A guide to Guillermo Del Toro; PART 2 MIMIC

Continuing my guide to all things Del Toro, his next project was to direct the underated 1997 monster movie 'Mimic'.

Very much an American Sci-fi horrror, it's a strange one for Del Toro fans. He seems to be slightly restricted and constrained into making a formulaic generic horror/chase movie along the lines of Jeepers Creepers, but he throws so much of his style and visual "fetishes" at the screen, that they raise it above this standard and make it a worthwhile piece of escapism.

"I have a sort of a fetish for insects, clockwork, monsters, dark places, and unborn things," says Del Toro, and this movie at least allows him, and the viewer to indulge.

This movie is a total mish-mash of the good and bad of hollywood horror. There are some great moments and amazing visual creature effects, but also some terrible and cliched horror moments. Basically you could say it's a visual delight, with a lack of depth, continuity and substance failing to fulfil the movies potential as a classic to rival the likes of 'Alien'.

Del Toro on mimic:
"I was really happy with how [Mimic] turned out visually--I think it's a beautiful movie to look at, but what's painful for me about the film is not what it is, but what it could have been. For instance, there's a pretty f***ing neat line that was removed from the original screenplay. Essentially Susan Tyler is in the middle of the conflict and someone asks her how to get out of their situation and Tyler says, "I have no f***ing idea--everything I knew about insects flew out the window when these things showed up. They're six feet long and all I know about them is that they have nothing to do with human nature--they have six legs, they have eight eyes, they have no heart and white blood, and they don't give a s**t about us." And another thing that was expurgated was this really perverse moment: I have a huge wall of insects f***ing in the subway--it's a bug orgy. Suddenly one of the insects chases them with the female still attached to his penis which is really creepy and cool--but I guess a little too freaky for a major studio."

Perhaps if you havn't seen this movie it's best to hold on: Del Toro is working on a directors cut DVD:

28-Sep-2009, GDT on Director's Cut DVD
"MIMIC is looking fabulous. Some of the negative had been lost but we found alternatives and are finishing the Director's Cut. VERY HAPPY!!"

You can also read the original script HERE 

Next time: The Devils Backbone!