[rec] (1 & 2)

[REC] (18)

D: Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza

Odeon Sky Filmworks (Julio Fernandez)

Spain 2007

85 mins

Horror

W: Luiso Berdejo, Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza

DP: Pablo Rosso

Ed: David Gallart

Manila Velasco (Ángela Vidal), Ferrán Terraza (Manu), Jorge Serrano (Sergio), Pablo Rosso (Pablo), David Vert (Álex)

God bless the Spanish! Just when Hollywood has all but given up on truly scary horror movies, churning out an endless stream of formula-driven garbage, two Spanish directors collaborate to bring us something truly terrifying.

In a nutshell, it's 28 Days Later meets Cloverfield, but very much in a style of it's own with plenty of jumps, jolts, atmosphere and moments which have you second guessing.

On a routine documentary following a group of fire fighters, a small film crew find themselves quarantined inside an apartment complex where the infected attack with violent rage.

It's quite unlike the majority of zombie films and would really be appreciated by those who quite literally want the shit scared out of them.

Remade in America under the title Quarantine, but take that version out of the DVD player and press play on this instead.

7/10

[REC] 2 (18)

D: Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza

Magnolia/Filmax/Castelao (Julio Fernandez & Carlos Fernandez)

Spain 2009

85 mins

Horror

W: Jaume Balaguero, Paco Plaza & Manu Diaz

DP: Pablo Rosso

Ed: Xavi Giminez

Manuela Velasco (Angela Vidal), Jonathan Mellor (Dr. Owen), Oscar Sanchez Zafra (Chief Fernandez), Ariel Casas (Larra), Alejandro Casaseca (Martos), Claudio Silva (Jennifer)

The first of many sequels and, sadly, not a patch on the original.

It's pretty much the same thing, except it changes the virus from the original film into something more akin to demonic possession.

It's unfortunate that the filmmakers of the first film had to resort to this cash-grab sequel, but it's still better than the piss-poor American remake of the original film.

4/10