To some people, Guillermo Del Toro is a master of his craft who is able to blend occultism, horror and child centric themes into cinematic masterpieces; to others he is just a small time director with an unapologetically long name to spell.

A Del Toro showcase is taking place at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where this director’s inspirations, movie props and creatively related objects are on display for all to observe and get into the cinematic head space of Del Toro.

The exhibition is organized thematically, starting with the basic ideas he centers his works around, to the influences he has been affected by over the years, leading to stations what show off the different props, costumes and memorabilia from projects that he has worked on. Also on display were drawings and writings gathered from his childhood, along with paintings, maquettes, and artists that inspire him.   

Props and statues from his films were on display, items appearing from Cronos, Mimic The Devil’s Backbone and Blade II, with large parts of the exhibition being dedicated to his more well known works such as Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Pacific Rim and Crimson Peak. There were also displays that were dedicated to all of the influences from his childhood, such as a Spanish Luchador Tv show, Frankenstein’s monster and company, old Horror comics, the works of Edgar Allen Poe and other pieces that inspired him.

He grew up in Guadalajara, Mexico where he was raised in a strict catholic household. It is this kind of upbring, which he disliked, that inspired him to represent the occult and horror in his films. He also likes to include the themes of childhood innocence and redemption in many of his films, which he believed to be a common ideal that everyone experiences in their lifetime. Although he is a well known atheist, he likes to include the ideals of death and the afterlife “once a catholic, always a catholic.”

The exhibit is open from August first to November 27th at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It’s a must see for anyone.