Author Archives: Tennyson

Clown in a Cornfield

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Vampire Owl: How many clowns have terrified us so far?

Vampire Bat: The best people among them are from Killer Book Club, Haunt, Terrifier and It.

Vampire Owl: Well, these days, the clowns are scarier than even vampires.

Vampire Bat: It is natural because humans have been turning into clowns.

Vampire Owl: You are talking about a new generation.

Vampire Bat: You are speaking as if the present is any better than the new.

Vampire Owl: You know that it can only get worse.

Vampire Bat: Yes, wonder what kind of nonsense is yet to come now.

Vampire Owl: At least they should know that death is only the beginning.

Vampire Bat: They would not when they are alive.

[Gets a marble cake and three cups of Ceylon tea].

What is the movie about? :: It is seen that in 1991, in the town of Kettle Springs, Missouri, a girl in her bra invites her friend to have sex in the cornfield, only to have her and the friend being ruthlessly murdered by a clown named Frendo. Back in the present, Quinn Maybrook (Katie Douglas) and her father Dr. Glenn Maybrook (Aaron Abrams) moves to same town, with Glenn taking over as the town doctor. Both have been going through a strained relationship after the death of Quinn’s mother. After being late in the class, questioning the teacher and receiving an unexpected detention right on her first time in the school, Quinn becomes friends with Cole (Carson MacCormac), the son of the town mayor Arthur Hill (Kevin Durand). She is also introduced to his seemingly cool and energetic group of friends, Janet (Cassandra Potenza), Matt (Alexandre Martin Deakin), Ronnie (Verity Marks) and Tucker (Ayo Solanke). The group creates horror parody videos for their YouTube channel, all about the clown Frendo causing terror in the town.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Cole tells her the story of burning down Baypen Factory while they were shooting videos there, and that the town’s people blame the fire on them. A good number of people in the town also went unemployed due to the fire destroying the place and the workers not able to find any other job. It seems that Quinn is with a group that is not even close to getting a little bit popular among the common people of the town. At the same time, they notice that there is more than just one clown around there, and Tucker is the first one who realizes the same as he gets killed. It is followed by Matt getting murdered while going through his regular exercise. With the Founder’s Day being ruined due to strange turn of events, the friends once again are in trouble as the usual suspects. They try to get away from all of these at a party, but things get even worse there as they realize that the killer clown is real, and the entity is not limited to just one individual. This will require them come up with the unthinkable to escape, or die in the process in a terrible manner.

The defence of Clown in a Cornfield :: The movie starts off well, and its premise is really good, from the underlying horror to an irritating teenager who does not like to obey her father, but likes to be with a group of teenagers whom she feels as the coolest gang around. The clowns are all nicely detailed, and are scary with those funny looks and action. The performances are really good, and everyone becomes part of the whole environment without anything that stands apart from the same. The clown character nicely makes us interested, and this might be a more interesting killer than the others who have graced the screens, because the non-supernatural elements really have us going forward strongly. The sequel has the scope to be something classic if the right ingredients are added and boosted.

The claws of flaw :: The movie often hesitates to get into the traditional slasher horror mode, and some elements seem to be missing. It often keeps to the safe zone and do not take that risk – instead it tries to be modern against the traditional standard. The horror could have been more twisted, especially with a clown image around. Clowns chasing teenagers around could be more mysteriously terrifying every time. The subversions could have made way for innovations with better effective thinking. The movie’s villain idea might feel a little too stretched, even though the antagonist works really well due to the performance. The problems of the movie have to solved through a fine sequel on another day. After all, there is so much of an atmosphere that supports this horror, with cornfields, abandoned buildings and roads which seem to go towards an eternity with no lights at night. Then there are the unnecessary twists which seem to lead the movie to not many interesting areas.

The performers of the soul :: It can be seen that Katie Douglas plays the rebellious, unruly teenager really well, and it is certainly that kind of a character who whom we do not really feel for. The actions of the character are performed very well, and we see the signs of another scream queen coming up here for the future. Aaron Abrams as the father figure plays the responsible one well, and we would accept him as the classic traditional dad who cares so much for his child, despite the girl being more irritating that one can ever imagine. One can imagine how difficult it can be for a parent to have a thankless child of this age, and he displays the same perfectly. The villain here is very well depicted, and a lot more cannot be said about him without ruining the suspense. One can be sure that he had a pretty good reason to become one, even more than Thanos had in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, for one cannot do whatever he or she wants, and there are consequences, which will sometimes be provided by villains, and this time you have the same being done with efficiency.

How it finishes :: The movie does work as a cautionary tale as much as the horror thriller that it originally happens to be. There is the message about respecting traditions, and it keeps one wondering about what can happen next, but with an expansion in the middle, we know that there is more to this than what meets the eye. The use of the usual stuff and the lack of innovation keeps it with limited capabilities, but there is the effort to take this a little further without all of these, and that keeps the horror going. The movie could have used the original elements that a slasher horror should always have instead of keeping the usual ones at the surface. The movie does not try to use those common moments which all the serial killer movies have had, and with that lack of core, there is this struggle, which it nicely overcomes with its characters and the final twist. Well, slasher horror will surely keep asking for your attention, and it becomes our duty to support this one too, and with a hope for even better sequel.

Release date: 9th May 2025
Running time: 96 minutes
Directed by: Eli Craig
Starring: Katie Douglas, Cassandra Potenza, Aaron Abrams, Carson MacCormac, Kevin Durand, Will Sasso, Alexandre Martin Deakin, Verity Marks, Ayo Solanke

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Outside

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Vampire Owl: It has been a long time since a zombie attack.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that they are preparing for an apocalypse.

Vampire Owl: There can be no zombie apocalypse in the undead world.

Vampire Bat: You feel that vampires cannot turn into zombies.

Vampire Owl: Yes, the undead are already transformed around here.

Vampire Bat: Not even when a zombie bites a vampire?

Vampire Owl: Well, vampires would bite them first and they would still remain zombies.

Vampire Bat: Becoming a vampire is an upgrade which they cannot have.

Vampire Owl: You mean vampires can go into base zombie forms instead.

Vampire Bat: Yes, it might be a first, but surely possible.

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

What is the movie about? :: Francis (Sid Lucero), his wife Iris (Beauty Gonzalez), and two sons Joshua (Marco Masa) and Lucas (Aiden Tyler Patdu) are trying to survive during a zombie outbreak which plagued their city. They run away to an old, abandoned plantation and farm house owned by Francis’ father, hoping for safety. Even though he finds his father dead by suicide before infection, her mother comes to him as a zombie, and he is forced to kill her. They decide to stay there for now, as the zombie infestation seems to have affected the area only in a lesser way. It is a world where there is no electricity or mobile phone signal. Iris feels that they should travel further north it was supposed to be safer there. Even though Joshua also feels that the northern side is safer, Francis feels that he should remain at his ancestral home to be safe, despite having terrible memories about the place from his past. With some difficulty, Iris manages to convince Francis that it is the best to move forward as the place was already attacked by zombies.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Francis is bothered by his memories of the troubled past during the childhood and the fact that Iris had cheated him with his brother and the elder son was born of the brother. But they have been forgetting that past and moving on. They go back to the plantation and decides to spend they remaining days there as there is just enough for them to live through the days in peace. Francise also manages to find some fuel to keep the electricity running. It is then that Francis’ brother Diego (James Blanco) comes home while travelling towards north. But Francis asks him to leave, as he feels that it would be a strain for him and his relationship with the family. Diego is hopeful of a better future in the north and leaves a map with Francis, who decides to burn it instead. Joshua is more irritated with the actions of his father, and hopes that he could leave. It is then that an injured soldier reaches the farm – what would this mean to all of them and how will it change the situation?

The defence of Outside :: This is surely not your usual zombie outbreak movie even though it is the same in the background. There are lots of thing happening in this movie, and a zombie apocalypse is just one of them, while emotions run strong on the front. The scary side takes the secondary role as the human feelings make an impact. We see a family, especially two parents trying to make it happen for their children and keep them alive. The choices that they make finally lead to that end which remains uncertain, and as we go through this journey with them, we feel as much we understand the danger that surrounds them. Even with focus on emotions, the world past the apocalypse is well-detailed and we see enough zombies for it to stay close to the genre. There has always been something about family in trouble during an apocalypse with monsters around, like in A Quiet Place and its worthy sequel. This is the kind of situation where the viewers can place themselves, and the fear about zombies not just of the appearance, but of their existence as creatures that had an identity to remember, and one will know that tragedy when they encounter them in this movie.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have used a little more of its zombies to create an effect, that of the prevailing danger, which is often lost in the emotional problems that occur in between. As much as the human feelings that work, the realization that this is a movie on zombie outbreak needs to have us moving forward. There will always be something else that is expected of a zombie movie, close to the infections and far away from the human interaction. You know that you are looking for less dialogues and more action whenever there is an apocalyptic event. You can have all the dialogues later when you are ready to rebuild and are doing the same. There could have also been more interesting characters, except for those who are there for a short period of time. The night and darkness could have also been used more. Some classic horror with the usual elements would have also done this movie better.

The performers of the soul :: The movie is indeed blessed with some fine performance, added nicely with emotions running above an apocalypse, as horror makes way for the feelings efficiently due to these performances. You do not usually see the emotions displayed this well when there is horror taking the base and keep the tale of a terrifying world going in the background. Sid Lucero as Francis steals the show in one of the most emotional performances that you will see around, playing a man troubled by his long gone past as much as his immediate past, living in a confusing past and uncertain future. This is that kind of a world for him where even hope is uncertain. Beauty Gonzalez who plays the only female character to be seen as human in the movie does not lag either, as we get to see a memorable performance instead of the usual running around by heroines that leads to a predictable end. Then, it is to be noted that the kids also do so well within the movie, and their work is surely a reflection of bigger things to come. We do not really know these performers, but we are immersed in their work, as we are provided a realistic side with the same in an unreal, but highly possible world as it has been depicted.

How it finishes :: This is the first Filipino movie review on this website, and after twelve years of its existence, here is one, and the right movie indeed to be reviewed as the first one. There have been some south-east Asian film reviews from Indonesian, Vietnamese and Thai to Chinese and Korean – this one gets to that list as the thirty-first language movie around here. It is great to have a post-apocalyptic movie for the purpose, just like my first novel, and this is a version of zombie apocalypse that I enjoyed. I would have loved to have more horror here, but there is still enough to be taken from this world. This is a slow, but effective journey through a world affected by flesh-eaters. This will not be your Train to Busan, Resident Evil or Warm Bodies with its zombies, but something different, and even in an undead world, as close to reality as it can get. You expect a zombie apocalypse, and you expect this one – you can also go for my novel, Wrath of the Future which is available on Amazon which has enough of end of the world scenarios with similar creatures.

Release date: 17th October 2024 (Netflix)
Running time: 142 minutes
Directed by: Carlo Ledesma
Starring: Sid Lucero, Beauty Gonzalez, Marco Masa, Aiden Tyler Patdu, Joel Torre, James Blanco, Enchong Dee, Bing Pimentel

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Until Dawn

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Vampire Owl: We never really wait for dawn.

Vampire Bat: It is because we are against dawn. We are people of the night.

Vampire Owl: So, these people are looking forward to dawn.

Vampire Bat: They are surely trying to get rid of people of the night.

Vampire Owl: Well, we are not the only people of the night around here.

Vampire Bat: Yet, we are the major ones around here.

Vampire Owl: The werewolves might disagree.

Vampire Bat: Would that matter if they do not agree?

Vampire Owl: I am sure that Doctor Frankenstein would mind.

Vampire Bat: Well, Mr. Frank has never been the ideal or even real doctor as we know.

[Gets an onion vada and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Clover (Ella Rubin) has been searching for her missing sister Melanie (Maia Mitchell) for a very long time, and she decides to retrace the steps of the sister traveling through the final days when she was in contact and sent a video. For the same purpose, she is accompanied by Nina (Odessa A’zion) her best friend, Max (Michael Cimino) her ex-boyfriend, Abe (Belmont Cameli) Nina’s boyfriend and Megan (Ji-young Yoo) Max’s step sister, who are all hoping that Clover could get better by going through the same path her sister had taken, and get better by understanding that this is the end and the past should be left behind for what is the best. As they stop by a gas station where Melanie had recorded a video, Clover is warned by the attendant there that people go missing in a mining town called Glore Valley, and it has never been a safe place, as he has been noticing for years.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: They keep driving though, and as there is a thunderstorm with heavy fog on the way, Abe is not able to see the road, and every turning back or driving straight seem to lead to the same place, and they finally reach a building which resembles a centre for visitors or a guesthouse of the mining town, and surprisingly, the climate is rather better around there. As Nina signs on the visitors’ register, she finds the name of Melanie there, and there is also the photo of Melanie on the noticeboard in the drawing room with many others, but there is no address, phone number or e-mail to contact if the person is found. There is also a moving hourglass which gets turned on. At the same time, it seems that their car is taken away by someone and Clover feels that she heard someone calling her by name, and she thinks that it was none other than Melanie. But soon, they come across a person with an axe, and he proceeds to kill everyone around quickly.

And what is this certain strange mystery all about? :: Soon, the group finds themselves waking up in the same house, but with the realization that they were brutally murdered. They find their photos on the missing list placed on the noticeboard this time, and hopes that they can get out of the building before the same person tries to kill them again. But it seems that this time, it is not the man with the axe that they need to worry about, with some other entity awaiting them. This time, it is a demonic possession that awaits them, as they realize that Megan who had a strong connection with the supernatural is possessed and there is something more sinister than a man with an axe that awaits them. There is also a new house in front of their house, and there seems to be more terrifying elements coming right out of there. Now, can they survive this night, and how many others await them? If they survive this, if this the end? Even they are out of this, can they really get back home to a normal life?

The defence of Until Dawn :: Like The Cabin in the Woods and Evil Dead of the past, this movie makes a fine impact in horror. The scares feel really good and the mystery is too good to be left behind as we are taken right into the middle of terror from where there is no escape. The location is too good and the music and sound effects nicely supports the events. The methods of death used here are pretty much efficient, and the monsters brigng the scares nicely. Ella Rubin who is also seen in Fear Street: Prom Queen makes the perfect scream queen, the classic heroine of the horror films, as it is seen here too. Her different looks seem to support the same, and we hope to see her in one of those classic horror reboots, with serial killers or demons. Her final look with that determination and pickaxe makes the whole thing feel more classic. After a fine work here, Odessa A’zion could also have herself in a horror movie which would make a similar impact, as we hope to see her in similar horror movies of interest.

Positives and negatives :: There are not many movies with an infinity of horror, and this one provides the unlimited horror with repeated deaths which makes one feel the ineffectiveness and uselessness of life itself. It could have been more, but we can be very much satisfied with what we have. The movie’s twists are quite nice, and we have the feeling that there is always more than what meets the eye. It is like having many horror movies into one, and not being sure in which film we are in and which one is to follow next. This way, the movie also provides a fine tribute to the slasher horror genre which has not been getting to its past glory again due to the inability to use the basic elements which were always there to be taken. When we take the young cast as a whole, we know that so much talent is there to be used in the horror genre, and it is an advantage that the new generation of horror movie makers have, and they need to use it every time, just like atmosphere has been used efficiently here.

How it finishes :: This movie is a reminder that good movies can be made out of computer games, especially from the survival gaming modes to a survival film of a higher level. I still believe that Doom, Hitman, Resident Evil, Silent Hill etc were well-made. I have not played or heard about the game before, but it would be an interesting choice to get into that – even though I have that feeling which says that my days of gaming are over, even for those old versions of Age of Empires: Conquerors and Unreal Tournament: GOTY. The final scope for sequel that is left in the end would make one wonder what twist is yet to come. This is like being respawn in Unreal Tournament or Quake 3 Arena to kill more and be killed, as we think about it, but as we use this idea in horror, there is much more at stake. After watching this movie, we can only feel confident that horror will stay alive as long as cinema takes forms like these.

Release date: 25th April 2025
Running time: 103 minutes
Directed by: David F Sandberg
Starring: Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Odessa A’zion, Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli, Maia Mitchell, Peter Stormare, Lotta Losten

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Fear Street: Prom Queen

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Vampire Owl: I remember watching all those Fear Street movies.

Vampire Bat: Yes, they were good, and making some fine impact.

Vampire Owl: Three horror movies at once meant a lot then.

Vampire Bat: We are never really short of serial killers.

Vampire Owl: Each human being is a potential serial killer.

Vampire Bat: Well, a serial killer is a human thing.

Vampire Owl: It bothers me that humans have so many psychos.

Vampire Bat: It is natural in a fake world as they are all acting and not living.

Vampire Owl: We vampires need to have some psychos too.

Vampire Bat: We have lived so much that we know none of these matter in the end.

[Gets a chilly chicken puffs and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: It is the year 1988, and Lori Granger (India Fowler) is an outcast who tries to run for prom queen for the senior class of Shadyside High School, with only her best friend Megan Rogers (Suzanna Son) by her side. Megan who is a horror enthusiast is also considered to be a freak by her classmates. Lori has her family history going against her, as the town believes that her mother stabbed her father on the face and killed him, even though there is no suitable evidence to support that claim. Tiffany Falconer (Fina Strazza) is the favourite to win the title, as she is supported by her wolfpack of young girls who are also competing to be the prom queen. Christy Renault (Ariana Greenblatt) is her biggest rival, as she seems to be someone whom nobody seems to dislike that much, even though she is known to be selling some drugs, and has been dating elder men regularly much to the dismay of the institution.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Megan creates situations with her arm being cut off and having Tiffany’s head in a bowl to make the environment feel weird, as she does not believe in this whole prom queen thing. But Lori is determined to bring a change to the whole situation by winning the title herself. Tiffany has her friends Melissa Mckendrick (Ella Rubin), Debbie Winters (Rebecca Ablack) and Linda Harper (Ilan O’Driscoll) trying to make sure that nobody from outside their gang wins the title, and it is then that Christy is murdered by a masked figure, but as the school only finds her missing, disqualifies her from the run for prom queen. At the same time, Melissa is disheartened to see Tiffany’s attitude towards Lori, and decides to help the outcast, much to the dismay of Tiffany. Her other two friends seem too much occupied with their boyfriends, while the school principal declares a strict adherence to the rules. But can they do so with so much hatred for each other running through with a psycho killer also around?

The defence of Fear Street: Prom Queen :: There might not be anything new with the franchise or the genre to be added here, but this one play along nicely as we watch its progress. The classic slasher mode returning to form is something that we would love to keep watching. The killer lurking in the shadows as a programme is taking place, will keep us going for long, like those old times, even during these days when the genre of horror has been weakened. The attire with the mask stands out reminding us of a past, but also add a classic variety. The twists are effective, even though there is a little bit too much information given in between. There are some fine dialogues added in between, and we also have some interesting characters added. The killings are all nicely done, with a fine classic serial killer effect. It seems to have scope to get more movies added in the list too, as we look at it closely.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have used more innovation at work, as we would have the feeling of seeing the same thing again and again, at some points. The serial killer gives away more information than it should have, which affects some audience who had taken that into heart earlier. The final moments of the movie seem to be too usual for anyone’s liking as it may have been rushed to have that ending which is rather a common one, but is also the safe one. Some more innovative killings, and the usual moments of classic horror could have been part of this one too. After all, we are watching slasher movies to see its classic elements maintained. The movie could have also been scarier, with such evil wandering around, and with people not suspecting a thing. Well, too much focus on the safe side is restricting horror movies these days, isn’t it? But this is a world of innovations, and this franchise needs its wings extended further to fly higher.

The performers of the soul :: The one character that we would fall in love with is Suzanna Son, even though that might come as a surprise for many. She plays the only loyal character in the whole movie and there is something sinister about her all the time, with her love for horror keeping her apart, and as someone special. She manages this role really well. India Fowler plays the main character and faces the usual challenges of such a character which she manages with ease. Fina Strazza does make a fine impact in between, as she feels like the one evil wannabe prom queen that needs to be brought down, the villainy which she manages to perfection. Ariana Greenblatt should have had a bigger role, as she starts really well here. Ella Rubin has the normal likable character who is also on the other side. Katherine Waterston and Lili Taylor also have their moments. The male characters have much less to do as we look at them.

How it finishes :: Fear Street: Prom Queen coming to the OTT is a good relief for all the horror fans and for those who have been waiting to watch some good English movies in a world which rarely have Hollywood movies in theatres these days, mostly due to cheap imitations coming to the screens these days. There have been so a smaller number of English films in the theatres, and there is too much of a rush of local movies most of which nobody seems to have watched. Without the English movies in the theatres, we have to go back to the OTT platforms again, and this movie breathes some fresh air to the old style of slasher horror. If you are fans of those horror films which follow the old model, you are going to like this one, and if Fear Street Part One: 1994, Fear Street Part Two: 1978 and Fear Street Part Three: 1666 kept you going, you can also try this one, but there is more chance that those movies would interest you more than this one.

Release date: 23rd May 2025 (Netflix)
Running time: 90 minutes
Directed by: Matt Palmer
Starring: India Fowler, Suzanna Son, Fina Strazza, Chris Klein, David Iacono, Ella Rubin, Ariana Greenblatt, Lili Taylor, Katherine Waterston

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

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

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

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Officer on Duty

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Vampire Owl: How many officers do you know?

Vampire Bat: Not many vampire officers.

Vampire Owl: We would need to appoint a few.

Vampire Bat: You think that an increase in vampire officers can solve ongoing crisis.

Vampire Owl: I do not see why not. The numbers do matter.

Vampire Bat: Not in all cases, for quality is also needed.

Vampire Owl: You can teach quality to the numbers.

Vampire Bat: There is a limit to what we can teach.

Vampire Owl: Not for the immortals. They have an eternity to learn.

Vampire Bat: There is no eternity that we do not know well enough.

[Gets a vegetable cutlet and three cups of Sikkim tea].

What is the movie about? :: It is seen that CI Joseph Chembola (Jithu Ashraf) commits suicide in Bangalore under the influence of a group of drug addicts and dealers, much to the dismay of the police force. The case does not seem to reach everywhere even though a certain mystery seems to go through the same. A few months later, back in Kerala, former DYSP and demoted into CI R Hari Shankar (Kunchacko Boban) gets back to action in the Aluva Police Station. He has not been himself since the death of his elder daughter Nila Harishankar (Meenakshi Anoop), a case of suicide which had sent him to a long period of depression. He remains very angry, and ready to beat up goons, or anyone who breaks the laws. His wife Geetha Harishankar (Priyamani) and younger daughter Minnu Harishankar (Eithal Evana Sherin) are very much concerned about his behaviour but can do nothing about him.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: It is then that Chandrababu (Jagadish), a KSRTC Conductor, has a complaint, but this particular problem related to an imitation gold chain seems to have further implications, and gets things more complicated enough to make it personal for Harishankar, contributing to the tension of his friends in the police force including DYSP Shahul Raj (Vaisakh Shankar) and his other friends like Advocate Rekha Chandrasekhar (Muthumani). It seems that these situations will remind him of a few things from the past he does not want to remember and can lead to those kinds of twists that nobody wants to see happening. But it is too late, as Harishankar finds out that Chandrababu’s daughter had replaced the gold chain with an imitation after being sexually exploited by an unknown man to prevent any further blackmailing over her nude video.

And what complicates things further within chaos? :: As Harishankar asks Chandrababu and his daughter to file a POCSO case as she is a minor, she responds by committing suicide and Chandrababu blames Harishankar for the same. As media also blames him, he is taken off the case but decides to keep searching for answers. He meets ASI Thomas (Manoj KU) who was in prison for the murder of the man who sexually exploited his daughter, and it is revealed that it was Harishankar who murdered the man, and Thomas only took the blame on himself as his daughter was also drugged and raped by the same person. Harishankar is unable to connect the links, but on the same night, Thomas is visited by Christy Savio (Vishak Nair), Celine Joan (Leya Mammen), Anna Louis (Aishwarya Raj) and Sathya Mithiran (Vishnu G Varrier), who claim to have studied with his daughter. But soon, it would seem that they have other intensions – where would this lead Harishankar with a new twist?

The defence of Officer on Duty :: It can be seen that Officer on Duty is one movie that stands tall with its realistic approach and some wonderful performances, led by Kunchako Boban himself in a role we do not usually see him working with. He remains solid within the movie as the police officer on a mission. Jagadish’s return to serious roles like he did in Garudan, Neru etc once again leaves us with something to remember. Vishak Nair’s entry into the antagonistic role feels like something that we would remember for a very long time. Among the rest, it is the debutant Aishwarya Raj who impresses like no other, and the sinister feeling that her character provides has no match among female villains of our industry. Leya Mammen matches the evil up to an extent, even though the character is focused more on an emotional vengeance. Priyamani and Meenakshi Anoop have less to do but manages to be of significance.

Positives and negatives :: The ending might feel forced but is justified well enough to finish the whole thing. It might not feel as something entirely new, but with the technical superiority, it scores like no other. The presence of some strong and interesting antagonists keeps the movie get to an even higher level. The movie also leaves as message against drug abuse, something which have been in the main news and having all schools and colleges forced to do some awareness campaign against the substance abuse which has been turning into bigger problems. Even though there are clear antagonists, it is to be known that the true villain is the drug abuse itself. This might be one of those movies which can be shown during drug awareness campaigns in parts. This is also that kind of a movie which deserves a sequel.

How it finishes :: It is not that easy to find a performance-driven thriller like this one. We still had some fine investigative thrillers last year in the form of Ozler, Anveshippin Kandethum, Thalavan, Anand Sreebala and others which have kept us very much interested in more. This year, we have this particular flick which follows the fine seriousness of Rekhachithram with ease. This year also needs to be a year of the thrillers, as Malayalam cinema has always provided the best of them. The world needs its Memories and other movies with imperfect and troubled police officers. The quality of thrillers like this one will stay with us for long for sure. The movie does seem to have come to the OTT too early, and one wonders if it is the release of Lucifer 2: Empuraan that led to that early entry to the theatres of home.

Release date: 20th February 2025 (Theatre); 20th March 2025 (Netflix)
Running time: 137 minutes
Directed by: Jithu Ashraf
Starring: Kunchacko Boban, Vishak Nair, Jagadish, Priyamani, Aishwarya Raj, Leya Mammen, Meenakshi Anoop, Amit Eapen, Eithal Evana Sherin, Vaisakh Shankar, Vishnu G Varrier, Srikant Murali, Manoj K U, Ramzan Muhammed, Arun Raj, Jithu Ashraf

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

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)

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<<< 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

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.