Author Archives: Tennyson

Artificial Justice

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Vampire Owl: This seems to be the next thing after artificial intelligence.

Vampire Bat: Humans seem to be addicted with their machines.

Vampire Owl: Well, they are the only ones they trust.

Vampire Bat: Human distrust among themselves is valid.

Vampire Owl: Our 12th Man Dr Frankenstein has warned us about the same.

Vampire Bat: Mr Frankenstein has not been a doctor since birth.

Vampire Owl: This is not about him being a scientist or doctor.

Vampire Bat: He is just not a source to be trusted.

Vampire Owl: His judgements have been seventy five percent accurate.

Vampire Bat: Humans might still come up with ninety nine percent with their machines.

[Gets a paneer uthappam and three cups of Mattupetty tea].

What is the movie about? :: In most courts of Spain, an artificial intelligence system called THENTE 1 has been serving as an aid to judges, as an analysis of the files and the expressions as well as way of talking of the accused are considered. Even though the system seems to be near-perfect, veteran judges like Carmen Costa (Verónica Echegui) trusts her own intuition and experience to make the final decision. She even goes against the system which predicts eighty two percent chance of a hacker committing the crime again, and sets the man free despite the suggested denial of freedom. Her belief in Artificial Intelligence is rather limited, as she even distrusts the medical analysis about her showing her as not fit enough to undergo pregnancy, and every time ends up aborting the fetus due to her declining health. Concerning the future of artificial intelligence, the CEO of THENTE, Alicia Kóvack (Alba Galocha) had been regularly trying to meet Carmen who was trying to avoid everyone, while government pushed for artificial intelligence to replace the judges.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: It is on the same night that Alicia meets with an accident, as the artificial intelligence which was installed in her car deviates the vehicle to avoid another car which was stuck on the middle of the road, leading to her death. A grieving Carmen is told that the artificial intelligence took the decision to deviate her car into the side to save the lives of two people who were in the other car, as a direct collision would have killed all three of them, and that this action saved two lives, and almost saved Alicia who died in the hospital. The government starts strongly pushing for the use of artificial intelligence as a substitute for judges in the form what was called artificial justice. Carmen is invited to work on the further development of the project, making sure that it is flawless. Alicia had noted down in her will that Carmen had to approve the whole thing before being implemented. This leads to Carmen doubting a bigger conspiracy behind all of these. Is Alicia’s death and the upcoming election related to this artificial intelligence implementation and more?

The defence of Artificial Justice :: The movie focuses on exploring the role of Artificial Intelligence in one’s everyday life, focusing deeper on how well the artificial ones can deliver justice. It asks how much the control can be provided to the machine, at a time when there would be the control of multi-national companies if there is such a programme. There is the idea that there would always be something which the machines cannot predict, including the nature of people and the changes that come across them, as the need to judge people by past would be more complicated than ever. The idea of having an artificial judgment instead of a human judge would leave so many things unattended as shown here, and so would anything driven by a machine which would consider some lives to be less important than others under some circumstances. The idea is nicely thought about, and the arguments are put in here nicely, as the feeling of unknown danger and mystery runs through here with slow thrills making impact.

The claws of flaw :: The pace of the movie keeps going down at times, and its inability to raise itself by the end of the flick makes it questionable as a thriller with a motive. The struggle of the movie is always present, and even when the main character is swimming or driving, the problem seems to be of the movie rather than of the character. The deep exploration of situations is not there, as the movie keeps on looking only at the ideas on the surface and keeps jumping from one to the other like a really irritated Tarzan or Mowgli. The ending feels too rushed, and in world where an escape would be impossible, a Joseph-type ending would have done perfectly alright, but we do not see the same with this one. There needed to be some emotional strength to support the efforts of the dead characters, but the movie just shows too much indifference to its characters that the viewer would feel that the real machines are the people in there among which some of them just dies like computers being shut down by others.

The performers of the soul :: Verónica Echegui handles the weight of the situation here really well. Her performance reflects the mood of the movie, and she remains solid even when movie shows some struggle. The calmness that she shows when facing all adversities, reflects the character very well, and there is a certain amount of freshness about her. Alba Galocha is the one person whom we miss during the journey here, as the character is gone too early, but we know that there was a lot more she could have done here if the role carried on to the end. She has the looks that would the present Spiderman as his girlfriend, seemingly a perfect choice in a battle against Mysterio or any other classic villain. The looks seem to keep making her feel younger. Tamar Novas makes it work and Alberto Amman adds on with his performance here. The villainy here is smooth and working from the background in an effective manner, as shadows seem to haunt. The supporting cast is also pretty good as we look around.

How it finishes :: Artificial Justice raises some interesting points while going through a journey that we would remember due to the questions which have been asked, and the so many answers which could be received. The lost point here is that it fails to develop on the same, and end well, with the finish going through such a struggle to even prove that it is the end, and there would be no more similar finishing points to follow. The ending is not just open-ended, it also provides nothing to the audience who have been waiting for a grand finish like in those usual science fiction tales with a grand underlying message. The conspiracy was huge, and that big ending was required. But with a fine beginning and with suspense and danger around, the experience of the movie remains good, even when the pace is reduced at times. There is the struggle, but we get most of the thriller that we wanted from this one. The Spanish thrillers have had the guaranteed thrills at least at the minimum for some time as far as internationally known movies are concerned.

Release date: 13th September 2024
Running time: 98 minutes
Directed by: Simón Casal
Starring: Verónica Echegui, Tamar Novas, Alba Galocha, Alberto Ammann, Lúcia Moniz, Paula Morado, Santi Prego, Ledicia Sola

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

I Heart Willie

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Vampire Owl: This particular person looks like the Frankenstein monster.

Vampire Bat: The Frankenstein monster has been on the missing list for a long time.

Vampire Owl: Dr Frankenstein once told me about his location.

Vampire Bat: Mr Frankenstein has never told anyone any truth.

Vampire Owl: Truth is often what human make. We create realities.

Vampire Bat: Do you remember the last time when you created another reality?

Vampire Owl: It was a mistake. The alternate reality lives on under our control.

Vampire Bat: That reality has transformed into something like a cartoon.

Vampire Owl: It is just a really cool place like a fantasy world.

Vampire Bat: I still do not know why you made it an elf-halfling-dwarf-hobbit place.

[Gets a ghee masala dosa and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: Four friends Nora (Maya Luna), Nico (Micho Camacho), Daniel (Sergio Rogalto) and Jess (Daniela Porras) are four friends who have been trying to make a movie for YouTube within a scary setting in the woods, which has an old mansion and a past which would keep most people away, and is off the limits according to the police and administration. There is the tale about a boy with a mouse-like head believed to have inspired Mickey Mouse who lived there long ago, and is associated with a tale of horror hat have scared many generations. Jess seems to be someone who fantasize about monstrous villains, wearing black clothes and lipstick, more of a Goth who loves to travel to these locations. Nora is more of the one who wishes to help everyone, loves Mickey Mouse and tries to be nice to everyone around, showing a great amount of concern whenever anyone has a chance to get hurt. She seems to have joined them more to help than anything else.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Daniel and Nico have been good friends who often take similar videos, making them viral on YouTube and Instagram, and Nora used to be in a relationship with the former for some time. While this former relationship brought Nora with them, the interesting in being viral with something spooky, like she had done with Ouija boards and dark spaces brought her here – she has also been best friends for Nora for about half of her life. They decide to start shooting immediately, but end up finding a burned man who scares them out, only to find an abandoned van outside which has rather too much blood for anyone’s liking. Jess who finds this an opportunity to get closer to the newly single Daniel, seduces him, only to find her desires paused by a presence outside. A certain person seems to wander around outside with a weapon, which it seems to use to carve people, and the only chance for them to survive is to stay together in the area without network coverage, but can they?

The defence of I Heart Willie :: If there was a psycho killer movie with a perfect protagonist as much as antagonist, it is this one with Maya Luna at its heart. Her transformations not just in the personality but also with the looks in the movie really leads us through a journey which advances so well. One would need to watch how she changes, and her final moments are nothing less than magnificent. Daniela Porras’ performance also provides a few reflections of the strong horror slasher elements, as she surprisingly rises above other main characters at times, creating her own moments. The setting is really good, and the atmosphere adds to the overall fear elements. The inverted Steamboat Willie the psycho killer in the form of the childhood hero turned super-villain who slashes people into pieces has its own impact. The ending is for you to remember and spawn a sequel, as this is the one twist which is nicely built and executed well, with a shot of mickey and his minnie mouse that will further raise the level of the movie.

The claws of flaw :: The movie often hesitates to use its strengths to the best advantage. When there is a psycho killer on the loose and that person seems to have extraordinary supernatural strength, one would surely expect more. A certain amount of budget limitation can be felt in between. The fight against evil is rather too weak, as we look around here – even the basic tendency to escape from a certain doom seems to be missing, with the characters not understanding the terror early enough and by the time they do, they are just too weak. The hunting could have been done in a more frightening way too, as the running and hiding are also too less here – maybe having a horror movie in less than one and half hours, that too when establishing a new universe, seems to be a little too less to be on the screen. Some quick scares here and there could have strengthened the fear factor to a very much higher level as the dark world in the woods is surely there to be taken, maybe the sequel would do it.

The performers of the soul :: The movie is led by Maya Luna who might be the greatest scream queen any slasher movie has produced in some time. From the beginning itself she creates a certain interest among the horror fans, and becomes that character who makes the slasher more interesting than it could have ever been. There are some fine moments that she provides, and shows that her acting skills can make any slasher horror better. She shows the multiple faces of the character and its adaptations as this is one dynamic character in horror that we do not usually see. She is unforgettable in those final moments, in her underclothes and covered in blood, with that grin that is going to stay with the viewer for long. Daniela Porras is not that far behind in that scream queen status, but remains the usual kind of horror character for a slasher, and has the usual dialogues and scenes for such a movie, and she perfects the same. The others only come as supporting to this work, while the antagonist by David Vaughn also excels.

How it finishes :: I Heart Willie takes a different approach to slasher horror despite tendency to become a Wrong Turn, and deviates well especially as it moves towards the end, and has one of the more classic endings which could have cult following, and inspire a number of sequels which could be even more twisted. One can wait for them, and until then, enjoy this particular movie which leaves new doors open. Steamboat Willie, the 1928 American animated short film and the first public debut of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, has been nicely deviated to make a serial killer at work. As the particular cartoon entered the public domain on January 1, 2024, the movie has nicely made the same transform into something unique – it is something that we will remember for the deviation now. Well, Mickey Mouse could always be evil, as it is the cat who should be on the human side – we know who is the real villain in Tom n Jerrry as we have grown up now; a mouse is better suited to the other side of neutrality. Watch the movie, and you will be sure about it.

Release date: 8th November 2024
Running time: 89 minutes
Directed by: Alejandro G Alegre
Starring: Maya Luna, Micho Camacho, Sergio Rogalto, Daniela Porras, David Vaughn

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Witchboard

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Vampire Owl: I was always sure that the Northern Witches were involved.

Vampire Bat: Now you think that they really use some board for their magic.

Vampire Owl: It is black magic and they have so many similar things.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that this not one of them – they do not even have a carroms board.

Vampire Owl: I am sure that the truth is just hidden.

Vampire Bat: Hidden truths are often half the lies.

Vampire Owl: Something which is partial truth cannot be a lie.

Vampire Bat: It applies both ways, right?

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein has applied it only on one side.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein has no idea about any of these.

[Gets a chilli paneer dosa and three cups of Yercaud tea].

What is the movie about? :: Emily (Madison Iseman) has been trying to recover from her drug addiction for some time, and after falling in love with Christian (Aaron Dominguez) who had just ended his long-time relationship with Brooke (Melanie Jarnson), she has been helping Christian’s opening of a restaurant in the French Quarter of New Orleans. While picking mushrooms for the restaurant in the forest, Emily comes across a spirit board. It was just recently been stolen from a local museum, and had landed there due to a fight between the thieves. At a dinner party preceding the grand opening meant for close friends, Emily shows the board to Brooke, who is an antiquities expert and she seems to be very much interested in it. She finds out that it predates the Ouija board and is meant to connect with ancient evil that might even predate many civilizations. According to her, it is something which could be helpful as much as cause terror, with immense possibilities hiding within the board.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Emily discovers a pendulum made out of a human finger bone within the board. Emily who tries to communicate to the spirit board finds help in locating her lost engagement ring. But when this is fulfilled, Christian’s friend who is at the kitchen, Richie (Charlie Tahan), is killed in a strange incident in which his hand is caught in a meat slicer after slipping. Christian who searches in the internet understand that there have been many board-related killings in the past and also sees in the news that the board was stolen. He suggests handing it over to authorities, but Emily feels that she maybe a suspect due to her former indulgence in drug business as a customer. But things get worse as Emily feels like arms groping her from underneath the bed and also further groping and pulling her into the tub while taking a shower. She sees an ancient witch named Naga Soth (Antonia Desplat) coming in her nightmares and taking her back to past. Now it is to be seen how the couple would deal with it.

The defence of Witchboard :: There are not many movies that have had such a good-looking cast which also performs so well. It is not alien to slasher movies, but this one brings that feeling so well, as performance also supports the same. There are many memorable moments in the movie from that first unleashing of the horror as if in a Final Destination movie, pulling of the leading lady underneath the bed, taking her right out of the shower into deep water, her first full possession on the bed and the twisting of bodies and time periods. Also, we never see any supporting lady being so good like Melanie Jarnson while Madison Iseman leads like no other scream queen has done in quite some time. There seems to be nice visuals at work here, and the scary side is also nicely helped on with the support of what is on the screen. The gothic horror power with the supernatural atmosphere, dark imagery and black magic elements maintains the spookiness throughout its existence. The entertainment value has its strength throughout the run too. When the past is also used with quality, there is always something interesting about what comes from history.

The claws of flaw :: The movie misses an opportunity to make it grand, as the stage was set for something that goes so much more with the distance. A number of its major scenes could have made even grander in scope, and spectacles could have made this movie something classic. The drug addiction recovery, possession, ancestral witch tale, past lives and so many things are here to be taken, but the arrangement could have better and connection to make this one a movie to be remembered for long. This makes it easier for the movie to lose its direction. The opportunity for scares is also not taking completely, as there were so many chances of taking the horror to another level. Some of the motives of characters are also unclear at times, and a few characters just seem to be present for the sake of being there, and sometimes when we need some characters, they are not there at all to be seen. The romantic side is also not strengthened enough, and some elements surely go unexplored. The length of the movie could have been even lesser, as it wanders off a little too much as we look into it.

The performers of the soul :: Madison Iseman plays the leading role, and she does that as the scream queen that we had always wished for. She shines through the helplessness and terror of the girl trying to save herself and also the one possessed, from taken from under the bed and abducted from the shower to being possessed and unleashing ancient evil. She is certainly capable of carrying the situations of horror, and one would hope to see her around in more of similar movies. Meanwhile, Melanie Jarnson who plays the second lady lead also does a memorable job, and both combine to become the best-looking leading ladies in a slasher movie in a long time. Antonia Desplat as Naga Soth makes a perfect witch, and one which we would remember with horror, generating fear out of nowhere. Jamie Campbell Bower makes a strong antagonist, and brings further terror into the situation successfully. Aaron Dominguez is also in the lead, and does his job well. David La Haye makes another strong figure in between.

How it finishes :: Witchboard, even though supposed to be a remake, makes itself felt in style. There is the supernatural nicely made into a fine form through witches and a past which is nicely connected with the present as the world keeps moving on either way. If you enjoy horror that is visually strong and sometimes gruesome, and would not mind some chaos coming out of nowhere with the support of unexpected events, this would be the movie for you. It surely has beautiful locations as much as it has beautiful people, with charming world being built not only in the present, but also in the past. This is that kind of a remake which after watched do not feel like that much similar with the movies which are called the originals, even after reading about it and the plot itself. Well, we all need another version of Oujia, with possibilities of sequels, as this one has left us with hope to see another movie in the franchise. This spirit board has as much a chance to have at least one sequel as many others from The Conjuring, The Nun and Annabelle to Sinister and Insidious – you will know the same. The world of movies with horror other than random haunting of houses needs to be there, after all.

Release date: 26th July 2024
Running time: 112 minutes
Directed by: Chuck Russell
Starring: Madison Iseman, Aaron Dominguez, Melanie Jarnson, Charlie Tahan, Antonia Desplat, Jamie Campbell Bower

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Winnie the Pooh 2

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Vampire Owl: I am aware of this guy known as Mr. Winnie.

Vampire Bat: Are you sure that he is really the one?

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein had talked to me about it.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein is not a doctor or scientist.

Vampire Owl: But he speaks a lot of truth and is a man of truth even beyond borders.

Vampire Bat: His truth has always been twisted.

Vampire Owl: So, do you think that this Winnie is dangerous?

Vampire Bat: He is a classic serial killer, and the secret is out now.

Vampire Owl: Uncle Dracula should be warned then.

Vampire Bat: Well, he has no access to our realm.

[Gets a thattu dosa and three cups of Kandy tea].

What is the movie about? :: A long time ago, Christopher Robin (Scott Chambers) was friends with a number of creatures in the Hundred Acre Wood whom he had left in the woods, and had attacked him on his return. They were friendly in the beginning and liked him as a child, but had turned feral and were starving after he left them there, which made them really angry at him as well as other humans due to abandonment and facing near death. After the capturing and following brutal massacres of his friends by these angry creatures, he returns to his childhood town of Ashdown hoping that he could find help, but Christopher is believed to be responsible by the people who do not believe in his story on the existence of such creatures which are part-human in looks and can even talk. He is not convicted due to lack of evidence, but common people do consider him as the killer of Maria (Maria Taylor), Jessica (Natasha Rose Mills) and others, and even vandalizes his family’s properties.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Soon, a movie adaptation based on the brutal murders is released, further damaging Christopher’s reputation in Ashdown. Even though he had started working as a junior doctor after finishing his medical training, he understood that nobody really trusted him. He has to visit the psychiatrist Mary Darling (Teresa Banham) as he continues to have nightmares about the main villain who committed the murders, Winnie-the-Pooh (Ryan Oliva) and his side-kick Piglet (Eddy MacKenzie). Meanwhile, in the forest, Pooh and Piglet are forced to hide with their former friends Tigger (Lewis Santer) and Owl (Marcus Massey) as a few people who believed in Christopher’s story burned down where they could be hiding. But the question remains about how long their will stay in hiding and not seek to unleash themselves on the unsuspecting humans. They start by attacking a group of women who camps in the area while searching for the spirts in the forest.

And what more will follow here as terror keeps waiting? :: Meanwhile, Lexy (Tallulah Evans) is the one person who shows interest in him, and she seems to genuinely like him. Owl feels that it is time to get into the town and finish the humans who do not care for them. Some of the people who come to the forest finds the creatures, and are killed in the process, except for Aaron (Sam Barrett) who is taken to a hospital. Christopher feels that Pooh and his friends are behind this attack, but the police only question him as the attacks seem similar to what had happened long ago with him as the major suspect. It is then that he comes across Cavendish (Simon Callow), a man who hides some terrible secrets. He has much more to reveal about Pooh and his friends, and it would not do Christopher’s confidence any good, and nobody in the town would believe the same. But the creatures have reached incredibly close to the town, and will stop at nothing. Can Christopher convince his people well enough to be vigilant, with the creatures already chasing Lexy?

The defence of Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 :: Seeing the so-called cute childhood heroes as villains is priceless, because the inherent evil in children, as seen in Lord of the Flies is enough to fuel the pure evil of these creatures who become the great slasher champions who are capable of a lot more than the regular Halloween or Scream antagonists. The monsters are nicely designed, even with roots on the cute characters. The origin story is nicely built here, with an ending that would surely spawn a sequel one way or the other. There is a certain twist in between regarding that, even though that would not qualify as a shock and stays more personal for the protagonist. The kills are creative enough, especially the last moments of the party remain classic. There is creativity in that violence while staying close to the slasher mode itself. With new characters added, more are also expected to come. A fine flashback video would prove to be classic with some more budget added in the next film. The Twisted Childhood Universe (TCU) or Poohniverse shall come with more for sure.

The claws of flaw :: The movie’s hesitation to bring the perfect slasher horror elements of the past does keep it a step behind, especially with its main villains being such twisted characters who can bring terror out of nothing due to their deviation from the cuteness. The female characters do not prove to be that useful either, as their sequences just go on without making much of an impact. The earlier film seemed to have made better use of them, and the classic moments in it do seem to feature them. They did not seem to think about adding one to the evil side either. There seems to be some budget constraints which still affect the work – mainstream power seems to be missing at times. Those who are too attached with the childhood heroes will find it not good for their nostalgia either. In the end, predictability also stays around, even though more attempts are made here and there to twist things.

How it finishes :: The movie’s display of evil from children’s characters are very much relevant, as we already know the inherent evil of children from William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. As these creatures grow up, they display that evil in the purest forms, and they are powered by the pure evil that exists within children when they are not civilized or brought into any kind of order. It is clearly reflected in the main characters, and through this, the movie also shows us that we do not see the truth with things being about more than what meets the eye. As I have not watched the first movie, a comparison cannot be made, but a classic scene like being tied up in front of a car which has been going through forums, is not there in this movie, and the only one which can come anywhere close are those dead bodies lying in the night party. I would think that the first one which established this idea might be better, but that is to be decided by those who watched both movies – for now, enjoy the slasher power of this particular movie.

Release date: 7th June 2024
Running time: 93 minutes
Directed by: Rhys Frake-Waterfield
Starring: Scott Chambers, Tallulah Evans, Ryan Oliva, Teresa Banham, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, Alec Newman, Simon Callow

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Pet Detective

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Vampire Owl: I have heard about a man named Ace Ventura being a pet detective.

Vampire Bat: He is quite a different person even from a distance.

Vampire Owl: Why do the pets even need detectives?

Vampire Bat: Don’t you know that animal lives are more important than human lives these days?

Vampire Owl: I have heard so much related to the strange love towards dogs.

Vampire Bat: Yes, so much that they abandon the dogs in the street and let them bite humans.

Vampire Owl: It is indeed some strange love.

Vampire Bat: Humans even hate each other so much. Strange people.

Vampire Owl: Have you ever met a good human in life?

Vampire Bat: Well, I do not know that many humans.

[Gets a Paneer Patty and three cups of Nuwara Eliya tea].

What is the movie about? :: Tony Jose Alula (Sharaf U Dheen) is a jobless young man who inherits his Mexico-returnee father Jose Alula’s (Renji Panicker) failing private detective agency, and in the process, also hopes to impress his childhood sweetheart Kaikeyi Menon (Anupama Parameswaran) and her disapproving strict father CKP Menon (Major Ravi) who has returned from military service. Rajath Menon (Vinay Forrt), the local police officer is also after Kaikeyi to earn her love, but she does not show that much of interest in him. Meanwhile, Tony and Kayikeyi keeps their relationship with a lot of fighting in between, but they get back to each other every time. But time keeps running out for Tony who really need to get a good job to get a chance to be married to his lady love. Tony and his loyal assistant at the detective agency, Sanoop (Joemon Jyothir) get the first big case in the form of a missing dog, which they are able to solve with relative ease due to some strange turn of events. As they get one lakh rupees from the owner who value the dog a lot, they begin to call themselves Pet Detectives, trying to solve more of similar cases.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: But there are lots of things happening in the background and everything is happening due to some grand evil schemes which have its roots in Mexico and other states of India. There is a criminal racket involved in the smuggling of some exotic aquatic species, with fish worth lakhs of rupees gone missing, and then there are little kids being kidnapped. A mafia leader from Hyderabad named Yaqat Ali (Vinayakan) has also arrived in Cochin, and has brought his own team of goons who are ready to do anything at his request. Tony is forced to take the help of his old school friend Thinkal Thomas (Shyam Mohan), but both are kidnapped along with Kaikeyi. Now, it is still to be seen about what step is to be taken for them to escape from these people who are looking out for them as they have also become entangled in this series of problems. Will the gangsters get what they want, and will the biggest crime lord of all-time come to Cochin from Mexico?

The defence of The Pet Detective :: The movie does focus on the comic side more than anything else. There is the effort to make it feel big, almost in that CID Moosa mood, with complications getting solved due to situations with a touch of humour, and the main characters are able to carry the same well on their shoulders as there is the full-fledged support of veterans. The performances here are energetic and the light feeling never really leaves the movie – the darkness never engulfs the film despite having a Mexican drug lord and gangster in the background ready to make an attack. The silly chaos mode has been activated very well too. The movie’s beginning is of top quality, and has us interested in the proceedings early. There is a certain amount of quality related to the visuals around here too. The movie’s good box-office collection reflects the response of the family audience here, as one feel that there is something for all kinds of audience, with this one being a clean entertainer. The arrival at OTT has also made sure that it will have more fans around.

The claws of flaw :: The inability to get on to the provided opportunities can be seen here. It tries to go big too, but never really reaches that level. The movie did begin with that promise which is only partially fulfilled by the end. There is a certain loss of interest which seems to have come in the middle due to the fact that there does not seem to be enough of an effort from some characters that seem to just wander along. Some characters are just everywhere, and the focus is never really one the right place during times. There are moments which could have been so much funnier, but the movie holds back at times, and keeps on adding complications, but the funny side does not get added there. The ending also feels a little bit too rushed and the final running around in confusion feels amateurish. The ending seems to have been forced to add a happy finish, and one would wonder if it could have just finished normally.

The performers of the soul :: Sharaf U Dheen has already displayed the strength to carry this type of movies on his shoulders, from that antagonist in Anjaam Pathiraa to the horror comedy combination in Hello Mummy. This time, when dealing with action comedy, he shows the skill to carry the whole thing mostly in his own style which works. Anupama Parameswaran makes her way here nicely, even though one would have felt that she deserved more, from how she began here. Vijayaraghavan carries the side of humour so well, and leads to the twists nicely. Shyam Mohan’s avatar keeps us interested as he did in Premalu. Vinayakan handles the negative role with a touch of humour without any difficulty. Vinay Forrt does well, but required more to his particular character here. Joemon Jyothir’s comic side works nicely and adds to the overall humour. Nishant Sagar also adds nicely to the fun while Bhagath Manuel and Jinu Joseph could have had bigger roles to play in here over these contributions.

How it finishes :: The Pet Detective seems to be aimed at heights, but that much is never reached despite opportunities being presented. Just a few months earlier Sahasam had achieved what the chaos comedy thrillers had dreamed of, and the chaos comedy was always best done through movies like Adi Kapyare Koottamani and Kunjiramayanam. If one is still in the mood for some light comedy without using that much of brains, this one provides an energetic and engaging journey, with never going down with its pace. But looking for believable plots, strong story-telling and memorable moments would not be the right choice to here as you need to enjoy the fun and move away, with no questions asked. After all, these kinds of movies are also the need of the times, for not everyone needs the most powerful investigation thrillers with twists that bends the mind to find a terrifying serial killer – for them, there are always movies like John Luther, Anjaam Pathiraa, Forensic, Paappan, Abraham Ozler, Anveshippin Kandethum and others.

Release date: 16th October 2025
Running time: 116 minutes
Directed by: Praneesh Vijayan
Starring: Sharaf U Dheen, Anupama Parameswaran, Vinayakan, Vinay Forrt, Shyam Mohan, Joemon Jyothir, Bhagath Manuel, Renji Panicker, Shobi Thilakan, Nishanth Sagar, P P Kunhikrishnan, Praseetha Menon, Sanju Madhu, Jai Vishnu, Jinu Joseph, Major Ravi, Amey Wagh, Maala Parvathi, Nileen Sandra, Prasanth Madhavan, Sonam Singh

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Identity

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Vampire Owl: I have been thinking about changing my identity.

Vampire Bat: The vampire one or the owl one?

Vampire Owl: The undead one to be exact.

Vampire Bat: You are already dead and returned. That cannot change.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein has changed his identity multiple times.

Vampire Bat: He never had any real identity.

Vampire Owl: Yes, Frankenstein, the genius scientist.

Vampire Bat: The pseudo-scientist, to be exact.

Vampire Owl: He is more, for he has invented vampire mechanics.

Vampire Bat: The only thing he has invented is pure nonsense.

[Gets a chilli chicken pizza and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: A recently engaged young woman Emy John (Nilja K Baby) finds herself blackmailed by a man named Amar Felix (Arjun Radhakrishnan) with the help of a techie and occasional hacker Nakul Sachdev (Vishak Nair), as he had recorded her half-naked through a mobile phone kept in a changing room. He threatens to spread her nude videos all over internet unless she gives him three lakhs to which she agrees, but after many blackmails of random people, this time he finds himself facing a mysterious individual who kills him in his own warehouse which looks abandoned from outside. Alisha Abdul Salam (Trisha Krishnan) is the only witness to the murder as she had seen the person coming out of the warehouse after burning it, as she was passing through. CI Allen Jacob (Vinay Rai) is assigned the case, and decides to keep the witness in his home for protection, as advised by DYSP Dinesh Chandran (Aju Varghese). They feel the immediate need to get a sketch of the killer done as Alisha says that she has seen the face clearly, but protecting her is the top priority.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Allen is helped by his highly influential friend Supriya Gopal (Mandira Bedi) who provide him with much needed information. Meanwhile, Haran Shankar (Tovino Thomas) is a part-time karate instructor and a genius in multiple subjects who suffers from OCD, and lives with his sister Devika Shankar (Archana Jose Kavi) and half-sister Neerja Sudip (Gopika Ramesh). Allen, after seeing a sketch made by Haran, decides that he should be the one to bring the identity of the killer to light. As Allen asks Haran to make a sketch, and as he does so with the help of the description given by Alisha, a few more things come to light, including the fact that Alisha can no longer identify human faces after an accident which followed the murder. This makes things further complicated, as finding the killer seems almost impossible, and Amar’s past also seems to catch up to the situation. It seems that things are just getting more and more complicated, but for how long?

The defence of Identity :: There is a certain amount of style related to how this movie looks, and the visuals remain stunning throughout its run. The technical strength is visible right there. We have not seen such over-reachers among the movies of this industry, unless it is Lucifer and its Empuraan, but this one has managed that extra load quite well. The movie nicely builds the tension, which keeps us interested. The twists are always present, and some of them are rather too nice. The action sequences are maintained well and kept under control without being overdone. The beginning of the movie was so good that we are attached to the proceedings so early. We wonder where the connections would be made, and that happens nicely too. The final fights are also well-executed, maybe qualifying as among the best-done moments. The performances remain of top quality, not really holding back even because of character complications. There is a certain amount of polishing that is visible there, moving further ahead of the usual movies. The background music also remains something of interest.

The claws of flaw :: The movie just seems to have taken so much for granted. After starting so well, and ending with a deviation, but in an interesting way, the middle part seems to have lost in the process. There are so many moments which seems over-stretched, and we feel that there was no need for that much of a detail in between, and the explanations which go long, just gets longer as we see and experience less twists in real-time than what we hear and find in flashbacks. The big reveal about the main character feels like a rather forced addition. The characters are not given the importance that they need, and the hero is just given that push. Many characters just come of nowhere and become part of that world of twists, making us not that interested in them. Even the leading lady is not given that strength and feels misplaced as a character. The other female characters are also not given that much of a background. The emotional depth is not that much there, and the pace is also uneven, often also struggling with the pace. Then the antagonist is also pushed out of nowhere right after a twist.

The performers of the soul :: Tovino Thomas leads the way here in style. When thinking about that one action hero of the industry, he comes first to the mind. We have seen that even with superheroes of Minnal Murali and Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra. Tovino handles this role in a way that we will remember, and gets into the genre really well as expected. Vinay Rai becomes a fine addition around here as he shines in the form of a strong antagonist, someone who aligns with the overall mood of the movie and the twists. Aju Varghese’s serious police role is a joy to watch, and it is to be noted that this time, the character do not follow the stereotypes. Trisha Krishnan comes back to Malayalam after Hey Jude with Nivin Pauly, and here she plays a main character and has just enough to do as the leading actress. Shammi Thilakan and Vishak Nair have some interesting things to do here. Archana Jose Kavi and Gopika Ramesh shine in their comparatively smaller roles, and Nilja K Baby contributes well in a small role too. It was good to see Mandira Bedi around too while Giju John and Sujith Shankar gets the due in the final minutes.

How it finishes :: This one was that opportunity with scope for big heights to become one memorable thriller above many more. Known as The Sketch Artist in Hindi on Jio Hotstar, this one would work better with that particular audience. If you like such stylish thrillers having action, twists, and a lot of ambition behind, this will feel a lot grand, as you remember from movies like Christopher. But that big a plot and well-developed characters would not be there that much for your attention here. Creating characters our of nowhere and using them here and there with twists that sometimes work like boomerang might not be for everyone’s love. But seeing the cast of this movie, you know that the movie will always be capable enough. It is available in Hindi on Amazon Prime Video going by the name, The Sketch Artist, even though one would be wondering why that name even came into picture. Unlike some other movies, this Hindi version is very well-created, and you might wish to have a look at that one.

Release date: 31st December 2024
Running time: 158 minutes
Directed by: Akhil Paul, Anas Khan
Starring: Tovino Thomas, Trisha Krishnan, Vinay Rai, Aju Varghese, Archana Jose Kavi, Sujith Shankar, Nilja K Baby, Giju John, Gopika Ramesh, Shammi Thilakan, Vishak Nair, Major Ravi, Asha Madathil, Mandira Bedi, Arjun Radhakrishnan, Mahima Radhakrishnan, Shinu Shyamalan, Litty Thomas, Vriddhi Vishal, Mohan Thankam, Sethu Lekshmi, Adam Sadiq, Akhil Paul, Anas Khan

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Dirty Angels

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Vampire Owl: Do you remember that angels were banned from the realm?

Vampire Bat: They never really belonged here, did they?

Vampire Owl: Well, there are demons, so there should be angels around.

Vampire Bat: There is no angel-demon balance maintained here.

Vampire Owl: There should be something like the reverse Shadow World.

Vampire Bat: Shadow World is a closed portal away and not part of our realm.

Vampire Owl: You know that we have them in the map made my Dr. Frankenstein.

Vampire Bat: You are the only one looking at a map belonging to a pseudo doctor.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein is a scientist and the greatest of achievers.

Vampire Bat: He was never supposed to be one, everyone knows that.

[Gets a Malabar Chicken biryani and three cups of Ooty tea].

What is the movie about? :: Badia (May Kurtz), the daughter of Afghanistan’s Minister of Education finds herself kidnapped from her school by a terrorist group which identifies itself as a subgroup of the Islamic State. Most of the girls of the school are shot dead or pushed to death from the top of the school, with a few of them who are children of important people taken as hostages. The leader of the group is Amir (George Iskandar), a man who had a terrible past, and cannot align with either the Pakistani government or the newly formed Taliban government of Afghanistan, both for him, have aligned with the devils for profit. Jake (Eva Green) who was tortured and chained up in a cage by the local militia, and was about to be stoned to death by the locals and militia, is rescued at the last moment by the American forces, and on recovery, is assigned to be part of this mission involving the missing girls. She is not happy about her escape, as there were men left behind, but decides to go on with it after persuaded by her old friend Travis (Christopher Backus).

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: She gets to Pakistan with a plan to cross the border and meets her team with Medic (Ruby Rose), Bomb (Maria Bakalova), Mechanic (Rona-Lee Shimon), Shooter (Emily Bruni) and Geek (Jojo T Gibbs), along with their team doctor Mike (Edmund Kingsley), drivers Abbas (Aziz Capkurt) and Malik (Reza Brojerdi) who also provides them with local support in the country before they cross over to Afghanistan with what is disguised as medical aid. The terrorists had demand ten million dollars ransom per hostage and also the release of a prisoner in the Afghan prison, but the demands were not accepted. In Afghanistan, some local information is attained through Awina (Laetitia Eïdo), a woman whose life was saved by Jake during her last mission, as the United States of America has pulled out of the nation all of a sudden. But the mission does not seem to be as easy as expected with so many lives at stake, and so many people with higher profile involved. Now, can they go through this mission and achieve the objective in time without loss of civilian lives?

The defence of Dirty Angels :: The movie does manage to keep the action going with thrills that come with, as the action thriller mode was always on for the movie. The beginning scenes with the main character is very nicely done, even though leaving more scope for not opting for the safe mode as the opportunity seemed eternal; still manages to set the mood right there. Then there are moments which keep the tension going, and some humour is placed well in between. The visuals are also nicely arranged here with the feeling of being right there in the middle of danger to be taken. There is no budget lost there as it seems to have come in the right path. The action is never overdone and the interest is never lost. The combination of actors do their job well, and we see the combo working nicely, and those who feel like non-native adds nicely. This would not have been an easy thing to do, but the world and its problems have been depicted well with a fictional incident nicely worked on. There will surely be situations that would last for at least some time. Eva Green leads the way so well too.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does wonder about how to make the best of situations, from the first scenes involving the main character to the abduction and getting into mission, things could be used to be better advantage of the movie. The characters are not that much well-defined as we look closer, with all of them just existing for the sake of the mission. There could have been a stronger script which could have made the characters better too. The presence of stereotypes would also be felt, and the predictability factor often gets higher. The mood also keeps changing at times, affecting the flow, making one feel like the movie is bigger than what it really is. There could have been more talk about the danger and situation which is around. The potential would have led somewhere else, as we look at it. The evil could have also depicted with a much more force, and we know that this is not really what we had expected, and we were surely in requirement for much more. This could have even been a full-action adventure instead going into any political or social details, otherwise it needed more details.

How it finishes :: This movie, does manage to come up with quite some good work in the end, despite seemingly diverting in between. This would qualify as one of those rare movies with strong female leads and some morally complex objectives which seem to get to a pretty good end in the end. The uneven execution and the lack of balance is what keeps pulling it back. It was never going to be an American Sniper either, as one might realize it early enough. It is that kind of a movie which goes through the middle path, not aspiring for greatness through innovation or by trying hard, as the lookout for safe mode ends in just the usual. One can keep wondering how much bigger this could have managed to be, if diverted to the right path. They have this world and premise, and we can keep wondering about the possibilities – at the same time, enjoy the movie as it should be. It is now available in Lionsgate Play, and with one good mobile phone recharge offer, the same can be accessed and watched.

Vampire Owl: So, are we going back to getting the angels back in?

Vampire Bat: No, we are not having another open portal in the realm.

Vampire Owl: You know that this will bring balance.

Vampire Bat: There would be no balance in a world of chaos.

Vampire Owl: So, we will have no angels in the realm.

Vampire Bat: The realm would stay as it is, in a traditional manner.

Vampire Owl: The zombies were outside the tradition and still accepted.

Vampire Bat: You know that they are just partial vampires without brains.

Vampire Owl: Well, there can be no real relation, you know.

Vampire Bat: The relationships are for humans; we have bloodlines.

[Moves into the darkness of the night].

Release date: 13th December 2024
Running time: 104 minutes
Directed by: Martin Campbell
Starring: Eva Green, Maria Bakalova, Ruby Rose, Rona-Lee Shimon, Jojo T Gibbs, Emily Bruni, Christopher Backus, Zoha Rahman, Laetitia Eïdo, Aziz Çapkurt, George Iskandar, Reza Brojerdi, Edmund Kingsley as Dr. Mike Claudia, May Kurtz

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<<< Click here to go to the review of the biggest movie of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Salem’s Lot

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Vampire Owl: I remember this as America’s answer to Dracula.

Vampire Bat: Do you think that Uncle Dracula would ever want to visit the United States?

Vampire Owl: Some parts of the nation are suitable for him.

Vampire Bat: You are talking about New Orleans where he won’t be an alien.

Vampire Owl: Uncle Dracula would need more than just one town or city.

Vampire Bat: You think that he still wishes to spread the undead curse?

Vampire Owl: I have read that it was the dream of the vampire elders.

Vampire Bat: Well, the vampire elders, even for a vampire lifespan, were too old to be alive.

Vampire Owl: They were still in their senses, even though tortured by light.

Vampire Bat: They are only that much in their sense as Dr Frankenstein during a science exhibition.

[Gets an egg puffs and three cups of tea with boost].

What is the movie about? :: In the 1975, a strange man from Europe opens an antique store in the town of Jerusalem’s Lot and starts residing in the long-abandoned Marsten House, which has a history of murders. It is then that Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman) has returned to this hometown after a very long time, this time as a writer. He falls in love with Susan Norton (Makenzie Leigh), who also wishes to leave the town one day. The place seems to be a peaceful little town where almost nothing happens, and there is almost nothing of interest. But the new entrant from Europe has a huge coffin in there, and something sinister seems to be lurking in the shadows of the night. There are boys who go missing, and as no clue is found, the locals begin to be suspicious about Ben who had only recently arrived and after which these missing cases started. The police is unable to find any clue about the particular missing.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: After the disappearance of the boy named Ralph Glick (Cade Woodward), his brother Danny Glick (Nicholas Crovetti) is also attacked, and after spending some time in the hospital, the boy dies, and is soon buried. Mike Ryerson (Spencer Treat Clark), gravedigger who buried the boy is soon attacked by the undead version of him and gets sick. It is Matthew Burke (Bill Camp) who first notices and identifies the signs of vampirism in the gravedigger and is able to connect the same to recent disappearances, illnesses and corpses. But things are worse than he could imagine as this is not a case of a random vampire attacking a few people in the town. Kurt Barlow (Alexander Ward) is an ancient vampire whose origins go a long way back, and is a source of pure evil. He would stop at nothing as the intention is to turn the whole town into a vampire colony and spread the undead curse even further. Can anyone even come close to stopping him?

The defence of Salem’s Lot :: The movie takes us to the 1970s feeling, and we see that again, and most of us who were not alive during the time can only know them through movies – this one seems to show that nicely, and place the vampire curse right in between. Finding the vampires around would be more chilling at that time as it is displayed in the movie, because there is no friendly neighbourhood vampirism as it has been popularized now. The movie maintains that original essence, and has vampires as the true evil creatures of the night, all prepared for some nocturnal hunting of humans. The setting is really well-constructed and the world suits works with perfection. The vampire attacks are shown with all the required intensity and the fear elements get good dose as the movie demanded. With the old style vampires with the long-established weakness and fear generation, the nostalgia returns like it has wings.

The claws of flaw :: The movie struggles to rise from the tag of just another old-style vampire movie which offers nothing new, and do not even make the book feel better with its content. There is the feeling of lack of depth at times, and the movie struggles to maintain pace. The length of the movie does not seem to justify itself and we see a lot of lagging in between. The struggle feels real, but it should not have been the case with a film which has the base material set from a long time ago – the whole things should have been as safe as adapting Dracula and adding so many new things to it, and still having the vampire world to work like a dream. Some characters do not really develop and we do not feel for them, even when they are dead. The emotional strength feels to be lacking, and the establishment of pillars of the movie might have been the problem as they threaten to fall. The mystery could have been deeper and it is to be noted that the new world would never cease to be terrifying even without vampires, as there are already existing monsters.

The performers of the soul :: The cast nicely blends into the 1970s setting and their work and appearance give us the best feeling of the time period. The blending into that world and characters work like a dream. The journey is led well by Lewis Pullman, who plays the protagonist who comes across the least possible evil and has to react quick enough to survive. Bill Camp is solid in a role which could be this movie’s Van Helsing, even though he does not survive that long with the undead curse spreading faster than that of Dracula. Makenzie Leigh seems to be the one person best suitable for the age with the work, and the character holds on so well. Alfre Woodard also keeps the anti-vampire battle going on well. John Benjamin Hickey could have had even bigger role to play when we see how things have been going. And then, the master vampire works really well, reminding one of Nosferatu.

How it finishes :: Salem’s Lot could have improved on the content of the book, but here it seems like just trying to use the available content and do nothing much to add to the same. There were lots of opportunities to bring a classic touch or visualize better, but the same are not taken by the movie. But the horror arrives well, and we are ready to accept the same. After all, horror is the one true feeling that everyone experiences and believes in, unlike the movies with college romance which is more myth for people who do not experience them. As part of the one true genre of horror, the movie has managed well. We are not supposed to expect more than what meets the eye as a usual thing though. This journey is indeed in the right direction to bring more horror to the scene, and take us back to the original vampire world – not that of the blood-drinking entities that glitter and live in the house on the other side of the street.

Release date: 3rd October 2024
Running time: 113 minutes
Directed by: Gary Dauberman
Starring: Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, Alfre Woodard, John Benjamin Hickey, Bill Camp, Jordan Preston Carter, Nicholas Crovetti, Spencer Treat Clark, William Sadler, Pilou Asbæk

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Neverland Nightmare

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Vampire Owl: Do you know this guy named Peter Pan?

Vampire Bat: Yes, he was chosen to be a vampire but was just not good enough.

Vampire Owl: So, he is a dropout from the vampire academy.

Vampire Bat: He never really tried. He just pretended.

Vampire Owl: I do not see why such characters need to be vampires.

Vampire Bat: There are more undeserving vampires in our realm.

Vampire Owl: Well, death is only the beginning of character detailing.

Vampire Bat: Yes, I have seen vampires developing characters different from their previous existence. They were never exactly the same.

Vampire Owl: Death hunts and separates characters, I see.

Vampire Bat: So does the purgatory as we know it.

[Gets a Milky Bar and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Peter Pan (Martin Portlock) who has been working at a fantasy-themed circus performing a mime for children, is seen abducting children, and even murdering their parents or friends who get in their way. After many years post the abductions by Peter, Mary Darling (Teresa Banham) is a single mother who lives with her children Wendy Darling (Megan Placito), John Darling (Campbell Wallace) and Michael Darling (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney) who are all going through a complex family situation. On Michael’s birthday, Wendy promises to pick him up from school and go to a cafe, but gets distracted while talking to her boyfriend who visits her after a long time, and does not notice that Michael leaves home on his bicycle. As he has to go through a road with woods on both sides, he is chased by Peter in a van, and after causing an accident, abducts the boy and takes him to his lair. Wendy feels that the boy is still in the school, and keeps searching for him, but meets with no clues.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The search gets more frantic with a phone call as Peter calls and informs them that he will take Michael to a place known as “Neverland” which will serve children the best. The next day, Peter attacks and slaughters a school bus full of children including the adults who accompanied them. Wendy’s best friend Tiger Lily (Olumide Olorunfemi) offers her help and asks her to stay with them, but Peter also attacks the house looking for another school kid, who is taken captive. A transwoman with the name Tinker Bell (Kit Green) who is convinced that the children Peter kills are actually going to the fictional land of Neverland is revealed to be Peter’s partner in crime. Wendy who follows Peter to his hideout finds a locked James Hook (Charity Kase) who has a hook instead of one of his hands. Now, Wendy finds herself in trouble, as things seem to go out of hand, and Peter Pan is more than just a common human being.

The defence of Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare :: The dark twists never cease to keep us interested, as the world reminds of the terrifying reality that could hide behind every text, especially when they seem sweet and suitable for kids – the children who grow with inherent evil would still take it to hearts and then there is the pure evil which is unleashed as an adult. The change to Neverland into a nightmare world with dead children, corrupted fairies and horror-styled locations possibly housing a psycho killer makes this that kind of a situation where the original tales would stay away from. The slasher elements work strongly here, more than the usual scares, as this is that gory affairs which brings fear in another way. The new wave of horror films based on the public-domain characters which followed, would have a lot more as it seems here, and the sequel would also unleash unmatched terror if things are to go as we expect. The evil here feels very much of a pure dark side, and that works.

The claws of flaw :: There is a certain amount of weakness that the movie brings on itself, as there seems to be a lag even in a short movie like this one. Some of the trouble might be because of the lower budget as CGI never really goes for the extra. The usual elements of the classic slasher horror also go missing, as this one is rather too much on the safe side – trying to be too safe and by listening to everyone, the essence of a work is often lost, and that might be what is reflected here. The movie keeps focusing on the kills, but never really tries to make the same interesting, and even the biggest moment of the movie that includes a bus kill does not have the strength even when it is talked about, leaving it to the side as if the deaths are not shocking or even worth talking about. As there are so many things unexplained, the sequel is needed immediately, or there will be that emptiness that haunts the movie here. The characters are also lost in the gore at times. Then there is the predictability which very much there.

The performers of the soul :: Megan Placito comes up with an admirable scream queen and slasher expert performance, even though that kind of a classic horror feeling is not really there – she does not get that many opportunities to go diverse, but manages what is with her with ease. She should make it to more horror movies, and not just slasher, but also action horror. There is also an emotional side to her performance which we will note. Martin Portlock’s antagonist is strong, but required more explanations and better layered character, as we do not really get into the soul of the same. He surely seems to have the main requirement filled, but one would have to wonder if that was all that was needed. Peter DeSouza-Feighoney playing the child does his job well and Hardy Yusuf who plays the other relevant kids is okay too. Kit Green manages the avatar well too. Olumide Olorunfemi and Campbell Wallace should have been around for a longer time and should have contributed more to the situation, but just manages with what they have here.

How it finishes :: Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare is that kind of movie which could have done better, but instead just goes through what seems to be a normal routine. When turning childhood memories to nightmares, other movies of the same kind scored rather better without doubt. This one, despite having such a terrifying idea, struggles for some reason. It never reaches its potential, as limitations seems to be randomly created here. If you have watched Bambi: The Reckoning, you will know that the chance for going full horror was surely there. Maybe the sequel could bring much more, as there is more that could be revealed with a terrifying touch. Still, the horror stays strong enough, and as children have that inherent evil in them, they have lived through these characters who have also grown up to present the same evil to the society. These stories turned horror feels like that Lord of the Flies kind of treatment given by children on islands without civilization to control them – these will surely bring more evil as there is no world that cannot descend into chaos as long as children are in control; Willia Golding knew the same.

Release date: 24th February 2025
Running time: 89 minutes
Directed by: Scott Chambers
Starring: Megan Placito, Martin Portlock, Kit Green, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, Teresa Banham, Olumide Olorunfem,i Campbell Wallace, Nicholas Woodeson

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Demonte Colony II

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Vampire Owl: So, are we going to a colony of a demon?

Vampire Bat: Do you think that this is about a colony of some demon?

Vampire Owl: I never knew that demons had colonies.

Vampire Bat: I have heard about the first movie of this series.

Vampire Owl: Well, we missed that one, didn’t we? At least this one is on Jio Hotstar.

Vampire Bat: It only means from the mount/hill – not related to demons, I think.

Vampire Owl: Well, there are witches on the mountains.

Vampire Bat: Those are mountains to us only because we live below sea level.

Vampire Owl: Still, the northern witches from above are the most dangerous.

Vampire Bat: If they are connected the demons, yes. I believe that shadow world would have something to do about the same.

[Gets a chicken puttu and three cups of Kodaikanal tea].

What is the movie about? :: Samuel a.k.a. Sam (Sarjano Khalid) is a cancer survivor, who is seen as hanging in his room and his friends fall to death from an apartment building. Debbie (Priya Bhavani Shankar), Sam’s wife, suspects that there is something sinister about this as he had just gone through so many treatments and prayers defeating the illness, thus becoming a survivor whom everyone celebrated. A few years after Sam’s death, she continues to have attempts to impregnate herself with Sam’s preserved sperm, much to the dismay of her parents, friends and relatives. Sam’s father Richard (Arun Pandian) is the only person who supports Debbie in whatever she does, not thinking about its consequences. Six years past Sam’s death, Debbie inaugurates her Chinese restaurant in memory of her husband. There, sensing Sam’s presence, she consults a monk to communicate with Sam’s spirit. At the same time, in Hyderabad, Raghunandhan a.k.a. Raghu (Arulnithi Tamilarasu) and his half-sister Aishwarya (Archana Ravichandran) contest in the court as their lost brother is inheriting 70% of their deceased father’s two thousand five hundred crore worth of property.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: When the monk sends Debbie to the spirit world despite all bad omens, she sees Sam trapped among many souls and she keeps on writing about help and drawing the face of Raghu. It is shown that both Raghu and his lost brother Srinivasan a.k.a. Srini who also look alike had gone through accidents from where they miraculously escape, but the latter had ended in a comma. Raghu obtains a court order for Srini’s passive euthanasia, hoping that he could claim that part of inheritance. But Debbie warns Raghu that they are linked from within and harming Srini will also kill him who had also survived those linked accidents. It is revealed that they who are born from the same atom, has remained cosmically entangled, and destined to live or die together. This goes back to that past which linked those accidents that occurred at the same time to some unknown supernatural power. Srini was also admitted to Richard’s hospital, and as a doctor, he has been taking care of him, despite not much hope of him getting back to senses being received.

And what more is to follow here in a world of evil ready to be unleashed? :: A further investigation leads to a mysterious book, Unsung King of a Fallen Kingdom, previously read by Sam and Srini’s friend. This book has the figure of Baphomet, a goat-headed demonic identity and an inverted cross, symbolizing the worship of Satan. This king is supposed to be from Portugal, and has been associated with Anti-Christ. The book had only been read once in six years, and the borrowers mysteriously dies and the book was every time recovered and brought to different libraries by some unknown figure. Further research brings the name, “Demonte Colony,” and rests on the idea about existence of an evil force and a chain which brings further power of the damned. They are able to find this house, and plans to keep it barricaded with the help of police, only to find screams from inside and the realization that someone might be already inside. There are four girls inside, and only one of them remains sane, and this girl named Adithi (Meenakshi Govindarajan) reveals more of the horror – but evil has been spreading quickly, and is it too late to intervene?

The defence of Demonte Colony 2 :: The movie rests on the shoulders of Priya Bhavani Shankar who not only handles the horror as a scream queen, but also manages the emotional side well. Arulnithi surely brings further depth to the situation with his performance. The thrills keep the movie engaged throughout its run, and there are some twists added here too. There is some effective use of darkness and the atmosphere of different locations. The background music nicely supports the generation of fear which keeps increasing the feeling of danger after starting with a mystery which needs to be solved. The use of multiple kinds of demonic references and the clues to something even bigger coming in a third movie, has us every much interested. The sequel surely would have something even bigger, as it seems to give the idea. A lot would continue to be revealed in the next movie, and the way in which the movie has been dealing with the big reveals here also need to be appreciated. The supporting cast also supports the same including Meenakshi Govindarajan, Arun Pandian, Sarjano Khalid, Archana Ravichandran, Vettai Muthukumar and others.

Positives and negatives :: The CGI and special effects are pretty good, but there is nothing incredibly terrifying, something which could have been added by the end of the movie. There will still be the feeling that there is some predictability associated with it. The psychological side could have been stronger, but we see that the other side make up for it. There are also so many things being talked about, and some might feel confused – but that would make sure that there is not shortage of content in this rather long movie. The Hindi version was the only dubbed language on Jio Hotstar does make one feel strange too. The fans of the first movie might not want this one to go too complex, but the addition of legends and the leading actress have only made it better. Still, for us intellectual horror watchers, creation of a new world and a lot of horror from beneath has helped. This movie also feels like more emotionally touching and with so many layers which could be explored even further in a sequel with more mysteries to be revealed.

How it finishes :: Demonte Colony 2 extends the tale of the first movie with ease, and there are some nice connections being made here. The scope for sequel is very well-set, and we know that the evil will come in its greatest form in the next movie, where the characters also seem to point to the same, as the best might be still to come. A bigger commercial success here would mean that there could be a spectacle in score, and third one could be the classic. Along with Pechi, this would be another Tamil horror classic which we would remember for long. This is at a time when Malayalam movie industry is more interested in bringing psychos and serial killers for terror instead of the supernatural. May the lovers of the supernatural continue to find solace in movies like this one which successfully creates its own demons like Sinister, Insidious, Ouija and others which have also succeeded outside the Conjuring–Annabelle–Nun universe. Let this one serve the horror enthusiast well and inspire the person to watch more of the same kind.

Release date: 15th August 2024
Running time: 144 minutes
Directed by: R Ajay Gnanamuthu
Starring: Arulnithi, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Arun Pandian, Vettai Muthukumar, Antti Jaaskelainen, Tsering Dorjee, Meenakshi Govindarajan, Ramesh Thilak, Sarjano Khalid, Master Allam, Archana Ravichandran, M. S. Bhaskar, Priyadarshini Rajkumar, Raneesh, Abishek Joseph George, Kalaiyarasan, Ravi Venkatraman, Senthi Kumari, Soundarya Mahesh Babu, Tenzin Dargya

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Jurassic World Rebirth

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Vampire Owl: Are we going to see the dinosaurs again?

Vampire Bat: Yes, and they continue to remind us of dragons.

Vampire Owl: Do you feel that dragons really existed in the realm?

Vampire Bat: Yes, they could be summoned by the witches if they are powerful enough.

Vampire Owl: So, dragons originally became extinct like the dinosaurs?

Vampire Bat: The legends do not exactly mention dragons ceasing to exist.

Vampire Owl: So, have you ever seen one and inspire a Dragon Park like the Jurassic one?

Vampire Bat: You know that creatures of magic always coexist without you seeing them, right?

Vampire Owl: If they come back at some point, I would call it necromancy.

Vampire Bat: It would be just simple magic as they are not really gone forever.

[Gets a Bourbon biscuit and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: It is seen that in a dinosaur genetics laboratory located on Ile Saint-Hubert, an island in the Atlantic Ocean, a six-limbed Tyrannosaurus called Distortus rex escapes the secure containment due to the careless dealings of an employee. It kills the same employee and forces all the active scientific and military personnel to abandon the island. But many years later, there is a plan to return to area around this island. As the Earth’s climate seems to be inappropriate for the dinosaurs, most of them are restricted to equatorial areas which got climate which suits them and resembles more of the pre-historic age. These areas become exclusion zones for the creatures where humans do not go, and are also restricted by laws. Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend), an executive at a pharmaceutical company plans a classified mission to collect some biomaterial samples from three huge dinosaurs, which would help in a cardiovascular disease treatment as heart diseases have been on the increase among humans with a lot of deaths occurring at young ages, and people have been willing to pay a lot for the same.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: On his mission, he recruits Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), a former government agent who is in need for some quick money and a paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) who feels that his job is lost due to nobody caring about the ancient species with dinosaurs rarely attractions any more. Zora recruits an old friend and assassin Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali), maritime pilot LeClerc (Bechir Sylvain), skilled mercenary Nina (Philippine Velge) and security expert Bobby Atwater (Ed Skrein) as the mission would take a lot of effort in a dangerous environment. While they are traveling through the seas, another boat is journeying far into the ocean, as Reuben Delgado (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) is sailing nearby together with his daughters Teresa Garcia-Rulfo (Luna Blaise) and Isabella Garcia-Rulfo (Audrina Miranda), along with Teresa’s boyfriend, Xavier Dobbs (David Iacono). When a Mosasaurus attacks and overturns their sailboat, they are found by the team, but are further attacked by a group of dinosaurs teaming up as one, leading the boat to crash. Now, can they make it out alive with or without samples?

The defence of Jurassic World Rebirth :: The movie, with the strength of nostalgia, transports us to a world that we would remember for what we see around, with memories nicely coming back to us from years ago. The world detail and the dinosaurs created here are very good as usual. The island is something that will stay with us for a long time, and the jungle environment provides us some nice vibes, not that away from the natural, but providing a feeling of something beyond the usual. This is that kind of a movie which is standalone, but us connected really well to the rest of the universe. The movie also manages to have one of the best crow-pullers at the top as the main character and there is also some extra sense of danger added with a family with a kid also in trouble and a little dinosaur also around. The danger and action are also not overdone, and the battles here are more realistic than ever, even in a fictional world full of strange creatures. The ending is also satisfactory, and brings together what happened in the very beginning of the movie. There is also that scope for a fine sequel created around here.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does seem to repeat a pattern with which we are a lot familiar, and it is more or less like seeing something we have watched some time ago, but with divergences here and there, yet staying close to the core. Even after so many years, it does not add anything extraordinary or special post the first flick. This is why a comparison would only serve the purpose of hype and better initial collections rather than let people see the improvement. A follow-up to the initial moments of the movie would have also been great, as it was too good. The action does feel to be a little less and walking and talking seems to be a little more than needed, which makes this movie a little big longer than one would expect. The characters are also not that much interesting, and there is not much of a detail provided about them to keep us invested in them. The family feels that just an unnecessary addition, especially as it has that kid to raise the tension, and it has that unruly daughter and strange choice of a boyfriend, the kind that has been on the reels in Kerala for quite a long time.

The performers of the soul :: The movie is led by Scarlett Johansson, and makes one wonder if there was any other film in the franchise which would have more hype for the leading actress than anything related to its content. As the one person who has played Black Widow and has been there for so many Avengers movies, and even in the films with other superheroes, she gets into this role with ease in a mercenary mode. Jonathan Bailey also comes up with a fine display of that character who feels less important due to the society ignoring its past, but fights to save his world against all odds. Luna Blaise manages the irritating daughter who has fallen in dumb love well, and remains a symbol of disobedient children. David Iacono provides some humour as the useless boyfriend, while the child actor Audrina Miranda shines as the little girl with brain and empathy. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s father role works very well and often feels for him for having ungrateful teenage daughter around. Rupert Friend scores well as the only fully negative human being of the movie, and becomes the symbol of a corporate world of medicine which serves the most elite of society. Philippine Velge getting killed too early was disappointing, and we hope to see her in an action flick staying for longer periods of time.

How it finishes :: We have all been loving a lot of Jurassic Park movies in the recent past, and it is that love which we have had from childhood itself, as nostalgia lives on in relation to such creatures, even more than what Godzilla, dragons and wyverns have provided us – they have left us with enough for a life-time. The idea of the Jurassic Park coming right of a novel, had created something we were not going to forget, and so much was to come with the same on the screen with what felt like unlimited sequels. With this nostalgia running through, supported by improved classic visuals and an environment of unlimited danger that exists, this one makes the mission really interesting, thus remaining entertaining throughout the run. Transporting oneself to a world of dinosaurs will never get old, even though we do change from children of that first movie to adults watching this one. Well, this one is a little bit too derivative and repetitive, and thus if one feels that there has been too much of dinosaurs around here, one would not be complaining, but otherwise, this one nicely keeps the spark alive for the creatures from that far back in time.

Release date: 2nd July 2025
Running time: 133 minutes
Directed by: Gareth Edwards
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Ed Skrein, David Iacono, Luna Blaise, Audrina Miranda, Philippine Velge, Bechir Sylvain

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Eleven

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Vampire Owl: Do you know that there are not even eleven vampires in our team?

Vampire Bat: Well, we do not need that many vampires around here.

Vampire Owl: So, we are not building an army?

Vampire Bat: Why do we need an army right now?

Vampire Owl: To defeat an army of serial killer humans?

Vampire Bat: This movie only has one serial killer.

Vampire Owl: But humans are basically trained to be serial killers.

Vampire Bat: We do not see an army of serial killers in one movie.

Vampire Owl: There are many, but they show only a few of them.

Vampire Bat: Well, humans are meant to be born killers with inherent evil, and only one small push will do for even children.

[Gets a chicken cutlet and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: ACP Aravindan IPS (Naveen Chandra) is a police officer who has a near-perfect record of solving even the most impossible cases, and had recently caught a finance bank robbery group which had never failed in their crimes before with perfect calculations. This success is celebrated well on media, but a darker case was evolving in the background. ACP Ranjith IPS (Shashank) who is in charge of this new case involving serial killings almost dies in an accident after the body count reaches six, Aravindan is asked to investigate. Ranjith who barely survived, and is in the hospital promises to support him in any way possible, even though left out of service due to injury. For his support, SI Manohar (Dileepan) is given the duty, and both find themselves in a confused state as there was never any real clue found by previous investigatory and Ranjith. Aravindan discovers an interesting piece of evidence, an ankle-surgery plate in one of the victims, which helps them shortlist seven individuals based on age.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: At the same time, Sanjana (Reyaa Hari) who comes to a restaurant to meet her possible groom who was selected by her parents sees Aravindan who is wearing the same identification in the form of a grey shirt, and falling in love with him as he beats up multiple goons. She tells him about her desire, but he immediately rejects her and asks her to marry the person whom her parents had found for her. Aravindan reaches Sudhakar (Kireeti Damaraju) while tracing the ankle-surgery plate and Meera (Riythvika) while hearing about a beggar talking about a girl being abducted. The police also find a common group photo in both houses, finally finding a connection. Aravindan understands that the only connection between the twins is their school, Twin Birds Matriculation School, which no longer exists as it was burned down in a fire, followed by the death of its owner Ravi (Ravi Varma). This feels like a very strange connection with a past that they wish to forget from their childhood, which had a secret which was buried. Now, the question remains about who all will be targeted from that past.

The defence of Eleven :: This might be one of the most interesting versions of serial killer related murder investigations as it focuses on twins. At the same time, the visuals are nothing less than stunning, and the colours here especially at night seems to bring the best of Chennai. This is the kind of movie which quickly has us interested, and gets us through the journey with guesses, but brings those kinds of twists which come out of nowhere. But there is no overdose of the same like we had seen in Mirage, as things just went out of control. There are the twists over twists which works so well, and the suspense only gets stronger, while red herrings add on well. The shots of cemetery and the styling lacks in nothing. As the cinematography, background score and production values deserve praise, they keep us deeper in the movie here. The flashback tale is also very much interesting which reminds us that one has to pay for the heartless mistakes one makes, whether it is as a child or as an adult because humanity is not learned in old age, but part of human character rather early.

Positives and negatives :: The movie’s romantic side is a mess, and it is saved by the fact that the same is not given that much of a focus. There is something that makes us feel that it was not needed at all. There might also be the feeling that we have rather too many serial killers around, but in our world, one has to say that it is not a surprise to have such people hiding behind different faces. For some people, there might be points where there are missing connections, but it is seen that everything comes together at the end. It is always nice to see the inherent evil of man at work, like in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies – taking children as innocent is not the way to go; the actions of the kids could feel even more evil in nature than that of the adults as they are not forced into situations, but use them right out of their hearts. There are always the little demons in this world of chaos, and here we see that element coming back to haunt them as adults. This makes sure that there is always something different and divergent even in the nature of the movie, and revenge remains justified.

The performers of the soul :: The movie is guided by a solid performance from Naveen Chandra, who becomes a perfect police officer with that determination on his face that never seems to leave the character. The intensity that he shows in a quiet and determined manner, never going overboard, sets a fine example here, without also overdoing any action sequence. The different shades of his character work so well that we do not think about having any other perfect police officer during this time period. Reyaa Hari, the producer who is the leading lady is under-utilized, and in the role, does quite less – cannot blame her though, as the romantic side lags behind in almost everything and this approach does not suit her; yet she does fine in the final moments of the movie. Dileepan also remains solid as the supporting police officer, as his character also contributes to the twists well. Shashank plays the third important police man, and that also works nicely. Abhirami’s role is also an interesting one here. Riythvika also adds on to the proceedings here with memorable moments. The same can also be said about Kireeti Damaraju’s work.

How it finishes :: Eleven is one of the best investigation thrillers featuring a serial killer and twists remain very much effective with suspense all around. For the fans of investigative thrillers who wish to see murders coming out of a buried past, this one is surely worth a watch, as there is a good score to be taken for its strong lead, technical polishing and the satisfying second half which comes to an ending which it deserved. The ability to remain engaging from the beginning to the end is a skill that not many movies possess. There is nothing much that it misses, and we are familiar with some classic thrillers with serial killers from Memories to Abraham Ozler, Forensic, Anjaam Pathiraa, John Luther, Antakshari, Paappan and others which have kept Malayalam movie industry going strong. This movie could have surely used more hype and much more screens here, as we are the kind of people who like the twists and thrills with a serial killer around and a mystery which is soaked in revenge and best served cold. For now, this one serves the same well in Amazon Prime Video in multiple languages.

Release date: 16th May 2025
Running time: 135 minutes
Directed by: Lokkesh Ajls
Starring: Naveen Chandra, Reyaa Hari, Abhirami, Ravi Varma, Riythvika, Shashank, Dileepan, Arjai, Aadukalam Naren, Kireeti Damaraju

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Bambi

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Vampire Owl: I feel that I know this particular animal.

Vampire Bat: Well, there is no vampire deer around here.

Vampire Owl: There are no new vampire appointments?

Vampire Bat: There has not been a vampire transformation in a long time.

Vampire Owl: But Dr. Frankenstein was transformed into a vampire.

Vampire Bat: He is not a vampire. Mr. Frankenstein just has some really bad teeth.

Vampire Owl: Well, he is known as the first vampire scientist in the media.

Vampire Bat: The media is just exaggerating things. They even talked about the hunt.

Vampire Owl: There was the great monster hunt which spread further.

Vampire Bat: It was not really a hunt. It was just a random experiment.

[Gets an uzhunnu vada and three cups of Ooty tea].

What is the movie about? :: A young deer is shown as losing his family members, to poachers, to vehicles carelessly driven through forest roads and finds the rivers contaminated with radioactive waste. Drinking this contaminated waste transforms the deer into something else, a mutated creature known as Bambi. It drives him into vengeance, as he, as part of the forest, decides to take back the world which used to belong to them, and finish off whatever humans he finds on the way. Greatly increased in size and stronger than ever, the mutated version of him is something which would now stop at no force, seemingly becoming the apex predator which would not hesitate to kill at will. A big truck carrying toxic waste from a local radiation company known as Wibexr Pharmaceuticals would be a special target. At the same time, there are also other creatures of the forest, mostly herbivores, but have turned carnivores due to the same effect of the contamination. There might not be any innocence left in the forest yet.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: A few days after the contamination, a mother Xana (Roxanne McKee) and her son Benji (Tom Mulheron) take a taxi to spend the Thanksgiving holidays with Xana’s husband Simon (Alex Cooke) with whom she might get separated soon – and his family is also there including his dementia-stricken mother Mary (Nicola Wright), his brothers Andrew (Russell Geoffrey Banks) and Joshua (Luke Cavendish), Andrew’s wife Harriet (Samira Mighty), and their son Harrison (Joseph Greenwood). As Simon promises to arrive before dinner and celebrate with the family, the family stays waiting. On the way, Bambi attacks the taxi and brutally kills the driver while Xana and Benji manages to get out of the vehicle and somehow reaches the family house. The residents of the house do not believe in the story of a giant deer attacking, and feels that there is something else at work, but decides to be careful. Maty also seems to know the name of the deer and there are drawings of the creature in the house.

And what more would happen here as the world seems to be scariest with a contamination within a forest? :: Soon, Bambi reaches the place and attacks the house and kills Harriet splitting her into two with her reinforced antlers, forcing the family to flee in a caravan, losing the creature for some time. They drive into the forest only to find the road blocked and thus an unexpected dead end. Andrew tries to remove it, but Benji who panics upon seeing Bambi on the rear-view mirror drives off with him, Xana and Mary inside and Andrew is accidentally dragged behind them and dies on the road. Harrison who is left behind gets caught in a trap for animals and are brutally killed by a group of mutated rabbits. The group of Benji, Xana and Mary come up against Michael (Adrian Relph), a co-worker of Simon. Soon, they come across some truths which would be better if remained hidden, but then there is that mutated deer with some other ideas. Can the family and friends at least survive this night?

The defence of Bambi: The Reckoning :: The movie strikes well with its fear induced out of the cuteness of nostalgia, with such an inversion which goes so well with the situation that nature faces in front of human induced disasters. As this one flips into a horror revenge deer turned monster, the mood is so well-arranged and the environment is so much perfect. The Twisted Childhood Universe of horror taking on beloved characters gives it an appeal that we do not forget with ease. The monster deer created out of radioactive waste is designed very well and some inventive kills and gore also looks interesting. The haunting feels good and the presence of that kind of danger which seems to be present everywhere leaves the options of running, and there is the effective survival mode. The deer scares us like a rabid dog, as the looks shift to the face of a dog with antlers and the body of a horse, as this mutation never ceases to be scary. The dark mood is always present throughout the movie and there is also the talk about the need to save nature or it will hit back as forest would find a way for revenge.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have spready the horror further with moments which would be remembered for the variety of terror as a classic slasher, but that much is not there. The elements of the classic slasher are less explored here as there seems to be some confusion about how the induced evil on cuteness should progress. The character development is rather less, and the humans feel like just provided here to be prey with the scope to save only the expected characters by the end because the movie just wants to keep playing safe. The low budget effect also shows at times, and seems to limit the movie from getting to the next level, especially with a seemingly unstoppable creature on the hunt. The darkness in the movie seems to be created more to hide what could be a terrifying thing beyond all imaginations if provided with the best budget. It is sometimes too much away from the usual serious horror and the reminder of the childhood tale does not strike everyone that well as we look at it. This is not that much of a classical childhood thing for people around here as much as some of the others.

How it finishes :: Bambi: The Reckoning gets a cute little creature grow up to become a demonic mutant monster that would change many childhood stories. The original Bambi of Disney would not get that treatment here, and the direct inverted cuteness is something that will stay with the viewers who would also have a related childhood nostalgia going the other way. This is the movie which comes as an unexpected interesting entry. It becomes the reminder that the sweetest could be the evillest, and as William Golding’s Lord of the Flies had told us, there is always that evil in the cuteness which is always ready to come out. We can now have the feeling that this evil is actually right out of the inherent evil of children that was delivered against Piggy and Simon in that novel and its multiple film adaptations. After all, the movie reminds us that evil is real, and the horror is the ultimate reality. You will surely get the entertainment and a special nostalgic feeling out of this one in Amazon Prime Video, but if you expect more substance or a polished horror experience, you might need more.

Release date: 25th July 2025
Running time: 81 minutes
Directed by: Dan Allen
Starring: Roxanne McKee, Tom Mulheron, Nicola Wright, Samira Mighty, Alex Cooke, Russell Geoffrey Banks, Joseph Greenwood

<<< Click here to go to the previous movie review.

<<< Click here to go to the previous English movie review.

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<<< Click here to go to the biggest movie of the year.

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Karam

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Vampire Owl: Do you know that we were looking forward to watching this one in theatre.

Vampire Bat: Yes, but we were very busy at that time.

Vampire Owl: The opinions were still not positive.

Vampire Bat: I still have a Thira feeling about this particular movie.

Vampire Owl: I have watched the trailer and it was really good.

Vampire Bat: And I feel that there is more than what meets the eye here.

Vampire Owl: I have wanted Vineeth Sreenivasan with a thriller again.

Vampire Bat: There is something about that change from the feel-good.

Vampire Owl: Well, feel-good has never been a reality.

Vampire Bat: Humans can create a fake infinite realities and live in the same all the time.

[Gets a kadai paneer dosa and three cups of Ceylon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Dev (Noble Babu Thomas) and Salman (John Kaippallil) were in charge of an undercover operation to capture a notorious terrorist who has been threatening India from Pakistan and other nations, but after going against a direct order, gets in trouble, with former being court-marshalled and latter landing in the hospital for quite some time. After his return home, his girlfriend Sana (Audrey Miriam Henest) meets with an accident, leading her father Abdullah (Johny Antony) taking her away, and Dev is blamed for the incident and prohibited from meeting her again. A disappointed Dev who also has problems with his father Mahendran (Manoj K Jayan), decides to get married, and find love in Tara (Reshma Sebastian) and has a son Ayaan (Nazhan Bin Najmal). One day, they have to travel to a country named Lenarco, for Tara’s international conference. It feels like a happy family trip with the help of Kamal (Kalabhavan Shajohn) who remains their driver for the trips, with places to visit and happy moments to be shared with a tour that came after a long time.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Things seem to go around nicely, but when Dev goes to a night club which also has a brother underneath, he finds Sana there as one of the experienced sex workers displayed for the clients. Confused and disheartened, he chooses her from the display, and she reveals that she was trafficked from India while escaping home in order to find and be with him against the wishes of her father. On the way, she was tracked by a human trafficking gang that kidnapped and trafficked her out of the nation. She was sold, raped and forced into sex work in the organization which runs the most powerful mafia in the land. Andre (Ivan Vukomanovic), a man with high connections and the most powerful group of goons under his control manages the operations. There is no escape for her from there as even the police are in his payroll. A distraught Dev who feels that he could have saved her from this hopeless situation if he had gone after her, decides to save her from the brothel, but it would not be so easy, with his own family at risk in a nation which seems to have less control over its gangs and guns.

The defence of Karam :: We have all waited for a technically polished thriller of international standards, and if you are not watching it despite the same, there is no hope in having more – we remember how much quality could be felt in movies like Ranam and Ivide, which did not have that success that they deserved, and this one gets into that list with ease. The movie is visually stunning, and the fight scenes never feel overdone with no love for that dumb dose of heroism and mass moments. The tension is present throughout the movie, and there are some nicely managed thrilling moments around here. The emotions are really felt here, and there is no shortage of feeling in this world which is dark and has evil hiding underneath. Unlike a few other movies, it does not hesitate to get into that world of chaos and sometimes not checking into that safe side. These kinds of movies should be considered as the true feel-good, and not others that pretend to be so, without any story and keeping on saying the same things again and again to pretend to be feel-good. The release in Amazon Prime Video would surely bring more positive opinions as people would the movie without prejudices.

Positives and negatives :: The movie could have surely used more twists in between and set the whole thing on pure survival mode, and we see that the pace is often lost regarding the attempt to escape. The ending could have also been more classic without what seemed like the deus ex machina which felt not that suitable for the overall tone of the movie. The emotional side despite being there at all times, do not keep up with the overall movie. Then there will always be those people who put negativity in movie in relation to its similarities with Thira, but one has to note that most of them supported Thudarum which was basically Drishyam in a lower quality and unnecessary mass. This movie here is basically an improvement on the technical side compared to Thira, but for some strange reason, people did not seem to go for this one that much. Well, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra was still running strong at that time, and some others had also joined – maybe it was not the right time to have a release for this particular movie.

The performers of the soul :: Noble Babu Thomas who made his debut as actor in Helen, comes up with fine work here, and he has written this one too – portrays the character with control, unlike the usual superstars who would overdo such a role for the dumb fans. Ivan Vukomanovic is not a name less known among Keralites, as the head coach of Kerala Blasters, and when he is present on the screen, he maintains a certain quality as the main antagonist. Audrey Miriam Henest feels like a fine find for the industry as she maintains strength not just as the strong lover, but also as the damsel in distress, maintaining the emotions in strength and helplessness without holding back. It might not have been easy playing the same character in different life-changing situations, but she seems to have no trouble in doing the same, and is definitely a talent for the future. Reshma Sebastian, on the other side, comes up with a natural and memorable performance opposite the hero, and she seems to have mastered the role so well. I am sure that we will see her around again. Kalabhavan Shajohn and Baburaj adds quite well too. Johny Antony and Manoj K Jayan got some quick, veteran stuff to do nicely again.

How it finishes :: The movie is surely better than what the critics have been talking about, and it surely scores more than most of the overrated movies of the same genre. It is quite surprising that the audience did not support this movie that much, especially when the quality of the movie is so much, and keeps on an engaging route. The movie has so many good moments to remember, and if you liked Thira from the same director, there is no chance that you will feel the need to like this any less. The feel-good nonsense has been getting on our nerves after that and we needed to get out of them which keeps doing the meaningless for such a long time. Reminding us of Thira, this one deals with human trafficking with an international setting, unlike the usual one, and therefore feels not that close to the usual, but this is something of a grander setting. When a movie thrills and keeps one on the edge of the seat, there is not much more that you need. A technically polished work with ambitions and performances set in a classic world is something one would not miss, even with some problems here and there. This kind of movie surely needs to be appreciated to inspire more of the same kind; for now, do check it out on Amazon Prime Video.

Release date: 25th September 2025
Running time: 126 minutes
Directed by: Vineeth Sreenivasan
Starring: Noble Babu Thomas, Audrey Miriam Henest, Reshma Sebastian, Ivan Vukomanovic, Manoj K Jayan, Baburaj, Kalabhavan Shajohn, Sudev Nair, Vishnu G Varrier, Johny Antony, Shweta Menon, Redin Kingsley, Vineeth Vasudevan, Joji Mundakayam, Nazhan Bin Najmal, John Kaippallil, Basheer Rimmi Singh, Vettai Muthukumar

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Killer of Killers

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Vampire Owl: So, we are going to have more of predators now.

Vampire Bat: We have always wanted many more of predators.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that we are not predators enough?

Vampire Bat: We stopped hunting quite some time ago.

Vampire Owl: The hunters do not change the basic nature.

Vampire Bat: Yes, but the hunters can surely evolve.

Vampire Owl: Vampires are not a scientific species, right?

Vampire Bat: Yes, according to science we are just humans who are not alive.

Vampire Owl: So, you still think that we evolve.

Vampire Bat: Well, this is not really evolution in the scientific viewpoint.

[Gets a chilli paneer dosa and three cups of Yercaud tea].

What is the movie about? :: Ursa (Lindsay LaVanchy) is a nineth century Scandinavian Viking huntress who seeks vengeance on a warlord Zoran (Andrew Morgado) who killed her father, and her son Anders (Damien Haas) is also with her on this quest which would be one which could have her mind to finally rest. After years of search and a final discovery of the wretched people, she manages to slaughter Zoran’s clan, and find him in his heavily guarded fortress which they successfully breach without much difficulty. Unable to recognize Ursa from a long-lost past, Zoran mocks her for her father’s death and her incapability to defend her father or avenge him for this long a time period, before an angry Anders beheads him and ends that speech forever. But right after the battle, a Predator ambushes the group, killing Ursa’s experienced fighters one by one and also seriously injures Anders. Ursa manages to kill the Predator by using the floating ice and almost frozen water underneath after a fight underwater, but finds Anders dying in her arms. Soon, she is taken to a space ship by the predators.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Later in the seventeenth century Japan, Kenji Kawakami (Louis Ozawa Changchien) had to fight with his brother to become the next samurai warlord, and his hesitation to battle his brother leads to him being quickly defeated with a scar on his face. He leaves the castle, only to come back many years later, and after fighting his brother’s guards and defeating him, thus getting back to him, only to be attacked by a Predator who is looking for the strongest warrior to defeat and collect as trophy. Predator gets through the remaining guards of the castle and faces Kenji, who manages to defeat the creature with the help of his brother who dies of his wounds, while he himself is also injured. Kenji is then immediately transported to a space ship of the predators, and is imprisoned there with Ursa who continues to grieve for his son and hopes for a death in battlefield so that she can go to Valhalla where others will not be accepted.

And what more is to follow here as the predators keep hunting in different worlds during various time periods? :: In 1942, John J Torres who has always wished to a fighter pilot is finally drafted into the United States Navy under the command of Captain Vandenburg (Michael Biehn). Their squadron tries to investigate a mysterious aircraft that destroyed another unit, which they suspect to be a special advanced airplane built by the Germans whose military technology has always fascinated the rest of the world. Understanding that the object they managed to find in the plane is not German or of this world, John tries to warn others, taking charge of an old airplane which, he was trying to get ready to be part of the squadron. The Predator annihilates his squadron with relative ease until only John and the captain remained. Vandenburg sacrifices himself using the heat of the engine to buy more time for John, as the Predator destroys his plane with his weapons. John manages to outsmart the Predator in a well-planned movement with the flight, as the creature ends up destroying his own space ship. But John finds himself taken away later, and it is to be seen what the Predators intend to do with him and other captives.

The defence of Predator: Killer of Killers :: This movie gets into the Predator franchise incredibly well, as the animation is too good, producing some of the finest visuals on the screen. The historical worlds of different time periods at different locations keep us interested, as the essence of those situations is nicely taken. The expansion of the lore is to be appreciated. The idea of becoming the grand killer of killers do get our attention and has us interested. The movie is not that long, and as it is divided into fragments, the whole situation only keeps getting more interesting. The animated power is shown here like Justice League, Justice Society, Batman and others had shown already, but the quality of animation that we see here is even ahead. There is a lot of style around here, and the violence is also very much stylized. There are some fine additions which could be here due to the animated existence, and a base could be established in this way better than the usual methods. The final battle is indeed a joy to watch as things come together, and the world of Predators is nothing less than a classic alien planet.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does not get to elevate Predator as a creature, and never does it focus on the characterization of the most valuable alien that we will ever know that has a humanoid form. We remember that the usual movies of the franchise have some classic hunters who are remembered for long, but not this time. As there is some anthology method followed here, one might feel that the connection is sometimes lost. The extreme violence might not be accepted by everyone, as this kind of movie is also supposed to cater to a much younger audience. Many fans of the franchise might have wanted to have a live-action universe which captures the essence of the hunting with real people. This world might have looked so well if it was in live-action, and that feeling also keeps coming back to us. The linking together of the character might not appeal that well, and the reason for choosing fighters and all these endless fights – all need to serve some better purpose. Some part of the movie just seems to be forced.

How it finishes :: This is one franchise that might never get old, as it has been a classic from that first Arnold movie to now, as we do have one of our favourite aliens of all-time, still living on, sand continuing to do well against all odds, as much as Alien series which had Prometheus, Romulus and Covenant bringing that universe back in power. The time, the aliens are part of different timelines, and connected to the history of the world. The worlds of Vikings, Samurais and World War Pilots get introduced to us beautifully, and this elevates the movie really well, as there is action, thrills and more than the usual in store. With some good animation, there is no stopping the movie, and this is really well-placed in the world of hunters. We can be sure that there can be a lot more to come in this particular franchise which impressed me even more than the Terminator series which has always been the more talked-about one. Nowadays, this type of movies releases less around here, but let us hope for the hunt to get more screens here when the next one comes.

Release date: 6th June 2025
Running time: 90 minutes
Directed by: Dan Trachtenberg
Starring: Lindsay LaVanchy Louis Ozawa, Rick Gonzalez, Michael Biehn, Doug Cockle, Damien Haas, Lauren Holt, Jeff Leach, Piotr Michael, Andrew Morgado, Alessa Luz Martinez, Felix Solis, Britton Watkins

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.