Category Archives: Horror

Companion

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Vampire Owl: Vampires have always looked for eternal companions for togetherness.

Vampire Bat: These people are talking about companion robots.

Vampire Owl: Haven’t we developed a vampire robot yet?

Vampire Bat: We do not need any more scientific development now.

Vampire Owl: I am sure that Dr. Frankenstein would have other ideas.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein and his ideas are surely not real science.

Vampire Owl: They are science, especially after inventing that time machine by the doctor.

Vampire Bat: He just declared that he travelled through time.

Vampire Owl: Yes, and it is truth, as he has proven with records.

Vampire Bat: He has always created all the fake records by himself.

[Gets a choco-marble cake and three cups of Chinese tea].

What is the movie about? :: Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and her boyfriend Josh (Jack Quaid) travels to a mansion on the edge of civilization, a huge property around a lake owned by a billionaire named Sergey (Rupert Friend), who is the boyfriend of his Josh’s best friend Kat (Megan Suri) – Kat still calls herself Sergey’s property, keep or mistress due to the nature of Sergey, yet they remain open to welcoming friends as Kat maintains that influence on the Russian billionaire. They also invite two other friends Eli (Harvey Guillen) and his partner Patrick (Lukas Gage). The group seems to spend some happy moments in the mansion at night, and everyone seems to get along with each other well. But on the very next day, Sergey attempts to sexually assault Iris at the lakeside, and Iris ends up killing him in self-defense. She returns to the house in panic, attempting to explain what happened, but Josh tells the blood-covered Iris to go to sleep, and she losses her consciousness, waking up only to find herself strongly tied up to a chair.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Josh tells her that she is a companion robot that he is renting from a robotics company known as Empathix. He adds that her emotions and intelligence are controlled by an app on his phone, and the love and sexual desire are also under his control. He adds that the memory of them meeting for the first time is a lie, coming out of a pre-loaded idea chosen from many options, and it is her programming that makes her fall in love with him, and the past has all been part of that programme. He adds that now he has to take her back to the company, and maybe dismantle her there, but she does not believe her. He makes her believe by making her speak in the language he wishes to, and also shows that there are many other customizable options. As he goes for one final talk with Kat, Iris manages to escape though, and she also takes her phone to have full control over herself, increasing her intelligence and changing other options as the friends start to look for her.

The defence of Companion :: The movie can boast of a fine cast led by Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid, along with Megan Suri’s perfect contribution as she makes that one the most interesting human character around. The film nicely explores the themes of control, need for freedom and toxic relationships through an entertaining sci-fi situation which is thrilling no because of the scientific situation, but the human predicament. The surprises of the movie are good, and even without those big twists, manage to keep us interested. The multiple elements of horror, thriller dark comedy and sci-fi nicely come together effectively while also leaving a few social messages about people, relationships, rights and freedom. The one and half hour length is supportive of the movie’s cause as it goes through the whole thing perfectly during that time period, never too much or less. There is no loss of strength here as we understand that we are quickly getting to a twisted situation, and the mood would remain somewhat similar throughout its run.

The claws of flaw :: The idea of artificial intelligence with a conscience, emotions and physical relationships may feel familiar to viewers with movies like Wifelike and Ex Machina which did the same better – the exploration of the ideas were so much better with an emotional side there, and the latter was indeed that sci-fi classic which deserved all the appreciation in the world. Those two movies were rather courageous with the depictions, but the movie here seems to keep to the safe zone, and at times, even comes up with just the blame game for all characters except the robotic main character. The science fiction mode is also on a struggle at times, as there is no clear focus on the robot either, and its making and structure, as well as the parent company are restricted to a few dialogues. One cannot say that the idea is original, and there is no real further development on the same available data. Some of the character decisions would seem illogical or seem to exist only to create more situations of interest, and the final hesitation of the robotic character to shoot is just one of them. This often feels like an opportunity for glory missed out.

The performers of the soul :: Sophie Thatcher delivers a fine performance, and the way in which she makes even the usual situations remarkable needs a mention. The final moments have her making an even bigger impression. Jack Quaid can also be considered highly effective in the darker role, and sometimes raise the level so much above what we expect according to the proceedings. This is one antagonist who brings the unexpected. Then, who strikes the most playing the side characters is Megan Suri, who is fantastic as the only woman character with a villainous side – among the characters, she seems like the most determined, and someone with a clear vision, and the same is depicted perfectly by her. For a slasher horror movie with supernatural or psycho killers, she would make a perfect choice – there is something about her that suits the genre. Lukas Gage’s work also remains notable, while Harvey Guillén does fine. Rupert Friend as Sergey has his moments despite being there for only a short amount of time. Jaboukie Young-White, Matthew J McCarthy and Marc Menchaca are there in smaller, but relevant roles.

How it finishes :: Companion becomes interesting because it successfully combines different genres with social commentary without being preachy or slow, and the cast nicely supports the same by adapting to the situations. The strongest points here are the performances, dark humour and interesting surprises, while it never really gets out of the familiar themes and the predictable side that comes even in the end. This will never be one of those movies which comes up with innovation in the topic, as it chooses the safe side, but the entertaining side is safe around here. It seems to know what kind of movie it needs to be, and with this knowledge, touches the necessary elements which need to keep the world interesting. The movie is currently available in Jio Hotstar, but you should remember that this idea can be seen in a few other movies which did the same better earlier. So, choose wisely, and go through the idea. Yet, remember that this is the newest version of the same, and therefore has made some nice changes too.

Release date: 31st January 2025
Running time: 97 minutes
Directed by: Drew Hancock
Starring: Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén, Rupert Friend

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Return to Silent Hill

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Vampire Owl: I thought that we had returned to Silent Hill just enough.

Vampire Bat: There is no enough going back to the Silent Hill.

Vampire Owl: Yes, I remember you playing computer games about the same.

Vampire Bat: Yes, both Silent Hill and Resident Evil belonged to the same world.

Vampire Owl: And Mortal Kombat in the same world of Street Fighter.

Vampire Bat: The computer games have kept us alive for a long time.

Vampire Owl: Your Unreal Tournament, Age of Empires, Age of Wonders, Warcraft, Age of Mythology and Disciples journey is known to be legendary.

Vampire Bat: Then there was the later Mass Effect journey which took over like no other.

Vampire Owl: Your gaming journey has been as eternal as your immortality and our borderland wars.

Vampire Bat: Still, Silent Hill is much more than that, for it is the journey to eternal horror like no other, even deeper than Resident Evil.

[Gets a sea salt fries and three cups of Japanese tea].

What is the movie about? :: James Sunderland (Jeremy Irvine) is an artist who is spending a vacation further away from the city, and he comes across Mary Crane (Hannah Emily Anderson) who was leaving her hometown, the small area known as Silent Hill. As he almost causes and accident which leads to Mary missing her bus, she decides to go back to her place and he gives her a ride, after which they fall in love, and the two start living together in Silent Hill. He also meets the strange friends and relatives of Mary, and despite her warning, declares that their love is forever. The scene then shifts to many years later, as James has moved away to the city after breaking the relationship, and has turned into a severe alcoholic, despite continuing to be an artist. One day, despite the warnings of his psychologist, he decides to go after Mary who had written a letter to him to get back to her. He feels that Mary needs to be back in his life one way or the other, and makes his way to the town which seems to be abandoned, and that surprises him more than anything else.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The town seems to be covered in fog and there is also some falling ash. He also meets a strange woman on the way who seems to be not completely in her senses, and is also attacked by a strange monster. It seems that the day has passed, and soon, after a siren, the town transforms into a twisted version of itself, as it hell itself has unleashed on it, and he is forced to escape to an apartment building where he had lived with Mary. He meets a mentally unstable man named Eddie (Pearse Egan) as he reaches there, and a young girl named Laura (Evie Templeton) who is chased by a terrifying monster known as Pyramid Head (Robert Strange). As they all run away from the monster, James comes up against a strange-shaped naked woman who transforms into another monster, the Spider Lady (Giulia Pelagatti) and chases him, only two be found by the Pyramid Head who beats her up until the creature can no longer stands on its feet.

And what more is to happen here as terror keeps visiting? :: He is only saved by a siren and the night ending, and as he wakes up in the original Silent Hill, he leaves for Brookhaven Hospital where Mary seems to have been taken. He understands that there was some health issue with Mary, and she used to have a bleeding nose. He remembers that Mary was part of a ritual as part of the cult which her father had begun, and the rituals involved a lot of blood. She had also told him that there was something strange about her and her people. He remembers ritual as the one thing which led to them ending their relationship. He understands that Mary has been suffering and there is no escape from her, but he will not leave without her despite the warnings of different people he meets in the strange town. He feels that the town has turned into a portal to hell, but decides to stay. Now, the question remains if any of the two shall remain alive to see outside the terror of the town, as the demonic forces seem determined. This is not one relationship that one would doubt for sincerity, but sinister forces might have other say.

The defence of Return to Silent Hill :: The atmosphere remains the biggest strength of this movie, and it has always remained the same for the franchise. The foggy town which mist providing a world out of ours, ash-filled streets which seem to symbolize something which is to come, continuing classic creature designs and seemingly never-ending nightmare-like imagery makes the movie’s moments a journey to hell and its demons from where escape seems near impossible – it has served the series of adaptations really well till now. From what we know, the movie is also a faithful adaptation of the second game of the series which is sure to satisfy the gamers. The focus on guilt, romance and obsession has the moments which work, even though the deviation from horror can be clearly seen at times. The creature detail remains outstanding, as along with the first monster, the Spider Lady and Pyramid Head got some amazing detail associated with them, and so does the demonic nurses which move on to attack anything and everything. The leading cast also shines.

The claws of flaw :: The movie’s deviation from the supernatural to the psychological could have elevated the whole thing, but here, the loss of the demonic world has only hurt the cinematic strength. The transition between two worlds have lost the strength, and due to this type of approach, the feeling of danger is also lost at times, and with the monsters like Pyramid Head and Spider Lady even fighting each other, there is no spectacle like that flaying of skin of the woman in the graveyard by the former in first movie – that was one classic scene which would define the movie series, but such a situation never really came around here. The emotional and psychological depth is lost at times, and the random scenes from past making way to the nightmarish world as flashbacks bring further struggle here. The past could have come together, and the ending seems to be too ambiguous, and one is left wondering about the purpose of the whole thing as nothing much among the actions of the protagonist seems to have made the difference. The narrative is not managed in a manner which is easy or interesting to follow either.

How it finishes :: Silent Hill has been that game which kept us interested and scared at the same time, as it became the other side of Resident Evil which had the horror action running with a scientific side – mutants there, and demons on the hill. That game had also inspired so many movies as part of a franchise which focused on stylish action with a lady protagonist. It is to be noted that this kind of movies never really get that much of a positive opinion from the critics, but we remember that such movies have always been better than what the reviews say. As the adaptation of the second game of the series, the supernatural elements here were always going to make way for the psychological side, and the reality of terror which was present in the earlier movie adaptations go down the drain. The focus on the romantic side would also keep the horror fans wondering, which makes this film not that kind of a world of chaos for everyone. It has its horror, but the movie will not rise that much within its genre, which makes watching this one a choice according to your interest, but is an entertaining journey for sure.

Release date: 4th February 2026
Running time: 105 minutes
Directed by: Christophe Gans
Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Hannah Emily Anderson, Evie Templeton, Pearse Egan, Nicola Alexis, Robert Strange, Giulia Pelagatti

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Killer Whale

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Vampire Owl: I remember talking to the Vampire Whale last night.

Vampire Bat: There is no Vampire Whale among us. It could only be a fake vampire.

Vampire Owl: Why not? I have already checked the teeth. The fangs are fine.

Vampire Bat: Everyone with fangs is not a vampire, or even a werewolf.

Vampire Owl: So, it was a Demon Whale or a resurrected shadow demon?

Vampire Bat: Couldn’t it have just been a usual creature of the ocean?

Vampire Owl: This could have been better known if Aquaman became a vampire.

Vampire Bat: He could no longer breath underwater if he became a vampire.

Vampire Owl: Oh right! Vampires were never really water resistant.

Vampire Bat: You have never really listened to the study classes, which becomes a problem now.

[Gets a plate of nachos and three cups of Korean tea].

What is the movie about? :: Maddie (Virginia Gardner), an aspiring musician, is very close to making an impact, and also in taking the next step with her long-time crush Chad (Isaac Crawley), as he feels that the happiest moments of her life are just a few days away. But as Chad tries to protect Maddie from a robbery, he is run over by one of the robbers, and she also losses most her hearing ability to the continuous gunshots. This begins a life of melancholy for her, as she stops playing music and keeps to herself at home for most of her time, with no entry for friends into her life. Her best friend Trish Stevens (Mel Jarnson) who is a PhD student studying gene editing and a social media influencer who attracts a huge fan following visits her after a year to make her feel better. She surprises her with a luxury vacation to Thailand in the Andaman Sea, as she uses her influence with her fans of exclusive social media content to find a perfect place where they could have fun and forget the gruesome past, with her own exotic journeys already making an impact.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Trish also finds a new interest in another tourist named Josh (Mitchell Hope), and they together visit a local attraction featuring a captive orca. Disapproving of keeping the creatures in captivity, but finds out that orca had already killed someone who had fallen into its pool. The park management decides to get rid of the orca on the same night by just flushing it into the sea, where it is not known to attack humans. The next morning, the three decide to explore a secluded lagoon which locals consider to be haunted and therefore not explored by curious tourists. But soon, Josh and Trish riding a jet ski are ambushed by the same orca who kills Josh while Trish manages to swim and reach Maddie’s inflatable boat. The two are forced to swim on to a rock and with injuries on their leg, are forced to stay there with nothing other than bikinis on their bodies and a torch. They try to signal to a distance with the torch, but with no result, as time passes. They try to survive against all odds and at the same time share a few secrets with each other, but it remains to be seen about how long they can do the same.

The defence of Killer Whale :: The movie’s premise is more interesting than the usual movies featuring danger from underneath the sea, as the main character is already set, and the possibilities of the orca is also being talked about. There is also a message in support of these mammals to be taken out of captivity to their original habitats. The idea that years of captivity and mistreatment can make animals more of a monster is asserted here, and supported by the protagonist. There is that scene when the two girls are moving in the inflatable boat, and the orca is moving underneath them, as they look in terror. Then there is orca moving around them as they take shelter on a rock surrounded by water. We also have both protagonists swimming in full strength as if their lives depend on their quick movement through water, and those are all tense moments, as much as their search for anything useful. The survival skills are nicely put into test here, and we see them fighting nature’s predator as much as their own emotions, with this becoming another movie of fighting against all odds.

Positives and negatives :: One cannot stop noticing that the whale could have looked better as the creature features and the effects of the sea often looked cheap, seemingly due to a low budget, but that does not make us feel the danger to be that far away or of lesser strength. People can feel that this is another shark movie, and just ended quickly without adding some extra strength, but considering the fact that this is film of different dimensions, the same can indeed be forgotten. The movie also has us sympathetic to the whale, and makes us wonder about what humans to do to each other as much as to the creatures of nature. There are multiple shots of the main characters surrounded by the orca from above and underneath, all of them making one feel the danger of the situation. The camera shots also keep us close to the characters, and we also go through that journey with them with what they see as much as what the creature see of them from underneath the sea. Then there are some beautiful shots of their world in the end at sea and out of it, which facilitates an ending that looks well.

The performers of the soul :: The movie focus on two characters, played by Virginia Gardner as Maddie and Mel Jarnson as Trish Stevens, with others and their performances being less relevant, even though we would remember Isaac Crawley and Mitchell Hope more than others. The movie perfectly moves towards a female-sisterhood-survival movie in that manner. Virginia comes up with a charming and emotional work, as we see her character move through emotions, from that romantic happy beginning to chaos, while she tries to survive. Mel Jarnson also handles the emotions incredibly well, with guilt and attempt for hope gaining on her. She remains stunning out there as she was perfect in Witchboard, but this time having an influencer and social media powerhouse running right through her character. This is where beauty comes also with performances, and the two on the rock is a sight to behold not just with those looks, but also with the emotional performances. There is no artificiality here, as they strive through their characters’ toughest times for survival as much feelings.

How it finishes :: If you have watched The Shallows and 47 Meters Down, this can be felt as a repetition, but this one also has that emotional side, and the weight of the past, which makes the world of two best friends different around here. In between, there are some beautiful moments, as the emotions surely have more than one side. If you like creature thrillers with a touch of deviation, but never losing the survival mode, this would be entertaining. If you are expecting a big budget classic with realistic orca behaviour with terrifying high budget world on the level of grand shark attacks, this might lag behind at times. The movie is available of Lionsgate Play which would come as an addition with the usual Airtel unlimited recharges, and therefore is an easy watch, in the form of a never-boring survival adventure with hidden human emotions that power through, while compassion, remorse, guilt and forgiveness remains themes to look out for, even though not always coming to the front in a direct manner. You know if you like the survival mode, like in Survive, Oxygen, Meander, Nowhere, Crawl etc.

Release date: 6th March 2026 (Asia)
Running time: 89 minutes
Directed by: Jo-Anne Brechin
Starring: Virginia Gardner, Mel Jarnson, Mitchell Hope, Isaac Crawley, Ron Smuck, Aliandra Calabrese, Mia Grunwalkd, Shinji Ikefuji, Scott James

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Osiris

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Vampire Owl: A movie about the Egyptian god who brings the dead back to life?

Vampire Bat: I feel that there will be only a small connection.

Vampire Owl: The name should actually be associated with us as we come back from the dead.

Vampire Bat: The vampire elders do not approve of the dead given more importance than the undead.

Vampire Owl: Is there any undead who do not come from the dead?

Vampire Bat: The undead are also summoned through magic.

Vampire Owl: Aren’t they the animated skeletons of necromancers and northern witches?

Vampire Bat: And they call us the animated ones.

Vampire Owl: The necromancers have been banished for too long.

Vampire Bat: There are still the necromancer vampires.

[Gets an avocado shake and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: US Special Forces on a mission in the desert, Kelly (Max Martini), Rhodie (LaMonica Garrett), Jax (Jaren Mitchell), Reyes (Michael Irby), Gibbs (David Meadows), Nash (Linds Edwards), Bull (Dawson Towery) and Scars (Stanley White Jr) find themselves in a tough battle on the ground, only to find something else also coming up. They are abducted by some strange floating structure of gigantic proportions that appears on the sky after unleashing some kind of weapon on the ground. The floating structure seemed to cause enough havoc on the ground, much more than what was happening around. After a series of nightmares, those who survived awaken, disoriented and confined within some stasis pods, on what seems to be an alien spaceship or an extra-terrestrial building, maybe even located outside the planet. The structure seems to be scientifically advanced, with very less lighting, even though not without stains and dirt, as if straight out of a realistic first-person shooter game.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As the soldiers further explore the areas, they come across skinned human corpses hanging from above and unfamiliar but seemingly advanced weapons and technology. They also find a struggling young Russian woman Ravishka (Brianna Hildebrand) who is tightly chained to a pole, and as they rescue her, they meet her captors too. The captors are strange creatures, tall, eyeless humanoids with armored skin, sharp claws and energy-based weapons and shields. They keep fighting their way with the help of alien devices which they manage to take from the fallen ones. Ravishka tells them that she feels that she is from around there as she has been around for a long time, and explains that the ship collects humans to be processed as food. She guides them in a journey away from danger through lesser-traveled maintenance tunnels. After a series of encounters with aliens and near-death situations, they fall into a pool of blood filled with remains of dead humans.

What more happens here as aliens seem to be near-invincible and ready for food? :: They are rescued by another survivor named Anya (Linda Hamilton), Ravishka’s mother, who tells them that she has been there for a very long time, and was part of a Russian team which tried to fight the aliens who tried to take over the world. None of them are left now with the last group being captured with Ravishka and brutally murdered. Now, they have to depend on the newly found friends. There, they realize some of the strangest truths about what happened on Earth and how aliens have been going about. They have now lost almost half their soldiers, and are only fortified better with the alien weapons and ammunitions – but the aliens are tracking them through heat signatures and sound. After knowing more, they realize that they have a bigger mission than they thought about and it would be tougher than ever. Can they accomplish that without losing any more of their people?

The defence of Osiris :: The movie has some fast-paced combat that keeps us interested at all times. The signs are shown early enough with the first battle in the desert before the aliens’ arrival, and points to some military warfare more than a random alien invasion. The shootouts feel great from the desert to the alien ship and we have an action game mode feeling going on here. The details are very good, with the spaceship having a classic look, and aliens looking like part of a fine design. There are those moments when we first see the aliens, and the second just before that, which kept us at the edge of the seat like not many other alien movies could do. These are the kind of aliens that we can accept more than any other, and brings some nostalgia back to us. The action feels classic, and we are reminded of Doom in its multiple forms as aliens are no less than demons either, even supported further by some dialogues spoken. The intensity of the battles keeps a certain level at all times. The need for survival is always there, hoping against hopelessness.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does not go deep into the material, and is happy with the surface level journey. There seems to be a little bit too much dependance on the early science fiction movies, including Alien and Predator as well as those sequels. The innovation was there to be taken, but it does not come to the front. The script could have used a push, with more classic elements, and as we see how the movie ended, there could have been more clues in between, with better connection to the title. By the end of the movie, saving the girl gets too much of an attention despite her being introduced as a fighter in captivity in the beginning. Some of the characters are just there for the sake of being there, and even the main characters seem to get less attention to their detail. The moments of survival and twists could have also been better written to create better impact, and alien invasions could have been explained with visuals. There were so many opportunities to make the situations more and more interesting.

How it finishes :: There was always scope for so much more, but that much is not taken here, with the safe zone seemingly the place to be, without that extra innovation. There are not many deviations which seem to be in the mind of the makers which could come out of the box. Still, this remains a very much entertaining journey – there is no boring moment as you are transported to this dangerous world. It is that strong sci-fi action entertainer rather than a thoughtful science-fiction movie. The fast-paced action, alien attacks and nostalgic appeal the best for some time-pass watch rather than provoking thoughts. But some struggle in writing, predictability in plotting, and thin character development keep it from standing out within its genre or leaving a lasting impact. It feels more like a derivative sci-fi action film that never ceases to be entertaining, and also has a scary side taking it close to another genre, as we wonder if this could also become a successful computer game in future.

Release date: 25th July 2025
Running time: 108 minutes
Directed by: William Kaufman
Starring: Max Martini, Brianna Hildebrand, LaMonica Garrett, Linds Edwards, Jaren Mitchell, David Meadows, Michael Irby, Linda Hamilton

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

It Feeds

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Vampire Owl: It should not be it, for it should be a he or she.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that they are not talking about vampires.

Vampire Owl: Who feeds better than vampires these days?

Vampire Bat: Who follows better? Then it should be “It Follows”.

Vampire Owl: What is there to follow for us?

Vampire Bat: We follow art, and we further follow beauty beyond exceptions.

Vampire Owl: You still think that there is beauty in this world of chaos and destruction.

Vampire Bat: The beauty of chaos cannot be taken out of the equation.

Vampire Owl: The vampire elders have always absorbed power out of chaos nodes.

Vampire Bat: Chaos nodes have powered the vampire animation for centuries.

[Gets a parippu vada and three cups of Coonoor tea].

What is the movie about? :: Cynthia (Ashley Greene) is an experienced psychiatrist who is also able to see into the minds of her patients, identifying the exact problem, as she basically walks inside that world of their minds. Through these special skills, she has solved a number of problems faced by her patients, some of them actually clueless until meeting Cynthia. Her daughter Jordan (Ellie O’Brien) is very much supportive of the same, and she comes across a girl named Riley (Shayelin Martin) who comes to visit Cynthia as advised by Agatha (Juno Rinaldi), a friendly woman who was cured by a visit. But the girl’s father Randall (Shawn Ashmore) also arrives all of a sudden and takes her away, asking Jordan not to be bothered about her, but not before Cynthia has a quick glimpse of a creature that looks from under Riley’s shoulder. Jordan talks about Riley, and how she was talking about someone who always accompanies her, but is only visible to her, and when Cynthia says that she saw something, she asks her to help her.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The Creature (Brooklyn Marshall) reminds Cynthia of a troubled past, and the attempts which had made her husband commit suicide after they had gone after such supernatural troubles. Even now, Cynthia has been very careful, even with her psychiatric journeys so that nothing goes out of control and comes back to her, causing trouble to her family again. Therefore, she rejects the possibility of helping the girl who seems to be too much affected by some terrible force of darkness, an entity belonging pure evil and chaos. Still, Riley’s claim that a supernatural entity has been feeding off of her, makes Jordan determined to help the girl at all costs. She goes to meet Agatha despite Cynthia’s warnings, and finds the address of the girl and her father. But soon, she finds her tied up firmly to a chair, not able to move any part of her body at all. Her jacket is removed, and as the girl places her hands on Jordan’s shoulder and upper arm, she sees the creature for the first time, touching her, and burning her body. Now, can she escape from this family and the creature that seems to be also feeding off her?

The defence of It Feeds :: The wraith-like entity with an extremely creepy burnt skull and long fingers is visually terrifying enough to keep haunting people in their nightmares. The creature on its throne is a majestic visual of a demonic rule that could cross over from its world to the human lands. The looks are as much disturbing as a terribly burnt corpse which has come back alive without much of the body left. At the same time, the movie explores trauma, fear and healing of wounds of the past while emotions run right through, as the creatures becomes unable to feed on any of them from the past and present. The continuous present of the dark lighting makes sure that something is going to happen all the time, while tense scenes during the supernatural and sudden scares from out of the world keep the horror going for the fans. The situations outside this world are nicely created and there is a certain amount of quality related to the same. With the available elements, the movie has managed to be worth the time.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does not feel like original, as elements of other movies seem to have come across here to become this film, the combination of many things, not many of them coming up as an innovation, even when there was the chance to take this further. The content here seems to rather less, and some of the moments seem to be there just to point to the jump scares. The nice poster surely gave the feeling that there would be more around here with horror level to be increased much more. Then, there are times when movie losses its connection despite having ideas active here and there. The characters also show the tendency to overdo things. The movie also seems to end up with the negative idea that helping people without second thoughts is not always the best thing to do; but that being truth is not to be avoided. The world remains uneven, and it would not go on to become a movie that we could remember for a long time; Amazon Prime Video is just the platform that will make this one something for which people will be interested.

The performers of the soul :: Ashley Greene leads the way really well here as the determined mother who is looking forward to save her daughter, even though she is not of that power throughout the movie. Still, the one who catches our attention more is Ellie O’Brien, who plays that character who tries to save lives, but is helplessly caught in trouble, tied up, attacked by the creature, and even buried alive – tough moments indeed, but she manages the same really well. In the end, the mother-daughter duo scores even further with the creature facing them, and a moment with creepers which does not strike like the Evil Dead trees, but does just enough there too. Shawn Ashmore also brings more strength to the cast, and there is also a certain amount of emotional weight which also gets added here as he scores as the father figure who listens to nobody while trying to be the big protector against all odds. Juno Rinaldi and Mark Taylor in smaller roles makes impact, despite not staying on for more. Shayelin Martin as the child with a haunting on her, does very well too.

How it finishes :: The movie is your usual horror movie which works with elements of many other movies, but the one which uses what is available effectively enough. It holds the ground as a good atmospheric horror with solid acting and creepy visuals which increases its effectiveness, but the story feels generic without more to be said about it and without doubt, predictable enough to make sure that it does not raise the level enough to be remembered for that long. When you have movies like Evil Dead, Sinister, Insidious, The Conjuring, The Nun, Annabelle and others becoming big things with the quality associated it with, one would find it strange that a movie like this which establishes the premise so well in the beginning and catches our attention could do only this much. Well, we cannot always have enough with a big start, but for this one, that was expected. After all, it is recommended with some of those better movies when on Amazon Prime Video, and more people would surely watch it there.

Release date: 28th March 2025
Running time: 102 minutes
Directed by: Chad Archibald
Starring: Ashley Greene, Shawn Ashmore, Ellie O’Brien, Juno Rinaldi, Brooklyn Marshall, Mark Taylor, Shayelin Martin, Julian Richings

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

I Know What You Did

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Vampire Owl: Nobody knows what we did last summer.

Vampire Bat: But nobody knows what we did during winter or monsoon either.

Vampire Owl: So, we are not popular enough, right?

Vampire Bat: Why should people know about what we do?

Vampire Owl: Maybe celebrity vampires getting attacked by serial killers is cool?

Vampire Bat: So that you can drink serial killer blood now?

Vampire Owl: Well, we have to keep trying something new.

Vampire Bat: They are just random psychotic humans with same kind of blood.

Vampire Owl: Well, different brands of ice creams taste different.

Vampire Bat: You should remember that we have been vegetarian vampires for long.

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

What is the movie about? :: Ava Brucks (Chase Sui Wonders) returns to her hometown of Southport, North Carolina for the engagement of her wealthy best friend Danica Richards (Madelyn Cline) and her rich and influential groom Teddy Spencer (Tyriq Withers). They are joined by their friends from the past, Milo Griffin (Jonah Hauer-King) and Stevie Ward (Sarah Pidgeon), along with their estranged friend Stevie Ward (Sarah Pidgeon) whom they are meeting after a long time as she faced the death of her father and drug addiction. They decide to see the fireworks of the day, and stops their vehicle on a cliff. There, Teddy stands on the middle of the road while on booze, only to cause a pickup truck to apply sudden brakes and lose control, plunging into the rocks below. Teddy’s father Grant Spencer (Billy Campbell) who is a powerful politician, manages to twist the incident in such a way that the driver had stolen the vehicle and speeding, which caused the accident at the curve which was prone to accidents. The youngsters are not even called for questioning with their presence at the area itself erased.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: An year later, it is seen that Danica and Teddy have broken up, and the former is now in another relationship, soon to be married. The group of friends return to the town to attend the bridal shower of Danica, with the exception of Teddy. Ava reaches last, after having some sexual advances with a slasher podcaster Tyler Trevino (Gabbriette Bechtel). When Danica receives a note “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer”, and after her fiancée is murdered with a note about the past, Ava is forced to turn to Tyler who is an expert in serial killers and psychotic murders. They investigate into the past of the town which had that terrifying history of the killer with the hook which has been mostly erased to support tourism. But they find the new killer in the old costume, and Tyler is brutally murdered. Now, they find themselves in trouble with cops not ready to help them. Can they escape this terror before losing more lives?

The defence of I Know What You Did Last Summer :: This is another movie that we have been waiting for, as most of the horror fans would agree to the same. It makes a fine use of the underlying terror and a perfect scream queen in the form of its leading actress whom we hope to see in more of horror movies with the same charm and beauty. This look surely suits her more in comparison to how she has looked throughout the internet and seemingly in her earlier works. The hook image remains classic like the Ghostface and Chromehead masks have remained, and darkness is nicely combined with music and silence to create the desired effect here. The final revealing is surely something that has all the strength, and the double twist adds to the same. The connection to the original movie is nicely made, and the scope for sequel is well set, and we really hope that Chase Sui Wonders gets to lead in that movie too, after all, she plays the one character with whom we relate and feels as the movie goes deep. Her friend characters who remain alive would also need to make a comeback, as they worked fine as a team too.

Positives and negatives :: The movie always had the scope for more, going by the traditional slasher standards. Surprisingly, violence and the other traditional elements of slasher flicks do not get to rise that much, even when suspense, thrills and twists get quite something to do. The cast is really good, especially the leading actress who maintains the horror mood and runs through as the scream queen. The rest just follows her lead and there are a few characters who do not get their due. The final moments could have been more intense, even though the twists and turns nicely come together for the finale. These are the kind of movies that we need, the slashers that keeps coming alive even without any dose of supernatural being added to bring back the dead antagonists. After all, humans are born killers, not needing any supernatural to support their cause – the non-believers in God have always been murdering without prejudice, before civilization came into place and rules of man and God set them. So, evil can always find a way and bring death upon all.

The performers of the soul :: The movie is led forward by Chase Sui Wonders who transforms into a perfect scream queen with ease. She is the classic central character who faces danger, screams memorably, survives terrifying situations and even takes the movie to the end, despite a multi-starrer feeling being present at all times. She shines and even surprises the audience at times in what seems to be her first movie which had a release in this part of the world, as part of one of the rare franchises that spread horror with quality an fanbase. Her character is as much nicely presented as it is well-written. In comparison, Madelyn Cline’s character in one-dimensional, and she maintains the same well. At the same time, Sarah Pidgeon makes a fine impact, without doubt. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr bring further strength to the movie as much as they bring the nostalgia out of the original movies. Gabbriette Bechtel makes an impact in her short stay, while Tyriq Withers and Jonah Hauer-King provide the expected support.

How it finishes :: This return to that world of knowing what we did last summer works really well and brings the nostalgia back to us. This is one franchise which had brought us so many fine scream queens and one serial killer image which inspired many others, and therefore this return was much deserved. After so many years, it is nice to see Jennifer Love Hewitt to extend that nostalgia, even though watching her back in that old movie would mean more – originals would always have that flare despite multiple returns, sequels and reboots. This one reminds the new generation that we had such classic slashers at an earlier point of time, and that Evil Dead, Scream and Halloween are not the only ones that came back, with some of those sequels not making that much of an impact. We the horror fans can safely celebrate this one though, even when we feel that there are moments which could have had more impact and kept that slasher elements projected without seemingly traveling through the safe side. Well, you know that horror can always keep making comebacks, and this is surely one of them.

Release date: 18th July 2025
Running time: 111 minutes
Directed by: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Starring: Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon, Billy Campbell, Gabbriette Bechtel, Austin Nichols, Freddie Prinze Jr, Jennifer Love Hewitt

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

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Housemaid

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Vampire Owl: We have waited for this movie to come in the OTT for some time.

Vampire Bat: And it is on Amazon Prime Video, which is for the best.

Vampire Owl: Well, we all needed our Amazon Prime deliveries.

Vampire Bat: There is no Amazon delivery in Dracula castle.

Vampire Owl: Well, we can always pick them up from the borders of the realm.

Vampire Bat: What we need are very much here, and at best quality.

Vampire Owl: The vampire apprentices are really working hard, aren’t they?

Vampire Bat: We have shifted to magic for doing the work for us.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein had invented enough to help with that.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein’s pseudo-science actually helps and saves nobody. Frank no longer has enough access to our work.

[Gets a vegetable samosa and three cups of Kodaikanal tea].

What is the movie about? :: Wilhelmina Calloway a.k.a. Millie (Sydney Sweeney) is on parole after committing a murder in self-defence. It is then that she is hired by Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried) as a live-in maid, much to her surprise as her criminal records did not stop her from being hired for such a big job after so many rejections. The home also has her daughter Cecelia Winchester (Indiana Elle) and husband Andrew Winchester (Brandon Sklenar) who are surprised to see her around there, but Nina is determined that she should have a housemaid as she cannot manage household work even though Enzo Accardi (Michele Morrone) takes care of the work outside. Mille is given an attic bedroom that can be locked from the outside, much to her surprise, and she tries to get a key for the same. But she is so desperate to keep her job as it is a term of her parole; due the same, she just goes on with the process despite the problems that come in her way, and feels that there is something wrong with Nina and the family seems to be slowly falling apart.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Mille further learns that in the past, Nina was locked in a mental hospital for a period of nine months for trying to drown Cece in a bath tub under the effect of drugs and for has tried attempting suicide by overdose. Nina is considered mentally unstable by different people, and some of them seems to keep a distance from her too. Millie also finds her to be very angry towards her, and breaks things while keeping on shouting. It could also be seen that Nina says one thing to her and forgets the same later, keeping on saying that Millie decided to do that thing against her instructions. The neighbours consider her to be a dangerous woman, without a family, and has attached herself to her husband who is rich, handsome, and sweet to everyone around. Andrew’s mother Evelyn Winchester (Elizabeth Perkins) is also that high society lady whom everyone revered, and keeps telling the family about a few things which they should always follow without fail.

And what more is to happen around here as a crisis seems to be on the way? :: A similar case occurs as Millie books Broadway musical tickets and a hotel for the Winchesters in one of the richest areas, but later, Nina just denies having given her those instructions, and tells her that she will take the money out of her salary as the tickets are not refundable. But when Nina was talking her daughter to the ballet camp, Andrew tries to cheer Millie up by secretly taking her to the show, and after enjoying dinner together, they check into the hotel. Millie receives a large number of angry texts from Nina, but Andrew, and the two start and intimate relationship in the hotel bedroom. Then, when they return home, and Millie realizes that Nina has found out that she spent ten years in prison for murder. Nina uses this knowledge to make sure that police arrest her on stealing their car, after reporting a stolen car. But this would not be the end of it, as her plans might be more sinister, and the family secrets would mean more trouble. Can Millie survive this?

The defence of The Housemaid :: The movie maintains a certain level, with nice red herrings and the suspense always ready to come out, with thrills going on strong – the performances of the leading actresses are also to be noted, as Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried blends into the situation really well. Sydney seems to be very close to becoming the next scream queen in a horror movie, and we have seen her capability with thrillers earlier itself, through The Voyeurs. Amanda had a more complicated role, and she maintains a certain amount of skill to go through the transformation of the character. Brandon Sklenar also joins well here. The tension is nicely built, as the viewer gets curious with secrets to be revealed, mind games and twists which might not be the kind that one can predict with ease. There is the feeling that we are watching the kind of thrillers which we had during much earlier times. The dramatic side also works and entertainment is guaranteed, with most of the action set in a big and isolated house which is set far away from the city.

The claws of flaw :: The movie’s ending seemed to be too quick and forced. After that, there is another scene which feels like not relevant at all, as Sydney Sweeney’s character was surely not fit to that situation, and it is not a kind of job that one could take when on the list of police; strange that some fine endings feel the need to be made further complicated by an additional scene – even if it was created to bring hope for a sequel which also would not fit in. The predictability also comes in after the grand twist, and after that, the situation feels just going on and on, and nothing more. There was also the slowing down in between, and seemingly an attempt to divert the movie a little too much. The length of the movie is surely a little too much, as sometimes, time is just lost in the dialogues. With the movie becoming too much filmy, we can also see that the realistic side, despite being present, sometimes losses its charm. The flashback and the explanations are also too long, and the main character, without any prior knowledge of the predicament, seems to guess and thus understand everything with relative ease.

How it finishes :: This particular movie had successfully become more than what is seen on the outside, and we know that movies like this one and Deep Water, as well as Gone Girl, strikes because they have something more than what is seen on the surface. Compared to those titles, this one also ultimately stands as a highly watchable but not the best psychological thriller that leans more towards providing the old-style entertainment rather than focusing on the much-needed depth. Powered by the performances led by Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney, the movie could create an engaging atmosphere having tension, secrets and dramatic twists. It chooses the commercial side instead of the intellectual, and manages to work well in the same. It still relies on familiar tropes, some predictability and moments of too much talking about the past to reduce the overall impact. But you are sure to enjoy this one because the movie is made in a way that the appeal to the audience would be more, and catering towards the regular thriller fun side is here to be taken home, even if it is from Amazon Prime Video.

Release date: 19th December 2025
Running time: 131 minutes
Directed by: Paul Feig
Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Nicholas Galitzine, Julie Walters, Alex Wolff

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Monkey

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Vampire Owl: Is this a movie about the vampire monkey in Amazon Prime Video?

Vampire Bat: You know that there is no real vampire monkey.

Vampire Owl: Why would monkeys be out of the equation?

Vampire Bat: Because there have been no vampires among them.

Vampire Owl: I believe that I had seen one during the last war.

Vampire Bat: That was a zombie monkey with some real bad teeth.

Vampire Owl: But he looked like a classic vampire.

Vampire Bat: That was before him losing those teeth.

Vampire Owl: So, they are all restricted to the zombie area?

Vampire Bat: Yes, zombies have almost everything, even the most impossible ones.

[Gets a paneer fried rice and three cups of Ooty tea].

What is the movie about? :: In 1999, Captain Petey Shelburn (Adam Scott) tries to take a wind-up drum-playing toy monkey to an antiques shop, but the toy plays a drum, triggering a chain reaction that ends with a harpoon gun brutally the shop owner, and after attempts to destroy the toy, it is seen that the captain disappears without trace. It is seen that after making an impact in the life of Hal Shelburn and Bill Shelburn (Theo James in a double role) during the childhood, and causing the death of their mother Lois Shelburn (Tatiana Maslany) and babysitter Annie Wilkes (Danica Dreyer) in the childhood leading to their disposal of the doll, it seems to come back after a very long time. It was something which they had from their father, and now Hal gets the call of Bill regarding the same at a time when he is separated from his wife, and is almost losing the custody of their only son Petey Shelburn (Colin O’Brien) much to the dismay of both the father and the child. They decide to go a final trip together for a week, as they are going to be cut down from each other.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: After the death of his aunt Ida Zimmer (Sarah Levy), with whom the twin brothers were staying post the demise of their mother, he is forced to go to her home and see if there is the monkey doll in that house. He realizes that his aunt had also gone through a brutal death, like all the deaths which the money doll had caused. He also realizes that there have been many other brutal deaths in the area, and some of them seemed to have caused with no real reason at all. He understands the seriousness of the situation and tries to keep his son away, but Petey only gets further mad that he was not told that his father had a twin brother. Hal was always considered to be a single child by him and his mother, and despite having asked about the family tree, nothing was told at all. Barbara (Tess Degenstein), a real estate agent who guides them with further process is also brutally killed as a shotgun falls down, and this leaves them caught in the village pending enquiry from the police department. What would this mean to the twins, and what is happening with that missing doll?

The defence of The Monkey :: The story about a supernaturally affected or cursed toy monkey causing deaths is rather unusual compared to the usual, and also memorable for the image of that particular toy. The mixture of violent horror scenes with dark humour makes an impact, even when they come out of nowhere and disappears without trace. It can be said that the inventive and twisted death sequences combine different elements very well. As much as it is an adaptation of the short story by Stephen King, it also reminds us of the story, “The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs, which became part of the Mahatma Gandhi University of Kottayam syllabus as part of the common English paper. The movie has included its own elements, developing the short story, and the emotional side becomes good as it gets towards the end, and the final scenes are quite memorable with a pale horseman and the school bus. The monkey imagery remains effective as we keep seeing it in a dual mode, with the side of horror taking the front seat. This also gives the feeling that we have the kind of supernatural from where there is no escape.

The claws of flaw :: The movie keeps losing strength in between, as it seems to focus on the main characters while seemingly avoiding most of the other things including the supporting characters who have also affected this particular world. There seems to be the feeling that the movie might not be that appealing to the audience of this part of the world, as its focus on the supernatural and its origins, as well as journey is rather less developed compared to the effect that it creates. Taken right out of Stephen King’s short story with the same name, this could have surely done better with ease, and that was one base material which could have gone many ways, and supported a lot of further extension on the way. The seriousness of the original movie is lost in some of the humour which is used here, and when absurdity comes in front of horror with that comic side, the supernatural power is often lost in the silliness – being dumb is surely not always welcome. When there is too much focus on brutality and comedy by losing the original horror power, the overall strength is surely lost, and the slow pacing in between and the lack of power with emotions also struggle.

The performers of the soul :: The movie has some strength with its leading cast, even though it never really feels like a performance-oriented movie. The focus is more on the image of the monkey and the deaths, with focus more on the terror that it creates on the characters as much as it does on the regular audience who finds the shock. In between, the characters have to work with some dark humour and the emotional effect, both of which never really have a permanent effect here – it does not stay with us for that long, and it is evident from the fact that not many recommendations of this particular horror movie came into the groups of horror genre admirers that we know from around this side of movie love. Theo James is here in the lead, and as he remains the one who makes the impact in two characters, the others are of not much of a relevance here. The different modes of humour and fear are pretty much safe with him, while Christian Convery who plays the younger versions follows well. Colin O’Brien is the next one to be relevant and the character is also blended in well enough.

How it finishes :: The movie had immense potential, which is never really used, but remains a nice mysterious horror movie with a seemingly invincible killer toy at the centre, and some humour that works well. But coming out of a very serious and terrifying short story, this one loss some charm in the form of dark humour and gory scenes which turn not that scary in the process. One has to wonder why humour has to come in along with absurd deaths instead of following the Final Destination mode, which would have given this better strength. But there is fun for sure, and one cannot easily doubt that here. But we keep wondering how this movie could have been better, while enjoying the same, especially because you see how interesting scenes of childhood and later pass on without expanding the same, from those bullying moments to the later rural scenes. Maybe, we can hope for a better sequel, with a classic developed story from this one with less humour, making the world more serious as much as emotional.

Release date: 21st February 2025
Running time: 98 minutes
Directed by: Osgood Perkins
Starring: Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Christian Convery, Colin O’Brien, Rohan Campbell, Sarah Levy, Adam Scott, Elijah Wood

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Black Phone 2

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Vampire Owl: Are they talking about the only phone in the castle?

Vampire Bat: It is one phone that has never worked.

Vampire Owl: But the vampire elders used to call Uncle Dracula with it.

Vampire Bat: Vampire elders always had their telepathic powers.

Vampire Owl: You think that nobody including Uncle Dracula ever used that phone?

Vampire Bat: The phone is meant to be more of a presence.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that it has served as an afterlife presence.

Vampire Bat: It cannot be considered undead though.

Vampire Owl: Yes, there cannot be electronic undead, I guess.

Vampire Bat: Why don’t you ask your super-best friends?

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

What is the movie about? :: A few years had passed after Finney (Mason Thames) had killed the psychopath known by the name Grabber (Ethan Hawke), but his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) begins having dreams and nightmares where she sees certain incidents and also the murders that happened at Alpine Lake Camp in 1957, leaving her mostly sleepless. Their mother Hope (Anna Lore) is also known to have had similar dreams at the time of the murders, and this has Gwen worries, while Finney has not come out of the trauma which unfolded in front of his eyes due to that psycho killer unleashing himself after abducting him four years ago. Gwen convinces both Finney and Ernesto (Miguel Mora), her best friend who has a crush on her, to travel to Alpine Lake Camp and find solutions to her problems with mysteries to be solved. Her father Terrence (Jeremy Davies) also gives permission despite early reluctance. They hope that this would solve her problems, even though she is not that sure.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Despite a planned journey, a heavy blizzard traps them, but the supervisor of Alpine Lake camp, Armando (Demián Bichir) and his niece, the young and energetic Mustang (Arianna Rivas) shows them the way. Two camp employees are also there, in the form of Barbara (Maev Beaty) and Kenneth (Graham Abbey). As Finney receives a call on the camp’s dead land phone from the Grabber, he goes into panic. Speaking from hell as it seems, the Grabber vows revenge on him and his family by brutally murdering Gwen. Soon, Gwen is violently attacked in her dream by the Grabber, but the group manages to save her in the last moment from being thrown into fire. Barbara feels that Gwen is possessed by a demon, especially with the young girl having no control over her tongue, using curse and sexual words. The group feels that they have to find the dead bodies of the Grabber’s victims to loosen his hold over the dream realm, and hope that Gwen sleeps less. But can they do it without Grabber knowing or attacking them with a better plan?

The defence of Black Phone 2 :: The way in which the movie expands the original lore and adds new supernatural elements beyond the simple horror is something that should be appreciated, as we feel the creativity behind all of these in a world when horror has always struggled, especially after the Conjuring–Annabelle–Nun trio had started losing power from that memorable beginning. The world has been nicely built for the same and the evil being stronger than ever and almost invincible, keeps the strength of horror at a higher level. The exploration of trauma and the related character growth with an emotional side works well. The visual style with the support of snow and ice all around, is something to be noted too. For most of us who are not that familiar with blizzards and such snow brings further horror with the dialogues from the antagonist about ice of hell and the burns that it delivers – the dialogues further elevates the terror, and there are some unexpected horror moments which keep the world strong.

The claws of flaw :: The movie takes too much time to get interesting, and by the time it provides that feeling, it would have gone through half of its runtime. One feels the need to see why it takes so much time in showing dreams and hallucinations, when all of these could be over in a few minutes, as many moments like those are just random and not that much scary. The dream sequences, especially the initial ones often struggle and do not go on making the impact as Freddy of Elm Street would make. The quality of the same is also something to be questioned here, as it also remains tiring for the eyes. The horror in there do not feel real or dangerous until some time passes in the movie. This asserts the fact that the movie was about twenty-five minutes more than what it should have been. The emotional side and random fears do not raise the movie during the beginning stages. For those who have not watched the movie will also find themselves in a receiving side of some confusion which leaves rather late.

The performers of the soul :: The movie’s biggest strength is Ethan Hawke, the antagonist who takes it to the next level, despite not showing that much of his face – the mask itself would be remembered by the horror fans for long and could become iconic, thanks to his performance. Well, it is not limited to Freddy, Jason, Michael, Chromeskull or Ghostface. This has not been the kind of role in which we have been seeing him, but the movie reminds us that we should be. Madeleine McGraw whom we have seen more in the younger child roles in American Sniper, Ant-Man and the Wasp and Pacific Rim Uprising, gets to be the scream queen here, and despite some struggles in the repetitions of the first half, manages to finish so well. Mason Thames is the other main lead, and he also manages the same nicely. Miguel Mora also follows well. Arianna Rivas as Mustang remains nicely noted here, and is a lovely presence. Demián Bichir also has a strong and responsible role which is managed well, while Jeremy Davies adds well. Anna Lore’s small presence is memorable.

How it finishes :: I was not aware of the existence of a first movie, as this is not the kind of movie which has become known among the horror fans of this part of the world. This one surely deserves better attention in this part of the world, but its lack of attention towards the usual slasher elements got it pulled back a little. As one watches this one it can be said that this is a visually stylish and ambitious sequel that benefits from Ethan Hawke’s strong performance and its darker, and a dream-like atmosphere. Still, the drag in the beginning, uneven pacing, repetitive elements, and missing scream queen elements got this one in some struggle at times. The added supernatural elements might not feel positive to everyone, especially the fans of the first movie. Well, we can always have some divergent horror here and there. The scope never goes low for this one, as there is something that comes up strong at every moment – the idea seems to have been worked with nicely with different elements, and this would indeed remain an engaging watch.

Release date: 17th October 2025
Running time: 114 minutes
Directed by: Scott Derrickson
Starring: Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, Demián Bichir, Ethan Hawke, Arianna Rivas, Miguel Mora, Maev Beaty, James Ransone, Anna Lore, Simon Webster, Shepherd Munroe, Chase B. Robertson

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Ash

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Vampire Owl: They say that vampires become ash after death.

Vampire Bat: Everyone becomes ash after death, that is the point.

Vampire Owl: You are referring to returning to dust.

Vampire Bat: Yes, we are all dust and shall return to the same.

Vampire Owl: I am talking about ash in particular, like being burned in the sun.

Vampire Bat: Vampires burning in the sun will have no remains, not even ash.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein has come up with a method to prevent vampire sunburns.

Vampire Bat: Last time Mr. Frankenstein tried that, the Vampire Penguin had moonburns.

Vampire Owl: As far as I remember it, that was Jupiterburn.

Vampire Bat: You should remember that pseudo-science based on science fiction has been banned for a long time now.

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

What is the movie about? :: Riya Ortiz (Eiza Gonzalez) wakes up aboard a scientific research station located on a strange planet with no real recollection of what happened to her or the area – she does not even remember her name. As she explored the station, she has some nightmarish flashbacks with violence and deaths all around and finds some dead bodies. She also finds out that she is injured on the head, which might have led to the memory loss. She comes across a man named Brion Cargyle (Aaron Paul) who claims to have come to the research station from the space docking centre after receiving a distress signal. They come to the conclusion that one of the crew members whose dead body is not found in the research station, Catherine Clarke (Kate Elliott) might have lost her mind, or was affected by some parasite, leading her to go berserk and kill people, leaving the research station in a bloody mess. They also feel that she might not have traveled that far, and could be around somewhere in the barren planet with a strange climate.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: It is revealed that her crew were part of several expeditions all around the galaxy to discover new habitable planets after Earth’s environment became almost uninhabitable. They were the only crew got this far successfully, and the planet they are currently on, designated as K.O.I-442 with the nickname ASH, happens to be Earth’s last hope for survival of human race against all odds. As the crew were working at the research station, Brion had stayed on a second station in planet’s orbit to maintain contact with Earth along with passing the instructions and monitor the crew’s progress with their objectives. Riya and Brion make preparations to leave the planet, while Riya hopes that she could find Catherine during the same time, and even ventures outside the research station to look for her, with no result. At the same time, Riya begins to experience more flashbacks of murdering the crew, and wonders what part she had to play in the process, with her seemingly attacking people in the new nightmares full of blood and gore.

And what more can happen here in a distant planet of chaos and destruction? :: Riya has herself healed by a medical bot, and gets ready for the unexpected as a a meteor storm comes through, with the strange weather of the planet hurting the research station. The systems register a hull breach as the storm comes in unpredictable waves. While working hard to seal the breach, Riya finds signs of someone recently having gone through the maintenance shafts. As the station’s oxygen supply keeps on rapidly depleting, Riya and Brion find the emergency need to leave too. At the same time, in one of the drones’ recordings, Riya finds recordings of an external vehicle investigation made by the crew after some strange emissions came from different parts of the planet. The investigation had discovered some atmospheric converters of alien origin which had been terraforming the planet to its present status. Brion tells her that something strange happened after that, and a series of events followed, with the crew being exposed to the planet after the atmospheric converters started making noises.

The defence of Ash :: The movie scores nicely with its atmosphere, as the new world found on a new world with scary as much as beautiful visuals to deal with, comes in addition to that world inside research station that looks more or less like a spaceship itself. The world has so much of mystery in there, which makes us wonder if these could be revealed with a sequel – like in those video games, there is so much to explore on this planet; there is parasitic as much as modern technology for a species that seems to be something beyond the usual understanding. The blood and gore keep on being there and adds to the overall horror of the movie, in a world that has the creature which would be more lethal than Alien and Predator, because in its own dominion, not much is yet to be known, and there is no easy action-adventure way out of it. The twists work on its way, and there is certainly more than what meets eye for the same. The tension has always been nicely built throughout the movie. The suspense has us on the edge of the seat and keeps us thinking with the main character will searching for answers.

Positives and negatives :: The movie does have a few moments when nothing much seems to happen, with struggles there to get on track after the early exposition of the terrifying things which had happened around there as part of what seemed to be other-worldly terror. There were also the chances to have its heroine at a different level. Then, Eiza Gonzalez comes up with a fantastic work, looking stunningly beautiful on one side, but always suitable as the astronaut on another planet with memory loss and in a seemingly complex state of mind and her world itself. We had known her in another form Alita: Battle Angel, further noted in Fast and Furious: Hobbs and Shaw and as a stunning beauty in Bloodshot, not to forget Godzilla vs Kong in between. In this particular movie, she establishes her with a performance which might be the best by an astronaut on another planet facing her own hallucinations as much as alien life-form – surely not an easy thing to do, but done with such charm and grace. It is all about her, as others just have to play through. We would love to see her in a full action movie as the main character. Until then, we enjoy one of the best depictions of an alien planet and with all its mystery and terror beyond human understanding.

How it finishes :: Ash is surely that surprise quality alien movie which has kept us so much engaged even when there is less happenings around, and reminds us that Alien and Predator movies are not the final sayings, as there is always scope to further develop this kind of an idea – Life was a movie that tried, but did not that much reach there despite giving similar feelings. Then there was the Russian movie named Sputnik which came even closer to doing the same, but back on Earth. There were always the signs to bring the parasitic creature from outer space coming into the picture with humans trying to be the over-reachers. Here, we have the world built in a classic manner, and not really going trying to apply to the audience looking for mindless action. There is smartness in this movie, and the class here will make sure that we have something to remember for long, with twists and a world which we will remember for the technology and the beautiful details. It is surprising that we did not know about the existence of such a movie if not for an Amazon Prime Video recommendation, but the best movies are often the less hyped – this one gets it right, and we would love to have its sequel.

Release date: 21st March 2025
Running time: 95 minutes
Directed by: Flying Lotus
Starring: Eiza Gonzalez, Aaron Paul, Iko Uwais, Kate Elliott, Beulah Koale, Flying Lotus

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

I Heart Willie

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Witchboard

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

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

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

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

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

Vampire Bat: Hidden truths are often half the lies.

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

Vampire Bat: It applies both ways, right?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Winnie the Pooh 2

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

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

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

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

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

Vampire Bat: His truth has always been twisted.

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

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

Vampire Owl: Uncle Dracula should be warned then.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Salem’s Lot

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Neverland Nightmare

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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