Today is the birthday of Guillermo Del Toro.
Inspired by Forrest J Ackerman and Walt Disney he has relocated his entire collection of books, toys, art and memorabilia to their own house which he has named "Bleak House" after the novel by Charles Dickens. More of a Cabinet of Curiosities with wonderful stuff everywhere you look, Bleak House is divided into several themed libraries; horror, art, fairy tales, etc., including one based on the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland that is accessed through a secret entrance behind another bookcase. He's even adding a new room which will through the use of special effects give the impression that it is raining constantly outside. When I read this in the New Yorker profile from this past February, I immediately understood the practical rationale for desiring such a space. Writing during a rainstorm, especially at night, is immediately mood enhancing and transportive in a way that no other stimulus can trigger. I'm curious how he will explain the need to the IRS when he writes it off as a business expense.
The Criterion Collection blu ray of Cronos , Del Toro's first feature film, contains a ten minute tour of Bleak House where he discusses how he's divided the house, the rationale behind it, as well as many of the treasures which it holds.
You don't need to own the Criterion blu ray of Cronos to view the tour, but I highly recommend it if you haven't seen Cronos (which I'll be watching later today and posting about here afterwards). The video tour of Bleak House can also be seen here.
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