The Orphanage was produced by Guillermo Del Toro, reason enough for me to be excited to see the film. I had seen previews for it but it had been so long since I had seen one I had completely forgotten what it was about, so when I picked it up at the video store I quickly scanned the back before heading home.

A ghost story set in an orphanage? Ooooh yeah....

I was a little skeptical, but hey, I do enjoy ghost movies, even the slow/slightly boring, gross, predictable, ridiculously awful ones.

This particular ghost movie was surprisingly deep and more of a drama than a horror flick, focusing on a mother whose adopted son has disappeared. After exhausting normal methods in a desperate attempt to find her son, she turns to the ghosts of the murdered children of the orphanage to help her find him.

There was one genuinely creepy scene that gave me a shiver and the ending was definitely a bit (or a lot) of a shock, but it was the artfully crafted atmosphere of the film that made it feel so dark and desperate without being over the top in the slightest. Not a movie to watch if you want a quick scare, but if you're willing to sit down and be engrossed in the slow-moving pace and rich visuals, it's definitely worth a look.

Oh, and In the Name of the King? If you've never heard of it, don't bother. I love Jason Statham. I love action movies. I do not under any circumstances recommend watching this movie. In addition to main character Statham, If you look at the cast list you may notice charismatic/good/fun actors such as Ron Perlman, Ray Liotta, Matthew Lillard, Burt Reynolds, and John Rhys Davies listed. I promse, this does not help. I love Ray Liotta, and almost cried at his wooden acting. When Lillard spoke for the first time, I shuddered violently.

I fell asleep during the Fight Scene That Would Not END.

Not worth it.

I promise.