The Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth: Studies in the Horror Film - NEW - still in publisher's shrink wrap

by Danel Olson (Editor), Ivana Baquero (Preface), Guillermo del Toro (Introduction)

ISBN 10: 1613471017 / ISBN 13: 9781613471012

Published by Centipede Press, Lakewood, Colorado, 2016

About this Item

Condition NEW. Ships from Hawaii with free Priority Mails upgrade within US, not slow media mail. During the 2000s, Guillermo del Toro directed, wrote, and produced two films held by secrets of the past, The Devil s Backbone (2001) and Pan s Labyrinth (2006), both of which garnered international acclaim and broke records for Spanish features. Exploring "childhood fears of mortality and abandonment in the same way the brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen might" (The New York Times), The Devil s Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth ranked among the best films of the decade. For the first time, editor Danel Olson approaches these movies as cinematic siblings whose quests are bound together, revealing how each questions and answers the other in over 400 lavish pages. In addition to interviews, never-before-seen photographs, and concept drawings, international scholars offer ten essays on the themes of philosophy, sex, metaphor, feminism, fascism, music, fantasy, ghosts, and history in the films, as well as del Toro's literary and artistic influences. Sharing reflections on making the movies are fourteen of the actors and four key members of the crew. Del Toro himself muses on the struggle to follow his film-dreams, Ivana Baquero (Ofelia) contemplates the deeper lessons of magic, and Fernando Tielve (Carlos) portrays the supernatural reality of being inside del Toro s art. Through stories and sources unavailable until now, this volume brings scholars, cinephiles, and collectors closer to the most impassioned film-alchemist of our time. Del Toro emerges as a man of multitudes: a "cinematic creator and father," a "madman," a "crazy genius," a "very naughty boy," a "storytelling monster," and "the one who changed my life forever." The Devil s Backbone and Pan s Labyrinth is an indispensable exploration of two of the early 21st century's key films.

Seller Inventory # 580

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth: Studies in the Horror Film - NEW - still in publisher's shrink wrap
• Publisher: Centipede Press, Lakewood, Colorado
• Publication Date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1613471017
• ISBN 13: 9781613471012
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: new
• Seller catalogs:
  • New and out of print
  • Sci-Fi / Fantasy
  • Film

About this title

Synopsis

From the Gothic imagination behind Cronos, Mimic, Blade II, Hellboy, Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak, and Trollhunters arises a ghost story and a fairy tale unlike any other...

During the 2000s, Guillermo del Toro directed, wrote, and produced two films held by secrets of the past, The Devil’s Backbone (2001) and Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), both of which garnered international acclaim and broke records for Spanish features. Exploring “childhood fears of mortality and abandonment in the same way the brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen might” (The New York Times), The Devil’s Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth ranked among the best films of the decade.

For the first time, editor Danel Olson approaches these movies as cinematic siblings whose quests are bound together, revealing how each questions and answers the other in over 400 lavish pages. In addition to interviews, never-before-seen photographs, and concept drawings, international scholars offer ten essays on the themes of philosophy, sex, metaphor, feminism, fascism, music, fantasy, ghosts, and history in the films, as well as del Toro's literary and artistic influences.

Sharing reflections on making the movies are fourteen of the actors and four key members of the crew. Del Toro himself muses on the struggle to follow his film-dreams, Ivana Baquero (Ofelia) contemplates the deeper lessons of magic, and Fernando Tielve (Carlos) portrays the supernatural reality of being inside del Toro’s art.

Through stories and sources unavailable until now, this volume brings scholars, cinephiles, and collectors closer to the most impassioned film-alchemist of our time. Del Toro emerges as a man of multitudes: a "cinematic creator and father," a "madman," a "crazy genius," a "very naughty boy," a “storytelling monster,” and “the one who changed my life forever." The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth is an indispensable exploration of two of the early 21st century's key films.

Review

"The work of Guillermo del Toro has always seemed ripe for academic examination. And this book, focusing on the twin peaks of _The Devil's Backbone_ and _Pan's Labyrinth_, delivers. The essays are rich, but the prize here is a series of interviews with del Toro's collaborators, culminating in three with the man himself. Indispensable for GdT fans." --Chris Hewitt, _Empire_ (print, July 2016)
"The density of del Toro's world has never been more apparent.... The 416-page volume tackles a striking range of cerebral topics, from forgotten World War II history to the philosophy of ghosts. The book is divided into two parts, the first of which contains ten essays by a bevy of scholars ... to unpack a film-specific theme, such as the lullaby motifs of Javier Navarrete's _Pan's Labyrinth_ score or the eerie significance of amber... Some of the entries venture too deep into the academic weeds for casual readers, but wider themes emerge; Anna Taborska's 'To Capture a Ghost' contrasts the evolution of cinematic spooks in Western and Eastern cultures, while editor Danel Olson's 'Pleasing Spectral Fathers' asks what it takes to elevate a film's villain from a forgettable heavy to cinematic icon. The second half of the book compiles 21 interviews wth cast and crew members... The volume is bolstered by previously unpulbished photos, Centipede's trademark attention to production quality, and an introduction by del Toro himself. It's not for casual fans, but anyone hoping for an expertly guided tour through the loftier realms of del Toro's imagination will not be disappointed." --April Snellings, _Rue Morgue_ (print, July 2016)
"Packed with thoughtful essays and insightful interviews with the writer/director and many of the incredible talents involved in the projects ... [and] edited by Danel Olson, who previously edited the impressive and thorough _Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining': Studies in the Horror Film_. Says del Toro: 'Sometimes I'm very pleased to find that people are reading the movies the way I consciously wrote them, and then I'm very surprised and happy that other people -- for good or for bad, I don't care -- interpret them differently. They are my movies only insofar that I made them... The essays are quite brilliant in terms of speaking about the movies in the context of social and historical war.'" --Gerry Gallo, _Famous Monsters of Filmland_ (print, Sept./Oct. 2016)