The Shape of Water (2017)

[DenOfEarth]

I really enjoyed this movie, quite well made and the PQ is beyond flawless.

[Cocophone]

I ordered this print of a water color for my office. https://www.etsy.com/listing/5971653..._home_active_1

[DenOfEarth]

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

I think, in general, that GDT has a weakness as a screenwriter, he doesn't know how to stop archetypical characters from going cliche.

Would you compare Del Toro to Terry Gilliam?

[BernieLomax]

The Shape of Water (2017) - region A - 20th Century Fox

1080p screenshots (x60)

[thatguamguy]

Originally Posted by DenOfEarth

Would you compare Del Toro to Terry Gilliam?

There are a lot of ways that I would compare them, and certainly they are both weaker at writing scripts than at directing, but I think Gilliam's problem is kind of the opposite, he seems to have trouble resisting undercutting his own protagonists. I'd love to see Del Toro collaborate with a "real" writer, the way Gilliam brought in Tom Stoppard to write the final draft of "Brazil".

[DenOfEarth]

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

There are a lot of ways that I would compare them, and certainly they are both weaker at writing scripts than at directing, but I think Gilliam's problem is kind of the opposite, he seems to have trouble resisting undercutting his own protagonists. I'd love to see Del Toro collaborate with a "real" writer, the way Gilliam brought in Tom Stoppard to write the final draft of "Brazil".

What about the scripts to his Spanish language films like Cronos, Pan's Labyrinth and Devil's Backbone in his own language?

[thatguamguy]

To the extent that I can judge writing in a language I am not fluent in, my previous comment applies to the ones I've seen (I haven't seen Cronos yet), I think he is shooting for archetype in his characters but his aim sometimes drifts towards cliche. I don't think it is about Del Toro having limitations in English so much as that he (like Gilliam) expresses his ideas better through visuals than through words.

[Worship.my.wreck]

I bought this, this past weekend and watched it on Sunday. It was really good. Enjoyed it.

[Zillamon51]

I bought this in-store at Best Buy yesterday. It rang up for $17.99, but there was a tag on the shelf that said $11.99 (possibly from an earlier sale), so I got it for that price.

In my travels, I haven't seen slipcovers on this movie for a while. BB had 10 - 12 copies, all with minty, shiny slips. They have a small sticker on the front advertising its Academy Award nominations, but no banners or anything (on the slip or cover art) highlighting its Best Picture win. Leftovers from an earlier pressing, maybe?

[WrathOfHan]

Originally Posted by Zillamon51

I bought this in-store at Best Buy yesterday. It rang up for $17.99, but there was a tag on the shelf that said $11.99 (possibly from an earlier sale), so I got it for that price.

In my travels, I haven't seen slipcovers on this movie for a while. BB had 10 - 12 copies, all with minty, shiny slips. They have a small sticker on the front advertising its Academy Award nominations, but no banners or anything (on the slip or cover art) highlighting its Best Picture win. Leftovers from an earlier pressing, maybe?

Yeah, that was the very first pressing. They updated the covers with Best Picture banners and no slips not long after the first pressing. I've seen a variety of both pressings in my area as recent as two weeks ago. However, I've yet to see a slipless version of Three Billboards. Their box office grosses weren't that far apart, and 3B still won two acting awards. I wonder why that's the case.

[SpectralNight]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

I know, and the answer is no. Not every GDT title gets a Criterion release, and there's no indication this one will either.

That's horrible!

I've tried to be so patient and resist the urge to buy the Shape of Water steelbook because I was certain it would eventually get a Criterion release.

I know not every Guillermo del Toro film gets a Criterion, but that kind of makes sense to me considering his filmography is split between the blockbuster franchises (I have zero interest in) and the more personally creative artistic endeavors (several of my favorite films ever).

Guess I just assumed Shape of Water fell into the same category as Cronos, Devil's Backbone, and Pan's Labyrinth. I wonder what his contract with the studio was like, and if a Criterion release is even legally possible?

If it's utterly impossible, there is no reason for me to hold off owning this masterpiece.