Vampires in Mississipi?

Sinners (2025)
Directed: Ryan Coogler

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31193180/

We are all familiar with vampires and the medical explanation for their condition. Examining their behaviours, doctors have concluded that they must be suffering from acute intermittent porphyria. It is a genetically inherited disease in which a deficient enzyme leads to the build-up of heme under the skin. Certain trigger factors can initiate a chain reaction, producing by-products that cause severe skin reactions, such as blistering and pain. These triggers include light and possibly garlic, which contains sulphur. 

Legend has it that the aberrant gene mainly affects a particular aristocratic family in Transylvania, present-day Romania, known as the Draculas. Understandably, folklore about this family in movies and stories involves white-skinned characters. Of course, in this day and age, just an arrangement would not suffice.

In the early days of photography and the development of moving pictures, as well as until the 1970s, film rolls were often biased against individuals with dark skin. They were orthochromatic, meaning they were sensitive to blue and green light but blind to red. This technical limitation made lighter skin tones more flattering, while darker skin tones appeared unnaturally dark and lacked detail. Film development processes cater for Caucasian subjects.

The discrimination persisted into the 1960s, when colour film gained popularity. The chemicals used to develop the films were not designed to preserve a wide range of tones except for shades of white. Kodak even had a colour chart called the Shirley Card, featuring a picture of a particular white woman, used as a standard to determine image clarity and skin tones in prints. 

Shirley card

It was protests from furniture makers and chocolate manufacturers against Kodak's films that prompted changes in how they detected a wider range of colours in their movies. Earlier complaints from graduating black students, along with blurry graduation photos, were ignored. They had complained, 'The darker the person was, the less visible his image.' When Kodak's business interests were threatened, they responded. Kodak introduced Kodak Gold, which claimed it could photograph a black horse against a white background without losing any details. 

Digital photography transformed everything. Instead of using light-sensitive films that need developing, it utilises electronic sensors to capture and store images. 

Given this background, it is only logical that 21st-century filmmakers, for whom equity is a buzzword and various movements around us testify to this, should create a film that rectifies the past. Now, we have a fictional story of vampires suddenly appearing in 1930s America, specifically in Mississippi, where African Americans are portrayed as running around with fangs and biting necks.

Incorporating themes of racial discrimination, the KKK, and a gore-filled night scene in dim lighting, the film aims to correct historical errors, featuring black vampires and meticulously filming dark-skinned actors with attention to makeup and facial expressions.

Verdict: Not my cup of tea (3/5).

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

https://www.profitableratecpm.com/eavw6i1vus?key=563e27a9bff24095551c69d633759b79

“Be afraid. Be very afraid.”*

The Fly (1986)

Directed: David Cronenberg

https://realgroovy.co.nz/product/9337369011202/the-fly-
1986-dvd-digitally-remastered-special-edition

It is reminiscent of the big hair days of the 80s, when being hirsute was fashionable and everyone had broad shoulders thanks to shoulder pads under their tops. It was also set to be a fantastic period for romcoms. Almost immediately after this film, we saw a series of classic romantic comedies, with 'When Harry Met Sally' (1989) and 'Sleepless in Seattle' (1993) as frequently cited examples. The timeless sitcom 'Friends' (1994 onwards) likely originated from a similar concept, blending awkward moments with romance to become a coming-of-age reference for 90s kids as they transitioned into adulthood. 

The movie must have escaped my notice when it first arrived in our country. It was that period of my life when I was isolated from civilisation and focused on building something of my own.

People have long been captivated by the idea of time travel. The notion of time travel and time dilation even sparked the curiosity of ancient India. In Hindu Puranas, written nearly 2,400 years ago, there is a story of King Kakudmi who could not find a suitable suitor for his talented daughter, Revathi. The king journeyed to Brahmalok (Brahma's realm) to seek an audience with him and request an appropriate husband. While travelling to Brahma's realm, 117 million years passed, and all the suitors they had in mind had died. Humans also changed in appearance over time. Nevertheless, Revathi returned to Earth to marry Krishna's brother, Balarama. Since Revathi and Balarama belonged to different eras, they looked physically different. Revathi was said to be taller and more robust than Balarama.

Some may argue that not enough credence was given to these imaginary stories, but the fact remains that they were aware of time travel and time dilation. That merits further exploration. Teleportation is a form of time travel. For it to occur, extreme gravitational manipulation—possibly through wormholes—is necessary. The subject will need to be transferred via quantum entanglement at the speed of light. All of these concepts are still theoretical. 

The film 'Fly' depicts the story of an eccentric scientist experimenting with teleportation. His love interest is a journalist who documents his progress. During a moment of weakness, the scientist teleports himself. Unfortunately, a fly accidentally enters his telepod chamber. The teleportation succeeds, but the scientist's DNA and the fly's DNA become mixed. Initially, the scientist feels energetic and powerful. Over time, he begins to degenerate, losing his limbs one by one and transforming into a gruesome hybrid monster. 

The film also depicts how the lovers manage the drastic changes in their relationship, and things become even more complicated when the journalist becomes pregnant. She has to deal with a potentially deformed baby, as his gamete must also be a hybrid. 

Although the story is predictable, it still manages to captivate viewers with its graphic content and impressive makeup effects. Is this accident a warning about playing God, or is it part of the learning process? Society must establish its rules as scientists delve deeper into cellular biology and cloning, and the twisting of genetic material becomes mainstream. Playing God may have its consequences.

* "Be afraid. Be very afraid." is a renowned line from the film The Fly, spoken by the character played by Geena Davis as she observes the horrifying transformation of the scientist (Jeff Goldblum) into a grotesque insect-like creature. The line has become iconic, frequently used to convey overwhelming fear and dread.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Against the grain

Sister Midnight (Hindi; 2024)

Written & Directed: Karan Kandhari

This is a peculiar film. Peculiar in a way that feels intriguing. It is a dark comedy, but it keeps viewers unsure about where the story will go. With minimal dialogue in most scenes, we often see the actors simply staring at each other in many shots. These awkward moments heighten the comedy. Then, suddenly, a rock song blares in the background—not in Hindi, the film's spoken language, but a psychedelic Cambodian tune.

A mismatched couple, married through arranged means, moved into the not-so-affluent, or rather, slum area of Mumbai. The groom, a painfully timid man, failed to fulfil his conjugal desires for his newlywed bride. In fact, he does not even come close to her. He even leaves the room when she is changing clothes. Being a good wife, the bride just waits for her husband to do what is needed. On her part, she is clueless about what to do at home. She neither knows how to cook nor manage the household. Her neighbours do not seem so unapproachable either. The husband leaves early in the morning, takes care of his meals, and returns late, often drunk. His reason for not telling her before leaving is that he is afraid of waking her.

The story continues with the bored housewife taking a job as a cleaner, experiencing fainting spells, developing a taste for eating live birds, and having vivid hallucinations. When the couple finally makes love, the husband suffers a heart attack and dies during the act. Interestingly, the wife simply keeps the husband in the house without arranging a funeral.

While watching this film, I was reminded of quirky classic comedies like Stephen Chow's 'Kung Fu Hustle' - nonsensical yet entertaining. This debutante director suddenly decided to include a clip from Akira Kurosawa's 'Seven Samurai', where a ronin (a masterless samurai) roams aimlessly, trying to do the right thing. In 'Sister Midnight', the protagonist is trapped in a similar situation—in her case, a marriage—and must explore the correct path with a future lying ahead. Symbolically, this reflects the story of life. We are parachuted into this existence, given some survival tools, and expected to forge a future—rightly or wrongly. We must discover ourselves, chart a course, and rebel against the currents to make it work.

That, my friend, is the profound take-home message from this strange movie.

Good show, 4.5/5.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

Lord of the Flies

The Book (1954)

(Based on the 1954 novel by William Golding)
(1963 movie, directed by Peter Brook)
(1990 movie, directed by Harry Hook)

This book is a popular choice among English literature students. It fosters engaging debate on the darker aspects of human nature, leadership, and the evil that resides within us. There is a fine line between remaining civilised and succumbing to savagery.

It was the period after WW2; the world must have been perplexed by the scale of the atrocities that took place during the war. The level of violence and destruction, especially after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, must have prompted questions about the evil that resides within each person. The 1950s still likely were not among the most peaceful times, as Russians had learned to produce the A-bomb and the US was moving into H-bombs.

Golding's story depicts a group of preteen boys stranded on an isolated island after their plane crashes. With limited resources, they attempt to survive until rescue arrives. The boys try to establish law and order by choosing a leader. Gradually, a rebel group forms among them, who would eventually go to great lengths to enforce their own ways.

1963 film

Even though they are just boys, it is interesting to see how they summon the animal savagery that lies dormant within their souls to harm and even kill the other party when competing. The dangers of unleashed energies driven by mob mentality cannot be overstated. At first glance, the narration portrays all people as inherently evil. We tend to see people as unthinking automatons with no agency. However, upon closer examination, some individuals do care for each other's safety. The boys initially cooperate to use what they have learned at school, like starting a fire and protecting themselves. They are willing to accept laws and follow them gladly. It is only when circumstances become tough that they retreat to their animal, primal instincts, revealing their ugly side. 

1990 film

People have to be kept contented and preoccupied with something to do. They need to be told what to do. Some amongst us are leaders material, the majority are mere followers and are easily malleable to rhetoric. An idle mind is the devil's workshop and the commentary of resentment and rebellion. When the piece of pie becomes smaller, tempers flare. There is a thin line between orderliness and mayhem.

Both the 1963 and 1990 versions feature mainly young characters, but I prefer the 1963 one. Maybe I am a fan of 'black-and-white'; it has more depth and gives the surreal feel of being trapped on an island. However, it also evoked a sense of watching a secondary school drama.

Both good and evil reside in the human soul. As individuals, we must remind ourselves to stay on the right path and not stray into darkness. Human history has shown that no single form of governance can withstand the test of time. When humans first began living in communities, they believed that autocratic rule by a monarch with demigod-like status would suffice. Resentment grew when divisive rulership became evident. Revolution was then justified. They thought that communism was the answer. However, human greed eventually overshadowed the desire for equality. It too collapsed. The free market often degenerated into vulture capitalism, and human follies permeated all systems. In a world darkened by terrible deeds, regular self-questioning and reasoning seem to be the only way social justice can prevail. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

P.S. 'Lord of the Flies' is another reference to Satan (Beelzebub).

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

We are just inventory?

Asteroid City (2023)

Director: Wes Anderson

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/296207471307

This film received mixed reviews. One either loved it or hated it. The trouble is that it needed to be viewed more than once to grasp the essence of the story it attempts to tell. Even most film critics conceded to watching the film multiple times before putting pen to paper to share their two cents' worth.

Wes Anderson films have cult followings. As with all Wes Anderson movies, the most striking aspect is the deliberate choice of comforting light colours, which evoke specific emotions and imbue the story with a nostalgic feel. The images presented on screen are symmetrical; the colours selected come from a particular spectrum; the characters are quirky; and the scenes are interspersed with moments of awkward silence.

This time around, the film centres on two concurrent sets. One, presented in black and white, is a play as narrated by the screenplay and director. The second is set in the present (i.e. 1950s), where nuclear tests are taking place in a remote desert town, Asteroid City. Meanwhile, a stage announcer is seen, seemingly breaking the fourth wall, and perhaps the actors do the same. The actors move between sets, as if everything is merely a continuum, blending the past and the future. This leaves viewers wondering about its true meaning. One must make one's own judgment about the narration. 

The present set features a fictional town in the desert, with its landmark icon being an asteroid allegedly left behind by an alien, hence its name, Asteroid City. It serves as a stopover point for science enthusiasts eager to view a particular constellation in the sky. Coincidentally, a junior astronomy award presentation is also taking place there. 

Angus Steenbeck, a recently widowed war photographer, arrives with his prodigy son, Woodrow, and his three young daughters in Asteroid City. Woodrow is to receive an award. Their car breaks down, forcing all five to stay behind. Although their mother passed away three months prior, Angus has not yet told his children the bad news. Their neighbours at the chalet are Midge Campbell, a weary star, and her teenage daughter, Dinah. Dinah is also to be honoured at a grand ceremony, which will be attended by renowned scientists and high-ranking military officials.

During the event, something strange occurs. An alien spacecraft hovers over the town, and an alien descends to collect the asteroid before disappearing into the night’s darkness. A quarantine is imposed, and a media blackout is enforced, treating the city as a danger zone.

Nestled within this narration is the 'black and white' stage play, where the director recounts the story.

At the end of the day, the key lessons from this film include managing grief, the uncertainty of life, how people often dictate to others how life should be lived, perhaps the question of what is truly presented to us, and likely the question of divinity. We convince ourselves that life ought to be lived in a certain way, as if we possess that knowledge. As if someone has crossed to the other side and returned to tell the tale. What the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us is that nobody truly knows anything. The loudest and most charismatic among us lead, while the rest simply follow. Sometimes, the truth is suppressed to further their personal agendas. The person who controls the news controls the world. No matter how much the truth is buried, it has a way of resurfacing.

Lest remains the unanswered, burning question: Why are we here? What is the plan? Are we merely to create the inventory?

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Give a miss!

Thug Life (2025)
Director: Mani Ratnam

https://www.justwatch.com/za/movie/thug-life-2025

Following the release of this film, one realises the extent to which external forces are harnessing the power of social media to sway public opinion on various matters. Furthermore, films act as platforms for disseminating the ideologies of political parties.

Even before the film's release in Karnataka, during his promotional tours, Kamal Haasan, the central star of the movie, inadvertently – or perhaps not – provoked a diplomatic row between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. In his speech, he stated that the Kannada language is an offshoot of the Tamil language. This was not taken lightly by loyalists and politicians alike, who spoke the Kannada language. 

It is no secret that Kamal Hassan's political party is currently allied with the DMK, the ruling party of Tamil Nadu. The DMK practises divisive politics based on language, ethnicity, and anti-Hindu sentiments. Kamal Hassan is merely announcing his resurgence in Tamil Nadu politics. The State of Karnataka was a latecomer, having been carved out of the Mysore Presidency in 1956 on linguistic grounds, and has faced conflicts with Tamil Nadu over the flow of water from the River Cauvery, the worst of which occurred in 1991. This was when anti-Tamil looting and the burning of vehicles bearing Tamil Nadu number plates escalated after a Tribunal ordered the release of Cauvery water into Tamil Nadu. Although Hassan's statements were not incorrect, the Kannadian fundamentalists are unlikely to accept any of this. It is irrelevant that Tamil is an older language with evidence from ancient tablets, or that both languages may have arisen from a common ancestor, the Proto-Dravidian language.

The row has taken on monumental proportions, with the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce collaborating with politicians to ban its screening in the state of Karnataka.

The film itself was not groundbreaking. Movie enthusiasts have encountered numerous films with similar storylines. In fact, Nayagan, which the director made in 1987 with the same star, featured a son avenging his father's death, just as this one does. Narratives of betrayal and rebellion among gangsters are nothing new. Netizens were quick to point out several glaring plot holes. There is an awkward moment when an adopted daughter might have married her brother. In another instance, both father and son could be vying for the same woman in intimate relationships. The characterisation is superficial, and there are far too many characters who do not contribute significantly to the story.

 

https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-famous-people
/thuggees-002145

I was more interested in the origin of the word 'thug'. It has Indian origins. It was during the time of the British Raj, and the colonisers were eyeing the mineral-rich interior lands, which were home to a tribal group that prayed to a form of Kaali named Thugee. The Thugees naturally wanted to defend their land. Just as the Mau Mau people of Kenya were vilified by the British to create stories of them being cannibals and baby snatchers, the Thugees were described as deadly assassins who moved in groups to identify their prey. Their weapon of choice was a bandana, with which they would strangle their victims and kill them. The Thugs were feared so intensely that they entered the English lexicon.

There is another connection between thugs and the origin of the word 'assassin'. Not all thugs are Hindus; some are Muslims. The Muslim influence can be traced back to the mid-1200s in Persia. There was a group of mercenaries who were compensated with hashish; hence, they were called 'Hashshashins'. The Hashshashins became known as assassins in the English language. They moved about, fighting for and against the Muslim kingdom while opposing the Crusaders. They battled the Mongols quite disastrously, who chased them away to India, where they lived among tribal communities. They mingled with the Thugee worshippers and collaborated with them. The Hashshashins revered Kali but did not worship Her. Of course, all this could merely be a figment of the British Raj's imagination, conjuring a bogeyman out of the Indians.

 

(P.S. A film that is not worth discussing. There are already far too many YouTube channels offering brutal rundowns on this movie.)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

A comedic tragedy?

Tourist Family (Tamil, 2025)

Written and Directed by Abishan Jeevinth

I never knew that something as sombre as economic migrants fleeing illegally for greener pastures could be transformed into a comedy. This film is a testament to the idea that such a production can be made. 

There is no doubt that economic migrants making the difficult decision to uproot themselves from familiar surroundings and slip under the cover of darkness into a foreign land in search of a better life is no pleasure cruise. However, we must understand the desperation that drives them to take this risk. 

Despite the serious subject, the storyteller successfully presents their narratives in a light-hearted manner. Comedic situations arise when we least expect them, diverting the occasional tense buildup. 

A family of four - parents, a teenage son, and a preteen son- boards a boat from Sri Lanka and reaches Rameshwaram in the dark. The boys' maternal uncle, who had escaped to Tamil Nadu much earlier, is their sponsor. He arranged for their landing and accommodation. Unfortunately, from the very beginning, the family is intercepted by the Tamil Nadu police. The police constable, himself of Jaffnaese origin, who caught them, took pity on their ingenuity in escaping poverty that had struck Sri Lanka and let them go. 

The illegal immigrants arrive in a housing colony, as arranged by the uncle. Of all the places, they end up renting a room owned, of all people, by a police inspector. Although they believed their thick Sri Lankan accent would give them away, the inspector naively assumed they were Malayalis. Shortly thereafter, the refugee family became close to the other occupants of the colony due to their affable nature.

Meanwhile, a complainant turns up at the police station after losing his pet dog. The constable who let the illegal immigrant go, remembers seeing the dog with the Jaffnese. Then a bomb blasts off at a dumpsite, suggesting it could be the work of Sri Lankan terrorists. The constable is taken aback. Could he have made a major snafu? The hunt for the possible dangerous terrorist family goes full force.

Migration has been a part of human civilisation. People have always moved from point A to point B, influenced by various push and pull factors. The émigrés would typically assimilate into their newfound land. Integration was not an issue then. Recently, the new-age immigrants have arrived with a different mindset. They come in with a chip on their shoulder, look down on their hosts, and want to supplant their system. They fail to recognise that the hosts had something good going while the newcomers are there because they have messed up their own country and sought refuge elsewhere. If their own system were so great, they would be ruling the world.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Every little thing is magic?

Parthenope (Italian; 2024)
Written and Directed by: Paolo Sorrentino

https://iicbuenosaires.esteri.it/it/gli_eventi/calendario/
parthenope-di-paolo-sorrentino-avant-premier/

What is anthropology? This question is dangled in front of the audience throughout the film. In simple terms, anthropology refers to the study of what makes us human. It examines how we, as a species, alter our behaviours, interpret our environment, and seek purpose in our existence here on Earth. In other words, it is the straightforward act of observing and learning. 

We see in the spring of youth, but are too distracted to learn. We are too busy playing our biological roles, as hormones and our physical strength cloud our purpose. We are too busy savouring the essence of existence. Gradually, the hard knocks of life set in. We become wiser, yet remain too engrossed, striving to choose the best experiences. We do not wish to miss out.

We learn and grow wiser about the turns of events, of cause and effect. Our expectations also rise, and we become complacent in our comfort zones. 

Then comes a sort of desperation when mortality confronts us directly. We understand that our time on Earth is finite. We yearn to achieve the things we want to do, yet we feel we are already out of our depth.

Still, all the while we have been doing something. The call of duty for which we have sacrificed time and space has not been wasted. That has been the legacy we helped to establish. It has been our contribution to mankind. No, life is not wasted. Like the gentle waves that form after a tiny pebble drops into a serene lake, the little things we do will have spiralling effects across time and distances after the act.

In a rather indirect manner, this film attempts to convey a similar message. The placement of attractive individuals in a Mediterranean setting, with enviable bodies adorned in garments that leave very little to the imagination, must have significantly drawn the attention of film critics. It ultimately received mixed reviews, as the message seems rather cryptic. A smiling face and an appealing body can only take one so far. 

https://americananthro.org/learn-teach/what-is-anthropology/

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

https://workmancolon.com/hp7ccn9yi?key=1f8ba034b833363f3829b042ca303097