Generally speaking, I try and keep the Top 5 opening paragraph as topical as possible (i.e. films, television, posters, etc.). This week that protocol is easier than ever to follow as I recently got my first chance to check out director Gareth Evans‘ The Raid. Keeping this short and sweet, if you’ve yet to partake in The Raid and have ever derived any joy from watching action fare, martial arts, and the like, then you have a giant favor to do for yourself. Quickly find a way to check out this actioner and try to keep a smile from forming across your face while watching.

Movie recommendations aside, this weekend brings you a recap of all of our 2012 Toronto International Film Festival thus far, the first trailer and poster for Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, video interviews with the cast and director of Bachelorette, the inaugural installment of our Hollywood! Adapt This feature spotlighting Disney’s Gargoyles, and The Words video interviews with Bradley Cooper, co-writer/co-director Brian Klugman, and more. A brief recap and link to each awaits on the other side.

We’re currently in a time when Hollywood seems more likely to revamp, reboot, remake or re-adapt an already established property than to take a chance on something wholly original.  Financially, this makes sense as the general public is already aware of the franchise in question and may be more likely to go see a new iteration out of a sense of nostalgia or plain old curiosity.  We’ve seen Hollywood continually mine our rich, fertile and imaginative childhoods as a source of box office fodder (Transformers, G.I. Joe, Teenage Mutant/Alien Ninja Turtles) and that’s not likely to stop any time soon.  So I’m here to take the initiative and offer up some forgotten franchises, some lesser-known vintage properties and some downright obscure media to sacrifice to the box office gods.  Our initial feature will plead the case for a re-imagining of one of my favorite mid-90s animated shows and you can read it after the jump.  Hollywood! Adapt This: Disney’s Gargoyles.