Pan's Labyrinth

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  • Pan's Labyrinth

    Guillermo Del Toro, director of Mimic, Blade 2, and Hellboy goes back to his roots (The Devil's Backbone) and explores the supernatural in the context of the Spanish Civil War. Pan's Labyrinth is a period war drama with fairy tale underpinnings - a wonderfully crafted mixture of genres that worked for me on every level. Raved about at Cannes and a 100% rating on rottentomatoes.com.

    At the Q&A after the film Del Toro, who I'd previously considered a Hollywood Hack, proved himself to be a thoughtful, intelligent, and extremely funny man whose work I now have a whole new level of admiration for.

    My new favorite movie of 2006.
    http://confoundedfilms.com

    http://www.myspace.com/confoundedfilms

  • #2
    Re: Pan's Labyrinth

    Hear hear
    One meets his destiny often in the road he takes to avoid it. - French Proverb

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    • #3
      Re: Pan's Labyrinth

      I loved the film.

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      • #4
        Re: Pan's Labyrinth

        Glad to hear you guys think so highly of it, I've been waiting excitedly to see it!
        sigpic
        "As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world -
        that is the myth of the atomic age - as in being able to remake ourselves."
        -Mahatma Gandhi.

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        • #5
          Re: Pan's Labyrinth

          If you liked Pan's Labyrinth, you should check out The Devil's Backbone.

          Especially if you seriously thought del Toro was a "Hollywood Hack" until now.

          Censorship reflects a society's lack of confidence in itself.
          It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime.
          -- Potter Stewart

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          • #6
            Re: Pan's Labyrinth

            I'm not sure why you would have considered him a hack...all three of his "Hollywood" films were very well done, and showed a care given that the material wouldn't have seemed to have warranted.

            His first film, Cronos, is also very good. For a Vampire film.
            "Forget it, Jake. It's Hollywood."

            My YouTube channel.

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            • #7
              Re: Pan's Labyrinth

              Yeah, I wondered about that comment as well. "The Devil's Backbone" is an impressive and haunting picture, perfectly situated in the dead of the Spanish Civil War's long night.

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              • #8
                Re: Pan's Labyrinth

                I never thought of him as a hack myself, but I can't go so far as to say all of his Hollywood movies were well done. I thought Mimic was a blast, Hellboy was pretty good -- and Blade 2 was terrible.

                But I've always thought of him as a very good director of this kinda stuff on the strength of Mimic and The Devil's Backbone.

                Censorship reflects a society's lack of confidence in itself.
                It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime.
                -- Potter Stewart

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                • #9
                  Re: Pan's Labyrinth

                  I thought The Devil's Backbone was interesting & well made. We'll definately catch PL on DVD.

                  He does better w/ his Span lang movies. His HW movies tend to look & feel more generic.

                  I think Hellboy is kinda overrated. I found it silly & uninteresting, & the sawed off horns looked dopey.

                  He has the potential to make some really great important classics. I certainly wouldn't mind him doing one of my scripts.

                  My avatar is from Bade II, tho it's not really a favorite of mine.

                  "Trust your stuff." -- Dave Righetti, Pitching Coach

                  ( Formerly "stvnlra" )

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                  • #10
                    Re: Pan's Labyrinth

                    The mere fact that he managed to translate a watchable movie from the Blade II script elevated him in my opinion.
                    "Forget it, Jake. It's Hollywood."

                    My YouTube channel.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Pan's Labyrinth

                      Sorry, when Mimic, Blade 2, and Hellboy (as much as I liked it) are among your credits, you risk being labeled a Hollywood hack. I figured him for a guy who cut his teeth on some fine films and then sold out for the big paydays. Apparently he has returned to his roots and gave back his pay and points on Pan to get the budget he wanted. Kudos to him.
                      http://confoundedfilms.com

                      http://www.myspace.com/confoundedfilms

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                      • #12
                        Re: Pan's Labyrinth

                        Sorry, when Mimic, Blade 2, and Hellboy (as much as I liked it) are among your credits, you risk being labeled a Hollywood hack.
                        ...by people who haven't seen any of your other movies.

                        Although...I still don't understand why you'd label him a hack. You apparently liked one of his movies well enough -- at least a third of his output as far as you knew -- and yet he's a hack?

                        Censorship reflects a society's lack of confidence in itself.
                        It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime.
                        -- Potter Stewart

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Pan's Labyrinth

                          Originally posted by Hairy Lime View Post
                          Sorry, when Mimic, Blade 2, and Hellboy (as much as I liked it) are among your credits, you risk being labeled a Hollywood hack. I figured him for a guy who cut his teeth on some fine films and then sold out for the big paydays. Apparently he has returned to his roots and gave back his pay and points on Pan to get the budget he wanted. Kudos to him.
                          Pardon the ignorance, but I don't get it. What's so bad about doing hollywood flicks? Does that mean he's not pouring his heart and soul into each and every one of them? I've read in interviews he's a big horror fan so what if he wanted to do a hollywood horror film (Mimic)? I believe he's also into comics and really excited about making Hellboy 2. Why would he be a hack for that if it's his passion?

                          The label hack, I feel, is applied too arbitrarily nowadays to everyone from those at the top of the foodchain (for example, Akiva Goldsman and, please, no discussions on whether or not he is in fact "at the top of the food chain." He is an A-lister, has an Oscar and just got a big payday, good enough for me) to others not so far up. Everyone seems to be a hack for one reason or another.

                          What is so wrong if someone does some serious films then decides to have some fun going hollywood? The films Del Toro made aren't terrible movies. Some people in this thread seem to have enjoyed them. Even you liked Hellboy. I enjoyed Blade II. Someone liked Mimic. So why is it so bad to do commercial films to where you're going to be labeled a hack? I personally think it's cool he can relax and do some Hollywood stuff and then do some serious stuff. And what if he just kept doing Hollywood flicks? Would that be so bad if that's what he *wanted*, what he *enjoyed*? Isn't that why we're in the business in the first place, cause it's our passion?

                          Just my thoughts. Seems everyone on this board considers some established screenwriter a hack because they feel like saying so. If you ask me, I find it pretty ridiculous when an unestablished writer who is still trying to break in claims he or she is better than Akiva Goldsman. If Goldsman read this board, he would probably have a nice chuckle right before going back to polishing his Oscar.

                          /shrug.
                          Last edited by Jakkal; 12-06-2006, 01:13 AM.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Pan's Labyrinth

                            Originally posted by Jakkal View Post
                            If Goldsman read this board, he would probably have a nice chuckle right before going back to polishing his Oscar.
                            Is that a euphemism?
                            "Forget it, Jake. It's Hollywood."

                            My YouTube channel.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Pan's Labyrinth

                              By "this board" I mean the specific post of whoever claimed they were better than Goldsman in the other thread, if that's what you're asking. Just pointing at the silliness of an unestablished writer claiming he or she is better than Goldsman with nothing to back it up except a rotten attitude. In my book, if you claim you can do better than someone, you better do it or you end up looking like a fool that's full of hot air. So, like I said, I can just picture Goldsman shrugging right off such a flimsy remark and having a good chuckle over it (hence, the sentence you quoted).

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