"What is a ghost?" 2001 gave us two answers, both made in Spain, and only one gets to stay.

This week on CinemaJam Versus: The Devil's Backbone (El espinazo del diablo, 2001, dir. Guillermo del Toro) vs The Others (2001, written, directed and scored by Alejandro Amenábar). An orphanage at the end of the Spanish Civil War with an unexploded bomb in the courtyard vs a fog-bound mansion in 1945 where no door opens until the last one is closed. A Mexican director made the Spanish ghost story, a Spanish director made the English one, and Sebastian and Pablo put them through six rounds to kick off ghost season. Because in October, el miedo habla español.

What we get into:

• A war movie with a ghost in it vs a ghost movie with a war in it: which one uses its war better?
• Nicole Kidman carrying a whole movie, and Eduardo Noriega, the best scumbag in Spanish cinema.
• Early Del Toro vs a director in total control. Both films are each director's third feature, and it shows.
• The soundtrack round where Sebastian expected to be called crazy and wasn't.
• THE twist: the best thing about The Others, or the thing holding it back? (Spoilers from 16:51.)
• Why the living are the real monsters in both movies.

One of these films takes the belt with four points. Watch to find out which ghost gets to stay.

Timestamps:00:00 Cold open: "¿Qué es un fantasma?"02:16 Welcome to CinemaJam Versus02:28 Why these two movies?02:54 Round 1: Script06:31 Round 2: Acting08:33 Round 3: Direction13:21 Two directors, three movies each (+ Patreon break)14:15 Round 4: Soundtrack16:51 Round 5: Memorable Moments and the twist ⚠️ spoilers19:32 The endings, and why the living are the real monsters22:53 Round 6: Rewatchability25:28 The winner26:14 Next week: Friday the 13th vs A Nightmare on Elm Street27:00 Wrap-up

Movies mentioned:

• The Devil's Backbone / El espinazo del diablo (2001), dir. Guillermo del Toro
• The Others (2001), dir. Alejandro Amenábar
• Cronos (1993), Mimic (1997), Pan's Labyrinth (2006), dir. Guillermo del Toro
• Tesis (1996), Open Your Eyes / Abre los ojos (1997), dir. Alejandro Amenábar
• Vanilla Sky (2001)
• The Sixth Sense (1999)
• The Babadook (2014)
• The Remains of the Day (1993)
• Friday the 13th (1980), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

Del Toro or Amenábar: whose ghost story haunts you more? Tell us in the comments.

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Keywords: The Devil's Backbone vs The Others, El espinazo del diablo, Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro Amenábar, Nicole Kidman, Eduardo Noriega, ghost movies, Spanish horror, 2001 horror movies, The Others twist, horror podcast, Halloween movies, CinemaJam Versus