Better Late Then Never

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

THE BABY'S ROOM is another strong contender in the short series of Spanish made-for-TV ghost stories released under the banner of 'Films to Keep You Awake'. Previously I'd watched BLAME, a quite wonderful exploration of abortion, so I was looking forward to seeing this one. It's not quite up there with the standard of that movie, mainly thanks to the rather predictable storyline, but it IS still a good, well-made film, and far better than many American 'haunted house' movies of recent years.The storyline starts off predictably enough: a young couple move into a creepy old house and strange events befall them. There are a combination of two factors here, one of which I liked, the other I didn't care for as much. The element I liked was that the ghostly events are played out from the past, and the only way to see them is through a baby monitor, which acts as some kind of 'gateway' between realities. This leads to plenty of creepy moments as the protagonist witnesses slayings and strangers on the tiny black-and-white monitor although the rooms are empty to his own eyes. It reminded me a lot of the THIRTEEN GHOSTS films, in which the characters could only see spirits through some special glasses; the idea is much the same and handled just as well on a much lower budget (in comparison with the Hollywood remake, at least).The other plot strand involves nobody believing the protagonist. I found this pretty tired. There is one neat change, a role reversal which sees the husband dismissed as neurotic rather than the wife, but otherwise this is typical stuff we've seen done dozens of times before. Still, the film boasts good acting, from both the two lead actors and the amusing character actors who make up the supporting cast. The restrained direction from Alex de la Iglesia – the guy who made the outrageous DAY OF THE BEAST, of all things – also wins points and it's one of those films where the low budget works in its favour, adding to the mystery and atmosphere. Not a classic, by any means, but this has the same kind of style you'll find in bigger and better films like THE ORPHANAGE.

Unsatisfied after finishing a horror movie that we thought would scare us straight, a few friends and I looked for a movie On Demand. We were intent on ending the night terrified, but as the a.m. crept up on us, we decided to just settle for a laugh. And, upon reading the title of this movie, "The Baby's Room", as well as the comical synopsis On Demand provided, we thought that was exactly what we would get.We started the movie and chatted through the first ten minutes or so. One friend refused to watch a movie with subtitles, but quickly noticed what they were saying and got interested. Five minutes later, everyone in the room was screaming. That's one of my favorite things about this film. Typically, good horror movies start slow, build suspense, and end with a terrifying finale. "La habitación del niño", or "The Baby's Room", starts with a bang, leaving you on the edge of your seat for the rest of the movie. There are slow parts here and there, but the mystery of the plot and the knowledge that anything could jump out and scare you at any moment helps you through those patches and smoothly escorts you to the explosive climax. In short, a man and his wife have moved into a new home with their newborn baby. Just as they begin to settle in, they start to hear noises on the baby monitor. Surprisingly, rather than passing it off as house sounds or coincidence, the protagonist believes that something fishy is going on. He buys a baby monitor with a video display, so he can see into his son's room at all times. The video monitor uncovers even more paranormal activity and therein lies the beauty of this film. The way they centralize all the horror around something as simple as a baby monitor is brilliant.I understand that the title of the film, or the short description you may read for it On Demand, can easily warrant hesitation. But, I can assure you that this movie will suck you in early on, and keep raising your interest, slowly but surely, as the plot spirals into a complex, thrilling mystery, until you arrive at the ultimately satisfying and chilling ending.

The Baby's Room was apparently released as a TV movie in Spain but deemed good enough for a limited international DVD release. And it is really good, for a TV movie that is. It's got a TV budget so it's a good thing that it's not a horror that's reliant on special effects.The movie features a cool, creepy story about a couple with a newborn who move into a house. The couple start feeling something's odd about their new place but it's not until they set up a baby monitor that they realize what it is.I'm quite fond of Spanish horrors, I find. They take time to establish the characters and suspense, and though this movie isn't as polished as say, The Orphanage, I think the director, Alex de la Iglesia, is still one to watch out for. Hopefully he gets a bigger budget with his next horror outing.

This movie is the first one of a series of movies made for television which are supposed to revive the spirit of the TV - show "Historias Para No Dormir". The show was very successful at the time, each episode would be a scary or disturbing story with a twist at the end. I've watched very few of these episodes as well... i am young, i wasn't even born when the show was on. The few episodes i watched had in common that there was a basic story-line which was respected all way through, except the ending, which was twisted in some way and effectively left you sleepless (As the title would say). This movie brings back the spirit and man... it feels good.The story is very simple. Couple moves in to this house with their new born baby. At night time they hear voices through the baby-speaker, and realize that there is someone else in the baby's room. Alex De La Iglesia is an amazing director (La Comunidad, Ferpect Crime or The Day Of The Beast have confirmed this) and in here we see how with all his experience he is capable of making a typical and simple story into an entertaining and almost scary story. The final scene is very effective thanks to, Leonor Watling. I am in love with this actress not only is she beautiful but in every role she is in, she just owns it and the film, I would watch anything just for her. She delivers an interesting performance and manages to add credibility to a very intense role. Javer Guiterrez also delivers a coherent performance and manages to convey the idea of madness and confusion. Those of you are thinking that the ending made no sense, or that there is lots of things which remain unexplained... well that is the point, this is a horror flick, its only pretension is to make you tense and make you nervous all way through. As in "Historias Para No Dormir" De La Iglesia manages this , with a great story and ending, and with the great Leonor Watling.Best Bit: L. Watling and kick - ass ending. Worst Bit: The whole thing with that old lady seemed a little too cliché and unnecessary for the story.