Pass the Popcorn: Exploring the Worlds of Guillermo del Toro

October 30th, 2025

This week on Arts Today, Pass the Popcorn takes movie lovers into the imaginative worlds of Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. Known for turning monsters into mirrors of the human condition, del Toro continues to craft stories that blur the line between fantasy and reality.

Film Streams invites audiences to experience two remarkable works that showcase del Toro’s evolution as a storyteller — his beloved classic Pan’s Labyrinth and his most recent film, Frankenstein.

Released in 2006, Pan’s Labyrinth is a dark fairy tale set in post–Civil War Spain. The story follows a young girl who escapes the brutality of her world by entering a labyrinth filled with mythical creatures and moral tests. The film’s haunting beauty, emotional depth, and blend of fantasy and history made it a defining achievement in modern cinema.

Nearly two decades later, del Toro’s Frankenstein revisits one of literature’s most enduring creations. With his signature compassion for misunderstood beings, del Toro reimagines Mary Shelley’s classic tale, focusing on loneliness, creation, and the fragile boundaries between life and death. The film combines his visual artistry with profound human emotion, reaffirming his place among the most visionary directors of our time.

By pairing Pan’s Labyrinth with Frankenstein, Film Streams celebrates del Toro’s lifelong exploration of monsters, innocence, and the moral complexity of being human. Both films capture his belief that darkness can reveal truth — and that empathy can be found in the most unexpected places.

Pass the Popcorn airs as part of Arts Today on KVNO Classical 90.7, celebrating film as an art form that continues to challenge, inspire, and connect us.