James T. Kirk

He's just won his first Oscar for Best Picture, he's just won his first Oscar for Best Director, The Shape of Water is the 10th feature film he's directed and this year marks the 25th anniversary of the first feature film he directed, Cronos.

Let's talk Guillermo.

Mabuse

I think he’s brilliant, but highly uneven, just like his fellow Mexican directors Cuaron and Inaritu. I definitely prefer his smaller, personal films. I don’t need Pacific Rim in my life. That was a cool idea, but horrible final product.

I love Mimic despite his feelings about meddling. He’s one of Weinstein’s many male victims.

Why So Blu?

He's one of my favorite directors.

James T. Kirk

Have you seen Cronos? If so, what did you think of it? I just watched it for the first time and thought it was absolutely excellent. I'd give it a 9/10.

James T. Kirk

Same questions to you.

Troy Stiffler

Love him. He best deconstructed his own films with a simple line during his Oscar speech, when he said something about "writing a parable about real world events". That's pretty-much exactly what he does.

First introduction to him was Mimic. Though it wasn't a great film, the most notable moments were with the father and son and the connection between the two main characters (it's been so long ... were they spouses?). I didn't find out until later that this is recurring theme of Guillermo's. I felt like that was the early days of modern genre movies creating an emotional bond between vulnerable characters. I remember both Mimic and The Replacement Killers (both starring Mira Sorvino?) both having a similar feel.

It was also the 90's when we got lots of copycat movies from competing studios (anyone remember "The Relic"?).

That was my introduction to him. Later it was Blade II. Then I backtracked and purchased Cronos on DVD and caught The Devil's Backbone in theaters. Then I started to understand what his films were really about. Pan's Labyrinth was his perfectly-executed masterpiece. Pacific Rim and Hellboy 1 and 2 were very enjoyable large-scale films. While Hellboy's story is a lot of fun, the most stand-out component to those films is the production's mascot-sized character designs ... costumes mixed with CGI. Pacific Rim was a lot of fun, and caught the large scale of everything very well (and I'll enjoy Charlie Day in everything).

While I enjoyed the scope and apocalyptic feel of The Strain, the leaps in logic (events and characters) made it really hard to enjoy the show (did they finally kill that stupid kid in the last season?).

His directorial career was really just a lead-in to Always Sunny appearances as Pappy McPoyle.

Why So Blu?

Cronos is fantastic. His films always have children, female, and minority figures as the heroes and underdogs.

Mabuse

It’s good.

I forgot about Hellboy. Those films just aren’t that good. But they look really good.

To me, the more commercial he goes, the worse the film gets. Hellboy 1&2, Pacific Rim, and Blade 2 are definitely his worst films.

James T. Kirk

You're right. Mimic and The Replacement Killers did both star Mira Sorvino.

Are you saying The Relic copied Mimic? Um, The Relic actually came out several months before Mimic.

Why So Blu?

Devil's Backbone and Crimson Peak are spiritual film cousins.

Troy Stiffler

They were direct competition from two studios. It happened sometimes (more frequently in the 90's and early 00's). Though the studios backed off after awhile. Same thing happened with Armageddon and Deep Impact. If I'm not mistaken, we had a thread on here several years back, listing all of the competing films.

James T. Kirk

It almost felt to me kinda like a superhero origin story. I wonder if it was at all influenced by Sam Raimi's Darkman, and if it itself influenced M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable at all.

James T. Kirk

Ah, OK.

inri222

For me he's hit or miss. He's a good talented director, but just like Ridley Scott his films are only as good as the script. His storytelling can sometimes come across as immature, like a teenager obsessed with sex and violence who still believes in heroes and fairy tales.

OldBoy

such great imagination. Pan's Labyrinth is one of favorites of all time. it is a masterpiece!

i actually just changed background pic the other day to remind me to watch the new Criterion sometime, plus it is awesome...

Giantrobo

Can't deny his talent but I don't like all his stuff.

Trevor

I haven’t seen Pacific Rim, but love everything else. The Hellboy films are the two best superhero films ever made imho.

TomOpus

I went to a panel of his during San Diego Comic-Con. I believe it was for one of the Hellboy movies. I had the DVD cover of Devil's Backbone for him to sign. He then told me about a special edition DVD of Devil's Backbone.

While we were talking, someone official with a camera wanted to ask him some questions. He told me "wait here, I'll be right back." After a few minutes, he did indeed come back to finish our chat. That was very cool of him. Yes, he did sign my DVD cover.

Later, I ran into him on the exhibit floor and he took a photo with me.

JoeySeven

I would rank him as one of my favorite directors and Writers.
Did not really like The Shape of Water.I'll post about that in another thread.
But good to see A fantasy movie win.

Pan's Labyrinth is my favorite movie from him.It is A film I enjoy watching
about once A year.And I'm big fan of fantasy and Sci-fi movies.

The Lives of Others won Best Foreign Language Film in 2006.
Both great movies.Pan's Labyrinth is the better movie for me and should have won.

The Strain (TV Series) is very good.I'm on the second season.
The first season was really interesting and very good.

I like all the Blade movies and Hellboy kicks ass.
Need to watch Crimson Peak and rewatch The Devil's Backbone one of these days.


Cronos (1993)
Mimic (1997)
The Devil's Backbone (2001)
Blade II (2002)
Hellboy (2004)
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
Pacific Rim (2013)
Crimson Peak (2015) Have not watched yet.

Goonies85

I love The Devil's Backbone, Cronos, and Pan's Labyrinth. I thought Mimic had its moments, but was only okay. I'm actually a big fan of Blade 2, especially the opening fifteen minutes or so. I'd say that movie was better than the original. I hated Pacific Rim, mainly because I just didn't find the story compelling at all...the effects were good. Crimson Peak had great production design but overall it bored the hell out of me.

Never watched any of the Hellboy movies but have always wanted to...I'll have to check them out sometime...

Haven't seen The Shape of Water but I'm looking forward to it...

I'd also say that Guillermo has some great special features on his discs...I especially liked the tour of his movie house that I believe was on the Devil's Backbone disc...He has amassed an awesome collection of props and paintings and books...Made me very envious...

dex14

Has a good visual eye, seems like a nice guy, has made some good movies, but is overrated IMO.

wishbone

As a student of cinema del Toro has some interesting ideas but his execution is not always there for me. Hopefully he has many years of filmmaking ahead of him.

mattysemo247

One of my favorite directors as well, I own all of his movies on blu ray except for Mimic, I could never get behind that one. It just felt so generic compared to the rest of his movies. Everyone should check out Trilogía de Guillermo del Toro on Criterion. It's fantastic.

inri222

Even though I did like Crimson Peak and I'm not a huge fan of The Devil's Backbone, I prefer his Spanish language films. IMO they have a more down to earth grittier feel to them.

faust69

Love him, but even I acknowledge he can be uneven. I loved SOW, but Blade 2 and the Hellboy series were just okay. But Crimson Peak was an absolute dud. And I love Pacific Rim, but I'm an anime fan, so I'm probably biased towards giant monsters and mecha.

His earlier non-English films are probably still his best, but SOW does show me he's moving away from properties like Blade and Hellboy so he can follow his own path.