The Orphanage [Blu-ray]

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Director: Juan Antonio Bayona
Actors: Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep, Mabel Rivera, Montserrat Carulla
Studio: New Line Home Video
Category: DVD

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Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

173 reviews
Sales Rank: 34,074

Format: Anamorphic, Color, DTS Surround Sound, Subtitled, Widescreen
Languages: Spanish (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: Blu-ray
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 105 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 5.3 x 0.5

MPN: 1000038376
UPC: 794043120794
EAN: 0794043120794
ASIN: B0015ET3YY

Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Release Date: April 22, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

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Features:

Academy-Award nominated filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro (director of Pan's Labyrinth) presents The Orphanage, a chilling ghost story about a woman who discovers dark and horrific secrets hidden within her cherished childhood home and her desperate attempt to rescue her family from the nightmare into which she unwittingly led them. Format: BLU-RAY DISC Genre: HORROR Rating: R Age:&n

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Editorial Reviews:

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: BLU-RAY DISC Genre: HORROR/PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER Rating: R UPC: 794043120794 Manufacturer No: 1000038376

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 Amenábar's The Others, The Orphanage pivots on a pretty woman and an unusual child. When her old orphanage goes on the market, Laura (Belén Rueda, Amenábar's The Sea Inside) and Carlos (Fernando Cayo) settle in with their son, Simón (Roger Príncep). 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 Simón 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

Customer Reviews:

Showing reviews 1-5 of 173

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Could have been a 4 star March 20, 2010
oldies (50-60) listener (USA and proud of it.)
For me, this would have have been a great entertaining movie - good plot, good acting, good suspense. As a US citizen, english is my primary language. I do not have reservations in watching movies off of the subtitles. In ths case having the subtitles did not allow me to keep pace with this movie. This was a barrier to enjoy it. There's nothing wrong with dubbing - look at the animated films today.

3 out of 5 stars

quite suspenseful,if very bleak (3.5/5) March 4, 2010
falcon (canada)
thought this was a very good suspense movie.there were a number of creepy moments,and thankfully no cheap scares.i also liked the fact that unlike in many of types of films,there are no gimmicky CGI ghosts that look ridiculous.the acting is very good too,especially from the woman who plays the mother.i did think it was bit long though,at 105 minutes.i think they could have stream lined it a bit and knocked off a few minutes.the movie is also quite bleak,a bit too much,except for the very last scene.and as for the ending,i' found it a bit confusing,but maybe it's just me,me,because after checking the boards i noticed many people seemed to have the ending figured out.anyway i'll have to watch it again to see if i can figure out what i missed.overall,i'd give The Orphanage a 3.5/5

5 out of 5 stars

Zillion of BRAVO! March 3, 2010
Farid Belkhirat (North Hollywood, CA)
One of the most beautiful ghost story.
All the ingredients to terrifying you are there.
Sensitive, imaginative, poetic and.....scary are a part of this rare gem.
The Blu Ray presentation is absolutely wonderful. Great HD picture and a terrific 7.1 HD sound.

5 out of 5 stars

One of the creepiest films I have seen in a long time. February 28, 2010
DanD
THE ORPHANAGE is scary. Not Hollywood-hey-let's-show-all-our-cards scary. I'm talking about cover your eyes, look away, symbolic terror. A woman wiping her face with what we know to be human ashes. Creepy figures half-seen and then gone. This is a film that gets under your skin.

The plot is fairly simple: Laura moves into the orphanage where she grew up. With her is her adopted son Simon and her husband Carlos. Before moving into the Orphanage, Simon had two imaginary friends; after a day in the new place, he has six. And then a strange old lady shows up...and then Simon goes missing. Months pass, and eventually Laura feels compelled--against her husband's wishes--to seek help from beyond.

The film plays with typical horror stereotypes: creepy old buildings; creepy little children; creepy old people. What makes everything work here is director J.A. Bayona's understated style; he doesn't spell things out for us, he lets the tension--and character development--build, until we reach a gut-wrenching climax. You can see it coming, of course; the problem with horror films these days is that there's not a lot that hasn't been done. Thus, we must focus on HOW it is done; and in this regard, THE ORPHANAGE excels.

The lead performances from Belen Rueda and Fernando Cayo are rock-solid; supporting roles--especially an incredibly spine-chilling turn from Geraldine Chaplin--are just as good. In case you're wondering: Guillermo Del Toro's presence is felt, but only in an off-hand way. Some scenes are so horrifically beautiful, one can't help but be completely awed. This is, ultimately, a beautiful little film; not the greatest horror movie ever made, but certainly a rare treasure, and proof that there is still gold to be mined in the genre, even if it takes a fresh face like Bayona to find it.

5 out of 5 stars

A Stunning Movie February 23, 2010
M. T. Yurcaba (Philadelphia, PA)
This is an excellent choice. I thought it was a stunning film with excellent performances and a satisfying conclusion. Atmospheric and creepy, I particularly liked the way the tale weaves events that are both supernatural and perfectly logical at the same time. Recommended.

Showing reviews 1-5 of 173

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