Double Feature: The Blame & Spectre

Two Foreign Films from Spain:

The Blame - Spanish Title: La culpa

Spectre - Spanish Title: Regreso a Moira

Language - Spanish

Subtitles are in English

Genre - Horror (Foreign)

Year Released - Both in 2006

Running Time - The Blame - 72 minutes / Spectre - 75 minutes

The Blame

Directed by Narciso Ibanez Serrado (who also directed the Spanish Film Who Can Kill a Child? - which I have not yet seen - it is in my Netflix Queue)

Written by Narciso Ibanez Serrado (who also wrote Who Can Kill a Child?) and Luis Murillo

Cast Includes: Montse Mostaza, Nieve de Medina, and Alejandra Lorenzo

Spectre

Directed by Mateo Gil

Written by Mateo Gil (who also wrote Vanilla Sky as well as the Spanish Film that it was based upon - Abre Los ojos - Open Your Eyes - both Excellent Films!) and Igor Legarreta

Cast Includes: Juan Jose Ballesta, Jordi Dauder, and Natalia Millan

Rating for The Blame: 3 Skulls

Rating for Spectre: 5 Skulls

Films to Keep You Awake

Plot Summary: (for both films)

The 6 Films to Keep You Awake collection presents this frightening double feature of Spanish horror movies.

In The Blame, a nurse who is strapped for cash moves in with a doctor friend, only to discover that the doctor's run-from-home medical clinic isn't what she expected.

In Spectre, an old man is haunted by a supposed witch he knew as a little boy.

Review: (for both films)

Well, since the last two films that I watched in this anthology did not hold up as well as the first two that I watched, I wanted to make sure that it wasn't in the time frame in which I watched them. (I watched the first two in the wee hours of the morning, and I watched the second two in the middle of the afternoon. So, this time around, I figured that I would watch these two, late at night, after everyone else went to bed.)

I really don't think that it matters, when you watch them, as long as you are not being distracted by anything else. . . :-)

The Blame

The Blame started off with a bang and then sort-of coasted along for the remainder of the story. While slow-paced, it still kept you in suspense.

This story is about a mother (who is a nurse) and her young daughter (who is absolutely adorable) who move into the house of a female doctor (who is an Obstetrician/Gynecologist) The house is a tad bit creepy - there are weird noises (strange thumps and bumps) along with a weirdo neighbor, who actually owns the house, who lives in a room on the other side of the stairwell - connected to the main part of the house, by a doorway. The mother discovers that her doctor friend has a clinic set up in one of the vacant bedrooms. She then comes to realize that the doctor performs abortions, on the side. This doesn't sit too well, as she discovers that she is pregnant with a second child. [I do not want to say anymore, as to not give anything else away]

I will say that I only gave this film 3 Skulls because I did not like the way that it ended, at all!

Spectre

I really liked the way that this film was directed. It tells the story of an old man who is haunted by his memories of a woman that he knew when he was younger - in his teens - a woman who supposedly was a witch.

I do not want to give any of this story line away, as it belongs right up there with the first two films, that I watched, in this anthology. I will tell you that the director had very cool scene transitions from the past to the present which helped the story flow even more smoothly.

So, of all six of the films in this anthology series, I feel that the best, in order, are: The Baby's Room, To Let, Spectre, A Christmas Tale, A Real Friend, and then The Blame - if you are able to purchase all six together (which I will) then I recommend it, as really, they are all enjoyable!

Let me leave you with the opening segment to each of these films: [just because I think it's cool] :-)

Jason