Showing posts with label Horror. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Horror. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Pizza 2, Ghosts Demystified

When the movie got over, I thought it was a good movie. Then a natural comparison with Pizza 1 made me feel that maybe it was not as entertaining. Then again after sometime, I thought maybe this was better than the previous edition in many ways. And after some more pondering, I now think this is probably the most intelligent ghost movie that I have ever seen! The best and the most intelligent.

This movie, in a scientific way, explains ghost. Of course,  I have no expertise in the subject and I don't believe in them though I do get scared thinking about them, can't ratify it. But what I can say is that in all the ghost movies that I have seen, in Hollywood, Bollywood, Kollywood or from other -woods, this probably is the best. Ok, I have said that already. This is a fan of the movie speaking now.

For the story, please go and watch it yourself. For my opinion, read on.

What is ghost? The "scientific" explanation is very nice. As the "exorcist" explains, there is positive energy and negative energy. And that is what it is all about.

What do ghosts want? I am not sure. From the movies that I have seen ghosts' basic profession or occupation is to kill human beings. Bite them, possess them, suck blood, throw them around. They can kill people with a reason or without one. They can also display emotions - possessiveness and vengeance. There can be good ghosts, too. Oh, I forgot, they can be "religious".

How do they look? Gory, of course. They are here to scare us.

Now, this is why I liked Pizza 2. The ghosts have been shown in different light. A totally different philosophy. For an intelligent ghost movie, watch it. For the cheap thrills and almost similar action, watch any other ghost movie. 

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Horror Movies Demystified

The other day I was watching Narnia on TV. Because I received a phone call, I put the TV on mute and did something which is not a good practice. Instead of focusing on the conversation I started watching the movie.

It was the scene where Lucy Pevensie discovers the wardrobe! The gateway to the Kingdom of Narnia.

With the voice on mute, I felt that that scene could have easily fit into a horror movie. It had everything that would make it to that genre.

The Valiant Queen discovering Narnia through the wardrobe and Carolyn Perron in Conjuring encountering a ghost inside the wardrobe are pretty much the same. If you have the inclination, resources and time, do compare those scenes. Either watch them on mute or with the same background music.

Of course, the context is set even before we watch a movie. And, the cast and cinematography plays an important role in shaping our experience. While the smile in the little girls face gives us reassurance, the context in horror movies make us think otherwise for the similar expressions. You expect something horrifying in Conjuring when the mother, who is blindfolded, searches the wardrobe.

When an unknown entity turns positive, it becomes fantasy. But on the other hand if that turns evil, it becomes horror. The common denominator is the unknown! 

For someone who hadn't really give much thought to background music, watching Narnia in mute, conjured respect in me for this element of movies.

Do you know what casting can do to movies? Read here

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Conjuring, Christian Horror



My friend told me that there was nothing horrifying in the movie. She said she laughed through it.

I am a person who loves horror movies and then get scared after watching them. So her statement came as some sort of encouragement.

Conjuring was entertaining. And as my friend told me there were loads of comic scenes which made me and the rest of the movie goers burst into laughter. But now it makes me wonder why would we laugh when we were supposed to be wetting our pants. The scenes were supposed to be scary, afterall.

I realized that in many ways Conjuring had nothing new. Actually almost every movie in this class has very similar story line and "scaring" scenes. We probably have been fed on such scenes all our lives.

This movie is supposed to be based on a true story. What disturbed me about the movie was the scene where the priest hesitates to perform exorcism because the children in the family have not been baptized. Do Gods bother about that? Do Gods help only those who abide by the policies of their institutions. Imagine, a Hindu or a Muslim family was living in that house, would Christian institution not perform exorcism, if required? Or other way around, would Hindu or Muslim institutions not help a Christian family? That also makes me ponder if the Ghosts or evil spirits also follow religions.

I was watching Kanchana, Tamil horror flick starring Lawrence and Sharathkumar, on TV other day. Looks like ghosts in Indian movies are as secular as the country itself. Sharathkumar's spirit responds to Hindu and Muslim exorcists! Could that be because Sharathkumar was born in to a Hindu family and then raised by a Muslim? Strange are the ways of these ghosts, I say!

But looks like American Christian Ghosts are consistent with American superhero, Superman! Alas, Steel Man is protector of American interests not the World. Unlike his father had envisioned him to be.

Whatever it maybe, Conjuring is enjoyable American Ghost story.