Eskalofrío

This is an excellent Spanish horror thriller which follows closely in production both The Orphanage and Pans Labrynth and there is also a touch of 'Orphan' about it with the 'wild child' theme.

The fact that Santi has a suffering of his own with the skin disease and that Santi quite possibly sleeps in the bedroom that would have been Erikas when she lived at the house with her German parents suggests that she felt a sympathy for him. His suffering is apparent from the opening scene and I think paramount to the film itself; many of the key events happen at night, there is a lot fine attention to detail on this issue.

The story is acceptable enough with the Mother working as a translator and opting to take Santi with her to a northerly point in Spain (on medical advice) where Santi will have the effect of the sun least.

The 'Gecko' has its role to play in its relation with Santi and in his relation (call it that) to the wild child who saves him at the end.

the very final scene is baffling to all and myself included and I have watched it through on many occasions. The rock in the hand and the gecko have some relevance (and who comes into the room?) but it shouldn't detract fromt he entertainment value of a very fine film.

Think I would have preferred it in original Spanish language and not dubbed over with American accents, so unnecessary, I would have been content with English subtitles, as in many foreign language movies.

Nothing vampiresque about this movie despite the blood-letting by the wild child but Twilight comes slightly to mind in the flirtatiousness between Santi and the Policemans Daughter.

SHIVER is of course the English title to the movie. definiely a movie for DVD and to wonder about almost every scene. A horror film which really makes you think, it is intelligent slick worth watching without a doubt!

A wonderful imaginative film that make me enjoy a lot whit a very good constructed story and a couple of greats actors(From the novel Blanca Suarez to the best actor academy winner Fransec Orella and especially the main character Junio Valverde). The art direction from Pilar Revuelta ( Oscar for "El labyrinth....) is solid and the music from Fernando Velazquez sounds like the classics.The light of JM Civit show us the continuous battle between the light and the darkness (or is in the other way). Isidro Ortiz plays with the mains topics of the genre to give us a complete new version of the genre films for this century where he don't need blood explosions o sound effects to keep us sitting in the chair.

Mystery-drama to be exact. This combination will obviously not appeal to everyone. But then again the success of Twilight might suggest otherwise. Though I haven't watched Twilight yet, I think I can tell, that those movies steer in the same vain. The American movie being glossier of course. I can't say though, if "Shiver" is based on any novel or something like that.

What I can say, is that the mystery horror works quite well. I was quite impressed by the acting chops the kids showed/displayed. They were cast perfectly. There are quite a few things that did bother me (pacing issues, some plot problems and the usual cliché here and there). Still worth a watch, if there is nothing else to do and you like those kind(s) of movies

Horror is the only genre I feel nostalgic about. I fondly remember the days when I trawled through the horror bins of the local video store, marvelling at the outrageous covers promising unspeakable oddities not meant for the regular, god-fearing folk; Ze do Caixao, Nurse Sherri, Ilsa, I Drink your Blood, it was all there. The covers and ballyhoos were usually misleading, but the tingle of excitement out the store clutching the next film was the same every time. But for every five or six Nurse Sherris there came a Cannibal Holocaust to tear me asunder.

So I hadn't been in a video store in ages, and I got the craving the other day. I went down and trawled like I did then; only now the collection was small and mostly recent films. Yet lo and behold, the experience was just the same. Another mess, avidly promoted as a searing experience that I would not forget.

City people moving to a small village in the county surrounded by ominous forests, the village as a hotbed of dark secrets buried deep - within the woods -, mystery pursued through a google search that yields the crucial clue, and the revelation meant to throw us for a loop; a bunch of well-worn tropes mashed together into shapeless murk.

We're left with the dark forest and some time-lapse photography of shifting skies. But the forest means nothing, the skies mean nothing, and the shocking twist is plodding and stupid.

So lately the Spanish - probably inspired by Del Toro's well-received, Spanish-speaking efforts abroad - have been working out a genre industry of their own. They turned to horror, always a profitable market. I've seen very few of these to pass judgement, but what I've seen so far has been mostly crap. I lament this, because the essence of their world is religious suffering and so much could come from it. No, not Del Toro.

Watch this to be reminded again that you can make a better movie.

After Santi (Junio Valverde, 'The Devil's Backbone') is warned by his doctors of his worsening allergy to sunlight, he and his mother move to a remote town in a sunless valley. Soon after they arrive, strange events occur around the village. First, a farmer's sheep is viciously mutilated and left for dead. Then, the town bully is brutally murdered. As the horrific incidents continue, it becomes clear that the one responsible for the murders wants Santi next.

The past few years have brought many nations into the center ring of the horror genre. One of these recent powerhouses is Spain. With such instant classics as 'The Orphanage,' 'Rec,' and 'Pan's Labyrinth' (questionably horror, still, but impossible to not mention), Spain has aided in giving some much-needed relief from the seemingly unending stretch of Hollywood unoriginality. In late 2008, Spain released the rarely mention (stateside, at least) film entitled 'Eskalofrí' or 'Shiver.' Combining the direction of Isidro Ortiz ('Faust 5.0'), cinematography of Josep M. Civit ('Guerreros'), and the production design of Pilar Revuelta ('Pan's Labyrinth'), 'Shiver' is presented as a strikingly attractive film with some extremely beautiful and well captured settings. However, it's not all about the visuals here. A strong script by a relatively fresh group of writers is very substantial and fulfilling. The cast, of which I am mostly unfamiliar, easily manages to capture all their roles. On the other hand, I suppose there are a few problems. First the script could be a BIT juvenile at times playing off, as one reviewer said, like a darker episode of 'Buffy.' Also, I must note that the editing was not the best. Perhaps one more (or, in some instances, one less) run through the cutting room would've made for a better film as there were a few times where some great tension was ruined when the build-up was left with no reward in a too-quick cutaway. Regardless, even with the few flaws, 'Eskalofrío' remains as a very solid and genuinely creepy modern horror that satisfies the necessary style & substance of a true quality film.

Final Verdict: 7.5/10.

-AP3-