Author Archives: Tennyson

Maranamass

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Vampire Owl: There seems to be something sinister about this particular movie.

Vampire Bat: You mean like there is more than what meets the eye.

Vampire Owl: Yes, with a fine dose of evil.

Vampire Bat: You feel that there is more evil here than what seems to exist?

Vampire Owl: Evil does come in many different forms.

Vampire Bat: You mean the dark humour in use here.

Vampire Owl: You see that darkness in humour which makes the film beautiful.

Vampire Bat: There was always going to be evil with a serial killer around.

Vampire Owl: Well, evil always finds a way, doesn’t it?

Vampire Bat: Especially with bigger movies not doing the job well enough.

[Gets a vegetable puffs and three cups of elaichi tea].

What is the movie about? :: Sreekumar (Rajesh Madhavan) lives a seemingly sweet and cute life as he teaches little kids in a kindergarten, and helps them in different possible ways. He seems like the typical kid-lover who cannot keep himself away from them. He takes them for rallies, tells them stories, and gets them support from the government. But in between doing all of these, he is the one serial killer whom the state is searching for. The serial killer has been known for brutally murdering elder people and also making a mockery of their corpses without any remorse and the state has been failing to capture him even with the police force in full alert. At the same time, the people of the same village are trying to send Luke (Basil Joseph) to Czechoslovakia because he has become a nuisance to everyone around him. Due to his strange behaviour, he also becomes a suspect in the serial killings, but is not arrested as police did not consider him to be smart enough to be a murderer with perfect plans.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Luke is not happy because his girlfriend Jessy (Anishma Anilkumar) wishes to breakup with him as he is suspected to be a serial killer by too many people and because he is going to Czechoslovakia. He tries to win her interest back, but keeps failing miserably. At the same time, Jikku (Suresh Krishna) is looking forward to his wedding day, after a big number of rejections that have happened in the last few years due to random people spreading rumours about him. He drives the bus named “Veena Poovu” with Aruvi (Siju Sunny) as the conductor. At the same time, the case about serial killings is passed on to DYSP Ajay Ramachandran (Babu Antony), a remorseless police officer who is being remorseful about his missing dog that forms his only family. It is then that Keshavakurup (Puliyanam Poulose), an old man and womanizer who has been dumped into an old age home escapes and gets into the “Veena Poovu” bus which also has Sreekumar and Jessy as late-night passengers. As the old man tries to misbehave with her, Jessy uses pepper spray on him, leading to his death.

And what complicates things further within chaos? :: Sreekumar is disappointed as he was planning to have the old man as his victim but hopes that he can have the body and make the media feel like it was his victim. But he is not able to take the body away, as Luke comes in for Jessy. The team decides to bury the body, but are not able to do so, with Aruvi feeling that the man is his long-lost father due to the mark on his body. They decide to take the body elsewhere to provide the final rites, but there are so many obstacles that they have to face. This would include people trying to get into the bus, the need to use the bus for the Communist Party purposes and the remaining doubt about Luke being the serial killer. At the same time, the serial killer manages to have some different plans, but none of them would favour Luke and Jessy’s love, Jikku’s upcoming marriage or Aruvi’s love for his father. Can the unexpected team of confused people manage to get out of trouble with none of them dead and buried?

The defence of Maranamass :: The movie uses the dark humour to a fine level, as a serial killer and his attempts at murder gets the funny side to explore. The tale of Tom and Jerry being told in a serial killer’s perspective feels funny because what they do in the cartoon itself is nothing less than attempt at murder if this was in real life. The humour works at all times, and the use of real-life situations is very effective as the movie’s satire stays strong. Basil Joseph handles the whole situation really well as the leading actor, and there is always some fun around he is there. Rajesh Madhavan does a wonderful job as the serial killer, and he adds something special to the movie. Suresh Krishna invokes the funny side very well and is well-supported by Siju Sunny. Anishma Anil Kumar makes a fine presence as the leading actress, and maintains the humorous side very well, as we hope to see more of her work in the coming days. Babu Antony with the humorous side also catches our attention. Puliyanam Poulose adds further humour here.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have had some focus on the story too, as it seems to be woven around humorous situations to make sure that it exists for namesake. Some of the characters seem to be present for the sake of being there. We do not see an attempt to introduce or develop most of them, and some of them just come and go. Some depictions might feel too silly for anyone’s standard, and could have used a little bit more of thoughts. There is no doubt about the fact that there was scope to make the film even better with added content. Maranamass is surely not the movie for everyone, as not all people might get some of the references here, as most of them do point somewhere, and not all viewers can appreciate some dark humour without being offended. People might be more interested in those mass masala and repeated family stuff for Vishu as they would most probably be watching together.

How it finishes :: Maranamass is that kind of a movie which can be watched for the funny side, and not for the tale, because it follows situations which are created to bring laughter and not to take the story forward. This was actually the only Vishu release which had us interested in watching, and that comes as no surprise considering the other releases which felt like no fun. The other releases can be found anywhere at any time, but it is to be noted that movies like this one are not that easy to create with effectiveness. We remember that movies like Aadu became cult classics, but this one is surely better than that, and we see that films like Adi Kapyare Kootamani and Kunjiramayanam had similar silly characters and succeeded in creating a laugh riot – this one is of the same level if we consider the characters that we see around. This is that kind of a film with serial killer which will not leave us in fear, but with a lot to laugh about.

Release date: 10th April 2025
Running time: 141 minutes
Directed by: Sivaprasad
Starring: Basil Joseph, Rajesh Madhavan, Siju Sunny, Babu Antony, Anishma Anilkumar, Suresh Krishna, Pooja Mohanraj, Joemon Jyothir, Puliyanam Poulose, Dheeraj Denny, Prashant Alexander, Tovino Thomas (cameo), Guru Somasundaram (cameo)

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

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

L2: Empuraan

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Vampire Owl: So, finally we have a sequel to Lucifer.

Vampire Bat: This has surely been the one movie hyped more than any other.

Vampire Owl: Well, I remember waiting for an eternity.

Vampire Bat: When a vampire calls a time period and eternity, that should be long.

Vampire Owl: There has been so much of talk about this that it feels like an eternity.

Vampire Bat: Well, it was the biggest movie of its time, so that is indeed natural.

Vampire Owl: So, are we looking for the biggest grossing Malayalam movie of all-time?

Vampire Bat: I don’t see why not. The movie that holds that position now do not deserve the title.

Vampire Owl: Yes, that was a movie with zero content.

Vampire Bat: We will never understand how that strange movie of jobless youngsters on a trip managed to get that much of attention.

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

What is the movie about? :: The movie starts in the year 2002, a flashback of events during a communal event where the innocents are killed, and murders happen without remorse. In between, we see a Muslim family taking refuge in the home of Subhadra Ben (Nikhat Khan), a local political activist and member of a royal family. They feel that they are safe when within this stronghold, but it would soon be revealed that they are wrong. The nephews of the same person would take hold of the situation and brutally attack and murder everyone whom she had provided refuge to, also killing her in the process. The two men involved, Munna (Sukant Goel) and Balraj (Abhimanyu Singh) get the crowd support as well as the support of the political party that found its roots stronger with this riot, and they find themselves good enough to be major part of the same political party, while the scars of this situation remain in the minds of everyone.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Back in Kerala, the Chief Minister and the head of Indian Union Front (IUF) Jathin Ramdas (Tovino Thomas) struggles to keep things going due to him being investigated upon by multiple intelligence agencies for money laundering and financial scams. It is then that a new opposition party, Akhanda Shakthi Morcha (ASM), with its roots in North India, gains prominence in Kerala under the leadership of Sajanachandran (Suraj Venjaramoodu). Jathin seeks the help of the new force in Kerala, as he feels that the central investigative agencies could help him escape from the cases going on against him. At the same time, Priyadarshini Ramdas (Manju Warrier) fights against the dam which has come up at Nedumpilly, from where her family has seen growth within the political party. She sides with the common people there, much to the dismay of Jathin who finds himself on the other side.

And what more happens here to add to the chaos? :: Meanwhile, Stephen Nedumpally (Mohanlal) has not been around in Kerala for quite a long time as he has been focusing on handling the bigger businesses under the name Khureshi Ab’raam, with the help of Zayed Masood (Prithviraj Sukumaran) and other loyal companions. The incidents back in Kerala does not seem to concern him anymore, much to the dismay of Govardhan (Indrajith Sukumaran), Father Nedumpilly (Fazil), Murukan (Baiju Santhosh), Aparna (Shaun Romy), Murukan (Baiju Santhosh), Sanjeev Kumar (Giju John), Arundhathi Sanjeev (Nyla Usha) and others. Meanwhile, MI6 agents like Boris Oliver (Jerome Flynn) and Michele Menuhin (Andrea Tivadar) are on the hunt for the Khureshi gang. But there is another gang from Africa involved, as things get more complicated. But the two gangs might not be all that Stephen should be worried about. Can he handle his multiple problems well enough? Or will God’s Own Country fall to a new world order too?

The defence of L2: Empuraan :: The second part of Lucifer seems to keep a quality in the making that is beyond the usual films that we come across. With Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran, Tovino Thomas also steals the show, and it is sad that we won’t see his character anymore. Suraj Venjaramood comes with a strong performance and so does Abhimanyu Singh as a villain to be noted, except for the last few minutes. The visuals are just too good to forget, and we will remember a few moments for how well it was shown on the big screen. One would feel that this kind of a spectacle might not be made in Malayalam cinema any time soon, which justifies so many people watching it on the big screen only. Some of the classic shots remind us that we are watching something beyond the usual, showing the quality like never before in Malayalam industry. The stage for sequel is nicely set, and we would feel that it would surely be a better one than this. The feeling that there is something beneath all of these remains around.

The claws of flaw :: The movie often forgets the most important factor, that of telling a story in a believable manner while trying to make it feel bigger and international. In the process, it wastes some of its main characters. Mohanlal arrives rather late, and Prithviraj comes like two hours later. Manju Warrier’s moments would have been better if it was part of the first movie, but in this one, it seems repetitive and forced. The worst part comes when there are so many subordinates with guns and the hero decides to do the fight so many people himself. Almost all the fights are rather too long and slowed down further with slow-motion sequences. Other seemingly important characters like the ones played by Andrea Tivadar just walk around in this movie dominated by male heroes and villains. Indrajith Sukumaran and Saniya Iyappan should have had bigger roles, but that was not to be. The same is the case of Baiju Santhosh. It is to be noted that unlike the first movie, there is no dialogue here that we will remember, and have to look back to the original for the same.

How it finishes :: L2: Empuraan has proven to be strong sequel to a movie which made the difference like no other. It depends on the first film to extend the impact and keeps itself in a struggle to make the canvas a lot bigger. It is successful in making the whole thing feel bigger, but not that bigger in the quality of content. The mystery of the main character has already been revealed, and in this one, he is too powerful to be in any kind of danger and for us to feel for the person. As a treat for the fans, and for the high quality making, this would stay on for longer. The success of this movie is a certainty and we hope that it would get more collections than the movie which leads the list of Malayalam movies which managed to get the highest collections. The effort that has been put in here would need our appreciation, and it deserves to be at its top. We would be waiting to see how far it goes after breaking all records.

Release date: 27th March 2025
Running time: 180 minutes
Directed by: Prithviraj Sukumaran
Starring: Mohanlal, Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Indrajith Sukumaran, Andrea Tivadar, Saniya Iyappan, Jerome Flynn, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Fazil, Sai Kumar, Sukant Goel, Baiju Santhosh, Nandhu, Nikhat Khan, Sachin Khadekar, Eriq Ebouaney, Shivaji Guruvayoor, Aneesh G. Menon, Manikuttan, Nyla Usha, Giju John, Satyajit Sharma, Oziel Jivani, Aishwarya Ohja, Nayan Bhatt, Shubhangi Latkar, Alexx O’Nell, Mikhail Novikov, Murugan Martin, Behzaad Khan, Sshivada, Jaise Jose, Shaun Romy, Antony Perumbavoor

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

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

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

<<< Click here to go to the previous visual extravaganza.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Madame Web

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Vampire Owl: I have a doubt if this is about World Wide Web.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that there is no relation to that particular web.

Vampire Owl: What about the web woven by a Vampire Spider?

Vampire Bat: I do not know about any such spider being appointed.

Vampire Owl: Spiders can always be evil.

Vampire Bat: There are some spiders that are too lazy to be evil.

Vampire Owl: They still weave some fine webs.

Vampire Bat: There is no web that is woven by vampires through.

Vampire Owl: The whole vampire community is part of one interconnected web.

Vampire Bat: Well, there is truth in that point.

[Gets a kulfi shake and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson) works as a paramedic in New York City, and tries to help as many people as she can. She works with her good friends Ben Parker (Adam Scott) and O’Neil (Mike Epps), and attempts to save lives, and during one among a few accidents, she has a near-death experience. After this incident, she begins to have visions about her future, and after seeing her friend die, but being not able to stop the incident, becomes sure about what she has been witnessing in the last few days. Meanwhile, a man named Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim), who has certain precognition power and some enhanced physical abilities resembling a spider, is trying to find three teenage girls who might end up killing him in the future according to his visions – Julia Cornwall (Sydney Sweeney), Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced) and Mattie Franklin (Celeste O’Connor) comes under his radar and he would finish them off before they try anything on him.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As Cassandra and the three girls end up in the same coach in the train, she begins to see vision of the death of the girls in the hand of Ezekiel, which alerts her as she tries to save them. Ezekiel seems to exhibit the powers of spiders at the same time. This makes Ezekiel aware of her presence, and begins to chase all of them. The group just manages to save themselves from the chaser. She hides the girls in a forest area and goes back home searching for answers as everything seems to lead back to her mother who had traveled all the way to the Amazon forests while researching on spiders. As she somewhat understands what is happening, the girls go to a diner for food where Ezekiel finds them, but Cassandra has a vision which helps her to intervene at the right time. But it is to be seen how long she can continue to protect the girls as the man seems to be too powerful for anyone to stop. Will Cassandra be able to find something from the past which could finally stop him?

The defence of Madame Web :: The idea of the movie has been pretty well-executed, and there is no unnecessary melodrama like that of Guardians of the Galaxy which goes silly for even racoon. Madame Web keeps the balance as we keep feeling for the characters, but without the melodrama. There is also a certain amount of classic look throughout the movie. It is always more joy to watch three Spider-girls on the screen rather than the Spider-Men. We just had too much of the new generation of dumb Spider-Man that it is less relevant, and we need Madame Web and her Spider-Girls in action. Saving three girls by going through the terrifying situation and taking the right action to change the future just seen, only keeps getting more and more interesting. The villain here is nothing less than a Spider-Man of another kind, but not related the urban radio-active one. The trackback to the interiors of jungle also suits another kind of spider-world quite well. The big names of this movie adds to the whole thing with ease too.

The claws of flaw :: There could have been a lot that this movie could accomplish, but it does stay behind, lagging with no particular reason. There could have been signs of later battles, and present battles could have also been more intense. The foreshadowing could have actually more intense, with such a cast around. One would keep wondering when all of these get to be full of high intense non-stop action, but that is not what this movie is about. With the possibility of a sequel never seemingly there, we might be losing the opportunity to see something huge on the screen. There has also not been enough right publicity about the movie at least in this part of the world. This could have been more related to some specially-powered spiders, supernatural, paranormal, radio-active or whatever names one would wish to call them. After all, the world of spiders should always be about something special and not much more.

The performers of the soul :: There are some big names here among the performers. Dakota Johnson who is known to most of the people around us due to her leading work in Fifty Shades of Grey and its sequels which changed more than one shade when on the screen. Stepdaughter to one of our favourite actors remembered for cult classics, Antonio Banderas, she has worked through this with ease, even though one would have wanted her to go through the powers in a more stylish and elegant manner. Among the next leading ladies, Sydney Sweeney has the best moments, and the much-loved star with The Voyeurs fame all around the world through a quick release on Amazon Prime, surely becomes the best Spider-girl around here, and that is evident in the one action scene from the future which involves them in combat. Isabela Merced who was seen in Alien Covenant comes next in a role which has her as the more matured one around. Celeste O’Connor contrasts with her character well, but is the less interesting one. Tahar Rahim’s villain is indeed an interesting one, even though at times, he acts too strange for a person of his level of villainy.

How it finishes :: Madame Web is surely not that bad movie that you should miss, and listening to the critics and looking at the box-office collections are not required at this moment. This is one Marvel movie with spider-elements that means more than what meets the eye. There seems to be a certain amount of natural flow in this movie and the web that it seems to have with its story, is very well connected. With some visual splendour also on the screen, one has to wonder how this is not better than most of those Spider-Man movies around, with those predictable paths and foolish main characters including the silly superhero who puts the other powerless heroes to shame. If people would prefer characters like Deadpool that makes no sense in comparison to this one, it is only a matter of time when we begin to doubt the senses that prevail these days. I could not catch this movie at the theatres despite eagerly waiting for it, but surely could catch it on Netflix later, for which I am very much glad. I would surely love to see a sequel with these three Spider-girls around, especially that of Sydney Sweeney who makes a fine superhero.

Release date: 14th February 2024
Running time: 116 minutes
Directed by: S J Clarkson
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, Celeste O’Connor, Tahar Rahim, Mike Epps, Emma Roberts, Adam Scott

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse

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Vampire Owl: I am doubtful if this Dominic is a vampire.

Vampire Bat: There is surely no reason to have such a feeling.

Vampire Owl: He is old, but he does not look that old.

Vampire Bat: Well, we will ask our spies in the human world.

Vampire Owl: Do you think that the protagonist is Sherlock Holmes?

Vampire Bat: Someone who wishes to be like Sherlock Holmes.

Vampire Owl: There have been enough private detectives in Malayalam cinema too.

Vampire Bat: This one seems to take that to modernity.

Vampire Owl: We have always wanted a detective in Cochin.

Vampire Bat: But the theatre response does not seem to show success.

Vampire Owl: Well, there is still time to rise.

Vampire Bat: Other movies have just risen too early.

Vampire Owl: Well, not all movies of same level get the audience response.

Vampire Bat: From the trailer, there is too much left to be guessed.

Vampire Owl: Well, they try to be the same most of the time.

Vampire Bat: You have to recreate the same and not be the exact same.

Vampire Owl: There is something special about being a Sherlock.

Vampire Bat: It is about being the right kind of Sherlock.

Vampire Owl: That would be difficult to do.

Vampire Bat: The trailer of this one still looked promising.

Vampire Owl: Yes, there are moments which I look forward to.

Vampire Bat: We have to begin the new year really well, don’t we?

Vampire Owl: Yes, one movie already managed to be impressive.

Vampire Bat: Two in a week can only be good.

[Gets a box with caramel popcorn and three cups of elaichi tea and moves into theatre].

Vampire Owl: This turned out to be an interesting journey, even though not exactly Sherlock.

Vampire Bat: This has that slow-burning feeling.

Vampire Owl: The world seems to remain simple though.

Vampire Bat: And our director seems to try to break fourth wall often.

Vampire Owl: I see that this is his first movie in Malayalam.

Vampire Bat: I am very much impressed by the final twist.

Vampire Owl: The dance movements in between seem to leave an impression too.

Vampire Bat: The complexities that come in between makes a twist in the simple tale.

Vampire Owl: The twists are nicely arranged to make way for the final one.

Vampire Bat: There are some fine red herrings at work too.

Vampire Owl: It is nice to see the city of Cochin represented well.

Vampire Bat: And we feel that this can be a franchise to elevate the level.

Vampire Owl: Mammootty and Gokul Suresh do make a nice combination here.

Vampire Bat: Sushmitha Bhatt does make the most impact in this movie though, with the dance, dialogues and revelations.

Vampire Owl: Shine Tom Chacko, Siddique, Vineeth and Vijay Babu are there only in smaller roles though, and that’s surprising though.

Vampire Bat: Meenakshi Unnikrishnan also has a good role to play as another lady love.

Vampire Owl: A little bit of humour is added nicely, but more should have been there.

Vampire Bat: The movie does lack in originality too, as more could have been added to make the level better.

Vampire Owl: The experimental side still runs through here. There was always some risk making a movie like this.

Vampire Bat: How a disgraced police officer turned private detective solves a missing and murder case with a start through a ladies’ purse which lands in his hands due to strange circumstances come as no surprise.

Vampire Owl: Still, Gokul Suresh should have had more classy moments, as it seems that Viji Venkatesh seems to be the next important character on the protagonist’s side.

Vampire Bat: The movie ends up being a satisfactory family investigation with that touch of comic side which also has enough to support the overall light mood, not like the earlier Kannur Squad, Anand Sreebala, Ozler, Thalavan or Anveshippin Kandethum.

Vampire Owl: I was wondering if things could get better with the private detective setup, but this one as of now seems fine.

Vampire Bat: What can a vampire do, but hope for more murder mysteries so that the human world can be more interesting? For humans have enough of demons in themselves?

Vampire Owl: Well, we already have those which serve as good beginnings. There will surely be more thrillers and some interesting serial killers to look out for. After all, humans are more evil than we could ever be.

[Disappears into the darkness of the day served by the clouds and awaits more of the dark days which symbolizes death].

The YouTube video version comes up with the vlogged review. Our YouTube channel Scholar Nomads seeks to expand all horizons, exploring diverse areas of interest through video as much as writing. Not leaving any mode behind, both the blog and vlog will feature film reviews and explore fresh styles, offering even more intriguing content to viewers and readers alike.

Release date: 23rd January 2025
Running time: 152 minutes
Directed by: Gautham Vasudev Menon
Starring: Mammootty, Gokul Suresh, Sushmitha Bhatt, Meenakshi Unnikrishnan, Shine Tom Chacko, Viji Venkatesh, Vineeth, Balachandran Chullikkad, Suresh Krishna, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Lena, Wafa Khatheeja Rahman, Veena Nair, Dinesh Prabhakar, Ashvin Mathew, Neeraja Rajendran, P R Rajasekharan, Arjun Nandhakumar, Harshitha J Pisharody, Laya Simpson, Sudha Sumithran

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Rekhachithram

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Vampire Owl: We will never have enough murder mysteries.

Vampire Bat: There is no limit to investigations on the unsolved.

Vampire Owl: This one has gained some fine reviews.

Vampire Bat: Anand Sreebala seems to have provided a similar feeling.

Vampire Owl: And that Anveshippin Kandethum feeling of last year.

Vampire Bat: And that of Ozler with the same actress.

Vampire Owl: We wonder how many mysteries are yet to be solved.

Vampire Bat: We have missed too many thrillers in between.

Vampire Owl: We now have the best thrillers in Malayalam.

Vampire Bat: We continue to believe in such smooth investigations.

Vampire Owl: And we need more serial killers.

Vampire Bat: The best thrillers surely can use a few.

Vampire Owl: We know that the best thrillers are coming.

Vampire Bat: Well, we have listed a few.

Vampire Owl: A little more darkness could have been fine.

Vampire Bat: Darker the movie, better its world.

Vampire Owl: This movie seems to be not that dark.

Vampire Bat: There is some nostalgia though.

Vampire Owl: The journey to the past never gets old.

Vampire Bat: Especially when it is related to movies.

Vampire Owl: We have seen Malayalam films using the same in the best way.

Vampire Bat: I would let the nostalgia run wild in fear.

Vampire Owl: Horror and a memorable past combine well.

Vampire Bat: Like a shake, biryani and tea.

[Gets a box with cheese popcorn and three cups of ginger tea and moves into theatre].

Vampire Owl: This was such a well-made journey.

Vampire Bat: The combination of nostalgia and mystery of the past and the investigation with its thrills in the present.

Vampire Owl: It provides us a past which is memorable.

Vampire Bat: Yes, the golden age of Malayalam cinema.

Vampire Owl: The 1980s and 1990s. Fifteen years of 1985 to 1999, right?

Vampire Bat: The age of Nadodikkaattu, Utharam and others on one side.

Vampire Owl: The age of Spadikam, Summer in Bethlehem and others on the other. The connections to Mutharamkunnu P O and Unnikale Oru Kadha Parayam are nicely created.

Vampire Bat: The movie then refers to Kathodu Kathoram, another one we remember.

Vampire Owl: Who would not remember the song “Devadoothar paadi”?

Vampire Bat: And we were reminded of the same in Nna Thaan Case Kodu, shown here too.

Vampire Owl: This also reminds me of Cold Case.

Vampire Bat: The discovery of a skull, yes – but not as old as this one.

Vampire Owl: The mystery of the skull still impresses, doesn’t it?

Vampire Bat: Well, we just have the full skeleton this time.

Vampire Owl: A disgraced police officer investigating the case, and that’s something which keeps us interested in the same.

Vampire Bat: Discovery of the skull, finding its origin, but nobody knowing the person except for the face and name, then the difficulty to prove who died even when there is the idea that it is known that who really committed the murder.

Vampire Owl: It is once against Asif Ali in the role of a police officer that steals the show – we remember that Thalavan was so good.

Vampire Bat: Anaswara Rajan and nostalgia has become a fine combination too, and it is indeed great to see.

Vampire Owl: The other leading actress, Bhama Arun has done a fine job in between too. It is a role similar to what the leading actress of Anand Sreebala was doing.

Vampire Bat: The other two main actresses, Zarin Shihab and Megha Thomas have blended into their respective roles so well as we look at them.

Vampire Owl: Siddique, Saikumar and Indrans once against impresses in the serious roles which seem to suit them better than ever these days.

Vampire Bat: This one movie that provides the satisfaction not just as a thriller, but also as a near complete film.

Vampire Owl: Nishanth Sagar is one actor whom we need to see more and suits the cop role like never before.

Vampire Bat: Manoj K Jayan plays too big a villain and Saleema becomes the pair in has been through with the villainy for too long. It was rather too direct though.

Vampire Owl: In the end, we have another murder mystery that we love. This is another one of those movies that keeps us in a world of investigation that thrills.

[Disappears into the darkness of the day during twilight and awaits the darkest bloody night of that particular week].

The YouTube video features the same version captured through mobile. As the writing mode continues to play a significant role, the visual presentation does take on an increasingly prominent position. The YouTube channel Scholar Nomads seeks to expand the horizons, exploring diverse areas of interest. Both the blog and vlog will feature film reviews and explore fresh styles, offering even more intriguing content to viewers and readers alike.

Release date: 9th January 2025
Running time: 140 minutes
Directed by: Jofin T Chacko
Starring: Asif Ali, Anaswara Rajan, Manoj K Jayan, Harisree Ashokan, Sai Kumar, Bhama Arun, Nishanth Sagar, Zarin Shihab, Saleema, Megha Thomas, Srikant Murali, Priyanka Nair, Nandu, Sudhi Koppa, Vijay Shaju Sreedhar, Sanju Sanichen, Anuroop P Jayashankar, Dileep Menon, Arun Sankaran Pavumba, Pauly Valsan, Akhil Shylaja Sasidharan

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

<<< Click here to go to the previous Malayalam film review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Guardians of the Galaxy 3

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Vampire Owl: We have not been watching enough movies in the last few months.

Vampire Bat: We have surely been affected by vlogging taking over blogging too.

Vampire Owl: Yet, there have not been enough videos put in YouTube.

Vampire Bat: Well, we will never have enough of them.

Vampire Owl: There can always be enough videos and we slow down.

Vampire Bat: We do not slow down without a reason.

Vampire Owl: Old age always makes us slow down.

Vampire Bat: We have only recently slowed down with this blog.

Vampire Owl: Still, we are watching less movies.

Vampire Bat: The theatres have turned into nonsense with some dumb movies.

[Gets a blueberry cake and three cups of mango smoothie].

What is the movie about? :: As the Guardians of the Galaxy remains at Knowhere which serves as their new headquarters, things seems to go smooth without much of a crisis that used to be always there providing a sense of danger. Everything seems to come easy for them at the new place, with no need to even train for a possible coming adventure. It is then that a powerful artificial being named Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) arrives there and starts attacking them. He easily defeats Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Drax (Dave Bautista), Groot (Vin Diesel) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) before severely wounding Rocket (Bradley Cooper). He is finally defeated by Nebula (Karen Gillan) who returns after being run through a series of buildings. They are not able to heal Rocket with the medical packs which they have as he has kill switches implanted in him by an organization known as Orgocorp, whom the Guardians intend to target and find the override codes which can save Rocket’s life.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The new version of Gamora (Zoe Saldana) who does not recognize Star-Lord also joins the group, coming from the Ravagers. They manage to infiltrate Orgocorp, but after a long fight and some injuries, they find out that they have to travel further to the area known as Counter-Earth which was built in the image of Earth, mostly focusing on New York model, having even its own Statue of Liberty on the image of High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) who has been chasing Rocket, and is responsible for his present situation. But High Evolutionary feels that the world is not perfect yet and intends to destroy it in a period of time. He feels that finding Rocket is necessary in his quest for attaining perfection through evolution, something for which he had been striving for so long. But Star-Lord and his team are determined to save their friend, and Gamora is interested in what she can earn in the process. Can the team win their battle?

The defence of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 :: There is always that interest in seeing new worlds and exploring them being fulfilled – the world detail here remains interesting, and the same can be said about the aliens who wander around here. The Computer-Generated Imagery remains interesting around here, and adds to the total visuals that do not hold back. The emotional side often works well, especially with the bonding among friends. The backstory of another interesting character has been built with the emotional touch, and one would expect to see these characters separately in different movies from Marvel. There are some nicely created action scenes around here too, and with aliens involved, there is always something more to be seen. There are some fight scenes in some interesting environments that we will remember too, along with a comic side.

The claws of flaw :: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 does not raise the bar at all, even though we often have the feeling that it is going to, and there were also many reviews which seemed to suggest the possibility of the same. The run-time feels a little more than needed, as the whole movie itself focuses on just one thing, not having that much to spread the wings. The emotional side does not work at all times, as there are moments when it seems to be created just for the sake of creating sympathy for a main character. There are moments which needs to be serious, but not emotional – this kind of a difference needs to be better understood by the makers from Marvel. The ending seems to be forced and repeated at times rather than bringing the innovation or the spectacle as one would have wanted. The formula really needed to have something special this time.

The performers of the soul :: The performers feel usual for us as these people have been playing these characters for quite a long time. These are not different from what all have been witnessed in the last two chapters. The one notable new addition here is Will Poulter, who plays one new character that seems to go through interesting changes, and the powers also remain interesting. Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary makes a strong and interesting villain with the motives that never seems to end as far as evil keeps going in this world, trying to find one way or the other. Among the Guardians, it is Karen Gillan who has our attention the most, and keeps the base strong. Chris Pratt does the usual job with ease. Dave Bautista who has been keeping us interested from the WWE days remain a joy to watch on the big screen. Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel with their voices manage to contribute nicely around here as we have been hearing them in the series. Pom Klementieff brings some fine humour. Sylvester Stallone becomes a fine addition around here too.

How it finishes :: Guardians of the Galaxy series of movies have never mean among the best quality superhero movies that we have known in the last few years. This one does not manage to be that great as the reviews say either. Marvel could not maintain that strength that they had by the end of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. It is still very much entertaining with the content, despite the bigger run-time than it should have had. With the tag of a fine entertainer, the movie will keep its audience interested, as they have been deprived of some good entertainment ever since Avengers decided to end and the fans had to depend on some strange series instead of the regular movies to get their entertainment. Considering the kind of movies that Marvel has been making with unnecessary deviation and dumb characters who never deserved to be superheroes, this movie is very much ahead on many different angles.

Release date: 5th May 2023
Running time: 150 minutes
Directed by: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Will Poulter, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Linda Cardellini, Nathan Fillion, Sylvester Stallone

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

<<< Click here to go to the greatest superhero of India.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Quantumania

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Vampire Owl: I am sure that we are going to have a Vampire Ant soon.

Vampire Bat: A vampire with the size of an ant is never going to work.

Vampire Owl: It might not be scary, but would be effective enough.

Vampire Bat: You are expecting to send them as spies?

Vampire Owl: They could actually be made bigger with science.

Vampire Bat: You are going for more scientific experiments?

Vampire Owl: Yes, experiments led by Doctor Frankenstein.

Vampire Bat: You are going with the pseudo-scientist again.

Vampire Owl: Do you know that Doctor Frankenstein got another degree?

Vampire Bat: You should understand at least now that he is fake.

[Gets a Kolkata Kathi Roll and three cups of green apple tea].

What is the movie about? :: Scott Lang a.k.a. Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) is now living the happy and much appreciated popular life after teaming up with Avengers to defeat the villain who was going to kill half of the population on the planet. He is happy living with his girlfriend Hope van Dyne ak.a. Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) while his daughter Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton) has a strained relationship with him and remains a very irritating activist who listens to nobody. She also has a suit like her father, but is not able to use it appropriately. As Cassie meets Hope’s parents, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and reveals to them that she was trying to contact the Quantum Realm with a message through a special device. This leads to Janet panicking and almost switching off the device, only to have them all taken into the realm. They were separated in the process, with Hope, Janet and Hank on one side of the realm, and Scott and Cassie on the other.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Janet tries to find a solution with an old friend Lord Krylar (Bill Murray) who is now aligned with the new ruler of the Quantum Realm, known only as Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) who have enslaved the local population, torturing and killing them as he wished. The enslaved population is led by Jentorra (Katy O’Brian) through a revolution which stands no chance against the mighty conqueror and his army. Also hunting them is Darren Cross a.k.a. M.O.D.O.K (Corey Stoll) who has been transformed into a cyborg-mutant combination working as a super-soldier for Kang. It seems that Janet has a past with Kang, and it involves the long period of time that she spent there. Kang is revealed to be someone who is capable of conquering and destroying different timelines, thus changing the multiverse. He is caught in this world after his exile only because of Janet’s actions and will do anything to escape. But can he do that with his army or some foolishness of the teenage daughter of Ant-Man, or can Janet once again do what she did long ago?

The defence of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania :: The world here is really well created with some fine detail that never ceases to amaze us. You see the objects floating around in this world and are left mesmerized with them. It could manage to be better than different alien worlds and creatures shown in other movies which are more popular and revered as even bigger names. There are also some interesting creatures which are added well enough. We are always looking at the background details of the world and appreciate the same. The world has surely got a strong villain too, as this one will go on to impress further in later movies as it seems, with a setting for a sequel. The ending has the scenes during credit which assures even more. The family moments and the focus on rebellion are present – it means that there is the certainty of emotional moments and messages running right through. Some of the humour does work too, but not those idiotic ones which we could have lived without, as Marvel refuses to grow up too often.

The claws of flaw :: The movie maintains the irritating thankless child idea, and the new generation of characters seem to be as much irritating as the new group of superstars, none of them making an impact – it was evident with The Marvels, and nobody wishes to see such a ridiculous new generation being provided the superpowers. Captain Marvel was already too overpowered, and too without a kryptonite. But to add to that, the movie also ridiculously holds on to the strange past. The humour is also less effective, and silly enough for most of its run. The thankless kid would never be a thing of humour either. Some of the elements might have also been lost in relation to some series which have been going on, but we are the fans of cinema, and cannot be persuaded to watch such continuous series. Marvel needs to think about its audience in all parts of the world, and focus on what appeals to them rather than just trying to make things absurd with some foolish, childish characters introduced as children of earlier Avengers.

The performers of the soul :: Paul Rudd continues his good form as the one superhero character that we keep remembering with a funny side. He is good with the funny side, and there are no moments when he is not into the character. There are many superheroes who feels funny or family-oriented and this is both with a big heart – he rightly becomes the same with ease. Evangeline Lilly seems to have come up with a tired performance in comparison to Michelle Pfeiffer who seems to have only gaining in strength as years pass. Michael Douglas is there as the other ant-member, and this is already too big an ant-family to look out for. Then there is Kathryn Newton as ant-woman which becomes another unnecessary addition to make the family even bigger and seemingly ready to explode with too many ant-people around. She is mostly irritating as the daughter, but manages pretty well in the action sequences. The one who impresses the most in the action sequences is Katy O’Brian as Jentorra, without any touch of overdose – her scenes are realistic, and we do not feel that she is not the rebel who battles who fights her heart out. Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror is a powerful antagonist that never gives up, and we often connects with him so well as a king rather than the villain.

How it finishes :: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania takes the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame forward in its on way, focusing on the shrunken subatomic world rather than the one that everyone knows well enough. It is a fine method when we think further about it, as there is not that much in the universe that we already know along with its miserable group of people. While doing the same, the movie has created a fantastic world which might feel better than traveling to another planet or dimension full of aliens – there are enough creatures and civilizations in there to keep us interested. The entertainment factor never goes out of fashion, even though we would have surely loved to have a lot of action. There would have been the chance for more, and the irritating dumb jokes could have been avoided to make the world more serious. Well, this does manage to be interesting enough with its content, and we know how well different universes can manage to make an impact.

Release date: 17th February 2023
Running time: 124 minutes
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors, Kathryn Newton, David Dastmalchian, Katy O’Brian, William Jackson Harper, Bill Murray, Michelle Pfeiffer, Corey Stoll, Michael Douglas

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Shazam II

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Vampire Owl: Shazam has not been on the list of our favourite superheroes.

Vampire Bat: But it is surely on the funny list.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that there is another list?

Vampire Bat: Yes, we have to separate the comic side from the serious.

Vampire Owl: So, you mean to say that all superheroes are not considered on the same list?

Vampire Bat: No two superheroes are the same.

Vampire Owl: Not when we consider a few from different comics.

Vampire Bat: You mean to talk about Marvel’s parallels in DC.

Vampire Owl: Well, there are exceptions.

Vampire Bat: I would work on those exceptions.

[Gets a chocolate brownie and three cups of green apple tea].

What is the movie about? :: Billy Batson a.k.a Shazam (Zachary Levi and Asher Angel) is trying to keep his family of superheroes going, but it seems that everyone wishes to go on their way as they have grown up. Billy is further worried about being thrown out of the family when he turns eighteen, and his elder foster sister, Mary Bromfield (Grace Caroline Currey) feels that the day will come rather soon. It is then that the Wizard (Djimon Hounsou) provides Billy with a warning that the “Daughters of Atlas” are coming to get them. Hespera (Helen Mirren), Kalypso (Lucy Liu) and Anthea (Rachel Zegler), the three daughters of the titan have decided to unleash their wrath on humans. They would steal the wizard’s broken staff from the Acropolis Museum in Athens and take it to the Wizard who is already imprisoned by them. They forcibly use the powers of the wizard to fix the staff and reactivate its powers with a grand plan to bring back the world of the gods.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The daughters manage to capture Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer) and trap everyone in the city within an indestructible forcefield created out of godly magic. They imprison Freddy along with the Wizard in the realm of gods. Billy makes an attempt to negotiate with the sisters, while Anthea gives tips to the Wizard and Freddy to escape from captivity. Back home, the battle sees more members of the Shazam family losing their power, and Hespera is captured by them to negotiate another more even deal. But it is revealed that she allowed herself to be captured so that she could steal something from their lair. This would help her to make their world greater than ever, and at the same time, destroy the other worlds including that of humans. Can the remaining members of the Shazam family manage to stop the daughters, or will there be chaos unleashed? Will the Wizard finally believe that she should not have given the power to Billy who has almost no true wisdom?

The defence of Shazam II: Fury of the Gods :: The attempt to keep the funny side alive has worked again for the DC Extended Universe, and we see this world colliding with another, as we see the connection more than once. The movie’s best new addition might be Rachel Zegler, and the idea of the family that runs through, maybe even more than Fast and Furious franchise. The action sequences are nicely done, and we see the aerial battles with all the effectiveness. The different worlds are created well with the special effects, and this can be said with those location with derive power from the settings. The film keeps us going and whenever it seems to lose some strength, something stronger always comes up and adds to the occasion. The movie serves as a reminder that DC has come up above Marvel after the end of the greatest superheroes like Captain America and Iron Man, while the darker heroes of this side have more to prove, and even bring some of the best villains around.

The claws of flaw :: The childish side which is present in this movie never really leaves us – the silliness could have been kept to the minimum as some points seem to be not maintaining a certain amount of quality. The lack of seriousness at some points feels to be rather strange, even though not that ridiculous as we have seen in Deadpool and its sequel. The deviation that the movie takes from the other films of DC Extended Universe works only at times. Some of the moments travel too far away from the core and seems to favour an animated movie, and the lightness of this particular flick often becomes rather too much. The magic could always look better and bring a more stylish spectacle, something which Doctor Strange has perfected so well. This movie could have also used some support from Black Adam, as The Rock would make things eternally grand.

The performers of the soul :: Zachary Levi manages the humour in this sequel with ease, and the emotional side also comes strong with him around. The work here becomes a fine extension of what he did in the first movie. Jack Dylan Grazer’s work is to be remembered next, and remains something that rises to the occasion with the humour as well as the emotional elements. Grace Caroline Currey who was earlier credited as Grace Fulton with the previous movie continues to have a memorable impact here. Rachel Zegler brings a great amount of charm to the movie, and her avatar remains a truly memorable one with an emotional touch as much as the magic that surrounds her. Lucy Liu becomes the villain that catches our attention more while Helen Mirren also contributes effectively to the process. Djimon Hounsou’s work remains notable as the one wizard who keeps the magic alive. The cameo from Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman will stay with us for a long time too, but the earlier moments had left us thinking if that was to come at all.

How it finishes :: Shazam II: Fury of the Gods takes the deviation from the other superheroes of the franchise very seriously, and could have even used Black Adam around here. There are many interesting moments here, and the emotional side is also working, with messages that work with effectiveness. The entertaining side stays strong, and we know that there is always something bigger to come, and it could manage to be better than the earlier movie with ease. The messages stay strong and about family and the underdogs, we know how it manages to go as expected. This is another movie which keeps DC flying high enough, even though not as much as it could have managed. This one manages to be interesting for both adults and kids, as the action or the funny side never shows up alone. Marvel could not have achieved such balance with such material after Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: End Game – maybe with the looks, but not with the rest.

Release date: 17th March 2023
Running time: 130 minutes
Directed by: David F Sandberg
Starring: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, D. J. Cotrona, Grace Caroline Currey, Meagan Good, Lucy Liu, Djimon Hounsou, Helen Mirren

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Flash

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Vampire Owl: I have once proven that I could be faster than The Flash.

Vampire Bat: Vampires have speed as one of their special skills.

Vampire Owl: Yet, it is certainly not fast enough.

Vampire Bat: You cannot ask for so much of speed when you have other skills.

Vampire Owl: Drinking blood do not count as a skill.

Vampire Bat: I understand that it is a quality.

Vampire Owl: I was going to call it a necessity.

Vampire Bat: Vampires can live without any necessities.

Vampire Owl: Humans call necessity to be the mother of invention.

Vampire Bat: We do not need to invent anything, as we have everything here already.

[Gets a mango cake and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Barry Allen a.k.a. The Flash (Ezra Miller) is living his life as the superhero who is meant to save the world regularly along with Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman (Ben Affleck) and Diana Prince a.k.a. Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot). After stopping a robbery and after saving children from a hospital, Barry gets back to his normal life which includes the trial of his father Henry Allen (Ron Livingston) who is supposed to have killed his mother Nora Allen (Maribel Verdu) a long time ago when he was a child. It was the one incident which changed his world permanently, and it is still has the chance to get him further down in depression. Understanding that his father would remain in prison for the murder which he never committed, he is overcome by emotions and ends up traveling back in time. Despite the advice of Bruce not to do it, he ends up changing his past, making sure that his mother never forgot to buy a can of tomatoes, and was not left alone in the kitchen while his father had left for the supermarket. This seems to have left his mother alive and his father out of prison.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Barry feels that he has solved everything by just changing a little bit of the past, but he is thrown out of the world of speed by another quickly moving person. As he falls out of there, he finds himself in 2013, and finds his parents at home, with another version of him arriving there at the same time. This version does not have the powers as he does not go to the same places, and in an attempt to make sure that the superpowers are achieved, they reach the location to get hit by lightning, but Barry ends up losing his powers while the younger version in this timeline becomes the metahuman. The other version of him do not know how to use the powers, and without them, he cannot get back to his timeline, and that creates a clear problem out there. He has to go back in time before there is any more problem being created, but this is the same moment when an alien from outer space sends a threatening message to humans to provide them with someone belonging to their species or meet instant doom. Now, with no metahumans to be found in this world and with no Justice League, Barry wonders what can be done.

The defence of The Flash :: It can be seen that The Flash begins really well, with some slow motion moments that steal the show – even before that, we know that the film will be more light-hearted than anything else. The actions sequences are nicely done, especially the final ones. The journey through the timeline and within the Speedforce remain interesting. Some of the references to what lies beneath work with effectiveness. The idea of not trying to alter the past for personal gains maintains the upper hand, and a certain amount of stoicism can also be seen. At the same time, the movie serves its fan with determination, and we are impressed with multiple worlds reminding us of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness just because that film came earlier. Sometimes we feel that we just need that particular version of Supergirl to appreciate the work done here – not all worlds need Superman-power, and some are not ready for the same. Well, not all worlds need to have everything, and it could be more divergent than having some versions of all heroes everywhere.

Positives and negatives :: When the speedster metahuman is involved, there is always scope for more, not just with the story, but with the visuals which would have no real limits – we know that the tale can always be expanded from that series from some time ago. It is to be noted that the Flash is not really a much remembered superhero in this part of the world, and often makes us feel that Quicksilver always had the advantage in the slow-motion sequences – Marvel’s early introduction of its metahumans could be blamed for the same, but even after the speedster returned, the ball never really arrived at his court to provide him the advantage. The negativity in relation to the movie is not justified though, as the movie works so well, and it maintains quality in the proceedings. If Spider-Man with its multiverse can work nicely, this does the same with the use of speed even better. The movie struggles a bit during the first return to 2013 timeline and the a few minutes there do not go off – things only get better with the discovery of Batman in this particular world.

The performers of the soul :: Ezra Miller handles the character of Flash with ease. The elements of humour have been maintained well by him here. The comic side remains strong, thanks to him, and in their very small presences, Gal Gadot and Ben Affleck also supports the humorous side really well. The one who steals show as the surprise package is Sasha Calle who becomes the first Latina actress to portray the role of Supergirl. The extra-terrestrial species of the planet of Krypton seems to be scoring really well with their characters beyond Superman too. Sasha is remarkable as the Supergirl who rises to fight for the new species that she does not know, and excels in those shots of classic superhero action that elevates the movie. We would love to see her in more action movies, maybe with a science fiction or horror touch. Michael Shannon’s return as General Zod makes the same impact as the last time. Antje Traue has the supporting role with the antagonist, and remains somewhat notable. Michael Keaton comes in the role of Batman of the new timeline, and it is not something new for those who have seen him playing the role before in the 1990s.

How it finishes :: The Flash can be considered as a misunderstood movie which could have done a lot better business and surely deserved a better reception from the audience. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is surely a better flick which also only did better, but not as much as it should have done. Well, these days, we do see that most of these DC movies are actually better than the Marvel flicks after Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: End Game. The overpowered Captain Marvel never really needed to make a comeback either and The Marvels never required to even exist as it never seemed to have shows there. We would have required more of movies from Doctor Strange and maybe a film with Hawkeye at the centre from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For DC, there could have been more of Batman and Wonder Woman too. For now, it is good to have The Flash around with a Supergirl whom we are going to remember for a very long time. You have to make the movies interesting, rather than trying to create characters and situations for the sake of pleasing people, and this movie deserves the applause for keeping it entertaining at all times.

Release date: 16th June 2023 (Theatre); 15th November 2023 (Jio Cinema)
Running time: 144 minutes
Directed by: Andy Muschietti
Starring: Ezra Miller, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue, Michael Keaton

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Red Door

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Vampire Owl: I have always loved the red door.

Vampire Bat: There is no red door in the castle.

Vampire Owl: There are doors in many colours?

Vampire Bat: You were colouring the stone doors all these times?

Vampire Owl: It already had enough colours with them.

Vampire Bat: We only paint everything black.

Vampire Owl: Not everything is black in the castle.

Vampire Bat: Yes, in the Dracula Castle, some are very dark grey.

Vampire Owl: You cannot question Doctor Frankenstein’s choice of colours.

Vampire Bat: So, Mr. Frankenstein is responsible for all of these.

[Gets a blueberry cake and three cups of kadak chai].

What is the movie about? :: Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson) has lived many years after the earlier incidents of possession and traveling through the Further, a realm full of tortured souls through which the family had projected in an astral mode bringing chaos and destruction to their world. Renai Lambert (Rose Byrne) is now divorced from him, and this separation has not come up with positive things for him or her. His relationship with his son Dalton Lambert (Ty Simpkins) has only managed to worsen over time, and his attempt to make things better by staying closer to him only makes the whole thing even more terrible. As Dalton joins a new course, Chris Winslow (Sinclair Daniel) becomes his new best friend after they are given the same room despite the latter being a girl. He joins the class of Professor Armagan (Hiam Abbass) as he wishes to be an artist, but a painting that he makes when asked to go deep into memory makes things very weird. The painting is of a red door which has served as a portal to the Further and the darkness of evil that awaited.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: This is when both father and son seems to have some hallucinations, and dead people seem to come to meet them. Dalton seems to have travelled to some other world which is connected to this, but he does not remember the Further – both Josh and Dalton had their memories wiped out and seeing the spirits is the first-time experience for them. The demons that haunt them only seem to get worse. Chris shows Dalton YouTube videos about astral projection to help him understand the situation, as he gets into the Further again, which brings into this world an unknown entity that attacks Chris. Despite the repeated warnings by Chris, Dalton decides to go into the Further again and search for answers, which locks him there. Josh who understands that the situation is terrible, meets Renai and after knowing about the painting of the red door, decides to travel to the terrifying dimension once again to save Dalton. Can he do it without being lost there?

The defence of Insidious V: The Red Door :: We are always interested in a world beyond, brought together by astral projection, and having its demons. The reminder about another dimension existing in the dark and waiting to pounce upon us, is something that has immense possibilities. We get the feeling that this brings everything together, and the franchise’s journey focusing on this particular family might end here. The use of picture and some of the moments within the other dimension brings some horror here, and the mystery remains strong. The bonding for family is nicely shown without holding back. The emotional side works for most of the time too. The idea of focusing on the red door through a painting is nicely done. The astral projection’s extension can be seen as effective enough to bring other films focusing on the same idea. The journey through the memories also brings some of the nostalgia back here too. We are looking forward for the red door to open and bring something more through the portal that connects between all of these, for we understand again that death is only the beginning of a torment that never ends.

The claws of flaw :: Insidious V: The Red Door reminds us that the franchise was once very frightening with elements that were to stay in our memories. One can be sure that this one does not live up to that power, as the scares are never focused on. The darkness and the evil that lurks in the Further is not explored well enough, as we look closer. The demons basically could have had a grand tale with deep myths running through, but the same cannot be seen here. There is a certain amount of struggle that this movie goes through, this many years after it made its classic point through another dimension, and that feels too strange. There are moments when we think what went wrong with this world, as there was so much to explore, and instead this movie spends its time to focus on the family and how the members bond together to destroy evil that comes back to haunt them – it also leaves us with the hope of bringing the whole family together yet again; not the best choice for a fifth horror movie in a frightening franchise which should live forever.

The performers of the soul :: Patrick Wilson also becomes the director in this movie, as he goes through the journey both as the main character and the man behind all of these with ease. He has been a clear part of the horror world with works in The Conjuring universe as well as this one, along with the journey through the Aquaman franchise. His journeys seem to have created so many horror enthusiasts in this part of the world, and he leaves us confident about more. The beginning as the director works out well for him too. Rose Byrne has been part of this franchise for long, and contributes well as one would expect in a film which does not focus on her that much. Ty Simpkins’s son character works pretty well, while Sinclair Daniel bring the comic side to the scene, even though a little bit more than it was needed in a movie like this, and not always working that well with the humour. The supporting work just happens, and do not go that much forward with the same strength with which the earlier movies came and conquered without second thoughts.

How it finishes :: Insidious V: The Red Door tries to bring the sequel horror right back here again. The attempts of Annabelle, Sinister, The Conjuring, The Nun, Don’t Breathe and others have already been seen, and this particular movie here is at number five with its sequels. We know that horror is forever, but we also understand that none of these movies had their sequel providing a higher quality than the original flicks which started the series with a certain amount of strength. It leaves a certain amount of chance for another sequel which can explore the demons and the other dimension better. But we know that a sequel might not have that much of a power as we would have expected from an original, and the next one would be the sixth movie in the series which would require more plans to elevate the overall status. Not many movies have managed to come up with a sixth film in the franchise, and for horror movies, it is even more difficult. This movie just manages to live on as a sequel, and we have to see how far can the next entry raise the level.

Release date: 7th July 2023
Running time: 107 minutes
Directed by: Patrick Wilson
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Sinclair Daniel, Hiam Abbass

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Scream VI

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Vampire Owl: Do you have a count of the number of serial movies we have watched?

Vampire Bat: I even have a count of the number of Ghostface films we have watched.

Vampire Owl: The Ghostface is not that scary a face.

Vampire Bat: Not for us vampires, but they are for the humans.

Vampire Owl: The spoof movies have killed that fear effect.

Vampire Bat: Well, spoof movies also have the fear factor.

Vampire Owl: They are supposed to be funny, right?

Vampire Bat: Yet, there is something scary coming from within.

Vampire Owl: We do not get scared that easily.

Vampire Bat: Yet, we have enough to be scared about, including some mean humans.

[Gets a paneer masala dosa and three cups of cardamom tea].

What is the movie about? :: It is a Halloween night and things seem to go really smooth with some fine trick or treat times. Laura Crane (Samara Weaving), a film professor is murdered in the alley by one of her students wearing the Ghostface costume who feels that she has been blaming him too much for failing. But the same person after returning from the act of cruelty is brutally stabbed multiple times to his death by another person in the Ghostface costume who gets into his home. Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) and Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega), the two sisters who escaped the attack of the Ghostface killer have now moved into New York City with the latter attending Blackmore University where Laura also taught about slasher films from the last century. The other survivors Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding) are also there. Quinn Bailey (Liana Liberato), Anika Kayoko (Devyn Nekoda) and Ethan Landry (Jack Champion) are the other three students who are close to them and they are more like one group.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere), a survivor of the earlier murders is now an FBI agent, and gets herself assigned to the case. Wayne Bailey (Dermot Mulroney) is the original police officer assigned to case, and has no clue about what has been happening. Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), the survivor who wrote books about the Ghostface-related murders is also there as reporter again. The situation seems to be more complicated than ever, as the killer is not just out to kill the two sisters, but also prove that they were always the real killers. Gale had also found an abandoned theatre, which was set up like a shrine for the killers wearing Ghostface masks. The survivors decide that it is time to finish the Ghostface forever, with Wayne and Kirby on their side. They set up traps for the murderer, but the person seems to be smarter than that, and there seems to be surely more than one killer wearing the costume. So, how will they find the killers with the Ghostface mask without being killed? How much of the mystery can they manage to solve before most of them get brutally stabbed by the person in black?

The defence of Scream VI :: As a sequel to a slasher franchise that goes a long way from the past’s nostalgia to the present, the movie maintains the standard which we were assured with the earlier films. The first scene is surely among the best, as even with some deviation, there is that murder at a time when were less expecting it to happen. Samara Weaving in the beginning becomes part of that talk which brings the early twist with blood and gore back to the track. There is no better sight than a Ghostface coming after another. You are reminded that Ghostface is forever, and there is no going back from this particular serial killer – we have others for sure, but this is one killer that rises above them all without any superpowers and by not truly coming back from the dead. The final scenes are really well, and we have some nice moments in a train too. The hunt feels very much dangerous, and we know that there is something more to be revealed here. This time, the villain is not just about the movies, as things well be more personal than ever. You will also be screaming for more, as we look forward to a sequel to take this forward even further.

The claws of flaw :: We are looking at another Scream movie here, and after so many films in the franchise, we expect the flick to be a lot better. The case of repetition does not make things better, even though there was the chance to move away from the common ideas – it could have focused on horror which takes a side-seat instead of coming to the front. There is a certain amount of weakness in the horror elements which goes back instead of bringing the terror. There are some movies which focused on slasher horror so well, placing that element over the others, like There is Someone Inside the House and the three movies of Fear Street. Even the reboot of Wrong Turn came back with the elements so well. We have always remembered this movie for slasher horror, but there are so many occasions when we see that this flick tries to go back to the past and feed on the nostalgia even at a time when there is none. The twist is not that much working, as one could successfully guess some part of it. The common slasher elements could have been brought in there to increase the impact.

The performers of the soul :: Melissa Barrera continues her good form as the scream queen here too, and maintains the legacy of the Scream franchise well. The final moments provide her with the opportunity to get close to that legacy and she manages that with ease. The action in the end has her as a possible action heroine at some point, like Kate had its female assassin in full strength. Jenna Ortega does well as the second most important character, the sister who finds trouble again and fights it well with the sibling. She would make no lesser scream queen either. Courteney Cox does the same thing again, as she has been doing for a very long time – while adding to the nostalgia, the feeling of repetitiveness feels a little too much. Hayden Panettiere has been a crush for a lot of us during the 2000s, and it is good to see her again, leaving us with some more of fine nostalgia to add here. Her work remains a highlight in this movie too. Samara Weaving could have had more screen space though, as she was the one who started this film so well. Another seemingly interesting scream queen is Liana Liberato, and the rest also nicely contributes to the slasher.

How it finishes :: I have never been far away from slashers, as they have been part of my journey with horror movies for a long time – I would be teaching them with a lot of happiness if it was part of the syllabus in a university. Here, it can be seen that the one franchise with which we have the nostalgia associated, has another movie to keep us interested in the serial killer whom everyone remembers and uses as a common model for Halloween celebrations regularly. Ghostface is to live forever through different killers, and the murderers of this movie also makes it count. Yet, we feel that this could have been better, and that the movie could have elevated the whole thing to another level through horror. There could have also been some music to add to that horror, and darkness could have also contributed better. It does misses out with the horror as it can be seen here, and we call for sequels of Sinister, Evil Dead, Insidious, Annabelle, The Nun or The Conjuring to serve for the same, as they have done with the first of their series.

Release date: 10th March 2023
Running time: 122 minutes
Directed by: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Starring: Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Jack Champion, Henry Czerny, Mason Gooding, Liana Liberato, Dermot Mulroney, Devyn Nekoda, Jenna Ortega, Tony Revolori, Josh Segarra, Samara Weaving, Hayden Panettiere, Courteney Cox

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Anand Sreebala

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Vampire Owl: I have always wanted more murder mysteries to be solved.

Vampire Bat: We are not taking applications from catchers of serial killers.

Vampire Owl: We can solve them all by ourselves.

Vampire Bat: There are exceptions which can only be solved in the human world.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that it is that evil?

Vampire Bat: The serial killers of human world are the evilest ones.

Vampire Owl: I have heard that serial killers are celebrated in their world.

Vampire Bat: I doubt if this particular murder in the movie is a serial killer’s work.

Vampire Owl: You are underestimating the power of a serial killer.

Vampire Bat: As far as I know, we are talking about one particular murder in the movie.

Vampire Owl: You know that there can always be more than one.

Vampire Bat: You do not need to bring an extra killer to the scene.

Vampire Owl: They call us killers, don’t they?

Vampire Bat: Well, we have killed enough mosquitos to earn that title.

Vampire Owl: The suffering of blood-drinkers of many worlds.

Vampire Bat: This movie is based on a real incident though.

Vampire Owl: Reality has been a myth for too long.

Vampire Bat: Reality has been effectively created by media.

Vampire Owl: We know enough stories to get a background to the movie?

Vampire Bat: This was on the newspaper for long enough. You will know.

Vampire Owl: I often know too less about the human world.

Vampire Bat: You never know the humans enough.

Vampire Owl: So, the humans will kill their own people in serial killer mode.

Vampire Bat: We need not stop them until all of them are killed.

[Gets a box with caramel popcorn and three cups of cardamom tea and moves into theatre].

Vampire Owl: The movie seems to maintain the same power of flicks like Anveshippin Kandethum; that kind of a mood.

Vampire Bat: Along with Ozler and Thalavan, makes another fine thriller for the year.

Vampire Owl: Arjun Ashokan leads the way very well here.

Vampire Bat: He has always had the skills to play these kinds of roles.

Vampire Owl: He seems to suit the role of a young investigator with ease.

Vampire Bat: We have seen him doing the role of young cop before in Unda.

Vampire Owl: Aparna Das plays the journalist with ease, even though the role could have meant more to perform in the later stages.

Vampire Bat: Malavika Manoj plays her role in what seems to be a realistic portrayal.

Vampire Owl: I am sure that we will see more of her soon enough.

Vampire Bat: Then we see Saiju Kurup with the police role, done so well.

Vampire Owl: And it is always good to see Azees Nedumangad around, in any role.

Vampire Bat: The veterans, Siddique and Indrans do get something to do too.

Vampire Owl: The visuals might be the best thing about the movie.

Vampire Bat: I do remember some shots, like the one in archives and of the last fighting scenes outside the state.

Vampire Owl: The twist in the end seems to have had less effort behind it though, as things just seem too easy.

Vampire Bat: It still matches the overall mood of the movie, as the tale of the common police aspirant.

Vampire Owl: Well, there is nothing that matches the struggle of a commoner on the screen.

Vampire Bat: The movie could have actually used some moments of real danger.

Vampire Owl: Well, there are so many things that could have brought a terror that continued.

Vampire Bat: The movie feels more like mystery than the thriller, but there is still the certainty of thrills that hesitate to go away.

Vampire Owl: In the end, they make things work.

Vampire Bat: The cameos do feel out of place. They seem to be there for the sake of being present.

Vampire Owl: But we feel that they are suitable enough.

Vampire Bat: The humour does work well enough.

Vampire Owl: Well, we keep hoping for more, as that is what we do.

[Disappears into the darkness of the day because the clouds have done the trick, and awaits the darkest bloody night of the week].

The YouTube video features another film review here. The reviews aim to captivate viewers by offering engaging and thought-provoking commentary on the chosen movies. While the writing continues to play a significant role, the visual presentation takes on an increasingly prominent position. The YouTube channel Scholar Nomads seeks to expand its horizons, exploring diverse areas of interest. Both the blog and vlog will feature film reviews and explore fresh styles, offering even more intriguing content to viewers and readers alike.

Release date: 15th November 2024
Running time: 134 minutes
Directed by: Vishnu Vinay
Starring: Arjun Ashokan, Aparna Das, Sangita Madhavan Nair, Saiju Kurup, Siddique, Dhyan Sreenivasan, Aju Varghese

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

<<< Click here to go to the previous Malayalam film review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Venom 3

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Vampire Owl: I have always believed in the capability of Venom to be a future vampire.

Vampire Bat: We are not taking applications from aliens right now.

Vampire Owl: So, we are receiving applications from the demons, but not aliens.

Vampire Bat: There are exceptions when both are just the same.

Vampire Owl: It was first talked about by Doctor Frankenstein, right?

Vampire Bat: I am sure that Mr Frankenstein had nothing to do with it.

Vampire Owl: He is the greatest scientist of the realm, and he has something to do every time.

Vampire Bat: He creates fiction works out of nothing really well.

Vampire Owl: So, you think that great discoveries can only be fictional.

Vampire Bat: Well, there is realistic fiction, but not in his case.

Vampire Owl: You fail to have respect for such great men.

Vampire Bat: If he is a great man, there is not much to say about greatness.

Vampire Owl: You should stop even talking about him. He has ears everywhere.

Vampire Bat: I know that he can do nothing.

Vampire Owl: He has not come this far by doing nothing in his eventful life.

Vampire Bat: Creating that useless Frankenstein monster do not count.

Vampire Owl: Not all monsters are forever.

Vampire Bat: Yet, we are immortals and monsters for humans.

Vampire Owl: Yet, that was one fine monster of science.

Vampire Bat: Science itself is a monster and murderer of many species.

Vampire Owl: Do you feel that it is soon bringing the apocalypse here too?

Vampire Bat: That is indeed a nearby possibility, not a distant one.

Vampire Owl: So, the humans will kill themselves and even take us with them to the grave.

Vampire Bat: We have come out of the grave. It is our chance to live again and again.

[Gets a box with cheese popcorn and three cups of ginger tea and moves into theatre].

Vampire Owl: The series remains a fine one, but I am not sure about this particular entry.

Vampire Bat: There was a lot more that a Venom movie could do.

Vampire Owl: This is basically supposed to be an epic conclusion.

Vampire Bat: Well, for this to be epic, there should have been such grandeur and a classic final battle, and in both cases, the movie struggles.

Vampire Owl: The battles here, despite scoring in between, often becomes a struggle.

Vampire Bat: It reminds me of X-Men: Days of the Future Past, where the mutants had no chance of survival against the newly created robots and keep dying. The case is the same with the symbiotes facing these monsters.

Vampire Owl: The performances have been really good though, especially from Tom Hardy.

Vampire Bat: Juno Temple also has a certain amount of mystery running through.

Vampire Owl: The different symbiotes seem to have a variety of attributes too.

Vampire Bat: The terror brought by the ruination of humans continues to work.

Vampire Owl: This time, there is a fine villain, but does not come to the front enough. He keeps sitting there like a hermit when imprisoned.

Vampire Bat: The terror of infinity of villains from space never ceases to amaze us.

Vampire Owl: Well, the idea that varieties of hell might me somewhere in space keeps everyone going to discover more out there through unparalleled creativity.

Vampire Bat: You are going back to the good old computer games in outer space. We remember even those shooting tournaments in other worlds of space, don’t we?

Vampire Owl: And those game to movie adaptations with Resident Evil scoring the highest with those box-office collections and never-ending fame.

Vampire Bat: You were not that much of a fan of those particular adaptions, and fought against the creation of game-based movies.

Vampire Owl: We see all these aliens, different types, coming right out of space, and symbiotes and transformers are only a few of them.

Vampire Bat: The human imagination has been everywhere these days, wandering through the stranger worlds and often not making that much of sense.

Vampire Owl: Human creativity has been messed up whenever sequels are involved.

Vampire Bat: Still, the details on the creatures are good, and the powerful villain leaves scope for more in the future.

Vampire Owl: There is no future for humanity and this film is supposed to be the end.

Vampire Bat: But we see the possibility for continuation in the end with the post-credits scene.

Vampire Owl: In a world where humans are bigger monsters than symbiotes, there is the infinite possibility of evil to bring new movies.

Vampire Bat: Well, Venom needs fear factor with humour, and the second one somewhat works in this particular movie.

Vampire Owl: I keep wondering why this movie could not improve from the previous movie, even when there were so many deviations that could have been chosen.

[Disappears into the darkness of the day because the clouds have done the trick, and awaits the darkest bloody night of the week].

Release date: 25th October 2024
Running time: 109 minutes
Directed by: Kelly Marcel
Starring: Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Stephen Graham, Peggy Lu, Clark Backo, Alanna Ubach, Andy Serkis

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

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Stree 2

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Vampire Owl: What do you know about this particular demon?

Vampire Bat: I can say nothing because I did not see the first part.

Vampire Owl: There are no demons that you do not know.

Vampire Bat: There are witches that I do not know.

Vampire Owl: This one has a witch at the centre, that too a good-looking one?

Vampire Bat: There is a lot of magic in here, and for that, we can use witches.

Vampire Owl: Magic and monsters are not always related.

Vampire Bat: You are talking about the monsters of science.

Vampire Owl: We have left that one with Alien Romulus. Even with the possibility of advanced necromancy.

Vampire Bat: Science has the bigger monsters, especially of this age. The demons from outer space could make an entry

Vampire Owl: The vampires of science are also there.

Vampire Bat: Vampires will never be related to science. They are exact opposites, like the white and black witches from the other side.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein has made sure about that with his research which has no parallel in this world or the other including the shadow world.

Vampire Bat: Well, we do not need to go back to that pseudo doctor.

Vampire Owl: You earlier called Mr. Frankenstein a pseudo scientist.

Vampire Bat: I cannot wait to see that man being thrown out of laboratory.

Vampire Owl: You continue to be disrespectful to him, despite the great inventions which he has made for our people instead of those evil humans.

Vampire Bat: I do not have a reason not to be so.

Vampire Owl: Well, you will soon find his greatest invention above your head.

Vampire Bat: What would that be? A cap? A hat? A cloud of blood?

Vampire Owl: You will know soon enough after watching this movie.

Vampire Bat: This is our first movie in any Forum Mall.

Vampire Owl: And the newest Forum Mall which seems to be the best-looking shopping mall in the whole area.

Vampire Bat: Well, we have finally found the time. We were too busy to live in the last few months, but this time, we are all prepared to watch an interesting movie in one of the best multiplexes in the city right now. The fate has played well to bring us help.

[Gets a box with cheese popcorn and three chocolates and moves into theatre].

Vampire Owl: The strength of folktale is displayed so well.

Vampire Bat: The horror elements have blended nicely with the comedy.

Vampire Owl: Unlike Romancham, this is really a horror comedy.

Vampire Bat: Some elements seem forced, but seem to work even then.

Vampire Owl: Folktale has no limits, I would say, as we have seen where it has gained followers.

Vampire Bat: The original tale providing inspiration seems to be from Karnataka.

Vampire Owl: Yet, there are changes, and those seem to work well too.

Vampire Bat: Rajkummar Rao is indeed the actor to look out for yet again.

Vampire Owl: And Shraddha Kapoor blends in really well.

Vampire Bat: Among the next generation of actresses, she is indeed the best.

Vampire Owl: Pankaj Tripathi adds to the funny side really well, and some of the best moments seem to come from his side.

Vampire Bat: The supporting cast of Abhishek Banerjee and Aparshakti Khurana works well too, especially with the humour.

Vampire Owl: This universe seems to be interesting like the one which has reached Leo.

Vampire Bat: Yet, we understand everything without having watched the first movie.

Vampire Owl: The tale of the headless ghost sounds like something we know.

Vampire Bat: We remember Sleepy Hollow, but that one had the headless horseman.

Vampire Owl: Well, we can always be headless in our journeys like being fangless.

Vampire Bat: Vampires die without their heads, and a stake is not always a necessity.

Vampire Owl: Oh! I almost ended up donating mine to a noble cause.

Vampire Bat: You are one strange vampire, aren’t you?

Vampire Owl: Not as strange as the unexpected werewolf in this movie.

Vampire Bat: They are our immortal enemies, but is on the good side in this movie.

Vampire Owl: That was one extra cameo which seemed to be added just for the universe.

Vampire Bat: The terror feels real, and the addition of humour only makes things better. The ending seems to have the scope to offer more with a possible sequel.

Vampire Owl: So much of supernatural makes me feel better.

Vampire Bat: There were still times when this one could have had those grand moments.

Vampire Owl: The ending also feels too usual for our taste.

Vampire Bat: The final moments have us so close to inferno which seems to be the final terrifying destination to remember.

Vampire Owl: There is no hell that matches the basement of the castle. The area which burns like no other in a world of chaos.

Vampire Bat: We use that area for frying our chicken, and molten lava has been added in the last few years to bring more heat.

Vampire Owl: You mean there are Vampire Chicken? They have been present here all the time?

Vampire Bat: No, there is no immortal chicken yet. There have been applications, but none has been accepted yet by Uncle Dracula.

Vampire Owl: It is a good thing. Otherwise, Chicken Biryani would suffer in all territories, and there would be no great food towards infinity.

Vampire Bat: Shraddha Kapoor makes the favourite demon, that much I can assure you for now.

[Disappears into the darkness of the day with bats bringing the cover, as a feeling of night seems to come in].

This is the YouTube video with the fifth film review there. The video reviews have had the focus by attracting more viewers, and tries to make interesting comments about the selected movies. The writing will also go on through its path, but the visual side also has its say more than ever, as the YouTube channel “Scholar Nomads” intends to explore more areas of interest. For both blog and vlog, there will be film reviews and even more to be seen with new styles.

Release date: 15th August 2024
Running time: 149 minutes
Directed by: Amar Kaushik
Starring: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee, Aparshakti Khurana, Atul Srivastava, Mushtaq Khan, Sunita Rajwar, Anya Singh, Arvind Bilgaiyan, Bhoomi Rajgor, Sunil Kumar, Aakash Dabhade, Simran Sharma, Ajay Pal, Mustaqueem Khan, Badriprasad Chavan, Vipasha Arvind, Tamannaah Bhatia (cameo), Akshay Kumar (cameo), Varun Dhawan (cameo), Amar Kaushik (cameo)

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

ARM

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Vampire Owl: What do you know about the Vampire Arm?

Vampire Bat: This is not really about the Arm of the Vampire.

Vampire Owl: I do know about the secret nuclear weapon known as the Vampire Arm.

Vampire Bat: We are certainly not talking about that magical weapon right now.

Vampire Owl: It was invented by Doctor Frankenstein, right?

Vampire Bat: It is a thing of magic, not science.

Vampire Owl: Mr. Frankenstein missed that opportunity, I see.

Vampire Bat: There is nothing special that a pseudo-doctor can do.

Vampire Owl: You should not disrespect the greatest scientist of our world.

Vampire Bat: Well, he is not even a vampire.

Vampire Owl: We are a free society with a policy of inclusion for all.

Vampire Bat: We are unlike humans who are divided by caste, race, religion and more.

Vampire Owl: I heard that this movie also has similar elements.

Vampire Bat: Well, the division has been with humans all the time.

Vampire Owl: They never had hesitation to even kill their own people.

Vampire Bat: I cannot wait to see the hate displayed in this particular film.

Vampire Owl: There is the certainty of hate when humans are around.

Vampire Bat: And here we watch our first theatre movie outside Kerala.

Vampire Owl: So, you mean to say that Birla Planetarium will not count?

Vampire Bat: That never counted as a real movie.

Vampire Owl: What about that show in Science City?

Vampire Bat: That was never a regular film.

Vampire Owl: We should have watched that Bengali film in Kolkata.

Vampire Bat: Well, we did have just enough time, but not the support of fate.

[Gets a box with caramel popcorn and three ice creams and moves into theatre].

Vampire Owl: The strength of fantasy is displayed so well.

Vampire Bat: The three main characters belonging to three different time periods are portrayed well.

Vampire Owl: Yet, there could have been more focus on the first one, which ends too quickly.

Vampire Bat: Fantasy was to take root and spread during that time, but was not to be seen.

Vampire Owl: Fantasy has not limits, I would say, as we have seen where it has led Hollywood and gained followers from all ages.

Vampire Bat: We are the fans of the genres in other languages, and now we have one of ours executed well.

Vampire Owl: And that too without too much of heroism attributed to the main character.

Vampire Bat: The last character does remind us of someone we might usually see with the helplessness and troubles following him.

Vampire Owl: Well, they have made a fine mix, it seems.

Vampire Bat: It also seems to have borrowed elements from some folk-tales.

Vampire Owl: I have also seen the power of myths and legends on display here.

Vampire Bat: The magic has its own way of dealing with things. Sorcery is often the common part of these worlds.

Vampire Owl: The action is too good, especially with the visuals in support.

Vampire Bat: I am doubtful whether someone other than Tovino could have managed this so well.

Vampire Owl: The three roles and middle one stands out above the rest.

Vampire Bat: And among the leading actress, Surabhi Lakshmi comes out on top.

Vampire Owl: All of a sudden, this became the right fantasy movie.

Vampire Bat: Something to rise above the combinations of myth and history that we have already seen.

Vampire Owl: This is what Odiyan could have been.

Vampire Bat: Even Kayamkulam Kochunni and Mamangam could have been like this.

Vampire Owl: Well, they did not have Tovino for sure.

Vampire Bat: Tovino has been continuously evolving as an actor; we know Minnal Murali well.

Vampire Owl: The romantic side goes through a weaker journey though.

Vampire Bat: That makes the fairy-tale element go out of the equation.

Vampire Owl: Still, this is a “once upon a time” story.

Vampire Bat: Yes, with focus less on the story and more on the rest. There were times when we wondered that this would be a reverse fairy-tale.

Vampire Owl: There are many things that this movie reminds me about, and those reminders are not limited to movies.

Vampire Bat: The computer games are some of them. As long as we remember Prince of Persia and Tomb Raider series which are also movies now. There were more advanced in traps in science fiction movies too.

Vampire Owl: These kinds of traps are rarely seen in Malayalam movies. It seems to show the further evolution of Tovino into something more than the usual action hero of our times.

Vampire Bat: This is an evolution in the right path.

Vampire Owl: We were limited to watching such traps in Hollywood movies only, and now there is the change.

Vampire Bat: Still, one is left with the feeling that there could have been even more.

Vampire Owl: Yet, it works so well as a risky attempt with effectiveness. We do not see that much courage these days among our film-makers.

[Disappears into the darkness of the day with clouds bringing the cover, as drops of rain slowly started pouring down].

This is the YouTube video with the fourth film review there. The video reviews have had the focus by attracting more viewers, and tries to make interesting comments about the selected movies. The writing will also go on through its path, but the visual side also has its say more than ever, as the YouTube channel “Scholar Nomads” intends to explore more areas of interest. For both blog and vlog, there will be film reviews and even more to be seen with new styles.

Release date: 12th September 2024 (Theatre – Onam Release)
Running time: 142 minutes
Directed by: Jithin Laal
Starring: Tovino Thomas, Krithi Shetty, Aishwarya Rajesh Surabhi Lakshmi, Basil Joseph, Aju Varghese, Jagadish, Sanju Sivram, Pramod Shetty, Kabir Duhan Singh, Madhupal, Santhosh Keezhattoor, Rohini, Harish Uthaman, Nisthar Sait, Biju Kuttan, Sudheesh, Parvathi T

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.