“Chudail Story” (2016) – Hindi Witchraft/ Horror

Another year rolls around and so does another Review. First up for 2017 is a peek at a minor little Hindi horror film I recently found, 2016’s Bollywood tale of erotic witchcraft and horror, “Chudail Story”. Hehehe…. a creepy witch up to no good. Sounds like my sort of story. 😉

Our synopsis goes like this: “Five friends, namely, Chandu, Goldie, Robby, Riya and Devika set out to take a break from their life and decide to go on an adventurous trip together. But before they reach their destination, their car breaks down in a remote rural area and in a bid to seek help, they take shelter in the bungalow owned by Shashi. While the mesmerizing beauty of this pretty lady attracts the men’s attention, there is an eeriness of sorts behind the mysterious Shashi. Rumors claim her bungalow is the lair of a cannibal witch who lures men to their deaths… can the lovely Shashi truly be this witch? But before the gang of five set out to uncover the secrets of this bungalow, some unforeseen incidents lead them into a trap and then escape isn’t an option for them anymore.”

Doesn’t sound like we’ll stray too far from some pretty standard horror movie tropes this time out, but hey, this wee lady is never scared away by a tried and true old school plot. Still… this one didn’t get a very positive review back in its country of origin, so it’s with a measure of caution that I approached it. (Who am I kidding? An Indian horror movie a with sexy cannibal witch hiding away in a haunted house? Of course I’m gonna watch it… Neko’s just such a lil’ dweeb!! ;))

“Jalpari: The Desert Mermaid” (2012) – Hindi “Mermaid” Drama/ Suspense

Our month long celebration of all things mermaid, “Frolicking Under The Sea: Mermaid Fantasy Film Festival – August 2016” continues! This time out, a perhaps odd little choice, the 2012 Hindi Social Drama film, “Jalpari: The Desert Mermaid”. Not reeeeaaallly a “mermaid” movie per se… but still an excellent lil’ film that Yours Truly wanted to include.

The synopsis? But of course! “Two city-bred kids, fearless tomboy Shreya and her little brother Sam travel to their dusty Haryana village for a vacation with their parents. What happens there is an adventure, which comes packed with significant life lessons. It’s not the idyllic village of their dreams but a problem-ridden place with dried up ponds, unfriendly villagers, unspoken secrets, out-of-bounds spaces, a child-eating witch and no girls, a reason why wives are imported from other states. In the backdrop of this engrossing adventure the social issue of female foeticide is subtly interwoven without being preachy and melodramatic.”

Ummmm? So this one isn’t actually a “mermaid” movie? “But… but… Neko” you ask“What about that witch in the synopsis? There is gonna be a witch, right?” Ummmm. Yeah… Gotta admit, this one sorta fooled yours truly when I was first tracking it down. It definitely didn’t turn out to be the movie I thought it was going to be. But guess what? It still turned out to be a really, really good movie that I ended up liking a whole lot. Wanna find out why? Then just “Read On”, o’ Gentle Visitors and find out! 🙂

“Gulaab Gang” (2014) – Hindi Action/ Drama – “Martial Arts Mayhem: Fighting Femmes Festival – 2016”

Our February “Martial Arts Mayhem: Fighting Femmes Festival – 2016″ continues! This time out how about some feisty stick fighting Hindi women out to kick butt and protect and empower the poor, exploited, and downtrodden women of rural India… by ganging up and beating the living beejeebits outta some slimy guys and battling corrupt government officials with both ballots and sticks? Ummm, yep, that’s definitely the sorta movie we’re looking for this month… 😉

Our synopsis? Ok, try this: “A fearless peasant heroine named Rajjo  creates a sanctuary village where abandoned and abused girls and women are taught to read and make a life for themselves making baskets, grinding spices, and weaving beautiful pink saris to sell. Together they grow strong and fight social injustice while battling a crooked politician out to trick the poor rural people for her own wicked enrichment.”

Well… While it’s fair to say it’s not exactly a Martial Art film, nonetheless this one oozes lots of action, drama, and “female empowerment”… and from the trailer, it looks like we’ll certainly get our fill of crazy stick fighting lady action. I’m thinking it’s a good pick for our theme this month. Wanna find out if it’s a good match for our festival? Then hurry on up and “Read On”… 🙂

“Naksha” (2006) – Hindi Action/ Adventure – “Thrilling Adventures!! March 2015″

Time to whisk ourselves off to India for a special “shared review” with our good friend Stephen of “Gweilo Ramblings” to put a proper finish to our March “Thrilling Adventures!!” Movie Review Festival. Our final film? The 2006 Hindi action/adventure “Naksha”. What? Not a Korean film? Nope… thought I’d throw Stephen a little curve this time out and lure him away from our usual movie selections to something a little more different and unusual… and nothing says “different and unusual” like Bollywood…  😉

Thanks Miyu. You know I am always looking forward to our collaborative blogging, and watching some proper Bollywood fun is always on my to-do list, even if I never seem to get around to it.

The synopsis goes like this: “After the death of an archaeologist, Kapil Malhotra. 20 years later his frivolous playboy son, Vicky attempts to take up his father’s quest to find the legendary Armour of Karna taken by the God Indra in the epic story Mahabharata. However Vicky does not seem to have any clue to meet this challenge, so to proceed he is forced to delve deep into the jungles of India with the help of an ancient map, and his elder half-brother, Veer. Together they will have to join hands to defeat an evil rival Baali who wants to uncover the armour only to selfishly use it to become an unstoppable immortal conqueror that no one could destroy.”

Okie Dokie… sounds like we’re in the right movie for some “Raiders” style action, and Bollywood certainly knows how to do things with their own style, so if nothing else I expect things to get trippy… and hear some catchy music along the way, Hehehe!!. So… without any further fuss, let’s get to it, shall we?

“Bang Bang!” (2014) – Hindi Musical/ Action/ Romance

Time for a lil’ change of pace… and this time, a movie with my sweet Carolyn in mind. She’s a really… really… good sport about dealing with her goofy wife’s obsession with subtitled foreign film. Yep… it’s just sooo darn adorable how much she’s willing to put up with this wee Catgirl’s crazy movie tastes. 😉 So for her, we recently had ourselves a “Movie Nite: Romance Edition”…. with a look at 2014’s big budget blockbuster Hindi film “Bang Bang!”.

Our synopsis? How’s this? “When the enigmatic Rajveer draws shy bank receptionist Harleen into a wild chase around the globe, she has little choice but to trust him when he claims that he’s the good guy, and will protect her at all costs. Meanwhile, with danger at every turn and her feelings for him growing more serious, can she truly trust the mysterious jewel thief who has stolen her heart?”

Before silly lil’ me came into her life, I imagine my sweet wifey could count the number of foreign-made movies she’d seen on the fingers of one hand… now it’s a rare evening that we ever watch something made domestically, unless we’re cuddling up for some actual TV shows. You’d never know it if you ever just casually met my Carolyn… she’s so cool… so calm… so utterly no-nonsense and serious… but deep inside she’s a big softie with a secret hidden desire for romantic movies. Well… if it’s one thing Hindi films do and do well… it’s generously slather on the romance along with all that singing and dancing they usually do. Throw in some big budget action, exotic locales, a bit of comedy and I just knew this one would be up her alley… and it’s a remake of an American film she’s actually seen. Win-win if you ask me. 😉 So what are you waiting for o’ Gentle Visitors? Let’s all go “Bang Bang!”…

“Creature 3D” (2014) – Hindi Monster Horror/ Action/ Romance

We’re off to exotic sunny India again for some Hindi styled horror goodness with a look at the recent DVD release of “Creature 3D”. Been a while since we watched a good old-fashioned monster movie, hopefully India knows what we’re lookin’ for. In any event, it stars the beautiful Bipasha Basu as our heroine, and I’ve always liked Hindi films with her so chances are pretty good I’ll enjoy this one too.

Our synopsis goes like this: “Pretty Ahana Dutt takes out a loan to open a hotel in Glendale, deep in the jungles of Himachal Pradesh after greedy land developers drive her father to suicide and steal away her family home. At first, the place seems to be a paradise, and the perfect place for her to make a fresh start and forget the tragedies of her life. Soon however, a new menace starts to stalk her and her guests, a terrible beast bent on feeding an insatiable hunger and one which seems poised to destroy her new life and all her dreams. Torn between a desire to run away yet again or stand and fight for life and love, which will Ahana choose?”

Yep. This one seems to have it all. Singing and dancing…. sweet syrupy romance…. and a hungry lizard monster/demon thingee. Looks like a certain crazy Catgirl’s gonna be one happy lil’ lady with this one. So what the heck are we waiting for? 😉

“Ragini MMS 2” (2014) – Hindi Ghost/ Horror

Our Honeymoon trip approaches, but there’s still time for a few more Reviews… (if only this wee lady can get herself properly motivated that is 😉 ) … and this time out it’s off to India for a look at the Bollywood sexploitation/ horror film “Ragini MMS 2”, sequel to the original “found footage horror” effort of 2011 which your Favorite Catgirl already reviewed HERE. The original was a somewhat surprising hit at the box office with it’s scandalous premise and it was inevitable that there would be a sequel somewhere down the line. Well, now it’s finally here, and starring Canadian born porn film starlet Sunny Leone… probably cast more for her scandalous reputation than anything else, but will even that help this sequel sink or swim? Guess we’ll find out, eh? 😉

Our synopsis goes along these lines: “In the summer of 2011, a couple’s dirty weekend turned into their worst nightmare as an MMS attempt of their most private moments, went horribly wrong. Unimaginable & inexplicable things began to happen and they found themselves at the mercy of forces beyond the realm of understanding, This was the “Ragini MMS Scandal”. Now, 2 years later a young enthusiastic crew and an over-the-top film director re-visit this farmhouse in a bid to make a film on this shocking yet sexy MMS Scandal. The film top-lines adult film star Sunny Leone, who is playing herself in this “film-within a-film”. As destiny would have it, the unassuming crew is led onto finding the horrors that inhabit the house. As strange and creepy things begin to befall them they realize there’s no return from here – THEY ARE TRAPPED! The only way to escape is to destroy the evil spirits for which they need to unearth the back story of the house… only to release a bigger, untold truth!”

Ummmm? I have to admit, I was a bit on the fence about watching this one, especially given the somewhat shabby way our heroine Ragini was treated in the original, and porn films really aren’t this lady’s cup of tea… but then Hindi films always tease more than revel in such trappings, so there’s really no way to know for certain what’s in store without just taking a deep breath, wishing for some luck from the “Movie Faeries” and just going for it…. and Hindi DVD’s are soooo inexpensive!! So, if risque sexploitative films work for you, then just scamper along with this Catgirl and we’ll see what potentially naughty Hindi thrills and chills are here to be had, shall we? 😉

“Aatma : Feel It Around You” (2013) – Hindi Ghost/ Horror

How about some Hindi ghost story goodness? Well this time out, I thought we might take a quick look at 2013’s “Aatma: Feel It Around You”, starring Bipasha Basu, Doyel Dhawan, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. It’s been another of those films I’ve wanted to see for quite some while, but locating a DVD has been terribly, terribly frustrating indeed. My dogged pursuit has finally paid off, and at last I’ve gotten a look-see at all the ghostly goings-on and can do a proper review.

Our synopsis goes like this: “Abused wife and mother Maya discovers that her precious daughter Nia seems to have invented an imaginary friend… one that turns out to be Nia’s father Abhay, whom Maya divorced and who has been absent from his daughter’s life ever since. This is disturbing enough, given that her violent husband is in actuality dead in an automobile accident, although Maya kept that a secret from Nia. Her daughter, blind to his monstrous side, worships him still and aches for her father’s return. A return that brings his evil spirit back to the Mortal World to seek out his ghostly revenge on Maya and all those he feels responsible for trying to separate them and those trying to keep him from taking Nia with him back to the Other Side.”

An interesting plot… especially given the usually shabby way women get treated in Hindi film. I crossed my lil’ fingers that this time out, the usually misogynistic nature of Hindi film might give way to something less patronizing and let our heroine strike back against the well entrenched gender roles forced on them by a very male centric culture. It’s a horror film… and fantasy usually lets more liberal ideas loose… Did it break free? Let’s find out, shall we?

“Horror Story” (2013) – Hindi Ghost/ Horror

It’s a brand spankin’ New Year and time to pause in my personal celebrations of late for another new Review… some Hindi horror this time out, with a look at Vikram Bhatt’s 2013’s effort, “Horror Story”recently released to DVD and ready for a certain crazy ghost story lovin’ Catgirl’s “Family Movie Nite” enjoyment!

So here we go… The synopsis reads: “A group of seven youngsters – Samrat, Magesh, Achint, Neel, Neena, Sonia and Maggie who reunite after several years apart, decide to spend a night at the reportedly haunted deserted hotel Grandiose to celebrate the farewell of one of them leaving soon for the US. Despite people’s warnings and other “signs” trying to ward them off from there, they enter the hotel, and then the horrible truth of their deadly situation finally dawns on them.”

Yep. Showing up in the mailbox weeks before I expected it and it sounds like we’ve got all the usual classic Bollywood horror bits in place. Perfect for yours truly to spring on my sweet Carolyn’s sisters family to give them their first look at the silly horror films that Bollywood has to offer. Oh, yeah…. They never knew what hit them, Hehehehe!! 😉

So if this one’s also possibly creeping your way for a look-see, o’ Gentle Visitor, then why not listen to all the pertinent details first before plunking down your hard earned cash for a copy… All courtesy of a certain goofy movie obsessed Catgirl with somewhat dubious tastes in film… 🙂

“3G – A Killer Connection” (2013) – Hindi Horror

Time for another Review, and this time out, it’s a look at the last of the honkin’ big pile of Hindi horror DVD’s to have recently found their way to my door, “3G – A Killer Connection”.

Our synopsis goes like this:“There are 4.3 Billion mobile phone users in the world. Every minute 60 thousand “Phantom Calls” are received worldwide. These calls have no known source of origin, no numbers and cannot be traced. Some people believe that these calls are spirits trying to connect to our world!

3G is the nightmarish story of Sam Arora and Sheena, a couple, who become victims of a series of events when Sam buys a 3G enabled second hand phone in Fiji islands while on a holiday. One night they receive a Phantom Call which changes their lives forever. They must face the unbelievable reality that the phone is somehow responsible for all that is happening to them and around them. The only way to stay alive, it seems is to unravel the mystery of the phone. But as the hours burn on, that becomes harder and harder to do. In a modern world, technology is a part of our lives, what happens when that technology wants to take our lives?”

Well… you already know how suspicious this wee lady is about phones, so convincing me they might just be Portal for the unquiet spirits of the angry dead isn’t all that difficult, Hehehehe!! OK..OK… so Neko’s on board, but can this premise be anywhere near as scary as it promises? Guess there’s only one way to find out…. 😉