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The Orphanage [2007] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Our Price: £4.86 (subject to change) Reviewswrong region code Review date: 2008-06-25 Rating: 10 out of 10 I am a big fan of this movie. But you have to know that this version is offered as an all region blu ray disc. But in the matter of fact it is encoded as A region, so people living in Europe would not be able to see the movie in theirs region B players. BEWARE: CHILDHOOD GAMES ARE NOT PLEASANT IN "THE ORPHANAGE" Review date: 2008-03-28 Rating: 10 out of 10 For the past few months I, a huge fan of movies, have been eagerly anticipating the latest Guillermo Del Toro film to hit our screens. After all of this angst, the day finally arrived and I can't tell you how pleased I was with the result. "The Orphanage" by debut director Juan Antonio Bayona, is a truly mesmerising tale produced by the visionary director of "Pan's Labyrinth" (another superbly executed Spanish fantasy movie). At the start of the story, children play a "knock, knock, knock on the wall" game in the grounds of an orphanage. However, these images soon melt into blackness to be replaced by wallpaper (for the title sequence) which is then ripped away by young hands, with tormenting music echoing in the background. I soon gathered that this was not going to be the most pleasant of tales. Around thirty years on, we slowly slip into the world of Laura who has just moved back into her childhood home, the orphanage. The setting is now slightly more sinister: darker clouds, stormier seas and creaking doors galore. As the film progresses it becomes apparent that Laura's adopted son, Simón, has HIV and is therefore on constant medication, not great when, in a moment of carelessness, Simón vanishes. What evolves from this scene is a harrowing tale which examines the reality of loss, insanity, horror, and, most importantly, challenges our imagination, the one thing that when in the darkness of the orphanage, we cannot control. Some scenes in this movie are utterly horrific, there is no doubt about it. Although gore is of the minimum, suspense and horror and childhood games are not. There is one section of this film that scared me witless. Imagine the haunting eyes of a medium (played by a superbly creepy Geraldine Chaplin) alone in the dark corridors of the orphanage as the screams of dying children echo through ours ears. Or perhaps, the games children play with our minds when we're alone in the dark. Let me make this fact clear and simple: this is one hell of scary ride. Like "The Others" in many ways, this gothic film is brought from a well-made ghost story to an excellent movie by its female lead, Belén Rueda. In the film's first quarter, she portrays a vision of serenity that is soon shatter by the loss of her son. Although she shines mostly in the dark corridors, her cacophony of screams are the single most important thing in this movie. They really do send a shiver down your spine. As with the harrowing, water-drenched moment on the beach and at the film's shockingly emotional conclusion, Rueda lures us into the action on screen and sends a sorrowful tear dribbling down your cheek. The film's conclusion is unlike any other I have ever witnessed during a ghost story. It is not cheesy or predictable or pointless. And it doesn't let the whole film down. It is simply origional and emotional. I won't go into great depth about what happens as it will ruin the entire movie, but I will give you one little clue: think of Peter Pan and Wendy, the story of never growing up, never wanting to leave your roots. "The Orphanage" made my day cold, and I'm sure it will do the same to you. What could have been an average film with an average story and average scares, was brought to our eyes with such meticulous detail from director Juan Antonio Bayona that it emerges as the last decade's greatest ghost story. It lingers in your imagination long after the horrors have ended. Not only does it seamlessly blend Guillermo's fantastical vision with horror, "The Orphanage" depicts the life of a parent whose child has disappeared to stunning effect. And that is a rare attribute to a find in a movie. Newish spin on old horror standards Review date: 2008-03-25 Rating: 6 out of 10 The Orphanage, directed by Juan Antonio Bayona in his debut feature, is a worthy genre movie that combines elements of numerous psychological horror films from The Others and The Sixth Sense to The Shining. Notably produced by Guillermo Del Toro, who is credited with invigorating Spanish horror with films such as Cronos and The Devil's Backbone, the film also makes nods to Peter Pan in a similar way that Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth took cues from Alice in Wonderland and the novels of CS Lewis. Its storyline concerns a boy who goes missing from an archetypally creepy house, formerly an orphanage where his adopted mother grew up. Like The Others - tellingly directed by another Spaniard, Alejandro Amenabar - The Orphanage draws on Victorian spookiness and (thankfully) CGI-free shocks. In parts it is terrifying, occassionally brutal (one scene excessively so), but the film is mostly a retread of classic horror standards, albeit done pretty well. If I was to grumbe I would suggest that the addition of an HIV 'subplot' is extraneous and smacks of Almodovar's sometimes desperate quest for contemporary relevance. You could argue that, since it adds little or nothing to The Orphanage as a whole, this factual addition is actually quite exploitative. No doubt some critic will try to construct a theory of the film's meaning around this fact alone, but I wouldn't buy into it. The film also shares something with 'Jacob's Ladder' and 'Birth', two underrated films which are both superior to this in that they credit their audiences with greater intelligence. The Orphanage lays the explanations for its mystery on too thickly, not allowing for the kind of thought-provoking ambiguity of those films. Ever since M Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense - especially those subsequently made by that director - films of this genre seem enslaved to the idea of The Big Surprise Twist, and The Orphanage appears strained under the burden of trying to create one. However, ambiguity can be a much more effective tool for guaranteeing a film's mystery and longevity, a subtlety notably lost on the makers of this film. Good Competent Horror Show Review date: 2008-03-25 Rating: 10 out of 10 Just got back from the cinema and have to say that this film is a real gem. After about 15 people walked out because of the subtitles (meatheads)you can sit back and NOT relax. It's alot like 'Dont Look Now' and other chillers. It's what you don't see that scares you although there are real moments of fright. The story is original and emotional with blind kids, one so ugly they put a sack over his meathead. The film is handled well and moves at a good pace (like all Toro)dealing with parenthood and the paranormal. For those who liked Pans Labyrinth you won't be disappointed. One real good sequence is following the medium round the house with fixed camcorders and sound recorders as she tries to find the spirits of children. To finalize, a great thriller/horror. Go and see it (but don't take popcorn or sweet wrappers and any under 15's into the cinema- it's annoying) Product Details/SpecificationsActor(s): Belén Rueda Fernando Cayo Roger PrÃncep Mabel Rivera Montserrat Carulla Creators: Belén Rueda (Primary Contributor) Fernando Cayo (Primary Contributor) Belén Atienza (Producer) Elena Manrique (Producer) Guillermo del Toro (Producer) JoaquÃn Padró (Producer) Director(s): Recording label: New Line Home Entertainment Manufacturer: New Line Home Entertainment EAN: 0794043120718 Binding: DVD Number of items: 1 Format: Colour, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC, Release date: 2008-04-22 Universal product code (UPC): 794043120718 Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 Region code: 1 Running time: 105 minutes Theatrical release date: 2007 Language: Spanish (Original Language) Language: English (Subtitled) Language: Spanish (Subtitled) Similar Products
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