Cronos

( 3 )

Overview

This surreal variant on the classic vampire tale is the directorial debut of Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, who garnered international acclaim and several awards. The film tells the story of elderly antique dealer Jesus Gris Federico Luppi, in a role originally written for Max Von Sydow who, with his eight-year-old granddaughter Aurora Tamara Shanath, discovers an ancient artifact secreted within a statue obtained from the estate of a 16th-century alchemist. Unbeknownst to Gris, the device -- which ...
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Overview

This surreal variant on the classic vampire tale is the directorial debut of Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, who garnered international acclaim and several awards. The film tells the story of elderly antique dealer Jesus Gris Federico Luppi, in a role originally written for Max Von Sydow who, with his eight-year-old granddaughter Aurora Tamara Shanath, discovers an ancient artifact secreted within a statue obtained from the estate of a 16th-century alchemist. Unbeknownst to Gris, the device -- which resembles an ornate, gilded mechanical beetle -- houses an immortal parasite which will grant eternal life to its host. Naturally, there is a terrible price for this gift, which Gris is doomed to discover after the object anchors itself to his body. He begins to develop an extreme aversion to daylight, as well as an agonizing thirst for human blood. To compound matters, dying millionaire Dieter de la Guardia Claudio Brook has learned of the device's existence -- thanks to an occult tome obtained from its inventor -- and wishes to obtain it for his own use. To this end he employs his vain, brutish nephew Angel Ron Perlman to retrieve it for him. Angel's techniques are less than subtle, and he inevitably winds up killing Gris in his futile search for the artifact... but death is not permanent for the host of the Cronos, and he rises from the mortuary slab to reunite with the long-suffering Aurora. Together they confront de la Guardia and his nephew one last time, hoping to find a way to reverse the horrible process before Gris suffers the same monstrous fate as the device's creator.
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Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide - Cavett Binion
The simple, straightforward plot of director Guillermo Del Toro's Cronos is given resonance by a rich, intriguing mythology which emphasizes the grotesque, parasitic aspects of vampirism, stripping away the romantic aspects of the myth to define the vampire as essentially a highly-evolved form of parasitic insect, which the Cronos device itself clearly resembles. Del Toro too often resorts to rather heavy-handed allegory -- the saintly Jesus Gris dies, descends into a "hell" of indignity and base desires (exemplified by a nasty scene where he resorts to lapping blood from a bathroom floor) and rises again to protect his granddaughter from evil -- this wild fantasy is still anchored at a very sensitive, human level, thanks to excellent performances and a low-key, non-exploitative approach.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 10/14/2003
  • UPC: 031398588030
  • Original Release: 1993

    • Rating:

  • Source: Vidmark / Trimark
  • Presentation: Dubbed
  • Format: VHS

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Federico Luppi Jesus Gris
Ron Perlman Angel de la Guardia
Claudio Brook Dieter de la Guardia
Margarita Isabel Mercedes Gris
Tamara Shanath Aurora Gris
Daniel Jiménez Cacho Tito
M. Martinez Alchemist
Juan Carlos Colombo Funeral Director
Farnesio DeBernal Manuelito
Laurencio Cordero Watchman
Jorge Martinez de Hoyos Voice Only
Luis De Icaza Tango Student
Francisco Sanchez Mimo
Technical Credits
Guillermo del Toro Director, Screenwriter
Laurencio Cordero Special Effects
Rafael Cruz Associate Producer
Julio Solorzano Foppa Associate Producer
Bertha Navarro Producer
Guillermo Navarro Cinematographer
Paul O'Brien Editor
Paul O'Brien Editor
Jorge Sanchez Associate Producer
Sebastian Gaetano Silva Asst. Director
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 3.5
( 3 )
Rating Distribution

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 14, 2011

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    Posted October 23, 2010

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    Posted November 16, 2011

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