Frankenstein, a monster with the flavor of sweet bread and pot coffee
Because, clearly, nothing says “I’m going to give life to a being from corpses” like a good coffee and some well sponged shells. In a twist that only the mastermind of Guillermo del Toro could conceive, the filmmaker presented his new multimillion-dollar production, Frankenstein, not with an evening gala and champagne, but with breakfast. Yes, you read that right. While you hurriedly ate yogurt, Hollywood’s elite nibbled on Mexican sweet bread at the Academy of Motion Picture Museum. The message? You may be a movie genius, but a morning craving is more powerful than any Academy Award.
The event, cleverly titled “Coffee and shells with Guillermo del Toro”, achieved what few press conferences achieve: sweeten the palate and, incidentally, the disposition of the international press. One can almost imagine the scene: Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi, the protagonists of this new version of the myth, passing the sugar while discussing how to embody an obsessive scientist and his tormented child. Because what better way to connect with your character than with a hot chocolate in your hand?
The fairy tale (Catholic and unleashed) of a boy with a camera
In a moment of cosmic synchronicity—or perhaps just good public relations planning—del Toro shared the genesis of this project. It turns out that the seed of this film adaptation was not planted in a luxurious Netflix office, but in the mind of a child who played with a super eight camera. “Thinking it would be a great way to talk to my dad,” the director confessed. One wonders if his father, after those filmed conversations, would have recommended a psychologist or helped him get more batteries.
The director from Guadalajara explained, with the solemnity of someone who reveals a universal secret, that he always wanted to make “a Catholic story, as well as an unleashed fable.” Of course, because when you think of Frankenstein, the first thing that comes to mind is the sacraments and the doctrine of the Church. But the juiciest twist—more than the shells themselves—came later: “Without realizing it, I became a father; but I continued to behave like a son. As a father, I had to apologize and not repeat what was inherited from me. At 42, I looked in the mirror and realized that I had become my father.” That’s right, the movie about a man who creates a monster without thinking about the consequences is, at its core, a metaphor for fatherhood. Could someone pass the syrup, please?
This revelation, which surely left more than one attendee nibbling on their bread with a mix of shock and confusion, speaks to the “scarcity and urgency of forgiveness”. Because nothing is more forgiving than a reanimated monster that questions its own existence, right?
The cast parades, the costumes are displayed and the candles burn
Before the star cast—which included Mia Goth, Christopher Waltz and Felix Kammerer—paraded in front of an cherry curtain (a color that undoubtedly enhances the pale and cadaverous tone of any creature), a moving tribute was paid to the origins of the myth. Del Toro asked for a round of applause for Sara Karloff, daughter of the iconic Boris Karloff. A moving gesture, which unites the monster’s glorious past with its future… let’s say, more streaming.
The celebration, as should be expected in any self-respecting event, extended to the upper floors of the museum, where the creature’s costumes were displayed in glass cases. Because what is a monster without his outfit? The rooms, decorated with candles and 18th century decorations, featured stills and paintings from the filming. One almost expected that, from the shadows, the creature would appear asking not for a heart, but for a cream shell.
Among the crowd, the Mexican director, installed in one of his armchairs, received congratulations from friends and colleagues. There were Ron Perlman, Julie Delpy, Sebastian Stan and director Jon Favreau, among others. It’s comforting to know that, even at the peak of success, the greatest geniuses of cinema still need their friends to tell them “how cool the movie was.”
And speaking of success, the launch strategy is as peculiar as the breakfast that inaugurated it. Frankenstein, with a budget of 120 million dollars and a duration of 150 minutes, will have a limited release in theaters starting on October 17 (for only three weeks, so that those who do not have a ticket suffer) and will arrive on the Netflix platform on November 7. The commitment to the Oscars is so clear that you can almost taste it… along with the last bite of sweet bread.
So now you know. The next time a nightmarish creature comes to life on screen, remember that its birth may have been driven by a combination of a morning craving, an existential crisis about parenting, and a casual conversation about Trollhunters. Art, after all, is unpredictable like that. And delicious.
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