I’ve never been a big fan of the Film Noir genre, so I was actually less excited than usual about Guillermo del Toro’s psychological thriller Nightmare Alley when I first heard about it, although I’m a very big fan of the director’s work. I’m pleased to say that I did however enjoy the movie when I eventually saw it, so I made it a point to pick up this art/making of book for the film when it was released.

Inspired by William Lindsay Gresham’s cult 1947 novel, Nightmare Alley stars Bradley Cooper as Stanton “Stan” Carlisle, a talented but troubled drifter who takes up with a traveling carnival. Ingratiating himself with its troupe of misfits, Stan swindles his way to fortune and fame, but when he meets psychiatrist Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett), his greed and duplicity will put him on the path to self-destruction.

The cover design and style format of the book is pretty in line with the previous making of books from GDT’s other films like The Shape Of Water and The Devil’s Backbone, and features a good balance of on-set production stills as well as concept art pieces and sketches. One of the highlights of any book on GDT are of course his delightful conceptual drawings and illustrations, and quite a few can be found here. Also showcased are the work of Hellboy/BPRD comic artist/concept art designer Guy Davis, a long time GDT collaborator.

Nightmare Alley is already available to stream on Disney+, but I’m hoping for a physical media Criterion release that will certainly include plenty of supplementary features, and it is always a treat as well as a great study in film-making to watch them, especially for any Guillermo del Toro film.

While we wait for that to happen, this art and making of book is a great compliment to the film and comes recommended.

“Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley Art/Making Of Book” book details :

– Dimensions – 9.25 x 0.7 x 11 inches
– Hard cover, 160 pages
– Full color

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