El Orfanato (The Orphanage)

[sjeh]

Saw it at the cinema and literally shat my pants

I really enjoyed this movie.

How does Peter Pan end - is there some kinda parallel with this? Excellent film.

[Cosmic_Guru]

Caught up with this on DVD last night. Whilst generally favouring the rational explanation, I don't understand the actions of the old lady at all

what were her objectives in bringing round the adoption record in the first visit? To have revenge on Laura who had previously eluded her clutches? To poison her or Tomas with the pills she kept in the cannister round her neck? And are we really supposed to believe she poisoned five children and cremated them on site without being detected, in Asturias in the late 1970s?

.

Need to watch it again with the benefit of hindsight that's for sure.

[scottcr]

watched it tonight.

Brilliant film. As has been said, the truth at the end is much more horrifying than any ghost story... but the ending is so positive and uplifting.

I did a wee cry at the end, must admit... being a parent must've done that to me

[tyler]

I finally watched this last night (after seeing the thread bump at 11:30pm). What a film.

The thing that got me was how real and crushing the ending was.

I realised what had happened as soon as I saw where the girl had ran to. Watching Laura put it all together was so heartbreaking. I actually thought they were going to come up with something other than him being locked in when Simon appeared okay but was 'glad' (from a film watchers viewpoint) that's how it tied up.

It's not just the ending though, the film just had an amazing tension throughout. I'd almost forgotten you could do horror like this after watching so much UK/US dross and gorno over the past few years. So obviously I'm now after recommendations. I haven't seen Pan's Labyrinth but will be straight on to that (I've avoided it so far as Fantasy / Sci-Fi isn't really my thing).

I'm taking El Orfanato as having supernatural elements but there's enough suggestion and layers to read it as Laura's psychosis. It's the right side of the line for me. If that makes any sense.

From reading this thread it seems I should watch The Others, Session 9, Cronos and The Devils Backbone aswell.

I was wondering after why while watching it why the bit where she opens the closet the beams or whatever topple over stuck out as 'this is significant'. I didn't guess at all but it did stand out. Was it like that for everyone? I think it could be because they were yellow? and there was hardly any yellow in that film. So it kind of temporarily burns onto your mind. or am I just thinking too much?

It stood out to me aswell but I'm not sure why. I really want to watch the whole film again.

[lordcookie]

From reading this thread it seems I should watch The Others, Session 9, Cronos and The Devils Backbone aswell.

Add I'm Not Scared and Tesis to that list. Neither are horror films but excellent thrillers that would probably be appreciated by fans of The Orphanage.

And if you haven't watched The Innocents or The Haunting then both are essential.

[whykt]

Caught up with this on DVD last night. Whilst generally favouring the rational explanation, I don't understand the actions of the old lady at all

what were her objectives in bringing round the adoption record in the first visit? To have revenge on Laura who had previously eluded her clutches? To poison her or Tomas with the pills she kept in the cannister round her neck? And are we really supposed to believe she poisoned five children and cremated them on site without being detected, in Asturias in the late 1970s?

.

Need to watch it again with the benefit of hindsight that's for sure.

I wanted to bump this thread at the weekend, what a coincidence there's been an influx of viewers

Finally saw it on DVD and I didn't think it was as brilliant as its reputation. The faulty rental DVD killed most of the tension - it skipped through the seance and Beniga's jaw (watched it on Youtube ). Plus it skipped on explaining why the cremated kids were there, unless it was never explained upfront? Why did Beniga kill them? Why did she visit Laura?

P.S Boyfriend and I were convinced the doctor husband was having an affair with police-psychologist Pilar

[lordcookie]

Why did Beniga kill them?

The other children led her son (the one in the mask) into the cave and he accidentally drowned. She blamed the kids and poisoned them.

Why did she visit Laura?

The orphanage had clearly been left for many years but with all the new work going on the bodies could well have been discovered so she needed to know if her crime would have been unearthed. When she thinks she is in danger of being caught she decides to try and move the bodies but is disturbed by Laura and flees. I know some have said that she was there to get revenge on Laura but I don't buy that as Laura had left the orphanage when the accident happened and she didn't know about the son until much later.

[tyler]

anyway, all the banging and crashing, wasn't that after the 'six months later' lapse? Surely he'd be dead by then? Or was there some food and water down there?

As far as I can see no-one has responded to this, so hopefully this clears it up...

Laura's in her wheelchair the night we hear Simon fall, so that's very soon after she fell in the sea (ie. the day Simon disappeared). I think it's the same evening actually. Is there any banging after that point? A rather large plot-hole if I'm wrong.

[lordcookie]

As far as I can see no-one has responded to this, so hopefully this clears it up...

Is there any banging after that point?

There is nothing as explicit as that after that scene so there's no plot hole.

[whykt]

[spoiled explaination]

Ah thank you, the film makes more sense now - the DVD skipped half the plot!

Seeing the kiddie bones reminded me of the Jersey murders,

it's shocking to know that such atrocities happen in real life

[Sng]

Really bloody loved this. It's made me want to watch more scary movies. Because I usually hate them with a passion.

[Jim Miles]

I watched this with a friend as some practice for our Spanish, so no subtitles. We missed about 70% of the plot and kept cracking jokes throughout (which we always do with scary films as I don't think either of us much like being scared). I must have mimed holding a mobile phone while saying the line "shit just got real" about a dozen times. When the woman was watching the video of the disfigured kid writing my friend just goes "oh my GOD he's blaaaaaack" which cracked us both up.

Really, really, not in the spirit of the film, but it still scared the shit out of me.

I can't believe people who are saying it wasn't scary - I missed the subtleties of the plot (and have got shivers reading them in the spoilers in this thread), and I still felt mightily creeped out. Maybe even the scariest movie I've ever seen. What films are scarier?

[lordcookie]

What films are scarier?

Horror is the most subjective genre of all so I wouldn't worry if you found it scarier than others. Although to answer your question - Session 9 really unsettled me, so much so I had to go for a walk afterwards which has never happened before and I've watched a lot of horror.

[Major Britten]

Very late to the party with this one but I have just finished watching this on blu-ray and thought it was great. But really I wouldnt class this as a horror film, it has a few scares in it and an unnerving atmosphere throughout the film but really there is no sense of dread and no real threat.

the film is basically a woman who cannot cope with her son going missing who is slowly going nuts in the house, all the bangs and knocks and any sense of threat is all created in her own mind. The only real horror aspect is the realisation that she was the one who accidently killed him

Fantastic film though and one which I think is better than Pans Labyrinth.

[lordcookie]

The director for the US remake has been announced.

You may not have heard of actor/producer/director Larry Fessenden but he’s kind of a big deal in underground horror circles. Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the man behind such films as “Wendigo” and “I Sell the Dead” is about to expand his sphere of influence as he takes on directing duties for New Line’s “The Orphanage” remake. More after the jump…

The original 2007 Spanish-language version of “The Orphanage” was directed by Juan Antonio Bayona and produced by Guillermo del Toro. Del Toro will return to produce the English version and had already worked up a script with Fessenden before the latter came onboard as director.

The plot still tells the story of a woman who returns to the orphanage where she grew up where she learns that her son’s imaginary friend is the same person who terrorized her as a child. New Line and del Toro are currently in search of an actress to head the cast.

Even with del Toro on producing duties I have no interest in this at all.

[marcus]

New Line and del Toro are currently in search of an actress to head the cast.

They need a good horror actress for this, maybe someone like Jessica Alba.

[Michael J Glocks]

You may not have heard of actor/producer/director Larry Fessenden but he’s kind of a big deal in underground horror circles. Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the man behind such films as “Wendigo” and “I Sell the Dead” is about to expand his sphere of influence as he takes on directing duties for New Line’s “The Orphanage” remake.

Uh oh, Wendigo was shiiiiiiiiiit.

[Poppalarge]

is the film "Orphan" the ramke of this?

[lordcookie]

No. Totally different stories.

[Quest]

I just watched this. A beautiful, supernatural tale that's left me with a very real sense of sadness.

I can barely think of anything else since it ended.

[Pob]

The plot still tells the story of a woman who returns to the orphanage where she grew up where she learns that her son’s imaginary friend is the same person who terrorized her as a child.

That's not the plot of The Orphanage.

[lordcookie]

Where did you get that plot synopsis from?

[earlymodernsteve]

It's from your post about the remake on the previous page. A few months ago mind you.

[lordcookie]

Oops, so it is. Despite making that post I'd completely forgot about the remake.

[Gique]

watched this last night, scary? (for me) no, but very enjoyable.

although, did i miss the reason why the kids were poisoned? and was there any significance of the whistle on the old lady's neck???

[lordcookie]

The kids were poisoned because they caused, accidentally, the death of the woman's disabled son.

[Gique]

The kids were poisoned because they caused, accidentally, the death of the woman's disabled son.

cheers, I somehow missed that... the subs I had on my copy were well crap.

[lordcookie]

A new director is attached for the US remake.

An English-language remake of Juan Antonio Bayona’s fantastic horror film The Orphanage has been in the works since that film’s release two years ago. At first, we reported that producer Guillermo del Toro had chosen Wendigo director Larry Fessenden to helm the project, but those plans fell apart a few months after they were announced. Now we’ve learned that Mothman Prophecies and Arlington Road director Mark Pellington has been tasked to direct the remake.

Even though we learned the news about Fessenden signing on to the project this past summer, he was apparently working on the remake for the past two years. As we’ve reported previously, he told Arrow in the Head:

Read more: Mothman Prophecies Director Mark Pellington to Tackle The Orphanage Remake | /Film http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/01/04/mothma.../#ixzz0beUuJ5Zo

Well he is better than Fessenden which is a positive.

[Quest]

This is clearly going to be a disaster, whoever the director.

[Rudderless]

I don't know, Pellington can do creepy pretty well. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt - not ALL remakes are bad.