Mike Goes To Movies

Tigers Are Not Afraid (2019) + Q&A with Issa Lopez and Guillermo Del Toro Those that know me know that I essentially have a man crush on Guillermo Del Toro, and there is no doubt that he is one of my all-time favourite directors. And so, when I saw an ad for a special screening of the horror-fantasy film, Tigers Are Not Afraid, with a Q&A between director, Issa Lopez, and Del Toro, there was no hesitation that I had to go. In all ways, the night did not let me down - it was exhilarating to see Lopez, a Mexican director like Del Toro, being able to screen a film that is so indebted to and inspired by all that Del Toro has done through his career, and then to be able to listen to an intimate conversation between the two directors, both of whom are so passionate about the genres of horror and fantasy, discussing the current landscape of cinema, as well as the precarious landscape of their home country Mexico. I had the pleasure of seeing Del Toro in person once in the past -...

Del Toro Double Feature: Cronos and The Devil's Backbone For those knowledgeable of Guillermo Del Toro, two of his early films, Cronos and The Devil's Backbone , will feel quite familiar. They are built upon many of the director's most recognizable styles and themes. Cerebral and gothic horrors about life and death, mortality and immortality. Innocent, victimized children trapped within the violent conflicts of adults. Mythology, fantasy, and folklore. Imagery of insects, clocks, and mechanical contraptions. Like other of Del Toro's, all of these elements permeate Cronos and TDB . Both films are well-made and well worth the time for those who are a fan of horror and the supernatural. They are also an insightful looking glass into the beginnings of one of my all-time favourite directors working today. Cronos (1993) Cronos tells the story of a mythological contraption that imbues its possessor/user with immortality. The insect-like golden item falls unwittingly into...

 3. Pan's Labyrinth (2006) Guillermo Del Toro is easily one of my all-time favourite directors and so it was very easy to be happy for him when he won both Best Director and Best Picture for The Shape of Water at last year's Oscars. However, these awards, in my opinion, are classic examples of the Academy's 'make-up' win. Yes, Shape of Water was a nice film to look at, a bit nostalgic to Hollywood and cinema, etc., but, it is definitely not Del Toro's best film. That accolade must go to Pan's Labyrinth . In classic Del Toro fashion, Pan's Labyrinth is a dark, fantastical story. It stands out among his filmography in that it equally is also quite grounded; it is a historical piece set in 1944 Spain shortly after the country's tumultuous civil war. The film follows a young girl who's mother is the (somewhat-imprisoned) wife of a violent military captain who takes his forces, along with the girl, Ofelia, and her pregnant mother, to a larg...