Paula Hammond - Features EditorWith Guillermo del Toro’s highly anticipated film Nightmare Alley slated for release on 17th December, and his live-action Pinocchio set to arrive on Disney+ in early 2021, it’s looking very much like a Del Toro Christmas. Fortunately, Ian Nathan’s new coffee table book is the perfect way to gen-up on your favourite director while waiting for the his latest films to hit the big and small screens.
Widely regarded as one of the most imaginative directors working in cinema today, del Toro has built up a body of work that has enthralled movie fans the world over. Comprising dark beauty and edge-of-the-seat set pieces, del Toro’s work is both instantly recognisable and tantalisingly difficult to categorise. The director’s influences are—as he admits—wide and varied. One moment, he’s crafting an esoteric indie film that references Greek myth, the next he’s adding a Lovecraftian spin to Hellboy, Gothing-up Wesley Snipe’s Blade, or penning scenes for the next instalment of The Hobbit.
In this brand new book, acclaimed film author Ian Nathan, charts the progression of a career that has produced some of contemporary cinema’s most revered scenes and idiosyncratic characters. From Oscar-winners, Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape Of Water to blockbuster hits such as Hellboy and Pacific Rim, this detailed examination looks at how the strands of del Toro’s career have woven together to create one of modern cinema’s most ground-breaking bodies of work.
An enlightening look into the mind of an auteur blessed with a singular creative vision, Guillermo del Toro analyses the processes, themes and narratives that have come to be recognised as distinctly del Toro.
As would be expected, the book itself is a visual smorgasbord. Over 176 pages, Nathan combines informative text with enlightening visuals. Easy-to-read layouts and full-page art and photographs add to the appeal, to produce a volume that both explores and pays homage to del Toro, the man and the creative. The book is presented in hardback, with a slip-case and an 8-page gatefold timeline.
Guillermo del Toro: The Iconic Filmmaker And His Work by Ian Nathan (ISBN 0711263280) will be released on 5th October, fr White Lion Publishing, priced £28. https://smarturl.it/GuillermDelToro
