Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Guillermo del Toro

Stardate 07-15-2008

I have a man crush and Guillermo del Toro.


And its not just because I like el sabor latino; he is also a genius and is one of the most talented directors out there right now. My crush on Guillermo started about a year ago after I saw Pan's Labyrinth, which is now one of my all time favorite movies. The other night I saw Hellboy 2 with the Rumbler and we were both blown away. After watching both these movies for the first time, I was deeply motivated to go out and do something creative. I was left with a longing desire to create something as original and fun as the story that I had just seen. Its rare that a movie or a book can do this and I love when it happens.

The original Hellboy didn't do that much for me when I saw it a few years ago. I watched it again in preparation for Hellboy 2 and I must admit that I enjoyed it much more the second time, but I still wasn't blow away. Hellboy 2 was amazing. Guillermo did such an amazing job of writing a fun and original story. I'm amazed at how well he is able to make up a fairy tale. Though I've come to really like Hellboy as a character, I think that I loved the second movie much more than the first because the focus seemed to be not on Hellboy himself, but on the world that surrounds him, and this world was increadibly entertaining. The movie reminded me a lot of Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman in the sense that we share our world with magical unseen beings. They surround us, yet we are blind to their existence.

So whats up next for Guillermo? According to IMDB, Guillermo is set to direct Doctor Strange, which is a comic book movie. Dr. Strange is the Sorcerer Supreme of the Marvel Universe, responsible for defending it from mystic threats. He is a master of the mystic arts, using his abilities to battle evil magicians and other supernatural villains. He is also often consulted by other superheroes on supernatural matters. Neil Gaiman has been approached to write the screen play. This should be awesome.

After that, Guillermo heads off to New Zealand where he will direct The Hobbit and The Hobbit 2. After Peter Jackson decided that he did not want to direct, but instead decided to stay on as the executive producer, his first task was to find a director. He decided on Guillermo. I'm extremely excited about his decision. I hope that they work very well together. The interesting thing is that the first Hobbit movie will be based on the book. The second will be an original story written by Jackson, Guillermo and their creative team. The story will bridge the gap between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Some may have mixed feelings about this, but I am extremely excited to see what they come up with. I have a ton of faith in Guillermo's creative mind and writing ability.

Here are some of the monsters that Guillermo helped to create:










8 comments:

Edward Ott said...

I found pan's labryth to be to unbelievable. I mean there was no way for republicans to be launching that strong of a force at that time agaisnt the facist. they were all but wiped out.

Allison said...

You have no consistency with your taste in men. Other than the Latin flair what do Jason Castro and Guillermo have in common??

Marcie said...

These monsters were indeed hideous/great. This movie freaked me out! Go Guillermo and Darth Spencer!

Spencer Davis said...

Edward-
How dare you question Guillermo's accuracy.

Allison-
Guillermo and Jason are both etremely talented in the arts.

Marcie-
You are correct. Go me!!!

Mike Blakesley said...

Darth Spencer,
To comment on Jackson writing a new Hobbit film. In the extra footage on Lord of the Rings it was mentioned that Tolkien intended his work to be a "shared world," a created world where he would just set the perameters and establish a history. Then other authors are allowed to fill in such gaps, make up more mythology, and whatever else. I am excited for the new film. And for Hellboy II

Anonymous said...

Hey I'm absolutely crazy about Del Toro too! Pan's Labyrinth is supreme, can't wait to see Hellboy 2!

3703 said...

He is so overrated. I am not excited about seeing spanish hobbits rolling tortillas before cooking a rabbit stew. Some shared worlds were meant to stay in middle earth

Ian said...

It looks like this guy has really let himself go since Traffic.