Episode 165 – Guillermo Del Toro’s The Devil’s Backbone

Scott, David, and Ryan discuss the heritage of war, the supernatural, visual effects, and violence in Del Toro's 2001 ghost story.

This time on the podcast, Scott is joined by David Blakeslee and Ryan Gallagher to discuss Guillermo Del Toro’s The Devil’s Backbone.

About the film:

One of the most personal films by Guillermo del Toro, The Devil’s Backbone is also among his most frightening and emotionally layered. Set during the final week of the Spanish Civil War, it tells the tale of a twelve-year-old boy who, after his freedom-fighting father is killed, is sent to a haunted rural orphanage full of terrible secrets. Del Toro expertly combines gothic ghost story, murder mystery, and historical melodrama in a stylish mélange that, like his later Pan’s Labyrinth, reminds us the scariest monsters are often the human ones.

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Episode Links:

The Devil’s Backbone (2001) – The Criterion Collection
The Devil’s Backbone: The Past is Never Dead – The Criterion Collection
The Devil’s Backbone (2001) – IMDb
The Devil’s Backbone – Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia
Insects and Violence | Film | The Guardian
The Film Temple: Guillermo Del Toro Roundtable #4 – The Devil’s Backbone
Roger Ebert’s Review
Devil’s Backbone: Guillermo Del Toro Reflects on His ‘Dearest Film’ | Hero Complex
Vivisect the Director: Guillermo Del Toro and The Devil’s Backbone
Guillermo Del Toro – Interview – The A.V. Club
Speak of The Devil’s Backbone: Film Freak Central Interviews Guillermo Del Toro
Guillermo del Toro’s Top 10 – Explore – The Criterion Collection
Guillermo del Toro – DVD Picks – YouTube
Title sequences from Guillermo del Toro films — Art of the Title
Mondo has unveiled their prints for Guillermo Del… // CriterionCast
Mondo Unveils Prints For Guillermo Del Toro’s Cronos And The Devil’s Backbone
Juan Hugo Martinez | The Devil’s Backbone | Reelizer
CriterionForum.org: The Devil’s Backbone Blu-ray Review
Nerdist Podcast: Guillermo del Toro live from NYCC ’12 | Nerdist

Episode Credits:

Scott Nye (Twitter / Battleship Pretension)
David Blakeslee (Twitter / Criterion Reflections)
Ryan Gallagher (Twitter / Website / Wish List)

Music from this episode is by The White Stripes and The Clash.