Review: The Presence

The Presence is a subtle ghost story. I like the plot of the movie but at the same time I feel it had an extremely boring start. The first 15 minutes were such a drag with not a single dialogue and nothing scary happening either. However, I pushed myself to watch the entire movie and by the end I did like the story minus the boring part of it.

Tom Provost made his directorial debut with The Presence and I do feel that he executed the movie in an innovative and different style. To make a horror movie with few dialogues, less action and minimal scary scenes is an art too and he did it fairly well. The cast of the movie was a major plus point with Mira Sorvino, Shane West, Justin Kirk and Tony Curran in the main leads.

The story starts in an extremely slow manner with a woman (Mira Sorvino) going to an isolated cabin in the beautiful and peaceful mountains of Oregon. She looks all strong and in control from the outside but from the inside, she is playing a character who is quite insecured, disturbed and sensitive because of her past. She wants to escape the real world and live quietly in the cabin where nobody is around. 

However, she is not alone there. Her cabin already has a strange presence. An apparition is keeping an eye on her and everything she does from the moment she reaches that cabin. Soon, Mira's boyfriend (Justin Kirk) makes an unexpected arrival at the cabin too, which Mira is not liking. 

Within a few days, the darker force or presence becomes stronger and in turn Mira behaves in an irritable manner. Justin Kirk plays the role of a very patient boyfriend who is too madly in love with Mira and is taking her irrational behavior in a calm manner. 

So, basically the movie just revolves around these characters and how the trapped ghost is set free in the end while Mira ends up facing her insecurities and decides to lead a better life leaving behind her past. 

Yes, this is not really a super scary horror movie from any angle. It's just that the idea that other beings are present around us and the evil ones try to take over our space. Just like humans, even these beings are good and bad. Some instigate us while others help us. 

It's a movie for those who believe in the existence of such beings.The negatives in the movie are definitely the parts that were not required...they could have cut down on a lot of scenes. The actors each played the parts in an incredible way so full points to them. Not highly recommended but a movie for believers...

Sau Baras - Haunted 3D (2011)

As I mentioned in my post earlier on Haunted 3D's movie review that the music of this film is quite superb, here you can hear one of the songs that I liked a lot personally. 

Sau Baras is the song that the girl's ghost is heard singing in the mansion. And if you listen to it quietly you can only feel the pain associated with the character. Since, I really liked the song and I was lucky to find the lyrics too, I'm gonna share those as well.

Sau Baras guzre raat hue
Sau Baras guzre din hue
Sau Baras guzre chaand dikhe
Sau Baras guzre bin jiye
Kyun pal thertha hai yeh
Kyun wakt badalta nahin hai
Yeh raah suni hai kyun
Kyun koi nikhalta nahin hai
Sau Baras guzre saans liye
Sau Baras guzre bin jiye
Palkein hai khwabon se khali..
Dil hai ke bandh koi ghar..
Kabhi rang the
Nainon mein
Kabhi dil ko lagte the par..
Woh raat saheli meri
Sab taare chura le gayi hai
Woh dil... jo tha mera
Ab woh bhi mera nahin hai
Hai khaffa mujhse yaar mere
Kya path kab yeh phir mile
Hum toh charagon se jalke
Baithe hai umeed mein..
Kya jaane
Yeh kis ka
Rahein intezar hamein...
Koi... chule mejhe
Kyun aakhir yeh lagta hai dil ko
Saansein... bandh hai toh kya
Abhi bhi dharakta hai dil toh
Yeh tarap koi na.. sune
Na samjh yun hi
Dil hai yeh
Sau Baras guzre raat hue
Sau Baras guzre din hue

Review: Haunted 3D (2011)

Haunted is India's first stereo-scopic 3D horror movie. It's a Vikram Bhat film starring Mahakshay Chakraborty as the main lead. I didn't know that Mahakshay is Mithun Chakraborty's son till today. Although, he is still quite new in the acting world with a few flops to his credit but Haunted received positive reviews from critics over all. In fact, I must say that everybody in the movie did act quite well.

I am a huge fan of horror movies since forever be it in any language and from any country. Indian cinema has always touched upon the horror genre even when it is not such a commercial hit. Recently, I've suffered immensely at the hands of Hollywood horror movies. They may start all fine but by the end they lose track of all logic in an incredible way and that makes the entire experience quite shitty. Haunted is not like so many haunted house movies that I've watched in many days. 

It has an interesting plot. The story begins with Rehan (Mahakshay) visiting the mountain areas of Koti where he has to look after Glen Manor - a mansion that his brokerage firm is disposing off on behalf of a client. However, when Rehan reaches Glen Manor he gets to know that one of his servants at the mansion died in strange circumstances due to heart attack. The other servants at the mansion tell Rehan a different story about the house being haunted and that they won't work there anymore. Thus, Rehan has to spend 10 days in the mansion alone till the new owners of the mansion visit Glen Manor.

However, on the very first night Rehan witnesses the presence of strange supernatural beings in the mansion. He hears screams of a girl. The next day he had no doubt in his mind that the mansion was haunted but the house's owner doesn't reveal anything to him. As he spends a few more days, each night he is revealed more with the screams of the girl getting louder and louder. He gets to know through a suicide letter in a book that 80 years ago, a young girl named Meera lived in the mansion. While her parents were away on a short trip, her sick music teacher Mr. Ayyer tries to rape her and she ends up killing him while protecting herself. However, killing the psychotic teacher opens a miserable chapter in Meera's life. 

Ayyer's evil soul becomes more powerful and he kills all the servants at the house and then obsessed with Meera his spirit rapes her in a torturous way at night. The girl couldn't take the misery till her parents returned and she ended up killing herself to escape from the torture. The saddest part about the story is that Meera's soul is trapped in the mansion with that of Ayyer's evil spirit and he rapes her very night for the following 80 years.

Rehan couldn't bear the pain and screams of Meera and wants to help her, although she is already dead. So, the rest of the story goes on to show how Rehan will help Meera from all the suffering although they belong to very different eras. 

I liked the story greatly. I'm not sure if this is an original story or adapted from somewhere else. The 3D part, however, doesn't change a lot for my over all analysis. Yes, some of the scenes along were quite nicely done. The only turn off were the scenes where they try to show Ayyer as the evil spirit and when he takes on the body of Meera's guardian. They were quite fake and funny. Especially the scenes where the spirit was flying in the forest was so funny rather than scary. 

But overall, I have to say I strongly recommend people to watch Haunted if you like horror movies. It's not going to disappoint you and as an additional cherry you're going to love the music since it's quite superb.

Review: Haunted 3D (2011)

Haunted is India's first stereo-scopic 3D horror movie. It's a Vikram Bhat film starring Mahakshay Chakraborty as the main lead. I didn't know that Mahakshay is Mithun Chakraborty's son till today. Although, he is still quite new in the acting world with a few flops to his credit but Haunted received positive reviews from critics over all. In fact, I must say that everybody in the movie did act quite well.

I am a huge fan of horror movies since forever be it in any language and from any country. Indian cinema has always touched upon the horror genre even when it is not such a commercial hit. Recently, I've suffered immensely at the hands of Hollywood horror movies. They may start all fine but by the end they lose track of all logic in an incredible way and that makes the entire experience quite shitty. Haunted is not like so many haunted house movies that I've watched in many days. 

It has an interesting plot. The story begins with Rehan (Mahakshay) visiting the mountain areas of Koti where he has to look after Glen Manor - a mansion that his brokerage firm is disposing off on behalf of a client. However, when Rehan reaches Glen Manor he gets to know that one of his servants at the mansion died in strange circumstances due to heart attack. The other servants at the mansion tell Rehan a different story about the house being haunted and that they won't work there anymore. Thus, Rehan has to spend 10 days in the mansion alone till the new owners of the mansion visit Glen Manor.

However, on the very first night Rehan witnesses the presence of strange supernatural beings in the mansion. He hears screams of a girl. The next day he had no doubt in his mind that the mansion was haunted but the house's owner doesn't reveal anything to him. As he spends a few more days, each night he is revealed more with the screams of the girl getting louder and louder. He gets to know through a suicide letter in a book that 80 years ago, a young girl named Meera lived in the mansion. While her parents were away on a short trip, her sick music teacher Mr. Ayyer tries to rape her and she ends up killing him while protecting herself. However, killing the psychotic teacher opens a miserable chapter in Meera's life. 

Ayyer's evil soul becomes more powerful and he kills all the servants at the house and then obsessed with Meera his spirit rapes her in a torturous way at night. The girl couldn't take the misery till her parents returned and she ended up killing herself to escape from the torture. The saddest part about the story is that Meera's soul is trapped in the mansion with that of Ayyer's evil spirit and he rapes her very night for the following 80 years.

Rehan couldn't bear the pain and screams of Meera and wants to help her, although she is already dead. So, the rest of the story goes on to show how Rehan will help Meera from all the suffering although they belong to very different eras. 

I liked the story greatly. I'm not sure if this is an original story or adapted from somewhere else. The 3D part, however, doesn't change a lot for my over all analysis. Yes, some of the scenes were quite nicely done. The only turn off were the scenes where they try to show Ayyer as the evil spirit and when he takes on the body of Meera's guardian. They were quite fake and funny. Especially the scenes where the spirit was flying in the forest was so funny rather than scary. 

But overall, I have to say I strongly recommend people to watch Haunted if you like horror movies. It's not going to disappoint you and as an additional cherry you're going to love the music since it's quite superb.

Review: Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark (2011)

I was waiting to see this movie ever since I read its pre-release review on a friend's blog. I did like its trailer immensely but I can't really say the same about the movie.

Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark is an American horror film starring Guy Pearce (Alex), Katie Holmes (Kim) and Bailee Madison (Sally). It is the remake of the 1973 horror film by the same name.  I did like Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes' performance but the little girl (Bailee Madison) who played the role of Guy Pearce's daughter in the movie was a bit irritating contrary to the positive reviews she has been receiving for her role.

The movie revolves around an architect (Alex) and his girlfriend (Kim) who is an interior designer. The couple are renovating an old mansion hoping to make a name for themselves with their remarkable work. Although Alex is an extremely ambitious and slightly selfish father who is a bit harsh on his disturbed daughter time and again. However, after Sally has been abandoned by her own mother Alex brings her with himself to the old mansion where he is working only to witness more deterioration in his daughter's behavior. Kim tries hard to befriend Sally but the little girl is not keen on knowing his father's girlfriend.

The mansion was owned by an artist and biologist Emerson Blackwood who went missing shortly after his eight year old son went missing. The housekeepers knew of strange happenings in the past and they sealed the basement for many generations till Sally discovered it and told her father about it. 

Sally being an inquisitive child hears voices from a hidden based with a fireplace who ask her to open the sealed based and become her friend. She discovers there are weird gnome like creatures. After frequent disturbing series of events (the house's keeper being badly injured, Kim's clothes torn apart into pieces and Sally's mentioning of strange creatures in the house) Kim decided to do some research on the history of the mansion and its owner. It was then that she saw that Blackwood himself made many paintings of small creatures and he mentioned that they want the the teeth and bones of children. 

While Alex was only interested in reviving his career, Kim was worried about his daughter more. This was how Sally started trusting Kim and they became closer with time. 

Anyhow, I feel the movie was a bit long. Although, they did not leave any detail in leaving the viewer confused about anything. The idea of gnomes and creatures who want to kill children and other people to get hold of teeth does sound absurd. Frankly speaking I found nothing scary in the entire movie. In fact, it was only sad to see that Kim ended up becoming the creature herself in the end while trying to save Sally. 

I wouldn't really consider it a good watch except when you don't have anything else to do. For people who like anything that falls in the so called horror-scary genre may watch it. However, lately I've watched too many bad horror movies that make no sense at all so in comparison this one still is better in that area.

Children Of The Corn Genesis (2011)

Last night I was unfortunate enough to watch a so called horror flick "Children Of The Corn Genesis" and I am convinced that they have stopped making good horror movies a long time ago. Ok without being biased the first half of the movie was fine but then it really lost all sense as it moved further.

This one too was based on the famous book by Stephen King - Children Of The Corn. However, unlike the real story it was a total waste of time. At least that's what I felt.

However, just in case anybody still has nothing better to do they can watch it (though that's not my recommendation) or if you've already rented or bought the DVD then have a look at it. 

The story starts with a couple who are stranded in the middle of a desert as their car broke down. The young couple try to find some help in this strange place where they meet a weird preacher with a slutty Ukrainian wife. Now the preacher was so reluctant to help the couple to even use his phone but the moment he found out the girl was pregnant he allowed them to spend the night at his place and leave with the delivery man in the morning. Btw the delivery man was quite irritating too.

Though the preacher gave the couple strict instructions to not wander around and go to any place where they are not invited, the girl was irritating enough to peek here and there outside. Such stuff totally gets onto my nerves. She discovered there was a kid locked up in a shed by the couple. Also, she felt the preacher and his wife was part of some cult. Now, when they feel they are at the wrong place some unknown force doesn't allow them to leave. Thus, they were pretty much stuck there.

Talking about the actors, I found the husband from the younger couple cute while they could have opted for a prettier girl to play his wife's role. She was too healthy and didn't even act that well. The preacher was weird enough for his character and so was his Ukrainian wife who wore nothing underneath her white maxi.

It made no sense to me whatever happened after that. The end is so bizarre. You gotta bang your head in the wall as it was too damn senseless. It's a shame they waste so much time making such movies.

Ekta Kapoor haunted; changes film’s title!

When it comes to this ‘Queen of Television’, one can naturally expect some spirituality associated with her projects….

Latest heard from producer Ekta Kapoor is that she has changed the spelling of her upcoming release ‘Raginni MMS’. The sensuous paranormal offering will now be called ‘Ragini MMS’ (an extra 'n' gets dropped). It is believed that she asked for the name change because of the bizarre incidents that occurred during the film’s shoot.

Ekta happened to discover that someone had died in the bungalow at Dahanu, where the film was shot. The film’s director Pawan Kirpalani says, “Filming Ragini MMS was an unsettling and surreal experience. I don’t know if the bungalow was haunted, but interestingly the caretaker had died in his room and his personal belongings were still lying there when we started shooting, eventually the crew had to shift his stuff out. The spooky experiences led us to believe that maybe it’s a bad move to mess with things that belong to dead people."

The director adds that frequent freak accidents occurred while shooting. “One of the boys got burnt while cooking for the crew, while the male lead Raj Kumar (Love Sex Aur Dhokha) hurt himself while shooting a scene in which he was actually supposed to get hurt.”

Daily calls from the unit about such accidents troubled Ekta who refused to go on set. Her numerologist is said to have suggested the spelling change to ease things out.

Phew! Hope the new title will help to ward off the evil from the film….

‘Ragini MMS’ is likely to release in March-April.

Source: IndiaGlitz