COM 329, Contemporary Film The Three Amigos: Alfonso Cuarón Alejandro González Iñárritu Guillermo del Toro

All Three:  Are Mexican-born expatriates…”in exile,” with anxiety, and perspective  Had breakthrough films in 2006 (“sister films,” they say):  Cuarón: Children of Men  Iñárritu: Babel  del Toro: Pan’s Labyrinth  ARE FRIENDS! (Met through Mexican TV)  Candor, brutally honest  They totally support each other, even to the point of sacrificing nominations for awards  They sometimes work on each others’ films  e.g., Cuarón was a producer and Iñárritu an editor on Pan’s Labyrinth  Focus on themes over character, and even over story  e.g., Three of Iñarritu’s four features focus on death  e.g., “Communication” for all three of the 2006 films  Are super-smart!  Have common senses of humor!

Alfonso Cuarón  (1961-)  Studied philosophy and film in college (but dropped out)  Sydney Pollack brought him to the U.S. to work on a project for Showtime  Had big successes with A Little Princess (a U.S. children’s film, 1995) and Y Tu Mama Tambien (a Spanish-language Mexican road movie, 2001)  Since then, has directed/produced/written in a range of genres or film types

Alfonso Cuarón YearFilm Credited as DirectorWriterProducerEditor Assistant director 1986Les Pyramides BleuesYes 1991Sólo con tu parejaYes 1995A Little PrincessYes 1998Great ExpectationsYes 2001Y tu mamá tambiénYes 2004 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Yes CrónicasYes The Assassination of Richard Nixon Yes 2005Black SunYes 2006 Children of MenYes Pan's LabyrinthYes 2007Year of the NailYes 2008Rudo y CursiYes 2013GravityYes

Alejandro González Iñárritu  (1963-)  A self-proclaimed “frustrated [rock] musician”  Studied Communication in college, then worked successfully in radio  With a partner, started a film production company in Mexico, then after the success of Amores Perros (2000) moved to California  He brought “themes” to the other 2 directors, who had been working in “form”  Has directed only 4 feature films, but they have garnered many awards, including 12 Academy Award nominations; he is the first Mexican director to be nominated for an AA

Alejandro González Iñárritu AS DIRECTOR: YearFilm 2014Birdman 2012Naran Ja (short) 2011 Behind Biutiful: Director's Flip Notes (documentary short) 2010Write the Future (TV short) 2010Biutiful 2007 To Each His Own Cinema (segment "Anna") 2006Babel Grams 2002September 11 (segment "Mexico") 2001Powder Keg (short) 2000Amores Perros 1996El timbre (short) 1995Detrás del dinero (TV short)

Guillermo del Toro  (1964-)  Went to film school in Guadalajara, and for 10 years worked as a special effects makeup designer  He co-founded a film festival in Guadalajara  After the success of his Mexican Cronos (1993), Miramax gave him $30 million to make the U.S.-based Mimic (1997)  Prolific as director/producer/writer  Works heavily in horror and fantasy— ”if there is not a monster on my call sheet, I won’t show up to shoot”

Guillermo del Toro YearFilmDirectorProducerWriterOtherNotes 1985 Doña Lupe (short)Yes Executive producer Doña Herlinda and Her SonYesExecutive producer 1987Geometria (short)Yes 1993CronosYes Man Walking Dog 1997MimicYes 1998Under a SpellYes 2000BullfighterYesBullboy #2 2001The Devil's BackboneYes Executive producer 2002 I Murder SeriouslyYesExecutive producer Blade IIYes 2004 CrónicasYes HellboyYes Guy Dressed as Dragon 2006 Hellboy: Sword of StormsYesCreative producer Pan's LabyrinthYes 2007 Hellboy: Blood and IronYesCreative producer The OrphanageYesExecutive producer Hellboy: Iron Shoes (short)YesCreative producer Diary of the DeadYes Newsreader (voice role; uncredited)

Guillermo del Toro YearFilmDirectorProducerWriterOtherNotes 2008 Insignificant ThingsYes Hellboy II: The Golden ArmyYes Creature Vocals (uncredited) Quantum of SolaceYesAdditional Voices While She Was OutYesExecutive producer Rudo y CursiYes 2009 RageYes SpliceYesExecutive producer 2010 BiutifulYesAssociate producer Julia's EyesYes MegamindYesCreative consultant 2011 Kung Fu Panda 2Yes Creative consultant; also executive producer Cowboys & AliensYes Creative consultant (uncredited) Don't Be Afraid of the DarkYes Creature Voices / Man on Plane Puss in BootsYes Moustache Man / Comandante; also executive producer 2012 The Captured Bird (short)YesExecutive producer Rise of the GuardiansYesExecutive producer The Hobbit: An Unexpected JourneyYes El Santos vs. La Tetona MendozaYes Gamborimbo Punx (voice) 2013 MamaYesExecutive producer Pacific RimYes The Hobbit: The Desolation of SmaugYes 2014The Hobbit: There and Back AgainYes

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