New Acquisition: Nightmare Alley (2021)

 

El espinazo del diablo (2001)

 

After Carlos - a 12-year-old whose father has died in the Spanish Civil War - arrives at an ominous boys' orphanage, he discovers the school is haunted and has many dark secrets which he must uncover. 

More than just a simple ghost story this assuredly directed and beautifully photographed Gothic tale is also a tale about compassion, avarice and political commitment and is both spooky and moving.

Halliwell**: "Elegant, chilling tale of greed and repression that also serves as a political allegory of the times."

Maltin***1/2: "A fascinating ghost story with multiple layers, strikingly shot and designed." 

New acquisition: El espinazo del diablo (2001)

 

The Shape of Water (2017)

Crimson Peak (2015)

 

In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider.

Sumptuously staged ghost story with a plot and atmosphere reminiscent of Rebecca with an accurate cast; watchable as a homage to the genre which offers nothing new.

On re-watching: A treat mainly for its great Goth visuals - plus its cast. 

 

 

El laberinto del fauno (2006)

The Shape of Water (2017)

At a top secret research facility in the 1960s, a lonely cleaning lady forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being held in captivity.

A homage to 50s monster movies with an assured sense of style winkingly manages to modernize (and romanticize) the old genre into a work of cinematic art.

Crimson Peak (2015)

In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider.

Sumptuously staged ghost story with a plot and atmosphere reminiscent of Rebecca with an accurate cast; watchable as a homage to the genre which offers nothing new.