| Bollywood Horror Collection, The: Volume 2 | |
| Standard 1.33:1 Color / Production Year: 1988 / | |
| Features: |
| Original Theatrical Trailers Extensive Cast And Crew Information Mondo Macabro Previews |
| Video: |
| Standard 1.33:1 Color |
| Audio: |
| ENGLISH: Dolby Digital Stereo |
Veerana –Vengeance of the Vampire: A young woman named Jasmin is possessed by the spirit of a witch who was lynched by her father.
Even though there is a reference to vampires in the film’s title “Veerana – Vengeance of the Vampire”, the film features no vampires. At the core of the story is a riveting tale about possession that gradually builds the impending terror with its baroque visuals and the mesmerizing performance via its lead actress Jasmin (which also happens to be the name of the character she plays). It is shame that this appears to be her only film, since she definitely has a strong visual presence. The film’s greatest asset is without a doubt its lead actresses piercing eyes.
Visually this film is a tour de force of style and atmosphere in which each new revelation being more outlandish than the last. One of the film’s standout moments is a scene where an adolescent Jasmin is in her room on a swing and her mother is in the background. Her mother has figured out that all is not well with her daughter. The juxtaposition of the two characters in this scene further intensifies the impending danger.
Purani Haveli – Mansion of Evil: A young woman named Anita whose parents left her an inheritance is being raised by an uncle whose wife plots to steal her fortune. Anita and her friends decide to spend the weekend at the mansion in the country that her uncle recently bought with her money. What starts off as a trip for pleasure quickly turns into a weekend of terror!
Purani Haveli – Mansion of Evil is equal parts horror and comedy film. The film loses its momentum every time it shifts from horror to comedy. Also the bulk of the comedy scenes are a secondary plot that feels more like padding than actually adding any substance to the film’s main plot about a young woman with a sizable inheritance and the cursed mansion in which the bulk of the story takes place. The film’s pacing doesn’t help things out as the film just meanders along until its bizarre ending. If you have the patience to make it tell the film’s finale, than you are in for an extraordinary conclusion.
Unlike Jasmin in Veerana – Vengeance of the Vampire, Amita Nangia the lead actress for Purani Haveli –Mansion of Evil lacks charisma and any depth in her portrayal.
Veerana – Vengeance of the Vampire and Purani Haveli – Mansion of Evil were both directed by Tulsi Ramsay and Shyam Ramsay who also directed Purana Mandir and Bandh Darwaza. From a technical stand point both films are beautifully photographed. Performance wise outside of Jasmin in Veerana –Vengeance of the Vampire none of the performances really standout. Also both film’s feature pulsating scores that help drive home the building tension.
Overall Veerana – Vengeance of the Vampire is a well made horror film while Purani Haveli – Mansion of Evil is a convoluted story that never fully realizes it’s potential.
Fuente: http://10kbullets.com/reviews/b/bollywood-horror-collection-volume-2-veeranapurani-haveli/
| Bollywood Horror Collection, The: Volume 3 | |
| Standard 1.33:1 Color / | |
| Features: |
| Documentary On Bollywood Horror Extensive Cast And Crew Information Mondo Macabro Previews |
| Video: |
| Standard 1.33:1 Color |
| Audio: |
| HINDI: Dolby Digital Stereo |
| Subtitles: |
| English |
Mahakaal: The Monster - A young woman and her friends are terrorized by a sadistic killer when they dream.
First and foremost, Mahakaal: The Monster opening acknowledges its main influence Wes Craven’s a Nightmare on Elm Street. In fact at least two of the kills in Mahakaal: The Monster, are blatant variations of deaths scenes from a Nightmare on Elm Street. The plot for Mahakaal: The Monster feels strung together and it wears out its welcome long before its predictable happy ending.
The horror related scenes in the film are very good and at times exceptionally executed. The comedy and song dance parts of the film are painful to watch and not in a terrifying way. At least during one of the musical numbers one of the leading ladies is drenched with water. One thing that is sort of amusing in the film is a character that kind of resembles Michael Jackson and the first time this character appears music from Thriller plays in the background. Also the score for the film features a musical motif that sounds like a musical motif used in a Nightmare on Elm Street.
Tahkhana: The Dungeon - A monster that has been lurking in a dungeon is accidentally freed by a group of friends looking for treasure.
At the core of Tahkhana: The Dungeon is a story about two sisters who haven’t seen each other in years. Each sister has half of a necklace that when put together it makes a map that shows where an ancient family relics have been hidden. The most despicable character in Tahkhana: The Dungeon is a pervert named Shahkal who rapes or tries to rape just about everyone of the female cast. At just under two hours the plot moves along nicely with only a few minor missteps. This film like Mahakaal: The Monster also features a musical number in which one of the leading ladies is soaked by pouring rain. The two actresses, who are cast as sisters in the film Sheetal and Aarti Gupta (Purana Mandir), provided plenty of eye candy.
Mahakaal: The Monster and Tahkhana: The Dungeon, were both directed by Tulsi Ramsay and Shyam Ramsay who also directed Purana Mandir, Bandh Darwaza, Veerana – Vengeance of the Vampire and Purani Haveli – Mansion of Evil. Visually Mahakaal: The Monster and Tahkhana: The Dungeon, are both stylish films that are expertly directed. Performance wise both films come up short with no one performance leaving any lasting impression. Overall Mahakaal: The Monster comes off as nothing more than a Nightmare on Elm Street cone that brings nothing to the table, while Tahkhana: The Dungeon in an enjoyable horror film that has all the ingredients that one would expect from a Tulsi and Shyam Ramsay film.
Extras Review:
Extras include text pieces for each film and cast bios that were written by Pete Tombs. The main extra included for this release is a twenty five minute documentary about South Asian Horror that is broken up into three sections India’s Bollywood, Pakistan and Indonesian cinema. For anyone who ever wanted to know more about the cinema that comes from Southern Asia this is another excellent documentary from Mondo Macabro that covers a lot of ground in such a brief amount of time. This documentary was also included on Mondo Macabro’s first Bollywood Horror double feature DVD. Also included with this release is the Mondo Macabro preview trailer which includes clips from titles they have currently released or about to release. Overall another pair of Bollywood horror films get a strong DVD release from Mondo Macabro.
ENLACES:
- http://www.mondo-digital.com/bandh.html
- http://10kbullets.com/reviews/b/bollywood-horror-collection-volume-3-mahakaal-tahkhana/
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