Blame

Part of a six-part series of Spanish made-for-TV movies entitled SIX FILMS TO KEEP YOU AWAKE, BLAME is a hard-hitting ghost story about an abortionist. It's a film that's light years ahead of current Hollywood competition and has more in line with the creepy, slow-moving perils of modern Asian horror cinema. That's right: despite the disturbing subject matter, this is an old-fashioned film through-and-through in which the scares come from noises in empty rooms and inexplicable occurrences rather than any shocking killer babies a la the IT'S ALIVE films and their B-movie ilk.

Blame benefits from a uniformly excellent cast that includes a young child actress whose fragile yet sinister performance recalls Heather O'Rourke of POLTERGEIST fame. The direction is assured and confident, leading to a beautiful looking movie that makes the best out of its rather mundane, otherwise nondescript locations: the run-down house, for instance, in which much of the film takes place, is almost a character in its own right. In the end, this is a film about the difficult topic of abortion and all the complexities that go with it: it's utterly moving, sometimes heartbreaking and very upsetting. By the end, it's become a far more intelligent and mature reflection on the topic than we, as viewer, had any right to expect, and I can't recommend it enough.

While watching this movie I was trying to determine when it was made. From the appearance of it (and props like the phones) I guessed maybe in the early 1990's. - but if I was going by the blatant anti-lesbian, anti- abortion propaganda of the movie I would guess that it was from the 1970's or older. Imagine my surprise when I found out from IMDb that this offensive piece of crap (which really doesn't even qualify as a horror film) was actually made in 2006. I can't remember the last time I saw something so disturbing (in an incredibly offensive sort of way) that was made within the past 10 years. There were numerous moments while watching the movie that I wanted to shut it off, but I kept hoping for the payoff, some kind of legitimate scare, but it never came.

In 2006, "Películar para no Dormir" - roughly translated as "Films to keep you Awake" - was sort of the Spanish answer to "Masters of Horror". They were six relatively short (between 70 and 80 minutes), dark, and sinister thriller/horror movies, directed by the nation's most prominent and acclaimed names in the genre. Alex de la Iglesia participated, but also Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza. This installment, "Blame", was even written and directed by one of the founding fathers of Spanish horror cinema, and creator of bona fide classic genre movies like "Who Can Kill a Child?" and "The House that Screamed"; - Narciso Ibáñez Serrador!

While "Blame" isn't the best project Serrador linked his name to, I'm sure it was a very personal and relevant film for him. The plot deals with a handful of very delicate and courageous themes, like abortion quite obviously, but also the financial struggles and loneliness of being a single mother. Like some reviewers righteously pointed out, "Blame" isn't really a horror movie, but more of a drama and psychological study. Suffering single mother and nurse Gloria is happy and grateful when the hospital's resident gynecologist Ana offers for her to stay, together with Gloria's six-year-old daughter Vicky, at her house and some administrative tasks in her private practice. However, she quickly learns that Ana is very pro-abortion and a lesbian who makes her affection for Gloria abundantly clear. When Gloria then gets pregnant unplanned, Ana puts her under pressure to perform an abortion.

Although primarily a drama, there are many uncanny aspects and mildly shocking sequences in "Blame". Nieve de Medina's character of Dr. Ana, for starters, is a very unpleasant person that gives you shivers. The explicit abortion moments are mentally challenging to sit through as well, and the climax - albeit foreseeable - is hauntingly tragic. The story supposedly takes place in the 70s, and in Spain's underbelly of society, and this is very well-reflected in the overall grim atmosphere of the film. Also, peculiar but very effective, Serrador chose not to include any male characters in his film at all. The patients come to Ana's depressing practice alone, and the men in Gloria's life - regardless of their bond with her - remain completely anonymous. "Blame" certainly isn't without flaws (for example the sub plot with the nosy neighbor is utterly pointless), but it's an impactful tale you won't forget easily.

¨Blame¨ deals with Ana (Nieve de Medina) , a gynaecologist , invites Gloria (Montse Mostaza), a nurse and friend from the hospital, and Gloria's daughter Vicky (Alejandra Lorenzo) , to come and live with her . It opens just as does many a murder mystery, with the covered body of a woman being dragged along the floor and leaving a trail of smeared blood . Later in the film, it must be assumed that the body is that of the mysterious and absent "Christine", but this thread of the story - like that of the weird guck on the stairwell and the religiously fanatic neighbor (Mariana Cordero) - is completely forgotten by the film's end . The crux of the film revolves around the unwed mother and nurse named Gloria and her young child Vicky and Gloria's colleague Dr. Ana Torres , who offers to let Gloria and Vicky come live with her in her big house where she runs a gynecological practice . In return , Gloria should assist in the practice in the afternoon after work . The house, a section of which is used as a private clinic, is light , cheerful and peaceful . Nevertheless, all the good the friendship between the two women provides , turns into dark , creepy and sinister . In fact , there is something sinister alive in there . But Ana has a crush on Gloria and soon learns that she is not only a lesbian carrying a flame for her, but that Ana also expects Gloria to help perform first-trimester abortions . Things go wrong when Gloria is soon pregnant once again . Ana gives her an ultimatum: terminate the baby or terminate the living situation. After she finally chooses the former, the aborted fetus disappears just as Vicky begins to carry around and talk to a tin box. Wracked with guilt, Gloria chooses to bow out and leave the house during the next abortion, returning just in time to find mysterious happenings. Could the unknown murderer also be the thief of Ana's aborted fetus? Could it be little Vicky? The religious spinster next door? A horrific secret is hidden in the attic !.

Thrilling and horrifying tale being well-paced and displaying mystery , horror and creeepy scenes . This tale belongs to "Historias Para No Dormir" series , it is four independent horror stories that pay tribute to the classic format of Narciso Ibáñez Serrador, directed by and starring well known names in Spanish cinema, such as Rodrigo Cortés, Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Paco Plaza and Paula Ortiz directing "La broma", "El doble", "Freddy" and "El asfalto" respectively . Narciso Ibáñez Menta dominates the scenario providing thrills and suspense enough , providing a spine-chilling psycho-drama with an interesting but lesser than credible premise, including terrific performances . The picture succeeds because the thriller , tension , as well as a superbly written script delving into the human psyche in such extreme situation and dealing with a surprising intrigue with plenty of twists and turns . ¨Blame¨ packs very much has the feel of European classic horror films of the 60s and 70s , due to , among other things , its languid , slow pacing , its general mysterious aura, its color scheme , its oddly sordid take on both lesbianism and abortion, the loose ends in the storyline and the downbeat non-ending . Indeed, the only things that differentiate Blame from any given superior Eurosleaze classic of yesteryear is Blame's total lack of naked flesh , soft-core sex and copious blood . These ordinary ingredients would have helped make ¨Blame¨ a much better and most commercial film, it nonetheless exhibits a certain morality and fascination for the supposed sleaziness of lesbianism and abortion . It is , the key points of which are very much based on traditional anti-abortion and anti-lesbian issues and as mentioned before , were usually given the full sleaze treatment in the nice films of yesteryear instead of the restraint shown in ¨Blame¨ . Here the well played protagonists are always dragging their pasts behind them towards the room upstairs. ¨La Culpa or Blame¨ turns out to be adequately creepy , but the creepy tone of the film is actually somewhat misplaced , for despite all its susprises and ghostly red herrings , in fact the film is anything but a ghost story .

It contains spotless pictorial as well as evocative photography by magnificent cameraman Jose Luis Alcaine , Almodovar's regular , he pulls off a photography with juicy atmosphere . Jose Luis Alcaine is deemed to be one of the best Spanish cameramen with a long and prestigious artistic career. He was first cinematographer to use fluorescent tube as "key" lightning in the 1970s ; Alcaine photographed successes as ¨Amantes Pasajeros ¨, ¨13 Rosas¨, ¨Rivales¨, Roma¨, ¨Reina De España¨ , ¨Altamira¨ , among others . Furthermore , a willingness almost perfect of the elements of each frame , every scene , every place . As well as frightening and suspenseful musical score by Victor Reyes . Still, even without sex and excess bloodshed , in this last directorial work of Narciso Ibáñez Serrador he carries out a nice effort dealing both lesbianism and abortion into symbols of squalid, disquieting horror that he actually achieves an in-the-end superfluous sleazy feel to the scattered , character-driven plotline, a plotline that picks up and drops threads like an epileptic before reaching its unexpected climax . And although ¨Blame¨ or ¨La Culpa¨ does suffer from some ups and downs and a diffuse script , the depressing final scene does indeed leave an effective feeling of doomed and tragic horror. The picture was competently directed by Narciso Ibañez Serrador who was considered the Spanish Alfred Hitchcock and one of the most important directors and producers in Spain. Narciso Ibáñez Serrador worked especially for TV getting his biggest hits with ¨Un Dos Tres Responda Otra Vez¨ , ¨Mis Terrores favoritos¨ , ¨Waka Waka¨ and TV films as ¨La Zarpa¨ , ¨El Regreso¨ , ¨El Televisor¨ , ¨Pesadilla¨ and of course ¨Historias para no dormir¨ with several episodes played by his father , Narciso Ibañez Menta , another expert on terror . Chicho Serrador also directed for cinema two known terror masterpieces : ¨The Boarding School¨ and ¨The Island of the Damned¨ .

6 Films to keep you awake La culpa(2006) Narcisso Ibanez Serrador 9/10 Gloria a homeless single mother and nurse is given a lifeline by a female doctor Ana Torres at her hospital who allows her to live at her home. In return she must work for her in her private practice as an abortionist. Gloria soon finds out she isn't the first girl to take up these duties and believes there is more to her host than meets the eye. After finding out she is pregnant again by an errant boyfriend, Gloria agrees to allow Ana abort the child for her, the foetus mysteriously goes missing which corresponds with some very eerie goings on within the house, it also triggers some strange behaviour from her young daughter. Regreso a Moira(2006) 10/10 Days after the death of his wife, Tomas receives a tarot card in the mail postmarked from his former home town. The card does have meaning to him, but the only other person who knew of it is dead over 40 years, a former lover of his, Moira, who was burnt to death by locals who believed she was a witch.. Tomas returns home to find out who sent it, he digs up many disturbing old memories both for himself and those who once knew him. Adivina quién soy (2006)Enrique Urbizu 7/10 A lonely young girl, addicted to horror films, strikes up a relationship with a vampire and Leatherface, much to the chagrin of her mother, who doesn't believe they exist. Tha vampire is more sinister than she first believes and she soon regrets welcoming him into her home. Para entrar a vivir(2006)Jaume Balagueró 9/10 Clara is picked up from work by her boyfriend Mario, he tells her he has found the perfect apartment at a fantastic price, they head off into a dodgy part of town unknown to them where they meet the creepy estate agent. Soon they find themselves trapped in the apartment block and in fear of their lives. La habitación del niño(2006) Álex de la Iglesia 10/10 A married couple buy a large old house at a seemingly knock down price, they can't believe their luck, that is until the husband Juan begins to hear and see strange things, he believes their child is at risk from an horrific apparition. Using technology he finds he can track the movements of the spectre within the house, but the reality of what he finds is unimaginable. Cuento de navidad(2005)Paco Plaza 7/10 A group of school kids stumble across a female bank robber Rebeca, dressed as Santa in a hole in a forest, the police have a country wide search going for her, the kids decide to keep her there until she tells where the 2 million pesetas are. Rebeca won't tell where the money is, so they starve her into submission. One of the boys with a fascination with a Zombie film, puts a spell on her, but if it works she will turn into a zombie and lay waste to civilization. 6 films to keep you awake was a blind buy for me based on the high quality of recent Horror releases from Spain, i wasn't really expecting anything of real quality as it was a Spanish TV series, but what a pleasant surprise to find that it was a wonderfully sublime viewing experience, certainly my best TV experience of the last 30 years. All the films are slow burners, that are totally engrossing character driven Horror's, that are quite terrifying when the scares do come. The acting and production values are exceptionally high in all the productions. I advise all fans of Spanish Horror to seek out this set and to ignore the low IMDb ratings and user comments.