It's come to my attention, during my time here, that alot of what accounts for the bad taste that runs through the movies and tv forum is due to a lack of knowledge to the alternative. so i've opted, in my campaign for media literacy and film education, to start a movie of the week thread every tuesday. here's my first pick:


THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE

Directed by Guellermo Del Toro (hellboy, Blade 2) The Devil's Backbone is often compared to The Others, in that it defies genre in its storytelling method, and involves the existance of ghosts. the plot follows a young boy named Carlos who is brought to an orphanage during the spanish civil war. this place has an eerie feel to it, mostly due to the large dud missile lodged into the soil of the playground, and the constant presence of a ghost, that of a little boy, who stalks Carlos. that's all i'll say about the plot. the film holds an eerie tone but is incredibly tasteful, unlike anything else by Del Toro, who is known for his exessive visual flare. the twist at the end is not entirely unforseeable, but all in all, the film is held together by it's character and wit. soon Del Toro will be directing the Halo movie, based on the popular video game, so i urge you to see his first film before he hits it big with that project. this DVD is not rare, it can be found at any Blockbuster or Tower Records.

Overall rating: 7 1/2 out of 10.