Tag Archives: nature

Survive

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Vampire Owl: Do you think that we really need another movie on survival?

Vampire Bat: Well, we are surviving right now. So, this is a realistic movie.

Vampire Owl: Does this have someone’s survival for centuries?

Vampire Bat: I think that this is just about a few days, maximum.

Vampire Owl: So, they are dealing with some crisis which would not matter for vampires.

Vampire Bat: You should understand that everything matters for vampires.

Vampire Owl: We are people of the past. So, future should not matter to us.

Vampire Bat: We live in the present whether we are in the past or future.

Vampire Owl: We do not live in timelines, we never did.

Vampire Bat: We blended in, and we become part of the nocturnal world then.

[Gets a kathi roll and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: A family of four have been celebrating togetherness – Tom (Andreas Pietschmann), an expert oceanographer, Julia (Émilie Dequenne), an experienced doctor, and their two children Cassie (Lisa Delamar) and Ben (Lucas Ebel) are on a yacht named Orca somewhere in the Caribbean area, celebrating the boy’s thirteenth birthday and enjoying vacation, even though the girl does seem to miss her boyfriend too much, and finds the trip boring without his presence. She keeps making video calls to him even though the network connectivity is very low, often ruining family moments. This is a family vacation that occurs after quite a long time. There is something strange happening around though, as expert swimmer Julia almost drowns with sea getting rougher than usual, and whales also seems to flee, with some problems seemingly occurring with the compass too. There is a violent storm that also follows, and the family keeps themselves safe within the deck of the ship, passing out in the process.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As they wake up next morning after the storm, the family is shocked to find out that the ocean has disappeared — there is no water, as the ocean bed has exposed itself as a strange desert. Tom feels that the poles of the planet have been reversed, leaving the oceans at what used to be land and vice versa. Even though there is no reply to their distress calls, they are finally able to contact Nao (Olivier Ho Hio Hen), a submariner who found himself on land from underneath the ocean floor all of a sudden. He feels that the poles will flip again in about a week and that the seas will return violently, devouring everything without trace. He offers his submarine as a safe location, with space for two more people, and Tom and wife quickly asks him to save their children. Nao gives them the coordinates, and they decide to start their journey only to find that something more has been unleashed there. Can they survive the unexpected terror on the way?

The defence of Survive :: A family trying to survive when there is almost no chance to do so is always worth our attention. After all, families staying together these days has been a rare thing as we look at most of them. The apocalyptic twist used here is nice, and nicely changed from the usual things which we keep finding everywhere. The end of the world has been shown clearly with only a few characters and grandeur of destruction is still felt. The visuals of a dry world nicely add to the same, and feels like a classic apocalypse with a twist to the incidents causing the same. The fine looks along with the sounds to set the mood has us interested early enough. The newly formed desert world is as interesting as the creatures and the debris that goes through them to make us feel the effect of the catastrophe rather than to spread fear. With action here and there and the family bonding moments, it does not drag, but keep the pace going – it is quite a short film indeed, and we are never out of the apocalyptic mood.

The claws of flaw :: The grand idea could have had further grandeur could have come up with a spectacle that we would remember for what is shown on the screen. There could have been some shots which would stay in our minds forever and remind us of this movie – the iconic shots could have been here, as the opportunity was clearly there. The idea of being terrifying is not that much around, and it never really gets into full fun either. Also, everything happens all of a sudden, and there is not much of an explanation for all these strange of end of the world incidents. The characters do not develop that much, and children show irritating side at times. The end also seems rushed, as if it has come around too soon after accelerating a little too much in the final moments. This is not that kind of a movie which we would feel the need to watch again, even with moments. The idea had possibilities from not just the ocean, but also from the newly formed wastelands and nature behaving strange.

The performers of the soul :: The movie had to depend on its performances, as there are only a few characters and the focus is so much on them. There is no scope for falling behind with this particular aspect, as the grandeur of the visuals make way for the characters with ease. Émilie Dequenne plays the mother and doctor figure trying to save her family, and she shows the fight so well, fighting against all odds. Andreas Pietschmann plays the protector, the strong father who keeps hoping to save his children and wife even at the cost of his own life. The two manages the role so well that they make the perfect parents. Lucas Ebel adds more or less to the emotional side as the child who needs support. Lisa Delamar lays the younger child with emotional problems and tension with other members of the family. From the beginning stage itself, we see she wants to be with her boyfriend and not with the family, and the rebel role is managed well. Arben Bajraktaraj and Olivier Ho Hio Hen adds well in support.

How it finishes :: Survival against all odds when even nature goes against you is something a lot more interesting than one can think about. This movie manages to be successful in doing the same even though not without the feeling that the grand idea did not get the execution it really deserved – still, it manages to rise well and create something of interest and remain entertaining from the beginning stages itself. With quality added to its visuals and the tense moments which brings the thrills in an apocalyptic world, one would appreciate the effort behind the movie. We would still keep wondering how huge this movie with such a premise and idea could have become, as we see movies like Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra and Minnal Murali doing so much with such a low budget in this part of the world. Then you see a family surviving in a world without hope, and it could even have a sequel that could expand things. Well, good people will always find themselves in trouble, and evil survives and thrives, doesn’t it?

Release date: 19th June 2024
Running time: 86 minutes
Directed by: Frédéric Jardin
Starring: Émilie Dequenne, Andreas Pietschmann, Lisa Delamar, Lucas Ebel

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Shaitaan

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

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

Vampire Owl: Is there anyone whom you know?

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

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

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

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

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

Vampire Owl: The shadows will keep us safe.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Little Hearts

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Vampire Owl: Do you remember those days when we were eating Little Hearts without limits? Those were the most approved biscuits.

Vampire Bat: Those were the days of fine nostalgia. We were not even limited to Little Hearts as we continued lives focused on the little moments of joy.

Vampire Owl: So, they have named a movie after a packet of biscuits. It is a good idea to keep the focus on the food.

Vampire Bat: On the greatest packet of biscuits that we will ever know. Not just us, the greatest that humans will ever know.

Vampire Owl: So, you mean to say that the greatest of them all is not Bourbon or Hide and Seek with those classic looks?

Vampire Bat: There is nothing that matches Little Hearts, and there are not many that matches the old model of Milk Bikis.

Vampire Owl: I am assuming that you are going through a biscuit induced nostalgia, not focused on tea for a change.

Vampire Bat: Well, we have been among the people who have eaten so much of biscuits that we are close to breaking records.

Vampire Owl: We have also waited for this movie to release for a little too long.

Vampire Bat: Well, the first proposed date of release was much earlier.

Vampire Owl: The release should have happened during the vacation.

Vampire Bat: Well, the holidays had seen some strange films creating records with collections.

Vampire Owl: I will never know how these new generation and mindless movies make so much of collection.

Vampire Bat: Well, human taste has always been strange.

Vampire Owl: Trusting their taste is the strangest thing a vampire can do.

Vampire Bat: At least the trailer of this movie did a pretty good job in making an impression.

Vampire Owl: You know that making a trailer is often too easy a job if there is not that much of a content to show in the full film

[Gets a box with tomato popcorn and three cups of cardamom tea and moves into theatre].

Vampire Owl: This is an interesting movie, even though there is no attempt at variety. It goes on well, as if it was just determined to move on.

Vampire Bat: After RDX: Robert Dony Xavier and Vela, Shane Nigam seems to have quite a different role here and has nailed this one too.

Vampire Owl: Shane Nigam and Mahima Nambiar team has returned as a pair quite well, even though latter should have been there for more.

Vampire Bat: Well, the romantic side of Shane and Mahima has the least focus among the romances shown in this movie.

Vampire Owl: The three romances here face problems due to different reasons, and none of them seems to be ready to be accepted by the society.

Vampire Bat: Well society, economic well-being and sexuality will always have roles to play in the society forever.

Vampire Owl: Well, I would say that these are rather eternal, like Uncle Dracula.

Vampire Bat: The tale of Baburaj and his relationship with the son played by Shane Nigam makes the biggest impact though.

Vampire Owl: Yes, with both the humour as well as the emotional side has been managed so well, reminding one of those early days of moving into humour from villainy.

Vampire Bat: Yet, it could not further develop on the same, and manages to travel just on the usual and predictable path.

Vampire Owl: The feel-good path is the one road too much travelled, and without trying too much to make things better.

Vampire Bat: There are still those moments with Little Hearts packets, and there is the certainty of tea being shown again and again.

Vampire Owl: The one who played the migrant worker from the North really did a great job, and brings humour being second only to Baburaj. Yet, rest of the humour goes through a struggle at times.

Vampire Bat: Shane’s avatar in a different style works well, even though he should have more of romantic side with Mahima. The deviation was not that much needed, at least with this much of an effect.

Vampire Owl: Well, even in their previous movie together, they had parted way too soon. At least with the feel-good mode one, that would not happen.

Vampire Bat: For the same, it seems that the end was forced to reach that destination of feel-good for the common soul.

Vampire Owl: In a world of viewers where they are strangely addicted to drugs and alcohol like never before, can we ever have enough feel-good?

Vampire Bat: Can you blame them with so many superstars trying to put them into a world of nonsense far away from a righteous reality?

Vampire Owl: Well, I would trust this simple feel-good film with nice green visuals and some interesting songs which are there to stay for long. There is no real danger in the happenings of this one, and the light-hearted side keeps the darkness away.

[Disappears into the darkness of the day because the clouds have done the trick to hide the sun and bring the much needed darkness].

This is the YouTube video with the second film review there. The video reviews have had the focus since the last one, and tries to make interesting comments about the selected movies. The writing will also go on through its path, but the visual side also has its say more than ever, as the YouTube channel “Scholar Nomads” intends to explore more areas of interest. For both blog and vlog, there will be films reviews and even more to be seen.

Release date: 7th June 2024 (Theatre)
Running time: 134 minutes
Directed by: Anto Jose Pereira and Aby Treesa Paul
Starring: Shane Nigam, Shine Tom Chacko, Baburaj, Mahima Nambiar, Renji Panicker, Shammi Thilakan, Jaffer Idukki, Aima Rosmy Sebastian, Ramya Suvi, Maala Parvathy, Parvathy Babu, John Kaippallil

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

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

<<< Click here to go to the review of our first favourite film of the year.

<<< Click here to go to the review of the most underrated film of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Aquaman 2

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Vampire Owl: I have heard news about an aqua vampire.

Vampire Bat: I am pretty sure that Aquaman is no vampire.

Vampire Owl: He could be the first vampire out of water.

Vampire Bat: When have we ever been fans of water?

Vampire Owl: Well, there is always a first time for everything.

Vampire Bat: Are you imagining an underwater kingdom for vampires?

Vampire Owl: I don’t see why not. There is less human interference there.

Vampire Bat: So, you choose tranquility over everything else.

Vampire Owl: I choose a life without human nonsense.

Vampire Bat: I don’t see why we should not opt for the same.

[Gets a vancho cake and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: Arthur Curry a.k.a. Aquaman (Jason Momoa) has gone through his share of adventures, and after marrying Mera (Amber Heard), had a child and is living his life between land and sea, not being fixed at one space. He has not stayed away from his responsibilities as the King of Atlantis though, but his attempt to unite the people of land and seas is ruined due to the intervention by elders of the underwater world. Everything seems to be going normal for Atlantis, until David Kean (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) decides to have his vengeance with another attempt at the life of Aquaman. He wishes to have the whole family of Aquaman destroyed along with whatever he finds precious in return for the life of his father. He works with Dr. Stephen Shin (Randall Park) who wishes to prove to the outside world that Atlantis in not a myth. In the search for Atlantean artefacts, they come across a black trident which possesses David, as it offers him the strength to destroy Arthur and maybe do even better by spreading devastation in Atlantis.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Soon, David attacks Atlantis and steals a rare mineral called orichalcum which he uses to power some ancient machines which he had unearthed while finding the black trident. The attack leaves Amber Heard seriously injured and Atlantis defenses destroyed like never before. As orichalcum which emits greenhouse gases has raised planetary temperatures and caused extreme weather all around the globe, he decides to stop a global disaster and meltdown from happening. For the same, he decides to take the help of his brother Orm Marius (Patrick Wilson), even though almost everyone warns him against taking such a step as Orm is not be trusted. But he chooses to go with his instincts, and manages to break out Orm from his prison in the middle of a desert, thus threatening the treaty between different kingdoms of ocean. Orm is not really happy about what has happened to him, and neither is he happy about what has happened to Atlantis with its defenses breached and many citizens dead. Their mother Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) still hopes that they can work together to save the world.

The defence of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom :: In a time when world has gone to the brainless mass masala fans, our movie here has managed to maintain a fine plot and a certain amount of class with its use of heroes. The movie automatically becomes the best choice for Christmas to watch with family including children and in that fine 3D format – the visual effects are nothing less than stunning with deep blue sea all around. The world underwater has been created nicely, and there is no room left there for complaining, with another breath-taking world created on an island. The creatures underwater continue to be a sight of beautiful variety and so are the colours of flora and fauna that creates even better visuals. You see the 3D on the screen nicely contributing to the ocean coming to you better than ever. The message about the need to save multiple worlds from the dangers of global warming and its extensions is also present there. The environmental message in a superhero is often lost in its path, like overpowered nonsensical overpowered creatures of mass destruction like Captain Marvel, but not when a determined underwater king is in control.

Positives and negatives :: The first movie was surely better than this one, as it had the Aquaman-Mera combination that was a joy to watch, with some of the most innovative action sequences, making the best out of available resources. The film remains light-hearted, and some of the humour is really nice, even though there could have been more. The action sequences keep catching our attention, even though the first movie had the more classic versions which would be remembered for longer. The background music makes some good impact, but not at all times. Ideas of brotherhood and family are asserted well throughout the movie along with the need to save the world from the powerful evil which comes in many forms. It also maintains the respect for divergence unlike Black Panther which has been disrespectful to the world outside Wakanda with a racist and bourgeoise nature. A better use of some of the characters would have served the movie better, but even with all the negativity around, it is to be noted that DC universe is now doing better than Marvel which has too many of dumb young characters for anybody’s liking – as it seems, most of them might not even make it to a number of theatres in this part of the world.

The performers of the soul :: Jason Momoa does what he did earlier, and asserts his role as the hero underwater, diverging from the usual superheroes above the ground. He continues to prove as the right choice for the role. Patrick Wilson provides some fine support here, and his combination scenes with the hero keeps us further interested. Out of The Conjuring and Insidious, he manages the other big role nicely. Amber Heard remains here as Mera, and she continues to have our attention, and she would remain the perfect queen of this world. She also excels in the action sequences, with her presence underwater being a thing of joy to watch. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II remains a strong villain as he continues the fine form from previous movie, and this is surely not the end of the road for such pure villainy. Nicole Kidman also becomes the one evergreen underwater queen that we are sure to remember for long, and she is another person who seems to be not aging at all these days. Jani Zhao as Stingray has a very notable job, while Randall Park is one full human character that is noted more than the rest. Temuera Morrison continues that particular father role with ease.

How it finishes :: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom keeps its level high in comparison to the so called action thrillers from Bollywood and other industries, as a certain amount of class can always be seen along with the top quality graphics making a true spectacle. It is unlike the artificial spectacles that we see with so called superstars – those stars should not be endorsing toxic masculinity and illegal immigration like they are doing now. The trouble between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp seemed to have affected the film despite the high entertainment value. The number of shows for the movie is less, as people are not that much into quality superhero stuff these days. This movie should have had more screens, and those theatres which do not have at least one show of this movie feels pre-historic in nature. There was a time when we could enjoy superhero movies in fully-packed theatres, but that is not the case now. Even Marvel has struggled to get its audience, and in that case, the situation of DC comes as no surprise. Maybe, the corona virus itself will make a comeback again, and until then, let us enjoy our favourite superheroes without fail, and the Aquaman sequel is surely worth it.

Release date: 22nd December 2023
Running time: 124 minutes
Directed by: James Wan
Starring: Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Randall Park, Dolph Lundgren, Temuera Morrison, Martin Short, Nicole Kidman

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

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

<<< Click here to go to the previous full superhero film review.

<<< Click here to go to the previous DC superhero film review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

X

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Vampire Owl: I have always wanted to have the title, Vampire X.

Vampire Bat: You have been identified as Vampire O for a long time.

Vampire Owl: Well, why not X? Everyone has wanted to be Agent X.

Vampire Bat: Agent X has never been real – there was only a hoax related to it.

Vampire Owl: I have heard that most of the mass movies of humans have such agents.

Vampire Bat: They have such things because they run out of ideas.

Vampire Owl: I do feel that the X letter suits this movie better.

Vampire Bat: Well, its better suited for a slasher movie for sure.

Vampire Owl: You know how much we have missed the true slasher films.

Vampire Bat: Well, they should come back now for classic horror stories – the encounter should happen now or never.

[Gets some French fries and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) has always wanted to become a famous actress, and she does not mind how it comes, as the easy option seems to be to become a pornographic actress. As she wishes to be part of such a film during a time when theatrical pornography market is booming, she goes on a road trip with her friends and crew for an upcoming adult movie. The crew includes her own boyfriend and producer Wayne Gilroy (Martin Henderson), other actors Bobby-Lynne Parker (Brittany Snow) and Jackson Hole (Scott Mescudi), director RJ Nichols and his girlfriend Lorraine Day (Jenna Ortega). While Nichols want it to be a serious piece of cinema, Lorraine is not happy with the work. Bobby-Lynne and Jackson seems to be very much interested in each other as far as the work is concerned, but as they reach the farm where they are supposed to shoot, things do not seem to get any better. The whole place is supposed to have had soldiers staying there during the Civil War, but that might not be the only history that the house would have.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: In the early moments itself, it seems to be clear that there is something strange about the area as well as the old couple who owns the house, but the crew doesn’t seem to mind as they are able to shoot in peace around such a deserted area. The name of their movie is The Farmer’s Daughters, and the setting and the atmosphere seems to suit it very well. The old lady is very much attracted to Maxine, and wishes that she was young like her and friends who seems to enjoy their youth so much. At the same time, Lorraine, who is tired of being considered prude by others, wishes to participate in one of the intimate scenes, much to the dismay of Nichols who finds the change to his script and his lover’s change of heart to be depressing. He decides to leave the place, but finds out that it is not that easy to leave the farm, and others would also discover the same sooner or later. Now the question remains if any of them could manage to leave the place alive.

The defence of X :: The movie provides the feeling that it goes straight to the good old horror slasher roots, without hesitating like the newer additions to the genre which seems to have a few more doubts than required. This would be like sending an e-mail to those older generation of slashers and letting them know that we are still here, even though instant messaging is more of the trend. There are some memorable scenes including the alligator attack which just misses the protagonist, the meeting of two characters played by the leading actress, the elder woman invading the protagonist’s room and the final scenes of gore. The victims here are not that dumb as the characters who run around in horror films either, as the danger here would feel minimal for anyone. The movie is very much atmospheric, and the world here is suitable to be place any terrifying creature. The idea of being in a cabin in the middle of nowhere never really gets old, and never limited to Evil Dead and The Cabin in the Woods which serve as perfect examples.

Positives and negatives :: This movie is an example of something coming out of nowhere all of a sudden and keeping us interested. One might feel that there could have been more strength with its evil presence, but that side is kept rather realistic here. There are no supervillains who keep coming back for more after they seem to be dead, a case which has been repeated so many times, very recently with Halloween. The movie does have the stereotypes, but none of them used for the sake of being there, as there is some fine blending happening around here. This is also the kind of movie which makes you long for those old slashers, and a return to the past is provided with elements of nostalgia. The ideas of beauty and its fading with old age gets a special attention here, as we look at the process leading to disastrous events. The ending could have actually been more powerful, as the use of some elements resemble deus ex machina. What rises above all of these is the certainty that this is a worthy slasher horror that takes us to that childhood which had horror that lasted and eternity.

The performers of the soul :: Mia Goth was part of A Cure for Wellness with a mysterious performance, and it is nice to see her again in a genre which seems to suit her so well – the looks also come as a bonus along with her performance. It would seem that she blends in here so well that we never feels that she is not that any of those characters. Even when nothing happens, there is something about her – the swimming scene of her might be one of the spookiest among them, as danger is on the trail, and so seems many other mysterious elements. Such natural performances have been rare in slasher films. The makeup for the older version is also well done. Jenna Ortega is there as what seems to be another version of the protagonist, but there is the feeling that we do not really see enough of her here. There could have been something eerie about her in the end, but there is the feeling that the character is abandoned. Brittany Snow’s role is rather predictable, but still leaves a mark. The rest only needs to play along according to the needs here.

How it finishes :: We have not had many classic slasher movies around here which could bring us some nostalgia along with quality. This one does the job pretty well though, and in a world where slasher horror is losing power, a movie like this is very much required. There might be many reasons to deny the slasher its due, but we can always have more to accept it as a genre that demands our attention. When we consider the horror movies of the year, X is that film which has managed to grab less attention. But it is also that kind of a movie which deserved more. It would not be the perfect slasher film with that near unstoppable killer on the loose, but does manage to gain the success that it deserved with moments that will stay with us for some time. After all, being in a cabin in the woods or in the middle of nowhere makes all the impact in different forms. There is no better place to be, for any horror fan – we enjoy watching the terror unfold in such a setting, with atmosphere playing a major part in raising the level here.

Release date: 14th April 2022 (Amazon Prime Video); 18th March 2022 (Theatre)
Running time: 106 minutes
Directed by: Ti West
Starring: Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, Martin Henderson, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure, Scott Mescudi

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

<<< Click here to go to the full bloody slasher.

<<< Click here to go to the most classic slasher return.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Avatar 2

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Vampire Owl: Do you remember when we watched the first film?

Vampire Bat: That was too long ago for anything to be remembered.

Vampire Owl: Yet, it was like the first of its kind during old days.

Vampire Bat: Too many movies are first of their type.

Vampire Owl: Well, in that case, I have never really liked the second film of any franchise.

Vampire Bat: The lack of such a unique feeling will be evident.

Vampire Owl: Even the corona virus pandemic seems to be lacking in the same thing.

Vampire Bat: I have often liked the third and fourth movies better.

Vampire Owl: We can wait for that to happen after watching this.

Vampire Bat: I wonder how much of an infinity of films we will need to watch further sequels for a film which ended so well with the first one.

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

What is the movie about? :: Years have passed since the first human attempt of colonising the planet of Pandora. As the natural resources of the Earth have been further depleted, leading to the planet’s near devastation, humans have been further trying to quickly colonize Pandora, and a newer and advanced base has been formed for the same purpose. The Resources Development Administration had been mining the mineral known as unobtanium on the planet, but now it has become about something more. Pandora continues to be dominated by the creatures known as Na’vi, who are 10-foot-tall blue-skinned humanoids who live in harmony with nature and considered the elements of the same as gods, particularly the Great Mother, also known as Eywa. But humans would care less about nature, as they have destroyed the same on their own planet, which could die soon enough, forcing a human exodus into this planet in the Alpha Centauri. As a technologically advanced race, humans could take on the indigenious species with brutal power.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) who had served for humans is now completely a part of Na’vi as the leader of the forest people known as the Omaticaya. He continues to be with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) with whom he raises and guides children including the sons Neteyam (James Flatters) and Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), daughter Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), adopted daughter Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) and a human boy named Spider (Jack Champion), the son of the human commander who was unable to be transported to Earth due to the young age. Spider is not particularly liked by anyone except Jake and his children, as everyone in the tribe including Neytiri are doubtful about him as he is a child of the enemy who can return at any moment. They keep preparing themselves for this return of a human military force, as a number of humans have returned and erected a separate camp on the planet, with advanced weapons and forces that are beyond their comprehension.

And what more is to follow further here? :: Na’vi faces the humans in occasional ambushes, but understands that something bigger is coming, which Jake feels is near impossible to stop with their natural weapons. The guerilla campaign against the RDA supply lines does not seem to be work with that much of an efficiency, and almost has one of Jake’s sons killed in action. Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) returns after death as a Na’vi marine full of the memories of the dead colonel and seeks revenge with the support of a good number of similar Na’vi avatars created out of humans. They capture the children of Jake, who are freed except for Spider whom they take hostage. Even though he refuses to tell them anything about Jake even after torture, he helps Miles with the Na’vi culture and language, which Miles is quick to understand while deciding to care for the boy who is of his own blood in one way or the other. Jake who feels that Spider can lead the humans to their habitat, leaves for the far away islands where Metkayina reef people live in solidarity with the ocean and the creatures who live in the water. But would that keep them safe?

The defence of Avatar 2: The Way of Water :: Even though not as good as the first movie, there is still some fine visual beauty in store here too, especially in relation to the ocean and its alien creatures that make an impact. There is also the action that happens around, it is huge, even though there is the feeling of repetition that keeps happening at all times, making us feel that Marvel and DC can always do this better; even the visual splendour could be better achieved by them. The movie does choose family over everything else, which is a very good thing, even though not polished enough. As the predictability becomes more and more, the movie comes up with better visuals and some dialogues which seem to make up for it, even when we realize that there is not that much of an intellectual side behind it despite providing an early feeling of having it. As the scene does shift to the situation of fishermen who faces the people from outside, it reminds one of the protests called by the people of Vizhinjam near Trivandrum against an entity and similar fights by fishermen just like the tribal people against the multi-national corporations who form the new colonizers – well, the scientifically advanced and the rich always has the edge and can defeat the rest in one giant step.

The claws of flaw :: Avatar 2: The Way of Water is predictable from the early stages itself. It overdoes the family elements so much that one wonders if this will ever reach anywhere with the emotional side. The narrative remains weak, and the run-time is too much without enough content to support it except for the visuals, which are also not improvement from the first film which was ahead of its time with splendour on the big screen. Even among the visuals, there is not one moment that stands apart, and for the ocean and its beauty, there has been fantastic displays in films like Aquaman. This second movie often drags so much that one wonders if it is ever going to reach its final moments of fights. Focusing on alien family drama more than everything else hurts its capability to move forward towards the next movie in the franchise, especially when there are so many repetitive moments related to it. You just cannot talk about family so much that Fast and Furious franchise feels that it has not appreciated family enough; that would be too much to handle for anyone with some sanity left to see the irritating side.

How it finishes :: Being the second part of a movie that scored so well with the box-office as well as the critics required more – nowadays, even other industries can come up with films having big action sequences and grand events on the screen; this one could have been much more, and the second part of Avatar would get big collections, thanks to the fame of its predecessor. It has done well to be entertaining enough, but not by much. The movie franchise needs to remember that there is the requirement to raise the bar, or the third movie will struggle to keep the audience rushing to the theatres – after all, we can always have another corona virus pandemic too. Most of us have waited for too long for this movie, and what we receive is predictable stuff – not good news for any franchise, unless there are still addicted fans who wishes to keep going to Pandora without having a clear idea about how much such a world can provide. The endless opportunities of an alien world goes unnoticed here, and that is a side which requires further imagination. In this case, we know that science continues to be evil and destroy worlds as it has been doing for Earth.

Release date: 16th December 2022
Running time: 192 minutes
Directed by: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, Britain Dalton, Kate Winslet

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

<<< Click here to go to the previous film watched in theatre.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Colony

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Vampire Owl: I feel that there will be a lot of dead humans in this movie.

Vampire Bat: Humans will still continue to exist with their souls.

Vampire Owl: Why are the humans supposed to have souls?

Vampire Bat: I guess that is because we are always in need of evil human spirits.

Vampire Owl: You mean, like the ghost which cleans the rooms of the castle?

Vampire Bat: Yes, such works are specifically reserved for the strange souls rejected by heaven, hell and purgatory.

Vampire Owl: I thought that they were souls of wizards or sorcerers. The costume seemed to point in that direction only.

Vampire Bat: Well, that is a lady who died during a fashion show.

Vampire Owl: Okay, at least it is not someone who died during a Halloween party.

Vampire Bat: You can at least be glad that this is not an evil spirit who wants to haunt the castle during the nights.

[Gets a ghee roast and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: The story takes place in a distant future in which multiple reasons like climate change, war and pandemics have made the earth not worthy of supporting life. But the elite class has successfully escaped from the misery to settle on Kepler 209, a space colony. After two generations, the rich and the elite are ready to try and find out if a return to Earth is possible through the Ulysses Project. Even though they have advanced science and technology out there, the heavy radiation has left the people of Kepler 209 mostly infertile. First mission to Earth was lost shortly after landing, but the second one named Ulysses 2 begins shortly enough. Louise Blake (Nora Arnezeder) arrives with her crew and crashlands on Earth. Tucker (Sope Dirisu) is the only other survivor of the crash. They are glad to understand that there is no radiation on Earth, despite all those terrible wars of destruction and global warming. They hope to collect enough data from the planet and take them back so that the scientists up there can make an analysis about the same.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: They are able to find lifeforms which are able to reproduce, and wonders if they will be able to adapt to the situation and be able for reproduction if they indulge in sex too. It also seems that the weather has managed to become a little too intense than they had known, and there is so much of flatlands with less visibility all around. At the same time, a few people attacks the space shuttle, and attacks both of them, taking them prisoners. These people seems to have very primitive technology in comparison to what they possess. The people talked in some strange languages and used bows and arrows as weapons, while living in an area which seems to be in the middle of nowhere. They destroy almost everything in the pod which can be used for communication or exploration. Tucker who lost too much blood decides to commit suicide against Blake’s assurance that he is eight seven percentage fertility match for her to have a child if they have sexual intercourse soon enough.

And what more is to happen in this world which seems to have no hope for future? :: After the death of Tucker, Blake is left in a well which has water up to her thighs. She almost drowns as water comes into this particular settlement, and is only saved at the last minute. She remember what she was taught about the planet, and continues to hope about Earth. She remembers that there were always hope about the planet if they could find the right area to grow a new Earth, as much as there was chance for reproduction against all odds. Soon, the area is raided by a group of hostile humans who kidnap all of them. The locals are captured and taken to a huge space that is located above the continuous storms and floods which terribly affects the people around. Now, Blake finds herself in a situation for which she was not prepared at all. Now, the question remains if she can defy all odds to get what she wants. With more ruthless humans being added to the list of enemies that she has to face, can she do what is enough to help these people and also those who are left in their space station? Is there still hope for a better future on Earth?

Defence of The Colony a.k.a. Tides :: This is one post-apocalyptic movie which is imaginative enough, but at the same time, is also close enough to keeping the whole thing as real as possible, despite having the chances to go the other way on many occasions. Nora Arnezeder who leads the cast comes up with a pretty good performance too. The world is nicely created, with water all around, and the premise helps it to progress nicely to the one goal that is revealed later. They surely have done some nice work with the computer generated imagery and some special effects to make it feel real.It does have the theme of racial supremacy in there too, as the races having advanced science and technology with them don’t stop enslaving people – such need for control and hatred for the other within humans is reflected yet again, and so is the corruption of science which goes deep into humanity. There are also some small twists added in here, and the secrets of this mostly devastated Earth could use a sequel too. It is still nice to see that they haven’t chosen Mars or its moons this time, and makes use of another world, even though that area is not shown.

The claws of flaw :: The movie begins slow, and is mostly predictable through its first half of the run, until things do change in the later moments. As we have movies like these, there are always those things which keep on getting repeated. With a fine premise in here, the movie could have always done better, and it doesn’t add anything further, even though the chance for a certain fortification was always there. The central problem here shifts to the need for reproduction instead of having a green Earth to live on, and that is a quick transformation, and same doesn’t get explored properly either, as the movie changes the focus to emotions and kids added to take it further. There could have been some bigger shocks and twists related to the same, but the movie just continues to play it safe, and the question remains if there was the need for the same. It is also surprising that a technologically advanced group of humans depicted in the film are not good enough to expect or fight the rather primitive locals who have lived without science and technology for so many years on Earth – even their space shuttle is not good enough when we look close.

How it finishes :: Also known as Tides, this is a less known movie which can surely use our attention. There has been some interesting post-apocalyptic science fiction works with a certain amount of depression associated with them like Oblivion and Io. For the full action apocalypse, we have always had Resident Evil movies or those belonging to the Mad Max world. Then there would be Elysium with a message. Our movie here has its own space. The divergence that we see here is pretty much acceptable. Well, we know what the future of our world will be about, and we are waiting for the terrible things to happen, just like what is seen in the movie or even worse – the wars are there, ready to go nuclear; the global warming is also there, ready to devour the lands and people; pandemics have been unleashed, ready to bring more deviations of viruses; we can only be prepared for the same, and watch movies like this one. As we know at all times, the reflection is here, as the most scientifically advanced community will always be the most godless and the most advanced in not believing in goodness.

Release date: 27th August 2021
Running time: 104 minutes
Directed by: Tim Fehlbaum
Starring: Nora Arnezeder, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Iain Glen, Joel Basman, Sebastian Roche, Bella Bading, Sope Dirisu, Cloe Albertine Heinrich

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Lamb

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Vampire Owl: I think that they are talking about the Vampire Lamb.

Vampire Bat: A Vampire Lamb from Iceland? That is new.

Vampire Owl: We never had any Vampire Lamb so far?

Vampire Bat: Lambs do not usually go well with the vampires.

Vampire Owl: What about a black lamb with fangs?

Vampire Bat: We already lost the Vampire Wolf to the werewolves. We don’t really need another animal.

Vampire Owl: Wolves belonging to that side of the border. It is not the case of others.

Vampire Bat: You think that every creature other than a wolf would declare allegiance to the vampire kind?

Vampire Owl: I don’t see why they wouldn’t do that.

Vampire Bat: Well, what about the reason that they don’t really need that?

[Gets a paneer paratha and three cups of ginger tea].

What is the movie about? :: Somewhere in the remote area of Iceland, a strange entity seems to make its way to a barn which is located a long distance from the traces of civilization. With the terrifying climatic situation, things seem to get worse. The owners of the barn, Maria (Noomi Rapace) and Ingvar (Hilmir Snaer Guonason) soon finds one of their pregnant sheep giving birth to a creature with a lamb’s head and human body, along with its other children. The two takes the creature into the house and names her after their dead daughter, Ada. The creature’s biological mother keeps trying to contact her, and as she is later found with the sheep, Maria shoots the mother sheep and buries it in a grave further away. Despite having some nightmares about sheep, Maria takes very good care of Ada. Ingvar’s brother Petur (Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson) who arrives at the barn witnessing the incident feels that this newly found creature is only an animal, and wishes to get rid of it, to which the couple doesn’t agree at all.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Petur who always had certain love interest with Maria, decides to get rid of Ada for the best interest of everyone in the house, even if other won’t recognize the same. He takes her on a morning walk in the early morning, hoping to shoot her dead and bury the body far away. But he has a change of heart decides to become the uncle-figure to her – Ada also gets along with him really well. But soon, things seems to get different, and something creepy seems to make its way home, which Ada seems to notice. Petur is still fond of Maria, and after drinking a little too much that he should have, makes sexual advances to her, even using the secret that he knows, that she killed Ada’s real mother. She sends him away on the very next day. With only Ada and Ingvar left around there, the strange entity makes its first appearance. What does this creature want, and how can Ingvar and Maria defend against it? What are the secrets that Ada holds here? What fate awaits the couple and their half-sheep child?

The defence of Lamb :: Powered by the performance led by Noomi Rapace who is one of the best actresses of all-time to be part of movies like this, this film can be considered as thriving on the atmosphere on which it builds its pillars. It is indeed a strange movie when we look at it – there is a creature with a lamb’s head and a human body, and it is raised as a child by humans; not the usual kind of story that you keep seeing around. It has a certain horror side, but also an emotional one, all of them being present there, often in an indirect manner. It deals with the strange nature of people, and their lack of understanding of the realities which they face. Providing the feeling of a pastoral world well enough, it provides a certain amount of haunting experience with the slow movement forward too. It wouldn’t have been that easy to work on this material, but with the right cast and the visuals that work perfectly with the atmosphere, the movie manages to march on. It is a reminder that almost everything in life comes at a price.

The claws of flaw :: Lamb is one movie which has decided to go very much divergent, and there is not that much of horror to celebrate it. The film deviates from the general idea about the genre which comes out from movies like The Conjuring, The Nun, Annabelle, Ouija, Insidious, Sinister and others which work on a formula which has been tested and appreciated by too many people who have identified themselves as fans of the category. Moving away from the original horror ideas, and leaving less to be scared, this wouldn’t be that much appreciated by such fans. Along with the same, the ending doesn’t bring that huge effect which was expected. The movie could have been better marketed as a drama thriller indeed, as one creature which does so less has its limitations. Also, the movie slows down a little too much for anyone’s liking, and it is only right to feel that the movie could be twenty or thirty minutes short in length. The grief in this movie could have been also more evident.

The performers of the soul :: Noomi Rapace is one actress whom we can always rely on. The Swedish actress might be best remembered by the people in this part of the world for her work in Prometheus, and she is no stranger to playing motherly figures, as we have seen the same in Angel of Mine. She has a similar mother role here, and she is as determined as she was in that movie. As we miss seeing her in Alien Covenant, and as a good number of her movies didn’t come here, we can only be glad to watch this particular performance from her, which deserves the appreciation too. Most of you might still remember her for the Millennium series: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest. Well, as the mother who takes care of her lamb girl child, this is another work which you are going to remember her for. Hilmir Snaer Guonason plays the father figure very well too – after all both parents are part of this lamb love. Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson makes a good contribution in between too.

How it finishes :: The movie seems to have similarities to another flick, Sacrifice, with the atmosphere which is seen around. Even though an English movie, it is also set in such a Scandinavian world. The themes of loneliness and depression, as well as a reflection of people who treat their pets as kids also seem to have some say around here. The story seems to have taken something from the Icelandic folklore too, and the one other movie which seems to stay close to this one is The Witch. The film doesn’t use that many dialogues to make its point, and that would mean that even without subtitles, you can understand most part of the flick. The movie surely had the positive opinion of critics, and was selected as the entry from Iceland for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards which took place in Los Angeles in 2022. So, you know that this movie surely has enough to make an impression – it is a mystery set far away from the everyman’s busy world that will have your attention early.

Release date: 24th September 2021
Running time: 106 minutes
Directed by: Valdimar Johannsson
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snaer Guonason, Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson, Ingvar Eggert Sigurosson

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Antlers

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Vampire Owl: I haven’t seen a more interesting poster in a very long time.

Vampire Bat: Horror does need such posters to show divergence in fear.

Vampire Owl: Fear should always be the same, right?

Vampire Bat: Unless you are a vampire, or maybe zombie.

Vampire Owl: You are talking about a different smell of fear.

Vampire Bat: You should be aware of the fear potions of the witches.

Vampire Owl: Those potions never really work.

Vampire Bat: I know that you trust the pseudo-scientific elixirs of Mr Frankenstein better.

Vampire Owl: Doctor Frankenstein has opened portals with elixirs.

Vampire Bat: Those were ancient portals found hidden in the caves beneath the castle!

[Gets a red velvet cake and three cups of cardamom tea].

What is the movie about? :: In the beginning, there is a warning that Mother Earth has been pillaged, with her life’s blood taken away, and this terrible act has awakened a spirit which needs to be feared – it would seek the lost, frail and the depraved, and asks the viewers to hope and pray that it won’t take one among them. The scene cuts to Cispus Falls, a small town in Oregon which feels dark with an eerie feeling. There, in an inactive mine, Frank Weaver (Scott Haze) runs a meth lab within an inactive mine which used to serve the town’s economy a long time ago. Frank and his co-worker hears some strange noises from within the mine, and goes on to check the same. As they doubt that it is an animal and tries to escape, find themselves attacked by an unseen creature. Frank’s son Aiden Weaver (Sawyer Jones) waits for him outside the mine, failing to understand what has happened inside. His elder brother as Lucas Weaver (Jeremy T Thomas) is considered to be strange by his classmates and teachers, but Julia Meadows (Keri Russell) who teaches about myths and fables is determined to help him.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Julia remembers the abuse she suffered as a child in the hands of her alcoholic father who was also mentally ill – she feels that he is also suffering from something similar. Paul Meadows (Jesse Plemons), her brother is the local sheriff – she had abandoned him a long time ago, but has now returned home from California following the death of their father. She feels that she shouldn’t have left the place, and tries to help another person as she can, this time, Lucas. She tries to bond with him, but there is no success at all – she tries to visit his house, but leaves after hearing some strange noises from inside. Lucas seems to have some some mystery locked within his house, and also takes dead animals and birds to his home. He stays awake at night and makes strange drawings. Julia feels that she really needs to get to the bottom of this, and also informs her brother, who reaffirms that Frank was considered fit to be the guardian of the two children after the mother’s death – now, what would she do?

The defence of Antlers :: It can be seen that Antlers does take the deviation from the usual horror, and this divergence is taken seriously throughout its narrative – it lets the surroundings contribute to the same really well. The environment and the setting serve effectively for the movie too. The small town with its dark and wet weather really suits the situation presented around here, and there is enough of the woods to keep one going in the mood of terror. The idea of the “diabolic wickedness that devours humans”, the spirit that takes many forms, makes a powerful myth around here. There is also a connection made to the destruction of nature which the humans managed to come up with. One wouldn’t be able to blame the monsters considering how evil the humans happen to be at every point. We also have the moments of scares, and that gets stronger with the understanding that there is a seemingly unstoppable force of nature at work. Add the performance, especially from children, and things only get much darker and scarier in nature.

The claws of flaw :: There is no doubt about the fact that Antlers had the premise to be something greater, but doesn’t use the same to the best of advantage. We do see the moments which we feel could have been better. When you have such a near-unstoppable monster at the centre, there are many things that can be done – it could have surely been designed better too. The emotional side doesn’t seem to work that much, even though we are waiting for those elements to be effective too. The myth could have also been given a boost with certain elements from the past, and a history to be remembered. One can generate enough fear out of that too. The scope for sequel at the end seems to be forced, as if there was a certain need rather than anything else. One can feel the need to remind the viewer of a myth that goes missing, but that requires more of a better origins story with roots in a mysterious past – let the horror run through there too.

The performers of the soul :: Keri Russell has been among my favourite actresses from a long time ago – she carries a certain amount of charm with her roles, even though horror hasn’t been the genre we would remember her the most for. She would make it to the list of performers who don’t seem to age much as years pass. She blends in really well as this protagonist who has her own problems from childhood itself. Jesse Plemons supports her really well as the brother figure and the policeman. Jeremy T Thomas gets his moments as the struggling child who is forced to make too many decisions at such a young age. Scott Haze gets into the terrifying moments around here well. Sawyer Jones plays the other child of significance in a role which brings a fair challenge to him. Amy Madigan ends up having a smaller role to work with than what was expected. Rory Cochrane’s work is another thing of support here. The monster when shown, works as a performer by itself.

How it finishes :: Antlers keeps on moving the world of horror forward in a different path for a change, and the world of fear continues to make its points in one way or the other. One does feel that the Malayalam movie Odiyan could have learned a few things from this one with the creature attacks and the atmosphere to make it darker – if you see the looks, there seems to a visual connection. The earlier divergent horror movies like Malignant, Lights Out, It Follows and Don’t Breathe had scored better, but this one tries to make it count. Maybe, something like the creature in this movie is the need of environment itself to take care of the humans who are destroying nature as we have known it. Well, Corona virus did try, but they were not successful in getting rid of humanity and its use of science to destroy environment. It does make us feel that there can be the moment when nature can get it back running – The Blackout surely made us think about human extinction. Until something like that happens, let us enjoy this horror out of nature.

Release date: 29th October 2021 (Theatre); 15th December 2021 (Hotstar)
Running time: 99 minutes
Directed by: Scott Cooper
Starring: Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons, Jeremy T Thomas, Graham Greene, Scott Haze, Rory Cochrane, Amy Madigan

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Sacrifice

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Vampire Owl: Vampires have always been against sacrifices.

Vampire Bat: Yes, sacrifices are now limited to the Northern Witches.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that the Draconians don’t do sacrifices anymore.

Vampire Bat: Yes, it has been an outlawed practice throughout the realm.

Vampire Owl: Yet, they didn’t officially declare it so. Illegal sacrifices are still happening.

Vampire Bat: The Land of the Vampires shall have no part of it.

Vampire Owl: They even put up some posters inviting vampires for blood moon sacrifices.

Vampire Bat: We never accept the invitations of the Northern Witches. I am sure that they are completely aware of that.

Vampire Owl: You still cannot blame them for trying so hard.

Vampire Bat: The borders have been left open for too long these days. We need to have some control there.

[Gets some tapioca chips and three glasses of blackcurrant shake].

What is the movie about? :: Isaac Pickman (Ludovic Hughes) and his pregnant wife Emma Pickman (Sophie Stevens) travel to a remote island which is part of Norway, all the way from United States of America. After his mother’s death, he is hoping to claim a surprise inheritance which has come to his attention. The place is extremely beautiful, and there is so much of lovely scenery around. It would have been a perfect tourist destination for anyone from any part of the world, and also a great eco-tourism holiday. The home is also located by the same of a charming lake, which gives the feeling of being in a magical world. Some of the paintings at home seem to bring something back to the memories of Isaac, as they go on living as normal as they can. The locals don’t seem to like the British who manipulated the Nordic language and the Americans who claim that Christopher Colombus discovered America. They come up against a fight which Isaac seems to lose miserably, but when they realize that Isaac is from around there, they turn rather friendly.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: They also meet Renate Nygard (Barbara Crampton) who is the local sheriff – she wants to know about his father and his murder on that night when Isaac left Norway for the United States of America. Isaac understands that the police feels that his mother murdered his father, and lied to him that he had left him as he found a new family. The sheriff provides some updates about Isaac’s family after calling them for supper – they also come up against Astrid Nygard (Johanna Adde Dahl), the sheriff’s beautiful daughter. As they make their seemingly vacation-like visit, the couple discover some dark secrets which are related to the family. Then the sinister events that happen around there have other directions to follow. This seemingly charming trip turns into a nightmare without warning as Isaac and his wife comes across a secret pagan cult that worships a deity based on the sea and its waters. Astrid’s brainwashing of Isaac only makes things worse. Emma understands soon enough that the people have something more to provide than what meets the eye.

The defence of Sacrifice :: What catches our attention the most around here is the visuals, as the natural beauty is almost everywhere, from the smallest detail to a world of nature’s visual splendour – add a few beautiful people around to go with the same, among which Johanna Adde Dahl stands apart, and has her moments rising out of a lake which would have been iconic in cinema if this film was more popular. Along with the usual things of beauty, these moments from her might be the creepiest thing of beauty like nothing else that we see – one would also wonder here, whether she is of this world or a human manifestation of an ancient demon, as she appears with the northern lights from the freezing waters of the lake, naked and with only a few words of mystery. There are mysteries that runs through the movie, and it also has some scares going on with it, mostly related to the location itself, and related to the waters that surround the water and imprison its people. The mystery here does live on, and doesn’t depend on the ending to provide that usual conclusion.

Positives and negatives :: The movie might feel slow, and a little bit predictable at the final moments, but the slow descend towards horror is not to be considered a negative. Just like the film Castle Freak and the direct adaptation Color Out of Space, this is also closer to the definition of Lovecraftian horror which focuses on the incomprehensible and the unknowable. Even though there might be some shock and gore added to the newer films which take these features, this one is without them. Our movie here thrives on the mystery, as we don’t know what is real and what is not, for there are so many dreams and nightmares around here, with the cult not really showing what it is really about, and what Johanna Adde Dahl is all about, whether she is a figment of one’s imagination or a human representation of the goddess that they worship. It doesn’t have much of the special effects to go with it, and also hesitates to have that huge an ending, but it leaves the scope for a sequel, and we can always hope for the Lovecraftian world to find new life in everything around.

Performers of the soul :: Sophie Stevens does a great job as the pregnant woman who is caught among things that she doesn’t seem to be able understand. She is the only one who feels that there is something strange around there, and the feeling of being alone in a terrifying world. There is fear and helplessness being portrayed, after the beauty and bliss earlier. Ludovic Hughes’ descend into madness is also portrayed well, as it is an even better performance from him in the final stages of the movie. Barbara Crampton remains solid throughout the movie as one character who seems to know almost everything, and also does decide most of the things around there. Johanna Adde Dahl has our attention more than anyone else, even with very less dialogues spoken – the creepy beauty that she brings makes sure that there is something terribly divergent about the movie, as she her appearance out of the lake is one of the most magical moments in the film, unclothed and supported by the magical aura of the nothern lights, with the scope to be iconic if the movie gets more popularity later. She has her dialogues only then, and they enchanting as much as creepy in nature.

How it finishes :: Sacrifice is a surprisingly interesting film as you look at it, and the same suits more than just the genre of thriller. Brought into a Lovecraftian world, it is your need to understand this kind of a thriller, horror or drama, and what kind of a universe it would be depending on. For those who are looking for usual horror and thrills might not be that happy about it, but that is indeed a problem with their understanding, with expectations for a usual Annabelle, The Nun, The Conjuring, Sinister or Insidious. This film is much more than that, as it transports us to this particular world which boasts of both beauty and creepiness – the strange universe is something that we can cherish, with a few things to keep us guessing. After all, such an isolated world might be completely free from Corona virus and certainly free from its newly formed mutation which threatens to conquer the world again, Omicron. As we fear more pandemic induced lock-downs, keep looking out for some good films while you can. Christmas is on its way, and as the grand celebrations arrive, you stay safe.

Release date: 22nd October 2020
Running time: 87 minutes
Directed by: Andy Collier, Tor Mian
Starring: Barbara Crampton, Sophie Stevens, Ludovic Hughes, Lukas Loughran, Johanna Adde Dahl, Jack Kristiansen, Erik Lundin, Dag Soerlie, Ingeborg Mork Haskjold, Edwin Roseth-Oye, Annika Josefine Stromblad, Balder Bjorke

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Swarm

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Vampire Owl: I can feel the presence of some vampirism in here.

Vampire Bat: You are not talking about vampire locusts, are you?

Vampire Owl: Well, all kinds of vampiric creatures are welcome to our realm.

Vampire Bat: I don’t think that locusts need any special welcome.

Vampire Owl: Everybody needs to be welcomed to the realm.

Vampire Bat: Except for the Corona virus.

Vampire Owl: Who is going to welcome a virus at this point?

Vampire Bat: We cannot be sure about that. Humans are crazy enough.

Vampire Owl: Humans can always be crazier.

Vampire Bat: You can trust them to do that every time.

[Gets a chicken cutlet and three glasses of orange shake].

What is the movie about? :: Virginie Hebrard (Suliane Brahim) is a widowed mother who has been unsuccessfully raising locusts for proteins, and it is not something which brings her favourable returns. Their family used to have goats around earlier, and her children, Laura Hebrard (Marie Narbonne) and Gaston Hebrard (Raphael Romand) are pretty much embarrassed by the business of locusts, with people ridiculing the same, including people at their school. As the locusts are not active enough, and with a lower level of health and reproduction among the insects, the family struggles to go on. Soon, she becomes more and ore frustrated, as people wouldn’t buy the locusts at even lower rates. As she trashes the locust enclosure and passes out there, she finds out that locusts are eating from the wounds on her arm. Soon enough, she finds out that the locusts are now more active, and lets the locusts feed from her wounded arm.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Laura is not happy about how things have turned out though, as with everything going well out there and locusts doing better, they will have to continue to stay there. Her hope that they can finally sell the farm and get away from the place is no longer there. She tears open one of the greenhouses, leading for a swarm of locusts to escape. This escaped swarm would make sure that there would be enough supply of blood for them. That wouldn’t stop her from being more and more obsessed about the locusts. The need to feed them more blood comes to the picture, and she is ready to take further risks for the same. At the same time, all these affect her relationships with people around her, including her children. But is it too late for all of these to change now? How much more the locusts will take out of relationships and in the form of blood and flesh?

The defence of The Swarm :: The drama side of the movie is okay, even though they haven’t really tried too much with the characters. There is the feeling of melancholy that runs through the movie, and most of the characters do have a certain amount of the same. There is just enough CGI and gore to keep the interest going. The setting is very much suitable for such a story, and we know that this is even more possible these during the time of Corona virus pandemic, where there is always mutation and people also get to live more alone than ever, facing even more financial crisis than ever. This is not a full insect attack movie, and people will have to remember that while choosing the same – for those who are looking for such full attack films, there are others from the second half of the twentieth century which was never short of such horror attacks from different creatures. Otherwise, you do watch this one as a drama with some insect horror added.

The claws of flaw :: A problem with this particular movie is that it losses its power as a thriller and horror flick, and gives in to the drama all the time – whenever there is a chance to make this one a horror thriller, it goes down to the state of a common drama about a widowed mother looking forward to make a living by farming. Well, a single mother with two children and financial struggles always make drama rise over any other elements of any genre. There could have been more interesting moments related to locust horror, or at least have some connection to science fiction. The characters and their relationships are also not that much explored, especially that of the daughter who could have had some life at the campus, even if not a positive one. It is certainly not what you expect when you go to watch the film, and the ending is also not that strong by any means. You can see some horror ready to go through the rails, but there is never the green flag, as we see a hesitation to let it go, while the movie slows down and drags at times.

Performers of the soul :: Suliane Brahim handles the role of the widowed mother in grief, trying to make her business do better, quite well. The attraction and the later obsession to the locusts which are shown by her, has something unique about it, even though it should have had more terrifying images than she presenting her body to feed for the insects in between – imagine the amount of horror which just that idea could have brought, but has been missed. Marie Narbonne is a lovely addition to the movie, and she plays the confused younger sister who hopes that things can get better if they leave the locust farm and home attached to it. The melancholy that she goes through is reflected on her face at almost all times, and the way she looks at people even with smiles, reflects a certain amount of sadness. Raphael Romand’s character remains a memorable one too. The one character who stands apart is Sofian Khammesas’s, as he plays the man who is always willing to help, a rare one during this age without faith.

How it finishes :: It is still a thing of wonder that this movie doesn’t redeem itself with thrills and horror when there was so much of an opportunity. While the drama goes on, the other elements lag, even though we feel that it scores a family adventure throughout most of its stages. It is the kind of movie which has the elements to confuse us about the genre in which it stays. One would feel that it could have worked even without focusing on the locusts, and maybe even after replacing them. It would have done fine enough by growing some of the more common things in the farm, as we look at them. On another day, this could be a full-horror movie with insect attacks, a thriller which has a family hunted, or a science fiction flick with mutated insects bringing something further terrifying. But it chooses to focus on the drama, and it suits one kind of audience much more than the others. As we are now in fear of the next mutation of the virus and wonders if everything has to go back to lockdown again, enjoy this one outside the theatres.

Release date: 1st August 2020
Running time: 101 minutes
Directed by: Just Philippot
Starring: Suliane Brahim, Sofian Khammes, Marie Narbonne, Raphael Romand, Nathalie Boyer

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Godzilla vs Kong

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Vampire Owl: These are not the monsters we expect around here.

Vampire Bat: Well, we cannot stop any of them from entering the realm.

Vampire Owl: So, you mean to say that there is no active vampire defence against monsters.

Vampire Bat: Whatever remains will only be active against werewolves.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that a transformed ape and lizard won’t count.

Vampire Bat: We can ask Doctor Frankenstein to try and contain the radioactivity.

Vampire Owl: I am afraid that it won’t be enough.

Vampire Bat: We are already prepared for the huge impact.

Vampire Owl: These are sacred lands. There should be no fight for supremacy here.

Vampire Bat: This is just a temporary space. They will pass through this area, through the portal.

[Gets a blueberry cake and three cups of cardamom tea].

What is the movie about? :: Five years have passed after Godzilla defeated the legendary monster, King Ghidorah and all the other monsters had bowed down to him, accepting his supremacy as the great king of the monsters. He is limited to a small space within the Skull Island, as a dome is created to hold him inside, so as to avoid any contact with Godzilla who wouldn’t appreciate the fact that there are two titans. A deaf and mute child, Jia (Kaylee Hottle) is the only person who could successfully bond with Kong, who is not really happy to be restricted to a small space, which he often tries to damage when he is angry. Jia is also the adopted daughter of the Kong expert Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), and she hopes that they can hold on to Kong as much as possible, and avoid the epic clash which could happen between the two. Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry), tries to get into a facility which is attacked by Godzilla at the same time, and that gets everyone worried, as Godzilla has never attacked without a reason.

So, what happens with the events here as something big is coming up? :: Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown) feels that there is something wrong here, as Godzilla should have attacked only because there was a reason for the same, and something sinister is happening within. Walter Simmons (Demian Bichir), the CEO of the organization recruits Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgard), to lead a journey into the Hollow Earth, the homeworld of the Titans, which could have enough energy to fuel the planet and bring a defence against Godzilla. Nathan is not sure about as his books related to same was poorly received by everyone, and going into such a world would mean death, but as he understands that he has developed HEAVs, some specialized crafts able to withstand the high pressure which is exerted by the gravity field. Ilene understands that there is chance for Kong to find a new home in Hollow Earth, and agrees to the idea. But this journey is not that direct as they thought, as there are other motives for the rich businessman behind all these.

The defence of Godzilla vs Kong :: As expected, the film focuses on the action, with huge monsters ruling the screen, asking for bigger screens to watch it with the best effect, and we already had similar feeling with earlier films of Godzilla and King Kong, as well as the unrelated robot v/s monster battles of Pacific Rim. Among the monsters, it is Godzilla who continues to impress us more, as Kong continues to bring the feeling of enlarged ape rather than the alpha creature, still pretty good enough. The grandeur of Godzilla continues to impress us in many ways, and there is no dinosaur from Jurassic World that could stand up to that glory. When these two collide, there is the classic battle of the highest level indeed. There are so many great battles, and one final one with one extra human made monster – as we know, the worst of them are human or created by humans, proven through centuries, and if you have watched the Russian alien film, The Blackout, you will know what humanity is capable of, and this thrilling ride with great visuals asserts it again.

The claws of flaw :: The focus on giant action means less attention on the other things, and it is also not something which was unexpected. The building of the monster is something that was unexpected, and human greed is once again explored in a more predictable manner rather than anything else. There is no absence of Seven Deadly Sins as far as science is concerned, and it is as if they have taken that one directly from religion. The repetition that we feel here is more or less what was expected, but something which has less innovation except for Godzilla fighting Kong and having a mechanical monster also to join the fight. The evil plans of corporates in hold of scientific inventions is expected, but it is still good to see the evil being shown again. Maybe, they could have been shown as more evil that what they seemed, because it was leading to human extinction in one way or the other. This looks like we would need another sequel to use the film to its best advantage.

Performers of the soul :: Unlike what was expected, it is Millie Bobby Brown is the one who has the best of our attention. She plays who seems to be the only really smart person around here, as she seems to figure out what is happening before anyone, the so called smart scientists and researchers figure out things, and throughout the film, she seems to be the only real hope for the world. Rebecca Hall and Alexander Skarsgard plays the usual scientists being misguided into something which they wouldn’t have wanted if they had some common sense about what they giant corporations really wanted, but they play along well enough. Brian Tyree Henry plays the other smart person around, and it is being displayed nicely too. Shun Oguri and Demian Bichir plays the villains quite well, and they are more or less the usual villains that we have in this kind of films. Eiza Gonzalez also plays a meaty role, and she could be one strong action star with works in full scale action thrillers, for we know how effective she was in her small role in Hobbs and Shaw.

How it finishes :: Godzilla vs Kong is the kind of film which should be watched on the big screen, but with the COVID-19 pandemic’s second arrival ending that opportunity, and the fear about the same will keep it to the smaller screens for us, except for others who can afford a grand home theatre at home. It is exactly what you would expect from a monster film, and you might have already guessed that with ease from the experiences from the movie’s predecessors. When monsters of such grandeur collide, you know that there will be a spectacle on the screen, and the quality of this glory will be dependent on your screen and your audio devices. Even though we are missing it on the big screen, we can still appreciate the fact that it is not available on an OTT platform in India, and they have chosen the one which is used the most by people here, Amazon Prime Video. Let us hope that after The Tomorrow War, there will be more Amazon Original Movies coming soon, for we are without the multiplex experience now, and might stay so for some time.

Release date: 14th August 2021 (Amazon Prime Video), 31st March 2021 (USA)
Running time: 113 minutes
Directed by: Adam Wingard
Starring: Rebecca Hall, Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Eiza Gonzalez, Brian Tyree Henry, Shun Oguri, Julian Dennison, Lance Reddick, Kyle Chandler, Demian Bichir

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Beach House

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Vampire Owl: This is certainly not the right time to go to a beach.

Vampire Bat: We, vampires have always preferred the hills.

Vampire Owl: That is a tradition left for us by Uncle Dracula.

Vampire Bat: Even the Corona Virus has struggled to make it all the way to the hills under his control.

Vampire Owl: Historically, vampires have only caught bacteria, not virus.

Vampire Bat: That won’t be a statement approving our immunity.

Vampire Owl: There is nothing in a vampire that attracts a virus.

Vampire Bat: Doctor Frankenstein has said otherwise though.

Vampire Owl: All mad scientists try to prove it the other way around.

Vampire Bat: Mr Frankenstein is still a successful scientist in our realm.

[Gets a strawberry cake and three cups of black tea].

What is the movie about? :: Emily (Liana Liberato) and Randall (Noah Le Gros) arrives at the beach house which belonged to latter’s father, and as it is not the time when the tourists make a visit, they feel that it could be found empty, just like many other buildings in the area which is supposed to be a travel destination at a certain period of time. After getting into the beach house, and spending some time together, Emily is surprised to see someone else in the house. Jane (Maryann Nagel) and Mitchell (Jake Weber) identifies themselves as friends of Randall’s father, and according to them, latter knew his father from the university. A confused Emily who is upset about almost being caught be strangers without her pants, offers that they can move out somewhere, but the elderly couple asks them to stay with them, as they have known Randall whom they addressed as Randy from those times when he was a little kid. They offer them that the youngsters could stay there in their room as much as they wanted to.

So, what happens with the events here? :: The four get along really well, and Emily comes up with her plans to study astro-biology and become a scientist, while Randall is not at all fond of studies, comes up with a packet of cannabis which they share. Emily does have doubts about what it could do to the elder couple, but Randall is sure that it is just a little, and will only help them. At the same time, there is also some heavy fog outside, and it seems rather out of this world. Jane goes out to see the same, while Mitchell follows her later. The next morning, the young couple wakes up, and Emily finds Jane in a strange state. They also find Mitchell, and he is also not in a good shape. Emily follows him, as he doesn’t come back after walking into the sea, and finds something strange catching her legs. At the same time, Randall who tries to gelp Jane finds that there is something seriousy wrong with her, and it is not something that they can understand. What is it that is haunting the area? Is it of this world or is it from another planet or dimension?

The defence of The Beach House :: This one is surely not your usual kind of movie, and it is only the name of the setting, as you look at it, without providing a chance to explore the place more – but horror does gets its significance here. The horror here is mostly based on the strange fog and the worms which get into people followed by movement inside them until a complete transformation occurs. The setting is really good, and there is terror being created by the atmosphere, even though one does wonder if it has been taken a little too lightly for this type of a movie – yet it does get to somewhat the expected level during the final stages. We get to know the terrifying situation even when that much is not shown, even though we know that there could have been more. It is Liana Liberato who lifts this movie higher, and I would say that the performances have all been pretty good, even though it is Liana who gets the chance to do much. Whether it is with the relationship or horror itself, she makes it work.

The claws of flaw :: The Beach House does have a struggle with some of its elements, and it could have used more of horror in a better way. This is not the kind of idea which we haven’t seem before, especially with the creepy little worm-like things. The scares of the fog or the mist are not that new, or used with the best possible effect. The movie does feel a little bit too long even with its short total run-time, as there is a little bit too much time spent talking, and all those talks become not too relevant for what is to follow later, a the film changes the mood almost completely. The beginning stages had already given us one kind of impression, but later stages mean something else. Creating a movie like this required more of a different kind of horror to be added to it. You see that there is a beach and the sea which are central to the tale, but the main characters don’t even jump into it or get close to thinking about at least wetting their feet, which is strange, even under these circumstances.

Performers of the soul :: Liana Liberato plays the protagonist in this movie, as she is the girl who wishes to be an astro-biologist here. It is not really the face that we have seen much, and I am sure I haven’t come across her movies before. She makes a fine scream queen, with very good job being done in between all the chaos and terror that is unleashed there. Horror, as a genre seems to suit her, and the other one which seems to be good enough to work out for her feels like romance. In the beginning, there is the case of a fading relationship, which is done with ease, and when horror comes, the same level is maintained. Noah Le Gros supports well, playing her lover. Jake Weber and Maryann Nagel plays the older couple, and their performance is also believable, but we are left without themselves before the half-time itself. But a movie like this doesn’t demand much of them, except for more from the girl who seems to go on towards the end, as people are not the ones who provide the much needed elements of horror.

How it finishes :: The Beach House makes another movie which goes divergent in pursuit of horror. It is to be noted that the movie does remind us of the short story The Colour Out of Space by HP Lovecraft as well as its fine adaptation in which Nicholas Cage stars. There is that same strange feeling that we have here, even though this one is not that colourful, and we understand that it has been made on a low budget. With Corona Virus said to be spreading by air too, we do feel that this kind of a terror is always possible too. After all, we are the ones who will be responsible for the end of this planet, speeding up the upcoming extinction event like never before, in the last few years. Therefore, we await the extinction event or just the human extinction in one way or the other. Before that, we do have movies like this one which seems to bring the end closer than ever, and that is also done in a way that it moves away from the usual stuff with ease.

Release date: 9th July 2019
Running time: 88 minutes
Directed by: Jeffrey A Brown
Starring: Liana Liberato, Noah Le Gros, Jake Weber, Maryann Nagel, Michael Brumfield, Matt Maisto, Steven Corkin, Veronica Fellman, Dan Zakarija

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Ashfall

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Vampire Owl: Do you know what actually happens when ash falls in a graveyard near the vampire castle?

Vampire Bat: I do not see vampires being related with the ashes.

Vampire Owl: Well, we do rise from the ashes quite often.

Vampire Bat: So, we are soon going to have a Vampire Phoenix?

Vampire Owl: I wouldn’t dare to stop a phoenix from becoming a vampire.

Vampire Bat: Do you understand that the ashfall in this movie title refers to a volcano?

Vampire Owl: The last time I heard about a volcano, it was in Bali, Indonesia.

Vampire Bat: This one has Mount Paektu, a real active volcano in Korea.

Vampire Owl: Well, we have been watching Korean movies, and now lets know the volcanoes around there too.

Vampire Bat: Yes, these days, we do tend to get more familiar with the locations in other parts of the world, and not just the United States with the Hollywood movies.

[Gets a strawberry cake and three glasses of vanilla shake].

What is the movie about? :: Mount Paektu, an active volcano in the China–North Korea border, erupts all of a sudden, leading to many earthquakes in the Korean peninsula. It affects both nations in the peninsula severely, leaving not much of the North Korean capital behind in between all the destruction. It had one of the most violent eruptions in the last five thousand years in around 946, and with this one, the volcano seems to bring even more. The highest peak of the Changbai and Baekdudaegan mountain ranges, is supposed to have a certain mythical quality of spiritual significance, but this time it is about survival, as eruption is too close. To prevent the upcoming disaster, Jeon Yoo-kyung (Jeon Hye-jin) plans an operation based on a theory by Professor Kang Bong-rae (Ma Dong-seok), who had studied the volcano with special focus on its possible eruptions. But it is a theory which only has around three and half percent chance of success.

So, what happens with the events here? :: But they decide to go with the mission because there seems to be no other way of saving the Korean peninsula and all those people who are caught in there with nowhere to go, as other nations evacuate only their citizens. At the same time, Jo In-chang (Ha Jung-woo) who was almsot discharged from the army, is assigned to be the leader of a special forces team supposed to complete the mission, even though their elite military support is lost on the way. Lee Joon-pyeong (Lee Byung-hun) who has been part of the Korean People’s Army in North Korea as a spy is asked to help them, even though he is now in the North Korean prison, and needs to be rescued from there. Meanwhile, Jo In-Chang’s pregnant wife Choi Ji-young (Bae Suzy) is left alone in Seoul, and hopes to go with the United States evacuation as part of a deal made by her husband with the South Korean government. But with a nuclear warhead needed to be stolen from North Korea for the mission to succeeed, things are not that easy.

The defence of Ashfall :: There is more than one thing about Ashfall, as we are not just watching a disaster movie with one volcano all prepared to burst and kill most of the people with an earthquake to go with it. There is also a certain amount of international politics being referred to, with North Korea, South Korea, China and the United States of America involved here. Along with the action, we also have a funny side with this movie, as humour which comes in here and there is mostly working. The emotional side is also very strong, and after having some of it in the beginning, it is a touching end to this flick. The characters are all interesting too, as we get to see more of them in an emotional way. The CGI effects are really good especially with volcanic eruption and earthquakes to be displayed here, and we get to see some fine visual effects on the screen. This one is the kind of holiday entertainer which all age of people can watch – a clean one indeed, as it is a suitable flick for everyone, entertaining very well.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have brought more of the volcano into the picture, and it should have been shown as threatening on more occasions, generating fear. We could have had the feeling of terror, and death could have been hanging around there further. There are other moments which could have been cut instead, to shorten the movie further. Sometimes, the comic side comes in when it is not the right to make an entrance, but we forgive that because it ends up being funny enough. Even with some interesting characters making fine impact, we still have some others who are just there for the sake of it, even though we do feel that they are important when it begins. The characters could have surely been smarter, as they are trained so well, and even though they are not the ones who fight in the front-lines, could have better idea about what all have been happening around. You shouldn’t look for a full disaster movie, and if you do, there will be disappointment, as this one is a mixture of different things, and the disaster is mostly in the background.

Performers of the soul :: The cast does a fine job, especially with the dramatic side present here. The performances are good enough to make you care for most of the characters out there, and even without that possible volcanic eruption, the possibility is there. Ha Jung-woo and Lee Byung-hun do make a good combination here, and their scenes together are very good, whether it is related to the action with all the shooting around, or with the comedy, they work really well. The next person who makes the impact is Ma Dong-seok who plays the scientist who comes up with the almost impossible idea, and it is nice work done there. Bae Suzy has some nice emotional moments, but part of it is a little bit overdone, maybe to bring some more humour in there. Jeon Hye-jin also has some solid work being done here, with all the responsibility related to the character too. There are also many others who play characters which come and go, but they are pretty good too.

How it finishes :: Korean movies almost always have something special as they have been proving for long, and this one is no exception. It is nice to see that Russian, Korean and Chinese movies are taking the usual thing shown in Hollywood to another level, in one way or the other. The visual effects is just one the things related to that, as the movie also thinks in a rather divergent way. We know that movies like The Wandering Earth, The Divine Fury and The Blackout have already taken the divergent path with space having another dimension, exorcism having another mode and alien invasion having another style respectively. This movie becomes another reason why Korean movies always needed a release here – such films which families can watch and enjoy a lot will get its own audience here. At some point of time, Korean movies need to be in the multiplexes, and even those movies which don’t win the Oscars.

Release date: 19th December 2019
Running time: 128 minutes
Directed by: Lee Hae-jun, Kim Byung-seo
Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Ha Jung-woo, Ma Dong-seok, Bae Suzy, Jeon Hye-jin

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Mermaid

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Vampire Owl: Do you know how much I love the mermaids?

Vampire Bat: I am pretty sure that you don’t love them as much as you love Lady Death.

Vampire Owl: Lady Death is more like a final destination. So do not try to bring her into this conversation, and neither should you talk about Doctor Frankenstein.

Vampire Bat: Frankenstein? Okay, so tell me more about your love for those mermaids who don’t love you back.

Vampire Owl: Mr. Vampire Bat, they don’t love me because they don’t know me.

Vampire Bat: Actually, the truth is that they don’t even realize that you exist, and there is no such requirement for them either.

Vampire Owl: No, I am the most popular vampire apprentice in this realm.

Vampire Bat: Dude, the word ‘vampire’ don’t go well with owls. Your kind works well with demons, spirits and the similar creatures from the other dimension.

Vampire Owl: What nonsense! I am as vampire as Kung Fu Panda is Kung Fu.

Vampire Bat: I see the food being a common factor linking you two.

[Gets three cups of Kumily tea with a piece of marble cake].

What is the movie about? :: A young and energetic business tycoon Liu Xuan (Deng Chao) is one of those newer faces in the elite class, looking forward to making it big. It is because of the same reason that he buys the area known as the Green Gulf, planning for a sea reclamation project. He uses the sonar technology to get rid of the oceanic creatures there, especially the dolphins which are supposed to live there in large number. With the technology which proves brutal, they are very much successful in driving the dolphins away, as there was not much of a sighting of them for a long time. Along with his long line of supporters, and the newly found special business partner Ruolan (Zhang Yuqi), he decides to take it to the next level – Ruolan, not only being attracted to him for his success and quick money-making, but also sexually, decides to keep him with her throughout for the deals, despite him not having that huge a family background.

So, what happens next? :: But unknown to Liu, Ruolan or any other, the Green Gulf is the home of merpeople, the aquatic creatures with the head and upper body of a humans and the tail of fish, or other sea creatures. It turns out that after Liu had bought the area, overall pollution had increased, and the sonar devices placed in the sea has been producing a devastating effect on their kind. A lot of them had died, and some of them unwell, with not much of a future left, awaiting the end of their lives. With their people being lost to sickness and even worse fate, the merpeople decide not to co-exist in peace and suffer for the damage that humans have been doing to them as well as the environment. They decide to react, and by the same, they feel that things should begin with the one man who has caused all the trouble, Liu Xuan, the millionaire – they all want him dead, and that too, as soon as possible, before he cause any further damage to their world.

And what is to follow in this adventure in water and land? :: The half-human, half-fish creatures of the ocean join under Octopus (Show Luo) who is half-man half-octopus, who calls for a hitman, or rather a femme fatale to murder the evil human target. They train a beautiful young mermaid named Shan (Lin Yun) to walk on her fins, and adapt to human life, hiding among humans, and find an opportunity to meet Liu. When she gets to find him and have a meeting, she is supposed to seduce him, and send him to his doom. The plan seems to be quite a smart one for everyone, as they send Shan to the land, and after setting up her place on an abandoned house which has the sea underneath it, she goes on to find Liu with Ruolan and other girls – she leaves her phone number for him and asks him to call her, and they all wait for the man to call the mermaid. So, will Liu fall for the trap and call the mermaid, inviting his own doom, or will he just continue with his work? Will Shan be good enough for the job, and can the Green Gulf and the merpeople be saved?

The defence of The Mermaid :: When we look at The Mermaid, we see that it works at two levels, one at the simplest level of comedy, and another level, at the more serious concern, on the need for conservation of nature from all which contributes in polluting it. There are a number of funny moments which you will get to watch and can’t control laughter, which includes, but is not limited to the mermaid’s attempt at assassination, the octopus trying to sneak in for no use and the millionaire remembering his father when getting to eat a chicken. There is cuteness present, which makes sure that no matter how dumb some comic scenes happen to go, you will find that the simple characters and simple incidents make sure that the fun is something that will keep on going. It is certainly divergent from the usual mermaid tale that you will see anywhere, and it is also different in talking about protecting the environment. You call this a package which takes them all in.

The claws of flaw :: I am sure that a lot of people will find some of the comedy scenes to be rather childish, and for a movie with ninety three percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, you tend to expect more than that. There is also that certainty of confusion with the genre, which can be seen, as we look at how things proceed, with focus being shifted from one genre to the other, and its inability to take a few things seriously is rather confusing – after all, there are some elements which have to be dealt with leaving the comedy behind if they are present, but The Mermaid never tries to put down what it has in its lap, but stands straight up to take something else. It can be said so more concerning the final scenes, and it makes us wonder why it couldn’t maintain the strength that it had earlier. Maybe it could have maintained the comic side, without going rather violent and yet without seriousness. The modern take of the folktale mermaid story could have surely been better. The romantic side is rather strange too.

How it finishes :: As the four people playing the most noticable characters, Deng Chao, Lin Yun, Show Luo and Zhang Yuqi make their moments count so well, The Mermaid becomes a movie that you need to give a try for the elements it possesses, and the divergence that it brings here with its not-so-little mermaid. The combination should feel strange, but if you take each of them separately, you will know that there is some interesting effort at almost everything here. Without that much of a violence in the end, and with more comedy as it had in the beginning supported by better visual effects, The Mermaid could have done more justice to its world. But as of now, with a short run-time, and some moments to remember, this one could be that comedy movie with the environmental message which has the strength to be remembered for a longer period of time than a documentary or a serious movie taking on the same issue. No wonder it is the highest-grossing Chinese movie of all time, even after releasing with The Monkey King 2 – the movie has to be enjoyed for the funny side without thinking too much about the story, but do remember the environmental message.

Release date: 8th February 2016
Running time: 94 minutes
Directed by: Stephen Chow
Starring: Deng Chao, Lin Yun, Show Luo, Zhang Yuqi, Kris Wu, Ivan Kotik, Lu Zhengyu, Fan Shuzhen, Li Shangzheng, Bo Xiaolong, Pierre Bourdaud, Kong Lianshun, Chiu Chi Ling, Bai Ke, Tsui Hark, Tin Kai-man, Wen Zhang, Lam Chi-chung, Yang Neng, Zhang Mei’e

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.