It Follows: Watchable, Recommended, Borderline Creepy, Hooks You

Watch this without assuming there is any link between this movie and the IT – this is an entirely different type of animal, albeit very quiet, slow-paced, and tries to thrill you by being a bit creepy. While the first 20 minutes don’t do a lot to get you hooked into it, the last 20 minutes or so are the exact opposite of it. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a lot of graphical, flesh-tearing, and blood-spurting that is becoming regular across the horror genre in contemporary cinema. Yes, the following aspect in the title is self-explanatory, but you have to see it to realize that the storytelling is really good. There are no spectacular special effects either, just a slow-moving story that builds up rather well, leading up to the brilliant ending.

Dead Birds: Perhaps one of the worst on Amazon Prime India

Watch this when you don’t have anything planned for the next 2 hours, and it seems like you can digest, perhaps and literally, any type of cinema. Dead Birds is the type of B-grade horror flick that does not scare you, and it does not remain in your memory for more than a few days. It actually does not deserve to last for even 2 days. That is how average the entire effort is. The special effects, or the lack of them, only make it worse, while the scariness just does not develop. Trying the horror genre in the classical landscape does not work here. Try to avoid this at all costs. If you plan an act of sweet revenge on someone, then recommend it further. These types of movies make you wonder how some people even get the resources or the approvals to shoot anything and bring it to celluloid.

Dark was the Night: Too Typical, Very Stereotyped, Nothing Notable 

Sometimes I wonder how movies are rated these days. Take this title, for instance. It has an almost 6 rating on IMDB. The same, small-town landscape with simpletons and secrets is repeated. There is always a sheriff in such plots, and here, the sheriff is grieving for his lost son – again, not the newest idea across any genre. He further has split from his wife or distanced – rings any bells? There is the typical, inexplicable, creature-like thing that is frightening the townspeople – sounds familiar? That is what is principally wrong with this movie. It does not belong to the horror genre. It is not a thriller either. It is not a creature feature either. Then, what is it? It tries to be everything and turns out to be very, very average. Those who have been catching up with the indie sector of movie-making over the last decade will also tell you that the Windigo has become a bit too common, and Dark Was The Night borrows the concept and messes it up – not recommended to my friends.

What Lies Below: Tries Hard & Fails, Confuses Towards the End

This movie has been categorized as Horror-Thriller if you run a Google search for it. However, What Lies Below is not really scary. It is more inclined towards being a bit of sci-fi and puts up a different take on the alien story plots that we have become a bit too accustomed to. A single mom or a separated one, as I don’t recall having a fiancé who is just too perfect. Obviously, her daughter does not agree and has some serious doubts about this man, who seems hell-bent on breeding. Turns out this guy is not really human and is actually trying to rear a species on his own. The plot could have been very interesting if the direction had been better. Sadly, that is not the case. What Lies Below handles the story somewhat loosely. If you Google this movie title more, you will find many search results trying to explain the ending of What Lies Below. The problem is that in the last 5 minutes or so, the movie takes a leap. All of a sudden, the typical storytelling gets complex. The alienist type of guy who is running some sort of alien creature genetic experiments seems to have turned a human into a fully functional, underwater creature of some type – sounds confusing? Watch What Lies Below and let me know if you could understand the ending without a doubt.

2021: when birthdays aren’t ‘Less’ than any reason to celebrate!

The emptiness outside screamed at us, but it was voiceless,

Lives that have been turned upside down, seem countless.

The perennial worriers are learning how to be fearless,

Life-from-home helped those reconnect who were faithless.

Masked people still try to look good despite being rendered faceless,

Keeping distances nurtured human connections but they were nameless.

As death came knocking in our neighborhood, the circus of life seemed pointless,

The poorest among us were those without friends and not those who were penniless.

The lessons learned and the memories created will forever remain priceless.

1. The boyhood charm is not working anymore

When John Cena started, one thing that caught everybody's attention was his boyish, cute looks. He seemed a bit undercooked and too much of a collegiate wrestler for many, rather than being a serious pro-wrestling contender. However, as things progressed, the same look became a bit of a signature for Cena. Even when he completed a decade in the industry, the clean-shaven face and the short, cropped hair looked the part. Cena seemed blessed with a sort of anti-aging gene - this is what many people had to say, and yes, his chiseled physique only strengthened this image. However, now that Cena is clearly a senior in the industry, the hair is thinning, and the boyish charm is not radiating. The hip-hop mad looks are not delivering. In fact, he seems to be oscillating in a state of confused identities. I compare him to Michael J. Fox and Tom Cruise - two more faces that refused to age for the longest time, but when aging did start showing up, it just did not blend into their persona. Cena seems to be going through something similar. The white sneakers and the Bermuda-like ring attire seem to contradict that; along with Triple H, he is perhaps the most experienced ex-champion right now.

It would be stupid to start this discussion by complaining about what the pandemic has done to our lives. This problem is not going anywhere, not for some time at least. Instead of focusing on the obvious and sounding cynical, I am trying to talk about what can be done in a way that is both practical and effective. The emphasis is not on the usual, like what are the top easy ways to boost your metabolism, simply because these are not easy times. Neither does this discussion put the premium on the top 10 ways to rev up your metabolism because here, the goal is to ensure that, with the limited means available and the limitations of a life-at-home ecosystem, you can speed up your metabolism, or at least prevent it from slowing down considerably. Read ahead for some easy tips:

The big change I am talking about? Kick the tendency to stay still!

Lying or sitting in one position is becoming a chronic problem as we spend more time indoors, more time in the living room or the bed, procrastinating the smallest tasks. Just run a Google search on the dangers of sitting. There is a well-researched piece at the top, by some Australian government organization, and at one glance, you will understand that the mere act of sitting for too long is highly detrimental. Now, these research articles were published during the pre-COVID era! This means researchers were warning us against the downside of sitting for too long at the workplace, and when we got just about 12 hours away from the workplace. If sitting for longer hours was already so harmful to our health, the work-from-home lifestyle has only worsened it, multiplying the risks. The easiest way to avoid this is:

TEAM-UP TO KICK IT

Set up a collaboration with someone at home, someone who constantly reminds you that you have been seated for too long in a spot. Reciprocate the gesture, and this partnership should ensure that neither of you remains seated for too long on the couch or desk. At first, the reminders will irritate you. It will seem like the other person is interfering in your personal space. Give it at least 10 days before this prompting starts to shape up and look like a mutually beneficial relationship. This dynamic is easier said than done. For couples, cooped up inside, this can lead to arguments too. But honestly, this is rather important, as self-discipline can take a beating as we try to stick to better living habits and inculcate small changes in our everyday lifestyle.   

ACCEPT, YOU ARE NO LONGER ROYALTY

Move around for things that can be done without being seated properly. This includes attending phone calls, especially the ones that don't need the laptop data to be examined, and the smaller, odd tasks like whisking the coffee grounds. For ages, I have been the person for whom things are easily fetched. From the morning cup of tea to unceremonious demands at the oddest times, I have taken too many liberties. Right now, I am understanding that there was nothing so royal about it. My new rule for myself: stop calling out for assistance. The smallest things that we often demand from someone moving around, from fetching the remote and passing the pillow to getting a bottle refill, contribute to slowing down the metabolism. Ditch the habit of always asking. This is like a humbling experience, and now, I have started to like it. Sweeping the plant-heavy balconies and taking the onus to assemble, clean up, or get things is helping me stay more mobile during the course of the day. Yes, lazy pangs do hit hard at times, but largely, the earlier version of me, half lying down at most times and demanding things to be handed over, is fading away...rather quickly.

EXPERIENCE STANDING - IT WORKS

Set up a standing workstation. This is a lot easier than it sounds. Even checking the workplace emails and answering office conversations on Skype can be done while standing. Take away the luxury of having a chair all the time. Use a chair only when you really need to sit down and do some serious work. I now have two workstations. One is the proper desk and chair arrangement. The other one is the standing type with no stool or chair near it. I use the latter for repeatedly checking emails and sending out small messages. All the things you read about bad posture when working on your laptop? It does not apply when you do it for a maximum of 5 minutes at a stretch. Please don't try this if you already have a history of spondylosis or some medical condition.

ENJOYED THAT MEAL? DON'T SIT BACK AND ROMANCE IT 

Don't stay seated post-meals. This is not a revolutionary bit of advice. Health bloggers have been advocating this for ages. You have to avoid lying down at any cost after you have wrapped up a meal. During the pandemic era, mealtime leisure is getting reckless. The tendency to laze around after a good lunch or supper is at an all-time high. Swap this with making that crucial call that could affect your KPI for the month. Even better, take on a regular task that you do only after lunch or dinner, like taking down dried clothing from the balcony, collecting the litter kids leave behind in the living room, or even better...doing the dishes. Personally, I am cutting down on taking the time to savor the special things Moha cooks, along with a piece of post-meal chocolate.

MAKE LAZYBOY YOUR OTT-time ENEMY

COVID lifestyle is teaching us that staying healthy is perhaps going to become the biggest global challenge, more serious than world peace. Until 18 months back, it was common practice to watch marathon OTT series on Netflix or Amazon. Now, you have to rethink how this is affecting your waistline and your overall health. You have to develop a strategy - I suggest not being seated at all times when catching up with the next episode of Kingdom or Marianne. You have to develop the habit of mixing it up. Stand up for a few minutes. Volunteer to pause for a few minutes and make tea for yourself and for someone else. Essentially, you have to fight off the natural behavior of staying glued to a lying-down or seated position that usually happens when watching your favorite TV shows, irrespective of the genre or how Ryan Gosling is looking these days.

THINK ON YOUR FEET - NOT THE METAPHOR, THE PHYSICALITY OF IT

I have been hearing how my friends and colleagues have started rediscovering the luxury of time that they haven't had for more than a decade. Enter the tendency to spend time with your thoughts, often dubbed as ideating or conceptualizing, with a cup of tea or coffee, lazing during the late afternoon hours. Until recently, this 'thinking time' was relegated to a few days in a year, or it was entirely absent. There is nothing wrong with it. I support the cause of reconnecting with what you want in life and taking the time to process the moments, even getting a bit poetic about it. But many times, the thinking hours are simply about planning the day, a quick visit to the mall for supplies, or organizing a week that is going to witness meeting the parents, or hosting a house party. Here, sitting back and hacking out the plan is a luxury we really don't need. I have started planning the workweek during the 30-minute exercise session and when I have some idling time, tending to the balcony garden. 

The idea is not to challenge conventional wisdom...

There is plenty of advice on how to stay active at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the usual advice is about how to plan your workouts and do more household chores. This discussion is aimed at what can be done besides these tips. Not that they are not helpful - some of the advice online is absolutely great. But even if you do work it out daily and then spend considerable time seated or lying down, on your favorite couch or the bedside corner, chances are that your health will suffer. This is because the bump-up in metabolism that comes around with physical tasks also gets flatlined when we are idling. I will follow up on this discussion with other lifestyle-related countermeasures for the challenges COVID lifestyle is unleashing...

Marianne does everything right to deserve a spot on your watchlist or when you want to pick a show without much planning and are not averse to the idea of a bit of horror. What makes this French OTT series on Netflix so watchable? The simplicity of it and its ability to still engage your mind. There is nothing drastically new about the story here. The essential plot is about a demonic presence that needs the main protagonist to keep writing, to ensure she can keep on harvesting more victims. Yes, the main lead happens to be a famous author in this Netflix series and she is plagued by the presence of Marianne. Some people might opine that Marianne was eventually taken off the show from Netflix France but please don't read too much into it. Not all good shows get the mileage they deserve. This OTT series is scary in parts - that must answer the first question horror genre hunting folks might have - is Marianne scary?

This is one of the many European Netflix series which have been well dubbed and presented to the demographic wherein folks like you and me lie - and yes, Katla does perform on most parameters, but still, something is missing. The first couple of episodes give you a glimpse into everything you need to know to understand the primary plot. Some type of volcanic eruption has taken place, and due to some volcanic and related energies, something really strange starts to happen. For starters, folks who were considered dead and gone for good start returning. Please understand that these are not zombies. These are people in the flesh and every bit as normal as they were prior to being buried or dying. As Katla continues to erupt, a couple of unpredictable storylines open up. The most interesting here is perhaps the return of the younger version of a lady who now coexists with her 50-something persona. The plot thickens, and it is obvious that this town is not going to be normal for some time. 

This might be blogging about something which already out there but I still could not help myself. This is primarily because Kingdom has been able to do what most other Zombie genre content, in the form of movies, OTT streams, or TV series, has not been able to do in almost a decade - this series blends unexpected characterization of the protagonists, challenges this entire genre with a solid storyline, and does not depend solely on the gore and horror of flesh-eating extras to engage your attention. 

Kingdom on Netflix rides on what is perhaps its strongest appeal, i.e. a plot where the presence of Zombies seems like the perfect sprinkling on something that is already rather delicious if you happen to consume a lot of Netflix content.  For work-from-home professionals like me who have been waiting for something that can be watched in the regular mode with the audio controls turned on, and in the near-mute mode when the baby is asleep in your bed, Kingdom has proven to be the best pick. If you have been a hater for Zombie-focused visual content in general, despite the awesomeness of Will Smith in I am Legend, you really need to give Kingdom one real chance. You have to watch at least three episodes, without a break, to provide the series a genuine chance to keep you hooked.

Why should you watch The Kingdom? Not Just Another Zombie-themed OTT Show!

• It keeps up the interest levels, even if you have not been loving the typical zombie content.
• It does not pile on season after season on you - there have been just two until today
• The performances are not full-blown, ensuring a bit of subtlety for more realism.
• The flesh-eating, graphic content is not at the core of this Netflix series; it falls secondary to an interesting story that has an insatiable hunger for power, betrayal, and pure hatred.d
• It tells you exactly why South Korean and Korean content, in general, is being loved by TV audiences these days
• Netflix brings it to you without any waiting, straight up, before the episodes get lost in the murky underworld of online leaks and pirated efforts.
• It does not take long to get somewhat addicted - I have recommended watching 3 episodes without a break above, and I vouch for it.
• For all those still asking whether Kingdom on Netflix is worth watching to the extent of getting their account renewed, the answer is yes
• Folks still wondering if Kingdom is very violent, please understand I am not the best person to answer this, as I saw the Human Centipede without taking a break or questioning the creation of content that is largely being called disturbing 
• If you are in the somewhat limited fraternity of Korean actor-loving folks in India, this series is being talked about to bring back some of the industry's best performers. Whom all? I don't know their names, but you can catch this bit here: Link to Explore

QUICK BYTES | Netflix's Kingdom is Top-notch Content!