The Magical Cinema of Guillermo del Toro

The Magical Cinema of Guillermo del Toro
Author: Guilllermo de Toro
Publisher: Insight Editions
Total Pages: 488
Release: 2021-08-10
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 9781683837541

Dive deep into Guillermo del Toro’s world with this revised and updated collection of essays and interviews that explore two of the Oscar-winning director’s greatest works. Containing exclusive new content, this revised and updated collection of essays explores two of del Toro’s greatest films, Pan’s Labyrinth and The Devil’s Backbone. This volume is a tribute to both del Toro’s unrelenting imagination and his rarely matched craft for the film of transformation. From his unique mastery of color and use of shadow to his awareness of our primal hunger for myths and monsters, he has changed the basis for what we expect from film. Including interviews with actors and key crew members from the two films, plus del Toro himself, as well as rare photographs and concept drawings, the book features ten engaging essays on a multitude of themes, including philosophy, feminism, fascism, fantasy, and history. With a foreword by Ivana Baquero, an introduction by Guillermo del Toro, and an afterword by Fernando Tielve, this is a must-read exploration of two of the early twenty-first century’s greatest films.

The Supernatural Cinema of Guillermo del Toro

The Supernatural Cinema of Guillermo del Toro
Author: John W. Morehead
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 215
Release: 2015-05-23
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 147662075X

Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro is one of the most prolific artists working in film. His directorial work includes Cronos (1993), Mimic (1997), The Devil's Backbone (2001), Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004), Pan's Labyrinth (2006), Hellboy II (2008) and Pacific Rim (2013). He has also worked extensively as a producer, with several screenwriting credits to his name. As a novelist he coauthored The Strain Trilogy (2009-2011), which he also developed into a television series for FX in 2014. Del Toro has spoken of the "primal, spiritual function" of his art, which gives expression to his fascination with monsters, myth, archetype, metaphor, Jungian psychology, the paranormal and religion. This collection of new essays discusses cultural, religious and literary influences on del Toro's work and explores key themes of his films, including the child's experience of humanity through encounters with the monstrous.

Guillermo del Toro

Guillermo del Toro
Author: Ian Nathan
Publisher: White Lion Publishing
Total Pages: 183
Release: 2021-11-09
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 0711263299

Guillermo del Toro is a complete and intimate study of the life and work of one of modern cinema's most truly unique directors, whose distinct aesthetic and imagination are unmatched in contemporary film. Widely regarded as one of the most imaginative directors working in cinema today, Guillermo del Toro has built up a body of work that has enthralled movie fans with its dark beauty and edge-of-the-seat set pieces. In this book, acclaimed author Ian Nathan charts the progression of a career that has produced some of contemporary cinema’s most revered scenes and idiosyncratic characters. This detailed examination looks at how the strands of del Toro’s career have woven together to create one of modern cinema’s most ground-breaking bodies of work. Delving deep into del Toro's psyche, the book starts by examining his beginnings in Mexico, the creative but isolated child surrounded by ornate catholicism and monster magazines, filming stop motion battles between his toys on a Super-8 film camera. It follows him to film school, where we learn of his influences, from Kafka to Bunuel, and explores his 1993 debut Cronos, the independent horror debut which draws on the religious and occult themes which would recur throughout del Toro's work. It goes on to cover his development as a director with 1997's Mimic, his blockbuster success with the Hellboy films and goes on to study the films which have cemented his status as a legendary auteur, Oscar award winners Pan's Labrynth and The Shape of Water, as well as his sci-fi masterpiece Pacific Rim, as well as looking at his exciting upcoming projects Nightmare Alley and Pinocchio. An enlightening look into the mind of an auteur blessed with a singular creative vision, Guillermo del Toro analyses the processes, themes and narratives that have come to be recognised as distinctly del Toro, from practical effects to an obsession with folklore and paganism. It looks into the narrative techniques, stylistic flourishes and creative decisions which have made him a true master of modern cinema. Presented in a slipcase with 8-page gatefold section, with scores of illuminating photographs of the director at work on set as well as iconic stills from his films and examples of his influences, this stunning package will delight all Guillermo del Toro devotees and movie lovers in general. Unauthorised and Unofficial.

Guillermo Del Toro

Guillermo Del Toro
Author: Keith McDonald
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 243
Release: 2015-08-27
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1501308610

A critical exploration of one of the most exciting, original and influential figures to emerge in contemporary film, Guillermo del Toro: Film as Alchemic Art is a major contribution to the analysis of Guillermo del Toro's cinematic output. It offers an in-depth discussion of del Toro's oeuvre and investigates key ideas, recurrent motifs and subtle links between his movies. The book explores the sources that del Toro draws upon and transforms in the creation of his rich and complex body of work. These include the literary, artistic and cinematic influences on films such as Pan's Labyrinth, The Devil's Backbone, Cronos and Mimic, and the director's engagement with comic book culture in his two Hellboy films, Blade II and Pacific Rim. As well as offering extensive close textual analysis, the authors also consider del Toro's considerable impact on wider popular culture, including a discussion of his role as producer, ambassador for 'geek' culture and figurehead in new international cinema.

The Best Film You've Never Seen

The Best Film You've Never Seen
Author: Robert K. Elder
Publisher: Zephyr Press
Total Pages: 282
Release: 2013
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1569768382

Thirty-five directors reveal which overlooked or critically savaged films they believe deserve a larger audience while offering advice on how to watch each film.

Guillermo del Toro's The Devil's Backbone

Guillermo del Toro's The Devil's Backbone
Author: Matt Zoller Seitz
Publisher: Insight Editions
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2017-11-28
Genre: Art
ISBN: 9781683831082

Explore the creation of Guillermo del Toro’s early masterpiece through this visually stunning and insightful look at the spine-chilling classic. Released in 2001, Guillermo del Toro’s The Devil’s Backbone announced the director as a singular talent with a unique ability to mix the macabre with the sublime. A spiritual companion piece to his Oscar-winning Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), the film shares similar themes and is also set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, a brutal conflict that turned ordinary men into monsters. Through a series of in-depth and extremely candid interviews with the director, this deluxe volume not only explores the shooting of the film but also delves into a range of other topics with del Toro, including his influences, his uniquely nuanced approach to filmmaking, and the traumatic personal events that colored the creation of The Devil’s Backbone. The book also draws on interviews with key contributors in the film’s creation, including cinematographer Guillermo Navarro and composer Javier Navarrete, to give readers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at how this gothic horror masterpiece was crafted. Featuring a wealth of exquisite concept art and rare unit photography, Guillermo del Toro’s The Devil’s Backbone is the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at an unforgettable Spanish-language classic.

The Transnational Fantasies of Guillermo del Toro

The Transnational Fantasies of Guillermo del Toro
Author: A. Davies
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 177
Release: 2014-10-02
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1137407840

Offering a multifaceted approach to the Mexican-born director Guillermo del Toro, this volume examines his wide-ranging oeuvre and traces the connections between his Spanish language and English language commercial and art film projects.

Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters

Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters
Author: Guillermo del Toro
Publisher: Insight Editions
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2016-08-30
Genre: Art
ISBN: 9781608878604

The perfect companion piece to an enthralling new exhibition on the visionary work and fervent imagination of director Guillermo del Toro. In 2016, a new exhibit on the work of visionary director Guillermo del Toro will begin at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), before moving on to the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) and the Minneapolis Museum of Art (MIA). This book will be the perfect accompaniment to the exhibition, which focuses on del Toro’s creative process, including the well-defined themes that he obsessively returns to in all his films, the journals in which he logs his ideas, and the vast and inspiring collection of art and pop culture ephemera that he has amassed at his private “man cave,” Bleak House. Filled with imagery from the exhibit, including favorite pieces of art that del Toro has chosen for the exhibit, and pertinent journal pages, the book will further delve further into the director’s world through exclusive in-depth interviews and commentary from notable figures in the art world. Forming a perfect companion to the exhibition, this book will deliver an engrossing look into the mind of one of the great creative visionaries of our time.

Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth

Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth
Author: Guillermo del Toro
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2017-05-16
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 0062433903

Discover the dark secrets of Guillermo del Toro’s masterpiece, Pan's Labyrinth, in this thrilling exploration of the film’s creation. Released in 2006, Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth was hailed as a dark, thrilling masterpiece and announced the filmmaker as a major creative force, garnering him a loyal fan base attracted to his technical skill and wild imagination. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of this acclaimed fantasy, Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth provides the definitive account of the film’s creation. Written in close collaboration with the director, this volume covers everything from del Toro’s initial musings, through to the film’s haunting creature designs, the hugely challenging shoot, and the overwhelming critical and fan reaction upon the its release. Including exquisite concept art and rare unit photography from the set, Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth gives readers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at how this modern classic was crafted for the screen. The book also draws on interviews with every key player in the film’s creation, including stars Ivana Baquero, Sergi López, Maribel Verdu, and Doug Jones; producers Alfonso Cuarón and Bertha Navarro; and director of photography Guillermo Navarro, to present the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at this unforgettable cinematic classic.