WARNER’S TWILIGHT ZONE GIG GOING TO MATT REEVES

He's the new Gore Verbinski!

The "one story" approach seems strange to me. I mean, how is that any different from something like The Sixth Sense? Or even M NIGHT SHYAMALAN'S DEVIL FROM THE BRILLIANT MIND OF M NIGHT SHYAMALAN?

It's just an excuse to market a standard thriller with the Twilight Zone brand.

Doesn't mean it wouldn't be good, necessarily. But I don't get it. Do they expect it to take off and we get a yearly thing? A budget thriller series?

TWILIGHT ZONE PRESENTS.

It worked for Tales From the Crypt for about 7 months, didn't it?

One of the least inspired possible choices.. ugh. Well, better than Bay, I guess

As for how it's a TWILIGHT ZONE movie without being an anthology... well, the show was broadcast an episode at a time, not as a collection of shorts. I think the key will be to cast Campbell Scott (or someone with his qualities) as the HOST, that way the film series can be unified by it's INTRO/OUTRO narration and TTZ title cards

I've ended up loving Reeves' last two films against all odds. No reason to hate this choice at all.

Reeves is a great choice for this. 

Oh, I have no problem with the choice of Matt Reeves don't get me wrong. I just don't understand the thinking behind how they've chosen to do this.

And, although they've done it like 743 times already, they're probably better off trying to revive it as a TV series.

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Originally Posted by Justin Clark 

I've ended up loving Reeves' last two films against all odds. No reason to hate this choice at all.

I'm definitely in this camp.

Absolutely with you guys. Reeves is just fine.

There is nothing wrong with Reeves. He has a sense of style, and while I reacted badly to LET ME IN, I actually rather liked CLOVERFIELD. With that said, I just feel like TTZ is very special, and it should be treated with the respect Sterling's legacy deserves by giving an auteur a chance to tell a tale in that universe. Perhaps having Cuaron's name in the running spoiled me, but Reeves just seems like a big step down. I feel like using him could be a signal they simply need a workman who won't screw up their twist based script, when they should be seeking a director (like a Cuaron) who can elevate the material to what TTZ was at it's best: works of game changing mind bending

The TTZ pushed all kinds of limits back in the day, and the thing I most fear is that these movies will be 'safe', Shyamalan inspired cash ins

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Originally Posted by Princess Kate 

 

As for how it's a TWILIGHT ZONE movie without being an anthology... well, the show was broadcast an episode at a time, not as a collection of shorts. I think the key will be to cast Campbell Scott (or someone with his qualities) as the HOST, that way the film series can be unified by it's INTRO/OUTRO narration and TTZ title cards

"The Twilight Zone" works, like all anthologies, better in a short-form format...not as a single story drawn out into a full feature.

Watch the recent Tales from the Crypt features (Demon Knight / Bordello of Blood). While they are fine as standalone feature films, the traditional long-form narrative they are presented in doesn't work in the same way as respective shorter segments in an anthology would.

Yes, each story is its own self-contained creation, independent of the others, but don't discount the art and power of telling a really good joke and getting to the punchline before your guests tune out and amble off to get more drinks.

Twilight Zone movies sound just fine to me. Sequel, Prequel, Reboots not so much.

The genre needs a boost. Good filmmakers need work. Reeves is a good filmmaker.

If they keep these down to 80 minutes and between £5-10 million, they could knock one out, once a year, with rotating directors, in the Halloween slot currently occupied by Paranormal Activity (Formally Saw). 

You know, like John Carpenter originally intended Halloween to be. Cheap and dirty is the best route, creatively and financially for the studio.

If that happens, this could be very exciting. But it won't. So fuck it. 

See I think that could happen and hope it will. I like you am a pessimist on this matter though.

You know what could be a great use of Twilight Zone/Outer Limits, that would never happen? A 30 minute short, preceding a bigger budget horror release. 

But like Bugs Bunny or B-Movies, those days are long fucking gone.

I wonder if WB will let it sit in the can and then release it DTV like Singer-buddy's (Dougherty) TRICK R TREAT. Probably not, as Abrams-buddy (Reeves) isn't friends with someone who failed one of their prime franchises. Wait, what was I talking about?

Agreed about the full-length issues in this thread. The original's anthology format is the way to go here. Course, I like Dante's HOLE, which seemed very much like a longer companion piece to his TZ segment.

Hopefully it's good. That's all I ask.

I also wonder if Ellison will find some way to sue WB over it, whatever the story is. Just kidding. Or am I?

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Originally Posted by Johnny Daywalker 

See I think that could happen and hope it will. I like you am a pessimist on this matter though.

I hope it happens as well.

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Originally Posted by DARKMITE8 

Course, I like Dante's HOLE, which seemed very much like a longer companion piece to his TZ segment.

Where the hell is that movie and who the fuck is sitting on it instead of releasing it?

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Originally Posted by DARKMITE8 

I also wonder if Ellison will find some way to sue WB over it, whatever the story is. Just kidding. Or am I?

Yeah, that is pretty much guaranteed.

You know you can drop the whole Twilight Zone thing if you want.

Give filmmakers a sandbox to play in. Anthology I love it. Do it.

Just do something different or fresh.

I agree that Twilight Zone should be an Anthology movie but Anthology movies are death at the box office as witnessed by the original Twilight Zone: The Movie (also see Creepshow, Grindhouse, Tales from the Darkside, Cat's Eye, Nightmares, Deadtime Stories, The Offspring)  Unless, they go the route of Sin City with each story tying into each other somehow.

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Originally Posted by User_32 

Unless, they go the route of Sin City with each story tying into each other somehow.

That's what they did with Trick R Treat. And it didn't work.

But the idea of it wasn't bad. Just the execution.

You're wrong about Creepshow. It did pretty well in its release.

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Originally Posted by Erix 

That's what they did with Trick R Treat. And it didn't work.

 

But the idea of it wasn't bad. Just the execution.

 

You're wrong about Creepshow. It did pretty well in its release.

The execution for TRICK R TREAT wasn't bad either, it was the marketing (or lack thereof)

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Originally Posted by Erix 

 

You're wrong about Creepshow. It did pretty well in its release.

I guess relative to budget but it still didn't exactly breakout in theatres.
 

http://boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=horroranthology.htm

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Originally Posted by Paul Allen 

 

The execution for TRICK R TREAT wasn't bad either, it was the marketing (or lack thereof)

It was well-made and slick. With several good moments. But, overall, it was just too half baked to really work like it should have.

I really wanted to like it. But I can see why it didn't catch on.

That was the problem with The Twilight Zone movie from 83 also. You had two good segments and two shit segments. I don't think anthology movies have failed because people don't like them. The problem is that, with the exception of Creepshow, they're usually done badly.

To be fair, Erix, Trick 'R Treat was never really given a chance to work.  Almost all the other films listed above were given a wide release.  Trick 'R Treat was not.  That said, I doubt it would have set the box office on fire.

I basically agree with you Plissken. The thing with Trick R Treat is that I really appreciated what it was trying to do. It just fell short of its goals. But it is unfortunate that it wasn't given more attention.

The point I was trying to make, though, is that anthology films haven't failed with audiences for no good reason. Most of them are flawed and that's why they don't catch on.

One that I think is underrated is Tales From the Darkside. That deserved more love.

Agreed on Trick R Treat and Tales From The Darkside.

That's why I am behind this new anthology.