Tag Archives: black magic

Hello Mummy

Posted on by

Vampire Owl: I am sure that this movie has a vampire mummy.

Vampire Bat: We are dealing with real ghosts around here.

Vampire Owl: Mummies are animated corpses, right? Not ghosts.

Vampire Bat: I do not think that this is that kind of a mummy.

Vampire Owl: Because the character is not Egyptian?

Vampire Bat: They are referring to the mother-in-law of main character.

Vampire Owl: But this is still horror, so other mummies could also be around.

Vampire Bat: What can a mummy do to reach South India from Egypt?

Vampire Owl: I do not know. Maybe, take a flight?

Vampire Bat: Even Count Dracula is known to have taken only a ship.

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

What is the movie about? :: Boney (Sharafudheen) who has been running a pet shop – one of the biggest in the city, and trying to evade marriage for quite a long time, much to the dismay of his father Philip (Johny Antony), mother Soyamma (Ganga Meera) and sister Tincy (Sruthy Suresh). But when he goes through the usual process of seeing and rejecting girls, he comes across Stephy (Aishwarya Lekshmi), whom he really likes and decides not reject her. But Stephy comes with a condition that he should move to her house after wedding, and even though Boney’s parents show some hesitation, everyone is just happy that he is finally going to be married. But one day, she stops responding to him, and when he asks, she tells him that her dead mother still talks to her and that she does not approve of her marriage with him. She says that it is the best for the future of both of them that they do not proceed to the wedding ceremony. But Boney feels that she is just making things up to avoid him, and tells her that he believes her – and that he is ready to adjust in whatever ways possible.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: This impresses Stephy and they go on with the process. But on the first day itself, Boney realizes that she was not joking or making an excuse, and his father-in-law Samuel (Jagadish) asserts the same. The ghost mummy begins attacking him whenever he does something that she does not like. Stephy reveals that the mummy has prevented any physical union between them for now, and there some strange rules which he has to obey – this includes not wearing chappals inside the house, keeping the refrigerator open for more than ten seconds, dropping any food particle on the floor and a few more. Boss (Aju Varghese) who is running an investigative channel from the neighbouring house feels that there is something wrong, and tries to find a solution, while Boney’s best friend Bichu (Joemon Jyothir) tries to help only to find him at the receiving end of the mummy’s fury. Boney and Stephy tries to twist the situation by telling the mummy that they are going to be parents. But how can they sneak away from the powerful spirit which keeps the watch all the time?

The defence of Hello Mummy :: Here is one merging of horror and comedy that works well on the lines of Bollywood movies like Stree and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, but this is not a genre that has been working too well in this particular industry. In comparison, black comedy has had more success, like in the case of the recent work, Maranamass. There are moments that would be remembered, along with some dialogues which can stay for quite a long time. There seems to be a lot of energy in various parts of the movie, and that keeps the level of the movie high. This is also one horror movie that one can watch with family without too much of terror and no unsuitable comedy to go with it. The performances from the leading cast remains the highlight of the movie along with the fine support with the veteran actors around. The way in which the movie makes the fantasy tale blend into a world which was normal, makes it a world of magic realism in one way or the other. Cinematography and background score adds well to the whole thing.

The claws of flaw :: The movie’s focus on horror is rather less on comparison to the side of comedy which rises much above the other. The blending is rather one-sided when we look closely, and there is not much of an explanation of the supernatural elements. There is also a lot of predictability associated with the movie, even though most people might have expected the same. The lack of hype might have left many people without having watched the movie – if focused on the strengths, this would have become more popular from the day of release itself. There is a certain amount of silliness that can be seen around, and the lack of seriousness means some loss of the overall quality of the movie. The cliches are surely there, and the tale could have kept a stronger centre. Some of the emotional moments could have been avoided to make the movie shorter, as there is not that much of focus on the story, as situations are above everything else. The lack of consistency can be seen here in relation to the content, and horror also falls flat at times.

The performers of the soul :: Sharafudheen shines in the humorous role which seems to suit him so well, even though there is a subtle emotional side that runs through here. There are some fine one-liners which are there to stay, and some of these moments can be seen in the television in parts regularly. The movie also has Aishwarya Lekshmi who continues to prove that there are not many actresses who can match her grace and variety of performances in this generation. From a grand beginning with movies like Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela, Mayaanadhi, Varathan, Vijay Superum Pournamiyum and Brother’s Day with range from romance and feel-good to drama and thriller mode, she has come a long way, and deserves even more. She is in full strength here in a role which does not challenge her, but she assures that things are now better. We just need to remember how good Kaanekkaane was, to be reminded of her capabilities. The group of Jagadish, Johny Antony, Aju Varghese and Joemon Jyothir adds to the fun, while Bindu Panicker’s role is something that we will remember for a long time. Sunny Hinduja makes a fine villain at the same time.

How it finishes :: We know that good horror comedy is really hard to create, especially to make both sides work. This movie aligns more on the side of comedy, but there is always that hidden horror which comes out at rarely, but by the end of the movie, we see the blending of the two genres becoming one effectively. There is no lack of enjoyment at any part of the movie, as we see the situations, and feel the entertainment. There are not many movies that make us think too much about the situations, and we can focus on enjoying the whole thing without second thoughts. There is the scope left for a sequel, and we can expect this to get better. After all, there are so many questions to be answered from the first movie, and there might be a little too much to be done for what could be a series of movies. We can always accept the movies with a certain amount of silliness that worked so well, like Adi Kapyare Koottamani and Kunjiramayanam that keeps us laughing for a very long time.

Release date: 21st November 2024
Running time: 92 minutes
Directed by: Vaishakh Elans
Starring: Sharafudheen, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sunny Hinduja, Jagadish, Johny Antony, Aju Varghese, Joemon Jyothir, Bindu Panicker, Arun Cherukavil, Ganga Meera, Sruthy Suresh, Adhri Joe

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Munjya

Posted on by

Vampire Owl: The universe of Stree always have our attention.

Vampire Bat: Well, they have the vampires, werewolves and witches who form seventy five percent of the population in our realm.

Vampire Owl: I still do not know if anything could match Stree and its sequel.

Vampire Bat: Well, we never know how far horror comedy can go.

Vampire Owl: Comedy can never be horror enough.

Vampire Bat: It is yet to be seen, and we can only wait for the best.

Vampire Owl: I did not know that you have Jio Hotstar.

Vampire Bat: I use a Jio connection with a good plan. So, I would have always had that.

Vampire Owl: We use this in the vampire world? It is news to me.

Vampire Bat: There is nothing that a vampire cannot use, for we are an experienced species.

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

What is the movie about? :: In 1952, somewhere in the Konkan coast, a boy in his early teenage years tries to marry a woman more than seven years older than him much to her dismay, but they end up getting him a purification ceremony and gets her married off earlier. The relatives feel that everything is solved now, and the boy has also left the impure thoughts, but that was very far away from the truth, as he had other intentions, soon fleeing the village to the forests on the outskirts with his only sister. The boy named Gotya (Ayush Ulagadde) who is not happy with the happenings, plans to perform a human sacrifice as part of black magic, and this is about to happen under a peepal tree in the Chetukwadi forest in the outskirts of the village, but he finds himself falling down while chasing the girl, getting hurt and dying in the process. His remains are buried right beneath the tree to contain the spirit called Munjya which would do anything to get what it wishes for, no matter how many years pass.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: In the present day in Pune, Bittu (Abhay Verma) a young man who lives with his family which consists of his mother Pammi (Mona Singh) and grandmother Gita (Suhas Joshi), and runs a family saloon where he assists his mother while hoping to go abroad for studies. As his childhood friend and crush Bela (Sharvari) gets engaged to her British friend Kuba (Richard Lovatt), Bittu is highly disappointed. When his family travel to their ancestral village for his cousin Rukku’s (Bhagyashree Limaye) engagement, Bittu overhears a conversation about his late father’s mysterious death linked to a peepal tree in a haunted forest. There is a fight regarding his visit to the forest and the possessed tree, and the circumstances leading his father’s death have been unknown to him as they speak about it for the first time in front of him. Disturbed, he visits the mentioned place, and ends up releasing the creature, known as the brahmarakshas in the past, and it also kills his grandmother.

And what more is to follow as the demon wishes to haunt more? :: Bittu is devastated as the villagers feel that he was responsible for the death of his grandmother. His father’s brother Balu (Ajay Purkar) particularly feels the same and is not hesitant to assert the same in front of others even on the day of funeral. He leaves for Pune with his mother, but understands that the demon has imprinted on him and has followed him to the city. It is revealed that only someone who is related to his father’s family can see the demon, and therefore, his mother would not understand what is happening to him. The demon never really stops haunting him as it keeps appearing after the sun sets, and it comes out of him like in the tale of Vetala, as if attached to the person. Everyone around him feels that he is too sad about the demise of her grandmother and the related guilt that he has been taking drugs, explaining his strange behaviour. The demon says that it will not leave him until it gets what it wants, and it is not a simple thing. It wishes to get married to the girl whom the boy of the past wished to marry, but could not, despite even trying black magic. Can Bittu get him the same or destroy it in the process?

The defence of Munjya :: The movie, like the others of the same franchise, takes the roots of its horror from the folktales which had spread through the villages, and this time through the Konkan coasts which are less explored. The details are really good with the scary visuals of forests, big trees and villages making an impact. The Computer Generated Imagery works in favour of he same, and the demon’s detailing also works in its favour. The acting is also very good, led by Abhay Verma who gives life to this character incredibly well. Sharvari Wagh in this role, proves that she can do almost anything, up to that final dance, from that memorable work in Vedaa. Bhagyashree Limaye who plays the cousin also scores so well, and she blends in here really well – hoping to see her as lead soon too. Sathyaraj is the one person who handles most of the comedy, and the same works because of him – whenever he is around, this is just too much fun. Taranjot Singh also supports the humour while Suhas Joshi and Mona Singh remains memorable. The thrills feel real as much as the danger, as scares work and the atmosphere remains a gem.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does not have its humour working that well, and it is a surprise when you consider its premise – to have the jokes somewhat working around here and tries to pull this one by parts. Its feeling of the need to bring a British man to the story to make joke out of his situations was surely not funny and would remain the lowest points of the movie. The movie’s romantic side is weak, and the one romance that does seem to do dome good is that of the demon that hopes for immoral bonding in love. There is a certain amount of predictability about the happenings by the end, as we look at the whole thing. The demon could have been scarier too, when we keep thinking about the situations where the same could have been reflected. After all, so much of work has already been put into this group of movies, and one cannot help thinking about so much more that could have added as extra here. When there is a demon like this one involved, there should be no limit for scares.

How it finishes :: The movie becomes another bonus to the Stree series, and has managed to come up with a fine folktale legend with so much of ease. This is the kind of idea which has been made better by Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra now, and that much of a blending of local folktales has not happened here. Yet, we know that with the kind of demon this movie uses, it is not that easy to make things work, but we some skills at display here for sure. With a cameo in the end, the movie is nicely set in the universe of folklore. I would say that we surely require more of such movies, as local legend and folklore have been often forgotten in comparison to the commonly accepted religious narrations. It is our duty to support the local folklore as much as we keep on going through a view of the world internationally. These movies will keep us energized enough to do the same and will also keep the stories of different regions in the spotlight, for those are as much needed as the stories that come as a whole.

Release date: 7th June 2024
Running time: 123 minutes
Directed by: Aditya Sarpotdar
Starring: Abhay Verma, Sharvari Wagh, Sathyaraj, Mona Singh, Suhas Joshi, Taranjot Singh, Ajay Purkar, Bhagyashree Limaye, Ayush Ulagadde, Shruti Marathe, Richard Lovatt, Anay Kamat, Padmini Sardesai, Shrikant Mohan Yadav, Reema Chaudhary, Rasika Vendurlekar, Radhika Vidyasagar, Akshay Vengulikar, Abhijeet Chavan

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

<<< Click here to go to the biggest Hindi movie related to black magic.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Tantra

Posted on by

Vampire Owl: So, after a long time, we are back to a movie of this particular language.

Vampire Bat: We haven’t had many movies in this language.

Vampire Owl: Well, the ones available at nearby theatres are those mass flicks.

Vampire Bat: I vote against watching any of such movies.

Vampire Owl: Well, those need not comes to us as we are different.

Vampire Bat: Mass masala has been too much present in this world.

Vampire Owl: It is strange that such movies even get awards.

Vampire Bat: We are glad to have some horror here instead.

Vampire Owl: As long as we have Amazon Prime Video, we can search for them.

Vampire Bat: OTT platforms have served us well with lesser-known fine movies in languages other than English and Hindi.

[Gets a kadai chicken pizza and three cups of iced tea].

What is the movie about? :: Rekha (Ananya Nagalla) is a young lady doing her graduation who has the ability to see spirits. The dead people seem to appear to her randomly, sometimes where they died and often leads to her sleepwalking in the middle of the night. She is in love with Teju (Dhanush Raghumudri) who goes to the same college, and they are like the two people who believes in black magic existing in the area and causing evil to spread through their lands. Teju’s uncle Shankaram (Meesala Lakshman) also understands that this black magic or tantra had once existed in their lands as he himself had once ptractised the same not once, but twice, after which he took the decision to never do it again. According to him, it has been there for a very long time, and are even depicted in Mahabharata and Ramayana, as well as other sacred texts. He also cites incidents from history as much as religious texts.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: When the best friend of Shailaja (Kusalina Pulapa) seems to be affected by this dark magic. When a master of magic known only as Baba (Bhaskar Manyam) confirms the same, they decide to take the needed measures. They understand that Shailaja is getting weaker every day, and has started visiting graveyard at nights. Both Rekha and Teju who had their bad upbringings due to the former being born with the death of her mother and the latter having a prostitute as mother. They manage to defeat the evil sorcerer who was trying to take control of Shailaja forever as she had rejected her romantic advances. They manage to do it just moments before she would be completely under his control. It is then that Vigathi Swami (Temper Vamsi), a sorcerer and temple priest arrives at the village after a very long time, and starts searching for Rekha.

And what is to follow as evil spread during the darkest of nights? :: With a warning about death coming to the village, it is to be known how such ancient evil can be stopped. But Baba himself is helpless against this man who had done black magic with Rekha’s mother and that had actually caused her death. His return after eighteen years is with the determination that matches no other. He will have Rekha one way or the other. He has control over more than one demon, and not just some random spirit that scares people. He is powered by some evil deity that knows no boundaries of evil, and is the over-reacher who will awaken those forces hidden for centuries. With sleepwalking remaining as her habit and after finding her in the middle of the road at late nights during regular intervals, how long can Rekha stop herself from going into his captivity? What does he really want to do with her?

The defence of Tantra :: The movie effectively delivers its scares, and due to the settings used, it could elevate the side of fear with ease, at times. The movie has the pillar of the work done by the leading lady Ananya Nagalla, who makes use of a strong character with a lot of emotional depth – reminds one of the leading actresses of ARM from some angles. The performances including that of the villain remains good, and seems to suit the horror world nicely. The atmosphere is too good here, and with the help of some fine tales from the belief systems combined with the myth, the world works really well. The folklore keeps coming up all the time in here, and the cultural roots work in favour, even though the overdose of talks keeps it in check. The idea of black magic has been used to the best advantage. The links are nicely made here with the incidents and a certain narrative skill can be seen at work. The background sounds work well in support of the movie, and the twist is working with suspense maintained.

The claws of flaw :: The movie has a lot of moments which feels stretched, increasing the total length of the movie itself. It gives too many explanations, and the movie could have done well without some of them. Too much talking often makes a horror movie struggle, as a few things could be left without explaining as if it is a horror tuition class. There are too many flashbacks, and we also find those subplots to be rather too much. The drag is mostly felt due to this reason, and in the end, the movie feels long. The fear generation of the final moments is rather too less, and it seems to forced to get to that end. When there is something too dark and demonic coming in the end, it had to do more, if not with the action, at least with the scares. Well, we have met too many nocturnal creatures of the night to like any lesser one unless backup by enough power. This might not appeal in the same way for everyone due to the extra dose of strange content too.

How it finishes :: I have not seen many Telugu movies, and you would not see many film reviews of the same language here for that reason. I did not watch those most famous Telugu movies which the crowd had watched and have been looking forward to make everyone watch more than once. But I have not been a person who wished to go with the crowd. Therefore, the two Telugu movies which I have reviewed here are Konda Polam and Drushyam 2. This one becomes the third, and the first Telugu horror movie to be reviewed here. In this case, it can be seen that despite the problems with the overall pace, the movie maintains the embedded horror really well. It might have rushed towards that ending, but finishes off well enough. There are some good horror movies, and this one will surely stay with us, as that horror movie which raises its level and uses the less used elements to its advantage too. This one is recommended for horror fans for sure.

Release date: 15th March 2024
Running time: 134 minutes
Directed by: Srinivas Gopisetti
Starring: Ananya Nagalla, Dhanush Raghumudri, Saloni Aswani, Temper Vamsi, Meesala Lakshman, Manoj Muthyam, Kushalini, Bhaskar Manyam

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Shaitaan

Posted on by

Vampire Owl: So, is the movie really about the devil?

Vampire Bat: There are many demons who identify as the devil.

Vampire Owl: Is there anyone whom you know?

Vampire Bat: We do not make acquaintances with the shadow world.

Vampire Owl: We are also nocturnal creatures of the shadows.

Vampire Bat: We are the shadow warriors, but we are not shadows.

Vampire Owl: Shadows are still our allies, and they even provide warnings.

Vampire Bat: Allies do not make us. We are better than that.

Vampire Owl: The shadows will keep us safe.

Vampire Bat: Not just the shadows, we shall stay in the dark forever.

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

What is the movie about? :: Kabir Rishi (Ajay Devgn), a chartered accountant, his wife Jyoti Rishi (Jyothika), daughter Jahnvi Rishi (Janki Bodiwala) and son Dhruv Rishi (Anngad Raaj) decides to take a break from their busy routine, and spend some time at their farmhouse in the outskirts of Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Jahnvi is hoping to end this trip as soon as possible, and go on her on tour with friends, especially her boyfriend. On the way, at a dhaba, they come across a man named Vanraj Kashyap (R Madhavan), who offers them tea when they do not have change. He seems to be a nice person who shows the photo of his daughter and gives friendly advice. He also gives Jahnvi who does not want to have roti and tea, a laddu which she accepts happily. He also leaves her with a few biscuits, much to the dismay of Jyoti. As they reach the farmhouse, they are surprised to find Vanraj following them there. They also find out that Jahnvi had invited him inside the house, and he sits there on the couch as a guest.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: He only asks for a cup of tea and charger for the phone, but soon, Janhvi ends up threatening her brother under his influence, which makes Kabir and Jyoti ask him to leave immediately, to which he disagrees. Before Kabir can push him out, Janhvi under Vanraj’s command stops him. Vanraj says that he has hypnotized Janhvi using black magic, and that she will obey every instruction he gives. To prove his control, he orders her to repeatedly stand and sit, and she does the same robotically. To make them believe in the extremes of his power, he makes her take a tea packet and eat raw tea leaves. He also makes Janhvi slap her father and make her laugh and cry. As she is asked to jump into the swimming pool and stay underwater until he tells her, the parents understand the grave situation. As the frightened family gives him the mobile phones as told, he makes Janhvi destroy all the phones in the house, cutting off their communication with the outside world. Now the question remains about what does he plan to do, and what does he want from the family.

The defence of Shaitaan :: The movie rests on the shoulders of Janki Bodiwala who brings a performance that nobody would ever forget, as she alternates between her character’s own personality and that of a hypnotized mind, as we see her helplessness and determination to commit a task according to an order at the same time, and moving between the two. Madhavan’s alternation between the gentleman and pure evil entity is not that far behind either, as his evolution as an actor is seen again, but we know that he could have also done the father-figure to perfection if given that role. The movie keeps us closer to the situation, because we know that it is indeed a usual family in trouble, even though a little bit too bourgeoisie for many, with the main character driving a Benz Car and owning a huge farmhouse in a hill station besides his original home in the city. The feelings that we have for the family is much more as we can relate to them, at least most of us. The danger is always there, with the younger child closest to death than any other, even though I would consider all lives as equal whether that of children or the elders – I am not a robot to calculate how much more they will live and be useful to society or turn into murderous psychopaths.

Positives and negatives :: The movie might not be appreciated as doing as good as the original, but we know that it is true for all Bollywood adaptations, a case which is best depicted in the works od Priyadarshan, as the original Malayalam movies were all classics which can have no match, certainly none with nepotism factor taking around, like in the case of that remake of Helen. The idea of the original version would always stay strong, and with this one made on a bigger budget and made to suit the spoon-fed and feel-good-seeking audience, some of the soul of a dark movie would be left out – we know what the Bollywood have been involved in making big blockbusters, and so the taste difference would be looked at by the makers who remake works. But the movie has its tension perfectly built and the danger felt from within, with no exaggeration. Each and every moment in the house seems to be perfectly created, and the cast nicely adapts to the same. The satanic touch brings the terror as the movie shifts its world by the end really well.

The performers of the soul :: Janki Bodiwala is the one person who steals the show, long above the veteran stars who surrounds her, and it is no surprise as her character stays at the centre and decides too many outcomes. She had also played the same character in the original movie, and that experience seems to count. This work will establish her as one of the best among the future stars of Bollywood, and maybe could have a hand in another regional cinema too. She has the biggest moments of the film to perform, like the one where sits on the gas cylinder, dancing without end and those smiles and laughs for no reason which are truly spooky. Madhavan might have played the best villain in a horror movie, and let us hope that the ending of Hindi version does not spoil his chance to bring a sequel with him in it. The way in which he gives instructions and talks about his own greatness provides us with the chills. Ajay Devgn and Jyothika plays the helpless parents who still struggle to make things happen and save their family quite well. As the former nicely manages to bring the heroic father to the scene, let’s see what the next sequel of Drishyam brings, as Bollywood is ready take the script from the Malayalam version, and Tamil, Telugu and other versions would be waiting.

How it finishes :: Shaitaan, as a remake of the 2023 Gujarati film Vash, makes a fine impact, even though most of us have not watched the original. But from what has been heard, the original is more of the classic, but as we only have this one around here, and it is very well-made, despite the ending seemingly not that special compared to the original. There is a haunting and satisfying feeling about it, with that strength which is rarely seen in pure horror movies of Bollywood, even though movies like Stree and its sequel had made horror comedy working better. The best horror of pure seriousness was done well by Bollywood quite long ago, and most of the time there were only movies like 3G and Murder which only partially did the job. But this one will surely achieve a legendary status, despite being an adaptation of an older film. Remakes will work very well if done in the right manner, and this one proves it. This is also a proof for the fact that you do not need to keep looking at Hollywood for horror every time, and basic elements for the same working out is right here, with us.

Release date: 8th March 2024
Running time: 132 minutes
Directed by: Vikas Bahl
Starring: Janki Bodiwala, Ajay Devgn, R Madhavan, Jyothika, Anngad Raaj

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Influence

Posted on by

Vampire Owl: So, another foreign movie here? There has been so many.

Vampire Bat: Yes, I have felt an interest in watching those movies.

Vampire Owl: Are the usual types of movies not in the list anymore?

Vampire Bat: Yes, they are there too. But these need our attention even more because they are having some fine movies without many people knowing.

Vampire Owl: There are some English movies which are less known in this part of the world too, if you can remember them.

Vampire Bat: Yes, but you should realize that we get more supporters these days from locations further away from home.

Vampire Owl: Yes, people are rarely appreciated at their hometown, right?

Vampire Bat: You can say that. I have had that feeling for a long time too.

Vampire Owl: At least we vampires are true brethren supporting each other.

Vampire Bat: Yes, doing a lot better than zombies eating each others’ brains.

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

What is the movie about? :: Alicia (Manuela Velles) is a nurse who moves from the city to the little town in the north-west of Spain where she used to spend her childhood. She is greeted there by her sister Sarah (Maggie Civantos) who has been taking care of their mother Victoria (Emma Suarez) with the help of a nurse, Anna (Marta Castellote), as the old lady has been in comma for some time now, after having many other diseases earlier. As Alician is a nurse, she could work in the nearby hospital, and also take care of her mother. Alicia is accompanied by her husband Mikel (Alain Hernandez) and their daughter Nora (Claudia Placer) who gets admission in the nearby school. Nora doesn’t have a good time with her new classmates, as everyone considers her to be a weird girl who came from a distant place. Her only friend is Luna (Daniela Rubio) who is an outsider.

So, what happens with the events here? :: Mikel doesn’t manage to get his usual job as an electrician, and works at the port, handling fish. Alicia doesn’t like being back in the old home, because after the death their father, Victoria had been acting strange, and being abusive to them. But these memories are not the only thing hurting her, as there is a strange presence in the house, and it is somehow related her mother and the strange practices she had directly on indirectly related to witchcraft and demon worship. It also turns out that Victoria had written all her property in the name of Nora, much to the dismay of Sarah who used to take care of her mother until then. At the same time Nora begins acting strange, and she also gets to be terribly violent at times, punching another girl in the school repeatedly. Alicia attributes this to the black magic used by Victoria, and feels her mother’s presence even when she is in comma. Now the question remains if she can save her child, husband and sister from certain terrible evil.

The defence of The Influence :: This movie thrives on its setting, which is very good for a horror thriller. The environment provides the feeling of danger being present there at one corner or the other. The visuals are nicely done, and we are easily immersed in this world, even though not that much with the characters. Most of the scary scenes are left to the end, but there are some moments being provided in between, to keep it going. The idea of black magic works pretty well, even though not fully used here. The children with evil inside are nice to watch, and the creepiness depends a lot on them, just like we had in The Prodigy. There is also the presence of some fine imagery including the head of a goat, book on black magic, terrifying artifacts and more. The Influence can have that horror influence on us with what we see on the screen, and it is more or less symbolic as we look at some of them which feels special.

The claws of flaw :: The Influence is a slow moving horror movie, and it doesn’t bring the scares when needed, until everything is reaching the end, and that does lead to a certain drag, which moves on like a curse on this movie – it is solved only by the end. It is the kind of movie which needed a speed booster, and when we feel that it has speeded up, it slows down, and it is a procedure which repeats itself. In between the slowness, it doesn’t being the class in there, or something which would make the slowness enjoyable, maybe with the haunting. The characters are not the kind with whom we are attached that much, and we also wonder about their actions here. The movie had raised the expectations of its viewers, but doesn’t reach there, and instead becomes a horror thriller which deals with the basics that a horror movie might have, that too slowly.

Performers of the soul :: Manuela Velles plays the main character, and she does well, matched only by Maggie Civantos who plays her sister. Both sisters have some good moments together, and the emotional scenes are handled really well by the two actresses here. They take the movie emotionally forward, with Maggie bringing more of the feelings out there, but the one who gets more space is Manuela – she is not that far behind, as you will notice here. Both do prove that they fit into the horror genre well. I don’t know if the Spanish movies have their own scream queens, but it seems that they will not be short of those who are specialized in horror. Claudia Placer who plays the child might be a fine choice for a future run. Daniela Rubio also makes a fine team with her, as the two become fine evil kids in action. Alain Hernandez who plays the husband is okay, while Marta Castellote who plays the nurse needed more screen space. Emma Suarez is also fine with all the evil inside, projected well.

How it finishes :: Originally titled La influencia, this movie does have an impact as a horror thriller which works on a special setting. When entering into the usual horror world of Sinister, The Conjuring, Annabelle, The Nun and Insidious, and the unusual world of Lights Out, Don’t Breathe, It Follows, A Quiet Place and The Autopsy of Jane Doe, you have to be innovative, or you have to do the best with what you have – The Influence only does the same only upto an extent, and saves its world only in the end. It is the movie that you will want to like, as you enter the house with the protagonists, and you are with them, but in the middle, there is some of that being lost, and in the end, more is being gained. Therefore, it is a movie with its own ups and downs, and you will want to watch this movie as much as any other Hollywood horror movie with the usual stuff. After all, from the movies which I have watched so I far, there is no Spanish horror movie which didn’t have my attention with the setting.

Release date: 11th October 2019
Running time: 99 minutes
Directed by: Denis Rovira van Boekholt
Starring: Manuela Velles, Maggie Civantos, Claudia Placer, Emma Suarez, Alain Hernandez, Daniela Rubio, Ramon Esquinas, Marta Castellote, Mariana Cordero, Felipe Garcia Velez, Sofia Tolina, Berta Sanchez

<— Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Smurfs 2

Posted on by

thesmurfs2 (3)

There are times when people think that a sequel is necessary for every successful movie. Such sequels often go bad, as they are more of repetitions and imitations of the first – but this one manages to hold its ground, not with full strength; just marginally. It has forced itself on the viewers, and has often succeeded with its funny dialogues and the incredible cuteness which it has developed, with an inherent goodness and a little stupidity which gets overshadowed by their aversion towards evil, unlike the minions of Despicable Me 2. That should make this the perfect movie for kids, as there is the moral side which is strong, and everything else goes on depending on this side of the good. Well, The Smurfs 2 is highly dependent on what the first movie had given the viewers, and in the process of making this sequel, it has copied almost everything from The Smurfs and has presented it in a slightly different manner. The advantage that we achieve with the same is that this one is an even better story in morals, and it is further preachy in nature as it goes on and on. There is divine justice as well as the poetic justice, but not without the actions from our little and bigger heroes does fate and destiny dare to intervene.

The Smurfs 2 is a collection of escapism and childish fantasy. It has done enough to have almost every child drag their parents into the theatres to watch some cute little blue creatures. They have also tested the same on the older one very well, as there is a certain amount of nostagia of childhood that seem to affect the grown ups too, and if this was released before Despicable Me 2, the scope would have been higher. They had taken on New York earlier, and now they are at Paris. The little blue creatures have tried their best, but lacking in bringing innovation and originality, this movie had to try and bring a smile to the face of all the viewers, and once again, the result is effectiveness of a lesser scale. If one didn’t watch the first movie, the probability of liking this movie might even go higher. There is a good explanations of the things that go on with this world even in this movie. There are so many occasions when a predecessor’s shoes are good enough, but shouldn’t they have tried to remove the dirt in the same instead of throwing more on it, in a huge variety of colours? May be colourful dirt is good – at least its not bad or evil, and there is a little more time to be sure about that.

Years have passed after the group of smurfs got sucked into a gigantic vortex which brought them to the new world of New York City. Smurfette is shown to suffer from an identity crisis, as she is having nightmares about betraying her fellow Smurfs and getting them captured by Gargamel. At the same time, the Smurfs are preparing a surprise birthday party for Smurfette. But as nobody talks about her birthday and keeps it a secret, she feels that they have forgotten the day and don’t consider her as one of them. She feels that she is neither here nor there, as neither the daughter of Gargamel or Papa Smurf, created by one and given the life of a Smurf by Papa Smurf. She had been an instrument to distract and trap the Smurfs, but now she is claimed as one of them, but the doubts in her mind never ends. She wanders away from the village thinking about the same. Meanwhile, Gargamel has become a famous magician in Paris, but he is running out the Smurf essence and thus losing his magical powers. With his new Smurf-like creations, who are called the Naughties – Vexy and Hackus, Gargamel plans on opening a portal to the Smurf village and get the Smurf formula by kidnapping Smurfette who joined the other side. But he doesn’t have the magical powers to create a portal big enough for him to enter, and he sends Vexy who goes through it and successfully tricks the first Smurf lady through the portal as she wanders around alone.

The Smurfs are alerted, and Papa Smurf uses his magic to create crystals that would allow some of his best Smurfs to go back to the human world, but through an accident, Clumsy, Grouchy and Vanity ends up travelling to the modern world rather than Brainy, Hefty, and Gutsy. The four Smurfs arrive in the apartment of Patrick Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris) right after the birthday celebration of his son Blue (Jacob Tremblay) who has been named after them. They also meet Patrick’s stepfather Victor Doyle (Brendan Gleeson), whom Patrick hates and wishes to keep away from his family. The Smurfs join with them as well as Patrick’s lovely wife Grace Winslow (Jayma Mays) and goes to Paris where the sorcerer has set up his abode. The team manages to sneak through the backside of the magic arena of the villain, but fails to find Smurfette. Meanwhile, she joins with Vexy and Hackus in fun, and almost forget the Smurf life. Gargamel and his cat Azrael try their best to get information out of the Smurf lady, and at the same time, the human gang and the Smurfs tries to get through to the secret lair of Gargamel. In the battle for Smurf identity and Smurfy existence, there is a lot at stake including the Smurf lady as well as the whole Smurf village.

So, this movie running just a minute more than its predecessor, is no entity which can be considered different from the first movie. Its twelve percent approval rating at the Rotten Tomatoes comes as no surprise, even as that is a little harsh considering how much goodness this movie carries, or at least attempts to hold in itself. Its best moments are recreated from the first movie, and it fails to exist as a thing of innovation. With the large number of animated movies releasing these days, this half-an-animation might be a little repetitive in a less interesting manner. We already saw The Croods, Despicable Me 2, Monsters University, Epic and Turbo making impact this year, and this movie tries to impress kids in the same way. But how much can the kids take? They have a similar movie coming up each month which gives them their good time in the theatre. It is us horror fans who have less for our liking. We are fed with one movie, once in five months or so, in the form of The Conjuring, and that too should have been cut so much that there is that new question about what the horror really is. I guess we don’t count anymore, and the animated movies are the new, profitable trend – if the superhero movies don’t have anything to say against that claim; ask our beloved Man of Steel who lost his underwear in his effort to match a Dark Knight who rises.

Smurfette is the central character of this movie, and the second significant one is Vexy, voiced by Katy Perry and Christina Ricci respectively, bringing the whole new sisterly Smurf relationship to the movie series. The best moments though, belong to Vanity Smurf and Azrael bringing good laughter through their pride and fall. Neil Patrick Harris as Patrick Winslow has a lesser role to play in this sequel as his character looks more hammered into the middle of the world as a misfit, and Jayma Mays as Grace Winslow has even lesser to do this time. Brendan Gleeson as Victor Doyle brings some fun right into the middle of chaos. Hank Azaria as Gargamel continues to keep us interested even as the villain seems to be more of a clone of what he was in the first movie. But we can’t avoid Gargamel and his sorcery that easily, as the man continues to be the villain that he was in the first movie. Azrael the cat could have had a little more screen-time to make the most out of it. The movie should have found something smurfantastic, but it takes the easy way out, as the movie starts in an ordinary manner and ends in a predictable manner. Whatever happens in the middle tries to hold this world together.

Even with some good 3D effects, The Smurfs 2 fails to get rid of all those things which might have added negatively to the first movie. But all the good things are still there. With The Conjuring on the other screen, this would attract the families with kids, that’s for sure. But the fact remains that Pacific Rim, The Wolverine and Man of Steel haven’t disappeared yet as expected. Therefore, the choices are there, and this movie has to strive hard. The big shock might be that there is the little presence of Despicable Me 2 somewhere around. But The Smurfs 2 is new and they got style, colour and a cute and easy to pronounce title which rhymes with Surf Excel, our common detergent powder which has attacked the television screens without mercy. With its ordinary moral story which keeps you smurfed, smurfized and smurfined, the question would remain if they could have waited a little more and come up with a better sequel of excellent content. The little blue creatures have more potential than this, and we can only hope that the third movie of the series would fulfill it. Until then, one has to adjust with this movie, and I am sure that it won’t bore you to death – it doesn’t make you feel awesome either.

Release date: 31st July 2013 (USA); 4th August 2013 (India)
Running time: 104 minutes
Directed by: Raja Gosnell
Starring: Hank Azaria, Jayma Mays, Neil Patrick Harris, Brendan Gleeson , Jacob Tremblay, Nancy O’Dell & a big number of voice actors including Katy Perry and Christina Ricci

thesmurfs2 copy

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.