High Resolution Look At Guillermo Del Toro’s Cronos Criterion Collection Release

This past week Criterion announced the release of a long rumored title, Guillermo Del Toro’s Cronos. We’ll finally be able to pick up a DVD and Blu-ray edition of the film on December 7th.

Along with all of the incredible supplemental materials that will accompany the discs, the cover art by Hellboy creator (and longtime Del Toro friend) Mike Mignola is absolutely gorgeous. Showcasing the Cronos device that turns our hero, JesÃºs Gris, into a blood craving monster, the artwork is what many love about Criterion Collection cover art, it’s simple.

It’s not a collection of floating heads, it’s not a badly photoshopped piece of marketing. It’s an elegant approach to a gruesome concept, executed by a fan favorite. The fact that Mignola drew the image is almost an easter egg in itself. His name isn’t anywhere to be found on the drawing, so you have to know his style, in order to appreciate it.

As with most Criterion Collection cover art, I long for the day that I can purchase a full poster of this drawing. The next best thing? I’m including a high-resolution look at the artwork below. If you click on the cover, it will take you to a dramatically higher resolution image. I’m also including some high resolution stills from the film below the cover art, which are clickable to their larger equivalents.

Are you excited about the Cronos release? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Guillermo del Toro made an auspicious, audacious feature debut with Cronos, a highly unorthodox tale about the seductiveness of the idea of immortality. Kindly antiques dealer JesÃºs Gris (Federico Luppi) happens upon an ancient golden device in the shape of a scarab, and soon finds himself possessor and victim of its sinister, addictive powers, as well as the target of a mysterious, crude American named Angel (a delightfully deranged Ron Perlman). Featuring marvelous special makeup effects and the unforgettably haunting imagery for which del Toro has become world-renowned, Cronos is a visually rich and emotionally captivating dark fantasy.

Disc Features

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION:

New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Guillermo del Toro and cinematographer Guillermo Navarro, including optional audio with the film’s original Spanish-language voice-over introduction as well as DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition
Two audio commentaries, one featuring del Toro and the other producers Arthur H. Gorson and Bertha Navarro and coproducer Alejandro Springall
Geometria, an unreleased 1987 short horror film by del Toro, finished by the director in 2010, plus a new video interview with him
Welcome to Bleak House, a video tour by del Toro of his office, featuring his collectibles and personal work
New video interviews with del Toro, Navarro, and actor Ron Perlman
Video interview with actor Federico Luppi
Stills gallery
Trailer
New and improved English subtitle translation, approved by del Toro
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Maitland McDonagh and excerpts from del Toro’s notes for the film