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Original title: El Espinazo del diablo
Release Date
• USA: Nov 21, 2001
• UK: 30 Nov 2001
DVD Release Date
• R1: Jul 23, 2002
• R2: 25 Mar 2002
Budget USD 4,500,000
Official Website:
The Devil's Backbone Website
MPAA Rating
Rated R for violence, language and some sexuality.
Running Time
1 hour, 46 minutes
Country Spain, Mexico
Production Companies
Anhelo Producciones, Canal+ España, El Deseo S.A., Good Machine, Sogepaq, Tequila Gang
Studio Anhelo Producciones, Canal Plus, Deseo, Sogepaq, Tequila Gang
More info on IMDb.com
Other Titles
• The Devil's Backbone
• El Espinazo del diablo (2001)
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Genre: Crime, Fantasy, Mystery, Drama, Horror, Ghosts, Supernatural, School / Campus, Haunted House, Period Piece, Doctor, Gore, Revenge, Murder, Experimental, Suspense
Tagline: The living will always be more dangerous than the dead.
Plot: During the Spanish Civil War, newly orphaned Carlos is taken to a school for the children of those who died fighting against fascism. He is given the bed that formerly belonged to Santi, a boy who recently died during an attack in which a bomb dropped, landing in the school's courtyard undetonated, a reminder of impending danger. As the amputee headmistress (Marisa Paredes, ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER) and the embittered caretaker, Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega), engage in a love affair, the headmistress' cuckolded husband, the impotent but benevolent school doctor (Frederico Luppi) sits by passively. Meanwhile, after Santi's ghost repeatedly reveals itself to Carlos, another student spooks Carlos with a dark secret about the boy's death. War surrounds the school, violence infests it from within, and Carlos sets out to avenge the death of Santi.Taking on themes such as the brutality of war and the loss of innocence, Guillermo del Toro's (MIMIC) film skillfully combines elements of war, gothic horror, melodrama, and adventure to create a work that functions as both a genre film and a politically resonant piece of nostalgia. THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE uses history as a means of transforming what would otherwise be a routine ghost story into a powerful and affecting
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 Discussion forum for this movie
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Many interesting plot twists and very dark and eerie imagery make it fun to watch as well.  --Captain Howdy (Bloody-Disgusting.com)
The haunting in this story is always simmering just beneath the film's surface, though it is laid in the background to such a degree that it allows far more earthbound conflicts to progress. 88/100--Jack Witzig (ColdSpot)
Del Toro pulls it off marvelously, crafting a film that is scary, supernatural and believable all at the same time.-- (eSplatter.com)
A good original story. Expected more scares and a better ending, but still enjoyable and interesting. 8/10--FrighT MasteR (UHM)
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