How young Guillermo became monster-mad director Del Toro

MEXICO CITY: Long before he was the celebrated director of fantasy romance “The Shape of Water,” this year’s top Oscar contender with 13 nominations, Guillermo del Toro was fascinated with monsters and the movies.

Teachers in his hometown, Guadalajara, Mexico, remember him coming to class with giant cockroaches, and friends recall helping him shoot his first movie at their school – an eight-millimeter short film featuring a gelatinous monster.