It's Awards Season, with everything coming down to the Academy Awards in just a few weeks. One of the contenders being watched with excitement is Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water, a sweeping and visual romance that is both unexpected and fascinating. While watching a mute woman and an amphibian man fall in love seems like an unlikely choice for Oscar bait, their love story is something else. Doug Jones' Amphibian Man was so romantic that some sex toys have been made in his likeness. The frequent del Toro collaborator was recently asked what he thought about the toys, to which he responded:
With a light chuckle, I can tell you it's not exactly what I'd hoped for. I've actually had several real action figures made of my creature roles in the past --- all done in good taste. After pouring my heart, soul, blood, sweat, and tears into this romantic, beautiful, magical role, the last thing I want to be remembered for is a silicone appendage that comes in two sizes.
Well, that was honest. Honest and delightful. While Doug Jones seems to have a good sense of humor about the Amphibian themed dildo that's currently on the market, it's not exactly an actor's dream. Considering how serious and somewhat high brow The Shape of Water is, there's no way that Jones or anyone else involved could have expected that specific type of reaction.
Doug Jones' comments to The Wrap at least show that the actor isn't taking it all too seriously. But the juxtaposition between talking about sex toys and gearing up for the Oscars is sure to be a bit jarring. That said, Jones has had plenty of action figures and moldings done of him before. He played the Silver Surfer in the less than stellar Fantastic Four sequel, and also played Abe Sapien in both Hellboy movies. And his dual roles in Pan's Labyrinth as well a his appearance as a Gentleman in Buffy the Vampire Slayer have also spawned plenty of merch.
While Doug Jones might not be thrilled about the new unauthorized merch, sexuality was a major theme of The Shape of Water. When Elisa (Sally Hawkins) and The Creature eventually have sex, it certainly catches the audience by surprise. Anatomically it was puzzling, but eventually moviegoers are able to go along for the ride and witness the two characters' mutual affection. One of them just happens to be a blue water dwelling creature that can't speak. Every relationship has its challenges.
It should be interesting to see where The Shape of Water ends up on Oscars night. It's currently leading the pack with 13 nominations, but it's a strong year with plenty of awesome movies nominated.
You can see how it all goes down when the Academy Awards air March 4, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trips to the movies.
