Category Archives: Adventure

Frozen Empire

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Vampire Owl: I feel that this movie is about the Lich Queen.

Vampire Bat: Are you talking about that witch who called herself the Lich?

Vampire Owl: She is the Lich Queen, and it is a status bigger than the regular witch.

Vampire Bat: Only an undead female sorcerer qualifies as a lich.

Vampire Owl: Well, witches are hard to kill in the world of magic.

Vampire Bat: You should see that undead sorcery is of another level, outside regular magic.

Vampire Owl: I am sure that she possesses the ancient frozen power.

Vampire Bat: Well, only if she is already dead and risen.

Vampire Owl: That would make her a vampire, a nosferatu, right? A vampiric officer on duty?

Vampire Bat: Liches once tasted the frozen evil would never be vampires. They also have no nocturnal qualities, and wait until dawn to unleash their full potential. The separation can be clearly seen in the atlas.

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

What is the movie about? :: The team of Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd), Callie Sengler (Carrie Coon), Trevor Spengler (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe Spengler (Mckenna Grace) goes through a fight in the streets of New York, three years after the battle in the countryside. The come across Hell’s Kitchen Sewer Dragon which they manage to capture, but only after causing quite some destruction to the city. The mayor of the city Walter Peck (William Atherton) finds this as a fine opportunity to threaten the team and close the Ghostbusters down for the best. He fins Phoebe to be under eighteen years old, and as a minor, warns her in specific. This leads to the team leaving Phoebe behind during their adventures, much to her dismay. As she is disappointed and wanders around in the park, she comes across the ghost of a girl who was killed in fire, Melody (Emily Alyn Lind), with whom she becomes a friend and plays chess to free her mind.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Things change when a man named Nadeem Razmaadi (Kumail Nanjiani) sells a strange brass orb with Mesopotamian ritual markings to them. There seems to be something sinister about it, as Nadeem also disappears, and it also seems to affect other artefacts. As something seems to be coming and as they can feel the energy, they contact Dr. Hubert Wartzki (Patton Oswalt), a New York Public Library research librarian and anthropologist, but what they do not understand here is that an ancient power is ready to be awakened, and it would not stop until it takes over the world. It is revealed that the orb was supposed to be a prison built over four thousand years ago somewhere in South West Asia by four sorcerers serving as the masters of fire to imprison a creature of ice that wished to conquer humanity with its power of Death Chill. Now, things would get more serious – can they stop this villain from being unleashed in the modern world?

The defence of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire :: The movie tries to keep up with the spirit of its predecessor and is partially successful in doing the same. There is fun in between and the spirit has its role to play too. The presence of a dumb little kid who makes all the mistakes to unleash the evil is once again here in the form of the foolish daughter who is not really old enough to be even talking to ghosts, as revealed in being the silliest creature in the universe – well, we require a usual dose of such dumb people to bring evil upon this world so that it can be saved. There are some fine visuals at the end of the movie to support the same time too. The ancient monstrous entity looks good, even though it is there for only a few moments. The ghosts look fine, even though there could have been bigger and better-looking ones. The combination of science and supernatural is good, even though the talking could have been less and action should have been more. The performers do try to bring as much fun in here as possible.

The claws of flaw :: The movie is surely too long for anyone, and there are too many dialogues in a film that should focus on action. It would have served the previous movie more as some introduction was needed, but not this time. Too much talking kills more than one ghost cinema for sure. After all, people in this part of the world are not fans of this particular series of movies, and the nostalgia that means to these people about it is very low. This kind of an approach is also not going to be appealing for the children of this age who are looking for quick results and have very less patience in comparison to our generation and the one that follows it. The funny side could have also been stronger, and the danger often leaks in its strength, even though there Is something greater needs to be there for this work for bringing the entertainment. Well, with kids not acting like they need to be, you know this movie also has its limitations. The grandeur that we were expecting is not really there and the evil struggles even though it is ancient and all – it should have been creating that demonic spectacle that we never get here.

The performers of the soul :: This seems to be one fun-loving cast that tries to keep this world interesting, even when there seems to be some limitations regarding the same. They also seem to keep a certain amount of nostalgia going, even though most of do not have it due to our love focused on other movies like Evil Dead and more. But this cast makes it work indeed. Paul Rudd is the one who leads the way in style, even though we keep wondering why he was not given more action. The movie focuses more on Mckenna Grace, and even though she does good, there is too much of focus on her character while others are shown less in comparison. Carrie Coon and Finn Wolfhard follows well, even though gets limited. Kumail Nanjiani nicely adds to the fun and there is some humour whenever he is around – he also gets it big in the final stages of the film. Emily Alyn Lind makes a fine ghost with a melancholic side that would stay with us for long. The other characters play along well.

How it finishes :: This version of ghostbusting tries the best to bring some nostalgia along with some scares and fun, and all these are partially effective as we look at them. There are many funny and scary ways that this film could have gone, and it is surprising to say that it is sticking to the minimum instead of bringing some innovation of our times. Without even a classic ending, it does struggle, but manages to hold on at times to keep some entertainment going. The movie required to have more of a soul than what it displayed. The lack of enough screens here does not come as a surprise as people do not really think about a movie like this, as it might not have had much with the earlier version too. It is that kind of a movie which we can go through on an OTT platform, and speed things up in between. This will make us feel like the overall length has been reduced, and is enough for us to spend a weekend when there is not much to do.

Release date: 22nd March 2024
Running time: 115 minutes
Directed by: Gil Kenan
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, William Atherton

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Furiosa

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Vampire Owl: I remember watching Mad Max: Fury Road.

Vampire Bat: Yes, that was when you arrived late in the movie theatre.

Vampire Owl: I was not that late because there were too many advertisements.

Vampire Bat: Still, you arrive late each and every time.

Vampire Owl: I am only as late as it is required of me.

Vampire Bat: You fail to watch the beginning of every movie.

Vampire Owl: Some of the beginnings are not that worthy to be watched.

Vampire Bat: What is a movie without its beginning?

Vampire Owl: We often start our vampire lives in the middle, don’t we?

Vampire Bat: I would agree to that. Why shouldn’t I?

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

What is the movie about? :: Many decades have passed after the grand apocalypse that has turned the lands to the wastelands with no hope of returning to the green glory. Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) maintains control over the wastelands with his biker gang and manages to get his hands on a child who seems to be from a land of plenty far outside the world known to them. With her mother who attacks them tortured to death for not revealing the location of that particular place, he adopts the child as his own without hesitation while murdering anyone who has a second opinion about such ideas. Years later, there is new clue about the place with abundant resources, and Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme) who rules the Citadel with hidden resources finds himself attacked by Dementus and his gang, but manages to defeat the bikers with ease with the help of his fanatic, suicidal War Boys. Dementus manages to capture Gastown, an oil refinery which supplies power to the Citadel, which helps him to come up with a deal for resources from Immortan Joe, but losses the child Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) in the process.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Furiosa manages to escape from being the future wife of Immortan Joe or any of his children, and disguised as a mute War Boy, Furiosa works her way up through the ranks of Citadel. She helps them in building the War Rig, a heavily armed fuel supply tanker that could survive the wastelands where there is no law, but ruthlessness. As she teams up with Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke) and manages to win impossible battles, she becomes Jack’s second-in-command and is promoted to the ranks of a Praetorian, despite everyone including Immortal Joe coming to know that she is not a War Boy, but a girl in disguise. She gets the honour and privilege in the Citadel, even from the toughest warriors, and is feared by many. But she does not stop thinking about escaping from the situation and go back to her original home and live with her people. For this, Jack also pledges to support her, and they make plans to escape. But can they really get away from the Citadel? And what will Dementus at Gastown think about it?

The defence of Furiosa :: Here is one prequel that leads well to the next one with its story and the narrative. The establishment of connection seems to be one thing done with precision and so is the choice of the main character, the titular person who makes all the difference, even though the other characters often get lost in the process. The fights here would not seem any big for those who have watched the predecessor, which set the world as something grand for vehicular mayhem, but this one adds the emotional touch to it, to make things feel better. The world still looks grand, with the land after apocalypse is just as we would expect it to be, both with the looks and the content. The feeling of danger is there, and so is hopelessness, as we see a world without greenery of expectations – the environment seems to have finally met its end here, as it expected with so many fake environment lovers wandering around even in our world who make absolutely no impact, and instead creates some nonsense just to escape from their responsibilities, and in the process, wastes the time of people and much of the resources too. At the same time, the fights on the truck remains the best, and the titular character is a classic action character doing the same, and the support makes an impact too.

The claws of flaw :: Slower than its predecessor and with its main character talking so less, the movie has a little bit of struggle at times to keep going on a path similar to what happened on that Fury Road with Max. It takes too much time to get into action and has too long a run-time. There is also too much time when nothing really happens. The green place is not a believable thing at all in that world, considering the various features of it, even though after an apocalypse, everything else shown there feels not just real within that universe, but even possible now. The greenery in the nothingness would have been better if it was established as something not that big. Then, the villain is too unpredictable, and it’s the kind of villainy that takes the funny side for no reason instead of staying menacing at all times. It keeps one wondering if the same thing happened because of the Thor series going dumb and silly after Thor: Ragnarok. We know that there has not been a likable Thor with the same actor since that classic movie with God of Thunder fighting the Goddess of Death. It could be the Marvel foolishness discovery syndrome. The franchise which was full of vehicular mayhem could have done better with this one and should have come at least close to the fast-paced quality of the screen that was displayed by its predecessor.

The performers of the soul :: The movie belongs to Anya Taylor-Joy who comes up with a performance which perfectly blends into the mood of the movie, and we feel with her here. Alyla Browne who plays the same character at a younger age is not that far behind in performance either. Anya excels with her facial expressions, limited dialogues and the actions sequences which seems to make a point that she has got a diversion from The Witch, Morgan, Split and Glass. From the possibility of becoming the next scream queen, she might be going on to be the one action star whom we can have in those futuristic action movies that have had remakes in the past or are going for a few, Total Recall for example. It is sad that most of her movies never really released in this part of the world, and even if they did, never really had enough screens to prove their existence in busy theatres showing movies of too many languages. Chris Hemsworth makes a fine impact, but the focus is never really on him, and we end up forgetting him due to the way the movie is written. So, it is Tom Burke who makes the next fine impact. Then there is Charlee Fraser who rules the first few minutes of the movie.

How it finishes :: The movie could have been better than Mad Max: Fury Road, but that level is surely not reached. A prequel could have done so much, but this one only manages to connect well and add a little bit more of reason of the happenings of the film which released earlier. There is no bigger battle or something of grandeur that raises the level of this one, as it goes through a slower path. But this one manages to do its job as a prequel which acts as a raising stone for sure. With some fine performances, one can be sure to enjoy the Fury Road better after watching this tale of Furiosa – it is how things should go, and not the other way around. If this prequel is watched first, the quality of the 2014 movie would improve even more, and that should be the way to go. This one provides the wastelands with a beginning for the new generation, as the other movies of the series go a long way behind, and they were never among the best known action films in this part of the world for sure.

Release date: 24th May 2024
Running time: 148 minutes
Directed by: George Miller
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne, George Shevtsov, Lachy Hulme, John Howard, Angus Sampson, Charlee Fraser, Elsa Pataky, Nathan Jones, Josh Helman, David Field, Rahel Romahn, David Collins, Goran D Kleut, C J Bloomfield, Ian Roberts, Guy Spence, Rob Jones, Clarence Ryan, Tim Burns, Quaden Bayles

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Borderlands

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Vampire Owl: When was the last time you went near the border?

Vampire Bat: You mean near the werewolf territory.

Vampire Owl: No, the zombie lands on the other side.

Vampire Bat: When did we begin to check the wastelands?

Vampire Owl: I believe that there is something more than the walking dead there.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that the movie is not referring to such borders.

Vampire Owl: Are we going for interplanetary borders then?

Vampire Bat: That has always been a better choice, for they are more open.

Vampire Owl: I have heard about those space vampires.

Vampire Bat: The space does have its own variety of blood-drinking species.

[Gets a blackcurrant shake and three cups of black tea].

What is the movie about? :: It is said that a long time ago, the whole of galaxy was ruled by an alien race known as Eridians, whose power and technology were far beyond the understanding of human race. But human beings were able to find some part of this science and use it to their advantage, thus becoming the reason for bettering their world and making themselves scientifically advanced enough to make an impact in their world above other species. But the best of such scientific knowledge was hidden in a vault in a planet known as Pandora. Corporations, criminals and treasure hunters who made peace impossible in the planet and nearby have been killing each other in an attempt to find the secret vault for no success in the end. Then there was the prophecy about a daughter of Eiridia who would restore peace. More people have died searching for this than all the wars which had occurred in the past. There is almost nothing good happening in the one prosperous planet with enough natural beauty to inspire enough tourists from Earth. But the only tourism event happening there might be a treasure hunt for vault.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt) who is the daughter of Deukalian Atlas (Edgar Ramírez), the richest man around, and one of the most powerful corporate magnates in the galaxy, gets kidnapped by a rogue soldier Roland Greaves (Kevin Hart) and a psychopath Krieg (Florian Munteanu) who is released at the same time by accident. Despite the soldiers trying their best, the group of three manages to get out of the area and travel to the wastelands of Pandora where they do not come in the areas under scan. The job is given to a legendary bounty hunter Lilith (Cate Blanchett) who is almost ready to retire, but the offer is a little too much for her to reject. She is considered the best with a great history of bounty hunting by too many people to avoid her as an option, even though troops of Atlas are also after the kid. As she lands on Pandora to search for the missing girl, she comes across Claptrap (Jack Black), a robot that says that it was programmed a long time ago to assist her. With the help of the robot, she finally traces the location of Tina and embarks on the journey.

And what does this world bring in between all the chaos and destruction? :: There, she finds out that Tina was not really kidnapped, but had decided to escape with the rogue soldier and the psycho intentionally to avoid her father. She attacks Lilith with her two friends, and it is then that the troops sent by Atlas Corporation reaches the same area and attacks all of them. This leads to the strange new team of the teenage runaway girl, rogue soldier, bounty hunter, psychopath and the old robot escaping from there, with the soldier team known as Crimson Lance on their trail. It is discovered that Tina was not human or the corporate daughter as everyone had thought – she was a genetically engineered alien created with the biological parts taken from the Eridians, the ancient race that once lived and bettered Pandora. She was created through experiments by Atlas so that she can open the vault where lost civilization’s advanced science and technology are kept. Atlas Corporation intends to rule the world with the new advanced weapons they intend to gain. Can the one strange team stop him in time? Or will the gates to unlimited technology be opened to a greedy villain who would become invincible?

The defence of Borderlands :: There is some nice world detail that we see here, even though not perfect, there is something to watch out for at every corner here. Ariana Greenblatt adds more to the fun than the others here. The funny side mostly works in this movie, unlike those movies with ridiculous jokes like Deadpool and its strange relations. The battle scenes are truly exciting, and the detailing on small things will catch our attention. A good science fiction movie comes first out of the world where it is set, and this one wins there, and takes it to the side of action, where it secures another win for most of the time. There is also the reminder that this is from a game, with some fine weapons being shown, and explosions as well as stylish chases all around. The post-apocalyptic feeling is also present, like in Mad Max: Fury Road, but this one is surely the much lighter version, without that eternal depression of world going out of hand with no chance for a return. This feels mostly because of the knowledge about the existence of an alien life which would mean more than just giving up for humanity.

The claws of flaw :: The movie should have taken itself more seriously, and we feel the silliness a little too much in between. The main character should have been younger and got someone other than Cate Blanchett to play it, as we get the feeling of having the suitable one for the tale of such a past. The twist used in the movie seems to be rather too comfortable and safe for anyone’s liking too, and it is something about which one feels the need to bother less. The colours of the movie could have been reduced a little bit outside and used more inside the alien world within the portal, as we have too much of an opposite. Jamie Lee Curtis surely feels to have been more wasted than anyone in this particular role. The villain could have also had more to do in the earlier and middle stages of the movie. There could have been more of a journey of a mystery adventure which the movie leaves behind. As the movie came when my gaming times had mostly reached the beginning of the end stages, I could not really comment on a game – movie comparison, but positive reviews in that case were not found.

How it finishes :: As this movie is based on a computer game, the negative reviews were always expected. But like Until Dawn, Need for Speed, Hitman, Doom, Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Warcraft, Mortal Kombat and others, this keeps the gaming side moving well to the cinematic world. I would love to see Mass Effect game made into movie, and it would have similar settings, but considering its capabilities as a game itself, there would be a big movie, with the looks of Jupiter Ascending, but that one would satisfy more critics. For now, for some simple entertainment during the weekends, this is the kind of movie that we would want to watch. Let us not go through too many of those negative reviews, as there are so many positives about this movie, which comes back every time we feel that there would be a problem. Maybe, a sequel could do this one a lot of good, with a lot of worlds to explore in a Star Trek or Star Wars model. Then we go back to the game and come back again to enjoy this.

Release date: 9th August 2024
Running time: 101 minutes
Directed by: Eli Roth
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Edgar Ramírez, Ariana Greenblatt, Florian Munteanu, Gina Gershon, Jamie Lee Curtis

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Atlas

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Vampire Owl: I have known others with the name Atlas before.

Vampire Bat: I believe that it was Cloud Atlas.

Vampire Owl: So, you feel that there is nothing common among the two.

Vampire Bat: There should be a little bit of future related things in both.

Vampire Owl: A world of future never gets old in the past or present.

Vampire Bat: Well, the future does seem to be very much different than what we thought many years ago.

Vampire Owl: Yes, third world war is too late in human world.

Vampire Bat: And the space colonization has been delayed too much.

Vampire Owl: What about time travel? I believe that there was going to be a time machine with a rage of 10000 BC to 12000 AD.

Vampire Bat: Well, we do not even have teleportation yet.

[Gets some Paneer 65 and three cups of orange tea].

What is the movie about? :: It is the year 2043, and humanoid artificial intelligence terrorist Harlan Shepherd (Simu Liu) leads a war of machines against humans, which leaves about three million people dead, proving the scientist who adopted him as his son, and the founder of the programme Val Shepherd (Lana Parrilla) wrong in her theories and expectations about a better future with Artificial Intelligence. The group of machines seem to be too powerful a force to counter for any nation and its military power. An apocalyptic event which soon lead to the extinction of humanity seems imminent, with Harlan having full access to all machines and controlling all similar forces. There are talks around and the military forces of the world join together to form a group known as International Coalition of Nations (ICN), and this leads to the humans finally winning many battles against Harlan much to the dismay of the machines. This forces him to escape Earth and locate himself in outer space, with a promise to come back and finish what he had started with determination.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: After twenty-eight years pass without the machines making any direct battles with humans, Atlas Maru Shepherd (Jennifer Lopez), an analyst, the daughter of Harlan’s designer, has been hunting for a chance to find the escaped machines who are responsible for that near-apocalyptic event. After one of Harlan’s AI agents is captured and interrogated by her using special techniques, she finds out that Harlan can be found on a planet in the Andromeda Galaxy. As she provides this information to the others, keeps insisting that she should come along and face Harlan, something which she has wanted to do for a very long time. The military hopes to use AI-assisted giant robots known as ARCs which connect to human rangers through a neural link, but Atlas in not ready for the same as she distrusts all kinds of Artificial Intelligence. But Harlan’s drones attack their spaceship just before entering the planet’s atmosphere, and Atlas is forced to enter an ARC herself and falls right on to the planet’s surface.

And what more can happen between humans and machines now? :: Atlas is not happy about her situation within a machine, but she manages to gain basic control of the ARC despite her distrust of the Artificial Intelligence who introduces itself as Smith in a very friendly manner. As they move, the two combine forces and soon find the rest of the rangers dead, and somehow manages to escape to escape from the humanoids chasing them despite the link between her and the machine being weak. She reluctantly agrees to directly interface her mind with Smith, allowing for greater control of the ARC. This allows them to move on with a hope to escape, as finding and defeating Harlan seems to be almost impossible now as she is no monster hunter and the enemy is too strong. But is there still a chance to stop Harlan, and should they take it instead of going through the route to the escape pod? Is there something they can do, and is there a chance that Harlan will directly come to get them? Is Harlan actually a villain or is there something more to him than what meets the eye?

The defence of Atlas :: The biggest advantage of this movie is its stunning visuals with some fine Computer-Generated Imagery and visual effects that elevates this movie so much that people would have wanted to watch the same on the big screen. The spaceships, visuals of space and the planet in Proxima Centauri, along with the stylish AI machines are joy to watch, often reminding one of some computer games – remembering MissionForce: CyberStorm of 1996. Then we know Pacific Rim and its sequel. The messages of Artificial Intelligence and trust, along with the idea about human future being devastation does keep all the thinking going forward. All the action makes things more interesting, and the alien planet is something that everyone would look forward to. Jennifer Lopez mostly manages to handle this quite well, even though the role would have suited a newer, younger or lesser-known actress better with the tale seemingly going in that path. There are no unnecessary complications of science here though, and without an Interstellar-kind of scientific overdose, the move scores more on the true science-fiction and not that science-reality mode that keeps the viewers struggling. The Mech-AI and bonding feels nice too.

The claws of flaw :: The movie not having a younger main character to suit the situation more does hurt it at times, and there are moments when it seems to go into a silly mode. There is too much focus on one character even when this is about saving the world. It does not feel appropriate to see that the most trained leader of the rangers and his fully matched AI companion falls too easily while the analyst gets to defeat advanced Artificial Intelligence humanoids with powerful weapons with ease – it is quite the disgrace to the soldiers and their battle-hardened commander intending on saving the world. Somehow, their only duty seems to be focused on keeping the seemingly useless emotionally struggling elder lady who might be mostly out control, safe at all times. In that case, they should have kept her back home, as she is nowhere close to as guide as she claimed to be with the Artificial Intelligence leader, with her missing out on the most predictable part of the movie. The basic idea about Artificial Intelligence seems to be overused, even though we do not come to know that it is what we are dealing with, until the movie is somewhat closer to its end.

How it finishes :: Atlas could have surely been a better movie with less predictability, with more of a consideration on its basic strengths, but it remains an entertainer, and for that much there is no doubt. The repetition itself holds it down, but the same seems to be the one thing that would drive movies like this forever. The film was surely not well-received by the critics and Jennifer Lopez was even nominated for the Worst Actress category at the Golden Raspberry Awards – but you know that critics often make no sense, as they recently did with Madame Web, and we know that even the best movies do not make money, like John Carter. This movie could have at least received some accolades for its graphics and visuals, for the settings in space need not always be this good, and not all science fiction are spectacles of this quality, not even those much-famed superhero movies of Marvel. You watch this one for the beauty on the screen and another world of future with an emotional and classic touch. Well, you need movies like these at regular intervals to keep the love for science fiction going, and not those silly stuff which deviates from the genre’s core.

Release date: 24th May 2024 (Netflix)
Running time: 120 minutes
Directed by: Brad Peyton
Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Simu Liu, Sterling K Brown, Mark Strong, Gregory James Cohan, Abraham Popoola, Lana Parrilla

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Watchers

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Vampire Owl: We vampires are the true watchers of the world.

Vampire Bat: We could have also been teachers, but humans do not learn.

Vampire Owl: At least we have made sure that the zombies learned.

Vampire Bat: Zombies did not learn from us, but stopped learning their own.

Vampire Owl: Still, the result is that they are more like vampires now.

Vampire Bat: You know that most people never really differentiated between the two.

Vampire Owl: But we are that much different, you know.

Vampire Bat: We are all divergent from the undead.

Vampire Owl: There is no title as the people of the grave.

Vampire Bat: Yet, there are nocturnal children of the night.

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

What is the movie about? :: Mina (Dakota Fanning), a young girl who lost her mother to an accident on road and is still grieving for it, gets the duty to deliver a parrot in Galway at a zoo located near Belfast. But on the way to the destination, her car breaks down on a road in the middle of a forest. She walks through the forest to find help, but only end up losing her way, with no car in sight. As she keeps on walking, she comes across a building which looks like a bunker, and as there seems to be something haunting through the forest, she gets in as requested by a strange woman who introduces herself as Madeline (Olwen Fouéré). There she finds two other people, Ciara (Georgina Campbell) and Daniel (Oliver Finnegan). There is also the talk about a missing person named John (Alistair Brammer), Ciara’s husband. The place seems to be the only safe place in the forest which seems to have creepy creatures wandering around during nightfall, and could finish them off if they go out in the darkness.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Madeline tells her the rules of the forest, to stand in front of a mirrored window at night where the creatures called watchers could see, not to go out at night, and never to enter the underground tunnels where the creatures stay during the day due to a certain aversion to sunlight. Daniel helps Mina explore the underground, from where she finds items like a camcorder and a bicycle and is almost caught by a Watcher. That night, when someone who claims to be John appears outside the bunker and asks for help. Madeline refuses to let him in, sure that it is just a Watcher imitating John to get inside the bunker, as these creatures have been watching them at all nights. The Watchers are angry, but they leave. Days and nights pass, but they are not able to escape from the area. Soon, it seems that a certain amount of hostility comes in between them. Can they survive more, or can they defeat the creatures, and can they actually get out one day?

The defence of The Watchers :: The feeling of wandering through a folk-tale world is clearly there to be taken in the movie. Everyone needs to go through such a world where there is mystery as much as there would be nightmare. A dark fairy-tale never gets outdated as long as the dark effects are used well, and there is enough darkness to keep things going forward. It takes you into it without giving a chance for a second thought, and fear generation is active early enough, as soon as the forest is entered and darkness falls with no way to escape. The feeling of mystery is provided to leave the viewers with the feeling of danger all the time. The background tales come out of nowhere to create an impact in something divergent. A dark fantasy in a modern world has also been a requirement. There are some simple twists which get added at the same time. The possibility of a sequel is added in the end as expected, and with this premise, it could surely be a lot better. As long as one doesn’t think how this would have been brought to the screen by Guillermo del Toro, everything would be just fine.

The claws of flaw :: The Watchers is too slow a movie throughout its run. It seems to think that the creatures of the night have an eternity to come, and we can wait until we age and die. Even when things get very serious and the situation would mean death, there is no real picking up of pace. The movie should have been much shorter in length, for there are moments which show the struggle and nothing much happens in between some minutes. You keep having the feeling that something grand is going to happen every time, but there is no real ups and downs for this movie. The final resolution is also too easily reached, when so much danger was there to be unleashed. It should have used more grandeur right there, as so much talk was done regarding the creatures from humanity’s long gone past. One has to keep wondering if the tale could have been told differently and also whether the creatures could have been defined in a more classic manner. The special effects could have also been added in a better way with more classic views of the creatures.

The performers of the soul :: There are only a few characters here, and so the emotional investment of the audience is limited to them, wondering whether they would escape from the grave danger beyond understanding that surrounds them. Dakota Fanning comes up with an interesting performance here, as she plays someone who carries the guilt along with the fear. She does not start off playing a likable character, and in the end, she is a much better person with a dynamic character. There are moments when we feel her confusion, and we get to move forward with her with ease. Georgina Campbell plays more or less the realistic character around there though, and she often fails to understand the mysteries that well and even feels that her husband would come back in the dark. Oliver Finnegan provides a stable work, while Alistair Brammer’s character dies too early. John Lynch drops in with a character from the flashback that makes the difference, and a solid one indeed. Olwen Fouéré as Madeline has some strong moments, and they will be remembered.

How it finishes :: The Watchers remains the movie which will continue to remind us of the movies of Manoj Night Shyamalan, in the form of this work directed by his daughter, Ishana Night Shyamalan, as similar feelings are evoked. A similar environment seems to be at work here consisting of elements which remind us of a style which we had loved with many different movies. We remember his movies of interest in the last ten years, The Visit, Split, Glass and Old. The connection to a past of fantasy being brought here also makes us feel that we are into another world. A fantasy world which stays so close to this world, and seemingly without exaggeration will keep us going. About Ishana, post this debut as the director, there is surely a lot to follow. The horror fantasy needs its imagination, and she might be bringing us the same, something which we are going to cherish for long with one classic work which is yet to come. For now, we enjoy the beginning, for the genre of fantasy is indeed forever.

Release date: 7th June 2024
Running time: 102 minutes
Directed by: Ishana Night Shyamalan
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré, Oliver Finnegan, Alistair Brammer, John Lynch

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Tarot

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Vampire Owl: So, vampires can now try these too?

Vampire Bat: Well, vampires are all about beliefs, the myths and legends.

Vampire Owl: We are the demons of humans who come out of their hell.

Vampire Bat: We are surely much more than that when awakened.

Vampire Owl: The question remains about what we are to those humans.

Vampire Bat: Why would you want to know about what they think?

Vampire Owl: I want to know what they feel to be different from what they know, for I shall sacrifice my identity to be better than their thoughts.

Vampire Bat: We will always be what we are, of blood and eternal night.

Vampire Owl: There are no better nocturnal creatures, I know. Ours are classic horror stories of many nights.

Vampire Bat: Go for more of horror then, fellow vampire, stay furious.

[Gets a butterscotch shake and three cups of ginger tea].

What is the movie about? :: A group of friends from the same college, Haley (Harriet Slater), Grant (Adain Bradley), Paxton (Jacob Batalon), Paige (Avantika Vandanapu), Madeline (Humberly González), Lucas (Wolfgang Novogratz) and Elise (Larsen Thompson) rent a mansion in the middle of nowhere to celebrate Elise’s birthday in peace. They have some drinks and try to enjoy their time away from city. Haley and Grant just had a breakup, and to make things feel better, Haley read their fortunes using some very old seemingly hand-painted tarot cards taken from the basement. Elise gets the High Priestess, the first card which seems to be scary enough to feel something sinister; Lucas gets the Hermit; Madeline is attached to the Hanged Man; Paige becomes the Magician; and Paxton finds the Fool. Finally, a reluctant Grant receives the Devil while Haley herself does not find it too surprised as she gets the Death card and remarks that the love will be the death of her. Even though Paxton feels that he saw a shadowy figure outside, things go on without any incident.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As the group returns to campus, they tend to forget about the tarot readings. But on the very next night, Elise feels that there is something in the attic, and there she is attacked by a strange creature, resembling the High Priestess on her tarot card, and after being pushed down the attic, she is killed using ladder. Haley tries to console her grieving friends as they all wish that one of them was with Elise on that night. The very next night, Lucas is terrorized by the Hermit from his tarot card and chased into the restricted area of a nearby train station. He keeps running away from the chasing monster, but ends up being killed by a speeding train. The group gets together and tries to figure it out as two of their friends are already dead. Haley feels that there is some relation between her readings and how her friends died. She talks about the same to her friends. But it seems that they need an expert on this. But what they come to know would not make them any confident about surviving? Can at least some of them remain alive in the end?

The defence of Tarot :: The movie does offer some genuine scares, and the demons on display here brings the scares really well. These creatures are nicely detailed, and suits the situations really well. The environment nicely moves to horror with ease whenever there is the supernatural coming in to take a soul to the other world. The different deaths make fine impact, and the variety in them needs some appreciation beyond the usual. The fear factor is always present, and in the darkness of the night, gets even better in evil and terror. When one wonders how the next death can happen in a situation, there is that quick appearance, like in the case of that bridge. The flashback remains spooky, and adds to the scary elements with the curse that keeps the creepiness factor high enough. There are many Eastern European myths which could come in here, and a Cabin in the Woods environment with them going back to where it all started would have been nice, but lives are already lost when the chance is there in the movie.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does miss out on some of the chances which it could have easily taken, especially related to the death – the first one could have been the most classic of them all, and the second one could have taken another twist. The supernatural menace could have taken lives in a Final Destination mode or with even better varieties. Some more violence could have also made an entry, as this is that kind of a movie when we look at it from a distance. There is a certain amount of laziness or easy-going mode seen at some parts. There were so many paths which the movie could have taken after those initial moments of unleashing the curse. The darkness of the movie needed to have that special punch, something which Until Dawn could display in a better way. Sometimes, we do feel that all these might not be enough to make the victims think enough, as they often end up looking in the internet instead of anywhere else, even after having an expert out there. Just like those strange horror films, sticking together is not an option here too.

The performers of the soul :: Harriet Slater leads the way as the true protagonist of the movie who tries to the save everyone including herself. With a depressing past and a breakup, the character needed the attention she has provided the same. Her desire to genuinely solve this problem and even take the blame can be seen reflected here. Avantika Vandanapu is the next person who catches our attention, and plays a character that we wish to see survive in the end. She would make a fine scream queen in another horror movie as we witness the signs. The run from the magician is a sign indeed. Jacob Batalon is the one who brings the funny side to the screen, and he does the same well to keep the humour alive in between all the horror and deaths. Humberly González and Larsen Thompson goes through the unexpected deaths well, and the fear factor is well-displayed with them as death stalks all around. Olwen Fouéré scores as the tarot and astrology expert in between all the never-ending curses.

How it finishes :: Tarot makes its horror working with the usual stuff and a little bit of addition to go with the same. Let us not fall into the trap of negative reviews, as we horror fans are better than that, and we know that most of the critics do not rate the films of the genre well enough. But this one thrives on its supernatural side, and keeps the horror moving forward. There is death lurking in the shadows, and the audience is surely aware of the same, as they wait for the evil to pounce upon the youth whose fate was told through the tarot and horoscope. While watching this movie, I had the feeling that this kind of topic would suit a Malayali horror film more, as this deviation from the usual methods of the genre directly aligns with many traditions we see around. After all, there is no shortage of myths and legends for us, and the connection could be more easily established. Let horror come back to us, and we will accept it as a common thing in life, unlike the very rare elements like romance and feel-good.

Release date: 3rd May 2024
Running time: 92 minutes
Directed by: Spenser Cohen, Anna Halberg
Starring: Harriet Slater, Adain Bradley, Avantika Vandanapu, Wolfgang Novogratz, Humberly González, Larsen Thompson, Olwen Fouéré, Jacob Batalon

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Nosferatu

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Vampire Owl: Finally, our Count is coming back to the big screen.

Vampire Bat: This one is not really the true Dracula Uncle.

Vampire Owl: Well, Count Orlok is not lesser than Count Dracula.

Vampire Bat: I have heard from humans that this Orlok is an illegal version.

Vampire Owl: Well, there are no such rules in vampire kingdom, right?

Vampire Bat: Human rules need not apply here, but we should know.

Vampire Owl: We will never really know the humans.

Vampire Bat: We will know everything except their inherent evil.

Vampire Owl: Well, which is why we do not transform humans into vampires anymore.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that they want to; the greed for eternal life and perpetual youth.

[Gets a tea cake and three cups of Ooty tea].

What is the movie about? :: Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp) is a recently married young woman who has had too many nightmares in her life in the past, and it is revealed that her recent bad dream about being married to death and everyone around her dead. It is revealed that while looking for consolation from her loneliness and depression in life, during her random chants and prayers, she had ended up creating a psychic link with Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård), or what they villagers of Romania used to call Nosferatu, with Romanian roots. The nocturnal creature of pure evil had marked Ellen from thousands of kilometres away, and this connection often led her into situations of seizures and sleepwalking. She keeps having hallucinations and a feeling of being with death, from which escape seems almost impossible. She has been living in the German town of Wisborg with her husband Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) and is irreversibly in love with him as it seems, but this connection seems to have journeyed through the unimaginable, the darkest of the woods and deepest of the rivers and lakes.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: It is then that Thomas accepts the offer to sell the partially ruined Grünewald Manor to a reclusive lord named Count Orlok located somewhere in Romania. Ellen talks about her nightmares and pleads Thomas not to leave for those unknown lands where a certain cursed evil lurks, but the offer from his employer is too much for him not to accept this opportunity of a life time. He leaves her in the care of his wealthy friend and famous shipbuilder Friedrich Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his wife Anna Harding (Emma Corrin) who lives with their two little daughters. As he arrives at the Carpathians in the Transylvanian area of Romania, Thomas is warned not to wander around during the nights and not to visit Orlok. During the same night, he still wanders around and witnesses a group of gypsies running a ritual with a fully naked woman on a horse which ends with the exhuming and impaling a vampire’s corpse with a wooden stake, ending the undead life with a lot of blood coming out of its mouth. The next morning, he finds no help or support, and leaves for the count’s castle alone and on foot.

And what is to follow as the Count maintains all the control over the world known to him? :: In his castle, Count Orlok welcomed Thomas as the aristocrat that required respect at all times. But soon, his existence as something more than human is revealed to Thomas, who hopes to escape, but the paths of the castle only lead to the crypt where the count is sleeping in his coffin, and he is not able to attack him as the vampire awakens, and so do his demonic hounds. He understands that he will have to remain a prisoner in the castle forever, as the document which the count made him sign might not be the Romanian version of the deal concerning the property, but a document dissolving his marriage to Ellen and the vampire had also taken his locket, containing a lock of her hair. He understands the vampire is going after his wife, and jumps into the river below the castle to escape. But the count has already started his journey and has infested a ship which is on its way to Germany. He will not stop at anything unless he becomes together with Ellen. Can anyone stop this evil from embracing her and also spread through the whole of Western Europe? Or will the blood-seeking demon have a blood feast that will last forever?

The defence of Nosferatu :: The movie achieves atmospheric horror and thrives with the sound effects as much as the visuals. There is fear running through the air, as we rarely see a world thriving on light here. The psychological side very strong here, and the performance of Lily-Rose Depp is truly magical here, with so many moments to remember, and the final few moments of her is out of this world. I cannot stop myself from not being the new admirer of Johnny Depp’s daughter as I have been a fan of him. I can say that I have never seen the main female character of any version of Bram Stoker’s work getting such attention which is supported by a performance of grandeur. The connection to the demonic creature and talk about all of this terror has never been so perfectly detailed and connected to the female lead. Nicholas Hoult and Willem Dafoe works the roles just as expected, while Bill Skarsgård’s demon is something we have not seen before, well divergent in looks and actions to create more terror. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Emma Corin move through expected paths. These are not just characters, but people who immerse us in their wisely created world with fine performances.

Positives and negatives :: It can be said that there is no movie based on Bram Stoker’s work that has provided an emotional and haunting touch like this one, and a terrifying vampire movie becoming an emotional tale of love and selflessness keeps us rooting for the film even more, like never before. The movie basically like music which strives for a fight against the most terrifying form of evil with love. By the end, here we know that as evil always finds a way, so does goodness and self-sacrifice. Finally, we know that the melancholy of the main character is not hers alone, but of all of us. It is a poetry on what it takes to thrive against the most ancient forms of evil. The sequence in the forest makes a fine reflection which is to come, and there are some classic shots in the castle that elevates this movie to a psychic-psychological mood which is rarely seen in the adaptations. The final image from where the camera zooms out reflects the same, and that too with a melancholic beauty. There is also some work with demonic possession, which is actually shown without any overdose. This is indeed a fine Gothic work that reflects the Victorian Age even when not in Britain. The one thing that we might really be missing is the Brides of Dracula.

How it finishes :: This is the one movie which becomes a fine divergent tribute to both the 1922 version of Nosferatu and the many later versions of Dracula as well as the original book, along with being a different entity in itself. There seems to be so many inspirations, and many creative ideas placed around here. This version is sure to be remembered as a classic in future, no matter problems critics would find, which would be lost in the process. This version might be the one which needs even more attention than what it has managed. This is that version of the vampire that maintains all kinds of feeling which are related to a vampire as a nocturnal creature that feeds from the lifeforce of humans. There are not many movies which can pay homage to so many of its predecessors and still remain something new. This one, with some fantastic performance and an atmosphere which would put even the high-budget movies to shame, manages to rise and seek theatre experience – it is quite depressing that the movie was not really found in theatres when it released.

Release date: 25th December 2024
Running time: 132 minutes
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe, Katerina Bila

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

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.

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.

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.

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

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.