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#017 Guillermo del Toro: Pan's Labyrinth vs. Mimic w/ guest David Hart of "Pop Culture Case Study"

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In today's episode Nate and Austin compare Guillermo del Toro's best and worst rated films, Pan's Labyrinth (2006) and Mimic (1997), respectively. Austin has a thing for Long Johns, Nate won't leave the grapes alone, and David brings up a rough point in our country's history. Check back next Sunday at 7pm PST where we will compare Michael Mann's Heat (1995) and Blackhat (2015), his best and worst rated films. David hosts his own podcast, Pop Culture Case Study, where he psychology with pop culture. Check him out on twitter @pccasestudy.
And check out this awesomely terrifying sequence from Pan's Labyrinth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSICJJq86ic

Mimic Notes
Worst Rated
PLOT: Three years ago, entomologist Dr. Susan Tyler genetically created an insect to kill cockroaches carrying a virulent disease. Now, the insects are out to destroy their only predator, mankind.
  • Ratings: IMDb 5.9 | RT 61% C / 37% A
  • Released: 1997
  • Director: Guillermo del Toro
  • Writer(s): Guillermo del Toro, Donald A. Wollheim (short story), Matthew Robbins
  • Cinematographer: Dan Laustsen
  • Notable actors: Mira Sorvino, Jeremy Northam, Giancarlo Giannini, Charles S. Dutton, Josh Brolin, F. Murray Abraham, Norman Reedus, Doug Jones
  • Budget: $30 million
  • Box office: $25.5 million
  • Fun Facts:
    • Director Guillermo del Toro disowned the film after constant clashes with Bob Weinstein, who would frequently visit the set and make unreasonable demands about what should be shot, deviating away from the script. Since then del Toro has never worked with the Weinsteins.
    • According to Guillermo del Toro, Mira Sorvino and Jeremy Northam could not stand each other on set.
    • The scene where Mira Sorvino and Jeremy Northam walk in the hall with all the sick kids lying in their beds was actually directed by Ole Bornedal, one of the producers on the film.

Pan's Labyrinth Notes
Best Rated
PLOT: In the falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world.
  • Ratings: IMDb 8.2 | RT 95% C / 91% A
  • Released: 2006
  • Director: Guillermo del Toro
  • Writer(s): Guillermo del Toro
  • Cinematographer: Guillermo Navarro
  • Notable actors: Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdu, Doug Jones, Ariadna Gil
  • Budget: $19 million
  • Box office: $83 million
  • Fun Facts:
    • Guillermo del Toro repeatedly said "no" to Hollywood producers, in spite of being offered double the budget provided the film was made in English. He didn't want any compromise in the storyline to suit the "market needs".
    • Guillermo del Toro is famous for compiling books full of notes and drawings about his ideas before turning them into films, something he regards as essential to the process. He left years worth of notes for this film in the back of a cab, and when he discovered them missing, he thought it was the end of the project. However, the cab driver found them and, realizing their importance, tracked him down and returned them at great personal difficulty and expense. Del Toro was convinced that this was a blessing and it made him ever more determined to complete the film.
    • The English subtitles were translated and written by Guillermo del Toro himself. He no longer trusts translators after having encountered problems with his previous subtitled movies.
    • The captain's room is made to look like the inside of his father's watch, which Guillermo del Toro says represents his troubled mind.
    • Stephen King attended a screening of the film and sat next to Guillermo del Toro. According to Del Toro, King squirmed when the Pale Man chased Ofelia. Del Toro compared the experience of seeing King's reaction to winning an Oscar.
    • Received 22 minutes of applause at the Cannes Film Festival.
    • Guillermo del Toro gave up his entire salary, including back-end points, to see this film become realized.
    • It has been said that, for the fairy eating scene, Doug Jones had to bite condoms filled with fake blood.
    • Doug Jones had to memorize not only his own lines in Spanish (a language he does not speak) but also Ivana Baquero's (Ofelia) lines so he knew when to speak his next line. The servos in the head piece that made the facial expressions and ears move were so loud, he couldn't hear her speak her lines.
    • Doug Jones was the only American on the set, and the only one who didn't speak Spanish.
  Intro music by: Calm The Fuck Down (Broke For Free) / CC BY 3.0  

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