Ek Thi Daayan (2013)

Starring: Emraan Hashmi, Kalki Koechlin, Huma Qureshi, Konkona Sen Sharma
Director: Kannan Iyer


Premise:
A famous magician is haunted by images from his past. He learns that a nanny from his youth was a demon and has returned for him.

My Take:
A big budget Bollywood film which doesn't skimp on strong supernatural themes (or the usual song and dance numbers). The movie is a tad long but watchable.

Rating: In the middle


Watched: Netflix DVD

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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Veerana: Vengeance of the Vampire (1985)

Starring: Sahila Chaddha, Gulshan Grover, Hemant Birje
Director: Shyam Ramsay, Tulsi Ramsay


Premise:
A young woman is possessed by a spirit which leads men into the jungle to kill them.

My Take:
Like most Bollywood flicks there is a fair amount of music, singing, and dancing. This one also has a lot of special effects. The story really has nothing to do with traditional vampires. It's more spirits from Indian lore. It's a movie definitely unique to the country and far more strange than it appears.

Rating: In the middle


Watched: Netflix DVD Rental

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
An affiliate of http://seankimmel.com/

Raaz: The Mystery Continues (2009)

AKA: Raaz 2

Starring: Kangana Ranaut, Emraan Hashmi
Director: Mohit Suri


Premise:
A model gets possessed by an angry spirit and she must find out why.

My Take:
A watchable movie that does run a too long due to the song and dance routines found in many Indian films. The script is rather cliched and not the least bit scary. The actors do a fine job and the colors are amazing, also typical of an Indian film.

Rating: In the middle




 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Raaz (2002)

AKA: Secret

Starring: Bipasha Basu
Director: Vikram Bhatt


Premise:
The spirit of a man's mistress wants revenge and seeks it by trying to destroy his wife

My Take:
The movie has some decent twists and an interesting story. But for a lot of people who aren't familiar with a Bollywood film it will be hard to get through due to the 2.5 hour run time, numerous musical number, and the loads of melodrama. If one goes into it knowing those details and not expecting scares then one might enjoy watching it.

Rating: In the middle





 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Darna Mana Hai (2003)

Director: Prawl Raman


Premise:
After their car breaks down, a group of friends tells scary stories until help arrives.

My Take:
The wrap around story deals with the friends and each one getting killed off while other members are telling tales. The other stories include a college student who discovers he can freeze time, a man who checks into a non-smoking motel, a man who enjoys scaring his wife, a teacher gets freaked out by a student's homework, a driver picking up a mysterious hitchhiker, and a woman scared of apples. 
The stories are all decent but nothing spectacular.

Rating: In the middle





 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Hisss (2010)

Starring: Mallika Sherawat, Jeff Doucette
Director: Jennifer Lynch

Premise:
In an attempt to cure his brain cancer an American kidnaps the lover of the snake god, hoping its mate will grant him immortality.

My Take:
The movie comes off looking like a SyFy movie of the week. Horrible CGI and lots of overacting and movie which doesn't know if it wants to cater to an American audience or an Indian one. I expected more from Jennifer Lynch especially with a cool legend for a story premise.
The one saving grace is the beautiful Mallika Sherawat is very easy on the eyes.

Rating: Warning





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Phoonk 2 (2010)

Director: Miland Gadagkar


Synopsis:
The movie picks up where the events of the first one left off. Rajiv takes his family on vacation out of the city to a rural area. They find a mysterious statue on the property they are staying at. Soon a strange doll is found which comes to life. Then Rajiv's wife gets possessed by the ghost of Madhu.

My Take:
Maybe its just that creepy dolls have always freaked me out a bit. I enjoyed this one. The premise is nothing new but gets a fresh look as seen through Hindu eyes.

Rating: In the Middle





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Phoonk (2008)

Director: Ram Gopal Varma


Premise:
An architect finds out two associates are embezzling money from a building project. He publicly embarrasses them. To get revenge one of the associates, and seemingly crazy woman, uses black magic to curse the architect's family and put his daughter under a spell.

My Take:
An Indian spin on fairly familiar territory of curses and possession makes the movie watchable. The crazy woman's laugh will grate on your nerves.

Rating: In the middle




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.