Cronos (1993)

A mysterious device designed to provide its owner with eternal life resurfaces after four hundred years, leaving a trail of destruction in its path.

Director:

Guillermo del Toro

Writer:

Guillermo del Toro

Stars:

Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook

22 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Federico Luppi	...	Jesus Gris
Ron Perlman	...	Angel de la Guardia
Claudio Brook	...	De la Guardia
Margarita Isabel	...	Mercedes
Tamara Shanath	...	Aurora
Daniel Giménez Cacho	...	Tito
Mario Iván Martínez	...	Alchemist
Farnesio de Bernal	...	Manuelito
Juan Carlos Colombo	...	Funeral Director
Jorge Martínez de Hoyos	...	Narrator (voice)
Luis Rodríguez	...	Buyer
Javier Álvarez	...	Bleeding Man
Gerardo Moscoso	...	Drunk
Eugenio Lobo	...	Stoned Man
Adriana Olivera	...	Tango Student

Storyline

In 1536, in Veracruz, Mexico, during the Inquisition, an alchemist builds a mysterious and sophisticated device named Cronos to provide eternal life to the owner. In the present days, the antiques dealer Jesus Gris finds Cronos hidden inside an ancient statue while cleaning it with his granddaughter Aurora. He accidentally triggers the device and soon his wife Mercedes and he note that he has a younger appearance. Out of the blue, the stranger Angel de la Guardia visits Gris's shop and buys the old statue. On the next day, Gris finds his shop trashed and Angel's card on the floor. He pays a visit to Angel that introduces him to the eccentric millionaire De la Guardia that explains the healing power and the eternal life given by Cronos. Angel is sent by De la Guardia to hunt down Gris to get Cronos no matter the costs.

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Plot Keywords:

eternal life | antique dealer | invention | statue | alchemist | 

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Genres:

Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for horror violence and for language

Details

Country:

Mexico

Language:

Spanish English

Release Date:

May 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cronos

Filming Locations:

Mexico

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$621,392

Company Credits

Production Co:

CNCAIMC,Fondo de Fomento a la Calidad Cinematográfica,Grupo Del Toro

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Guillermo del Toro met with Universal (who later bought out the film's U.S. distributor, October Films) in late '93, where they told him they wanted to buy the rights to this film so they could remake it. del Toro's response was "Who wants to see Jack Lemmon lick blood off a bathroom floor?".

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Goofs

When Jesús searches for Aurora after she has taken the Cronos, as he walks through two doors, he stops. Behind him, reflected in the glass of the door, is crew and equipment.

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Quotes

Angel de la Guardia: [his Uncle calls him on his radio while he's trying to read] Fuck!
[answers it in a pleasant tone]
Angel de la Guardia: Yes, Uncle.
De la Guardia: Get up here immediately!
Angel de la Guardia: [turning away, seething in annoyance] Motherfucking cocksucking son of a bitch asshole pendejo!
De la Guardia: I want to know what happened!
Angel de la Guardia: [on the radio, pleasantly] Be right there.

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Crazy Credits

Dedicated to the memory of Josefina Camberos

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Alternate Versions

Some explicit nudity was added in the US video release.

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Connections

Referenced in A Night at the Movies: The Horrors of Stephen King (2011)

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Soundtracks

Caminemos
Herivelto Martins y Alfredo Gil
(C) 1949, PHAM, Mexico

User Reviews

a simply beautiful movie

Cronos is the first Guillermo Del Toro movie, and it is a great achievement. There's not much to say : it is a beautiful movie, a classical, beautiful and simple movie. There's some fantastic in it, but that's not all : the greatness of this movie is based on the characters : Ron Perlman and the man at the morgue are specially brilliant. It is dark, full of suspense, tensed, and extremely funny in the same time. With low budget and simple frames, Del Toro has managed to picture the true essence of cinema : a good story, good characters, and lots of blood, humor and cruelty. What else could we add ? Just watch this. This movie has been badly underrated. It is intelligent and honest. Far superior to lots of over intellectual or too much precious horror movies with over beautiful aesthetics. CRONOS is simply brilliant. Long life to Guillermo Del Toro !