Bradley Cooper’s talents could aptly be summarized with the title of one of his films, Limitless. With over two decades dedicated to Hollywood, he’s undeniably one of its biggest stars. From the success of The Hangover series to his MCU journey as Rocket in The Guardians of the Galaxy, he has done quite a lot to cement his name in the industry.
Yet, despite his immense success, he hadn’t quite felt welcomed into “the club.” It was his recent departure into more serious roles, including stepping into a role replacing Leonardo DiCaprio, that allowed him to confront the insecurities and emotions he’d accrued over the years.
Bradley Cooper in the film Nightmare Alley. Photo by Kerry Hayes. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved
Bradley Cooper’s Struggle with His Insecurities
Bradley Cooper, despite his glittering Hollywood success, grappled with an unshakeable self-doubt even in his finest of works.
Yet, despite his immense success, he hadn’t quite felt welcomed into “the club.” It was his recent departure into more serious roles, including stepping into a role replacing Leonardo DiCaprio, that allowed him to confront the insecurities and emotions he’d accrued over the years.
Bradley Cooper in the film Nightmare Alley. Photo by Kerry Hayes. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved
Bradley Cooper’s Struggle with His Insecurities
Bradley Cooper, despite his glittering Hollywood success, grappled with an unshakeable self-doubt even in his finest of works.
- 4/13/2024
- by Sampurna Banerjee
- FandomWire
In 2018, Bradley Cooper rocked the world with his directorial debut, the latest retelling of "A Star is Born." Instead of rushing forward with this momentum, Cooper gave himself a chance to relax. During 2019 and 2020, his only performance was voice acting as Rocket Raccoon in "Avengers: Endgame" (though he did help produce "Joker" that same year). His brief hiatus ended in 2021 with two of his best performances yet. In Paul Thomas Anderson's 1970s hangout flick "Licorice Pizza," Cooper had a hilarious cameo as the movie producer John Peters. Cooper plays Peters as aggressive, self-aggrandizing, and lecherous — he'd be despicable if he weren't so funny.
One character who doesn't have that saving grace of humor is Stanton Carlisle, Cooper's other 2021 performance. Stan is the lead of "Nightmare Alley," the 2nd adaptation of William Lindsay Grisham's novel. This one, directed by Guillermo del Toro, turned the story from a 1940s contemporary to a period piece.
One character who doesn't have that saving grace of humor is Stanton Carlisle, Cooper's other 2021 performance. Stan is the lead of "Nightmare Alley," the 2nd adaptation of William Lindsay Grisham's novel. This one, directed by Guillermo del Toro, turned the story from a 1940s contemporary to a period piece.
- 12/1/2022
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
To mark the release of Nightmare Alley, out now, we’ve been given 2 copies to give away on Blu-ray.
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.
Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only
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The Small Print
Open to UK residents only The competition will close 4th April 2022 at 23.59 GMT The winner will be picked at random from entries received No cash alternative is available Please note...
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.
Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Small Print
Open to UK residents only The competition will close 4th April 2022 at 23.59 GMT The winner will be picked at random from entries received No cash alternative is available Please note...
- 3/21/2022
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Nightmare Alley has been praised, it’s been looked at in a critical manner, but overall it feels as though this movie was hyped up in a way that might have created the kind of expectations that weren’t exactly met. Some folks might disagree and state that the movie was everything they expected, but after watching it all the way through, the movie was enjoyable enough, but it was also a bit different from what might have been expected. The story kicks off with Stanton Carlisle, played by Bradley Cooper, as he’s seen burning down a house after putting a body
Movie Review: Nightmare Alley...
Movie Review: Nightmare Alley...
- 3/7/2022
- by Tom Foster
- TVovermind.com
Guillermo del Toro joined Deadline’s Contenders Film: The Nominees event this weekend to discuss his latest movie Nightmare Alley, nominated for four Oscars including Best Picture. The film is based on William Lindsay Gresham’s 1946 novel, which had been previously adapted for the screen in 1947 in a noir classic starring Tyrone Power. Del Toro had read the book before he’d seen that movie, and he told Deadline he had always seen his vision for an adaptation “vividly” in his head. “I thought there were so many possibilities open in the book to talk about truth, lies, and the rise of a liar. An almost unstoppable rise,” del Toro said. “It felt very very ripe for the moment we’re in as a society.”
The Searchlight Pictures film follows the story of Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper), a drifter with a dark past who will stop at nothing in his quest for riches and power,...
The Searchlight Pictures film follows the story of Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper), a drifter with a dark past who will stop at nothing in his quest for riches and power,...
- 3/5/2022
- by Joe Utichi
- Deadline Film + TV
Welcome back to the series, "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" by Nathaniel R. Each week we'll discuss a single movie via a particular shot. Anyone who'd like to participate can choose their own!
Best Prop
When you're reading your mark, as former circus psychic Pete (David Strathairn) teaches us, you're searching for external clues to internal damage. The fatal flaw of Nightmare Alley, up this year for Best Picture, may well be that Guillermo del Toro, though a gifted filmmaker, isn't much for interiority. But oh his surfaces! Overly lacquered beauty and the ugly rot it's faililng to hide are the greatest assets of his latest film. On that note we must pause to honor the funhouse sequence early in the film which operates like a veritable FYC ad for the Oscar-nominated Production Design. The set amazes and one particular prop in the 'funhouse', a mirror stating "Take A...
Best Prop
When you're reading your mark, as former circus psychic Pete (David Strathairn) teaches us, you're searching for external clues to internal damage. The fatal flaw of Nightmare Alley, up this year for Best Picture, may well be that Guillermo del Toro, though a gifted filmmaker, isn't much for interiority. But oh his surfaces! Overly lacquered beauty and the ugly rot it's faililng to hide are the greatest assets of his latest film. On that note we must pause to honor the funhouse sequence early in the film which operates like a veritable FYC ad for the Oscar-nominated Production Design. The set amazes and one particular prop in the 'funhouse', a mirror stating "Take A...
- 2/18/2022
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Over the 27 years of Screen Actors Guild Awards history, no other performer has earned more nominations in the supporting actress category than Cate Blanchett. She made history this year with a fifth bid in this category for Guillermo Del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley,” stealing scene after scene as Dr. Lilith Ritter, a manipulative psychologist with hidden motives.
Blanchett is far and away the veteran in the category this year, which features three first-time nominees and one past winner. Caitríona Balfe scored two bids in supporting and in ensemble for “Belfast,” while Ariana DeBose and Ruth Negga also landed their first citations for “West Side Story” and “Passing,” respectively. Kirsten Dunst (“The Power of the Dog”) rounds out the category, having previously won as an ensemble member of “Hidden Figures.”
Blanchett’s SAG tally easily surpasses that of her competitions’ nominations combined, with 17 total bids including this year’s for “Nightmare Alley...
Blanchett is far and away the veteran in the category this year, which features three first-time nominees and one past winner. Caitríona Balfe scored two bids in supporting and in ensemble for “Belfast,” while Ariana DeBose and Ruth Negga also landed their first citations for “West Side Story” and “Passing,” respectively. Kirsten Dunst (“The Power of the Dog”) rounds out the category, having previously won as an ensemble member of “Hidden Figures.”
Blanchett’s SAG tally easily surpasses that of her competitions’ nominations combined, with 17 total bids including this year’s for “Nightmare Alley...
- 2/17/2022
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
After hitting HBO Max and Hulu, Nightmare Alley will arrive on digital and home media in March! Here's a look at the official cover art and release details:
From the imaginative filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and Searchlight Pictures arrives an electrifying film noir, Nightmare Alley. Available on Digital March 8 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on March 22.
The suspenseful psychological thriller is nominated for 4 Academy Awards® including Best Picture, 8 Critics’ Choice Awards, a Screen Actors’ Guild Award for Supporting Actress for Cate Blanchett, and BAFTA, Sdsa, Mpse, Adg, CDG, Ves, and WGA Awards.
Film Synopsis
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...
From the imaginative filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and Searchlight Pictures arrives an electrifying film noir, Nightmare Alley. Available on Digital March 8 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on March 22.
The suspenseful psychological thriller is nominated for 4 Academy Awards® including Best Picture, 8 Critics’ Choice Awards, a Screen Actors’ Guild Award for Supporting Actress for Cate Blanchett, and BAFTA, Sdsa, Mpse, Adg, CDG, Ves, and WGA Awards.
Film Synopsis
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...
- 2/11/2022
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
This article contains spoilers for both versions of Nightmare Alley.
“Fear is the key to human nature,” the Great Stanton learns in William Lindsay Gresham’s Nightmare Alley. That 1946 novel was a hit when it came out, even though it was banned and censored. And its spell lingered so long it was adapted by Academy Award-winning horror maestro, Guillermo del Toro, in 2021 with Bradley Cooper starring as the carny medium. This most recent adaptation, however, is just the second screen version, following in the footsteps of a 1947 cult noir classic starring Tyrone Power. Both versions struggled at the box office, and yet both seem to find their audiences, which might speak to the original text’s strange thrall throughout the decades.
Occultists couldn’t resist the novel or first film’s allure. It was like cotton candy at a carnival, right outside the house of mirrors where their deepest sins would be revealed.
“Fear is the key to human nature,” the Great Stanton learns in William Lindsay Gresham’s Nightmare Alley. That 1946 novel was a hit when it came out, even though it was banned and censored. And its spell lingered so long it was adapted by Academy Award-winning horror maestro, Guillermo del Toro, in 2021 with Bradley Cooper starring as the carny medium. This most recent adaptation, however, is just the second screen version, following in the footsteps of a 1947 cult noir classic starring Tyrone Power. Both versions struggled at the box office, and yet both seem to find their audiences, which might speak to the original text’s strange thrall throughout the decades.
Occultists couldn’t resist the novel or first film’s allure. It was like cotton candy at a carnival, right outside the house of mirrors where their deepest sins would be revealed.
- 2/11/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
“Nightmare Alley Is All Around Brilliance” – Jazz Tangcay, Variety
Academy Award Best Picture Nominee Nightmare Alley Appears on Digital March 8 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on March 22
From the imaginative filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and Searchlight Pictures arrives an electrifying film noir,Nightmare Alley. Available on Digital March 8 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on March 22.
The suspenseful psychological thriller is nominated for 4 Academy Awards® including Best Picture, 8 Critics’ Choice Awards, a Screen Actors’ Guild Award for Supporting Actress for Cate Blanchett, and BAFTA, Sdsa, Mpse, Adg, CDG, Ves, and WGA Awards.
NA_02045.Arw
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...
Academy Award Best Picture Nominee Nightmare Alley Appears on Digital March 8 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on March 22
From the imaginative filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and Searchlight Pictures arrives an electrifying film noir,Nightmare Alley. Available on Digital March 8 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on March 22.
The suspenseful psychological thriller is nominated for 4 Academy Awards® including Best Picture, 8 Critics’ Choice Awards, a Screen Actors’ Guild Award for Supporting Actress for Cate Blanchett, and BAFTA, Sdsa, Mpse, Adg, CDG, Ves, and WGA Awards.
NA_02045.Arw
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...
- 2/10/2022
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro returns with his first film since 2017’s “The Shape of Water” with a movie of a different sort. “Nightmare Alley” is an adaptation of the William Lindsey Gresham novel of the same name, and finds del Toro working without supernatural elements for the first time in his career. Production initially began in January 2020, but Covid shut down filming in March. Resuming filming in September 2020, the film finished up in December of 2020, and is now a bona fide Best Picture Oscar nominee.
Is “Nightmare Alley” Streaming?
Yes. “Nightmare Alley” started streaming on HBO Max and Hulu on Feb. 1.
Is “Nightmare Alley” in Theaters?
“Nightmare Alley” was released exclusively in movie theaters on Dec. 17 and is still playing in some theaters.
What Is “Nightmare Alley” About?
Stanton Carlisle, a carnival con-artist, develops a knack for “performing” psychic readings on strangers through sleight of hand and convincing technique.
Is “Nightmare Alley” Streaming?
Yes. “Nightmare Alley” started streaming on HBO Max and Hulu on Feb. 1.
Is “Nightmare Alley” in Theaters?
“Nightmare Alley” was released exclusively in movie theaters on Dec. 17 and is still playing in some theaters.
What Is “Nightmare Alley” About?
Stanton Carlisle, a carnival con-artist, develops a knack for “performing” psychic readings on strangers through sleight of hand and convincing technique.
- 2/9/2022
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Like many 2021 releases with awards aspirations, Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley” had a tough time drawing audiences to theaters after its release in December. The noir drama starring Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett has earned just over $15 million at the worldwide box office as of February 1 – this despite being del Toro’s awaited follow-up to “The Shape of Water,” which won the filmmaker Oscars in 2019 for Best Director and Best Picture. But for those who missed “Nightmare Alley” in theaters, now is the time to catch up with the 2022 Oscars Best Picture nominee at home. Here’s how to watch “Nightmare Alley” right now.
Where can I stream ‘Nightmare Alley’?
“Nightmare Alley” is available to stream online for HBO Max and Hulu subscribers (as well as Hulu account holders who subscribe to HBO Max through Hulu itself).
Is ‘Nightmare Alley’ on Netflix?
No, “Nightmare Alley” is not available on Netflix.
Where can I stream ‘Nightmare Alley’?
“Nightmare Alley” is available to stream online for HBO Max and Hulu subscribers (as well as Hulu account holders who subscribe to HBO Max through Hulu itself).
Is ‘Nightmare Alley’ on Netflix?
No, “Nightmare Alley” is not available on Netflix.
- 2/8/2022
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
This article contains spoilers for both versions of Nightmare Alley.
“Mister, I was made for it,” versus “Mister, I was born for it,” sums up the major psychological distinction between the 1947 Nightmare Alley and Guillermo del Toro’s 2021 remake. Neither line from the end of their respective movies is in the 1946 novel by William Lindsay Gresham. That book concludes just short of the revelation or confession (depending on the actor who says it). Bradley Cooper’s Stan Carlisle finds it downright hilarious that he is about to become a geek. Tyrone Power’s The Great Stanton only grants himself temporary clemency. The geek is their destiny. Chicken necks are their shared fate.
The first major difference between the two movies is the most obvious. One employs all the tricks of black and white filmmaking, the other shades its colors in a muted noir. The next immediately recognizable difference comes at feeding time.
“Mister, I was made for it,” versus “Mister, I was born for it,” sums up the major psychological distinction between the 1947 Nightmare Alley and Guillermo del Toro’s 2021 remake. Neither line from the end of their respective movies is in the 1946 novel by William Lindsay Gresham. That book concludes just short of the revelation or confession (depending on the actor who says it). Bradley Cooper’s Stan Carlisle finds it downright hilarious that he is about to become a geek. Tyrone Power’s The Great Stanton only grants himself temporary clemency. The geek is their destiny. Chicken necks are their shared fate.
The first major difference between the two movies is the most obvious. One employs all the tricks of black and white filmmaking, the other shades its colors in a muted noir. The next immediately recognizable difference comes at feeding time.
- 2/5/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
This article contains Nightmare Alley spoilers.
In its original form, film noir was an anomaly: a dark rain cloud cast in silhouette across the otherwise sunny landscape of 1940s American pop culture. At a time when censors insisted on black and white morality, and clean, unambiguous entertainment, noir was a subversive sneer, reflecting the cynicism bubbling underneath. As with the often doomed fools who led movies like Double Indemnity (1944), Out of the Past (1947), and In a Lonely Place (1950), noir filmmakers saw a fatally flawed world outside the studios’ backlots, and even in the glow of post-war America. And they welcomed the darkness.
Guillermo del Toro innately understood this when he restored and improved on the ending of Nightmare Alley with his recent remake of an actual 1947 noir film of the same name—both movies, in turn, are also adaptations of William Lindsay Gresham’s 1946 novel. In each picture, we follow a drifter turned carny,...
In its original form, film noir was an anomaly: a dark rain cloud cast in silhouette across the otherwise sunny landscape of 1940s American pop culture. At a time when censors insisted on black and white morality, and clean, unambiguous entertainment, noir was a subversive sneer, reflecting the cynicism bubbling underneath. As with the often doomed fools who led movies like Double Indemnity (1944), Out of the Past (1947), and In a Lonely Place (1950), noir filmmakers saw a fatally flawed world outside the studios’ backlots, and even in the glow of post-war America. And they welcomed the darkness.
Guillermo del Toro innately understood this when he restored and improved on the ending of Nightmare Alley with his recent remake of an actual 1947 noir film of the same name—both movies, in turn, are also adaptations of William Lindsay Gresham’s 1946 novel. In each picture, we follow a drifter turned carny,...
- 2/4/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
“Step right up and behold one of the unexplained mysteries of the universe! Is he a man or beast? “
A 35mm print of the Black and White Version of Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley called Nightmare Alley: Vision In Darkness And Light is currently showing at The Plaza Frontenac. It is showing daily at 3:40pm and will be carried over through next week. The Frontenac’s site can be found Here
Experience Nightmare Alley in the classic film noir style of black and white for a limited time. Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley follows charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) who 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...
A 35mm print of the Black and White Version of Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley called Nightmare Alley: Vision In Darkness And Light is currently showing at The Plaza Frontenac. It is showing daily at 3:40pm and will be carried over through next week. The Frontenac’s site can be found Here
Experience Nightmare Alley in the classic film noir style of black and white for a limited time. Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley follows charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) who 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...
- 2/1/2022
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Guillermo del Toro’s ghoulish “Nightmare Alley” was really two movies in one for Oscar-contending production designer Tamara Deverell with its carnival and Art Deco environments. But both were constructed as places of entrapment for Bradley Cooper’s ruthless grifter, Stanton Carlisle, who gets in over his head with his mentalist “spook show.”
“Once you decide to build something with Guillermo, it gets bigger, and Guillermo’s theme is we’re all in a prison,” said Deverell. The first part takes place in a traveling carnival in 1939, which afforded the production designer the opportunity to build her own carnival from the ground up in the parking lot field of Markham Fairground in Toronto. The color palette resembled the stark hopelessness of Edward Hopper’s paintings, while the shape language consisted of circular patterns and hallways as dead end metaphors.
The banners, meanwhile, were patterned after Fred Johnson, who was the Picasso of that design world.
“Once you decide to build something with Guillermo, it gets bigger, and Guillermo’s theme is we’re all in a prison,” said Deverell. The first part takes place in a traveling carnival in 1939, which afforded the production designer the opportunity to build her own carnival from the ground up in the parking lot field of Markham Fairground in Toronto. The color palette resembled the stark hopelessness of Edward Hopper’s paintings, while the shape language consisted of circular patterns and hallways as dead end metaphors.
The banners, meanwhile, were patterned after Fred Johnson, who was the Picasso of that design world.
- 1/31/2022
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
“Step right up and behold one of the unexplained mysteries of the universe! Is he a man or beast? “
A Black and White Version of Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley called Nightmare Alley: Vision In Darkness And Light opens in St. Louis Theaters Friday January 28th. It will be showing at The Marcus Ronnies and Plaza Frontenac.
Experience Nightmare Alley in the classic film noir style of black and white for a limited time. Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley follows charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) who 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...
A Black and White Version of Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley called Nightmare Alley: Vision In Darkness And Light opens in St. Louis Theaters Friday January 28th. It will be showing at The Marcus Ronnies and Plaza Frontenac.
Experience Nightmare Alley in the classic film noir style of black and white for a limited time. Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley follows charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) who 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...
- 1/26/2022
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Bradley Cooper earned rave reviews for his lead performance in Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley,” but the eight-time Oscar nominee was not necessarily the director’s first choice for the job. It was Leonardo DiCaprio, who del Toro originally cast in the role of Stanton Carlisle, a drifter and con artist who rises from lowly carnival worker to a renowned mentalist. Speaking to Mahershala Ali as part of Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series, presented by Amazon Studios, Cooper opened up about replacing DiCaprio and how not being first choice exposed his own insecurities.
“‘Nightmare Alley’ was an interesting example of how insecure I am,” Cooper said. “I was like, ‘Oh, I guess I still am the guy that wants to be in the group,’ because I had no intention of acting in anything other than what I’ve been writing. Leonardo DiCaprio fell out, and Guillermo del Toro came to me.
“‘Nightmare Alley’ was an interesting example of how insecure I am,” Cooper said. “I was like, ‘Oh, I guess I still am the guy that wants to be in the group,’ because I had no intention of acting in anything other than what I’ve been writing. Leonardo DiCaprio fell out, and Guillermo del Toro came to me.
- 1/25/2022
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive, Some Spoilers Included: The difference in stumping for awards in years past, compared to now — when a Covid encore with the catchy Omicron variant sent everyone back to their homes — is evident when Nightmare Alley star Bradley Cooper, director Guillermo del Toro and producer J. Miles Dale materialize on a Zoom call. It becomes clear they haven’t seen each other in person for awhile. “There he is, El Capitan,” Cooper says to del Toro; Dale tells Cooper they have to talk about Alvin Williams, the former Toronto Raptors player turned TV commentator who was Cooper’s high school friend back in Philadelphia. “I’m driving in, listening to the local sports radio here and [Williams] is talking about this guy Brad, his high school buddy who helped him study, and then it dawns on me he’s talking about you, and I’m like, dang.” Says del Toro: “Did they say anything about me?...
- 1/17/2022
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Editors note: Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series debuts and celebrates the scripts of films that will be factors in this year’s movie awards race.
“I wanted to render a classic story in a very alive and contemporary way – I wanted people to feel they are watching a story pertinent to our world,” says Nightmare Alley director and co-writer Guillermo del Toro, whose penchant for stylishly crafted horror stories took a turn for the decidedly noir with his latest film.
Del Toro and his writing partner Kim Morgan, an accomplished film journalist and essayist, turned to author William Lindsay Gresham’s fatalistic 1946 novel – now widely regarded as a classic of the hard-boiled, doom-suffused noir genre and the basis for the equally admired 1947 film starring Tyrone Power. Gresham’s tale follows the ascent of rough-hewn carnival roustabout Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) into a successful, polished café society mentalist, and his...
“I wanted to render a classic story in a very alive and contemporary way – I wanted people to feel they are watching a story pertinent to our world,” says Nightmare Alley director and co-writer Guillermo del Toro, whose penchant for stylishly crafted horror stories took a turn for the decidedly noir with his latest film.
Del Toro and his writing partner Kim Morgan, an accomplished film journalist and essayist, turned to author William Lindsay Gresham’s fatalistic 1946 novel – now widely regarded as a classic of the hard-boiled, doom-suffused noir genre and the basis for the equally admired 1947 film starring Tyrone Power. Gresham’s tale follows the ascent of rough-hewn carnival roustabout Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) into a successful, polished café society mentalist, and his...
- 1/14/2022
- by Scott Huver
- Deadline Film + TV
Guillermo del Toro’s noir thriller “Nightmare Alley” has just revealed to Gold Derby the names of the nine cast members who are eligible for the ensemble prize at the 2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards. SAG Award winner Bradley Cooper leads a cast that also boasts the likes of three-time guild champ Cate Blanchett and past nominees Rooney Mara and Richard Jenkins. See the alphabetical list below.
With such a starry ensemble, “Nightmare Alley” would seem especially appealing to the acting guild. According to Gold Derby’s current combined odds, we anticipate the film is competitive in at least three races at the upcoming ceremony: the overall ensemble, Cooper for lead actor and Blanchett for supporting actress.
Watch Richard Jenkins on his character in ‘The Humans’ and ‘Nightmare Alley’: ‘Both have tons of fear and tons of desire’
Adapted from William Lindsay Gresham’s novel of the same name from...
With such a starry ensemble, “Nightmare Alley” would seem especially appealing to the acting guild. According to Gold Derby’s current combined odds, we anticipate the film is competitive in at least three races at the upcoming ceremony: the overall ensemble, Cooper for lead actor and Blanchett for supporting actress.
Watch Richard Jenkins on his character in ‘The Humans’ and ‘Nightmare Alley’: ‘Both have tons of fear and tons of desire’
Adapted from William Lindsay Gresham’s novel of the same name from...
- 12/27/2021
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
Bradley Cooper is an established awards magnet, with eight nominations in the past nine years. Four of those have been in the acting category — for “Silver Linings Playbook” (2012), “American Hustle” (2013), “American Sniper” (2014) and “A Star Is Born” (2018). This year he has an opportunity to land three more nominations.
The 46-year-old actor delivers two powerhouse performances, both worthy of recognition. His first comes as Jon Peters — the producer, hairdresser and ex-boyfriend of Barbra Streisand — in Paul Thomas Anderson’s coming-of-age comedy “Licorice Pizza” from MGM/United Artists Releasing.
His other turn comes as Stanton Carlisle, the ambitious and manipulative carny in Guillermo del Toro’s neo-noir thriller “Nightmare Alley” from Searchlight Pictures, on which Cooper also is a producer.
Will this year finally give him a long-overdue Oscar?
It seems like ages ago that Cooper was just the jerk boyfriend in “Wedding Crashers” (2005) and the Wolfpack leader in “The Hangover” (2009). In “Licorice,...
The 46-year-old actor delivers two powerhouse performances, both worthy of recognition. His first comes as Jon Peters — the producer, hairdresser and ex-boyfriend of Barbra Streisand — in Paul Thomas Anderson’s coming-of-age comedy “Licorice Pizza” from MGM/United Artists Releasing.
His other turn comes as Stanton Carlisle, the ambitious and manipulative carny in Guillermo del Toro’s neo-noir thriller “Nightmare Alley” from Searchlight Pictures, on which Cooper also is a producer.
Will this year finally give him a long-overdue Oscar?
It seems like ages ago that Cooper was just the jerk boyfriend in “Wedding Crashers” (2005) and the Wolfpack leader in “The Hangover” (2009). In “Licorice,...
- 12/23/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
It isn’t often that a film composer consults with the star of the movie about his theme. But it happened on “Nightmare Alley,” as Bradley Cooper attended some of the recording sessions for Guillermo del Toro’s spooky noir film.
“We did the piano sessions in L.A., on an old Motown Steinway,” says composer Nathan Johnson (“Knives Out”). “Guillermo and Bradley were both able to be there, which was really nice, and it was great to look over and see his response.”
The piano is central to Johnson’s score, essentially the voice of Cooper’s character Stanton Carlisle. “He actually had really great notes,” adds Johnson. “It’s such a rare thing to hear the perspective of the person that you’re trying to embody.”
At one point, Johnson recalls, Cooper suggested that the piano enter a bit later than planned, so as not to telegraph a story point too early.
“We did the piano sessions in L.A., on an old Motown Steinway,” says composer Nathan Johnson (“Knives Out”). “Guillermo and Bradley were both able to be there, which was really nice, and it was great to look over and see his response.”
The piano is central to Johnson’s score, essentially the voice of Cooper’s character Stanton Carlisle. “He actually had really great notes,” adds Johnson. “It’s such a rare thing to hear the perspective of the person that you’re trying to embody.”
At one point, Johnson recalls, Cooper suggested that the piano enter a bit later than planned, so as not to telegraph a story point too early.
- 12/22/2021
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
With "Nightmare Alley," Cam McLauchlin had quite an epic film to shape in the editing room. It's a sprawling journey, starting with the ambitious Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) going from a carnival to fooling members of high society to experiencing a hard-hitting downfall. Not to mention, it's an ensemble film packed with atmosphere and an infectious passion for detail. Co-writer/director Guillermo del Toro's vision, based on William Lindsay Gresham's novel, is dense but moves with grace, thanks in large part to McLaughlin's contributions.
The editor sees himself as a drummer in a band, especially when working with del Toro: He wants to...
The post Nightmare Alley Editor Cam McLauchlin on Killing His Darlings And That Incredible Final Shot [Interview] appeared first on /Film.
The editor sees himself as a drummer in a band, especially when working with del Toro: He wants to...
The post Nightmare Alley Editor Cam McLauchlin on Killing His Darlings And That Incredible Final Shot [Interview] appeared first on /Film.
- 12/20/2021
- by Jack Giroux
- Slash Film
Of all the oddball flourishes across Guillermo del Toro’s filmography, it’s perhaps most surreal that he has taken this long to run away and join the circus. In re-adapting William Lindsay Gresham’s 1946 novel of a carnival barker-turned-mentalist, The Shape of Water and Crimson Peak helmer seems a safe bet to follow down the wild, murky corridors of Nightmare Alley. Ever the rapturous stylist, del Toro lends an undeniable dreamlike sheen to this retelling, even managing to sharpen the claws on some of the key scenes shared by its 1947 predecessor. Yet what remains contains no more truth or deep connection than one of Stanton Carlisle’s (Bradley Cooper) spook shows. That role, it seems, is one of Nightmare Alley’s main sticking points.
Seeing Tyrone Power sweat, scheme, and sneer is one of the original film’s key treasures. Having shepherded the project in ’47, Power was actively challenging himself with an against-type role.
Seeing Tyrone Power sweat, scheme, and sneer is one of the original film’s key treasures. Having shepherded the project in ’47, Power was actively challenging himself with an against-type role.
- 12/17/2021
- by Conor O'Donnell
- The Film Stage
Guillermo del Toro’s remake of the 1947 thriller Nightmare Alley is going full noir next month. Searchlight Pictures said Friday that a black-and-white version of the new pic starring Bradley Cooper will get a limited theatrical release in Los Angeles.
Titled Nightmare Alley: Vision in Darkness and Light, the b/w take hits screens on January 14, with four theaters eventually playing it for up to six days. See the listings below.
“Although we shot Nightmare Alley in color, we lit it as if it were black and white,” del Toro said. “You can see exactly the same level of design, and we wanted to give viewers this special vantage as a take of the classic noir genre that the film is part of.”
‘Nightmare Alley’ Trailer: Bradley Cooper Plays A Grifting Carney In Guillermo Del Toro’s Noir Thriller
Nightmare Alley follows charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Cooper), who endears...
Titled Nightmare Alley: Vision in Darkness and Light, the b/w take hits screens on January 14, with four theaters eventually playing it for up to six days. See the listings below.
“Although we shot Nightmare Alley in color, we lit it as if it were black and white,” del Toro said. “You can see exactly the same level of design, and we wanted to give viewers this special vantage as a take of the classic noir genre that the film is part of.”
‘Nightmare Alley’ Trailer: Bradley Cooper Plays A Grifting Carney In Guillermo Del Toro’s Noir Thriller
Nightmare Alley follows charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Cooper), who endears...
- 12/17/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley” exists in a kind of moral murk as its central character goes on a journey that will earn him wealth and influence but will also plunge him into a dark crisis of the soul.
Now, the film will get a re-release with a color palette that more completely reflects that ambiguity. Searchlight Pictures announced Friday that it will oversee a special limited run of del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley” in black and white. A color version hits theaters this weekend. The black-and-white iteration, dubbed “Nightmare Alley: Vision in Darkness and Light” will screen in select theaters across Los Angeles in January of 2022. What del Toro is attempting here has some precedent. Neon released a black-and-white cut of Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” after the color version of the film became an awards season juggernaut.
The venues that will show the black-and-white “Nightmare Alley” include...
Now, the film will get a re-release with a color palette that more completely reflects that ambiguity. Searchlight Pictures announced Friday that it will oversee a special limited run of del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley” in black and white. A color version hits theaters this weekend. The black-and-white iteration, dubbed “Nightmare Alley: Vision in Darkness and Light” will screen in select theaters across Los Angeles in January of 2022. What del Toro is attempting here has some precedent. Neon released a black-and-white cut of Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” after the color version of the film became an awards season juggernaut.
The venues that will show the black-and-white “Nightmare Alley” include...
- 12/17/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Although the latest film from director Guillermo del Toro, Nightmare Alley, exhibits many of the director’s signatures, it also manages to produce a pleasingly pulpy noir tale that effectively carries on the director’s motifs and aesthetics.
The film begins with a man apparently disposing of a corpse by reducing it and the house it is in to ashes. This is our introduction of aimless, yet charismatic drifter Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) – or the man disposing of the corpse – that eventually finds his way to a traveling carnival in 1929. Once ensconced as a jack-of-all-trades by the proprietor of the carnival – a man named Clem (played by Willem Dafoe) – Carlisle endears himself to the troupe’s resident clairvoyant, Zeena (Toni Collette), and her once-great mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn). After feeling he has mastered all of the tricks that this pair had to offer him, Carlisle convinces fellow performer, Molly...
The film begins with a man apparently disposing of a corpse by reducing it and the house it is in to ashes. This is our introduction of aimless, yet charismatic drifter Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) – or the man disposing of the corpse – that eventually finds his way to a traveling carnival in 1929. Once ensconced as a jack-of-all-trades by the proprietor of the carnival – a man named Clem (played by Willem Dafoe) – Carlisle endears himself to the troupe’s resident clairvoyant, Zeena (Toni Collette), and her once-great mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn). After feeling he has mastered all of the tricks that this pair had to offer him, Carlisle convinces fellow performer, Molly...
- 12/17/2021
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
You may remember that Guillermo del Toro’s last film — the strange, somewhat surprisingly Oscar-laden adult fairytale The Shape of Water — ended, appropriately, in water: a plunging turquoise expanse, an eternal resting place for two doomed, sinking, but finally unencumbered lovers. His latest film, however, begins on literal fire, consuming the rickety remains of a wooden cottage, where an occupied bed also surrenders to the blaze. The keeper of the flames, as it were, will soon to be introduced to us as Stanton Carlisle, looking on at his handiwork with...
- 12/16/2021
- by Guy Lodge
- Rollingstone.com
Time to share a secret: as much as I respect and admire Guillermo del Toro–not just for many of his films, but for his genuine love of cinema and particularly of genre, and his championing of the latter in all forms–his last several movies have left me cold.
Pacific Rim (2013) and Crimson Peak (2015) were both disappointments, technically impressive and stunning to look at, but lacking in the humanity and emotional resonance that fueled his personal masterpieces like The Devil’s Backbone (2001) and Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). His 2017 Best Picture and Best Director winner, The Shape of Water, was a step back in the right direction, melding his genre concerns with a newfound interest in adult sexuality, but its narrative was so predictably laid out that the film never felt surprising or fresh.
So it’s ironic to have the opposite reaction to Nightmare Alley, this week’s new neo noir and psychological thriller,...
Pacific Rim (2013) and Crimson Peak (2015) were both disappointments, technically impressive and stunning to look at, but lacking in the humanity and emotional resonance that fueled his personal masterpieces like The Devil’s Backbone (2001) and Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). His 2017 Best Picture and Best Director winner, The Shape of Water, was a step back in the right direction, melding his genre concerns with a newfound interest in adult sexuality, but its narrative was so predictably laid out that the film never felt surprising or fresh.
So it’s ironic to have the opposite reaction to Nightmare Alley, this week’s new neo noir and psychological thriller,...
- 12/16/2021
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
As has seemingly become custom, Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro rounded up some of the top craftspeople in Hollywood for his latest film, “Nightmare Alley.” According to frequent cinematographer Dan Laustsen, there’s a reason the former Best Director winner is able to collaborate with people working at the top of their profession.
“He loves what he’s doing. He loves movies, he loves movie-making but he really loves the movie we are doing together right now,” Laustsen, an Oscar nominee for del Toro’s last film, “The Shape of Water,” tells Gold Derby (watch the exclusive video interview above). “For him, there’s only one way and that’s the right way. He’s like, ‘I want you to do this as good as it can go.’ We could be lighting a sequence and he would say it has to be perfect. You do it as well as you...
“He loves what he’s doing. He loves movies, he loves movie-making but he really loves the movie we are doing together right now,” Laustsen, an Oscar nominee for del Toro’s last film, “The Shape of Water,” tells Gold Derby (watch the exclusive video interview above). “For him, there’s only one way and that’s the right way. He’s like, ‘I want you to do this as good as it can go.’ We could be lighting a sequence and he would say it has to be perfect. You do it as well as you...
- 12/16/2021
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
As someone who has been a fan of Guillermo del Toro’s entire filmography for nearly three decades now (was Cronos really released in the early ’90s? Egads.) and knowing what a cinephile he is, I was excited to see his take on Nightmare Alley, William Lindsay Gresham’s novel that was previously adapted by Edmund Goulding in his unforgettable noir about the dangers of man’s pursuit of power that has gone on to become a bona fide cinematic classic since its release. Thankfully, del Toro’s efforts do not disappoint here. Nightmare Alley may not be del Toro’s most provocative work, nor does it have that intangible, unexpected spark of storytelling ingenuity that I’ve enjoyed in some of his other filmic projects like The Shape of Water, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Devil’s Backbone, and the aforementioned Cronos. But what I really loved about del Toro’s Nightmare Alley...
- 12/15/2021
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
With Guillermo del Toro’s go-to composer, Alexandre Desplat, unavailable for “Nightmare Alley” because of the pandemic lockdown, the director turned to Nathan Johnson, and the “Knives Out” composer responded with a cutting orchestral score built around Bradley Cooper’s ruthless con artist Stanton Carlisle.
Johnson began with a single, repeating piano motif, representing Carlisle, who re-emerges from personal tragedy in 1939 to start anew as a New York carny grifter. The music then escalates with variations on a theme throughout Carlisle’s rapid ascent two years later as a high society nightclub psychic.
As Carlisle becomes more obsessed with fame and fortune, torn between two women (Rooney Mara’s innocent Molly and Cate Blanchett’s sophisticated Lilith), the score takes on greater string dissonances, augmented by jagged piano lurches usually associated with hip-hop. It was all part of the composer’s ambitious experiment in free-style modernism.
“I came in toward...
Johnson began with a single, repeating piano motif, representing Carlisle, who re-emerges from personal tragedy in 1939 to start anew as a New York carny grifter. The music then escalates with variations on a theme throughout Carlisle’s rapid ascent two years later as a high society nightclub psychic.
As Carlisle becomes more obsessed with fame and fortune, torn between two women (Rooney Mara’s innocent Molly and Cate Blanchett’s sophisticated Lilith), the score takes on greater string dissonances, augmented by jagged piano lurches usually associated with hip-hop. It was all part of the composer’s ambitious experiment in free-style modernism.
“I came in toward...
- 12/13/2021
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Composer Nathan Johnson was brought onto “Nightmare Alley” only months before its theatrical release after original composer Alexandre Desplat was forced to exit the Guillermo Del Toro film due to scheduling issues.
“It was definitely a whirlwind but kind of amazing. It was such a smooth track from start to finish,” Johnson tells Gold Derby about his collaboration with Del Toro for the noir drama. Johnson, whose cousin is director Rian Johnson and who has written the scores for all of Rian’s films outside of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” was actually on the set of the “Knives Out” sequel when he received a call from Del Toro about participating in the project.
“I emailed Rian and wrote, ‘Hey, obviously this is my first commitment, but I think we can do this before essentially before you’ve got an edit together,’ and he just wrote back in all-caps, ‘You have to go meet him,...
“It was definitely a whirlwind but kind of amazing. It was such a smooth track from start to finish,” Johnson tells Gold Derby about his collaboration with Del Toro for the noir drama. Johnson, whose cousin is director Rian Johnson and who has written the scores for all of Rian’s films outside of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” was actually on the set of the “Knives Out” sequel when he received a call from Del Toro about participating in the project.
“I emailed Rian and wrote, ‘Hey, obviously this is my first commitment, but I think we can do this before essentially before you’ve got an edit together,’ and he just wrote back in all-caps, ‘You have to go meet him,...
- 12/9/2021
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Tickets are now on sale to watch Nightmare Alley in the big-screen glory of your favorite movie theater. Directed by Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water), the dark thriller follows the exploits of Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) as he endeavors to trick a powerful tycoon (Richard Jenkins), with the aid of his loyal girlfriend (Rooney Mara) and an unpredictable psychiatrist, Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett). Stanton claims to be able to read minds "under the right circumstances,"...
- 12/6/2021
- by affiliates@fandango.com
- Fandango
When audiences last saw a feature film from acclaimed director Guillermo Del Toro it was “The Shape of Water,” a surprising Oscars heavyweight that won Best Picture and scored Del Toro Best Director honors at the 2018 Academy Awards. So expectations for Del Toro’s follow-up, a fresh adaptation of William Lindsay Gresham’s 1946 noir novel “Nightmare Alley” (which was previously turned into a 1947 noir feature film), were sky-high heading into Wednesday night’s screenings in New York and Los Angeles. Based on early responses from journalists and pundits, Del Toro did not disappoint — though whether academy members will warm to the film’s cold-hearted story and characters is another conversation entirely.
“The movie itself lands as a rock-solid, potentially across-the-board player, bolstered by impeccable craft below the line and a superb ensemble in top form,” Vanity Fair awards writer David Canfield wrote. “It’s a darker movie than ‘Shape of Water,...
“The movie itself lands as a rock-solid, potentially across-the-board player, bolstered by impeccable craft below the line and a superb ensemble in top form,” Vanity Fair awards writer David Canfield wrote. “It’s a darker movie than ‘Shape of Water,...
- 12/2/2021
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Bradley Cooper has a picture-perfect support system in Irina Shayk. The 35-year-old model attended the New York City movie premiere of Bradley's latest flick, Nightmare Alley, on Wednesday, Dec. 1. For the occasion, Irina turned heads with her ensemble, which included a black pinstripe suit, paired with a show-stopping strappy leather bodysuit underneath. For his part, the 46-year-old actor rocked a classic black tuxedo with a white-button down and black tie. In his latest psychological-thriller flick, Bradley stars as Stanton Carlisle, a mentalist who fools people into believing that he can read minds. The film also stars Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard...
- 12/2/2021
- E! Online
The observation that men are the real monsters in Guillermo del Toro movies has become so vividly self-evident that it now offers all the same insight of noting that Quentin Tarantino loves feet, or that the old guy who popped up in the first two dozen MCU films had something to do with the comics that inspired them.
“The Shape of Water” may have been a bold choice for Best Picture, but that Oscar-winning fable about a mute cleaning lady who falls in love with an imprisoned fishman stretched del Toro’s lifelong obsession with poignant genre stories to a fairy-tale ending. It was hard to imagine what “happily ever after” might look like for someone whose B-picture heart earned him prestige-picture hardware. Would he pivot away from his pet obsession, or would he use his newfound pedigree to double down like never before?
The answer, perhaps inevitably, is a bit of both.
“The Shape of Water” may have been a bold choice for Best Picture, but that Oscar-winning fable about a mute cleaning lady who falls in love with an imprisoned fishman stretched del Toro’s lifelong obsession with poignant genre stories to a fairy-tale ending. It was hard to imagine what “happily ever after” might look like for someone whose B-picture heart earned him prestige-picture hardware. Would he pivot away from his pet obsession, or would he use his newfound pedigree to double down like never before?
The answer, perhaps inevitably, is a bit of both.
- 12/2/2021
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Exclusive: It has been nearly two full years since Guillermo del Toro started shooting Nightmare Alley. But now, finally, four years to the day since The Shape of Water’s US release, the cast and crew are preparing to gather in New York City for the movie’s global premiere at Alice Tully Hall Wednesday night. A simultaneous premiere will happen in Los Angeles and in other cities, and the events are taking place in association with Film at Lincoln Center, TIFF and the Telluride Film Festival, a nod to the disruption that meant Nightmare would not be able to complete the same festival circuit that had started Shape on its journey to becoming a four-time Oscar winner.
That disruption, of course, was a global pandemic that shut down production in March 2020. While Nightmare Alley became the first major Canadian production to return, it would take six months to do so.
That disruption, of course, was a global pandemic that shut down production in March 2020. While Nightmare Alley became the first major Canadian production to return, it would take six months to do so.
- 11/29/2021
- by Joe Utichi
- Deadline Film + TV
Searchlight Pictures has released the brand-new trailer for director Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley.
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.
Good night nurse, what a cast Del Toro has put together. The filmmaker is best known for Hellboy, Pacific Rim and Crimson Peak as well as his Academy Award-winning fantasy films Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water. He won Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture in 2018 for The Shape of Water...
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.
Good night nurse, what a cast Del Toro has put together. The filmmaker is best known for Hellboy, Pacific Rim and Crimson Peak as well as his Academy Award-winning fantasy films Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water. He won Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture in 2018 for The Shape of Water...
- 11/24/2021
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Searchlight Pictures released the new trailer for Guillermo del Toro much-anticipated Nightmare Alley, the director’s follow-up to the Oscar-winning The Shape of Water. Watch it above.
Starring Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett and Toni Collette, this remake of the 1947 film noir classic follows, in the words of the official synopsis, a charismatic but down-on-his-luck carny named Stanton Carlisle (Cooper) who endears himself to clairvoyant Zeena (Collette) and her has-been mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn) at a traveling carnival. With some newly acquired knowledge perfect for a grift, Stanton plots to con a dangerous tycoon (Richard Jenkins) with the aid of a mysterious psychiatrist (Blanchett).
The film, written by del Toro and Kim Morgan, also features Rooney Mara and Ron Perlman.
Searchlight Pictures will open Nightmare Alley in theaters on Dec. 17.
Starring Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett and Toni Collette, this remake of the 1947 film noir classic follows, in the words of the official synopsis, a charismatic but down-on-his-luck carny named Stanton Carlisle (Cooper) who endears himself to clairvoyant Zeena (Collette) and her has-been mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn) at a traveling carnival. With some newly acquired knowledge perfect for a grift, Stanton plots to con a dangerous tycoon (Richard Jenkins) with the aid of a mysterious psychiatrist (Blanchett).
The film, written by del Toro and Kim Morgan, also features Rooney Mara and Ron Perlman.
Searchlight Pictures will open Nightmare Alley in theaters on Dec. 17.
- 11/18/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett run a psychic grift that goes south in the full trailer for director and co-writer Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley.
Released Thursday by Searchlight Pictures, the trailer for del Toro’s first film since the Oscar-winning Shape of Water teases a neo-noir psychological thriller that features Cooper starring as down on his luck but charismatic “carny” Stanton Carlisle. While at a traveling carnival, Carlisle meets and endears himself to Toni Collette’s clairvoyant Zeena, as well as her mentalist husband Pete, played by David Strathairn.
Eventually, with the aid of mysterious psychiatrist Dr. Lilith Ritter (Blanchett), the ...
Released Thursday by Searchlight Pictures, the trailer for del Toro’s first film since the Oscar-winning Shape of Water teases a neo-noir psychological thriller that features Cooper starring as down on his luck but charismatic “carny” Stanton Carlisle. While at a traveling carnival, Carlisle meets and endears himself to Toni Collette’s clairvoyant Zeena, as well as her mentalist husband Pete, played by David Strathairn.
Eventually, with the aid of mysterious psychiatrist Dr. Lilith Ritter (Blanchett), the ...
- 11/18/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett run a psychic grift that goes south in the full trailer for director and co-writer Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley.
Released Thursday by Searchlight Pictures, the trailer for del Toro’s first film since the Oscar-winning Shape of Water teases a neo-noir psychological thriller that features Cooper starring as down on his luck but charismatic “carny” Stanton Carlisle. While at a traveling carnival, Carlisle meets and endears himself to Toni Collette’s clairvoyant Zeena, as well as her mentalist husband Pete, played by David Strathairn.
Eventually, with the aid of mysterious psychiatrist Dr. Lilith Ritter (Blanchett), the ...
Released Thursday by Searchlight Pictures, the trailer for del Toro’s first film since the Oscar-winning Shape of Water teases a neo-noir psychological thriller that features Cooper starring as down on his luck but charismatic “carny” Stanton Carlisle. While at a traveling carnival, Carlisle meets and endears himself to Toni Collette’s clairvoyant Zeena, as well as her mentalist husband Pete, played by David Strathairn.
Eventually, with the aid of mysterious psychiatrist Dr. Lilith Ritter (Blanchett), the ...
- 11/18/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
‘Nightmare Alley’ Official Trailer: Cate Blanchett Hypnotizes Bradley Cooper in Sinister New Footage
While “House of Gucci,” “Licorice Pizza,” and “Don’t Look Up” are dominating movie headlines right now, don’t forget that a new Guillermo del Toro movie is on the way this December. Searchlight Pictures has debuted the official trailer for “Nightmare Alley,” del Toro’s highly-anticipated follow-up to “The Shape of Water.” That film grossed nearly $200 million worldwide and won the filmmaker his first Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director. Now del Toro is back with Searchlight for this adaptation of the 1946 novel of the same name by William Lindsay Gresham.
The official “Nightmare Alley” synopsis from Searchlight Pictures reads: “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.
The official “Nightmare Alley” synopsis from Searchlight Pictures reads: “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.
- 11/18/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
The academy has always been kind to villainous characters. Mo’Nique (“Precious”) and Allison Janney won Best Supporting Actress Oscars for playing dastardly dames. Others who contended in that category recently for such roles include Amy Adams (“The Master”), Jennifer Jason-Leigh (“The Hateful Eight”), Meryl Streep (“Into the Woods”) and Rachel Weisz (“The Favourite”). Two-time champ Cate Blanchett could continue the trend this year with her role as the duplicitous femme fatale Lilith Ritter in Guillermo Del Toro’s upcoming neo-noir mystery thriller “Nightmare Alley.”
Searchlight Pictures describes this remake of the 1947 film noir classic thus: “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,...
Searchlight Pictures describes this remake of the 1947 film noir classic thus: “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,...
- 11/8/2021
- by Nick Bisa
- Gold Derby
Guillermo del Toro is a master of horror, fantasy, and all things concerning monsters, which is why the first trailer for his latest directorial effort, “Nightmare Alley,” might come as a shock to his fans. Instead of going his traditional genre route, del Toro has instead crafted a full blown film noir for his follow-up to “The Shape of Water,” which grossed nearly $200 million worldwide and won the filmmaker his first Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director. How do you follow an Oscars darling? If you’re del Toro, you take on one of Hollywood’s most iconic genres and put together the most star-studded ensemble cast of your career.
Here’s the “Nightmare Alley” cast del Toro has assembled: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, Toni Collette, Richard Jenkins, Ron Perlman, Rooney Mara, Holt McCallany, Clifton Collins Jr., Tim Blake Nelson, Mary Steenburgen, and David Strathairn.
“Nightmare Alley...
Here’s the “Nightmare Alley” cast del Toro has assembled: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, Toni Collette, Richard Jenkins, Ron Perlman, Rooney Mara, Holt McCallany, Clifton Collins Jr., Tim Blake Nelson, Mary Steenburgen, and David Strathairn.
“Nightmare Alley...
- 9/16/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Searchlight Pictures has debuted the first official photos from Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley,” based on the 1946 novel of the same name by William Lindsay Gresham. The film is del Toro’s follow-up to Best Picture winner “The Shape of Water,” which also won him the Academy Award for Best Director. In an interview with Vanity Fair, del Toro stressed that “Nightmare Alley” is not the kind of horror and/or fantasy genre exercise fans have come to expect from him. Del Toro said he hopes the film’s title doesn’t give off a false impression, as the film is more of a classic film noir than a horror movie.
“That is a distinct possibility,” del Toro said about the title misleading viewers. “It has happened to me in the past with ‘Crimson Peak,’ where people went in expecting a horror movie. I knew it was a gothic...
“That is a distinct possibility,” del Toro said about the title misleading viewers. “It has happened to me in the past with ‘Crimson Peak,’ where people went in expecting a horror movie. I knew it was a gothic...
- 9/14/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Bradley Cooper and his “Nightmare Alley” director Guillermo del Toro got together Sunday for one of a series of Tribeca Talks. In a virtual conversation originally scheduled to be held live, the actor and director mostly talked about the film noir thriller adapted from William Lindsay Gresham’s pulpy 1946 novel, digging into a creative endeavor that both men said changed how they will make movies forever.
For one thing, back on March 10, 2020, the director and his star conferred and agreed that they needed to shut down “Nightmare Alley” — immediately. “We were both concerned,” said del Toro. “Stopping was not mandatory back then, but we both felt if we don’t stop now and someone gets sick — we said, ‘we gotta stop.’ Nobody was expecting it. Everybody went to lunch and came back six months later.”
In that time, del Toro edited the one-third of the movie, and realized the changes...
For one thing, back on March 10, 2020, the director and his star conferred and agreed that they needed to shut down “Nightmare Alley” — immediately. “We were both concerned,” said del Toro. “Stopping was not mandatory back then, but we both felt if we don’t stop now and someone gets sick — we said, ‘we gotta stop.’ Nobody was expecting it. Everybody went to lunch and came back six months later.”
In that time, del Toro edited the one-third of the movie, and realized the changes...
- 6/13/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Bradley Cooper and his “Nightmare Alley” director Guillermo del Toro got together Sunday for one of a series of Tribeca Talks. In a virtual conversation originally scheduled to be held live, the actor and director mostly talked about the film noir thriller adapted from William Lindsay Gresham’s pulpy 1946 novel, digging into a creative endeavor that both men said changed how they will make movies forever.
For one thing, back on March 10, 2020, the director and his star conferred and agreed that they needed to shut down “Nightmare Alley” — immediately. “We were both concerned,” said del Toro. “Stopping was not mandatory back then, but we both felt if we don’t stop now and someone gets sick — we said, ‘we gotta stop.’ Nobody was expecting it. Everybody went to lunch and came back six months later.”
In that time, del Toro edited the one-third of the movie, and realized the changes...
For one thing, back on March 10, 2020, the director and his star conferred and agreed that they needed to shut down “Nightmare Alley” — immediately. “We were both concerned,” said del Toro. “Stopping was not mandatory back then, but we both felt if we don’t stop now and someone gets sick — we said, ‘we gotta stop.’ Nobody was expecting it. Everybody went to lunch and came back six months later.”
In that time, del Toro edited the one-third of the movie, and realized the changes...
- 6/13/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
One of the most glamorous / unsavory films noir ever, this creepy tale of a master con-man undone by warped ambition was planned as a career-altering role for the big star Tyrone Power. Power plumbs the depths of personal degradation in terms that even today skew to the squeamish side of human experience. Almost as fascinating are the women Power uses, arrayed in dynamic contrast: Coleen Gray, Joan Blondell and Helen Walker. Yes, this is the movie about ‘The Geek’… Hollywood hadn’t been this intimate with the seamy underside of carnival life since Tod Browning’s Freaks. The disc extras include top contributions from James Ursini and Alain Silver, Imogen Sara Smith and even Coleen Gray.
Nightmare Alley
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1078
1947 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 111 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date May 25, 2021 / 39.95
Starring: Tyrone Power, Coleen Gray, Joan Blondell, Helen Walker, Taylor Holmes, Mike Mazurki, Ian Keith,...
Nightmare Alley
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1078
1947 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 111 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date May 25, 2021 / 39.95
Starring: Tyrone Power, Coleen Gray, Joan Blondell, Helen Walker, Taylor Holmes, Mike Mazurki, Ian Keith,...
- 5/11/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
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