Dark Horror Tales

Sometimes when you like a movie and hear it's going to turn into a franchise, there is that excitement that builds up within. Yes, there's finally going to be a series of movies that you can obsess about.
It's been decades since a last horror movie franchise had become a cult. There was the Halloween series, Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street to name a few.
My personal favourite is Nightmare on Elm Street and when I read there were several parts made in the 80s, I made it a point to find and watch them all.
The first one was interesting, the second not so much. In fact, it goes completely against the rules of the nightmares set in the first part. Now does that mean I won't watch the third part? Or the fourth?
I still would.
The first part was that good.

Similarly, The Conjuring was a pretty good movie and one of those movies that creeped me out. The clapping game, the demon witch on top of the wardrobe, the invisible tug of the leg in the dark... All of it was night…

Why is it that most characters in horror flicks, utter this dialogue at least once: don’t worry, everything is going to be fine. 
You know the minute someone says that, everything is not going to be fine. And in the Ouija House, this dialogue is spoken twice. Yup, nothing is going to go right. 
The movie starts on low expectations. There have been plenty of movies on the ouija board, this seems just like another perfunctory addition to a long list. The credits come on with the opening scene and of course, that is as cheesy as it gets. The girl wants to play with the ouija board, the guy is hesitant but goes along with it. Then there’s the friend whose only purpose is to belittle the activity but goes along with it and then ends up being the first victim. 
The girl seems to be the only one who survives. 
Cut to the present, and the girl now has a grown up daughter who does whatever it takes to save her mother from being evicted. She thinks her book deal on witchcraft will solve their finan…

Summer of 84

Everyone wants to earn respect, to be lauded for their accomplishments, and be called a hero. It is a fantasy that we all kind of foster within ourselves since we were kids.

Then we grow up and realize the world is nowhere what we thought it was. No one is coming on white horses to rescue you from your problems, and you don’t own even a pony to go help anyone. There are stories of people trying to be heroes who end up losing their life. These stories instill fear within us that diminish the small desire to be a hero.

In fact, while watching this movie, I was reminded of a cutscene in an animated comedy show where a hiker tries to intervene in a couple’s argument and he asks the wife if she’s okay. She lambastes him and tells him to go away. The husband does the same. A presenter pops up on screen and reminds the viewers if it is really worth stepping into someone’s problems and losing your life. The episode ends with the card: Don’t be a hero.

If there is one thing these…

“You fools!” Genio said aloud. The scientists turned around, horrified.
“No, we’re not!” Medico whimpered. “We made one tiny mistake. It’s completely solvable.” “Yes, when you manage to unlock the door, your morons!” Genio said, getting up. “You injected us with the wrong stuff. Who knows what is going to happen to us.” “Will you all just shut the hell up!” Sharon screeched.
She pushed the desk with such force that it toppled over. Genio looked at her in surprise. She was known to speak in such a low squeaky voice that it would be barely audible.
“All you guys do is yak, yak. For half an hour, all I’ve heard is Genio whine and you dunderheads who call yourselves scientists complain about your idiotic problems!” Neil poked Lucy who was snoring away happily with her face on the desk.
“She won’t wake up. Man. I wish I could sleep peacefully like that. I think her snores are louder than mine.” Genio turned to Ricky and Tisha. They were no longer sitting so close together that they loo…

Ten years later and I’ll still say that Race has been my all time favorite film and it isn’t only because of the melodious songs, the pace, the plot twists, and the star cast. It was because I was unable to guess the next turning point in the story.
If something in a movie isn’t obvious and I find myself being astounded by the reveal, that movie automatically enters into my favorite movie list. Race had everything that I like in a movie and I didn’t realize how important each element is into making a successful thriller until I watched the third installment in the Race franchise.
While Race 2 was also lacking in execution and interesting plot twists, it made up for it with panache and memorable songs. And yes, the direction. Like I mentioned before, I didn’t realize how important direction is until I watched Race 3.
The problem with Race 3 doesn’t lie in its expectation to be like its predecessor, but in the movie’s inability to grasp the very factors that made the previous installmen…

Today was back to school day and all I can think of is that thankfully I’m done with school. No more waking up early in the mornings, taking quick showers, stuffing down cornflakes and rushing for the bus.  No more trying to stay attentive in class. And when the syllabus is explained and the upcoming tests are already scheduled? My thoughts: Ugh, no! Then there’s the pressure of making friends, being popular just so you can be picked first when teams are formed during sports.  Many of us walk out with lifelong friendships, others simply with bullying scars. 
The worst part is not even writing the exams, it’s the anxiety that envelops you until the grades come out.  During that small break between exams and results, it is the answers you’ve written going over and over in your head, like a wheel that goes round but doesn’t move ahead.  Even if you’re a top student, the anticipations hits you from all sides. What if you didn’t get an A this time?
If you’re weaker in academics, all you can think …

If you've ever caught yourself proclaiming that you liked a movie, ask yourself this: Did you like it because of the star cast, the story or the way a story was told.
There are many stories out there but when a movie is being made, when a writer's vision is brought to life, not everything goes as planned.
Sometimes movies with a great star cast will fail because at the end of the day, a good story being told well is what matters.
Storytelling is quite an art and not one perfected by many.
There are stories out there that are simply told, others try hard to insert a plot twist and end up confusing the viewer. Then there are those stories that keep you guessing till the very end and break away in such a tangent that you end up disliking the movie in spite of a decent first half.
Yes, the ending of a story is extremely important and needs to be laid out and delivered perfectly.

Hereditary is a movie that brings on the surprises when you least expect it. There are two instances you will…