It's the first regular episode of the new year, and a first in our winter series: GDT In The GTA. The next couple of weeks are all about Papa Cinema himself, Guillermo Del Toro, and what better place to start than his self-professed "first" movie, 2001's THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE! (aka EL ESPINAZO DEL DIABLO) Before getting into the movie proper, we're setting the table for our mini-series by covering the highlights of GDT's life in the lead up to BACKBONE, his outlook on creativity and antifascism, and how lapsed Catholics and atheists are not the same thing. We're discussing at length how he successfully ties together seemingly disparate elements of the gothic horror subgenre, themes of solidarity, the specifics of the Spanish Civil War, and Catholicism. Working with children in film is always hit or miss, but we're here to celebrate Carlos' bravery, Jaime's redemption, and the death of fascists. Next time we're just gonna go jump in the ocean: it's monster-robot fighting PACIFIC RIM!