My top 5 Horror Movies (Part 2)

The last post I wrote about my favorite horror movies was in 2015. Its been almost 5 years since then and my list of favorites has now a number of new additions. Without further ado here are my favorite horror movies (in no particular order) since that last post. 

1. The VVitch

The VVitch (that's how its spelled in old english) is the debut feature of Robert Eggers who is considered one of the 'hottest' horror directors working today (along with Ari Aster). One of my top 3 horror movies of recent times, VVitch tells the story of a couple in 1630 who's youngest son disappears. Suspicions turn towards their eldest daughter who is suspected of Witchcraft. Bordering on the style of fairytales of the Grimm's brothers (not the fairytale of the Disney kind) The VVitch stays true to the period it is set in with old English dialogues and the details of the living conditions. Full of atmospheric horror and unsettling scenes, it is a Slowburn horror. The tension builds slowly and it never fully eases till the ending. It has some of the best witch depictions I have seen so far. The best scene comes quite early in the movie, the eldest daughter is playing a game of peekaboo with her youngest brother. She covers her eyes three times and uncovers it making the baby laugh, the fourth time when she opens her eyes, there's no baby. 

Why I liked it: Slowburn horror, extreme tension in the air, unsettling scenes and unexpected twists. 

2. The Wailing

The Wailing is a Korean horror movie about strange happenings in a town: people killing their family members and looking like zombies the next day. A police inspector is tasked with investigating these murders. The rural setting immediately brings to mind the classic Korean movie 'Memories of Murder' but here what looks like elements of supernatural soon turn into full scale evil. There are so many things happening in this movie its hard to keep up with it. As the story progresses it feels less like a linear narrative and more like branches of a tree with many different things all happening. Half way through the movie the police inspector calls for help in the form of a famous shaman. His entry adds more spice to the proceedings. The Wailing contains the finest exorcism scene I have seen so far in horror movies. So many unexpected things happen in this movie that somewhere along the way you know that anything can happen and even then nothing prepares you for the final twist. Thoroughly entertaining and absolute fun!  For full effect I watched this movie at 12 am in the night and it ended somewhere between 2am and 3am. Not to mention that I used to live alone at that time. Sometime after completing this movie as I was just falling asleep someone rang my doorbell. Needless to say I was sacred shitless. But I did go and after calling out 'whos there' and opening the door I saw no one at the door. I slept with my lights on for the rest of the night. The next day I found out that the guy next door had drunkenly rang my doorbell instead of the light switch which was the adjacent switch. I couldn't help but think that it had to happen on that night of all nights.   

Why I liked it: Creepy scenes, brilliant cinematography, amazing actors and a thoroughly unsettling ending. 

3. It Follows

'It follows' has a simple plot. There is a curse going on that jumps from one person to another through sex. Who ever has it, that person is followed by a strange entity which is never fully explained. This entity takes the form of other people. During the initial part of the movie the protagonist gets it from her boyfriend.  The rest of the movie is about how she tries to figure out a way to escape from it. The acting is top class but the highlight is the downright creepy soundtrack by Disasterpeace. What sets apart this movie is that unlike other entries on this list the movie is set in a town and all of it happens in everyday situations and places. 

What I liked about it: Creepy throughout with some top quality jump scares. In fact some of the best  jump scares I have seen so far. 

4. Suspiria (1977)

Suspiria is the most recent addition to this list and I was blown away in the first 10 mins itself. The first 10 mins of the movie has everything that makes me a horror fan. I have watched that scene multiple times now. The movie begins with a girl making her way out of the airport to a ballet school she has come to join in the city. As she begins to walk out, we hear the spine chilling theme music begin to play and we immediately get the sensation that something is wrong. She takes a taxi to the ballet school in the pouring rain. Here we the emotions on her face as she is coming to grips with the roughness of her situation. A single woman in a new city at night time in pouring rain. Shades of pink from the surrounding lights fall on her face as she tries to strike a conversation with the taxi driver. The red and pink color palette contribute in a huge way to make Suspiria what it is. As she begins to spend more time at the school she notices strange happenings and soon comes to a conclusion that something is wrong with her instructors. What it is I leave it for you to find out. Originally from Italy, the land of the Giallo, Suspiria is Dario Argento's masterpiece. 

What I liked about it: theme music, the setting, creepy atmosphere, opening scene, colour scheme

5. Tumbbad 

Tumbbad is a Hindi language movie which tells the story of a man searching for a hidden treasure in the village of Tummbad. Set in the Pre-independence days (before 1947) the sets and costumes are authentic, adding to the creepy nature of the movie. For me the number one criteria for a good horror movie is the atmosphere of dread it creates and Tummbad absolutely nails it in this area. There are folk elements present and more than one mystery to understand. Some characters are downright nightmarish  and many scary situations. In fact I was watching this movie with a group of friends and on at least occasions I could hear a audible of f**k go around the room. I am a huge horror fan both of stories in the written form and movies. Keeping in mind all of my horror fascination in mind and the work that I have read and watched I can safely say that Tumbbad is one of the best Hindi Horror movies ever. If I can take it a bit further it can be even be called the best Hindi horror movie ever.

What I liked about it: The authentic feel, the atmosphere of dread throughout, the crisp visuals, the multiple layers of mysterious characters.

My Top 8 favorite Hindi movies

I don't usually watch Hindi movies. Having watched English movies since childhood it became a habit. The mainstream Masala movies of Bollywood have not helped either. But as my eyes opened to the world of Hindi cinema I found out it has its own masterpieces and brilliant pieces of works. Over the years I have watched, very selectively, a few movies which have stayed in my mind long after the movie ended. Here are a few of my favourite Hindi movies. Most of the movies mentioned below I have watched with friends at their insistence.

When choosing these movies I have stuck to my personal mantra that 'More than the story, the moments in a movie stay with you'. The following movies all have excellent moments in them. Also they are in no particular order.

1. Lootera
Lootera is a criminally underrated movie. Featuring the best performance of Sonakshi Sinha till date it is a shame that it did not perform well at the box office. Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, one of the directors I keep a track of, it is a period movie set in the 1950s during the abolition of Zamindari system. It is based on O.Henry's short story 'The Last Leaf'. The film beautifully recreates the essence of Bengal of that time. The costumes are perfect, the acting is brilliant, the music is soulful(Amit Trivedi is another underrated star) and there are those memorable 'moments' that I spoke of before. Like the scene where Sonakshi's character and Ranveer's character are involved in a road accident. It is a simple scene made memorable by the execution. Its in these kind of moments that Lootera rises above a number of romantic movies of Bollywood. For me, Lootera remains one of the first movies I mention when talk of underrated movies comes up. 
Link to Wikipedia Article on Lootera

2. Rang de Basanti
What to say about this cult movie. Our group of friends watched this movie together at my home on our PC. And it remains a highlight of our childhood memories. At that time we were not aware of the impact this movie had on the youth of the country(Check out the section titled 'Social Influence' in the wiki entry for this movie) but it sure had an impact on us. We constantly referred to its themes of friendship and the uber cool style of its characters especially Siddharth's and Sharman's. Siddharth's dailogue 'Welcome to India su' and his lighting his cigarette with a burning stick will remain our childhood's 'cool' moments. The central story of the movie is about a group of college students whose lives change irreversibly when they decide to act in a documentary movie about India's freedom struggle. As they learn more and more about the struggle they grow more and more disillusioned with the current state of affairs both personally and in the country.  The movie has everything, brilliant acting, excellent soundtrack by A.R. Rahman, a good storyline, and heavy doses of patriotism including religious harmony. All of these pieces are held together and they all complement each other. Overall a master piece.
Link to Wikipedia Article on Rang de Basanti.


3. Taare Zameen Par
Another of Aamir Khan's gems, Taare Zameen Par can move people to tears and yet feel happy by the end of it. Amol Gupte was the man behind the idea of the movie and he also directed most of the movie before Aamir Khan took over the reins. The story is about a boy struggling in his studies and life due to Dyslexia. A kind Art Teacher played by Aamir understands the kid's struggle and helps him overcome his problems. A lot of Indian kids can relate with the parents attitude in the movie.
Link to Wikipedia Article on Taare Zameen Par

4. Haider
Haider is a classic of Hindi Cinema. Directed by the brilliant Vishal Bharadwaj whose filmography is worth taking a look (notably Maqbool and Omkara), Haider is an adaption of the Shakespeare play Hamlet. Set in the backdrop of Insurgency hit Kashmir of the 90s it is the story of Haider, a student who searches for answers about his father's disappearance. The direction is sharp and the cinematography haunting. Add to it an excellent background score, Haider will leave you shaken. No mainstream movie has shown Kashmir the way it is shown here. The presentation is raw and hard hitting. Also the cast is excellent. Shadid Kapoor is excellent in his role of Haider,but it is Tabu who steals the show. There are a lot of political sub threads too running in the background like forced disappearances, the fear of the state, the trauma of the general populace and others. To illustrate the last point there is a scene in the movie where a man stops in front of a door mumbling to himself. No matter how much his mother calls him to step inside the home he doesn't. Then Irfan Khan's character intervenes and frisks him and gives him the go ahead to move. Only now he gets inside the home. A simple scene but speaks volumes about the people there. All of this has been excellent portrayed in the movie.
Link to Wikipedia Article on Haider

5. Kahaani
The only mystery thriller on this list, Kahaani stars Vidya Balan as a pregnant woman searching for her missing husband in Kolkatta. The film is high quality with its elements of suspense and mystery. The characters are top notch, especially memorable is a character called Bob Biswas. It became so popular that there was clamor among the public to make a spin off movie on Bob Biwas. Sadly it did not happen yet. For me the character I enjoyed the most was Nawazuddin Siddiqui's role as an IB Inspector. This was one of his first major big roles and he reveled in it. Viday Balan too is excellent here and carries the whole movie on her shoulders. The final twist is perhaps one of the finest in Hindi Cinema and for me Kahaani remains my favorite Hindi thriller till date.
Link to Wikipedia Article on Kahaani

6. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
ZNMD as it is popularly called is a story of three friends who go on a vacation to Spain and the people they meet there. The movie is fun, sharp and witty. The poems of Farhan Akhar are an added bonus. There are a lot of moments of friendship in the movie that will make you drop everything, call you friends and plan a trip. Remains my second favorite movie about friends after number 2 on this list.
Link to Wikipedia Article on  Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

7. Ishqiya
Ishqiya is a black comedy starring Viday Balan, Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi, all class actors. Set in a rural background Ishiqiya has witty dialogues, excellent chemistry between Naseeruddin and Arshad warsi and catchy songs.
Link to Wikipedia Article on  Ishqiya

8. Tummbad
The only Horror movie on this list Tummbad is an underrated gem. Set in the Pre-independence days the sets and costumes are authentic, adding to the creepy nature of the movie. Its the story of a man searching for a hidden treasure in the village of Tummbad. For me the number one criteria for a good horror movie is the atmosphere of dread it creates and Tummbad absolutely nails it in this area. There are downright nightmarish characters and absolutely scary situations. I am a huge horror fan both of stories in the written form and movies. Keeping in mind all of my horror fascination in mind and the work that I have read and watched I can safely say that Tummbad is one of the best Hindi Horror movies ever. If I can take it a bit further it can be even be called the best hindi horror movie ever.
Link to Wikipedia Article on Tummbad

My 5 favourite coming of age movies.

After the horror genre my next favourite genre is the coming of age movie.They are about that exciting phase of life which when we are going through,we cant wait it to end and once it ends we cant stop thinking about it.That glorious phase when we can get away with most things.And at the same time there are uncertainties,awkwardness and a sense of being lost.These movies show that phase.The following are my favourite from that genre.The first two are clear favourites. The other three are in no particular order.

1. Napoleon Dynamite
What is it about
Its about a dorky 16 year old who tries to help his friend win a class president elections.
Why I liked it-
It is set in a small town and It brilliantly showed how life in small towns is.It has this innocent rural quality to it.People in this movie are all good.Some are serious some are funny.And the quality of humour is very high.This was the movie that piqued my interest in indie and offbeat movies.

2. Ghost world
What is it about- Its is about two girls of a small town spending their summer vacation while planning their college life.
Why I liked it
Scarlett Johnson would be a big reason.Her acting her is superb.She perfectly portrays the character of an aimless girl here. Her co star Emily Birch is good too. Add Steve Buscemi to the mix and you already have a classic indie movie.The story revolves around these girls getting acquainted with Buscemi for fun and slowly things take a different turn.The thing about this movie is it is slow and things happen leisurely.It has some wonderful moments.And it brilliantly shows their naivety and direction less attitude to life.

3.Stand By me
What is it about
It is about a gang of four 12 year old friends who set out to track down a body of a boy who gets struck by a train in a small town in the US.
Why I liked it
First of this is about friendship.And the thing that any movie about friendship should have is chemistry.This movie excels there.Like in every gang of friends, the four friends here have all different characteristics and yet they have so much in common.For one they are out for an adventure together. There are things that they do together,they insult each other and when the time comes they stand by each other.This movie perfectly portrays the worth of childhood friends.

4.The Spectacular Now

What is it about
Its about a popular guy who falls in love with the good girl/Sounds clichéd but the movie deals with the story rather well.
Why I liked it
My favourite Hollywood romance movie.The movie follows a very simple plot.The characters are simple.The plot is simple.The movie is honest in its portrayal of the kid who believes that the present is spectacular and he has no need to think of the future.He meets a rather quiet girl who brings a change in this outlook towards life. There is no unnecessary drama and no nonsense.This is a very good mix of romance and a bit of a philosophy.

5.Safety Not Guaranteed
What is it about
Its about a man who puts in an ad in the local paper 'Wanted someone to go back in time with me.This is not a joke.You'll get paid after we get back.Must bring your own weapons.I have only done this once before.Safety not guaranteed' Three magazine employees(two interns) set out to interview the man behind the ad.
Why I liked it
The absolutely interesting premise is what hooked me. An interesting set of characters and very wonderful execution will keep you wondering till the very end if the main lead is telling the truth or is just plain delusional.Also this is set in a town.By now you may have deduced I am partial to movies set in small towns.The characters in this movie have this sweet sadness about them about missed chances and lost dreams.Add to that, elements of science fiction,romance and comedy,it is a nice little indie movie worth your time.One of my all time favourites.

Horror.One of my Favourite genres. Part2

Continuing from my last post.
     Along with horror stories I have been watching horror movies since my school days.It started with Aahat, Sony's horror series.The best thing about Aahat was its theme music and the opening animated sequence. Zee horror show was another show which too had an equally chilling theme music.The skull at the start of the show used to terrify me more than the show itself.

     The following movies are some of my favourites.I like psychological horror which involves little to almost no gore.Slasher movies don't interest me and I don't bother watching them.

-Ring,the Hollywood remake.

Ring was a great movie which reignited my interest in horror.Its ending remains one of my most favourite horror moments.After 'Ring' I started looking for horror movies.

-The wicker man by Robin Hardy

This was the most recent horror movie I saw and this is a horror movie like no other.Other horror movies have normal events taking place and then things turn for the worse.But in 'the wicker man' from the beginning you sense a undercurrent of foreboding.And there are no sudden sound effects,everything is shown so casually and normally.And yet as time passes by you can feel the helplessness and the desperation of the lead character.This film is not easy to forget.

-The Exorcist by William Friedkin

The story of an exorcism of a young girl has some spine chilling moments.The spider walk down the stairs was one such.The theme song tubular bells provided the perfect atmosphere for the movie.I was once narrating a horror story to a friend and along with I was humming this music in between words.After a few minutes into the story he stopped me exclaiming that I was unnerving him.

-The shining by Stanley Kubrick 

This has a superb premise.The sense of isolation is one of many factors of a horror movie and shining excels in it.The three characters are shut off from the world and the effects of the isolation slowly start showing in the main lead.Jack Nicholson's acting adds to the already tense setup.

-The Thing by John Carpenter

Again isolation plays a main role here.The research station in the Arctic plays a perfect part as the background of this masterpiece. 

-Alien by Ridley Scott

The opening sequence where we first see the spacecraft and then slowly the different parts of it remains one of my Favourite opening sequences.The stillness and the lifelessness of the craft provide a prelude to the coming events.
  

-The Blair Witch Project

 It remained with me for a long time.The whole premise of a group of students documenting a trip to a haunted forest to investigate the rumours of a witch was very interesting.The camping scene was truly terrifying.Nothing is seen except the expressions of the actors as they listen to some unusual sound coming from the forest around them.When I was camping in the hills of Uttarakhand all I could think of during the night was this movie.

-The Birds by the great Alfred Hitchcock. 

 Birds will never look the same again after you see this movie.Back home we have a lane which  is lined with trees on both sides and every evening crows crowd the branches and caw continuously. The last time when I was walking there all I could think of were the birds of the movie 'Birds' It was a bit unnerving.I chuckled to myself thinking of the effect the movie was having on me.

-The sixth sense by Night Shyamalan.
The story of a boy who could see dead people has a scare a minute.The twist in the ending is one of the best ever.

Some other movies which I like

-The Village by Night Shyamalan

-The Others by Alejandro Amenabar

- Jaws by Steven Speilberg

-Night of the Living Dead by George Romero

-Ju on.The Grudge by Takashi Shimuzu

-Scream  by Wes Craven

-Session 9 by Brad Anderson

-Signs by Night Shyamalan