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31 Days of Horror Movies - Day 18

 

How do we follow up one of the greatest remakes of all time? Simple by recommending another classic that has truly stood the test of time from one of the most influential directors alive. Since yesterday we looked at unfriendly aliens, today we will switch things a bit by looking at some of the scariest entities of the genre... ghosts!

Day 18 - Guillermo Del Toro's El Espinazo del Diablo (The Devil's Backbone)

"¿Que es un fantasma? / What is a ghost?"

With that simple question, Guillermo Del Toro starts, arguably, his scariest film. The story of a young boy who discovers terrible and unforgivable secrets at an orphanage during the Spanish Civil War is one of the great works of Gothic horror. Called by Del Toro as a "companion" film to his 2006 Academy Award winning Pan's Labyrinth, The Devil's Backbone is a classic ghost story that balances drama and horror with elegance and dazzling filmmaking. Just like all of Del Toro's work, Backbone's grand thesis continues to reiterate that the true monsters of the world are not the ghosts that haunt the rooms of the orphanage but rather humans, who will do anything to get what they want with no remorse. The Devil's Backbone presents Del Toro working at the top of his game, crafting terrifying set piece after set piece complete with an unforgettable creature design for the main ghost (the floating blood remains a fantastic visual idea to represent this entity as a trapped soul uncapable of peace until fulfilling his revenge), and an unflinching look at childhood amidst a turbulent time of war. Influenced by classic Gothic ghost stories, like The Innocents, and Spanish films like The Spirit of the Beehive, Del Toro fills every single frame with a haunted nature that perfectly captures the emotional state of the boys in the orphanage. There is a sense of claustrophobia that permeates throughout the film, with the orphanage becoming a kind of Western front removed from civilization and filled with regret, sadness, and murder. Produced by renowned Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, The Devil's Backbone features a killer cast that includes Federico Luppi (of Cronos fame), Fernando Tielve, Eduardo Noriega, and Marisa Paredes as Del Toro fully expands his fantastic horror ideas from Cronos to terrifying and dazzling new levels. With it's chilling atmosphere, ominous presentation, and emotionally arresting story, The Devil's Backbone deserves to be discussed in the same breath as some of the best ghost stories of all time. Del Toro even manages to make the simple act of getting a pitcher of water (as depicted in one scene) into something that puts the audience on the edge of their seats and only turns the dial up to 11 with each passing scene. 


*All of the recommendations that we make can be found at the El Paso Public Library Catalog!

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