Lawson Here's a little Spanish horror TV movie that works despite its low budget. Having a good director can really make a difference. Jaume Balaguero also did Rec, though personally I prefer his underrated Fragile. Mmm. I'd rather not describe too much of the story 'coz part of the fun of it was finding out what was happening as it was happening. Let's just say it's about a young couple checking out an apartment they're thinking of renting, and it gets intriguing from there. Balaguero gets the suspense right, as well as the tension of the action sequences. It helps too that he had good actors playing the victims and villains. Really too bad this movie didn't get a theater release. Maybe it'll get a US remake too, like Rec.

petra_ste (MAJOR SPOILERS)Quick, horror fans, take this test:You and your significant other are trapped inside a deserted apartment building by a crazy old woman. To your credit, after a good hour of utter stupidity, you have finally managed to turn the tables on this not particularly formidable villain, who is currently screaming in pain with a mangled hand.Now... what do you do?!a) You incapacitate the murderous woman, tie her up and then GET THE HELL AWAY; b) You run around screaming hysterically, only to find out you are trapped inside the building, so you return to the old woman but... duh! She's gone! c) You untie a big, evil-looking man in a dark room, because you believe he's another victim. Oh, you tried to help him before, but he attempted to strangle you; d) You call the police or a friend, but are unable to give them coherent informations; e) You douse yourself and your spouse with gasoline and light a match; f) You take a nap on a blood-spattered carpet.If you didn't answer a), congratulations! If they ever do a sequel of this movie, you might be the protagonist.Jaume Balaguero is definitely no hack. All his previous works show directorial competence and the skill to create an ominous atmosphere. Para Entrar A Vivir starts out promisingly, but quickly degenerates into utter silliness. The script tips its hand far too early - once we learn the main villain (and, for a good chunk of the story, the only villain) is this undeniably deranged, but otherwise hardly intimidating middle-aged, bespectacled lady, the tension almost vanishes. People actively work to put themselves in danger, get bashed in the head a lot, do a copious amount of stupid choices, the killer is not dead, and yada yada yada. One is reminded of Balaguero's Darkness and Anna Paquin's terrible decisions. And the characters of Rec weren't exactly the pinnacle of human intelligence either.The fact is, Balaguero is so enamored with the atmosphere of a particular scene that he does not seem to care about its plausibility - his characters are dumb puppets, hamsters running on a wheel and working really hard to unleash the boogeyman.So, who decided horror characters NEED to be dumb? It's a lot scarier if you get the impression even smart, resourceful individuals would be in danger.And why should I be rooting for morons?5/10

Claudio Carvalho Mario (Adriá Collado) and his pregnant girlfriend Clara (Macarena Gómez) are trying to find in a short period a new apartment to live since they have sold their apartment and they need to move in fifteen days. When Mario finds an attractive advertisement in his mailbox, he convinces Clara to visit the place with him. He drives to a far area in the periphery and meets the real estate agent in front of an old building in an abandoned neighborhood. When the couple sees the apartment, they do not like it but they are forced to stay."Para Entrar a Vivir" is the weakest movie that I have seen from the excellent Spanish series "Películas Para No Dormir". The gore story has good performances, but the screenplay is awful, destroying a promising plot and transforming what could be a sort of "Misery" in a hysterical collection of unreasonable attitudes. For example, why would the couple leave their car in a rainy day to visit such dreadful building in an isolated area? They are in the control of the situation many times, but they always take the wrong decision or Clara is hysterical and let the insane lady revert the situation. My vote is five.Title (Brazil): "Morada do Perigo" ("Housing of the Danger")

Fmartiterron "Stories to keep you awake" was a legendary Spanish TV series that told independent suspense / horror stories every week. As of 2006, some Spanish media have joined resources to produce a follow-up in the shape of six direct-to-DVD films, directed by some of the most popular Spanish film directors. "Para entrar a vivir" is helmed by Jaume Balagueró, director of "The Nameless", "Darkness" and "Fragile".The film is about a young couple who are looking for a new home. The man finds an interesting ad in his mailbox and they both drive to the suburbs. The building is almost derelict, and the efforts of the seller (Nuria Gonzalez) to calm down the couple fail miserably. Immediately, she knocks down the man and ties down the woman. The nightmare has just begun.Coming from Balagueró I expected yet another rendition of the haunted place story, but surprisingly Balagueró goes for an Argento-style psycho thriller and succeeds. The visuals may not be as polished as Argento's (after the failure of "Darkness" Balagueró has turned to a more barebones style), but the tension and the gore are certainly there.A must see for horror fans out there.