Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!

Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

GarnettTeenage The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

Ginger Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

gee-15 "The Book of Stone" opens with the introduction of a governess, Julia, who has been hired to care for a young girl, Sylvia, by the girl's rather distant father and comparatively young stepmother. The young girl has been isolated for some time, both physically and emotionally. In response, she has invented an imaginary playmate named Hugo based on the statue in the garden. The statue is of a young boy with a wide empty smile holding a large book. As the movie progresses and Julia becomes more familiar with Sylvia, how imaginary this playmate is comes into question.I don't know that I would classify the film as "scary" but it is certainly unsettling. One particular scene occurs in broad daylight. The governess, attempting to get at Sylvia who has climbed to the top of an old church, does not see the shadow of a young boy who appears to be considering her as she struggles up on the roof. Later, she loses a valued necklace in the lake. Sylvia says that "Hugo" will get it. Late that night, her door opens and someone comes in. When she turns on the light, there is the necklace. Both scenes give you that little leap in the throat that we look for in such films.The film isn't perfect though. Some of the acting is a bit wooden and the dialog is a bit clunky in places. What makes the film good is the plot which bit by bit heightens the menace surrounding Sylvia and the others in the house. And what made the film work for me is that all of the characters were very sympathetic. Sylvia is not an evil child and Julia, the governess, genuinely cares for her. Sylvia's father loves his daughter but also finds her irritating and baffling and treats her rather brusquely at times. The stepmother (who really gets the worst of things) does not dislike Sylvia but becomes angry with her when she believes that Sylvia is behind the events terrifying her. All the reactions are understandable though not justifiable.Too many films make their characters (and victims) so unlikeable that you can't wait until they get offed. The Book of Stone wisely makes us like them and then when bad things happen to them, it makes the horror that much deeper. And as others have mentioned, the very end of the film packs a punch that lingers after the film has ended.

insomniac_rod Extremely creepy and unsettling movie that relies it's Horror on Psychological Thriller, explanations towards an ancient evil curse, black magic, and the supposed appearance of a ghost boy named Hugo.This movie raises México's status on the genre and provides unforgettable scenes and dialogs that make the plot stronger on the scare factor."El Libro de Piedra" is a tale about a young girl named Silvia who has an obsession with a stone statue who she swears is alive and always comes to play with her, but at the same time teaches her black magic and more evil things.Silvia isn't by any means a mentally illed girl, on the other hand, she's very smart but somehow evil.The situation worries his father to the point that he hires a private teacher to take care of her education, moral behavior, and attitude. Soon after the new teacher arrives, strange things start to happen as Silvia's obsession with the statue grow to the point that mysterious deaths and situations related to black magic happen in her big impressive Gothic mansion.The movie is filled with creepy images, a dark atmosphere, ghostly settings and scary images. The atmosphere is created with intrepid camera angles, fog, and an excellent soundtrack. The production values are top class and truly give the movie an unique look.Carlos Enrique Taboada is a master of Horror and deserves more recognition. This is probably his most scary Horror movie.The plot behind the Hugo statue is creepy enough and deals with an ancient Austrain city that disappeared after World War II when Germany destroyed it. Hugo, son of an ancient evil Magician is trapped inside the stone statue waiting for his father to re-incarnate. He's evil but he's also good on the level that he's only a boy. Could he be a ghost? Join Slvia in this fantastic tale of Terror and Fantasy that will send shivers up your funny bone. You will scream in Terror when Hugo makes his appearance.Superb, solid, excellent performances by Marga López, Joaquin Cordero (always an excellent actor), Norma Lazareno (those breasts Mrs. Lazareno! my respects), Aldo Monti, and Lucy Buj as Silvia (a wicked performance).Direction is simply superb. I can't think of any other movie that relies everything on the Psychological factor. Taboada once again demonstrates why he's the master of Mexican Horror.Please get a copy of this movie, you won't regret.

robelor2 Growing up in Milwaukee in the early 80s meant one Spanish channels for my parents and every Friday night was our family night. Unlike your typical family night our idea of family night meant making popcorn and jumping into bed with mom to watch "Noche de pelicula". During Halloween they showed many scary movies and this one along with "Hasta el viento tiene miedo" are engraved in my mind like GEMS in a pile of dirt. This movie is a MUST SEE! I would put this and the before named movie up their with "The Exorcist" and "The Amityville Horror" just for its raw FEAR. Many new horror movies are based on visual effects to produce fear where these classics use plain atmosphere to create a natural fear.

Rogelio Duron De La Garza After years of looking for this film that is recognized as a forgotten gem of mexican oldstyle horror cinema i found it in a place where i least expected it, now it´s part of my vast collection of hard to find horror and cult films.This classic film tells the story about a little girl Silvya (Lucy Buj) that because of her behaviour is required to be nursed by a special teacher Julia (Marga López) at home,This teacher is experienced in the field and starts looking after the child´s behavior and her friendship with Hugo,a statue of a little boy with a book that dates 10,000 years old and supposedly talks to her and make her do things, Her wealthy father Eugenio Rubalcaba (Joaquin Cordero) is very disturbed about his daughters way´s and his new wife Mariana (Norma Lazareno) is trying to cope with her step daugters ideas but fears of the statue.All this characters play their parts well and the atmosphere in this movie is so thick that you can cut it with a knife, locations are well used and the fright factor is there all the time, This is a timeless piece of art that should be taken seriously now a days for next wave horror movie creators. It´s a must see.