DRACULA UNTOLD

Legendary Picture

Directed by: Gary Shore

Starring by: Luke Evans, Dominic Cooper, Sarah Gadon, Charles Dance

“What do you think if we go out and see the Dracula?"

She smiles and nodded and we go out tonight to see the movie. It’s a date….only two of us…father-daughter date. It’s not common for us to go along just both, usually there are four of us but this moment was special and the moment of our date would be last in my memories.

It’s not pure horror movie, I know, but it’s good for her because I’ve promise not to take her to watch horror movie till she’s twenty years old…ddooogghhh…what an old fashion father…and you may asked, how come you recommended other people to watch horror while your daughter couldn’t. Well, I said it’s my part being a good and descent father but I know my heart was trembling and pounding to ask her out to watch good movies like Conjuring or Insidious…but kids always astonished you, right? And she also done it when she say, I already watched Final Destination, and you know daddy, my friend that can’t stand to watched asked me how the characters got killed.

My ooo my…ok, stop for the moment and I shall write my opinion for Dracula Untold…

As we know the first story of Dracula was spread  by Bram Stoker. And I admire unfinished love tale behind the story between Count Vlad and his wife, which from that he chase Mina who’s engaged with Jonathan Harker, his notary’s fiancé.

Dracula Untold takes same character which is Count Vlad and same location on Transylvania. The kingdom of Translyvania lies between Turkey and Europe so when the Turkish want to spread their empire to the land of Europe they have to pass Vlad’s country. Actually, Vlad is close friend to Mehmet, the Sultan of Turkish, but ambition made Mehmet put away their relationship and pushed Count Vlad to provide him 1.000 boys of Transylvania to be Mehmed’s troops, includes Vlad’s son.

Vlad against Mehmet’s command and murder Mehmet’s man in brutal fight, so he realized that he need more power to battle the Turkish that has large number of troops. During his searched he finds Vampire, the curse human that being manipulated and deceives by Evil which changes him into horrible looks but has tremendous power for the Vampire could defeat one battalion of Turkish soldier alone. The deal with vampire is made and Vlad gets the power he seeks. He crushed thousand men that send by Mehmet to destroy Vlad’s castle and it was then I see visualization of “The Strength of a Thousand Men” from the song I’ve always play when I writes.

The difference from Stoker, Vlad in this film get his power from other Vampire while Stoker clearly said that Count Vlad was the first Vampire on earth when he’s blasphemy God for losing his wife that make suicide because she thought Vlad was killed on battle. So there’s another vampire before him…hmmm…I think it’s ok…so be it…

The scene increase by tension when Transylvanian were mobilize to safer place and Vlad had to battles the Turkish that comes in bigger amount of troops, this time with Mehmet with them. The visualization was awesome. I’d like the scene when Vlad control thousand of bats and make them to fight Turkish in such demonic ways. Though Mehmet told to close the eye of his troops but bat attacks was surely something that couldn’t handle normally. But the best scene for me is when Vlad jump down to chase Mirena that fall from high tower. And dramatically he failed to save his queen though he got inhuman power that makes him capable to do anything most man can’t do.

Full with rage, Vlad raising Vampire troops from Transylvania’s people who were dying and gave them blood of he’s to drink. I’m not quite happy to find how easily Vlad control the sky and nature in order to hold the sun from rising just to make his troops invaded the Turkish. One hundred thousand Turkish troops against ten hungry Vampires, you’d sure know who wins.

And the last scene, again, make me unhappy to find that Transylvanian troops of Vampires disobey Vlad. The Count can’t control his own people from eagerness to dessert his son. Contrary from Stoker, Count Vlad has total dominion over his follower and found out how three vampirellas on Dracula Castle had not killed Jonathan Harker because the Count said them so and it happened when Count Dracula was not around because he’s on his journey to England to find Mina Harker.

Overall I think this film was OK. It’s good to watched if you want to know more about heroic side of a Vampire before he turns into pure evil, and Hollywood was a master to make something grouch turns nice…the evolution of a Vampire from Bram Stoker Dracula to Twilight and now to Dracula Untold has prove it. Cheeks surely couldn’t resist the handsomeness of Luke Evans, are they? But I’d found out single mistake of continuity on the scene when Mehmet falls to the ground after Vlad defeated him and bites him, there’s no blood or puncture wounds on his throat, just take a good look at it…       

ANNABELLE

New Line Cinema

Directed by: John R. Leonetti

Starring by: Ward Horton, Annabelle Walis, Alfre Woodard

I’m doing different ways for this movie because the continuity of Conjuring must be treated in differently, and this time I hold my opinion on my blog till almost everyone in Jakarta watched it then upload it later on the third weeks from premiere. How did I know everyone in town had watched? Well, I dont ! I'm just patronizing but anyway, Annabelle attracts many people to go to the cinema in tremendous way, even for people who hates horror…perhaps it’s the real story behind the doll. Nevertheless many of them criticized this movie as dull, boring one, and it lacks of good effect for it depends on shocking scene or loud noise. Well it’s normal because audience expected something as good as Conjuring, so they make comparison of both unfairly.

Funny to found out that the main star of this movie was also has a name of Annabelle…Annabelle Walis as Mia. The film started with early scene which taken from Conjuring when three friends are being haunted by living doll Annabelle. But I lost the scene where the doll gives the three that word of ‘Miss Me’ thing. From there it goes backward a year later in 1967 when couple of John and Mia encounter terror on their neighborhood, Higgins family was slay and Annabelle, the Higgin’s daughter, and her boyfriend that becomes follower of an occult sect attacks Mia inside her house. Annabelle died by police shoot and her blood cursing one of Mia’s dolls which would be possessed by Devil.

The terror in Mia’s house didn’t stop, it almost kill her with burning house or appearance on basement storage and Mia was aware that it caused by the doll which followed her family anywhere. The terror keeps playing even until the baby’s come. What the ghost of Annabelle had done by look over the baby, playing with the baby, throwing the baby with books from the shelf lead us to think that the baby is being hunted by Annabelle ghost…to be honest I also think that Annabelle make baby Leah as object for she wanted to trade place with human as Chucky did…but I totally wrong for the soul taken desire…

John and Mia asked help from Father Perez to deal with the possessed doll, it was unusual for horror movie for couples easily to believe that their partner got troubles with supernatural thing, usually they think their partner went nuts so they took a shrink to face the problem. Instead, the devout Christian John believe his wife and go to Father Perez which also mention a little about Ed and Loraine Warren as couples who helps church to deal with demons, from there he was attacked by the demon. Father Perez realized that the demons not targeting baby Leah because the soul that sought by the occult sect should be submitted voluntary so he warned John about Mia. Did John succeed to save his wife? I think you should go out to cinema to check it for yourself…

But still there’s some scene that begs question for me, like when Evelyn jumps from the window where John and Mia has live it turns out that it was on top floor meanwhile on the scene where they move to that apartment Mia often heard a noise of people who lived among them. Is it some mistake? Or is it something to scares audience by occupants of the upper floor that are not exist. Pitty, the trick isn’t works because I know most people not thinking about non existence occupants. The scene which might be seeded as a top scene where little Annabelle ghost turns to adult ghost after bumping the door is also not so special for me…if I have to choose I’d rather like lift scene when she couldn’t get away from basement floor even though she had pushed the knob three times.

Still there’s wrong continuity where Mia was handles by the creature on basement after she pulled the blanket inside trolley. It obvious that it was on the back of her hand but how comes the symbol scar marked on front side of her hand?

There’s missed continuity at the scene when the priest take photo of Mia and baby Leah, he hold camera in horizontal but at the last scene where he give Mia the result of photograph he’s been taking earlier it shapes vertically. And how about the boy and the girl that Mia meets on stair? John asked to look after for them because they’re doing creepy picture but they’re not follow it up and we don’t know whether both kids are real kids or just another appearance to scares Mia. The scene was just become some patch of the next scene which didn’t have any correlated at all.

Last scene that bothers me is when John brings Mia food to home. She chooses pickles and French mustard which sealed. She opens the pickle jar but not doing the same thing with the mustard but the next thing you know she picked one pickles and dipping it to the mustard, that supposed to be closed.

Well, though this film has many disturbing scene and rather slow in pace but I think it’s ok to be watched if you want to see how demon experience describes as real as possible. There will not always be floating chair or stabbing knife but you will experience whispering voice or weird appearance of thing that goes for itself. 

So, if you interested to know more it just click @ The real story of Annabelle the doll

Which make me think there would be a sequel for Annabelle because I, and you probably, want to know what happened to the nurse who got the doll as present from her grandmother before it end up in Warren’s drawer, don’t you think so? 

TAMAN LANGSAT MAYESTIK

K2K PRODUCTION

Directed by: KK. Dheraj

Sutradara :   Eka Katili

Starring by: Metta Permadi, Rahmat Panca, Ki Joko Bodo, Fauzi Imam

Sebagai catatan, sebenarnya saya enggan sekali menuliskan review tentang film ini ke blog saya karena berbagai alasan yang rasanya bisa bikin kuping merah, tapi setelah pertemuan saya dengan Evi Sri Rezeki dan Bang Aswi tentang penulisan blog, saya mendapat masukan untuk memasukkan setiap tulisan dari film-film horror yang saya tonton sebagaimana adanya….

So, untuk itu saya akan coba masukkan film ini ke dalam blog Freaknco dan karena tulisan ini saya buat untuk Evi, yang secara kebetulan juga kembarannya pernah minta saya menulis review tentang BELENGGU ke dalam bahasa Indonesia maka saya akan melakukan yang sama untuk film Taman Langsat Mayestik…

Ketertarikan buat menonton film ini bermula dari twitter, dimana tag film ini sempat jadi trending topic beberapa kali sehingga ingin juga menonton film ini. Lagipula tagline bahwa film ini didasarkan pada legenda Taman Langsat yang angker sungguh menggoda keingintahuan pecinta film seram…

Cerita dari film ini sebenarnya sederhana saja, ada produser dan sutradara sebuah PH yang ingin membuat film horror. Mereka mencari pemeran yang tepat dan karena Talent Coordinator, Genta, tidak bisa menemukan aktris yang pas kemudian keduanya marah-marah. Keduanya akhirnya mencari pemeran utamanya sendiri dan menemukan Shinta, sebenarnya bukan mereka yang menemukannya sendiri juga karena Shinta datang ke kantor mereka pada saat yang tepat. Meskipun bintang utama sudah ditemukan mereka tetap harus mencari artis-artis pendukung sehingga Genta mengusulkan membuat casting di tempat angker supaya talent yang diundang bisa merasakan atmosfir horror.

Genta kemudian mendapatkan referensi Taman Langsat sebagai tempat angkernya dan bersama Yoga melakukan survey. Selama survey, sang produser melakukan tindakan brutal yang nyaris memperkosa Shinta tapi kemudian justru menewaskan Shinta yang keguguran dan kehabisan darah. Genta dan Yoga bertemu dengan penjaga taman bernama Ki Langsat, dari pria inilah Genta mendapat informasi mengenai asal muasal kenapa ada hantu di taman tersebut.

Daniel dan Ozzie akhirnya datang ke Taman Langsat untuk melakukan proses casting dan menemukan semua Talent sudah hadir disitu sementara Genta dan Yoga tidak nampak batang hidungnya. Apakah mereka berhasil mencari artis pengganti Shinta dan juga artis-artis untuk peran yang lain. Saya menjaga spoiler sehingga saya menyarankan anda menonton film ini sendiri dan berikan penilaian menurut anda sendiri, namun sebelum itu ijinkan saya memberikan masukan atas film ini dimana :

Sangat tidak masuk akal bila tiba-tiba terjadi gangguan atau penampakan di kantor PH hanya karena Genta dan OB membicarakan soal Taman Langsat yang angker. Mungkin kita tahu membicarakan tempat angker akan membuat bulu kuduk merinding, tapi sampai terjadi terror secara fisk? C’mon…get real….

Shinta yang keguguran hanya karena didorong dari mobil dan begitu banyak darah keluar seolah Shinta sudah mengandung lebih dari tiga bulan. Man, don’t you know that janin itu punya kekuatan yang luar biasa dari benturan? Memang ada kemungkinan ketuban pecah tapi saya pernah melihat seorang wanita hamil yang tanpa sengaja terpeleset jatuh di tangga tapi janin di perutnya masih aman, so maafkan kalau saya tidak percaya dorongan dari mobil bisa mengakibatkan keguguran macam itu…dan mengenai suaminya yang cacat yang ikut bunuh diri di tengah hujan dengan menghujamkan batu ke mata gara-gara melihat istrinya meninggal…c’mon man…

Legendanya mengatakan yang dikubur di bawah pohon Langsat itu bayi-bayi korban aborsi dan arwah mereka berpindah ke burung-burung. Itu menurut saya sesuatu yang keren, tapi kenapa tahu-tahu hantu yang muncul di taman itu ada genderuwo, kuntilanak, bahkan pocong masuk disitu? Apakah sosok tuyul kurang seram sehingga harus ditambahkan ikon-ikon dari makluk semacam itu supaya makin menambah seram filmnya?

Yoga, Shinta, dan suami Shinta tewas di depan rumah Shinta, tapi kenapa tahu-tahu ketiganya bisa muncul di Taman Langsat dan bergabung dengan ‘talent-talent casting’ yang lain? Apa hanya karena mereka terlibat dalam proyek pembuatan film di Taman Langsat yang angker dan tahu-tahu arwah mereka bisa ditarik ke tempat itu? Saya tidak tahu menurut anda, tapi menurut saya hantu tidak bisa berpindah tempat dengan seenaknya, apalagi hantu penasaran…pun kalau teori saya itu salah maka saya akan mengajukan pertanyaan kedua, kenapa suami Shinta juga hadir ke Taman Langsat? Kan dia tidak terlibat apapun dalam proyek film itu...pria itu hanya kebetulan menjadi suami dari calon bintang utama film yang diproduksi Daniel….hanya suami yang tak tahu apa-apa…

Begitu geregetannya saya pada film ini sehingga setelah menontonnya saya memutuskan berkunjung ke taman tersebut. Taman itu memiliki luas 700m2 dan berada di belakang bekas pasar burung barito. Saya tidak tahu soal binatang yang dijual disitu tapi yang saya tahu ada soto kambing yang enak sehingga menyempatkan diri buat makan dulu disitu baru kemudian mencoba survey. Taman itu tidak terbuka untuk umum, gerbangnya digembok dan untuk masuk kesana menurut penjaganya harus dengan perjanjian lebih dahulu.

Apakah saya sebegitu saktinya hendak menantang penunggu-penunggu disitu?

Well, saya tidak kesana hanya buat melihat apa benar disitu ada penampakan genderuwo, pocong, atau kuntilanak di atas pohon beringin…yang memang ada di tengah-tengah taman itu…karena rasanya itu bukan sesuatu yang penting tapi itu merupakan bentuk pelampiasan frustrasi karena gagal merasakan keangkeran dari filmnya sehingga ingin melihat sendiri kemisteriusan taman itu secara langsung…

So, sekian dulu komentar saya tentang film ini karena saya masih harus melanjutkan tulisan tentang film lain yang lagi heboh seperti Annabelle…