The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl :: I believe that they are talking about Uncle Dracula returning to the castle.

Vampire Bat :: I don’t understand why they would do that. It is not possible.

Vampire Owl :: Or may be a man who is the messenger of Uncle Dracula.

Vampire Bat :: Don’t you know that the return of Uncle Dracula is not of concern for the humans these days as they don’t even believe in his existence?

Vampire Owl :: I guess I misunderstood the title then. I thought this would mean his return because the world needs it.

Vampire Bat :: It stands for United Network Command for Law and Enforcement as I have read on the internet.

Vampire Owl :: So, no true uncles are involved. It is actually good because some uncles are so irritating with their comparisons of their nephews and nieces.

Vampire Bat :: It is actually based on an American television series of the 1960s. There was also one called The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. during the same time period.

Vampire Owl :: So, it is clearly new for us. During that period, we were not into television series, and surely none from that part of the world. Do you think that it will be good?

Vampire Bat :: Well, we will surely have to watch and find that out. This comes from Guy Ritchie, the man who brought the two Sherlock Holmes movies to us, and will bring a King Arthur movie next year.

[Gets a cup of tea with chocolate chip cookies].

What is it about? :: At a time when the Cold War was going strong, years after the Second World War, a former professional thief and the present CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) is on a special mission. He brings Gaby Teller (Alicia Vikander), the daughter of Udo Teller (Christian Berkel), an expert scientist who was working for the Nazis, out of East Berlin, as they manage to go past the KGB operative Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) who gives a big chase. But it turns out that the job is not anywhere close to being finished yet, with the two rich shipping company owning couple Alexander (Luca Calvani) and Victoria (Elizabeth Debicki) Vinciguerra who are Nazi sympathizers have the scientist with them, and Gaby’s uncle Rudi (Sylvester Groth) working with them might be their only chance to get to Udo. The time might be less because the couple might be creating their own nuclear weapons.

So what is the possible solution here and where do they go? :: So, with chaos and destruction staring them right on their faces, CIA and KGB decides to bring their best men together, with Napolean and Illya working together to bring solution to this new problem. Gaby and Illya are to pretend to be engaged as they go to meet her uncle in Italy. Solo also poses as an antiquities dealer and stays in another room in the same hotel at Rome. So, another game begins far away from home, and the question remains if these three can get along. Gaby’s best interest seems to be in finding her father, and the two agents have the interests of their own nations and the agencies to keep steady. With their own agendas being there, what can these people do to ensure world peace in front of an enemy which is more united than they are? Saving the world is not a choice though, isn’t it? Especially when USA and USSR did join forces!

The defence of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. :: One thing which you can be hundred percent sure about this particular flick is that it has some simple, light-hearted fun. The humour that has been used in this movie never crosses the limit, making it appropriate for almost all kinds of audience, a quality which is not easy to maintain for the Hollywood movies of these times as they intend to go for sex and violence instead. Well, that should have made the censor board very happy or they would have been on a grand cutting process around here. The thrills are present and there is one twist and some nice smaller turning of events. The movie also has a fine style going throughout it, and the music used in the flick gives an even better feeling. What surprised me the most is how this flick, even with its simplest scenes, could bring smiles on our faces – a quality which the more appreciated movies like Kingsman: The Secret Service completely lacked and replaced it with boredom.

Claws of flaw :: The fact remains that there might not be anyone who has watched that telvision series around here, as the idiot box presence improved only later around here, and the number of channels only increased even later. So, the case of nostalgia is completely going out through the window for ny person from this part of the world. The movie could have also used a lot more humour here because the possibility was very much there – there were some nice points where it could have added so much more to the movie. The three protagonists could have taken them in easily. The story could have also been more polished to bring the suspense and thrills to the next level – it is something which could have made sure that The Man from U.N.C.L.E. will be the spy movie which worked for a genre-based audience. There could have also been more melee combat here. As this is more like an origin story, a possible sequel should solve the problems!

Performers of the Soul :: The three leading performers in this movie are nothing less than complete fun. Their characters have something special, and they are nicely brought on screen with action and humour. They are the ones who make us wish for a sequel for this one. Among the three, the big performer is undoubtedly Henry Cavill who has the thief turned into CIA agent played with charm; coming right out of Man of Steel – one wonders if he will make a nice James Bond in a parallel universe. His agent makes a fine combination with his former nemesis character Armie Hammer, and both nicely compliment each other. You will love the third one, played by Alicia Vikander too. It won’t be that big a performance or something of very high quality like her work in Ex Machina, but she is cute and full of fun in this movie. You will surely get something a lot better than her Seventh Son though. You will also notice Elizabeth Debicki making a nice lady villain.

How it finishes :: The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is indeed a fine spy movie with fun. Unlike Kingsman: The Secret Service which was always running out of ideas making it use violence and ridiculous sexual remarks, this movie here knows exactly where it is going. The collections and critical appreciation for that mindless flick is a reflection of how much the quality of the viewers and critics have come down, but thanks to movies like The Man from U.N.C.L.E. that we can have movies which are actually fun and not just claimed to be so. Our movie here shows Kingsman: The Secret Service how it is done, and how it should have been accomplished. On one side, we have interesting spy movies like The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and on the other side, we have boring and clueless spy stuff like Kingsman: The Secret Service; and thankfully, I know that the former was the more successful one where I watch movies!

Release date: 14th August 2015
Running time: 116 minutes
Directed by: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Jared Harris, Hugh Grant, Luca Calvani, Sylvester Groth, Simona Caparrini, Misha Kuznetsov, David Menkin, Christian Berkel

PS: Favourite pre-Christmas movie at the theatres right now: Anarkali. Merry Christmas 🙂

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Jo and the Boy

Posted on December 24, 2015 by Tennyson

What is the movie about? :: Joan Mary John (Manju Warrier) used to be a kid who loved Mickey Mouse a lot and later took it as her ambition to create a cartoon character like that. When asked at school about whom she wanted to be, she had the answer as Walt Disney. Later, she grows up to be an animator who hopes to make a big series or movie with a character created by her, and for the same, she makes different approaches, but with not much of a result. As she goes above the age of thirty with no job and no interest in marriage, her parents Johnny (Lalu Alex) and Mary (Kalaranjini) become more and more worried. But she continues in her own small world trying to make that big difference to it with one right moment. Then the life changing moment appears, and the story has another direction to proceed.

So what is this sudden change of direction in life about? :: Joan needed something special with her life. Things take a turn with the arrival of a boy called Chris (Sanoop Santhosh) who was adopted by Catherine (Rekha), one of Joan’s relatives. The visit happens at a time when Joan is struggling to make a mark as things continue to work against her. After the initial dislike due to the boy’s attitude, Joan becomes good friends with him, and they become good friends. Later, he becomes the inspiration for the cartoon character whom Joan is planning to create, and she ends up designing her creation just like him. Calling the character Criz, she keeps making the attempt to impress the firm, with the man at its head not interested in her ideas. With the help of her friends and the boy, Joan will try again, as it is her only dream in life.

The defence of Jo and the Boy :: There is a very nice beginning to this movie, with the child and Mickey Mouse; it keeps that level or somewhere around there until the cartoon character gets its own problems. There was the possiblity of this one becoming the right movie embedded in the spirit of Christmas in the beginning stages. The ending is also pretty good, even though the climax has a little bit too much melodrama. This is inspirational and feel-good, that is for sure – there is no shortage of such stuff here and there even though not in totality with the story. The Philips and the Monkey Pen feeling exists right through this one, even though that much strength is not there to be a worthy successor to that amazing movie – don’t keep the expectations that high about this one. There is also the strength of some amazing visuals in this flick. You are going to fall in love with locations used here, and there is no question about that. The performances will be another plus point.

Claws of flaw :: The movie will have problems in connecting to a good number of viewers who might not have expected this from the trailers. The humour here is rather too less. The songs are not that good either, and visuals are the ones which give the feel to the music. There are problems in the middle part and the first part of the second half does have some lagging portions along with cliches. A lot of scenes which were shown in the trailer in a nice way have almost no significance in the movie in its totality. The Philips and the Monkey Pen magic is not really recreated here, with some magical moments here and there, but that connectivity, clarity and emotional strength isn’t that much present here. It should be also why this movie try to be the great overreacher with its story, when it could have stayed on the ground with the common man; instead it does try to fly too high, and becomes the Icarus with burnt wings – unlike the son of Daedalus, this one survives though. A better or even simpler story would have made this a fairy-tale beauty.

Performers of the soul :: As you might have already expected, Manju Warrier is the big performer here, as she once again manages an inspiration role to take it to a fine level, after How Old Are You? and Rani Padmini. All those “different” characteristics of this role comes to life with her, even though common man question the action here – that is explained with the “difference” factor; “divergence” isn’t really a crime, right? Sanoop Santhosh also does an interesting job here as the boy who brings the diversion in life. Even though the character is not that likable as in Philips and the Monkey Pen, he does his character well. It is nice to see Lalu Alex doing the “cool father act” once again. Sudheer Karamana is too underused here as his character disappears after making a nice impact. Sunil Sukhada also has a short appearance in the beginning stages of the movie. Pearle Maaney provides some good support. A point to be noted is that there is no pair for the heroine here, and as you expected, the romance is null.

Soul exploration :: Jo and the Boy is another movie which talks about dreams. The whole story is about the lady protagonist who has a dream in her childhood and keeps going towards it even as she reaches the age of thirty – unmarried and without a job. It is the story of many good men and women who couldn’t achieve a particular thing just because they don’t have enough contacts or blood-relationships with people at good positions – we know how it works in this world, as people with reservations and powerful relatives will get things done easily and earlier while others have to work hard to achieve it. But our protagonist keeps trying, and despite the worries, her parents also supports her. In a world in which sons and daughters of actors/directors/producers become actors without any skill, and children of ministers become leaders and then ministers, Joan is a symbol of everyone who keeps trying without accepting defeat and changing the path.

How it finishes :: As you might know already, there is no shortage of inspirational movies in Malayalam Cinema; even this year, it is a process which started with Mili, and continued to go on through Rani Padmini, Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam and My God. Among these five big inspirational movies including this one, three of them are heroine-oriented, one has a person who rises above his disability, and another movie has a kid at the centre of everything. Malayalam movie industry does know how to inspire its audience, that is for sure. With Jo and the Boy, I am glad that there has been a lot of inspiration gained from movies this year, and there are also those feel-good entertainers which have provided us with some more happiness, and some movies are both! I am extremely glad to have watched more Malayalam movies than the flicks in any other language this year, in the theatres.

Release date: 24th December 2015
Running time: 156 minutes
Directed by: Rojin Thomas
Starring: Manju Warrier, Sanoop Santhosh, Pearle Maaney, Kiran, Lalu Alex, Kalaranjini, Rekha, Sudheer Karamana, Sunil Sukhada

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Jessabelle

Posted on December 21, 2015 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl :: Are you sure that this isn’t related to Annabelle? There is not even a distant relationship that you know about?

Vampire Bat :: Not at all. There is just the name which ends in the same way. There is no relationship with The Conjuring either.

Vampire Owl :: I know many people who thought that they were related, and there are some who thought that there was another doll of the same kind.

Vampire Bat :: We, the people of the horror, shouldn’t fall into such rumors. But the similarity in the name might have attracted more viewers.

Vampire Owl :: Yes, I know. But I just believed that for some time.

Vampire Bat :: We could actually go for it in the name of some nice sequences which are there in the trailer. The poster is quite interesting

Vampire Owl :: And also after looking at the producer’s long list of horror filmography.

Vampire Bat :: Yes, that too. But nothing in the name of Annabelle which is not related at all.

Vampire Owl :: Let it be so then! We shall take on this ghost too.

Vampire Bat :: Okay, now we can proceed for the movie. Keep your mind open for more horror.

[Gets a cup of tea with chocolate chip cookies].

What is it about? :: Jessabelle Laurent (Sarah Snook) and her boyfriend has an accident with their car hit by a truck just before they decide to start a new life together. The pregnant Jessabelle has miscarriage and her lover is dead in the accident, with her limited to a wheel-chair. A few months later, she decides to go and live with her father Leon (David Andrews) at a small town of St Francis as he agrees to pick her up from the hospital. It has been a long time since she last saw her father, as she was raised by her aunt after her mother died of cancer when she was a baby. He takes her to their old home, and provides her with the room of her mother which was kept locked for many years. She doesn’t remember anything about her childhood, and she decides to look around the old house and the beautiful surroundings on her wheel-chair.

So what happens at this new place far away from the city? :: Jessabelle is not a person who will keep herself on the bed all the time. For passing time, she finds some videotapes shot by her mother. She decides to watch them and know more about her mother whom she never met as a kid. Even though, the tapes begin nicely with words of motherly love, it soon gets weird with talks about death, transition to something else and the feeling of a certain presence in the house. Leon says that her mother was getting weird and not herself in the final stages of cancer as he tries his best to stop her from watching these tapes, but as he tries to burn them, gets burnt himself inside the shed. She also has regular nightmares, and feels the presence of something in the house. With her father dead, it is only her old friend Preston Sanders (Mark Webber) who is left with her for help.

The defence of Jessabelle :: There are scary moments in Jessabelle and there is creepiness, even when not fully utilized. The environment contributes to that feeling, and this is done by keeping blood and gore to the minimum. Coming from the director of two movies of the Saw franchise, that might be a surprise for some people. The bath-tub scene is the best one, even though that too could have been better. But the movie manages to maintain a certain mood, not trying to bring anything huge – not a big attempt here at all. The final revelation is a fine one, and the twist is something which can be rather easily guessed only for those who have watched many horror movies. But it keeps us guessing until the movie reaches the final stages. It often becomes a mystery thriller instead of a full horror movie, and there is even some drama – it also works as part of another genre which makes up for what is missed out with the horror side.

Claws of flaw :: There is no denying the fact that this movie has its own dose of cliches. There are moments of such horror which have already been tried, and the story itself reminds oneself of the Kate Hudson starrer movie, The Skeleton Key – especially with the ending; but the difference here being the use of Voodoo while it was Hoodoo in that horror movie which came earlier. The chances of you liking this movie if you liked that one is high, but there will be some repetition associated with this in the final moments. There is also a certain amount of slow movement in the case of Jessabelle, and more horror could have been brought here especially while using the marshy surroundings of Lousiana. The environment was something which could have been better used to the advantage here. The potential was surely there to bring something better than what is on screen.

Performers of the Soul :: As you might have noticed in the movie Predestination, Sarah Snook is very much a talented actress, and she does an excellent job here too. Here, she proves to be the right choice for horror too. If she did a bigger job in that science fiction drama, here the movie is better, without ambiguities or boredom as there is the direct entry into horror and mystery. Mark Webber has very less to do here though, and it is the same with David Andrews and Joelle Carter, as the movie is completely focused on Sarah Snook and her Jessabelle. Amber Stevens West plays the ghostly Jessabelle with the needed intensity, but the number of appearances of the ghost is also too less as far as the horror fans are concerned. The bath-tub scene and the car scene are the two notable ones related to the same.

How it finishes :: When you look at the critical appreciation of this movie and the total rating at IMDb, you will hesitate about watch this one. But this movie is undoubtedly better than what you see everywhere; it has never been easy for the horror movies to get the critics on their side – it is more like a curse which this particular genre has inherited through the ages, even though there are exceptions. Sometimes, most of the critically appreciated movies are not really that good horror at all. So, watching Jessabelle is not a mistake that you make, but an attempt to see how another horror movie will work. You have to note that The Lazarus Effect, The Remaining, The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death and The Pyramid got lesser rating on IMDb. You can watch this one along with The Skeleton Key which is a similar movie in heart and soul.

Release date: 7th November 2014
Running time: 90 minutes
Directed by: Kevin Greutert
Starring: Sarah Snook, Mark Webber, David Andrews, Joelle Carter, Ana de la Reguera, Amber Stevens, Larisa Oleynik, Chris Ellis, Brian Hallisay, Lucius Baston, Jason Davis, Vaughan Wilson

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Remaining

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl :: This movie seems to be about the end of the world.

Vampire Bat :: Yes, it is about that and also what happens during this ultimate horror being unleashed on Earth.

Vampire Owl :: Do you think that mankind has a chance to see this possible end before they kill each other with their deadly weapons?

Vampire Bat :: I strongly believe that mankind will destroy itself in wars before God decides to bring his wrath on them.

Vampire Owl :: It is a strange thing, isn’t it? People blame God and sometimes the religions a lot, but can’t even love their own people even when they are outside the beliefs.

Vampire Bat :: A lot of things that these humans do are strange. If we think about them, we will only have a lot of negativity in our lives.

Vampire Owl :: For now, I will only hope that at least this movie happens to be good.

Vampire Bat :: Well, the movies about the end of the world are usually better than those which talk about the things like romance, which are mostly fake and exaggerated.

Vampire Owl :: Lets watch this soon, before mankind kills each other. Otherwise, there will be nobody left to read your review.

Vampire Bat :: Lets go for the movie right now!

[Gets a cup of tea with butter cookies].

What is it about? :: Dan (Bryan Dechart) and Skylar (Alexa Vega) are getting married and the friends are enjoying the occasion. The occasion is well-planned and the wedding ceremony goes great. Among their friends, Tommy (Johnny Pacar) has been in love with Allison (Italia Ricci) for quite some time, but she is in a relationship with Jack (Shaun Sipos) who is another person in their friends circle. Everything after the ceremony also seems to be going on well with an abundance of joy, and while people are having fun, suddenly some people start dropping down dead. With some people in the party dead in a second and the others having no idea what to do, Dan, Skylar and Jack run out of the building, in hope to find Allison who had left earlier. Outside the building, they find terror being unleashed in the streets with chaos and destruction all around.

So what is this sudden death and panic all about? :: The incident is associated with rapture which is related to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to Earth, and all the believers who are dead as well as the good believers among the living have their souls taken into eternal life. Skylar finds the reference to the same in the Holy Bible, but is attacked by a winged demon which is unleashed on Earth for the end of days. Joined by a girl called Sam (Liz E. Morgan), the find sanctuary in a church where a lot of others including Allison have also found shelter. There they find Pastor Shay (John Pyper-Ferguson) who tells them that he has been a pastor only by name and he has used his title only for his comfort, and took God’s name just for the sake of doing it. Surrounded by demons, and Skylar fatally injured, time runs out here.

The defence of The Remaining :: There is a certain amount of mixture with the genres with the horror elements, the thriller side and the disaster moments which make the most of it. The drama side is also present as the survivors ponder over their lives, the flashbacks and what remains their hope. There are also some elements of the found footage genre which are well-used. Some scary moments will justify the same, and that makes one wonder if this could be made into a video game; something in which survival is impossible – the certainty of death which prevails in this movie works very much in its favour, as death is the safe place to go, as always. The performances are pretty good even though there is nothing extraordinary around here. Italia Ricci is the one who gets the most attention, and I have felt that Liz E Morgan provided the most interesting performance here.

Claws of flaw :: The special effects are kept minimal here, and one might think that there is not enough disaster here for a disaster movie, and not that much horror that such evil mentioned in the movie could bring. A collection of better horror and disaster elements might be required by many. People might also have problems with its idea, and it won’t always be easy to take the right point of the theme for everyone. There is also the presence of some cliche elements here and there, but horror needs them up-to an extent. In the end, you will ask why this one couldn’t be better, especially as it has the theme and everything else ready right here. There seems to be a problem here about understanding what exactly should be the focus, but that only shows at times; there are questions like we had gone through in The Lazarus Effect.

Soul exploration :: The movie’s idea of rapture is rather far-fetched for most of the main Christian congregations. I haven’t heard about this myself except for the meaning of that word in the dictionary. But lets leave that behind and take the right point out of it, and take the secular meaning here. We know that unlike the Western idea about secularism which goes for the separation of the religion and the state, the concept of secularism in India has equal participation of all religions instead. Taking the exact meaning of this movie through its context might be easier, but what I have thought about more is about what I can take out of it for use in the common man’s life. The questions that we can take back home are about being the good person related to all religions – are we really good just because we keep visiting the religious places?

Further soul exploration :: No, the questions don’t end there, as more needs to be asked. Does goodness come naturally by saying that we believe in God and are part of certain religious groups? What does it take to be a good person in a materialistic world which has comfort written all over it, and people are just by the monetary gains rather than the goodness factor? Do we have what it take to be a good person instead of being the great achiever – why are stories of achievers considered inspiring instead of tales of good men and women? Shouldn’t good people be given all the attention rather than those who are branded as achievers only to mock and abuse those who are struggling in their lives? How many people go for a good man or a good woman in wedding without looking for the high salary, family status and dowry? Lets give these questions a few thoughts.

Release date: 5th September 2014
Running time: 88 minutes
Directed by: Casey La Scala
Starring: Alexa Vega, Italia Ricci, Johnny Pacar, Shaun Sipos, Bryan Dechart, Liz E Morgan, Kimberley Drummond, John Pyper-Ferguson, Erin Murphy, Kim Pacheco, Hayley Lovitt, Mary Austin, Judd Lormand, Rusty Martin Sr, Katie Sawhill, Defecio Stoglin, Kaitlyn Christian

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Guest

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl :: Do you mean to say that we have guests at the castle? Is it for the Christmas vacations?

Vampire Bat :: Not at all. I am just referring to the next movie which were going to watch.

Vampire Owl :: But I have never heard about it.

Vampire Bat :: It has Dan Stevens and Maika Monroe in the lead.

Vampire Owl :: I can recollect the latter name; count me in.

Vampire Bat :: I was pretty sure that you will remember Maika from that horror movie.

Vampire Owl :: Yes, this even reminds me of that headless guest that we had last year. It was one guest that we should have never had.

Vampire Bat :: I believe that this one will be even more mysterious.

Vampire Owl :: Well, there is no limit to the strength of mystery.

Vampire Bat :: And that is some truth clearly spoken.

[Gets a cup of tea with chocolate chip cookies].

What is it about? :: David Collins (Dan Stevens) has arrived at the home of his friend in the military, Caleb Peterson (Chris Harding) who had lost his life at the war in Afghanistan. His grieving mother Laura Peterson (Sheila Kelley) is soon attached to the newcomer and his stories about her son, as she asks him to stay with them for a few days in her son’s room because it will make her feel better after the loss her son. Despite some initial doubts, her husband Spencer Peterson (Leland Orser) also approves of his presence as they get along over some drinks. Their son Luke (Brendan Meyer) becomes good friends with the man as he helps the boy in dealing with the bullies who keep haunting him. The daughter Anna (Maika Monroe) also manages to have a positive opinion about him in spite of the early disapproval which she had.

So, what is this person all about? :: With him being the new best friend to Luke, David has all the members of his family in his pockets. But he is there for another reason. He is still the good guy there, even with Anna’s friend Kristen (Tabatha Shaun) who is attracted to the new friend and everyone seems to like him. He knows how to get along with all kinds of people. But as Anna wishes to know more about him after overhearing certain talk on phone, she calls the military base for more information – but curiosity makes things different, and the situation take a twist. More about David will be revealed, but this new knowledge won’t do that good for anyone around. Some things are better left unknown, but unfortunately for them, this one comes to light.

The defence of The Guest :: There is one thing absolutely clear about this movie, and it is that The Guest is a lot entertaining, and right from the beginning, you get the feeling about it. There is the shot of a person running with a backpack, and then suddenly there is the music indicating possible horror and you will see the title. The next forty minutes go smoothly, with some drama and only small signs of the big change coming up; and as we go through it, the last thirty minutes become deadly. The music used in the movie is really good, and its idea to reveal things in a slow and steady manner makes sure that we get more and more interested in the whole thing. There is another smart movie to use some Halloween stuff here, and it helps a lot in the final stages. Those scenes just feel so good, and this is how the movie ends well.

Positives and negatives :: There is one thing that will bother some viewers, and it is that the movie doesn’t really come up with a relevant flashback and leaves questions unanswered – as on one side, it keeps one guessing even after the movie with further conspiracy theories, and at the other, it makes one wish for it to be there. Most of us surely love a flashback, but we won’t find it here, and there won’t be that much explanation from the protagonist either except for some acceptance; and a little change in the ending would have been better. There is also a certain amount of interesting humour in the movie, as The Guest qualifies with a mixture with thrills, action, psychological elements, suspense factor and all that is needed in the right entertainer. The Guest knows the many ways and the different sides of making the viewers interested. The fact that it manages to be an entertainer with brain is even more satisfying for the audience not to go through just the masala.

Performers of the soul :: Dan Stevens is deadly as the protagonist, the man with his own collection of mysteries – and we are left with this memorable performance to ponder about. One can notice how well he adapts to each situation as the character demands. He is too good almost everywhere, and this character is to be remembered by the fans of the genre or rather the genres – the mystery stays as he performs great. His next big movies include Criminal Activities, Oppenheimer Strategies and Colossal, three thriller movies along with the romantic musical fantasy, Beauty and the Beast – these should be too good. I haven’t watched much of his performances, and so hoping to see more. Maika Monroe has the next big performance here, and you will find her lovable from the beginning itself. We loved her in It Follows and she is excellent here too – would love to see her in Independence Day: Resurgence.

How it finishes :: There will be so many things that you will love about this movie, and you don’t need to be the fan of a particular genre to like the flick. There will be variation only in the degree of interest here. You will surely want to see more works of Dan Stevens and Maika Monroe after watching this one. The Guest also comes from Adam Wingard who directed You’re Next and so you know that you can expect something interesting, and it is the same which is delivered here. If you think about what other movie this one reminds you about, that should be The Stepfather, and the 2009 remake had Amber Heard as the leading lady, but the similarity is minimum; The Guest is also ahead here. You will certainly find your needs for an entertaining thriller satisfied here.

Release date: 17th September 2014
Running time: 100 minutes
Directed by: Adam Wingard
Starring: Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Leland Orser, Sheila Kelley, Brendan Meyer, Lance Reddick, Tabatha Shaun, Chase Williamson, Ethan Embry, Joel David Moore, Steven John Brown, Brenden Wedner, Alex Knight, Frank Bond, Jesse Luken, Kelsey Montoya, Justin Yu, A. J. Bowen, Chris Ellis, Candice K. Patton, Chris Harding

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Shaman

Posted on December 10, 2015 by Tennyson

Premise of The Shaman :: For thousands of years, men have undergone vigorous training to become the Shamans. These well-trained people have traveled into the other world, finding and healing the souls of people. In the beginning of the twenty third century, they are no longer the healers, but mankind’s deadliest weapon, as there is more that they can do during a war. The year is 2204, after seventy three years of continuous war and destruction. There is a long battle going on between The Atlantic Alliance and The White Federation and the world is in chaos. According to the Shaman’s school of thought, every creature or object has a soul. As the Shamans go into the other world known as the Netherworld and convert or destroy the souls of their enemies’ huge battle machines, both sides come up with defensive strategies against the Shaman attacks.

What is it about? :: These intelligent machines are widely used for battles during the times, and they are the toughest opponents which are better to be dealt with indirectly, as direct confrontation is leads to too many casualities. As a Shaman called Joshua (Danny Shayler) tries to convert the soul of one enemy battle colossus which has destroyed about two thousand men, this one is ready for him. The soul of the colossus (Susanne Wuest) knows that he is coming, and has read information about him. Joshua has a troubled past which can be used against him if known. In the other world, the machine will use his own strength, the manipulation against him. He will have four minutes to deal with this machine or he will die with the troops and his squire Lene (David Sayers). Can he come up with something special here?

The defence of The Shaman :: The short film gets you into the story right in the beginning with an introduction and some interesting information about the premise – it makes sure that we have the idea what is to come next. Then, we are introduced into the movie’s story-line related to the Shaman called Joshua and his battles. There are some stunning visuals to go with the story. The visual splendour is the kind of thing which can challenge those big Hollywood movies, as the futuristic world devastated by wars will immediately catch your attention – the explosions add to it. The idea is no different as it is worth making a full length movie which runs for at least two hours. There is strength in the core, and we can be sure that it can be developed into big movie, and we can only hope that if it does, it releases at this part of the world.

How is The Shaman special? :: The Shaman has a special place among the short films, and it is one of the best which I have watched. As Hollywood comes up with too many remakes, it is always nice to see a new idea instead of bringing the same thing again and again. The idea which is used in this short film is also something which got a lot of potential. There is absolutely no dull moment in this one, and you are completely into the idea of Shaman, soul, Netherworld and the connections being made. The Shaman has that kind of a universe which can be developed a lot. There can be a prequel as well as a sequel in the form of full length movies, because the theme will catch the audience attention with ease. The science fiction fans are sure to love the basic idea and its development.

Soul exploration :: This is my first attempt at reviewing a short film, and The Shaman is a good flick to start doing the same. Throughout this movie and as the film ended, I was hoping that this was longer, even as a short film, I wished for at least ten to fifteen more minutes. When the idea is great and it also looks fantastic, I would wonder why one won’t want the movie to go on for a very long time. You can watch the trailer of the movie below to understand what this short film is going to be about. I am sure that you will find it an interesting trailer, and it gives a nice idea about what the movie is about. It should have you interested to watch the complete short film which is shared in the end.

Performers of the soul :: There are two characters who get most of the attention, and there are three who are the main characters – the Shaman, the Squire and the Soul of the Colossus. The performances in The Shaman were actually very good, especially with Danny Shayler who plays the titular character and Susanne Wuest who plays the Soul of the Colossus. The sequence between them is well done, which is why one would want to have them again if there is a full length movie getting made. A more detailed sequence between them would do a longer movie a lot good, and it will be the first thing I expect along with the tales of the Shaman as a person. David Sayers as Lene also does a good job here. We can be sure that the talent does exist here, and there will be more to come if there is a full length movie.

Further details about The Shaman :: The Shaman premiered at the New York based Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year and was also screened at many other film festivals around the world. The trailer of the movie had over four million views on Youtube. The whole movie is now available on Youtube to watch, and has subtitles in English, Russian, Spanish, German, Japanese and Chinese. It is also online on Vimeo as of now and was also selected into the Vimeo Staff Picks. It was also featured in Short of the Week. The movie has a rating of 7.5 on the IMDb, and it is surely ahead of most of the short films that you watch these days. It is mentioned as one of the best short films of the year, and one can be sure that it is deserving of that description. You can watch the full short film at the Youtube link below and come up with an opinion.

Release date: 17th November 2015 (Online); 18th April 2015 (Premiere)
Running time: 17 minutes
Directed by: Marco Kalantari
Starring: Danny Shayler, David Sayers, Susanne Wuest, Edmund Jäger, Adam Thomas Wright, Anton Noori, Stefan Bernhard, Samuel Jung

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Rockstar

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl :: I have absolutely no relationship with music. I have doubts related to the effectiveness of this movie on me.

Vampire Bat :: Your are talking as if I have such a relationship.

Vampire Owl :: Well, the elder vampires say that you did sing a song when you first joined the vampire team.

Vampire Bat :: Yes, the result of that action was eight vampire elders having heart attack, thus losing their immortality. It was the first vampire death due to a heart problem, and the first case of missing immortality by natural reasons.

Vampire Owl :: It should be a record then. I have never witnessed such a thing after I joined the vampire team.

Vampire Bat :: Well, it is because I don’t sing anymore. I am the one responsible for bringing the current elder vampires to power as the great vampire elders as the reigning elders of that time had that heart attack. So, these people appreciate me, but they have begged me not to sing again.

Vampire Owl :: Well, I do come close to having heart attack while listening to some of the new generation music. It should be a natural thing, unless you are the Lich Queen. She has no heart and replaces parts of her brain in five or six days.

Vampire Bat :: This one is a romantic musical comedy. So, you have to be aware that we are going to listen to a lot of music.

Vampire Owl :: I am prepared for it. I just hope that movie will work for me due to my non-musical owlish background.

Vampire Bat :: Lets find that out then.

[Gets the tickets].

What is it about? :: Anand Abraham (Siddharth Menon) is a musician who is part of a popular band and is a very famous personality in Bangalore. The youth, especially girls have some special love for him. Hailing from the Keralite town of Palai and always into music, he spends his life with alcohol and having relationships with many girls with no seriousness or commitment. During a wedding function, he meets Athira Menon (Eva Pavithran), and that changes the situation quite a lot. Athira is against the idea of marriage itself as her parents have been living separately for many years. She is a beauty stylist who wishes to adopt a child without getting into matrimony. So, when their not-so-serious relationship brings pregnancy, both ends up being confused about what to do next. Both have different opinions about what to do next, even though marriage is not the first choice.

So, where does the grand solution come from? :: The problem with Anand is that he wishes to give his son his surname, and still he can’t go into any kind of commitment. His desire is to continue to be the rockstar that he has been. Meanwhile, Eva detests marriage, and wants to take care of the baby herself. She keeps repeating that she doesn’t want to marry him, but Anand wants his son to be known as his own. With a lot of advice coming from their friends and acquaintances, they finally decide to come up with the grand solution, to get married and get divorced later after the baby is born. With this new variety idea, they goes to the registrar’s office and submit the application. What happens after this with their lives as well as what their parents have to say about this is all that movie talks about.

The defence of Rockstar :: There are only a few movies which keeps getting better and better as the movie progresses, and Rockstar is one of them – may be if the movie was longer, this one could have been a better flick? One has to wonder, because the earlier quicker pace of the flick was actually working against the movie considering the genre that it belongs to; a romantic musical should allow the audience to get that feel, and it only arrives later with its strength used to the advantage. The movie is not short of ideas, about freedom and people living their lives their own way, along with understanding the meaning of love and affection. There are some nice, enjoyable moments; with the scenes at the registrar’s office, the grandmother-grandson bonding moments, the final emotional sequences and a few more can be mentioned. Some of the humour will be remembered, and the movie is emotionally touching.

Claws of flaw :: The beginning of the movie is a catastrophe and it will keep telling you that you need to leave the theatre right now. It is more like an inspiration to get yourself out of the theatre – the first thirty minutes are the worst that you might have ever seen for some time, and from there, it slowly begins to get better and with fourty five minutes passed, it begins to get better as you will notice. Rockstar seems to be a movie which could have achieved a lot bigger if focus was there, and with the first few minutes cut. The ideas which the movie talks about don’t really show themselves with the strength that is was supposed to have, and some of them are easily lost. There is also a certain amount of immaturity in the way the movie as a whole comes to the screen. Maybe a better narrated and better edited movie was needed here to bring the ideas to the audience in a better way. The songs are not that good and humour could have been used more. It could have have done without some scenes and predictability.

Performers of the soul :: Siddharth Menon does pretty good as the protagonist on his debut, as he does suit his character very well. There is nothing special for him to do here though. One would have expected a lot more musical stuff from his character though. But the movie often deviates from its musical self, making one wonder if that should have been done with a singer becoming the leading actor here. The character here is focused in the wrong way, if you ask me. By the end, it matters less if he is a rockstar or a businessman, and it still works for the usual audience in another way because he is more of a common man and not a star at that time. The daughter of the director VK Pavithran, Eva Pavithran is really good in her second coming debut here. She seemed amazingly suitable for this role, and she is sure to get bigger roles from now. There will be a few moments from her which you will appreciate very much and keep in your memory.

How it finishes :: It was nice to see Praseetha Menon of Badai Bunglaw fame doing an interesting role. Poornima makes a nice return to Malayalam cinema after a very long time. M Jayachandran had the role of a totally unnecessary character, as there is nothing good in it. Anumol has a notable character and Sona Nair has some good moments along with Mukundan Menon even as they are short. Mallika Sukumaran is seen in Malayalam cinema after a long time and she has some nice moments too. The funniest moments of the movie still belong to Saiju Kurup in his short stay. Most of the remaining support is rather wasted. Rockstar might not be the movie which you expected to watch after having a look at the trailer and hearing a lot about it – this is the advantage as well as the disadvantage of the movie, and it is a watchable flick; just don’t expect something huge.

Release date: 3rd December 2015
Running time: 123 minutes
Directed by: VK Prakash
Starring: Siddharth Menon, Eva Pavithran, Sona Nair, Anumol, Praseetha Menon, Saiju Kurup, Poornima Bhagyaraj, Mallika Sukumaran, Prakash Bare, Mukundan Menon, M Jayachandran, Dinesh Prabhakar

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Pyramid

Posted on December 6, 2015 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl :: I have received this letter from this small community living on the side of the undead lands.

Vampire Bat :: I have received a copy too. But I am yet to read it.

Vampire Owl :: It is about better representation on the movie adventures list along with the other communities who are getting all the attention as of now.

Vampire Bat :: Well, sometimes one community gets the attention, and at other times, some other one will. They will have to work hard to get more attention.

Vampire Owl :: But it says here that they are among the oldest existing communities and that they came back from the dead in the impossible circumstances at times when we vampires hadn’t really become the true undead.

Vampire Bat :: What? It is impossible! Look at the final sign. Who are they?

Vampire Owl :: It says “The Friendly Neighborhood Graveyard Mummies”.

Vampire Bat :: Zombies, werewolves and now the mummies. I thought that they were finished when they were sent to China in 2008 with Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

Vampire Owl :: Well, they were not the same. There are no Pyramids there and so the Mummy existence has to be questioned. I believe that their depiction in that particular movie has also motivated them further to search for the right movie.

Vampire Bat :: That should mean that now we have to find a Mummy movie. I have the perfect movie in my mind.

[Gets a cup of tea and butter cookies].

What is it about? :: While the 2012–13 Egyptian protests are going on in Egypt, a team of archaeologists lead by Dr. Miles Holden (Denis O’Hare) and his daughter Dr. Nora Holden (Ashley Hinshaw) manages to discover a special pyramid from under the desert. As the top part of the structure is excavated, they find out that it is not like the other pyramids and has only three sides instead of the usual four. Using the satellite facility, they find out that the pyramid goes a long way down and that there is a tunnel which goes into its highest point. Due to the possibility of a civil war in the country, they are asked to return home, with no idea of when they can explore more of the pyramid. But as they consider this the biggest discovery of their careers, they hesitate to go back empty-handed.

So, how does the big twist occur? :: Despite a worker being dead due to the toxic gas in the pyramid, they decide to use a remote controlled rover machine from NASA to explore as much of the pyramids they can, and the gadget expert Michael Zahir (Amir K) makes sure that it can be done. But the machine is lots inside the structure, and it turns out that they can’t return home without the expensive thing. So, accompanied by the reporter Sunni Marsh (Christa-Marie Nicola) and the cameraman Terry Fitsimmons (James Buckley), they decide to go and find the machine themselves, with oxygen masks and with ropes tied to their waists making sure that they don’t lose the way. But they will know that what awaits them inside the structure is more than just the difficulty in finding the path.

The defence of The Pyramid :: There are lots of scary moments in The Pyramid, and the setting is very well established right in the beginning itself. It has been a long time since we had a good Mummy movie, and even though this one has none either, the pyramids and the undead brings us close to that feeling which we had while watching the movies with those mummified antagonists. The mythological twist which happens in the movie is a real nice one. The moments which make the most of the movie, until the final creature is shown makes some nice impact as darkness and the creepy atmosphere inside the pyramid is amazingly good – they could have got more attention going for the last few minutes of this movie. There are some nice traps too, even though that side is not used to the full potential. This one is also more serious than your friendlier adventure starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz.

Claws of flaw :: The Pyramid is in no way close to being the best horror movie of the year. It has an antagonist revealed in the end which doesn’t look scary enough, and thanks to the CGI which is not that effective, we won’t get the desired strength at the end. The creatures needed to look better and more menacing; here they are just the dangerous creatures as we know them to be so. The movie also needed a better development of the mythical story of Anubis and Osiris, working on the tales about the gods and kings of Egypt much earlier and in more detail so that everything could come together in a stronger way by the end of the flick. There is also no perfect ending as one would have expected as this has strong mythological roots. Those who have a lot of knowledge in the Egyptian Mythology might also feel different, with possible innacuracies as I have seen in some forums, but I am not an expert there.

Soul exploration :: There is not much here for the acting department because the movie’s focus is never there. Still, Ashley Hinshaw has a fine presence and does a good job in this movie which asks nothing too much from its cast. Christa-Marie Nicola should come next in grabbing our attention, and the rest also just follows the routine in a horror movie – be in trouble and hope not to die. The feeling of inescapable is right there throughout the movie as we keep having the feeling that the situation is a lot more than the usual supernatural stuff, and nobody can escape death this time. It is the certainty of death that the protagonists are facing, and the inability to find a solution to the early return to the other world means that there is more than all the discoveries science has ever made and religion has ever solved- it is a symbol of human helplessness.

More of the soul exploration and the finish :: The one thing which is special about this movie is that it takes another path while dealing with pyramids, not of the usual mummy story as one would expect. There is a nice reflection of the Egyptian Mythology along with its gods Anubis and Osiris. There is some history and mythology explained in the middle as well as by the finish, and if things were more creative by the end, The Pyramid could have been a lot better movie. There are times when some movies are underrated, and this one is such a movie. We did see such problems with The Lazarus Effect, I Frankenstein, Annabelle and The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death. This has been happening with horror movies for quite some time and you have to watch these movies to know if they are good – you really can’t go and agree with the rest of the world without thinking, especially the critics.

Release date: 5th December 2014
Running time: 89 minutes
Directed by: Grégory Levasseur
Starring: Ashley Hinshaw, Christa-Marie Nicola, Denis O’Hare, James Buckley, Daniel Amerman, Joseph Beddelem, Amir K, Garsha Arristos, Omar Benbrahim, Philip Shelley, Faycal Attougui

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

My God

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Tennyson

What is it about? :: Sam Thottumkal (Master Adarsh) is a kid with many problems in his life. When we are introduced to him in detail after a song, we understand that he is taken by the police into the juvenile home for murdering his own father Thomas Thottumkal (Joy Mathew). The parish priest Father Vadakkan (Sreenivasan) desperately tries to get him out of trouble, but his own family members don’t want him as they feel that he stabbed his own father. Meanwhile, Aarathy (Honey Rose), a social worker who spends time with children decides to take the boy’s case seriously. When her husband, a successful businessman from the United States, Aadhi (Suresh Gopi) arrives in Kerala after a long time, it turns out that he knows the boy very well. The husband and wife team decides to influence the boy’s life in a good way.

What is it actually about? :: The flashback is about Sam’s troubled childhood. He is a late arrival as the third child of his parents who wanted to have no more than two children, and he grows up listening to the stories that his own mother (Rekha) wanted to murder him before he was born. His father has absolutely no opinion about him as he scores less in examinations and does well in the other activities like painting, elocution, writing and some more creative work. His mother doesn’t really care about him as he is the unwanted child. His brother and sister are engineers working in reputed IT companies outside Kerala and are earning high salary; the former thinks that he is a good for nothing idiot who deserves no love and the latter is only sympathetic to him because he is of no good. His only hope is an aunty Alphonsa (Lena Abhilash) and Father Vadakkan.

The defence of My God :: Here is another movie to make you think, and you can keep the thoughts and the received messages for long. The emotional side of the movie is strong and it will undoubtedly touch your heart. There are dialogues which you can take home from here, and even if you leave them behind, at some point of life they will surely return to you. The movie is going to be effective for all kinds of audience too, not just the family, and not just the children, youth or parents – it has a much wider scope. It is a story of people and their dreams right from their childhood – no, not ambition, but dreams as something with wings and not that random thing which students answer when teachers ask about it. The movie inspires you to be better, for some people to be better humans with respect for the dreams of others and the rest to be better dreamers.

Claws of flaw :: The beginning of the movie seems to be a struggle, as a start like Philips and the Monkey Pen is not achieved here. In comparison, this one might be mostly behind, but with the emotional strength, My God is powerful. Too many brands shown in the movie rather than incorporating it to it, will make the audience feel strange. There are also some weak moments here and there, and the songs also don’t provide the desired effect; the film does overreach and often forgets its limitations and the area of strength – but what you gain in the end is a lot bigger, and the ending with Suresh Gopi and Sreenivasan is something that elevates this movie to a higher level. In the end, the movie’s strength is not its story and it is not the totality of things, but in the idea and how emotionally powerful the core happens to be, and how it is brought to the viewers. It also depends upon how you are able to take the inspirational movies and the flicks with messages because it is what this movie is about.

Performers of the soul :: Master Adarsh who plays the central character, the kid in trouble, does a good job, and the other children also support very well – it is a very nice thing to witness. The movie’s strength undoubtedly improves with the entry of Suresh Gopi, especially after the interval. The first half has only a smaller screen presence for him, but in the second half, he becomes the big man who brings the change. There are some striking dialogues from him which will stay in our minds for a very long time. There is no doubt that he raises the level of this movie after he arrives and makes sure that the second half outshines the first, and also finishes well. I can recommend nobody better for this type of a role, as Suresh Gopi has our attention and captures our emotions with this performance.

Further performers of the soul :: Sreenivasan in the priest role adds some extra feel-good factor to this movie, as he reflects a guardian angel here. We don’t usually see Sreenivasan in this kind of a role, but this one has suited him very well. He isn’t a person who comes to our mind when we think about the priest roles, but from now on, he might be. Joy Mathew is really good as the father character who doesn’t like his son’s choices; he leaves a very tough impression. Honey Rose does her job well. Lena Abhilash plays the one symbol of hope in this movie really well. The roles of the rest of the actors are limited, and only a few leaves any impact on the audience, as the focus is so much on three, Suresh Gopi, Sreenivasan and Master Adarsh, who manages their side really well.

Soul exploration :: There has been a good number of inspirational movies this year with Mili and Rani Padmini gaining positive reviews with the female-centric stories while the story of a man who rises above his disability, Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam is still running successfully in the theatres. We have always accepted movies with messages and Philips and the Monkey Pen with a child as the central character had gone on to become a big success in the year 2013. My God follows the path of these movies and tries to bring a message and a lesson along with being inspirational in nature. The best thing about this type of movies is that they will make an impact one way or the other, and will bring some change in the minds of some people now or later when the viewers watch it again. So, are you going to watch this movie on the weekend? Do you accept the dreams of your child, and allow them to follow the same?

Release date: 4th December 2015
Running time: 129 minutes
Directed by: M Mohanan
Starring: Suresh Gopi, Honey Rose, Joy Mathew, Sreenivasan, Master Adarsh, Lena Abhilash, Rekha, Sreejith Ravi, Indrans, Devan, Praveen Prem

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Mockingjay II

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl: So, this is the name of the movie in reality. It was written here on this newspaper as Mocking Hay and I was wondering what it was about.

Vampire Bat: Here, on this other newspaper, it is written as Mockway. It is a more distant spelling. I do wonder what they might have called Goosebumps.

Vampire Owl: It is because of this wrong spelling that we felt that this was a movie which we knew nothing about, and made the choice not to watch it earlier! I don’t understand why they can’t have people who are able to spell this. I am beginning to doubt how they choose the people behind this.

Vampire Bat: They make such mistakes and still we read them. Then, we see that at some other editions of the same newspaper, and even at some other columns of the same, it is correct and then we are made sure that this particular title is another movie. I don’t understand why we are like this, looking at the mistakes, being mislead, understanding that it was too silly a thing and then continuing to read the same newspapers – actually, we even watch the same news channels which we don’t like.

[Gets the tickets with some cheese popcorn].

✠ This was recently posted by me at Kiagia.com: http://kiagia.co/index.php/current-film-releases/1200-the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2-movie-review

A science-fiction dystopian adventure book from the US author Suzanne Collins was made into a movie in 2012, with Jennifer Lawrence playing the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen. This movie adapted from the first book of The Hunger Games series was very successful. With The Hunger Games and its sequel Catching Fire becoming grand success at the box-office, the third book in the series, Mockingjay was divided into two movies. Here we have the second part of the two, and this movie finishes the franchise. There was one movie in the franchise releasing each year from 2012 onwards, and the last three movies of the franchise have all released in the latter half of November.

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) continues to be the Mockingjay and the one grand symbol of revolution as the districts unite against President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland). The attack from a brainwashed Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) did affect her, but she is back there on the warzone with her speeches and charisma only to be shot by a loyalist from District Two. Even though Katniss wishes to kill President Snow herself, President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) asks her not to risk her life again, and advices her to remain as the inspiration and the symbol of their defiance. As she is someone who can motivate the crowd with her presence, she agrees to Coin’s idea.

But Katniss is not the one to keep away from her ultimate aim, as she sneaks into an aircraft leaving to join Commander Paylor (Patina Miller) who is planning a huge assault. There, she is told to be part of a squad lead by Boggs (Mahershala Ali) as they have to evade the booby traps or the pods on the streets which are left by game-makers of the Hunger Games. Thus the journey will be more of less like the seventy sixth Hunger Games. They will be joined by Peeta as they are to go through the streets facing the unexpected threats which await them. The Capitol and Snow will think that she is dead, not once but many times, but Mockingjay is not someone who is going to stay dead as the squad keep going towards the big destination.

The problems caused by breaking down one book into two like Harry Potter and Twilight can be seen. The fans will surely prefer this because they can watch more of their favourite franchise. More of Katniss Everdeen will be there for them to see. But as the last book is divided into two, this movie surely has been cursed with a certain amount of drag. This certainly wouldn’t have been there if Mockingjay was just one movie instead of two stretched movies. But there is one advantage that this movie does possess, and it is the ability to finish the franchise in the right way. The finish is all about that climax which has one shot from the bow of the protagonist that determines everything, even though there are some predictable sequences after that.

The second part of Mockingjay is surely ahead of its predecessor because of the quality of the material in the latter part of the book. If you have read the book already, you will feel that this movie is a good adaptation even with the stretched parts. There are some nice conversations to go with the interesting action sequences, even as there is nothing much here to compete with those which we have seen in the first two movies. There are some traces of what was seen in the games earlier, but there is no big combats shown here. The special effects are good, and the dystopian world will once again grab your attention. The weapons as well as the other gadgets will also catch your eyes.

The movie has its touching moments and thrills which are surely present. There is also some reflection of the real effects of war on the common man which is nothing more than destruction and chaos. The lives of the civilians and morality are two things which are used to one’s advantage as shown here. But the movie does end with hope, despite the deaths, and we know this factor as something which was too far away in the previous movies of the franchise. For those who are new to this franchise, they will find themselves in trouble as the movie goes directly into the story, but with some focus, a certain clue about the dystopian idea and some understanding on what this franchise is about, they can still go through this movie.

As it was in the case of the previous movies, Jennifer Lawrence still remains the biggest asset as the Mockingjay. It is a pleasure to watch her as Katniss Everdeen once again, as she does her job with no trouble at all. As expected, she has and handles those best moments of movie; there is one other point which comes with a sudden impact, related to mutant creatures in the sewers – that was a grand one too. Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth provide the needed support very well. Maybe, the movie could have finished better without using the epilogue from the book, even though that would be ignoring the faithful fans of the book. Here ends another movie based on another Young Adult Novel, and despite the flaws, it is a good finish to the franchise.

Release date: 27th November 2015 (India); 20th November 2015 (USA)
Running time: 137 minutes
Directed by: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Moore, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Jena Malone, Natalie Dormer, Willow Shields, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Sam Claflin, Gwendoline Christie, Stanley Tucci, Evan Ross, Donald Sutherland, Mahershala Ali, Patina Miller, Stef Dawson, Paula Malcomson, Meta Golding, Wes Chatham, Elden Henson, Michelle Forbes, Omid Abtahi, Misty Ormiston, Kim Ormiston

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Lazarus Effect

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl :: The zombie minions have sent us a request signed by four hundred and fifty seven of them.

Vampire Bat :: As Uncle Dracula is in the hospital after watching a few terrible superstar Bollywood movies, I guess that we have to deal with this ourselves.

Vampire Owl :: It is sad. We have to accept their request though, or the Lich Queen will take away all our zombie labour.

Vampire Bat :: Yes, they consider the Lich Queen as a weird revolutionary ruler and we shouldn’t just give her the advantage.

Vampire Owl :: So, what do you think about this? They are asking for the review of a movie, The Lazarus Effect. It is about death and return to life.

Vampire Bat :: Coming back from the dead? I don’t believe that the zombies can come up with a better request.

Vampire Owl :: It is a horror movie, and so it should work for the vampire clan too. The request can be honoured without much trouble.

Vampire Bat :: It is a shame that we have to watch this movie without Uncle Dracula. But it is time he realize that he should choose actors over superstars when watching a movie.

Vampire Owl :: So, we will reply to the minions with a yes?

Vampire Bat :: Yes, and lets have some tea and get ready for a movie adventure.

[Gets a cup of tea and butter cookies].

What is it about? :: Two scientists, Frank Walton (Mark Duplass) and his lover Zoe McConnell (Olivia Wilde) have developed a special serum which they have named Lazarus. They are helped by Niko (Donald Glover) and Clay (Evan Peters), while they are joined by the videographer Eva (Sarah Bolger) as this particular serum attempts to do something huge. Even though it was intended to assist coma patients to give them a second chance at life, it turns out that it actually brings the dead back from life. They do manage to bring a dog back from the dead, and all of a sudden, a major pharmaceutical company buys the firm that funded their research and shuts them down. They decides to repeat the experiment, but Zoe gets electrocuted. Frank decides not to lose her and uses the Lazarus serum on her, but it turns out that the returning lady is not the same as the one who left.

The defence of The Lazarus Effect :: I am sure that most of you can agree to the fact that the movie is scary. It is loaded with the scary moments here and there. The moments of the return from the dead, for both the dog and the human are very well portrayed. Another nice design in relateed to the depiction of hell and the ideas behind the same. There are some jump scares which are very well used to make sure that the audience will feel that there is more horror coming. Not only the visual stuff, but the sound effects and the music contributes well to the frightening situations. It also asks us the relevant questions about life, death, soul and hell. The gore is also kept to the very least, even though a movie like this which combines science fiction and horror could have had a lot of it, especially with the death and return from the dead around. Over everything else, it knows how to entertain.

Claws of flaw :: There is no doubt that this movie could have been a better horror movie because it had all which was needed in its story, even though with similarities to other horror movies – the basic idea is not new and so are the scares. This one could have used the abundant darkness to a more creepy effect instead of using the same for some quick scares. The idea of life, death, hell and soul could have been expanded further more. The battle here between the living and dead is also too one-sided and predictable. With the movie being short in length, more scary and explanatory sequences could have been added here and there. The ending could have also been a little more creative. But it is surely better than what the critics claim that it is, no doubt about that – far ahead of this year’s other big horror; the remake called Poltergeist.

Performers of the soul :: The acting department looks safe around here. The best moments in the movie undoubtedly belongs the one who plays the returning loved one an scientists from the dead – Olivia Wilde as Zoe McConnell is clearly the leader here. She begins as the heroine and returns as the demon, balancing both really well. The transformation that happens is not that gradual either as she turns and embraces the dark side further and further after the return from the other world. She is not someone whom we usually associated with the horror genre, but it has suited her very well. Sarah Bolger plays the lead who doesn’t really belong to the group, and she does that fine enough. Mark Duplass has a good run in the movie, and the rest of the cast does some good job in this flick which mixes two genres effectively.

Soul exploration :: The three movies that come to your mind when you watch The Lazarus Effect are Event Horizon, Carrie and Lucy even though this flick is no match for all the three – consider the original movie from long ago when I am talking about Carrie this time. Do you know what else this movie is? It is Frankenstein, as here is an even more modern Prometheus than what Mary Shelley had intended. The idea of bringing back someone from the dead hasn’t gone that well for many characters; Victor Frankenstein paid for it. The Biblical Lazarus of Bethany on whom the title seems to be based did have a fine return from the dead after four days, and may be the serum in the movie was also supposed come out positive, but unfortunately for the characters in the movie and fortunately for the horror fans, it didn’t.

More of the soul exploration and the finish :: The movie’s idea of hell is also interesting; it talks about how hell is your worst nightmare repeated again and again. Its journey to hell and back is like Event Horizon, but not that strong. It has the returning person with the powers of Carrie, and also comparable to Lucy – there is also that idea about using more than ten percent of the brain. This movie has those elements which bring the horror about not just what is seen, but also what extends beyond that. Jason Blum who has been behind horror and thriller movies like Insidious, The Purge, Sinister, Dark Skies, Paranormal Activity, Ouija, The Lords of Salem, Jessabelle, Area 51, The Boy Next Door, The Gallows and The Gift along with the sequels of some of them, has produced this one too. With its collections, The Lazarus Effect will make into the list of the successful ones.

Release date: 27th February 2015
Running time: 83 minutes
Directed by: David Gelb
Starring: Mark Duplass, Olivia Wilde, Sarah Bolger, Donald Glover, Evan Peters, Ray Wise, Amy Aquino

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Ex Machina

Posted on November 26, 2015 by Tennyson

What is it about? :: Bluebook is the most popular search engine in the world, handling more than ninety percent of the internet user search. It is one of the most powerful companies in the world, and maintains a certain amount of control over the internet. Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), a programmer working at the same company, wins a one-week visit to the home of the CEO of the same company. Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac) lives in a secluded building surrounded by greenery, an environment providing beautiful views and assuring separation from the busy life of the cities where the search engine offices are based. The only other person at home is a maid known as Kyoko (Sonoya Mizuno) who doesn’t understand English and just does her job.

So what happens in this environment? :: So, this home of the CEO is actually more than what meets the eye. One would have guessed the same considering the fact that he has almost no contact with anyone else. He has a secret, and the place is more of a secret research facility than a house. He has developed something which needs to be tested, and Caleb is the man to administer the test to a special humanoid robot with Artificial Intelligence. This robot named Ava (Alicia Vikander) develops a good friendly relationship with Caleb, but it seems that she is a lot more than what he knows about, and there is a long history behind the robot and also beyond her. There are things that will be uncovered in the environment, but not many facts can go outside that world.

The defence of Ex Machina :: An intelligent science fiction movie takes form as Ex Machina, as it slowly, but steadily moves on to become more and more interesting, from a rather normal beginning. It has the good looks right from the beginning as the scene shifts to a world close to natural beauty. There, the insides of the home are also well done. There is elegance all around, and then we see the robot with the Artificial Intelligence and we feel that it might be the best we have seen with the design. Then, things go on to become rather tense, a feeling which comes along with the intellectual and creepy side going forward together. Sooner or later, this one asks you about whose side you are on, and most of the time when facing the question, you will have no answer; but you might not need to take sides – you can grab the messages instead. Then there is Alicia Vikander as the lady robot who will simply take your breath away with her performance; not human or robot, she is right there as the Artificial Intelligence.

Positives and negatives :: The other two main actors, Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac do their job really well. In this movie, you can see no action sequences or frightening scenes on screen, making this no sc-fi action and absolutely no sci-fi horror. But it is still a thriller and a drama, filled with messages in the core. A certain slow pace in the movie never really feels as we are too much interesting in the situation that is presented in this movie; sometimes one feel that it makes us more restless and unsettled. But whichever way the movie takes the turn, it keeps working so well. It keeps us engaged in the flick, and keeps providing us with those moments to memorize and think about. The twists in this movie are not heavily presented, but they are all result of some very clever work. As it moves towards a more haunting side, you will feel that this might be the best science fiction movie made without much of a heavy budget.

Soul exploration :: There are many messages in Ex Machina, and they can affect different people in different ways. Most of us are familiar about the Latin term “Deus ex machina” which means “god from the machine”. As I missed that during a literary quiz programme and this one will stay on my mind forever. It refers to a plot device by which a seemingly insolvable problem is solved all of a sudden by an unexpected thing – it is often a rather convenient method. Here, the title should mean “from the machine”. The movie deals with the insides of a machine here, with how the Artificial Intelligence makes the change, and brings something more out of a machine than what was expected of it. The one difference here is that it is the human who plays the God.

More soul exploration :: The problem in the movie arises from the human playing the role of God. He thinks that he can be in control all the time, but he just can’t do that. There are limitations to his abilities, and there are a few people who don’t really deserve to do such things. Man is no God and with power and money corrupting the brain, morality and any compassion takes the backseat. The robot here is not just a symbol of the specific character here, but that of a lot of people in the world who have restrictions imposed on them. Only a few people get lucky, and the rest are enslaved in one way or the other. The rich and the influential ones play God while the rest are made to be obedient robots. But if there will be change, and it might all be about one moment, just like Ava’s case.

How it finishes :: Ex Machina is the directorial debut of the man who wrote screenplay for 28 Days Later, Sunshine and the cult flick and favourite 2012 action movie Dredd. Here, we are provided with more questions than ever, about where humanity begins and ends, what is consciousness and how it can be defined, the influence of technology and its control over us, the limits which should be established – and many more. It is not something which you can hope to get with this much clarity as well as simplicity from the Hollywood movies. What this movie reminds me about is the 2011 Spanish psychological thriller movie, The Skin I Live In (La piel que habito) starring Antonio Banderas and Elena Anaya. Ex Machina leaves one with a similar feeling; there is no visible horror and moments to make you scream, but it provides that special unsettling feeling.

Release date: 10th April 2015
Running time: 108 minutes
Directed by: Alex Garland
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, Sonoya Mizuno, Oscar Isaac, Symara A. Templeman, Elina Alminas, Gana Bayarsaikhan, Tiffany Pisani, Claire Selby, Corey Johnson

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Rajamma at Yahoo

Posted on November 21, 2015 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl :: Vampires don’t have e-mail addresses at Yahoo. We use only the official Immortal Vampire Mail which is approved by Uncle Dracula and the Great Vampire Elders.

Vampire Bat :: But the title of this movie has nothing to do with Yahoo, e-mail, ISP, internet and social media.

Vampire Owl :: There is a clear misunderstanding about this then. The title misleads.

Vampire Bat :: Yes, but the movie is now clear to be watched for the vampire community too. Everything is fine.

Vampire Owl :: But don’t you think that a better title would have done this movie more good?

Vampire Bat :: Yes, that is sure. There is no question about it, especially as there is no shortage of titles around here.

Vampire Owl :: I will try to suggest a better title after watching this movie.

Vampire Bat :: Well, I wouldn’t recommend that. The current title still bring some idea about what to expect in this movie, which is not directly related to the brain.

Vampire Owl :: In that case, I shall not attempt the renaming.

Vampire Bat :: Well, it is never really going to make a difference, is it?

[Gets the tickets].

What is it about? :: Michael Rajamma (Kunchacko Boban) and Vishnu Yohannan (Asif Ali) are brothers who were born to a couple who eloped from their home after an inter-religious love affair. After the death of their parents, they decide to live in their huge house which they can’t sell due to some problems with its records. Called Rajamma and Yahoo respectively by their friends, latter has a love affair with Nessy (Anusree Nair) and former is attracted to Sherin (Nikki Galrani) who is one of the many tenants to whom parts of the big house are given on rent. After becoming good friends with the village officer Pavthiran (Kalabhavan Shajon) and his family to whom another part of the place is rented, the two decide to solve a problem faced by Sherin, and that brings the antagonist Abraham Pothen (Renji Panicker) to the scene and a few things from the past.

The defence of Rajamma at Yahoo :: The moments of fun are surely there in this movie, and they start very early. You can clearly hear the laughter in the theatre and people do find this one enjoyable with its good comic side. The first half does provide the scope to let this one go on as the full comedy entertainer, and even though the completeness is never achieved, Rajamma at Yahoo has memorable jokes. The characters on good side are likable except for the role played by the main heroine. There is also some feel-good related to this movie, even though the portrayal of the same brings certain trouble, and couldn’t tally with the rest of the movie as the mixture struggles to be better. There main lead makes sure that there is always something throughout the movie.

Claws of flaw :: After wasting the opportunity to be a full comedy entertainer or at least a part feel-good movie, this one has struggles which go on to bring a climax will be in no way acceptable to most of the audience. It is as if it is just imposed on this movie without much thinking. One would also wonder if people haven’t had enough of making sculptures of their parents, and how it is considered a noble deed – ask Utopiyayile Raajavu. The movie could have at least known its strengths, which it shows at times and then losses them. This could have been a lot better if the story was more interesting; the dependence on the stereotyped situation of the heroine also works against the movie. Some of the jokes are also not working. Something better was needed in the script, but unfortunately, that is not there. The romance is also half-baked.

Performers of the soul :: Kunchacko Boban and Asif Ali manage their roles in this movie very nicely. They do make a good team, and everything is effectively handled together. There is nothing heavy here though. It does make one wonder what these two could have achieved with more funny situations and a better story brought to them. I would like to see them together in another story where there are more opportunities. The latter was also too unlucky earlier with Kohinoor and Nirnaayakam. With the comic side, Kalabhavan Shajon scores the highest as the village officer, and the others follow his lead. It was also good to see Sneha Sreekumar of the Marimayam fame in this movie, and she did well. Among the heroines, Anusree makes better impact. She has handled the comic side very well too.

Further performers of the soul :: Nikki Galrani arrives on screen as the movie reaches the one hour mark, and she is there with the looks and not that much with the performance. There is no doubt that she looks really good here. Then there is not much there for her, as she becomes the love interest as well as the one who causes the turn of events without talking much. It is still a lot better than what was seen from her in Rudrasimhasanam. Renji Panicker has a strange character here which makes the antagonist weaker and part-time. He is very good for most of the time, but the characterization gets into the way. Noby Markose of Vodafone Comedy Stars fame is also there after Life of Josutty, and in the smaller role, he brings some nice laughs. Kailash also provides good support in the flick.

How it finishes :: The chance to rule the weekend is not there for Rajamma at Yahoo as the opportunity is spoiled and the movie doesn’t rise up-to the expectations. As they tell a fun story, one has to wonder why it couldn’t have been the same throughout its run-time. Better songs, background music, editing and all could have provided this movie with more strength, but they didn’t. With lesser challenge this week as only Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam remains the one notable Malayalam release, our movie here will still do good enough. The fun moments will make sure that there are no boredom or lag, as Rajamma at Yahoo can attract those who are looking for some simple mindless fun for the weekend. You will enjoy the movie in parts as long as you don’t think too much about it.

Release date: 20th November 2015
Running time: 138 minutes
Directed by: Reghurama Varma
Starring: Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, Nikki Galrani, Anusree Nair, Kalabhavan Shajon, Renji Panicker, Kailash, Noby Markose, Vijayakumar, Sneha Sreekumar, Sethulakshmi, Mamukkoya, Muthumani

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Tennyson

What is it about? :: Sudhi (Jayasurya) works as the manager at one of the branches of Karur Vysya Bank at Bangalore. One day, after helping a group of cinema artists to shoot inside his branch, he gets a ride to his hometown with Mukesh (Mukesh), thanks to his old friend Greygon Das (Aju Varghese) who is in the film field. Sudhi talks to him about his life and the interesting incidents related to it. He is a person who has always had a terrible stammering problem. It had alienated him and affected his confidence ever since he was a child. Even when he reaches his youth, he remains a troubled man due to the same. The same disability leads to his engagement being called off, and the people of the village make fun of him even more. But as time progresses, he will manage to rise above his problems and understand that he is better than his troubles.

The defence of Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam :: If you loved Punyalan Agarbathis, you will surely love this one too; I would consider this one above that flick because our movie here finishes very nicely in a much better way. The feel-good factor is much stronger here because this is more of the common man’s movie. There will be moments when you will feel that this is the story of you or someone you know in a different way. The message is also very clear here, and it will connect with the common man. The fact that the movie is short helps the cause; there is no drag here either. The second half is also better than the first, the movie only improving as it progresses. The emotional side is working all the time and gets stronger in the latter parts. The humour is good when it is present. The songs are okay. It is simple, cute and the right choice for the families.

Claws of flaw :: There is no special ingredient in Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam. Well, Kung Fu Panda knew that there was no secret ingredient, and this movie also works without the same. There is nothing special with the story as the flick thrives on simplicity and reflecting the common man’s life. More humour could have also been added here too, and more material in the first half. People can also complain about the troubles of the man and his setting to be better shown in another way, asking for more fun or more emotions, but this one takes the middle path. The Punyalan Agarbathis feeling is also there even as this one overtakes that movie in content and presentation. Like what a few people who said about Mili, if you consider the goodness and inspirational stuff as cliche, this won’t be the movie for you; but I believe that they can be infinitely disparate each and every time.

Performers of the soul :: Jayasurya brings a stunning performance here proving his versatility once again. This movie is all about his character and he makes it all about him. The success of this movie will undoubtedly be his success as he thrives, and lives as the protagonist. Whichever be the movie, he has always been there with some exceptional performance – you can do a rewind into his previous movies and clarify the same. With three stages of the protagonist’s life being shown on screen, the man comes in three appearances, clean shaved, with a moustache and with the beard. Like in Premam, this also shows the man in different appearances as the character’s attitude towards others as well as life as a whole changes. This will be his second movie to run with positive opinions at the same time, along with Amar Akbar Anthony.

Further performers of the soul :: You can note that the director Ranjith Sankar has a cameo role in this one. The two heroines in this movie are not that familiar for the Malayalam audience even though only one is the new face. Swathi plays the protagonist’s fiancee whom he was supposed to marry, and the one person to whom he feels really close. If you watch Comedy Super Nite on Flowers channel, you might have noticed her as she was there in one of the episodes. She makes a nice debut as she entered the industry, and there is a certain amount of cuteness right there. The other heroine, Shivada has more to do, and she also has the more inspirational stuff as the speech therapist. She also comes up with a fine performance as the difference maker. Aju Varghese contributes well to the comic side, and Mukesh brings more laughs. Mukesh as Mukesh was actually a very nice move!

Soul exploration :: Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam inspires you, but it doesn’t ask you to become someone else. The soul of this movie asks you to listen to your own heart and soul rather than the others and society who bring a label for you. The protagonist himself says that everyone is not supposed to become Sachin Tendulkar or Aamir Khan. It is all about us being ourselves, not doing comparisons with others. The movie tells us to be just us, but always to be the best of us, as not to have tried is a terrible thing. If we are not ready to be us, with all the characteristics that belong to us, then what is our significance as individuals? As separate individuals facing different situations, having varying abilities, it is all about making the best use of the talents. This movie is also supposed to be inspired on the real life story of a person. You were inspired by Rani Padmini a few days earlier, and now here is more.

How it finishes :: Don’t expect something huge with a big dose of tings, but as the simple and powerful movie of the weekend, Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam will provide you with the motivation that is not restricted in any way. It is a path for you to travel in discovering your individuality, and at the same time, realize that everyone is awesome, no matter what disability or trouble is present. Coming from the director who started with Passenger and gave us some really inspiring movies, this one also leaves a mark, and Ranjith Sankar has left the audience with some happiness while touching the emotional side. If you leave the theatre with some positive energy inside, it is the success of the team which brought you Punyalan Agarbathis once again. Once again, you are reminded of what you can do, and why you are also someone who can achieve. You look for goodness and inspiration; you find Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam.

Release date: 20th November 2015
Running time: 131 minutes
Directed by: Ranjith Sankar
Starring: Jayasurya, Swathi Narayanan, Shivada Nair, Aju Varghese, Mukesh, Sunil Sukhada, TG Ravi, KPAC Lalitha, Ranjith Sankar, Muthumani, Sarath Das, Irshad

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Angel of Death

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl :: Uncle Dracula was very much shocked that we missed Hotel Transylvania 2. The Vampire Panda had told me that he was on leave from the vampire throne for too many days.

Vampire Bat :: Which is why we are bringing this older horror movie right up.

Vampire Owl :: If this Woman in Black is the Angel of Death, why don’t we just call her by that name itself? Why were we not talking much about her?

Vampire Bat :: Well, there are other angels of death who might decide to protest if we do that. After all, each creature has rights.

Vampire Owl :: Yes, but still at this moment, this is the Angel of Death.

Vampire Bat :: We should publish a notice about the usage if we are to do it widely. But it should be okay for now.

Vampire Owl :: Do you know that Sinister 2 might never really release here?

Vampire Bat :: Yes, disappointing. Even Dark Places didn’t arrive.

Vampire Owl :: This is why world needs the Angel of Death.

Vampire Bat :: Yes, even the Angel of Half-death will do.

[Grabs a cup of tea with chocolate chips biscuits].

What is it about? :: A long time has passed since the events of the first movie. The time shifts to the season of death and devastation, during the Second World War. The Blitz was happening at London as Nazi Germany was showering bombs on the United Kingdom. With death wandering over their heads on planes, Eve Parkins (Phoebe Fox), a deputy headmistress along with the children of the school and the headmistress, Jean Hogg (Helen McCrory), leaves towards the small town of Crythin Giffor which was to be a safe place away from the bomber planes targeting cities. They reach a mansion which is abandoned and surrounded by no signs of human existence. Then you have to wonder if this new place away from civilization is really safe.

The defence of The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death :: The movie nicely begins and has a dark and depressing atmosphere until the first moment of horror occurs with twenty minutes being over. There are some very nice dark sequences in this movie which bring us the elements of horror very well; the terror exists all the time here, not just when there is the direct attempt to scare the viewers. There is always something waiting to happen, and you can feel that. The movie is also sad, and it is something that will haunt you more than the horror which you expect to be there. It can also be considered as a strong drama, with emotions running high. There is a message here, and it is of death, which is brought about by none other than the actions of humans themselves.

Claws of flaw :: You will feel that The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death is a lot like its predecessor, rather too much of that kind. The darkness is also used a lot to the inconvenience of some people. This one is also slower if we consider the pace that is expected from a movie of this genre. Talking more about the genre, this is not completely horror either, which will make some fans wonder where exactly their horror movie deviated from the cause. It could have surely used better appearances of the Woman in Black to make the desired impact for the hardcore horror fans. Even though the predecessor was a rather unknown movie at this part of the world, the second one surely had better attention, and so the viewers did deserve more from this as far as the genre is considered.

Performers of the soul :: Phoebe Fox is the protagonist here for the year 1941, replacing Daniel Radcliffe who was there during the Edwardian-era. There is torment and so much sadness which is reflected on her face, making Phoebe a nice choice for this particular character with a troubled past which the woman of the other world needs to exploit and use to her advantage. She surely has her exceptional moments in this one. Jeremy Irvine makes a nice appearance in the flick, and he does the job of another person with past troubles very well. They do make a fine pair together in the movie. Meanwhile, Oaklee Pendergast does a fine job as the kid in distress. Helen McCrory also does some good work. Even then, the atmosphere remains the grand performer.

Soul exploration :: It is no surprise that the title Angel of Death works at a time when the Second World War was at its peak. With chaos and destruction all around, one has to wonder what kind of death humans have brought upon their own kind. The humans themselves are the angels of death due to the never-ending desire for more. In the current world, where intolerance has risen to a new level, may be there are too many angels of death waiting to rise. It is by selflessness and sacrifice that the acts of hatred for the other can be averted. The message of forgiveness is the one thing which is needed more than any other. There is death awaiting each and everyone in this movie, in one way or the other, by war or by supernatural ways, but it is not the certain end.

How it finishes :: The sequel to The Woman in Black is no Crimson Peak, even though the frightening elements which are delivered comes directly out of the supernatural. You can actually watch this one without trying the original. The creepiness of the atmosphere once again helps this one to become an interesting experience as long as you don’t keep asking for more of the usual kind of horror. The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death is that kind of a movie which is more horror for the soul than for the brain. The idea to put this story to the Second World War setting was the right one, and even though this is not for everyone, a lot of people are sure to like this one depending on their priorities and their admiration for the different kind of horror. You might have to watch this one to be sure.

Release date: 2nd January 2015
Running time: 98 minutes
Directed by: Tom Harper
Starring: Phoebe Fox, Helen McCrory, Jeremy Irvine, Adrian Rawlins, Leanne Best, Ned Dennehy, Oaklee Pendergast, Jude Wright, Amelia Pidgeon, Casper Allpress, Amelia Crouch, Leilah de Meza, Pip Pearce, Alfie Simmons, Eve Pearce