Pan’s Labyrinth and The Devil’s Backbone
Studies in the Horror Film

Edited by Danel Olson

synopsis

Before Pacific Rim and Crimson Peak, Guillermo del Toro wrote, produced, and directed two films held by secrets of the past, The Devil’s Backbone (2001) and Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). Both films garnered international acclaim, with the second breaking box-office records for a Spanish feature and winning three Oscars. Both films rank 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. 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. Drawings and sketches from the film are included inside, and the cover image of the faun is based on the brilliant sculpture work of Max Roudaut.
       Through stories and sources unavailable until now, this volume brings scholars, cinephiles, and collectors closer to the most impassioned screen-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.” This is an indispensable investigation of two of the early 21st century’s key films.
      




edition information

  • Four color printing throughout on coated stock.
  • New introduction by Guillermo del Toro.
  • New preface by Ivana Baquero (Ofelia).
  • New afterword by Fernando Tielve (Carlos).
  • Rare, behind the scenes photographs, most never before published.
  • New interviews with Guillermo del Toro, Ivana Baquero, and other cast and crew members.
  • Loaded with color stills and individual frame enlargements from the film.
  • Original book price: $45.
  • Published August 2016.
  • ISBN 978-1-61347-101-2.

pricing

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