Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The Criterion Collection: CRONOS


To double dip...or not to double dip?

That is the question!

When George Lucas decides to release STAR WARS on Blu ray,you know and I know, that you are going buy it...yet,AGAIN!!!!

For me,it'll be my gazillionth copy of that film.Beta, VHS,Laser Disc,DVD..Arrrgh!!! :)

You know I've gotta see Slave Leia in all her glory and Jar Jar in all his....no ,waitaminute...hesa still needsa to die!

Well boys and girls..I've got a film for you that is well worth the double dip.

It is Guillermo del Toro's CRONOS.

This time around ,it is given The Criterion Collection treatment and well deserved.

Out of print and harder to find than the male genitalia in Disney's Little Mermaid one sheet poster. Del Toro's first film ,CRONOS remastered and transferred for the first time in HD,Criterion does not disappoint here.The disc is lush,the colors and sound POP!It is truly the way del Toro intended it to be viewed.

For those of you few who haven't seen it(and shame on YOU)

here is a quick synopsis:

CRONOS, a highly unorthodox tale about seductiveness of the idea of immortality.Kindly antiques dealer Jesus Gris(Fererico Luppi) happens upon an ancient golden device in the shape of a scarab,and soon finds himself the possessor and victim of its sinister,addictive powers,as well as the target of a mysterious American named Angel(Rod Perlman).

If the beautiful remaster and transfer were not enough...

It is the supplemental material that make this disc ,KING!

First off you get the rarely seen ,unreleased 1987 del Toro film ,GEOMETRIA remastered for this exquisite edition with new music provided by Warner Brother's Animation composer ,Christopher Drake.*Fun Facts* not only is del Toro's mother ,Guadalupe one of the stars in the short,but del Toro himself provides ALL the voices in Italian.

And the extras keep coming .There are all new interviews with del Toro, star Ron Perlman, Academy Award winning cinematographer,Guillermo Navarro, and star Ferderico Luppi.

But for me the diamond amongst all these gems is a walking tour of The Man Cave or Bleak House by the man himself ,Guillermo del Toro!!! If The Smithsonian had a Geek wing ,it would be similar ,but not as awesome as this glimpse into del Toro's mind brought to life.

One could spend hours going frame by frame and still not truly appreciate all the wonders collected .*Fun Fact* There is a bronze statue in the backyard of Ray Harryhausen,one of only three in existence ,one owned by Peter Jackson, one by Harryhausen and the last owned by del Toro himself.

The peek into the man cave is worth the price itself...True Geek Porn!

Convinced yet?...you better be.

So go recycle all of your Diet Dr. Pepper cans and double dip,triple dip...heck, quadruple dip!!!

buy this edition...BUY. IT. NOW! :)

Show Criterion that all of del Toro's masterpieces need...no,deserve The Criterion treatment.

'til next time Cabrones!!!







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