Chad

WillieMLF

Testing! Testing! Is this thing on?

DaveyJoe

Trevor

Apparently, no Asians, Australians, or Indians have watched the film yet. About 6 hours until I start it.

3onameathook

First time viewing of this film for me. Again Del Toro has impressed me with his earlier films. First film I enjoyed of his was The Devils Backbone. Chronos was a unique and original take on vampirism. Hard to believe that this is the same man who created The Strain which in my opinion was complete waste.

Gobear

The books were great, I don't know how much creative control he had over the TV show. It desperately needed a showrunner who had a plan for the story.

Cronos is the work of a promising young director--slightly uneven in tone, but with a strong narrative vision and imagination. Federico Luppi's portrayal of the hapless antiques dealer-turned-vampire is beautifully melancholy.

And why does Ron Perlman speak English while Luppi and most of the rest of cast speak Spanish? Perlman should have learned his lines in Spanish because he throws off the tone of the film, good as he is at playing a thug, or Del Toro could have dubbed him.

outcastjon

This was my first time watching Cronos as well, and I enjoyed it. I felt for a a first time director DelToro did a good job. My favorite character was the little girl because she conveyed so much by doing so little. I will watch this one again.

rbrown498

I think that Gobear nailed it pretty well with his comment about del Toro being a promising young director. While I still prefer The Devil's Backbone, I like Cronos...I just don't love it. It helped a little that I watched an interview with the director on the Lionsgate DVD that I have of the film, in which he says that the relationship between Jesus Gris and his granddaughter is a direct reflection of del Toro's relationship with his grandmother. In both instances, a grandchild has to deal with a grandparent making poor decisions, yet the grandchild still loves the grandparent and learns to accept the consequences of the grandparent's choices without judgement.

Still, I appreciate certain moments in the film (such as when Gris cuts away the oral sutures that the mortician sewed in, or his musings about how weird it is to be dying) more than I appreciate the film as a whole, if that makes any sense.

Like I said, I like the film, but it's not one that I want to revisit often.

WillieMLF

It's been 10 years since I had last seen this. I used to have the Lionsgate DVD, but I just didn't have much love for it many years ago. About a year ago I got the Criterion blu for like $10 on Ebay. The blu really looks nice, and this viewing was much better. the second time around. I kept on trying to remember if I had seen it because it was really fresh and the pacing seemed to move right along. It felt a bit jarring having the actors sometimes speaking Spanish at other times English.

Undeadcow

I love the sense of whimsy here and it takes chops to pull off a movie about an alchemy bug in such an engaging way. The intro might be one of the most effective I've seen showing the carnage of the Cronos device in a brutal and bizzare way - the description of 'his skin the color of marble in the moonlight' stays with you (I'm not usually a fan of prequels, but there seems to be a great one in here). There are some plot holes, like how Ron Pearlman is somehow tracking angel statues as they pop up (what a coincidence), the sick guy feeling the Chronos device is 'rightfully mine' (much less knowing about it), or how willingly the character gives in to the Cronos device. I agree with others that it's really strange seeing Ron Pearlman here because he sticks out (even aside from being the only english speaking character). The orchestra score a lot to the movie. There is some really great thematic elements here - the antiques, the new years party, the kid character (and generational conflict with Ron Pearlman and uncle), etc hinting at the bittersweet passage of time. I like the way the villain is a sympathetic dying guy, it's enough to make me think if I had the Cronos device I might just let the ill guy take a hit or two or it, but Ron Pearlman is too generically bad. The 'peel it off' scene is nicely quasy, really more movies should feature skin pulling off - seems like an underused trope. One of the coolest things about the movie is the actual living bug creature inside the device, that's wonderfully mysterious. The 'marble in the moodlight' segments nicely bookend the film.

Trevor

I think my favorite del Toro film is whichever one I just finished watching.

Darkgod

suposedly he read it in spanish and it was terrible.. so they turned him into an american who lives in nexico but hates it so much he refuses to conform. what little spanish he does speak was purposely pronounced even worse to amplify it.

DaveyJoe

The moments between Jesus and his granddaughter definitely steal the show. Their performances are great and they really seem to have a genuine love for each other. Also throwing a shout out to the guy who played the mortician, he did an amazing job seeming like a bored perfectionist who did that shit every day of his life.

numbercrunch

I liked Cronos but didnt love it. I think the film is more fantasy than horror.

arw6040

Saw this on Saturday, just getting on now to give my thoughts. This was a good middle of the road unique take on vampires movie with a cute bond between Jesus & Aurora (the makeshift coffin was extra adorable).

mallratcal

Watched this for the first time today and thought it was great. 2nding the adorable toy box coffin.