News

Fantastic Fest 2018: ‘Tumbbad’ is a Feast of Mythology, Greed and Effective Horror

Published

6 years ago

September 21, 2018

Tumbbad is a film that grabs hold and pulls you in from the get go. An elegantly-terrifying gem at this year’s Fantastic Fest, this film was a complete surprise and is a straight up transportive and triumphant experience.

Tumbbad tells a sweeping epic story across generations. It explores rites of passage, inescapable destiny and the depths of greed.

Without giving too much away, the story focuses on Vinayak, who we first get to know as a youth assisting in care for his great grandmother, a cursed, mad wretch who is only controlled through timely feedings, and a warning of a greedy god named Hastar. Both things seem to keep the old woman from straight-up eating her whole family.

When Vinayak inherits ancestral mansion, he returns to Tumbbad as an adult, with greed and a plan to satisfy said greed. Not fully realizing the complexities and dangers that he has unwittingly become part of, by entering the Goddesses womb.

Tumbbad is deeply rooted in India’s folklore. In particular, it focuses on The Goddess of Plenty, who gave birth to millions of gods during the creations of the universe. Despite the fact that she had so many children she loved Hastar the most, since he was her first-born.

In the case of most spoiled brats, Hastar became a little too greedy, leading to his near death at the hands of the other gods and his eventual saving grace given to him by his mother who took him and placed him back in her womb. Part, protection, part exile, Hastar remained in the Womb of the Goddess.

The film is broken into three parts, each soaked with atmospheric terror and filled with quiet menace. Tumbbad explores the nature of greed in both its portrayal of Hastar and Vinayak, and goes even further by holding the mirror up to the greed of India’s colonialism at the time by way of the British Raj.

The cinematography, is gorgeous and is an experience that should be seen on the big screen to get the full effect. It’s rare that something comes together as well as the trifecta of score, direction and scope does, but Tumbbad manages to create something really special, while making sure to keep things nice and horrifying along the way.

The VFX in this one are outstanding as well, crafting memorable creations in the forms of the great grandmother, in the evil Hastar and the textural inevitability of the womb. The final act of the film brilliantly combines CG with the practical to produce one of the most jaw dropping finales I have seen recently.

The story heavily relies on it’s lead actor, Soham Shan, who does a fantastic job of exuding enough charisma into the role that we are never not on his side, despite some of his greed based choices. Shan, is an actor that has the range to cover the spectrum and he does in his role as Vinayak.

Much like Hereditary, Tummbad explores ancestry and atmosphere and turns the two into something real horror show. The film is epic in every way, mixing folklore, mythology and religion into a complex and sharp brew, that is ultimately masterful, compelling and terrifying.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaBvusK6dSY&feature=youtu.be

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

1 Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

You must be logged in to post a comment.

News

Jake Gyllenhaal’s Thriller ‘Presumed Innocent’ Series Gets Early Release Date

Published

34 mins ago

April 26, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Jake Gyllenhaal’s limited series Presumed Innocent is dropping on AppleTV+ on June 12 instead of June 14 as originally planned. The star, whose Road House reboot has brought mixed reviews on Amazon Prime, is embracing the small screen for the first time since his appearance on Homicide: Life on the Street in 1994.

Jake Gyllenhaal’s in ‘Presumed Innocent’

Presumed Innocent is being produced by David E. Kelley, J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot, and Warner Bros. It is an adaptation of Scott Turow’s 1990 film in which Harrison Ford plays a lawyer doing double duty as an investigator looking for the murderer of his colleague.

These types of sexy thrillers were popular in the ’90s and usually contained twist endings. Here’s the trailer for the original:

According to Deadline, Presumed Innocent doesn’t stray far from the source material: “…the Presumed Innocent series will explore obsession, sex, politics and the power and limits of love as the accused fights to hold his family and marriage together.”

Up next for Gyllenhaal is the Guy Ritchie action movie titled In the Grey scheduled for release in January 2025.

Presumed Innocent is an eight-episode limited series set to stream on AppleTV+ starting June 12.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Movies

Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

Published

19 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

News

Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

Published

21 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Spirit Halloween (@spirithalloween)

Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.