Horror super-spook Christopher Lee. Anticipation is already running high just from the names attached and the few photos floating around the Internet. Empire Magazine has an interview with Burton in its issue coming out Thursday in the UK, along with a few photos from the movie.

But what about the other flicks that are getting our fishnets in a tangle? Naturally, Burton has a slew of projects coming up, including a big-screen adaptation of Dark Shadows with Depp rumored to be Barnabas Collins, and a full-length version of Frankenweenie, but there are a few other films coming out or in production (or in perpetual production) that make it a good time to get your goth on.

With all the excitement this week over the news of Guillermo del Toro's confirmed role in the director's chair for the two Hobbit movies, it's a little refreshing to find a dissenting opinion, if only to keep the excitement from getting to exaggerated. Salon's Andrew O'Heir doesn't take kindly to the news in his Beyond the Multiplex blog, structuring his argument against the latest report in a calculated manner. First, O'Heir quotes from an interview he did with del Toro at Cannes in 2006, where the director stated his disdain for "heroic fantasy." It's quite possible that he has changed his stance on this, and not just because of The Hobbit: As recently as a few days ago, he was spotted at a protest staged by HETFET (Humans for the Ethical Treatment of Faeries, Elves and Trolls), which may or may not have been a publicity stunt on his part.

The rest of O'Heir's piece holds water. He thinks the franchise has been ensnared by greed and too many people are in charge. Reflecting on Peter Jackson's expansive power, O'Heir questions the director's comfort with handing the story over to another filmmaker ("It smells of George Lucas") and predicts an incoming conflict. He likes del Toro's work, but worries that the director might be working in somebody else's back yard. "We've got one of the true cinematic visionaries of our age, spending four years of his life in a universe created by another one," he writes. "It's just too many cooks in the kitchen."

What do you think? Is del Toro getting in over his head?

As much as I might not be a huge fan of the multitude of film festivals and awards shows where awards are seemingly given away for almost anything these days, some festivals do provide a valuable service to the filmmaking community. I'm specifically referring more to the ones that showcase independent and lower budget films or genres that traditionally don't fit easily into the mandate of the major awards shows or festivals. One of these gatherings is the Toronto After Dark Film Festival -- which is now gearing up for its 2nd go-around.

At this particular event, which bills itself as "Canada's premier showcase of thrilling international cinema," you'll be exposed to and have the chance to experience a diverse slate of horror, sci-fi, fantasy and thrilling films not just from Canada, but from around the world. Part of the mandate of the fest is to expose people to innovative and independent cinema they might not otherwise get to experience in a theater setting. The fest also helps to foster homegrown talent by offering a program featuring Canadian filmmakers who might not otherwise have their films exposed to a large audience (or, in some cases, any audience at all).

Of course, according to the fest's official site, even though they have a large selection of features, shorts and other film-related programming, its not all about the movies. During the event there will also be several parties hosted by the fest as well as, according to the site, a "hugely popular zombie walk" in downtown Toronto. Screenings of great films from undiscovered talent that helps promote independent filmmaking and zombies? What could be better than that? The fest runs from October 19-25.

Miramax doesn't seem to be at a loss for projects lately, so it looks like they have decided to let one go. Variety reports that Gold Circle Films has picked up the rights to the film version of the Thomas Wheeler fantasy novel The Arcanum. Released by Bantam books in 2004, the novel is a fictionalized take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle leading a Super Friends style group of paranormal investigators called The Arcanum -- which includes Harry Houdini and the notorious voodoo priestess Marie Laveau as members. In the novel, The Arcanum is a secret society with a mandate to protect humanity from a variety of things that go "bump in the night" and the novel seems to be chock-full of fantasy and horror references (cameos include appearances by H.P Lovecraft and Aleistar Crowley). Throw in a plot about The Book of Enoch and a serial killer bumping off angels, and you end up with what sounds like a cross between The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and The Da Vinci Code, with maybe just a dash of Caleb Carr.

The project had been optioned by Miramax in 1999, but had been languishing in turn-around before Gold Circle showed up with designs on a fantasy franchise of their very own. Wheeler adapted the screenplay and a call has already been put out for a director. Gold Circle might not have the same high-profile reputation that Miramax does, but they have a respectable line-up set for the coming year, including Whisper with LOST's Josh Holloway, and the U.S. remake of the South Korean film My Sassy Girl with Elisha Cuthbert. So even if The Arcanum doesn't turn out to be the next great fantasy franchise, one studio's trash could still be another's treasure.

Virgins of the world rejoice! Some more movies about elves, druids, and gnomes are coming to a theater near you! Warner Brothers has picked up the rights to Terry Brooks' Shannara series. If you're like me, you're probably asking yourself, "What in God's name is the Shannara series?" Well, I can tell you that it "blends technology and magic." I can tell you that it is "set in a world decimated by apocalyptic battles, with mankind splitting into races of trolls, gnomes, dwarves, and men, with elves coming out of hiding." And I can tell you that parents' basements worldwide will be briefly vacated when these babies come rolling out! I kid, I kid! Put your wands down, everybody, I'm joking around!Has anyone read these books? Could this be another Lord of the Rings or is it just another pale imitation?

The first book in the series was called The Sword of Shannara. It was published in 1977, and was the first fantasy book to top the New York Times best-seller list. Brooks has written over a dozen novels in the series since, so there's plenty of material available should the franchise take off. The most recent book in the series was Straken, released in 2005. In the books, "politics and war are waged using magic, with a backdrop of the skeletal remains of skyscrapers and subways." Warner Bros. is looking for writers now, and intends to kick off the film series with the second book (makes sense) -- The Elfstones of Shannara. My opinion on this is kind of irrelevant -- I have never been able to get into anything in this genre outside of Harry Potter and Willow. I didn't even like playing The Legend of Zelda (by the way, surely a Zelda movie can't be far off, right?). More power to these people if they can make this into a hit franchise, but I'd imagine the lower-than-expected grosses for Eragon have them a little nervous.

I don't know how many DVD discs I own whose extra features I haven't fully explored yet, but suffice it to say that there are hours and hours worth of deleted scenes, storyboards and interviews that I'll never get a chance to watch. The Lord of the Rings trilogy alone holds about 1,945 hours worth of extras that I will never have the time to check out. If I was a Ringer, I would have already delved deep into them, but the truth is that there just aren't enough hours in the day.

On top of all this we're getting director's commentary on sketchbooks ... sketchbooks! Now, it would be a lot harder to find this absurd if it wasn't completely amazing. Guillermo del Toro offered Cinematical a sneak peek into his notebooks for Pan's Labyrinth, but the website goes even more in-depth. It offers up 12 pages from del Toro's personal sketchbook, including commentaries, page views and a dose of creativity that will have you heading to the art supply store to purchase your own notebook. I'm serious about that because I just ran out and bought a new moleskin notebook in the hopes that it will ignite some of the smoldering remnants of my creative impulse here at year's end. His commentary on the sketchbook pages is extremely insightful and personal, and has me even more excited for this film.

There is even a Sketchbook Contest that allows users to upload their own creations which will be judged by del Toro. The winning entries will receive a signed Pan's Labyrinth poster and be featured on the DVD. The film opens on December 29, and looks to be something like Amelie crossed with Jim Henson's Labyrinth. I can't wait for it -- what about you?