This is a podcast where a dad (Phil) and his teen (Ollie) talk about the films of Guillermo del Toro.
Phil Gonzales and Ollie Piotrowski
The It's Del Toro Time! podcast is a delightful and insightful show that explores the works of renowned filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro. Hosted by Phil and his son Ollie, this podcast provides a unique and refreshing perspective on Del Toro's films. Whether you are a fan of Del Toro or just looking for something new to listen to, this podcast is sure to captivate you with its engaging discussions and warm dynamic between the hosts.
One of the best aspects of The It's Del Toro Time! podcast is the relationship between Phil and Ollie. Their chemistry is evident throughout each episode, adding an extra layer of charm to the show. Phil's extensive knowledge of Del Toro's films and their cultural context is impressive, creating a solid foundation for their discussions. On the other hand, Ollie brings a fresh and intelligent teenage perspective to the table, offering unique interpretations that complement Phil's insights perfectly. This balance between experience and youthful enthusiasm makes for compelling conversations that are both informative and entertaining.
Additionally, the analysis of Del Toro's work presented in this podcast is top-notch. The hosts delve into each film with depth and thoughtfulness, dissecting themes, symbolism, and cinematography in an engaging manner. It's evident that Phil has put significant effort into his research, providing listeners with well-reasoned arguments and analysis. The discussions are not only intellectually stimulating but also offer new perspectives on familiar films.
However, one aspect that could be improved upon in The It's Del Toro Time! podcast is providing information on where viewers can watch these movies discussed in each episode. While it may be assumed that most listeners are familiar with Del Toro's filmography already, it would still be helpful to include some recommendations or streaming options for those who might be interested in discovering or re-watching these movies along with the hosts.
In conclusion, The It's Del Toro Time! podcast is a fantastic resource for fans of Guillermo Del Toro's films and those curious about his work. Phil and Ollie's dynamic, coupled with their insightful analysis and engaging discussions, make for a truly enjoyable listening experience. Whether you're in between books or movies or simply looking to expand your knowledge of Del Toro's filmography, this podcast is a must-listen. Grab your popcorn, settle in, and let the It's Del Toro Time! podcast transport you into the fascinating world of Guillermo Del Toro's films.
Welcome to the JUDGMENT ZONE! It’s Phil and Willow and we’re back to talk about Albert Brooks’ 1991 classic “Defending Your Life!” What a weird movie to come back on, I swear. Anyways, here it is!
Aaaaaaaand, we’re done! It’s “A Little Something For Us Tempunauts” by Philip K. Dick and “The Dark Descent” is over! PARTY HORN NOISE!
WE’RE SO CLOSE TO THE END! It’s the penultimate “Dark Descent” story and it’s a whopper! “The Hospice” is quintessential Robert Aickman: it’s creepy, offbeat, weird, strange, chilling and inexplicable. We really loved it and now… only one story to go!
What a mystery this story is! Willow isn’t sure if she likes it, or if it even qualifies as horror. I’m enamored of it, but can’t really decide what it’s about! PERFECT! It’s “The Asian Shore” by Thomas M. Disch!
This week, it’s one of the most terrifying and terribly intimate stories we’ve yet covered. The cosmic horror of “The Willows” by Algernon Blackwood!
This week, Willow and I take a look at the creepy effects of UNFETTERED CAPITALISM with Edith Wharton’s “Afterward!”
Whaddaya get when you take a dead guy, an invisible monster and a heaping dose of post-Civil War Traumatic Stress Disorder? “The Damned Thing” by Ambrose Bierce! The missingest author in the history of Weird Fiction!
This week, Willow and Phil take a quick look at a quick story: “The Beautiful Stranger” by Shirley Jackson. We throw out a lot of theories as to the actual nature of this story, but the one thing we can agree on? That stranger is beautiful.
Sometimes, you don’t even need to ask. “What Was It?” by Fitz-James O’Brien!
Boy oh boy are we ever getting tired of sad men dying for their ghosts. It’s “The Beckoning Fair One” by Oliver Onions! A good story, but jeez, guys. See a therapist or something.
We’ve got a big one this week! It’s “The Repairer of Reputations” by Robert W. Chambers and Willow goes OFF. If you’re looking for her sources, here they are! de Oliveira, Hugo Mendes. “An Empire of Delusion: The Process of Alienation as Expressed by Robert W. Chambers' ‘The Repairer of Reputations.'” Thesis, Proquest Dissertations Publishing, … Continue reading "The Dark Descent – “The Repairer of Reputations” by Robert W. Chambers"
This week, we’re heading off to jolly ol’ Russia for a bit of nineteenth century whimsey titled “Clara Militch” or “Klara Milich” or any number of permutations. It’s by Ivan Turgenev and it’s a real cracker! By which I mean, we were utterly confused by it.
It’s another headscratcher! “Seaton’s Aunt” by Walter de la Mare might not be the scariest story we’ve ever read, but it sure does make me feel sad!
Yes, I sing Hall and Oates at one point. It’s “Night-Side” by Joyce Carol Oates!
We’re back in Lovecraft Country, this week! It’s Stephen King’s “Crouch End” and it’s a modern CLASSIC!
When is a ghost not a ghost? When it’s a SIGNAL-MAN! It’s “The Signal-Man” by Charles Discken and Willow has NOTES on the story! NOTES!
“Seven American Nights” is phenomenal and Gene Wolfe is brilliant. That’s all.
“Sssssssssmokin’!” Oh, somebody stop me. This week, we begin a new chunk of “The Dark Descent” as we wend our way into “A Fabulous Formless Darkness” by way of the game-changing short story “Smoke Ghost” by Fritz Leiber. Does it live up to the hype? Yes. Yes, it does.
Oh, Henry James. Why must you be so obtuse? This week, it’s a return to the creeps and the spooks as we take a step inside “The Jolly Corner!” Any good? Well, Willow had no idea what was going on!
This week, it’s a story that really left a wild impression on us. Is it supernatural? Natural? A little bit of both? Who knows! It’s “Mackintosh Willy” by Ramsey Campbell!
This week, it’s a story that is remarkably similar in many ways to last weeks. So, we both loved it, of course! Right? RIGHT?! *sigh* It’s “Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor.
This week, it’s our first Tanith Lee story and, maybe not coincidentally, one of our favorites. Is it horror? Who cares? It’s awesome! It’s “Three Days” here on The Dark Descent!
D. H. Lawrence’s “The Rocking Horse Winner” is no liar. It’s got a rocking horse. It’s got a winner. It’s all there on the tin!
Are you ready for some heady noir? This weeks “You Can Go Now” by Dennis Etchison is weird and trippy and short and delightful! It’s a real headscratcher, I tells ya!
Willow and I are back with more Dark Descent. This week, it’s “My Dear Emily” by Joanna Russ. It’s a vampire story, with a twist! The twist? Um… it’s good?
If there’s one person we love talking about at The Dark Descent, it’s Dick Math! Dickie the Math Man! Richard “Richie Rich” Matheson! Yes, this week we take a look at Dickie’s first ever published story “Born of Man and Woman!” And, it’s an icky one!
When is a ghost not a ghost? When it’s your repressed homosexuality! It’s Robert Hichens’s “How Love Came To Professor Guildea” on The Dark Descent!
In William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” Emily doesn’t get a rose. How about that? It’s The Dark Descent and we’re back!
A woman really hates that wallpaper in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wall-paper!” It’s yellow, alright!
This week, Willow and Phil schalk the schalk with J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s “Schalken the Painter!” It’s based on a real guy, but it’s not! It’s pretty sexy but also gross! It’s a rip roaring good time and also about the societal helplessness of women in the face of suffocating patriarchy. “Schalken the Painter!”
This week, THE CAT HAS A RACIST NAME. And, YES, we discuss it! Also, Lovecraft’s impossibly wild interpretation of Roman mythology and, look, it’s actually a pretty good story about a grieving father. It’s “The Rats In The Walls!”
This week, it’s all about Christmastime, Mega-Malls and Stone Babies, baby! It’s “Within the Walls of Tyre” by Michael Bishop and it’s MESSED UP.
You better watch out! Baby who’s that? It’s Phil and Willow back with “The Monkey” by Stephen King! And, all we really need to say is that this is the best King character and he needs to come back, please. Thanks.
Willow and I return to the world of Poe with “The Fall of the House of Usher!” It’s nice to be back on firm ground with a classic story and talk all about Poe and his 13 year old bride. No, really, it’s fun.
Willow thinks I’m nuts for ever having liked this mess. It’s “Dread” by Clive Barker!
If you like non-verbal developmentally disabled men with borderline personality disorder performing inprov surgery on unconscious women, have we got a story for you! It’s “Bright Segment” by Theodore Sturgeon and it’s ICKY!
Are you scared of roaches? Hope not! Because we’re talking about Thomas M. Disch’s “The Roaches” from “The Dark Descent” and it’s got ROACHES!
We’re diving back into “The Dark Descent” because watching movies has PROVED DIFFICULT! And, what a story to dive into! It’s Robert Aickman’s “The Swords” and it’s about… sex? Stabbing? Thrusting? It’s fairly explicit and fairly grimy and we talk about it for a WHILE. Enjoy!
What do you get when Guillermo del Toro decides to make “Pinocchio?” “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio!” It’s an aggressively Guillermo del Toro movie and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
You like birds? You like murmuring? You like GRIEF? Well, we do! We close out Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities with the phenomenal “The Murmuring” by the incredible Jennifer Kent! Then, we rank the eps! It’s fun!
When the director of “Mandy” throws a bunch of comic actors and Robocop in a room together and makes them do Space Cocaine, the result is “The Viewing!” Also, Gremlin Water Hatchers; they grow!
We were having such a great run of episodes, it was inevitable we’d hit a dud. “Dreams in the Witch House” takes Lovecraft’s original story, removes the plot, keeps a few names, a rat with a face and calls it a day. It wouldn’t be bad if it wasn’t so… bad. Sorry. https://ia904702.us.archive.org/14/items/20221110_20221110_2010/DelToro-Cabinet06.mp3
Whaddaya get when you take one of H. P. Lovecraft’s most famous short stories and streeeeeetch it out? You get the Cabinet of Curiosities adaptation of “Pickman’s Model!” Is it very much like the story? Errrr… Is it entertaining? Heck yes!
In “The Outside,” director Ana Lily Amirpour takes a webcomic by Emily Carroll and turns it into something else. Something full of body horror, comedy, self-loathing, and axe murder! It’s “The Outside!”
Way back in our “The Dark Descent” days, we covered Michael Shea’s phenomenal short story “The Autopsy.” Now, we’re getting to revisit it with the “Cabinet of Curiosities” adaptation by David S Goyer and David Prior! And, you know what? It’s really great!
Episode 2 of “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities” is a lively adaptation of Henry Kuttner’s “Graveyard Rats” a favorite of mine. We’ve got goopy corpses, rat monsters, boney bois. It’s a whole thing and we enjoyed it! Take a listen!
Welcome to the beginning of our coverage of “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities.” We start off with a fairly straightforward, but creepy, little tale of greed and payback with “Lot 36.”
When Martin Scorsese made “Goodfellas” did he know it was going to change filmmaking forever? Probably. It’s “Goodfellas!”
He’s dark! He’s a man! He’s Darkman! In 1990, Sam Raimi took a chance on creating an original superhero(?) monster(??) thing(???) for the modern age, and he totally succeeded! It’s “Darkman!” Also, I’m very sick, so I sound like garbage! “Darkman!”
Hey let’s go… talk about “My Neighbor Totoro!” Honestly, what can you say about a nearly perfect film? It is what it is. It’s “My Neighbor Totoro!”
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