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

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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

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Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed

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Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.

This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.

The Burning

The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.

The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.

Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.

Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.

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‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram

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Longlegs

Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.

The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.

Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.

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Exclusive Sneak Peek: Eli Roth and Crypt TV’s VR Series ‘The Faceless Lady’ Episode Five

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Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) and Crypt TV are knocking it out of the park with their new VR show, The Faceless Lady. For those unaware, this is the first fully scripted VR horror show on the market.

Even for masters of horror like Eli Roth and Crypt TV, this is a monumental undertaking. However, if I trust anyone to change the way that we experience horror, it would be these two legends.

The Faceless Lady

Ripped from the pages of Irish folklore, The Faceless Lady tells the story of a tragic spirit cursed to wander the halls of her castle for all of eternity. However, when three young couples are invited to the castle for a series of games, their fates may soon change.

So far, the story has provided horror fans with a gripping game of life or death that doesn’t look as if it will slow down in episode five. Luckily, we have an exclusive clip that may be able to satiate your appetites until the new premiere.

Airing on 4/25 at 5pmPT/8pmET, episode five follows our final three contestants in this wicked game. As the stakes are raised ever higher, will Ella be able to fully awaken her connection with Lady Margaret?

The faceless lady

The newest episode can be found on Meta Quest TV. If you haven’t already, follow this link to subscribe to the series. Make sure to check out the new clip below.

Eli Roth Present’s THE FACELESS LADY S1E5 Clip: THE DUEL – YouTube

To view in the highest resolution, adjust the quality settings in the bottom right corner of the clip.

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