Six Films To Keep You Awake (DVD)

"Six Films To Keep You Awake" boxed set may be Spain's answer to America's "Masters of Horror", but seriously — who asked? Or are they Lionsgate's own regurgitated reply to "Eight Films To Die For"? In any case, most of these movies are pretty low-budget, dull, listless affairs. I skimmed through half of them, but only watched one all the way through: Blame.

I have not seen director Narciso Ibáñez Serrador's most well-known movie, Who Can Kill A Child? from 1976, but it looks as though he hasn't changed his M.O. much in 30+ years with Blame, the story of an abortionist whose fetuses come home to roost.

Blame (released on TV two years ago as Películas para no dormir: La culpa) has some positive things going for it, but those good things are frustratingly stifled every step of the way by poor pacing, odd editing choices, and extremely stilted acting. Everything from emotion to anticipation to reaction seems so over-rehearsed that if I did not know any better, I'd think I was watching the 1,000th performance of a stage play.

The story centers on Gloria (Montse Mostaza), an anxious single mom who works as nurse in a local hospital. Her financial stress level is at an all-time high when she accepts a coworker's offer to move into her big, stately duplex. Ana (Nieve de Medina), a gynecologist with a heart of gold, has a few dirty little secrets: she's got more than just a friendly interest in Ana; she's had female roommates before, all of whom have disappeared; and she runs a discreet abortion clinic out of her basement.

This predictable parable is a suspenseless exercise as the actors seem to just be going through the motions (and are often Pavlovian in their anticipation of the cues). That doesn't do much to excite the audience for the movie's inevitable conclusion, so I say don't waste your time on Blame — but if you're really thirsty for obscure horror compilations, maybe there's something else eye-opening in "Six Films To Keep You Awake". Still, at a suggested retail price of $27.99, I'd proceed with caution.

These other movies are also on the 3-disc set:

A Christmas Tale:

A group of children playing in the woods find a woman dressed as Santa Claus who has fallen to the bottom of a well. They discover she is a thief on the run with a substantial haul. They decide to make a deal - her freedom for the money. When the money is in hand, the children's greed changes their plans, and they decide to keep her captive. Then, one day they unexpectedly find the well is empty. Santa knows who's been naughty this year and is coming with a sack of deadly gifts!

A Real Friend:

Ten-year-old Estrella spends a lot of time alone at home...or so it appears to everyone else. Like many children, she has imaginary friends, but hers are a bit different. Her friends are monsters. One day, Estrella makes friends with a new monster, a vampire that seems to be more real than the others.

Baby's Room:

A couple and their newborn arrive at their new home, a wonderful old house that has been renovated to meet their every need. However, something is living in the baby's room, something whose presence they can feel each night right there beside their child. It is watching and waiting.

Spectre:

An elderly writer visits the small coastal village where he was born and raised. He reminisces of his childhood and a beautiful, mysterious woman he has been unable to forget. As he walks through his old village he catches a glimpse of the same woman he fell in love with in his youth. However, she has not aged since the day he saw her. He follows her but is not ready for what he finds.

To Let:

Carolina and Tony have looked at dozens of potential apartments, and none of them have worked. When their realtor assures them that a newly refurbished and renovated apartment will be a perfect fit, they decide to check it out. Upon arrival, they find an abandoned looking building without any residents or people in sight. They go up to the 3rd floor and enter the apartment, which is something they should never have done.

Bonus features include a "Making Of" featurette for each of the six films.

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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson