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| The Orphanage | 
 enlarge | Director: Juan Antonio Bayona
Actors: Belen Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Princep, Mabel Rivera, Montserrat Carulla
Studio: New Line Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy Used: $8.36
You Save: $11.62 (58%)
New (53) Used (24) from $8.36
Avg. Customer Rating:  121 reviews
Sales Rank: 1277
Format: Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: Spanish (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 105
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 1000038293
UPC: 794043120718
EAN: 0794043120718
ASIN: B0015ET3YO
Theatrical Release Date: January 11, 2008
Release Date: April 22, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Like new! Disc is guaranteed to be in perfect working condition.Machine buffed before shipping. Rental sticker on disc.
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Amazon.com
It's only his first film, but Spain's Juan Antonio Bayona has already figured out the secret to a successful supernatural thriller: emphasize character over special effects. Like Walter Salles's Dark Water and Alejandro Amenabar's The Others, The Orphanage pivots on a pretty woman and an unusual child. When her old orphanage goes on the market, Laura (Belen Rueda, Amenabar's The Sea Inside) and Carlos (Fernando Cayo) settle in with their son, Simon (Roger Princep). Once acclimated to the remote seaside surroundings, they plan to re-open it as a home for special-needs children. Meanwhile, their seven-year-old doesn't know he's adopted or that he has a life-threatening illness. He does, however, have a lot of imaginary playmates. When Simon disappears without a trace, his parents contact the police, but to no avail. Because Laura has been hearing odd noises and having strange visions, they proceed to consult a medium. Aurora (Geraldine Chaplin, speaking perfect Spanish) is convinced they aren't alone. Carlos has his doubts, but Laura makes like a detective and revisits her childhood--through photographs, home movies, and exploration of the spooky stone manor--to determine who or what abducted her son. Produced and presented by Guillermo Del Toro, The Orphanage is less fanciful than his works, though it does bear a vague resemblance to the ghostly Devil's Backbone. There are a few gory make-up effects, but Bayona mostly preys on our fear of the unknown to craft a first-rate fright fest. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Product Description
A woman discovers dark secrets hidden within her cherished childhood home in the supernatural drama THE ORPHANAGE the feature film debut of acclaimed young Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona. A superbly atmospheric and emotionally powerful tale of love loss and guilt.System Requirements:Running Time: 105 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR/PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER Rating: R UPC: 794043120718 Manufacturer No: 1000038293
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| Customer Reviews: Read 116 more reviews...
 On the shoulders of giants. January 11, 2008
64 out of 81 found this review helpful
I'm 23 years old and have been an avid horror fan for about ten years now. And I'm here to say, for those interested, that this is the scarriest film I have ever seen in the theatres. Growing up in small town USA, I didn't get a lot of opportunities to see re-screenings of films like The Exorcist and The Shining on the big screen and I don't know how they would have benefitted from a first time big-screen viewing. For that reason I'm reluctant to immediately pin the blue ribbon on The Orphanage. That said, as someone who did see The Blair Witch Project, The Sixth Sense, The Ring, Dark Waters, Saw, Hostel, The Hills Have Eyes and most of the other films that are considered modern classics on the big screen-- This tops them all. More than that though, I feel like the director uses every film prior to this one as a stepladded-- standing on the shoulders of giants as it were. He uses many of the traditional scares that we've come to expect. For instance, how many times have we seen someone looking at the camera who is then hit out of the blue by a car? A simple scare. An easy one. Not very creative and not hard to pull off. But SOMEHOW, and I haven't figured this one out yet, The Orphanage just does it better. The dead person who suddenly sits up and grabs your wrist, the door that slams shut-- all of them. You'll see them coming, you'll expect it, you'll tell yourself not to jump, but then you will anyway. I credit this to the direction and the music which are both stellar.
I went to see this film with my girlfriend who, although not a big fan of horror movies has always been able to hold her own, had both legs wrapped around me and was nearly in tears. Of the last half hour of the film I'd wager she saw maybe five minutes. The catch is, I was squeezing her just as tight. Highly reccomended.
Sophisticated and Carefully Constructed Ghost Story... April 26, 2008
36 out of 42 found this review helpful
THE ORPHANAGE is the latest supernatural film from Spain which definitely has the feel of Guillermo del Toro's influence. Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, based on the screenplay by Sergio Sanchez; the film is an enchanting, creative gothic horror film that follows the footsteps of "The Devil's Backbone", "Pan's Labyrinth" and "The Others". Much like the aforementioned films, "The Orphanage" has a theme to it, it is not a fast-paced horror thriller with the usual cliches. The film is a clever, inspired production that gives a "nudge" towards our imagination. After all, our imagination and innocence gets lost when we grow up, corrupted by our own personal experiences.
Returning to her childhood home; a mysterious seaside orphanage, Laura (Belen Ruede) and her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) has plans to reopen the orphanage to help underprivileged children as well as those children with special handicap. They have an adopted son named Simon (Roger Pincep), who is also suffering from HIV and has quite a "posse" of imaginary friends. When strange incidents happen in their home, and Simon mysteriously disappears, Laura must confront the secrets of her past and the otherworldly secrets of the orphanage before it destroys everything that she cares for...
The Orphanage's plot is complex and intelligent, with a powerful script that grabs the viewer that may even give the feeling of a fable. The film has multiple themes as to what it is trying to say; such as listen to what children are telling you, interpretations of childhood and adulthood fears, and the danger of being stationary as time passes you by. The film is more of a mother's point of view of a certain fairy tale that takes a stab at our imagination and the things we take for granted. The film's execution is full of intrigue that is a welcome break from all the Asian horror remakes that Hollywood has bombarded us with. The proceedings have a creepy and eerie feel at times, dare I say also seductive?
The film is also emotionally driven and it does take its time for us to get to know the characters. Laura played by Belen Ruede is a mother bent on helping children, the actress definitely expresses the needed emotions in supporting its carefully constructed story. While the film may support a slight pacing issue, I can excuse this minor fault since this film is Juan Antonio Bayona's full length directorial debut. Laura is a mother very much in tuned to her emotions while her husband Carlos is more of the rational kind. Once Simon disappears, the film takes off into a more intense but curiously enchanting pace; as Laura searches and obsesses in finding her son. The introduction of resident psychic Aurora and the policewoman, Pilar adds more controversy on the plate, since they were obviously set to confuse Laura and the viewer's opinions. Just who is Aurora? Is she a real medium or is she a con artist?
It is very difficult to review "The Orphanage" without spoiling a lot of its effect. I believe I should stop here, before I say anything else. Suffice it to say that if you are expecting something scary on a very graphic scale or if you are expecting an experience that will give you non-stop visual chills, this film may not be for you. Don't get me wrong, the film does have its share of credible chills and shock value but it's the kind that stabs in your imagination. This type of feature will entangle you into its web and the more you're entangled, the better you'll enjoy it. The film is a genuine attempt in creeping you out more than scaring the pants out of you. It is a perfect execution of spirit world storytelling that leaves you an emotionally driven climax with a sensation of terror and disturbing comfort.
Highly Recommended! [4 Stars]
Video/Audio: 2.35 anamorphic widescreen. Clean and impressive transfer with accurate colors. The 5.1 Dolby Digital Spanish Language track is very powerful and clear. Subtitles are excellent.
Features: Making of/Make up effects/interviews/auditions/marketing spots
A very impressive and satisfying ghost story. April 17, 2008
29 out of 32 found this review helpful
O.K. first of all I have to say that there were plenty of great reviews for this film on other websites, some calling it one of the best horror films of the year and scariest film ever and blah, blah etc. So was this film worth all the hype? I would definitely say yes!. The Orphanage is the latest supernatural thriller/horror film from Spain, its a slick and quietly chilling piece of work blending traditional scares with modern touches. The way this film works is that it manages to get under your skin and makes you think about it for a while after its ended, the ending was quite moving, sad and horrifying at the same time. The film also had a great storyline which tells a great ghost story that was very original and it was beautifully directed by Juan Antonio Bayona which also happens to be his directorial debut and in my honest opinion he did a wonderful job, the film was also produced by Guillermo Del Toro so you can see how influential his films were to The Orphanage so if you liked Pan's Labyrinth or any classic haunted house films like The changeling, Burnt Offerings and The Haunting then your going to love this.
The acting was phenomenal especially from Belen Rueda as Laura who was very distraught but still strong as the mother looking for her missing son and she showed a wide range of emotions its no wonder that she won several awards for her performance in this film. The plot deals with a woman named Laura (Belen Rueda) who purchases her beloved childhood orphanage with dreams of restoring and reopening the long abandoned facility as a place for disabled children. Once there she discovers that the new environment awakens her son's imagination but the ongoing fantasy games he plays with an invisible friend quickly turn into something more disturbing, check out the knock on wood game the kids play during the beginning then the following similar scene that happens during the course of the film that has got to be one of the scariest scenes I've ever seen and once you've seen the film then you'll understand why I'll just leave it at that, I never thought that a kids game could be so damn scary I thought it was very clever. Laura's son Simon also happens to have a fatal illness he seems to be HIV positive and frequently requires some medication, his actions later on begins to worry his mother his erratic behavior and the fact that he seems to have more imaginary friends becomes even more bizarre and at one point during a party with the disabled kids he vanishes and Laura is simultaneously attacked by a mysterious child in a sack mask, she imediately suspects Simon's 'new friends' and to make matters worse Simon needs his medication before its too late. Laura becomes frightened and increasingly more paranoid as it is very hard for her to explain these things to people especially her husband Carlos played by Fernando Cayo and she even brings in a medium to find out where her son disappeared to.
The film had some great drama as well as some nice intense moments and the use of locations in this film was terrific, first of all you have the huge and creepy mansion thats been used many times in these type of films but was still quite effective then theres this cave near the beach as well as others so the film uses different locations utilising some great cinematography. The director has fantastic use of mood and setting as the ghosts are used to creep out the viewer and doesn't have to get messy doing it which is something that Hollywood needs to learn when making a horror film, it doesn't have any gore but there is a horrific car accident and plenty of scares which catches you off guard like the Knock on wood game and it has a very ominous and eerie setting that was very well shot and the characters are very well developed and I'm not going to over analyze the characters cause I've noticed that other reviewers have done that already I'm the type of person who enjoys a film without questioning what the main character's motivations are or why they did this particular thing in the first place unless it was a dumb blockbuster and besides I'm not a snobby critic ;-).Anyway The Orphanage is a very unique Spanish horror film and one of the best I have ever seen, an entertaining and great horror film thats guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat and I highly recommend this so what are you waiting for GO WATCH THIS NOW!.
A really good ghost tale. May 6, 2008
18 out of 21 found this review helpful
After a few of my amazon friends put this on the map. I had to see this for myself. I would have given it a watch anyway for the simple fact I'm a big fan of ghost stories. The Orphanage isn't too scary at all to me. But it definitly had some creepy moments.
The Orphanage is a clever, well told ghost story with some themes. This is something that has been lost in the horror genre for some time. The film manages to work its creepy atmosphere using it's slow pace, dialouge, and themes. It is completely free of those over annoying, over used cheap scares. Such as the "shadowy figure" running in the background. Or someone stealthly creeping from behind to say hi. Those are horror cliches that need to burn in he11 right now.
The film has some very solid acting, a really good story and a plot that kept me gripped the entire time. It takes a very good amount of time helping you get to know the characters and care about them. But for the thinking people who cherish a good story before blood, guts and cheap scares. Will appreciate the theme it is trying to push. The biggest drawback I would have to say is the music score. It's not bad, just like another reviewer mentioned. The slapstick music is pretty much out of place for the tone that was set. Other than that, I can't think of anything wrong with this film after watching it twice back to back.
This is not a film with a huge body count and gore. No over blown special effects here. No nudity for the flimsiest reasons and it's in spanish language with english subtitle. Stay away if you're looking for a blood bath. This is just your old fashioned ghost story with its biggest strength being solid storytelling and acting.
[4.75] The Romeo and Juliet of horror. Dvd features (same for Blu ray) and Del Toro's Top 5 ghost story films. March 6, 2008
17 out of 21 found this review helpful
Laura returns with husband Carlos and son Simone to the orphanage she grew up in, to reopen it on a small scale for handicapped children. What Laura doesn't know is what happened after she left.
This is a great ghost story film, along the way it had some flaws and cliches but the ending is the payoff. Filled with good acting and effective scares The Orphanage, ultimately is a beautiful touching tragedy.
Guillermo Del Toro who produced this film mentions his top 5 ghost story films on Entertainment Weekly's website which I've listed below all of which he mentions were influences on the making of The Orphanage.
Del Toro's Top 5
5. The Uninvited (not available on dvd
4. Onibaba/Kuroneko (Onibaba criterion, Same director Kuroneko)
3. The Haunting
2. The Uninvited
1. The Changeling
Dvd Special features
Special Features
- When Laura Grew Up: Constucting The Orphanage featurette
- Horror In The Unknown: Makeup Effects featurette
- Tomas' Secret Room featurette
- Still gallery
- Rehearsal Studio
- Marketing Camp
presented in Spanish with English subtitles (similar to how 'Pan's Labyrinth', a film directed by Del Toro, was released).
The Picture and sound quality were great with noticeable bass.
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