Category Archives: Horror

Demonte Colony II

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Vampire Owl: So, are we going to a colony of a demon?

Vampire Bat: Do you think that this is about a colony of some demon?

Vampire Owl: I never knew that demons had colonies.

Vampire Bat: I have heard about the first movie of this series.

Vampire Owl: Well, we missed that one, didn’t we? At least this one is on Jio Hotstar.

Vampire Bat: It only means from the mount/hill – not related to demons, I think.

Vampire Owl: Well, there are witches on the mountains.

Vampire Bat: Those are mountains to us only because we live below sea level.

Vampire Owl: Still, the northern witches from above are the most dangerous.

Vampire Bat: If they are connected the demons, yes. I believe that shadow world would have something to do about the same.

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

What is the movie about? :: Samuel a.k.a. Sam (Sarjano Khalid) is a cancer survivor, who is seen as hanging in his room and his friends fall to death from an apartment building. Debbie (Priya Bhavani Shankar), Sam’s wife, suspects that there is something sinister about this as he had just gone through so many treatments and prayers defeating the illness, thus becoming a survivor whom everyone celebrated. A few years after Sam’s death, she continues to have attempts to impregnate herself with Sam’s preserved sperm, much to the dismay of her parents, friends and relatives. Sam’s father Richard (Arun Pandian) is the only person who supports Debbie in whatever she does, not thinking about its consequences. Six years past Sam’s death, Debbie inaugurates her Chinese restaurant in memory of her husband. There, sensing Sam’s presence, she consults a monk to communicate with Sam’s spirit. At the same time, in Hyderabad, Raghunandhan a.k.a. Raghu (Arulnithi Tamilarasu) and his half-sister Aishwarya (Archana Ravichandran) contest in the court as their lost brother is inheriting 70% of their deceased father’s two thousand five hundred crore worth of property.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: When the monk sends Debbie to the spirit world despite all bad omens, she sees Sam trapped among many souls and she keeps on writing about help and drawing the face of Raghu. It is shown that both Raghu and his lost brother Srinivasan a.k.a. Srini who also look alike had gone through accidents from where they miraculously escape, but the latter had ended in a comma. Raghu obtains a court order for Srini’s passive euthanasia, hoping that he could claim that part of inheritance. But Debbie warns Raghu that they are linked from within and harming Srini will also kill him who had also survived those linked accidents. It is revealed that they who are born from the same atom, has remained cosmically entangled, and destined to live or die together. This goes back to that past which linked those accidents that occurred at the same time to some unknown supernatural power. Srini was also admitted to Richard’s hospital, and as a doctor, he has been taking care of him, despite not much hope of him getting back to senses being received.

And what more is to follow here in a world of evil ready to be unleashed? :: A further investigation leads to a mysterious book, Unsung King of a Fallen Kingdom, previously read by Sam and Srini’s friend. This book has the figure of Baphomet, a goat-headed demonic identity and an inverted cross, symbolizing the worship of Satan. This king is supposed to be from Portugal, and has been associated with Anti-Christ. The book had only been read once in six years, and the borrowers mysteriously dies and the book was every time recovered and brought to different libraries by some unknown figure. Further research brings the name, “Demonte Colony,” and rests on the idea about existence of an evil force and a chain which brings further power of the damned. They are able to find this house, and plans to keep it barricaded with the help of police, only to find screams from inside and the realization that someone might be already inside. There are four girls inside, and only one of them remains sane, and this girl named Adithi (Meenakshi Govindarajan) reveals more of the horror – but evil has been spreading quickly, and is it too late to intervene?

The defence of Demonte Colony 2 :: The movie rests on the shoulders of Priya Bhavani Shankar who not only handles the horror as a scream queen, but also manages the emotional side well. Arulnithi surely brings further depth to the situation with his performance. The thrills keep the movie engaged throughout its run, and there are some twists added here too. There is some effective use of darkness and the atmosphere of different locations. The background music nicely supports the generation of fear which keeps increasing the feeling of danger after starting with a mystery which needs to be solved. The use of multiple kinds of demonic references and the clues to something even bigger coming in a third movie, has us every much interested. The sequel surely would have something even bigger, as it seems to give the idea. A lot would continue to be revealed in the next movie, and the way in which the movie has been dealing with the big reveals here also need to be appreciated. The supporting cast also supports the same including Meenakshi Govindarajan, Arun Pandian, Sarjano Khalid, Archana Ravichandran, Vettai Muthukumar and others.

Positives and negatives :: The CGI and special effects are pretty good, but there is nothing incredibly terrifying, something which could have been added by the end of the movie. There will still be the feeling that there is some predictability associated with it. The psychological side could have been stronger, but we see that the other side make up for it. There are also so many things being talked about, and some might feel confused – but that would make sure that there is not shortage of content in this rather long movie. The Hindi version was the only dubbed language on Jio Hotstar does make one feel strange too. The fans of the first movie might not want this one to go too complex, but the addition of legends and the leading actress have only made it better. Still, for us intellectual horror watchers, creation of a new world and a lot of horror from beneath has helped. This movie also feels like more emotionally touching and with so many layers which could be explored even further in a sequel with more mysteries to be revealed.

How it finishes :: Demonte Colony 2 extends the tale of the first movie with ease, and there are some nice connections being made here. The scope for sequel is very well-set, and we know that the evil will come in its greatest form in the next movie, where the characters also seem to point to the same, as the best might be still to come. A bigger commercial success here would mean that there could be a spectacle in score, and third one could be the classic. Along with Pechi, this would be another Tamil horror classic which we would remember for long. This is at a time when Malayalam movie industry is more interested in bringing psychos and serial killers for terror instead of the supernatural. May the lovers of the supernatural continue to find solace in movies like this one which successfully creates its own demons like Sinister, Insidious, Ouija and others which have also succeeded outside the Conjuring–Annabelle–Nun universe. Let this one serve the horror enthusiast well and inspire the person to watch more of the same kind.

Release date: 15th August 2024
Running time: 144 minutes
Directed by: R Ajay Gnanamuthu
Starring: Arulnithi, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Arun Pandian, Vettai Muthukumar, Antti Jaaskelainen, Tsering Dorjee, Meenakshi Govindarajan, Ramesh Thilak, Sarjano Khalid, Master Allam, Archana Ravichandran, M. S. Bhaskar, Priyadarshini Rajkumar, Raneesh, Abishek Joseph George, Kalaiyarasan, Ravi Venkatraman, Senthi Kumari, Soundarya Mahesh Babu, Tenzin Dargya

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

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

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Pechi

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Vampire Owl: Are we now looking for witches again?

Vampire Bat: We have stopped looking for witches since a long time ago.

Vampire Owl: Well, the war can restart any time now.

Vampire Bat: The next war will not be of this realm.

Vampire Owl: You talk like we have had enough of war, but not all species have been part of them.

Vampire Bat: The war affects the whole realm, whether or not they are part of it.

Vampire Owl: If it affects the advanced the vampire civilization, yes.

Vampire Bat: You should know that the magic used in our wars are nuclear in nature.

Vampire Owl: You are talking about the mythical weapons which are never used.

Vampire Bat: The witches are known to have a magical powerhouse which stores sorcery of the unknown supported by necromancy.

[Gets a chilli chicken puffs and three cups of black tea].

What is the movie about? :: At Aranmanaikaadu in Kollimalai, Ram (Murali Ram) and his wife (Aadhirai Soundarajan) are spending their peaceful time within the forest. After a lot of difficulty and getting a few days off from their busy schedule, they look forward to spend some time of their own in the lap of nature. They venture far deep and sets up a camp there. The temperature drops very soon, and while looking for some firewood, Ram ends up cutting the branch of a tree which reveals a nail, followed by a witchcraft doll. There seems to be something else coming out of the tree, and has him scared, but his wife who is listening to music do not hear a thing. Soon, he is taken away by an unknown force, and the same evil entity also captures his wife. But this evil presence is not identified by anyone. But three weeks later, another group of youngsters come to the area with a desire to venture through this lesser-known area of the forest as part of a trekking adventure. Maari (Bala Saravanan), a forest guard who acts as a part-time guide is asked to escort them all the way into the forest and back, as the paths can be confusing and some animals might also be around.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The five friends, Charan (Dev Ramnath), Meena (Gayathri Shanker), Sethu (Jana), Charu (Preethi Nedumaran) and Jerry (Mageshwaran) are looking for adventure, and are not interested in listening to their guide who talks to them about restrictions due to wildlife and traditions that have been followed for a long time. Meena is frustrated with the restrictions imposed on her, as she feels that they could go through the walk all by themselves and that a tourist guide is only an extra burden. Meanwhile, an arrogant Charu destroys a blockage to an area considered restricted by tradition to the local villagers, ignoring the warning signs. Sethu who considers him to be courageous one among them supports the same, much to the dismay of Maari who continues to ask them not to disturb the nature of the beliefs of people that runs through the area.

And what more happens in the forest where the villages rarely choose to enter :: There seems to be something strange going on though, as Charu almost falls from a cliff and Jerry feels that something grabbed his legs. As Charu and Sethu makes fun of him, he challenges them to go back to the area where the warning board was kept and tie a scarf. Both are not really worried, and accepts the challenge telling everyone that Maari is just creating random stories and is trying to keep them scared as if they are children. On the way there, Charu and Sethu comes across a house, which they enter and finds witchcraft dolls and elements of black magic. Charu is startled to see an unknown figure appearing out of nowhere. Maari and Charan begin searching for them, only to find Charu lying motionless. But soon, they realize that is was not really Charu, and Maari tells them a story, that of a woman from a long time ago who learned black magic and started ritual sacrifices of children. But how is it relevant now? Can they escape whatever is in the forest?

The defence of Pechi :: The movie thrives on its atmosphere and an ancient tale of folklore than runs right through it. Bala Saravanan comes up with the best among the cast, and he plays the only fully sane person around there who seems to understand the gravity of the situation – we remember him in those funny sequences of Godha. Gayathrie Shankar, the actress of Nna Thaan Case Kodu, has provided a memorable performance here, and excels in the last few moments and the flashbacks. The rest of the cast nicely follows the procedure as a cabin in the woods, or lost in the forest tale would unfold. The antagonist here is strong, and is not just another demonic presence – it is the kind of creature from where escape seems almost impossible. There are the moments which provide us with those quick scares and above that, there are the times when it keeps us scared at all times. The fear factor with an inescapable fate brings the terror here. Along with that, the visuals are too good, whether of horror or of the green and dark woods.

The claws of flaw :: The flashback feels repetitive at times, and comes in at a time when it was not to enter. There are moments in between which feels rather confusing, and the scares could have been more visual – it is the kind of scare that would work the best in these situations. Here it seems that the horror elements are not innovative enough and inspired from others instead. The use of darkness is also not at the best. As a cabin in the woods, or journey to the woods story with the usual horror background, there is always a lot more to be added. It also becomes repetitive, and that grand scares which should have come in the end is never there to be taken. A visual terror in the end could have served the best, and combined with the twists would have brought wonders. The twist in the end, even though effective, does not bring that grandeur on the screen, and the flashback provided, even though clear, could have been more detailed. The present situation of the villagers in relation to the witch could have also been shown.

How it finishes :: The movie manages to be an interesting horror flick that elevates itself with the setting and folk-tale power. In a world where there is a shortage of good horror, this one score well, and becomes a good example of bringing working scares out of folklore and myth, something only Stree could do so effectively. As visuals and performances support the scares, fine horror is born. The movie could have still been better, but it is worth watching for sure considering for fans of folk-horror who can appreciate mood over momentum—but it is not for all. There is still a lot to come in a possible sequel, considering how the movie ended, and with one of these main characters having an even bigger role to play there, we will be only glad to wait for more of fear. Until then, we have this movie, and something to remember when we go on trekking, and a reminder to respect nature, local traditions and those who guide the way and advice for the best.

Release date: 2nd August 2024
Running time: 110 minutes
Directed by: Ramachandran B
Starring: Gayathrie Shankar, Bala Saravanan, Preethi Nedumaran, Dev, Jana, Mageshwaran, Seeniammaal, Murali Ram, Aadhirai Soundararajan, Shanthimani

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Darling

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darling!

Vampire Owl :: You mean Darling Darling?

Vampire Bat :: No Darling just once, unless you want to create an echo.

Vampire Owl :: Vampire Owls don’t echo. We are immune to such inferior special effects.

Vampire Bat :: Then its easy to follow. This is the remake of the Telugu horror comedy romance, Prema Katha Chitram.

Vampire Owl :: That movie in which Nanditha Raj plays a Nanditha?

Vampire Bat :: Yes, and here Nikki Galrani plays someone not Nikki.

Vampire Owl :: You mean Nikki Galrani of Om Santhi Oshaana, 1983 and Vellimoonga, the not-so-owlish movie?

Vampire Bat :: Yes, with no doubt. How many other Nikkis do you know?

Vampire Owl :: Well, what about Nikki of Neal ‘n’ Nikki?

Vampire Bat :: That ruins my day. Why did you have to even try to mention that movie?

[Gets the tickets].

What is it about? :: Kathir (G. V. Prakash Kumar) is looking to commit suicide and for the same, he is joined by two other people consisting of his friend and another girl, seemingly leading to a nice small group suicide. Kumaran (Bala Saravanan) and Nisha (Nikki Galrani) who become part of the suicide gang, try to make their last wishes happen before committing the awesome act of self-destruction. There are things which they do, like having a new car which they steal and slapping an MLA in front of the news channels. They escape from the police and goons and go to a house accompanied by another man trying to suicide, Athisaya Raj (Karunas). Nisha is in love with Kathir, and her real plan is to stop him from killing himself, and Kumaran is also hoping to stop his friend from doing the act. But the house where they are staying has a back-story and things won’t go as planned.

The defence of Darling :: There are some improvements on Prema Katha Chitram that this movie has made here as the remake. The best of them is the climax and the ending which has some interesting changes. It is quite faithful to the original, but not a blind copy. The movie is funny and scary in parts, and does full justice to its genre of horror-comedy which hasn’t been an easy thing to do. It is time Bollywood also has some horror-comedies of this quality. There is ghost, romance, comedy, mystery and even the ghost slayer Ghost Gopal Varma. All four of the main actors are very good, and one thing that you can’t fail to notice from the posters of the movie in Kerala is that Nikki Galrani is the Queen of Luck or the Goddess of Fortune – judging from the Malayalam movies which she has acted in: Om Santhi Oshaana, 1983 and Vellimoonga; the three big hits – can we dare to disagree?

The Claws of Flaw :: As a remake of Prema Katha Chitram, the movie might seems redundant for a few. There are some scenes which doesn’t improve the original, and there is no big improvement in quality here. The original was a movie which a lot of people had watched here too, but Darling should still be a new experience for another good number of people. The movie does have some of the same problems as the original, with some misplaced jokes and some loss in the horror department, but those were expected as the remake. One big change which they could have done was with the face of the ghost, and even the first possession moment was no surprise. A scarier ghost could have been there, and the total spooky atmosphere should have been enhanced. Some innovation could have only done this move good, with a shorter flashback and more elements of mystery. Yes, more scares would have brought the awesomeness here, and there was the need to match the comedy.

Soul exploration :: The resurrection of horror genre in the right manner is a need among all the Indian movie industries. Bollywood seems to combine it too much with erotica and spoil the whole thing, or just copy something from Hollywood and add below average things here and there. Horror no longer seems to a genre that is interested in being spoken in Hindi. But a better working combination at this part of the world is horror with comedy and simple romance as it has been proven here. It is a good form for the horror genre to exist, without the extra seriousness that comes in and often fails to connect with the audience. There will always be people who want to laugh at the horror movies, and may be what people deserve more is the horror comedy. I would expect better times for horror with this mixture of genres in work, and I hope for such a movie in Malayalam too, without going too stupid or absurd.

How it finishes :: It is surprising how well the movie has attracted the audience here even as there is only one popular face for the people here, which is Nikki Galrani. It has come to only selected theatres here and at some places just to fill in the blanks, and may be that is a reason. The multiplexes hadn’t had much shows. I would say that Darling was a movie which could have done wonders here with some better promotion – after all, Nikki is one of the favourite actresses of the common movie fans here, and that has been accomplished by her presence in just one year – 2014. It is a sure entertainer and has its existence at a number of theatres in Kerala – you might have to search for them, but if you haven’t watched Prema Katha Chitram, this a movie that you should give a chance for the effort and the difference that it brings to the screen.

[After the movie]

Vampire Owl :: You didn’t tell me about the special 3D effects in the theatre.

Vampire Bat :: 3D at that theatre? We were in the same theatre, right?

Vampire Owl :: Yes, didn’t you see those effects?

Vampire Bat :: What exactly are you talking about?

Vampire Owl :: Didn’t you see the black kitten and the smoke outside the screen?

Vampire Bat :: That actually seemed like a rat. The smoke was just people with the cigarettes. This is why you should go to local theatres more often.

Vampire Owl :: It is still a special effect. We should have brought the Vampire Cat.

Vampire Bat :: So do you think that the hiking of ticket price by twenty rupees was justified?

Vampire Owl :: Absolutely not. These conditions deserve a maximum of fourty five rupees, thats all. We have better effects at the Dracula Castle.

Vampire Bat :: Then lets hope for another theatre next time.

[Runs to the Indian Coffee House].

Release date: 15th January 2015
Running time: 126 minutes
Directed by: Sam Anton
Starring: G. V. Prakash Kumar, Nikki Galrani, Karunas, Bala Saravanan, Srushti Dange, Rajendran

darling

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.