Film Review - Insidious: Chapter 3

Spirits in a Material World

Film: Insidious: Chapter 3

Cast: Stefanie Scott, Lin Shaye

Directed by: Leigh Whannel

Duration: 1 hr 37 mins           

Rating: * *

It is hard to tell one horror film from the other these days, they all revolve around haunted houses or possessed dolls. The only distinction is in the storytelling and director James Wan had done a remarkable job with Insidious (2010) although the sequel had gone slightly off the boil. Wan serves as the producer in Chapter 3 which is just a run of the mill horror film.

This is a prequel, as to what happened before the Lambert family got inflicted. It opens with Quinn (Stefanie Scott), a teenage girl who lives with her father, she wants to contact her dead mother and goes to a meet Elise (Lin Shaye) a specialist who knows how to communicate with the ‘other side’. Right off you know there is a whole load of baloney coming up in this film.

The mother doesn’t make any contact but instead another ghoul is on the prowl. When Quinn gets bed ridden due to an accident, the setting is perfect for the demon to make a move. She can’t move, he enjoys scaring her while you wait for her and your ordeal to end. 

Barring one impressive shot where the camera goes back and forth from the window, there is nothing much to write home about in Chapter 3. 

There is also a whole load of mumbo jumbo about ghosts, spirits, dark side, the world of spirits (which is referred to as Further).   There is little doubt in my mind that most of the superstitions in the world come from silly films like these.  

Published in The Navhind Times on 28th June 2015

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Film Review -The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death

Back in Black

Film: The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death

Cast: Phoebe Fox, Jeremy Irvine, Helen McCrory

Directed by: Tom Harper

Duration: 1 hr 38 mins

Rating: *  * 1 / 2

Susan Hills popular ghost story The Woman in Black was adapted as a film in 2011 and since it was a commercial success the sequel has followed suit. Apart from the economics, I don’t see any reason why this film was made, it is not a terrible sequel but there isn’t a great deal to write home about either.

The original film starred Daniel Radcliffe and since his character dies at the end he is not in this film although the chance of bringing him back as a ghost couldn’t have been ruled out.

The film is set during WWII and people of Crythin Gifford have left the village. Barring the ghost and an old caretaker, there is no one there. With the war in full swing , children are rescued and sent to more safer places. In this case, they don’t find any better place than the rather eerie village. Eve Parkins (Phoebe Fox) is a kind hearted teacher and the headmistress (Helen McCrory) is rather strict lady. With a handful of kids in tow they land in the old haunted Eel Marsh mansion.

The first target for the ghoul is a young boy Edward, who doesn’t speak and slowly the evil starts spreading around. Ms. Parkins also has a suitor in the form of a fighter pilot who is the only other resident in that part of the world.  

As it had to be, the young teacher also becomes a target of the haunted spirit and it all comes to an end with the expected explanations.

Angel of Death has the occasional spark but for many parts it is just dull. At no point is enough interested evoked in the characters, including the ghost. Luckily, the director has restrained himself from overdoing the standard tropes seen in horror films. Relative newcomer Phoebe Fox as the leading lady has put up a good show but otherwise this ghost business is average fare.

Published in The Navhind Times on 4th Jan 2015

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Film Review - Creature

Pest Control

Film: Creature

Cast: Bipasha Basu, Imran Abbas, Mukul Dev

Directed by: Vikram Bhatt

Duration: 2 hrs 15 mins

Rating: * 1 / 2

If your vehicle breaks down in the jungle in the middle of night and you hear scary sounds emanating from the forest will you, (a) Go inside the forest to see who is making those sounds or (b) Stay put in the vehicle and be alert.

In most horror flicks, the answer is (a) and that is just one of the minor oddities in Creature that comes from the factory of director Vikram Bhatt’s scary films. The premise is so silly that very often you find yourself chuckling over the inane scenes that are meant to be scary. The only worrying factor was how long will grate on your nerves before the creature is killed and they live happily ever after - quite long as it turned out to be.

Literally set in a forest, Bipasha Basu plays Ahana the owner of a new boutique hotel. She has left her troubled past behind in Mumbai and is looking forward to this new venture.

But there is a creature lurking around who goes around killing people for no rhyme or reason. We are told that this Davy Jones looking cross between a dinosaur and lizard is called a Brahma rakshas and his soul is in limbo. Only lord Brahma could have helped them but that didn’t apply to the hapless audience.

The guests at the hotel are not particularly pleased with the fact that their fellow residents limbs are being chopped off by this rakshas. Very soon the bank officers comes knocking on her door to recover the loan. With the help of a builder cum musician turned lover (Imran Abbas), a zoologist (Mukul Dev) and a rakshas specialist who gives them precious advice (the bullet has to be dipped in holy water), they overcome the hurdle after a rather long drawn climax and also manages to keep her word with the bank guys. 

Having made several films of this genre, Vikram Bhatt is very much on auto-pilot mode with all the standard tropes. It all gets very exhausting by the end. To recover completely from it, this is the advice I got “Poornima ki raat, bottled water ke saath, char bottle vodka peeni padege” Teetotalers like me have no hope in that case.

Published in The Navhind Times on 14th Sept 2014

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