Tag Archives: fear

Kishkindhapuri

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Vampire Owl: I can feel that some classic demons are going to be back.

Vampire Bat: I have never known the demons to ever leave us.

Vampire Owl: I am not talking about the shadow demons from Sector Eleven.

Vampire Bat: So, you are talking about another group of shadowy creatures.

Vampire Owl: There are enough demons with separate identities in the legends and myths of different areas.

Vampire Bat: But the question remains if they can make a good movie out of them.

Vampire Owl: Now, that would be a difficult question to answer.

Vampire Bat: It will be the best if we watch and have an understanding.

Vampire Owl: I shall always believe in horror and its different forms.

Vampire Bat: There is no true existence without horror in any realm.

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

What is the movie about? :: In 1989, in a remote village known as Kishkindhapuri, the owners and workers of Suvarnamaya radio station are about to leave post work after locking the doors at midnight. But soon the lights go off, and an evil spirit uses the radios and speakers to get them to the basement. The spirit kills all of them and leaves their bodies there arranged in the shape of a swastika in an inverted mode. The station is closed permanently by the villagers. They are joined by priests who sealed the building permanently using prayers and magical incantations in such a way that nobody or nothing comes in or goes out. Many years later, Raghava (Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas), his girlfriend Mythili (Anupama Parameswaran), and best friend Sumith (Sudharshan) are members of Ghost Walking Tour Company which takes tourists to locations which are believed to be haunted due to legends and myths spread related to it, and provides them with a special experience to remember for a life time.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The tours usually script the events of the entire tour, and bring the scares in an artificial manner to liven the experience. There are people who are dressed as ghosts and objects in buildings are moved using hidden levers and ropes, with some sound effects to support the experience. But for their next trip, Raghava’s boss lets the tourists choose their location, and the random selection turns out to be Suvarnamaya radio station, which is not among their usual list of locations. It seems to have been randomly added to the list without much of a thought. They have no settings ready for this place which was never chosen before. But that does not stop them as they travel all the way there. Raghava breaks the talismans which were set on the doors and they enter the place, even though the team never really has any plan this time. As the team does not believe in such evil, they had also brought the neighbourhood kid Moksha (Baby Ashvika) with them as she insists.

And what more follows here as evil continues to spread like no other? :: After the tourists begins to be really scared with some terrifying presence really being unleashed, they attempt to leave, but as they get out, finds their van burning. But the next morning, at the village, the locals warn them about the presence of the spirit which would follow and kill them. The twelve people who were in the radio station soon receive warnings about their deaths from the spirit through their radios they brought with them from the station. The spirit brutally kills three tourists, two of them on a train and the next one on a construction site, and has the deaths marked with a swastika’s inverted mirror form. Raghava investigates about the radio station, but most locals stay silent out of fear. He discovers the station was supposedly haunted by Vedavathi (Thanuja Madhurapanthula), the first and last speaker of the station who was publicly humiliated and had suicided, but feels that there is something more about her. Can he find the secret behind the actions of the spirit, and stop it before things get worse and everyone gets killed?

The defence of Kishkindhapuri :: The movie needs to be appreciated for the cinematography, sound design and production values which support the horror so well. The spooky setting with a haunted radio station looking like an ancient mansion is effectively done, creating a creepy mood that never leaves us. The film’s opening acts maintains that suspense which builds gradually, and the final twists are so well-managed. The evil feels so good and its effectiveness can never be questioned, coming together so well after those final revelations. The movie’s leads, Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas and Anupama Parameswaran, gets in nicely here, and the emotionally intense as well as scary moments. It is really nice to see Anupama getting such roles in different modes, the charm which started with Premam and was carried over to The Pet Detective. This one proves that she could be that scream queen of horror movies too. Then there is Sandy who scores as usual. The scares and tension are nicely maintained in this movie, and twists are to be enjoyed. The use of the background tale is so well layered and narrated with different versions taking control.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have gone for unlimited horror, as the spirit here is definitely beyond control. There is also some predictability in between, and the problems seem to be just randomly solved in the end after all the terror that had come earlier. Sometimes, the makers do let the horror to remain routine, like in Bhool Bhulaiyya 3, which made no real struggle to make things better. The songs and fights do not live up to the rest, as some struggle is also there. The need to bring the commercial elements to more strength do not help the movie at all, and it is seen from the first few minutes of the hero’s entry too. These are some cases of over-writing, maybe meant for a certain kind of audience. One keeps wondering how deep the horror could have managed to get if there was some innovation or the incorporation of folktale elements like Stree could do. At times, there seems to be an effort to make this a horror comedy, but one wonders if it was really intentional or coming out of nowhere. Some more of graphics could have been used here to make the terror look special.

How it finishes :: The movie’s box-office success is not a surprise, as it has managed the whole thing so well, and it raises itself much above the other horror movies dealing with the same type of content. Kishkindhapuri is an effort to be appreciated – it gets many of the basics in horror absolutely right with the classic setting, terrifying mood, throughout scares and is supported by some appreciable lead performances. There might be flaws, but if you enjoy spooky, atmospheric thriller on a ghost with a past and don’t mind the existence of some cliches, it is surely worth a watch. Even though it is now in Amazon Prime Video in Hindi too, this feels like that experience which we missed in theatres, but we know that it would not have released in this part of the world at all. But the horror should have always had some space in the big theatres, as the terrifying experience is to be best experienced in the darkness of the best screens. With those final talks in the movie, it feels that one can have an even better experience. This is the kind of horror which could surely take the genre to new heights and we will wait for that.

Release date: 12th September 2025
Running time: 125 minutes
Directed by: Koushik Pegallapati
Starring: Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas, Anupama Parameswaran, Sandy, Sudhardhan, Tanikella Bharani, Hyper Aadi, Srikanth Iyengar, Makarand Deshpande, Prema, Sunil Reddy, Anantha Prabhu, Baby Ashvika, Srinivas Vadlamani, Thanuja Madhurapanthula, Alapati Lakshmi, Srinivas Bogireddy

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Black

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Vampire Owl: I am sure that this movie is about darkness.

Vampire Bat: There is no darkness that we do not know.

Vampire Owl: I feel that this would be pitch black.

Vampire Bat: This could actually be about the colour.

Vampire Owl: Nobody focuses on a colour like black.

Vampire Bat: Black is our national colour, so focus is already there.

Vampire Owl: Do you think that this movie would have unlimited dark horror?

Vampire Bat: The biggest of horrors are not dark or black, but much more.

Vampire Owl: You are talking about different colours of horrors in a witch’s cauldron.

Vampire Bat: Those are just potions and elixirs that cause stomach upset horror.

[Gets a egg puffs and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: In 1964, one a rainy night, three people drive on the road, two eloping lovers and their friend who are trying to stay away from the city while they get married on the very next day. The friend who also had love for the same girl comes back after leaving, and finds both of them murdered, and is surprised at the name of the one who committed the murder. Back to the present, Vasanth (Jiiva) and Aaranya (Priya Bhavani Shankar) are a couple who recently do not have a good time together due to their busy schedules at work and some occasional fights. There is also a fight at a pub which leads to Vasanth beating up a man who retaliates by breaking the glass of their car. To make things better, he proposes a vacation, but Aaranya suggests a weekend trip to their new apartment in a peaceful coastal area. Being the first residents in the villas, they are alone for that night except for the one security who is there for duty. There is a mysterious statue of an angel which has been there since 1964, with different relocation attempts failing one after the other, and it was something that was present during the earlier murder of the couple in that year.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The couple buys some supplies from a nearby supermarket and decides to settle in for a calm and peaceful night. They are surprised to find that the security of the villas has gone missing, and there is also a strange painting delivered to the location which is only known to their best friends. As the supermoon rises in the night, the power goes off and some strange sounds are heard. With no one to switch on the available power backup, they go to the parking area and manage to get it done. Aaranya feels that someone else was there in the parking area, but ends up finding nobody. A friend shows up and tells them that they made a call asking him to come over, which both of them denies. Vasanth and Aaranya, who have made no such call, are baffled but bid him goodbye saying that they have no problems. As he goes back to his car and finds the call on his mobile phone, he is confused, but has no option but to drive away from the area.

And what more is to follow in this world of chaos with something strange all around? :: Later, they find out that there are lights in the opposite villa, even though they were told that they were the only occupants in the group of villas. They find out that the opposite villa is exactly the same mirror image of their villa, but not just with the structure, but having identical furniture, drinks, and even the newly arrived painting. The painting which was once broken, appears okay when they return home, and the same also happens with the curtains which had caught fire. They try to escape in their car, only to find themselves reappearing in the same area after crossing a dark area. Panicked, Aaranya calls emergency services for help, but gets disconnected after telling them a bit. They find themselves in the opposite villa, shocking them about their own existence. Suddenly, an intruder comes in and attacks Vasanth, and it is another version of him, whom they both somehow manages to drive away. They have no idea what is happening and wonder how they can survive the night – can they?

The defence of Black :: The movie nicely explores parallel timelines or alternate realities, complex loops and identity confusion unlike what is usually seen around. Fans of the movie from which it is adapted – Coherence, will surely find it engaging, as they see the world of that movie of Hollywood beautifully recreated with the necessary changes to suit our world. Also, there will be a lot of people who have not watched that particular movie, which will make this experience feel to be fresh and very much new. That dark set of so much similar-looking houses provide us with the feeling of other science-fiction movies like Vivarium from where escape for so much more than just impossible. The environment is just perfect for the movie, and even though not a horror movie, there is terror right in here. Jiiva shines in the movie with multiple identities, while Priya Bhavani Shankar who was also seen in Demonte Colony 2 remains too good here. It has something to keep us engaged and on the edge of the seats at all times, as the mystery thickens and fear is generated from the hopeless situations faced by the protagonists. There is also a lot left to the imagination, which would work for the people who wish for more than what meets the eye. After all, we are the Avengers and Justice League multiverse – parallel worlds fans in heart.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does not seem to solve all its complications, as some confusions do seem to remain – ambiguity stays on without holding back. Multiple versions of characters with overlapping timelines being brought to limited expositions make it a hard thing to follow for casual viewers. The moments at the generator are as ambiguous as the ending, and the attempt to escape in the car also provides that strange feeling. There are also so many characters which remain underdeveloped and one wonders if they exist just to be around. The questions about which version of which characters come at which moment, and who all are matched with each other, keeps people wondering, and explanations are just basic, with visuals not giving that many deep ideas. For people who are not serious with science fiction, too much of time is wasted thinking about what is happening around here. The connections do not feel to be perfect, and sometimes, the movie seems to be a little bit stretched beyond need too.

How it finishes :: Black, despite said to be the adaptation of an English movie, feels like having undergone a transformation to reach this situation which seems to be well-suited for this environment. There seems to be a lot of variation from that tale too, and most of us have not really watched that particular movie either. This version also has quality written all over it, as there is a fine presentation of the idea, even though we cannot deny the existence of some confusion in between, as the blending of time travel, alternative realities and science fiction are not that easy to work with, especially with some strange phenomenon coming in out of nowhere – even the audience would not be ready for the same. But we know that the effort is so good, and this divergence has been the need of our times. Without such thoughts, would movies like Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra and Minnal Murali be around in Malayalam movie industry? Our movie’s twisted realities remind us of the earlier Pechi which was dealing with another genre, but brought the complexities of multiple realities as if hallucinating in an uncertain world. This one here is surely worth your time.

Release date: 11th October 2024
Running time: 117 minutes
Directed by: K G Balasubramani
Starring: Jiiva, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Vivek Prasanna, Yog Japee, Sindhoori, Shah Ra, Swayam Siddha, Raja Rudrakodi, Bharath Sivarajan, Mahimai Raj,Dharma Raj, G V Krishna, Pop Suresh

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ 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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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ 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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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ 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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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Eleven

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Vampire Owl: Do you know that there are not even eleven vampires in our team?

Vampire Bat: Well, we do not need that many vampires around here.

Vampire Owl: So, we are not building an army?

Vampire Bat: Why do we need an army right now?

Vampire Owl: To defeat an army of serial killer humans?

Vampire Bat: This movie only has one serial killer.

Vampire Owl: But humans are basically trained to be serial killers.

Vampire Bat: We do not see an army of serial killers in one movie.

Vampire Owl: There are many, but they show only a few of them.

Vampire Bat: Well, humans are meant to be born killers with inherent evil, and only one small push will do for even children.

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

What is the movie about? :: ACP Aravindan IPS (Naveen Chandra) is a police officer who has a near-perfect record of solving even the most impossible cases, and had recently caught a finance bank robbery group which had never failed in their crimes before with perfect calculations. This success is celebrated well on media, but a darker case was evolving in the background. ACP Ranjith IPS (Shashank) who is in charge of this new case involving serial killings almost dies in an accident after the body count reaches six, Aravindan is asked to investigate. Ranjith who barely survived, and is in the hospital promises to support him in any way possible, even though left out of service due to injury. For his support, SI Manohar (Dileepan) is given the duty, and both find themselves in a confused state as there was never any real clue found by previous investigatory and Ranjith. Aravindan discovers an interesting piece of evidence, an ankle-surgery plate in one of the victims, which helps them shortlist seven individuals based on age.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: At the same time, Sanjana (Reyaa Hari) who comes to a restaurant to meet her possible groom who was selected by her parents sees Aravindan who is wearing the same identification in the form of a grey shirt, and falling in love with him as he beats up multiple goons. She tells him about her desire, but he immediately rejects her and asks her to marry the person whom her parents had found for her. Aravindan reaches Sudhakar (Kireeti Damaraju) while tracing the ankle-surgery plate and Meera (Riythvika) while hearing about a beggar talking about a girl being abducted. The police also find a common group photo in both houses, finally finding a connection. Aravindan understands that the only connection between the twins is their school, Twin Birds Matriculation School, which no longer exists as it was burned down in a fire, followed by the death of its owner Ravi (Ravi Varma). This feels like a very strange connection with a past that they wish to forget from their childhood, which had a secret which was buried. Now, the question remains about who all will be targeted from that past.

The defence of Eleven :: This might be one of the most interesting versions of serial killer related murder investigations as it focuses on twins. At the same time, the visuals are nothing less than stunning, and the colours here especially at night seems to bring the best of Chennai. This is the kind of movie which quickly has us interested, and gets us through the journey with guesses, but brings those kinds of twists which come out of nowhere. But there is no overdose of the same like we had seen in Mirage, as things just went out of control. There are the twists over twists which works so well, and the suspense only gets stronger, while red herrings add on well. The shots of cemetery and the styling lacks in nothing. As the cinematography, background score and production values deserve praise, they keep us deeper in the movie here. The flashback tale is also very much interesting which reminds us that one has to pay for the heartless mistakes one makes, whether it is as a child or as an adult because humanity is not learned in old age, but part of human character rather early.

Positives and negatives :: The movie’s romantic side is a mess, and it is saved by the fact that the same is not given that much of a focus. There is something that makes us feel that it was not needed at all. There might also be the feeling that we have rather too many serial killers around, but in our world, one has to say that it is not a surprise to have such people hiding behind different faces. For some people, there might be points where there are missing connections, but it is seen that everything comes together at the end. It is always nice to see the inherent evil of man at work, like in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies – taking children as innocent is not the way to go; the actions of the kids could feel even more evil in nature than that of the adults as they are not forced into situations, but use them right out of their hearts. There are always the little demons in this world of chaos, and here we see that element coming back to haunt them as adults. This makes sure that there is always something different and divergent even in the nature of the movie, and revenge remains justified.

The performers of the soul :: The movie is guided by a solid performance from Naveen Chandra, who becomes a perfect police officer with that determination on his face that never seems to leave the character. The intensity that he shows in a quiet and determined manner, never going overboard, sets a fine example here, without also overdoing any action sequence. The different shades of his character work so well that we do not think about having any other perfect police officer during this time period. Reyaa Hari, the producer who is the leading lady is under-utilized, and in the role, does quite less – cannot blame her though, as the romantic side lags behind in almost everything and this approach does not suit her; yet she does fine in the final moments of the movie. Dileepan also remains solid as the supporting police officer, as his character also contributes to the twists well. Shashank plays the third important police man, and that also works nicely. Abhirami’s role is also an interesting one here. Riythvika also adds on to the proceedings here with memorable moments. The same can also be said about Kireeti Damaraju’s work.

How it finishes :: Eleven is one of the best investigation thrillers featuring a serial killer and twists remain very much effective with suspense all around. For the fans of investigative thrillers who wish to see murders coming out of a buried past, this one is surely worth a watch, as there is a good score to be taken for its strong lead, technical polishing and the satisfying second half which comes to an ending which it deserved. The ability to remain engaging from the beginning to the end is a skill that not many movies possess. There is nothing much that it misses, and we are familiar with some classic thrillers with serial killers from Memories to Abraham Ozler, Forensic, Anjaam Pathiraa, John Luther, Antakshari, Paappan and others which have kept Malayalam movie industry going strong. This movie could have surely used more hype and much more screens here, as we are the kind of people who like the twists and thrills with a serial killer around and a mystery which is soaked in revenge and best served cold. For now, this one serves the same well in Amazon Prime Video in multiple languages.

Release date: 16th May 2025
Running time: 135 minutes
Directed by: Lokkesh Ajls
Starring: Naveen Chandra, Reyaa Hari, Abhirami, Ravi Varma, Riythvika, Shashank, Dileepan, Arjai, Aadukalam Naren, Kireeti Damaraju

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Bambi

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Vampire Owl: I feel that I know this particular animal.

Vampire Bat: Well, there is no vampire deer around here.

Vampire Owl: There are no new vampire appointments?

Vampire Bat: There has not been a vampire transformation in a long time.

Vampire Owl: But Dr. Frankenstein was transformed into a vampire.

Vampire Bat: He is not a vampire. Mr. Frankenstein just has some really bad teeth.

Vampire Owl: Well, he is known as the first vampire scientist in the media.

Vampire Bat: The media is just exaggerating things. They even talked about the hunt.

Vampire Owl: There was the great monster hunt which spread further.

Vampire Bat: It was not really a hunt. It was just a random experiment.

[Gets an uzhunnu vada and three cups of Ooty tea].

What is the movie about? :: A young deer is shown as losing his family members, to poachers, to vehicles carelessly driven through forest roads and finds the rivers contaminated with radioactive waste. Drinking this contaminated waste transforms the deer into something else, a mutated creature known as Bambi. It drives him into vengeance, as he, as part of the forest, decides to take back the world which used to belong to them, and finish off whatever humans he finds on the way. Greatly increased in size and stronger than ever, the mutated version of him is something which would now stop at no force, seemingly becoming the apex predator which would not hesitate to kill at will. A big truck carrying toxic waste from a local radiation company known as Wibexr Pharmaceuticals would be a special target. At the same time, there are also other creatures of the forest, mostly herbivores, but have turned carnivores due to the same effect of the contamination. There might not be any innocence left in the forest yet.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: A few days after the contamination, a mother Xana (Roxanne McKee) and her son Benji (Tom Mulheron) take a taxi to spend the Thanksgiving holidays with Xana’s husband Simon (Alex Cooke) with whom she might get separated soon – and his family is also there including his dementia-stricken mother Mary (Nicola Wright), his brothers Andrew (Russell Geoffrey Banks) and Joshua (Luke Cavendish), Andrew’s wife Harriet (Samira Mighty), and their son Harrison (Joseph Greenwood). As Simon promises to arrive before dinner and celebrate with the family, the family stays waiting. On the way, Bambi attacks the taxi and brutally kills the driver while Xana and Benji manages to get out of the vehicle and somehow reaches the family house. The residents of the house do not believe in the story of a giant deer attacking, and feels that there is something else at work, but decides to be careful. Maty also seems to know the name of the deer and there are drawings of the creature in the house.

And what more would happen here as the world seems to be scariest with a contamination within a forest? :: Soon, Bambi reaches the place and attacks the house and kills Harriet splitting her into two with her reinforced antlers, forcing the family to flee in a caravan, losing the creature for some time. They drive into the forest only to find the road blocked and thus an unexpected dead end. Andrew tries to remove it, but Benji who panics upon seeing Bambi on the rear-view mirror drives off with him, Xana and Mary inside and Andrew is accidentally dragged behind them and dies on the road. Harrison who is left behind gets caught in a trap for animals and are brutally killed by a group of mutated rabbits. The group of Benji, Xana and Mary come up against Michael (Adrian Relph), a co-worker of Simon. Soon, they come across some truths which would be better if remained hidden, but then there is that mutated deer with some other ideas. Can the family and friends at least survive this night?

The defence of Bambi: The Reckoning :: The movie strikes well with its fear induced out of the cuteness of nostalgia, with such an inversion which goes so well with the situation that nature faces in front of human induced disasters. As this one flips into a horror revenge deer turned monster, the mood is so well-arranged and the environment is so much perfect. The Twisted Childhood Universe of horror taking on beloved characters gives it an appeal that we do not forget with ease. The monster deer created out of radioactive waste is designed very well and some inventive kills and gore also looks interesting. The haunting feels good and the presence of that kind of danger which seems to be present everywhere leaves the options of running, and there is the effective survival mode. The deer scares us like a rabid dog, as the looks shift to the face of a dog with antlers and the body of a horse, as this mutation never ceases to be scary. The dark mood is always present throughout the movie and there is also the talk about the need to save nature or it will hit back as forest would find a way for revenge.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have spready the horror further with moments which would be remembered for the variety of terror as a classic slasher, but that much is not there. The elements of the classic slasher are less explored here as there seems to be some confusion about how the induced evil on cuteness should progress. The character development is rather less, and the humans feel like just provided here to be prey with the scope to save only the expected characters by the end because the movie just wants to keep playing safe. The low budget effect also shows at times, and seems to limit the movie from getting to the next level, especially with a seemingly unstoppable creature on the hunt. The darkness in the movie seems to be created more to hide what could be a terrifying thing beyond all imaginations if provided with the best budget. It is sometimes too much away from the usual serious horror and the reminder of the childhood tale does not strike everyone that well as we look at it. This is not that much of a classical childhood thing for people around here as much as some of the others.

How it finishes :: Bambi: The Reckoning gets a cute little creature grow up to become a demonic mutant monster that would change many childhood stories. The original Bambi of Disney would not get that treatment here, and the direct inverted cuteness is something that will stay with the viewers who would also have a related childhood nostalgia going the other way. This is the movie which comes as an unexpected interesting entry. It becomes the reminder that the sweetest could be the evillest, and as William Golding’s Lord of the Flies had told us, there is always that evil in the cuteness which is always ready to come out. We can now have the feeling that this evil is actually right out of the inherent evil of children that was delivered against Piggy and Simon in that novel and its multiple film adaptations. After all, the movie reminds us that evil is real, and the horror is the ultimate reality. You will surely get the entertainment and a special nostalgic feeling out of this one in Amazon Prime Video, but if you expect more substance or a polished horror experience, you might need more.

Release date: 25th July 2025
Running time: 81 minutes
Directed by: Dan Allen
Starring: Roxanne McKee, Tom Mulheron, Nicola Wright, Samira Mighty, Alex Cooke, Russell Geoffrey Banks, Joseph Greenwood

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Oddity

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Vampire Owl: I would like to say that we are all odd.

Vampire Bat: We are odd for the humans indeed.

Vampire Owl: We have called odd by Dr Frankenstein millions of times.

Vampire Bat: Mr Frankenstein knows nothing about vampires.

Vampire Owl: Yes, he is a man of science and an expert in the same.

Vampire Bat: He is a man of pseudoscience like no other.

Vampire Owl: Well, humans call us as part of this pseudoscience too.

Vampire Bat: The lack of belief in God is slowly eating humans from inside.

Vampire Owl: I have heard that the demons of the night are also burning them.

Vampire Bat: I know that there is a great war coming among humans, bigger than they have ever known, and the godless world of theirs which twists religion for politics is going to burn.

[Gets a masala bonda and three cups of tea by Fort Cochin Beach].

What is the movie about? :: Dani Odello-Timmis (Carolyn Bracken), wife of Ted Timmis (Gwilym Lee), a renounced psychiatrist, moves to a new country house which is located in the middle of nowhere. As Ted works during the nights, and as the hospital is short-staffed, she decides to stay at the new house through the night and arrange a few things even though there is a lot of work to be done. She tries to call her twin sister Darcy Odello (Carolyn Bracken), who is a clairvoyant, but is unable to get to her on the phone. Olin Boole (Tadhg Murphy), a former of patient of Ted visits Dani on the might and asks her to let him in so that he can help her with the people who had gotten inside her home. Even though she feels that she heard some sound inside, she is reluctant to get him inside and asks him to go away. Olin tells her to call the police and seems to walk away. She is scared, but decides to stay inside and not open the door. But in the morning, she is found dead, and Olin is believed to be the murderer.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Soon, Olin is also found dead in the mental hospital where he was admitted, and he seemed to have met his death in the most brutal manner. One year later, a woman named Yana (Caroline Menton) starts living with Ted as his new girlfriend. She is not happy about living in home in the middle of nowhere which had seen that one mysterious and brutal death. She feels that there is something sinister at work there, and she gets visions of the dead woman all the time. Even though she credits the same to sleeplessness, she wishes to moves to the city as her new boyfriend is always at the hospital during nights in the name of extra work and too many patients. Meanwhile, the twin sister Darcy, who has been talking to the spirits, seems to be in need of investigating the murder as she feels that there is something more to that particular murder. She decides to visit the house where the murders took place – what will she find there? Is there anything to find out?

The defence of Oddity :: The movie remains highly atmospheric, and this country mansion in the middle of nowhere is the perfect place to live as long as you are looking for horror. The setting justifies everything else, as we have the feeling that the supernatural is always around, even though the presence of a human killer or a psycho is also around to be felt. The movie has its own unsettling moments, and there are some red herrings which comes right out of nowhere. The movie does feel clean, with nothing unnecessary being put into use here. There is a lot of evil that runs through the background of the movie which can be used for a sequel too. The supernatural elements of this one can have another movie or even get multiple spin-offs. There seems to be a limitless journey like The Conjuring in store here, but due to the nature of this movie, we need to doubt such an existence. Maybe, this is only a beginning which will stay fine at the beginning.

The claws of flaw :: The movie remains too slow and continues to lag even with such a short run-time which could have been a boon here. There are too many moments when nothing much is happening, or at least make us feel so. Too many dialogues also send the movie into a struggle, as there are too much words and less action. There could have been some big action at least with those hallucinations, but that is not so. There are moments which are predictable, and at some point, we have already guessed a number of main things here – for a movie like this, it is not too acceptable. There are some elements and some characters who needed a detailed exploration, but that focus is certainly not here to be taken. The lack of focus comes back to haunt the movie at times, as the emotional attachment also leaves us on the way due to the same reason. Something at the centre of all these, also needed some explanation instead of coming alive in the end.

The performers of the soul :: The movie is led really well by Carolyn Bracken who plays two roles, one of an unsuspecting lady who is excited to move to a new house and loves her sister and husband very much, while there is the second sister who is blind, but is in contact with the supernatural as the one sister who is more determined than ever, and yet makes one feel that there is something strange as well as psychotic about her, along with being psychic. These are the characters so well-played that we fall in love with both, and there is that nice divergence from each other that we love to have. Gwilym Lee comes with the classic work as the man who does all the job, and is the man to look out for. Tadhg Murphy plays a memorable character and does it in a convincing way even though not present throughout the movie. Caroline Menton plays her character in a believable way with no pretentions. Steve Wall also stays in a notable role which becomes more relevant as the movie reaches the final moments.

How it finishes :: Oddity had so much scope to be something bigger, but it resists that tendency to search for grandeur with ease. The movie takes too safe a path here, and the same is evident at times. The movie could have been a psychological and supernatural masterpiece with elements from both sides, but that heavy load is not taken here, as there seems to a certain reluctance to go big. Therefore, as it is, this is one movie which works, and gives us some fine moments to remember, but there is nothing much that would extend its stay. This one is not going to be a Sinister, Insidious, Oujia, The Conjuring, Annabelle, The Nun or The Curse of La Llorna, establishing certain evil that we are going to remember for long. Instead, it is that common safe route horror movie which brings some innovation and shoots the scares that work with an abiding mystery all around. Let us watch this one and keep guessing on what is to happen next with its own suspense creeping into the classic space for horror.

Release date: 30th August 2024
Running time: 98 minutes
Directed by: Damian McCarthy
Starring: Gwilym Lee, Carolyn Bracken, Tadhg Murphy, Caroline Menton, Jonathan French, Steve Wall

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Amelia’s Children

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Vampire Owl: We have not been reviewing many Portuguese movies.

Vampire Bat: We have only managed one, and it was not out of Portugal either.

Vampire Owl: I am sure that Bacurau will still count as Portuguese.

Vampire Bat: Yes, Brazilian movies are in Portuguese, so it counted.

Vampire Owl: So, this is the first Portuguese film from Portugal we are reviewing.

Vampire Bat: Yes, this is indeed a milestone too.

Vampire Owl: Yet we have so many Spanish movies here.

Vampire Bat: Some of these Spanish movies were true classics.

Vampire Owl: I hope that this one will inspire us to watch more Portuguese films.

Vampire Bat: Well, we are immortal and can watch them all.

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

What is the movie about? :: Edward (Carloto Cotta) has been looking to find his family as he has always felt without roots. One day, his girlfriend Riley (Jack Haven) provides him with a DNA test kit. The results reveal more about his birth, and that he has a twin brother, Manuel (Carloto Cotta) and also their mother named Amelia (Anabela Moreira) who live in a small village in Portugal. Edward and Riley travel to the huge villa in the middle of the woods so that he can finally feel like having a family. This is a strange, but an emotional reunion. But Riley feels that there is something wrong, as the locals are hostile to them, and both the twin brother and the mother seem to be hiding something. There seems to be not much of interest being talked about, and Amelia looks and acts strange. She even hears something weird from outside the room where Manuel and Amelia are found sleeping together in a bed, making her question the kind of family which seems to exist in that seemingly perfect building.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Riley notices a strange bonding between the brothers that feels unnatural, even though they are seeing each other for the first time, and Edward was once not really sure about the meeting. Riley tries to uncover the secrets that seems to plague the villa, and feels that Amelia has some supernatural powers and is part of a ritualistic system of which Manuel is also a member. The mother-son relationship is not what seems to be from a distance. Riley’s growing realization is also supported by nightmares which seem to come to her at regular intervals. The question remains if she knows this particular world within the woods well enough and whether she can escape from it. Edward seems to be ready to remain there as part of the family, but he is also having his own dose of hallucinations. The people of the village seem to hope that they will leave soon, as if it is the right things to do. Will there be escape or will there be death?

The defence of Amelia’s Children a.k.a. A Semente do Mal :: The world has been nicely built here, and finding the roots itself was a starting which seemed to mean much more than what met the eye. This idea of discovering a long-lost family through DNA testing, only to find something supernatural associated with it, makes the whole thing interesting. The mixture of psychological with the supernatural elements gives it much more depth. Then there is the setting, the atmosphere that does a fine job. The building itself has something like we ha in Crimson Peak to add to the structural fear, even though this is not that much of a scary architecture, and never is an attempt to made to elevate the level to such a world of fear. The creepiness is always present, even they do not really come to the front. The premise has already done most of the work here. The presence of a witch provides the much-needed boost to a world which has started off well. The ending, even though not that deep into the situation, leaves us with a scope for a sequel to expand this better.

The claws of flaw :: The struggle of long run-time seems to plague this movie even though it is not long at all. There might be a little bit too much revealed early, and that might have plagued the later run and might have kept it running without much happening to create an impact. The twist should have been kept better hidden with red herrings or at least by deviating to something less important. It seems to stretch due to not trying to do well enough with the content and let everything unfold – even the leading performers seem to be left on their own rather than their characters undergoing anything. The mood seems to be mixed here, as the strongest element of supernatural horror often losses the way. The main lady character should have been the central point, and the one who should stay scared and attacked, but she seems to have a run without that big sense of danger. She does not become that big a scream queen as the usual elements of horror, and even that of slasher remains largely forgotten when dealing with her character.

The performers of the soul :: The performances are pretty good, but not much when we consider the possibilities of the horror. This is a world of scares, and the usual do not satisfy the environment that much – The Well had realized the same in Italy, but in Portugal, that blending is paused due to the lack of pace which seems to plague the characters as if it is an old award movie where not enough happens to provide the performers with scope. Carloto Cotta does quite well in the two roles, even though it is nothing out of the box, and not much expands. Anabela Moreira does well to manage the strangeness present there, while Alba Baptista who portrays her younger version does the same perfectly – she has the looks and expression to bring the strangeness of a mortal immortal. Jack Haven does a fine job, but does not seem to try that hard. There is a certain amount of predictability in the work and the journey is just accordingly, nothing more or less. The same is also applicable to the final moments when there is nothing grand in the performances, but just enough, as if playing by the safe side.

How it finishes :: Amelia’s Children could have been a classic, but it chooses not use that many scares even though it is in a village with woods and a strange villa in the middle of all – this could have been horror unleashing itself, but the movie holds itself back. The same is also done in the last moments when this could have come with a shock, but chooses to go for the unexpected. The titular character wanders in the old form too much, and the young form would have been nice if appeared at least in hallucinations often. There are moments when the mother could have been young, and there are situations when fear could have had many different faces, and even darkness could have been used better. Yet, the movie keeps us interested, thanks to the mystery that prevails throughout its run. There is always the feeling that something bigger is to come and that it is going to be a shocker, and it is that feeling and the existence of terror ready to be unleashed keeps us going. It was never going to be The Conjuring, The Nun, Annabelle, Insidious or Sinister, but manages to do enough.

Release date: 18th January 2024
Running time: 91 minutes
Directed by: Gabriel Abrantes
Starring: Jack Haven, Carloto Cotta, Anabela Moreira, Alba Baptista, Rita Blanco

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Well

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Vampire Owl: Wells are some fine containers for the supernatural.

Vampire Bat: We, vampires are not people of the wells.

Vampire Owl: The demons can stay in the well though.

Vampire Bat: Even werewolves and zombies do not mind. But we do.

Vampire Owl: Can a well without water serve as a coffin during daytime?

Vampire Bat: A coffin needs to have a lid at all times.

Vampire Owl: I believe that Dr. Frankenstein can arrange that.

Vampire Bat: I knew that it was his idea only.

Vampire Owl: I do not see how great men like Frank bro cannot have such ideas.

Vampire Bat: Such villains always have similar ideas.

[Gets a kadai paneer puffs and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Lisa Gray (Lauren LaVera) is the daughter of a renowned art restorer and they run a famous firm which is known for their expertise in the field and operates in multiple countries. One day, she gets a very significant assignment from a small village in Italy where a wealthy aristocratic family living in a castle-like mansion has a damaged painting which needs to be restored in a very small amount of time. Her father Mr. Gray (Giovanni Lombardo Radice) forces her to take the assignment as he cannot travel that long and their company is in desperate need for funds – a failure there would leave them bankrupt, and at the end of their art restoration journey. The painting is owned by Emma Malvisi (Claudia Gerini) who seems to be too charming and beautiful for her age. On the way, she meets two American biologists Madison (Courage Oviawe) and Tracy (Taylor Zaudtk), along with their guide Toni (Gianluigi Galvani) who are traveling to a nearby campsite located in the woods.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Lisa is asked to restore a centuries painting that has been damaged in a fire, with almost nothing visible. She begins work on the painting, and is forced to speed up, as the contract signed by her father promised that the job would be finished in two weeks, despite her feeling that it would take more than a month. The painting starts revealing demonic figures which also appears in Lisa’s dreams which turn into nightmares. Emma’s teenage daughter, Giulia (Linda Zampaglione), gives Lisa some warnings about the paintings despite acting unfriendly. Emma assures her that it is just a personality disorder and the girl has too many fantasies due to which she could not stay in the school. Meanwhile, Madison, Tracy, and Toni are attacked by an unknown figure and are held captive in cells surrounding a well. There seems to be something sinister going on in the area, and can Lisa and her newfound friends survive this terrifying reality filled with terror?

The defence of The Well :: The Well is that movie which has come out of nowhere to make the perfect Gothic impact, and open that world of ancient horror taken into the medieval and beyond. The terrifying reality which the Gothic and the Dark Romantics provided in the past with its classic elements comes alive again, and we keep thinking about that world of supernatural chaos yet again. The demon is also nicely done and the painting is something like no other. The curse of the past coming to haunt in a medieval castle with secret passages and traps never gets old, no matter how much the modernity comes upon us. The imagination of our age can work well with the Gothic of the past – hence proven. The darkness with that kind of lighting which inspire further horror is also to be appreciated. This one becomes an inspiration to travel to Italy, becoming the one location that horror fans would prefer in Western Europe like Romania in the eastern side. I would travel to Eastern Europe any day, but Italy and Spain would be in the list if there is an extension; after all, I am also a vlogger now.

Positives and negatives :: There would always be people questioning these types of smooth horror movies, especially as it does not bring that inescapable terror. The castle could have even added more horror, and the well could have been further terrifying, despite us feeling the Gothic strength all the time. The fear elements keep gripping us, and we know what Italian movies can do right from Don’t Kill Me with the zombies, A Classic Horror Story with its gore-fillers, Security with the thrills, among the others. Well, this one requires a sequel like The Conjuring, Annabelle, The Nun and Insidious had, and such a setting is added to the ending, even though forced – the scope is a lot there to be taken. Even though a lot of people might have missed the movie – even I never really heard about it, the release of the movie on Amazon Prime Video with Hindi audio is surely going to help. In the world of modernity where nothing is a sin, let this one remind one of the presence of evil and its ability to take over in an environment which seems perfectly not supernatural.

The performers of the soul :: Lauren LaVera is someone whom we remember from Terrifier 2, and it was one fantastic performance from her in a slasher movie that kept us immersed there – the last fight with the clown was epic. There was the note that she began as a body double for Anya Taylor-Joy and others in that memorable psychological thriller Split – this reminds us that we had the seen the girl somewhere before too. She continues her great work in this particular movie, as from the beginning, we know that this one would make a fine scream queen and can continue the great job to more movies of horror too. She goes through the scares, slasher situations and nightmares in a convincing manner. The next significant candidate for the scream queen role is Taylor Zaudtke, who has also done a fine job with the girl who tries to escape from the evil, and is too terrorized at times. Claudia Gerini’s work is solid and we feel like she is part of that aristocratic world all the time. Linda Zampaglione as Giulia does not fall behind in doing the same either. The rest of the supporting cast also contributes pretty well.

How it finishes :: There might be no better place to shoot a Gothic horror film than Italy, which seems to have the settings that would keep us horror fans enlightened with the older medieval buildings of its past as much as the Renaissance structures. The Gothic never got such close its soul in horror movies like we have here, with a medieval castle, mysterious painting, secret passages, underground dungeon, hidden traps and darkness that shines like the light of the moon with a haunting past. If there is a perfect Gothic world, it should be this one, and the other one would be Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak which kept breathing Gothic till the end. This one remains scary, entertaining, and as mysterious as any such movie should be. We know that there is more than what meets the eye from the beginning itself, and we enjoy the same. When you feel that horror is losing its strength, we get transported to this world, and that is indeed something great – we enjoy our existence in such a world of old model horror awakened again.

Release date: 1st August 2024
Running time: 92 minutes
Directed by: Federico Zampaglione
Starring: Lauren LaVera, Claudia Gerini, Jonathan Dylan King, Yassine Fadel, Gianluigi Galvani, Taylor Zaudtke, Courage Oviawe, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Linda Zampaglione, Lorenzo Renzi, Melanie Gaydos, Stefano Martinelli, Toni Pandolfo

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✠ 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

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Tantra

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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.

Sector 36

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Vampire Owl: Have you travelled through Sector 36 of the extended castle?

Vampire Bat: It is not an extension of the castle, but our graveyard.

Vampire Owl: Nowadays, we consider it as part of the building itself.

Vampire Bat: Why are you making the castle feel bigger?

Vampire Owl: A bigger castle means better respect.

Vampire Bat: It also means more taxes for all of us.

Vampire Owl: Aren’t we the government? So, we are paying ourselves, right?

Vampire Bat: It is not that direct. There is a procedure for it.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that we do not get most of it?

Vampire Bat: Well, we can only explain it as part of a system.

[Gets a sambar vada and three cups of extra light tea].

What is the movie about? :: In the busy city of Noida, the number of missing kids has been on the increase. A lot of cases reach the police station, but the cops are not much bothered about them as the lost children are of migrants from villages around the city. Inspector Ram Charan Pandey (Deepak Dobriyal), the corrupt inspector of the police station is not interested in anything, and does not even lodge an FIR for these cases, as the life of these commoners do not matter to him, and is of no profit either. His senior officers also ask him not to bother about the same and work with those which matter. Prem Singh (Vikrant Massey) is the house help of a wealthy and powerful businessman Balbir Bassi (Akash Khurana), and is involved in kidnapping the kids, whose bodies are not found later. He murders them and chops them into pieces without remorse, and no remains are usually found. When part of a skeleton is found, the police dismisses the same as the bones of a monkey which came through the sewers.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Ram Charan gets serious only when Prem attempts to kidnap his daughter, but fails. Prem had misunderstood that the girl was a migrant’s child, and leaves her behind when chased. This leads to Ram Charan going on a hunt for the person who has been trying to kidnap the kids, with the help of Constable Shravan Kumar Pathak (Ajit Palawat). But DCP Jawahar Rastogi (Darshan Jariwala) stands on his way, as he would not let anything bad happen to the owner of the house, Balbir. He asks Ram Charan to leave the idea of any investigation near that house, and soon gets him suspended. But he would not stop, and will come up with other plans. But it remains to be seen if he can stand against one of the richest men around, and get to his house worker. This also puts his own family in danger, and the cops of his own police station are now against him. Can he stand as one unstoppable force against them all or will he be destroyed like many others before him?

The defence of Sector 36 :: The movie follows a realistic mode from the beginning itself. There is nothing that seems to be not possible as far as this particular movie is concerned, especially due to taking inspiration from a real-life incident featuring killings. It keeps a chilling mood with the realism that keeps the audience expecting more all the time. There is also a grim, claustrophobic setting that brings the unease and dread with ease. The fear stays on, and the tentacles of the serial killer keeps the movie going forward, and with the police officer finally ready to face him, the audience is left with those high expectations. It also serves as a reminder that the poor never really stands a chance when the highly influential is on the other side. Even though it is not shouted about, the world indeed belongs to the rich, the ones who belong to the one percent or even ten percent. The middle class that tries to side with the poor, would also suffer, as shown here. Well, if you need support, you need money, and that is indeed the point here and the core of realism.

The claws of flaw :: The strength of thrills is low in this one, as the pace itself is low, and that seems to align with the need to keep the whole thing realistic. The transformation of the protagonist also sems to be too quick, and that pace also seems to confuse the writing related to the character, who does not become any smarter despite getting out of the chains that were binding him. The system feels like having no loopholes at all, as if there is no way to escape – there should be some flaw in the design to keep the optimism alive. The ending is also weaker than one would expect, and even if it was done so for the purpose of supporting a sequel, there would be better options. With serial killers or psychos in hand, even within the realistic mold, more is always possible. The absence of a real good figure outside the subaltern is rather disappointing too. The terror her is implied, but the escape is never shown as an option.

The performers of the soul :: The move rests on Deepak Dobriyal and Vikrant Massey to do the expected work, as they play the two characters getting the most screen time, and both needed to perform on different layers. Both characters undergo many changes and are not the same people that we see in the beginning of the movie. While the former is successful in showing the cop being the father and undergoing a positive change, which he emotes really well, the latter who is damaged from the beginning to the end, shows the different shades of his character. There is a lot of depth related to the two characters, and we see the effectiveness with which they are portrayed, and how the same elevates the movie to another level even when it is just going on and on in the usual manner. Akash Khurana plays his role exactly as one would expect from such a character. Darshan Jariwala plays the corrupt side that makes us believe with ease. Ajit Palawat also shows a similar side that works. In comparison, the female characters are to do less work.

How it finishes :: Sector 36 might not be as interesting as the other movies featuring psychos and serial killers, for movies like Memories, Abraham Ozler, Forensic, Anjaam Paathira, Kooman, Antakshari and others will always be above this one by some way. The pacing is slower, and there is no attempt to make it that thrilling. Yet, the fantastic performances and a realistic feeling runs through this one more than ever. As it is based on the 2006 Noida Sector 31 serial murders, that feeling will be more. I do not remember much of it, but the movie follows the realistic mode and the connection is not something that we can think about now. If you are looking for a slow-moving and realistic story about serial killings, this could always be the right movie for you. Then, it also gives a reminder about the system, and how it works, for there will always be something missing and something beyond repair, something about which it is good to be reminded at times.

Release date: 13th September 2024 (Netflix)
Running time: 124 minutes
Directed by: Aditya Nimbalkar
Starring: Vikrant Massey, Deepak Dobriyal, Akash Khurana, Darshan Jariwala, Baharul Islam, Saikia Ihana Kaur, Tanushree Das, Subir Bisawas, Kacho Ahmed, Ajit Palawat, Mahadev Lakhawat, Fareed Ahmad, Trimala Adhikari

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.