Cronos

Movie Information

The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen Cronos Thursday Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of the Carolina Asheville and will be hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther.
Score:

Genre: Horror
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook, Tamara Shanath, Margarita Isabel
Rated: R

It’s Guillermo del Toro’s 1993 rethinking of the vampire myth and, frankly, Cronos still strikes me as his second best movie—right after Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). It’s his second most stylish, second most creative and second most moving film. And since we’re measuring it against Pan’s Labyrinth those are weighty claims indeed, but I think they’re all justified by the film itself. This is also a film I’ve reviewed twice in the past few years, so rather than repeat myself, I’ll direct you to the 2007 review—http://www.mountainx.com/movies/review/cronos

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About Ken Hanke
Head film critic for Mountain Xpress from December 2000 until his death in June 2016. Author of books "Ken Russell's Films," "Charlie Chan at the Movies," "A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series," "Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker."

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7 thoughts on “Cronos

  1. Dionysis

    I believe this is the only film by del Toro that I have not seen, and probably need to do so. I hope that (as the review notes) it’s closer to Pan’s Labyrinth than it is to Mimic…I thought that was an incredibly ridiculous movie, among the worst ‘horror’ films I’ve seen. Pan’s Labyrinth, although not really a horror film, was among the best. To me, his other films fall somewhere in between.

  2. Ken Hanke

    I hope that (as the review notes) it’s closer to Pan’s Labyrinth than it is to Mimic…I thought that was an incredibly ridiculous movie, among the worst ‘horror’ films I’ve seen. Pan’s Labyrinth, although not really a horror film, was among the best. To me, his other films fall somewhere in between.

    I haven’t seen Mimic since it was new, but I don’t remember disliking it. (Now, Blade II, I disliked.) I would, however, say that Cronos has more in common with Pan’s Labyrinth, though it’s closer to being a straight horror film.

  3. Dionysis

    “I haven’t seen Mimic since it was new, but I don’t remember disliking it. (Now, Blade II, I disliked.)”

    I’d forgotten about Blade 11 being one of his films. I agree. As for Mimic, the idea of giant cockroaches that could appear to be human, including being clad in long raincoats, is too ridiculous even by horror movie standards. I didn’t see it at the theatre, but bought the DVD, watched it once and gave it away.

  4. Ken Hanke

    As for Mimic, the idea of giant cockroaches that could appear to be human, including being clad in long raincoats, is too ridiculous even by horror movie standards.

    Ridiculous? Oh, yes, but that’s what makes it kind of amusing. I need to see it again, though. For that matter, I probably ought to see Blade II again, though memory says I’d regret it.

  5. cloudydeb

    The loving innocence of the relationship between the grandfather and his granddaughter portrayed in this film is so poignant and touching, it almost brings me to tears. I’m sad that I’ll be missing this one tonight.

  6. The loving innocence of the relationship between the grandfather and his granddaughter portrayed in this film is so poignant and touching, it almost brings me to tears. I’m sad that I’ll be missing this one tonight.

    Same here, and I hope our rickety old copy worked out for you guys.

    For those that don’t know, del Toro and James Cameron are doing AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS!!!!

  7. Ken Hanke

    Same here, and I hope our rickety old copy worked out for you guys.

    It played fine, but I’d forgotten about the screwy subtitles on that disc. We ended up running it with the supposed hearing-impaired titles (the ones that appear to believe that the deaf can hear English).

    For those that don’t know, del Toro and James Cameron are doing AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS!!!!

    I find that 50% great news.

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