Originally produced as a motion picture in 1992.

Special features: Commentaries [optional audio] by writer-director Guillermo del Toro or producers, Arthur H. Gorson, Bertha Navarro, and Alejandro Springall [English and Spanish]; Featurettes Geometria [short film] (7 min.); Geometria: Interview [with Guillermo del Toro] (7 min.); Welcome to Bleak House (10 min.); Interviews: Guillermo del Toro (18 min.); Guillermo Navarro (13 min.); Ron Perlman (8 min.); Federico Luppi (6 min.) [Spanish with English subtitles]; Stills gallery [slide show]; Trailer (2 min.); Optional Spanish theatrical voice-over introduction [audio feature]; booklet includes essay "Beautiful Dark Things" by Maitland McDonagh, and excerpts from the director's notes for "Cronos."

Director of photography, Guillermo Navarro ; production designer, Tolita Figueroa ; editor, Raul Davalos ; music, Javier Alvarez ; special effects, Laurencio Cordero.

Federico Luppi (Jesús Gris), Ron Perlman (Angel), Claudio Brook (De la Guardia), Margarita Isabel (Mercedes), Tamara Shanath (Aurora).

In the darkness, a clock ticks. Aging antique dealer Jesús Gris marks his time with his granddaughter Aurora, and his wife Mercedes. Señor Gris comes to possess, quite accidentally, the ancient Cronos device. The invention of a sixteenth century alchemist who fled to Mexico during the Spanish Inquisition, it grants eternal life and youthful vigor to the user. The only drawbacks are marble white skin that burns under sunlight and an insatiable thirst for human blood. Elsewhere in the city, a dying industrialist obtains the alchemist's journal, learns of the device, and imports his American nephew to track down and obtain the device, by force if necessary. Señor Gris can grasp the gift of time, but the cost is high. Can he keep his soul intact faced with such great temptation, or will he be overcome?

DVD ; Region 1; NTSC ; Dolby digital stereo; widescreen presentation (1.78:1 aspect ratio, enhanced for 16:9 televisions).

Soundtracks: Spanish and occasional English dialogue; with optional English subtitles.

Ariel Awards, 1993 [Mexico's premiere film awards]: Golden Ariel (Guillermo del Toro); Cannes Film Festival, 1993: Mercedes-Benz Award (Guillermo del Toro)