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.

I swear this has to be the scariest movie I´ve ever seen in my entire life, and I´ve seen plenty, but the whole aura that is involved in the facts that surrounds the goth horror in El libro de piedra (The stone book), it´s real frightening. Maybe I should say that I watched the movie on TV when I was nine or ten, and of course left me full of chills the whole evening; and in days after. I couldn´t look at the curtains in my room at night, or to a rear view mirror. If you can see the movie sometime, you´ll understand what I'm talkin' about. The fact is that I catched again the film like four years ago; I haven't seen it in a long time, and it happened the same: I was so thrilled about the experience, that I got scared again like the very first time, and maybe even more because I was chillin' on anticipation for what I knew it was coming. And I was already on my late 20's. Director´s Taboada, as far as I know, it´s better known outside México for some of his horror movies. Hasta el viento tiene miedo (Even the wind's scared 1968) and Más negro que la noche (Blacker than the night 75-76), are some of his finest efforts in the horror ground. And I´ve seen those two -on tv also-, but it's El libro... the greatest of them all. Of course there are some flaws in the screenplay, in the acting and in direction matters, but on the other hand, it has some of the very best tricks to create fear without the effects that has been used and abused nowadays. This movie has the magic of the psychological tease that has inspired some of Guillermo del Toro works -just see the liquid footprints on El espinazo del diablo- and all around the ghost seeking revenge theme.Another high point of El libro... i'ts that the ending it's not your cliché finale. It's so powerful and unexpected, that instead of getting a feel of relief -you may know what I mean-, it leaves you more than shocked and horrified. Taboada was a master on this matters, and if you're ever able to check his other works, you may enjoy it as well. The first half of Hasta el viento tiene miedo it's brilliant too, and Más negro... it's good just as reference. But if you can, try another mexican horror movies like Ladrón de cadáveres (Thief of corpses), and El escapulario.

I saw this movie when I was 9 years old. To this day I don't understand how they allowed children into the movie theatre in Mexico to watch this type of movie. I still remember bits and pieces of it and they all come together to recreate the nightmares I had after watching this movie. Without giving away the ending, the movie is about a rich man who moves into a huge old mansion in the middle of the country with his new young wife and the daughter he had with his first wife. Along with them comes a woman who plays the role of nanny and governess for the young girl. In the enormous backyard, which is mostly covered with weeds and bordered by the woods, the young girls discovers a grave guarded over by the statue of an angel that holds open a huge stone book in his arms. Sometime in the first part of the movie, the young girls confesses to her nanny that she has found a secret playmate, a young boy, but nobody pays attention to her until very mysterious things start to happen and tragedy strikes the new household. I only wish that someday the Mexican Institute of Film would help recover and releases to the general public this and other gems of the Mexican cinema.

This might be the best of the few Mexican horror films. The story revolves about a statue of a boy which is found in the forest near the main character´s house. Legend says that the statue is not really what it seems to be. As with most horror films prior to the 70,s, this movie lacks gore or flashy fx but compensates it with solid acting from most part of the cast and a very creepy and uneasy atmosphere that leaves you looking twice over your shoulder or looking more carefully at the shadows in the corners even after repeated viewings.