Author: #TIPEntertainment

Actress Drew Barrymore was seen promoting her new movie “Blended” just three weeks after giving birth to daughter Frankie. The 39-year-old was happy to take some out to promote her movie because she feels everyone is doing well and she is proud of the project, reports contactmusic.com.

“It feels like a miracle and it’s also so awesome I have to say,” said Barrymore on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” Monday. “I feel like I actually have, first of all, I love this movie and I would never not like show up for it and I feel so good and happy. My kid is healthy. I have nothing to complain about. Like, I’m so blessed,” she added.

Actors and parents-to-be Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have bought a new home at Beverly Hills here. The duo bought a house worth $10 million, which they have planned to turn into a family home, reports contactmusic.com.

Celebrities Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Ziggy Marley, and Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban will now be called their neighbours. Kunis confirmed her pregnancy during an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” last week.

Story: When all else fails, what better way to make some money than to turn into the proverbial Don Juan? Accordingly, Fioravante (Turturro) turns into a ladies’ man, ably guided by Murray (Allen) who takes his cut from Murray’s earnings. But soon, there comes a time when love, lust and money all come to a head. Review: Although Fading Gigolo looks every inch like a film Woody Allen could have directed, here, the directorial reins are taken by Turturro who is also in the lead role.

Accordingly, Allen takes on the garb of a supporting role, with plenty of the kind of humour that you can expect from Woody Allen, as a counterpoint to Turturro’s somewhat more stoic Fioravante. The latter loves books and is a florist. He is, not surprisingly, also hard up on cash and has no long-term plan for life. One fine day, Murray enters the scene with a somewhat indecent proposal that involves a threesome.

Murray’s oversexed dermatologist Dr Parker (Stone) and her equally oversexed lover Selima (Vergara) could do with a male to spice up their amorous encounters. Murray thinks that Fioravante is the man suitable for the task at hand, who would be right up their alley. But is Fioravante up for the task? This, and Murray playing the improbable pimp, provides for many comic situations that Allen fans will enjoy.

But Cupid’s arrow might soon hit home when Murray hooks Fioravante up with Avigal (Paradis) who is a widow and seemingly immensely more interesting than Murray’s other paid encounters. The film then takes a slightly different course. It seems like the naughty pimp-gigolo plot gets second shift, with emotions emerging at the fore. Fioravante and Avigal’s equation transcends sexuality and steps into more tender territory.

The film has plenty of clever humour underscored by a jazzy score throughout. Vergara oozes sex while Sharon Stone is a veteran vixen. On the flip side, Gigolo is pure Woody Allen formula and provides the right amount of gags to keep this sex comedy afloat.

STORY: Thrills, chills, scandals surround the murder of a star in the ’60s. Eleven suspects are on the scanner. With cops, black marketers and booming beats, the story ‘falls’ from an almost ‘Teesri Manzil’ style plot. REVIEW: It’s the swinging ‘seX’ties’ (60s) – with an ‘Xtra’ ‘X’ factor. Larger-than- life superstars, bulging bosoms, sensual sins, high-riding hemlines, charisma galore and exciting extra-marital affairs. This is where ‘The X-pose’ unfolds.

At a glittering after-awards party a top actress, Zara (Sonali), is found dead. “Murder” they said. “Who’s the suspect?” they quizzed. And the music of a rip-roaring era played on. With a line-up of (usual) suspects – Ravi Kumar (Himesh) playing an angry ex- cop turned South actor (with dialogue-baazi like – “Main joh bol deta hoon, wohi script ban jaata hai!”).

He’s signed up by Bollywood director Subbu Prasad (Ananth) for a film titled ‘Ujjwal Nirmal Sheetal’ (‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’ anybody?), opposite sexy siren Zara, who tries to seduce him out of his puritanical vows. Ravi, however, is madly in love with newbie Chandni (Zoya), who’s being launched in ‘Reena Mera Naam'(remember ‘Johnny Mera Naam’?) and is Zara’s arch rival (cat-fights coming up!). There’s also music composer KD (YoYo) – with a Pran-like-latt, who ‘rips’ rap music, and a host of cagey characters to add intrigue to this conspiracy.

Ananth’s motley of filmi characters is colourful, comical and hilariously OTT. With razzmatazz, he interestingly draws references from real incidents and real stars. Himesh’s role has a Raaj Kumar hangover; Zoya and Sonali are modelled on Parveen Babi and Zeenat Aman. Irrfan (as narrator) is the blackmarketeer who makes big bucks. This whodunit has more tongue-in-cheek humour than suspense, more ‘laugh’ (with dialogue-baazi) than ‘gasp’ moments. And peppy music packaged in ’60s’ style.

It’s pacy but the plot unravels stylishly, not intelligently (some suspects don’t have a clear motive for murder). Sonali is stunning and impressive, Zoya makes a pretty picture and Yo Yo is best when he’s grooving. Himesh slips well into his character, with quirkiness and confidence. This is far from a mind-bending thriller, but a decent effort which has some good ‘ol masala to keep you entertained.

Kangana Ranaut has always been known for her keen sense of style. And after a brief eclipse, the actress has been shining in the success of her recent releases, reclaiming the crown of Bollywood’s sharpest dresser. This, as we can tell you, is not going down well with a certain Ms Kapoor, who has crafted her entire career on her reputation as a stylista, who is yet to earn her acting stripes (remember her squirming on KJo’s couch when asked about if this bothers her?).

So, sis Rhea, also her personal stylist on most occasions, has been caught in an awkward spot vis a vis Kangy’s team each trying to outwit the other when it comes to grabbing the freshest set from designer collections. Rhea, who is known to take her time to make up her mind about choosing Sonam’s look, is keeping a close tab on Kangana, who we hear, is too fast and furious for the Kapoor sisters.

Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh said in order to portray the character of the historical figure of Bajirao in the upcoming film ‘Bajirao Mastani’, he will get his head tonsured and also learn Marathi. Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘magnum opus’ project ‘Bajirao Mastani’, a tumultuous love story, is finally set to go on floors with rumoured couple Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone playing the lead roles.

While Ranveer will play the role of the 18th century Maratha general and statesman Bajirao Peshwa, the project will also have Priyanka Chopra in a key role. Though both Deepika and Priyanka will be a part of the film, it is still not clear who would play the role of Mastani. “Preparations for ‘Bajirao Mastani’ is very intense. I will have to learn Marathi, horse riding, pick up the accent and do a lot of work for the character. I will have to shave off my hair, work on my look and the physical aspect,” Ranveer said.

STORY: An Indian and a Pakistani soldier stationed at the border battle, bicker and bond over their twisted fate caused by India’s bitter and bloody partition. REVIEW: Kya Dilli? Kya Lahore? Kya ‘baat’! Yes, battlebanter over cross-border firing and a bombardment of dialogues forms the crux of this film, set at a time (1948) when the border lines between India and Pakistan reeked of fresh blood.

In today’s context, those very boundaries have dulled, the battle-lines have hardened and the banter has changed. To a more contemporary barrage of dialogues. ‘KDKL’ deals out languid laughter and a dark humour-in-uniform. Yet, all of it stems from scarred memories and open wounds of partition that’ve painfully throbbed over generations. Narrated and presented by maestro writer/lyricist Gulzar, the story unfolds when a Pakistani soldier, Rehmat (Raaz); born in Delhi and now ‘displaced’ in newly-formed Pakistan, is confronted by an Indian soldier, Samarth (Rishi), who’s grown up in Lahore, now migrated to Delhi.

The satirical conversations, candour, ‘crossness’, form a large part of the dialogue between two lost souls. What starts as a spiteful fury of words, punctuated with blood and bullets, warms up into a heart-rending tale. And somewhere, the inbred bhaichara and binding nostalgia ties the two uprooted souls like an undeniable umbilical cord. Debutant director Vijay Raaz’s story stays firmly focused on his two subjects (Rehmat, Samarth), in the same location throughout; with brief inclusion of only two other characters.

The plot, (reminiscent of Oscarwinning Bosnian film, ‘No Man’s Land’), is a rare attempt in Indian cinema. The essence of the story rests in its dialogues (Manu Rishi) – like rich, evocative poetry – which carries the emotional weight of the film. In that also lies the problem, the shuddh Urdu-Punjabi- Hindi is often difficult to grasp amidst raging emotions. Hence, it might not appeal to all.

Also, the film feels a tad long. Performances by Raaz and Rishi are brilliant and the background score (Sandesh Shandilya) adds tear-jerking heaviness. One of the finest things about ‘KDKL’ is Gulzar’s poetic prologue. Without the usual trappings of filmi fanfare, this story has its heart in the right place – pure and undivided. Like pre-partition brotherhood.

First it was the RK tattoo,which she still wears on the nape of her neck, and now the actress seems to be announcing that she has found love again. Deepika who is dating fellow actor Ranveer Singh, has been wearing a golden pendant with the word LOVE emblazoned on it, since retutning from an awards show in the US. Buzz is, that it’s a gift from her current flame.

Though the twosome is yet to publicly acknowledge the relationship, they have been spotted out and about dressed in his and hers ensembles.The pendant seems another sartorial declaration of romance. We asked Deepika and Ranveer about the story behind the piece of bling but both chose not to respond.

Yami Gautam has been signed as Varun Dhawan’s love interest in Sriram Raghavan’s revenge drama which rolls by the month end and also features Huma Qureshi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vinay Pathak. When contacted, Sriram who was location hunting in Nashik, responded to our text message by saying, “Yes, Yami is part of the film.”

Actress Kriti Sanon, who is making her big screen debut with “Heropanti”, has locked lips with newcomer Tiger Shroff for the film. But she says she was hesitant about it as she comes from a conservative family. “When Sabbir Khan (the film’s director) told me about the lip-lock scene, I was hesitant about it.

I told him – ‘Can’t we just skip this? Is it that important?’ But he said it was an important scene and it goes with the flow and it won’t look out of place,” Kriti said. Eventually, she agreed to the scene, and says “it all went off well”. “I come from a conservative family, but my parents took it in a positive way and they supported me with each and every decision of mine,” she added.

Eva Longoria recently announced the launch of her Latino Victory Project and called it a nonpartisan effort to create more political engagement among Latinos. The 39-year-old actress asserted that it was imperative to her that the ballots represented the landscape of America, asserting that it was a very ambitious effort and it was a non-partisan effort that had never been undertaken before, ABC News reported.

The ‘Desperate Housewives’ star said that as a community, they could not be so engaged in the presidential elections and elect the president, but not turn up at midterms to elect the people who had to work with the president.

Actress Jessica Alba won’t bare all on-screen because she doesn’t want her grandparents to see her in the buff. Even though the 33-year-old reprises her role as stripper Nancy Callahan in the much-anticipated sequel “Sin City: A Dame To Kill For”, audiences will not see her bare all.

This is due to a no-nudity clause Alba adds to her contract when signing on to star in a movie, reports contactmusic.com. The actress explained her reasons in the June issue of Glamour magazine, in which she showed hardly any flesh when featuring on the front cover.

“I don’t want my grandparents to see my b***s. That’s it. It would be weird at Christmas. And, I mean, really, if you look at the movies I have done, getting naked would never ‘elevate’ the picture,” she said.

STORY:
Beyond reconciling his own dual identity as Spider-Man and Peter Parker, the web-spinner here (Garfield) faces several powerful villains with formidable powers who threaten the safety of his home city. Also, at the heart of this movie, is Peter’s bond with Gwen (Stone).

REVIEW: What sets Marc Webb’s iteration of the webslinger’s story apart from Spider-Man’s previous cinematic outings (and indeed, other superhero films) is that along with its share of action, epic fights and special effects, there is a vibrant, emotional core at the heart of this movie. The human angle is strong throughout and this is visited early on, when we are reminded of Parker’s parents Richard and Mary.

Richard records a video message that attempts to explain why he and his wife had to decamp in a hurry. They also attempt to escape an assassin on their plane. Their young son Peter is left behind in the care of Aunt May and her husband. Will Peter discover this message that can help untangle the murky secrets behind Oscorp’s mysterious experiments? Back in present day New York, there’s a zinger of an action scene where Spider-Man stops a truck with a Plutonium consignment from getting away. He also manages to save an Oscorp employee Max Dillon’s (Foxx) life.

Dillon is initially awestruck by Spider-Man. But when he subsequently has an accident involving falling into an experimental tank containing mutated eels, he mutates into Electro and soon becomes unhinged. Meanwhile, Oscorp’s CEO dies of a hereditary illness that is passed on to his son Harry (DeHaan).

Harry’s only cure is a sampling of Spider-Man’s own venomous blood. Later, a series of events turns him into the Green Goblin. Interestingly, some of the villains inspire pity, because they all started out as normal people but later are twisted by fate and events. The action sequences are breathtaking and despite the running time, the film doesn’t drag. Garfield and Stone, in the scenes where they are together, have a palpable chemistry. This Spider-Man serves up both pathos and power.

Story: A mountain girl crosses swords with marauders because they threaten her love, land and life. Can she singlehandedly bring down a bunch of corrupt men? REVIEW: Kaanchi (Mishti Mukherjee) is a virginal beauty from Koshampa in Uttaranchal who gets into brawls with the local bullies. And yet, there is an innocence about her that is alluring.

We’re told that her late father, an army man, is whom she has got her spirited nature from. Of course, her homemaker ma admonishes her and tells her that girls shouldn’t behave like goondas. But Kaanchi, who is also called ‘Sigdi’ (a hot stove) doesn’t subscribe to her mom’s views. Her lover Binda (Karthik Aaryan) is the local fitness consultant who trains the neighbourhood in combat.

Like Kaanchi, he too is obsessed with keeping his town in the hills safe. Patriotic intentions apart, a lame love story with limp kisses follow. Before Kaanchi and Binda embark on their journey of bliss, the antagonist Sanjeev Kakda (TV hottie, Rishab Sinha), who desperately needs a haircut and acting lessons, comes into the picture. Coming back to the plot, Kakda is infatuated with Kaanchi and when she resists, he recoils.

From here the film descends into a mishmash. Hell hath no fury than a Subhash Ghai heroine scorned. Kaanchi goes from Koshampa to Mumbai to seek revenge. In what is the most childish plot ever, she masquerades as a domestic help in the Kakda household (comprising Rishi, Mithun and bad-hair boy). She conducts a sting operation, throws open a can of worms and blows the cover on this family, who have political leanings and havala earnings. And by the time she’s done with her Mother India act, you’re too tired to seek reason. Mishti looks a cross between Rani Mukherjee and Mandakini.

Hoardings proclaim she is Kaanchi the unbreakable, but her voice is so shrill, it can cut glass. And Mr Ghai you’re the maker of Kaalicharan, Vishwanath, Karz, Hero, Ram Lakhan, Karma, Pardes and Taal. Permit us to just rewind to your past glory.

Priyanka Chopra is scheduled to start shooting for Madhur Bhandarkar’s Madamji later this October. The actress, who will play a politician in the movie, has a different character graph. We hear that her Madamji starts off as an item girl, who soon forays into rajneeti.

A source associated with the film tells us that Priyanka is gung-ho about the script and has committed in principle to act in the film. The filmmaker is known to make realistic films and it’s said that this too has parallels to real-life incidents.

“While Madhur and Priyanka are finalising the dates and other terms, they’re both keen to start filming in October,” states our source.

After Ragini MMS 2 in which she played herself, Sunny Leone’s next outing will be a mad, naughty and sexy comedy titled Mastizaade. The actress will play Laila Lele in the film that will be produced by Pritish Nandy Communications. The movie is being directed by Milap Zaveri, a name associated with hits like Grand Masti, Main Tera Hero and Shootout At Wadala.

Co-written by Milap and Mushtaq Shiekh (Om Shanti Om), it will go on floors this August. Shooting is expected to happen in India and overseas. Says Milap, “After writing Jhankaar Beats and Kaante, I wanted a hat-trick with PNC. Also, after penning adult comedies like Masti and Grand Masti, I wanted to write a script that has loads of laughter and sex.”

Rangita Pritish Nandy, producer, adds, “We’ve had a successful run at the box office with comedies. We are now ready with a cheeky, wicked look at the mating game. Mastizaade is our tribute to Judd Apatow’s brand of massively successful cinema that has an instant connect with the youth.” Sunny agrees, saying, “Pritish, Milap and I want this to be my biggest outing. I’m happy about my character, who is racy, sexy and sharp.

Gwyneth Paltrow feels “cursed” since her split from rocker hubby Chris Martin, it has been revealed. A source told Closer Magazine that the 41-year-old actress, who had a scary encounter with her alleged stalker earlier in April, has told her pals that things seem to be going wrong ever since she and Martin announced their separation.

Though she’s relieved to have a restraining order on her stalker, she’s still bothered of what he might do next, the insider asserted. The source also said that the mum-oftwo has even considered moving on from her lifestyle website Goop, which had suffered huge money loss. Paltrow has allegedly even asked the 37-year-old Coldplay frontman to avoid talking about their divorce as she worries he’ll “let something big slip” during his interviews.

Courteney Cox who has collaborated with musician boyfriend Johnny McDaid in new movie, ‘Just Before I Go’ revealed that she could not be happier than this. The ‘Friends’ star told People Magazine during the premiere of their movie that she had a lot more support from McDaid than him just being with her, adding that his band Snow Patrol wrote three original songs for the movie.

The 49-year-old actress said that all the musical things that he brought to the movie had elevated the film in several ways.

Story: Set in a dystopian Detroit, an undercover narcotics cop teams up with an ex-con to infiltrate a ghetto to diffuse a bomb and bring down the most wanted drug baron. Review: Brick Mansions, a remake of French film District B13 (2004), is special, for it happens to be the late Paul Walker’s final finished role. Sadly, it turns out to be one of his most forgettable films for he sleepwalks through the hastily-made generic action caper. Walker, who plays an undercover cop ‘yet again’, is not the only actor to look uninterested, rapper RZA looks least menacing as a drug lord as well.

The film solely rests on the shoulders of French actor David Belle and his Parkour skills. You are bound to drool over the uncut opening sequence which sees Belle (also the founder of Parkour) use the technique to move through obstacles. He runs, climbs, swings, jumps, rolls and propels himself down stairs, through windows, across roofs, almost anything to make a way out of no way.

It is his expertise that keeps you hooked, not Walker’s good looks or the emotional connect. However, it’s not just Walker’s fault either. The plot is insanely unimaginative. No time or thought is invested in establishing the characters or developing the story. As a result, you feel indifferent about the cops, villains, their henchmen, etc. With no buildup, back-story or logic, the whole battle of good guys v/s crime and corruption looks inconsequential.

The film has a message at its core but the execution is way too simplistic with the actors acting as if they weren’t paid. Action buffs can still watch it for the Parkour-infused chase sequences. All you Paul Walker fans, stick to Fast & Furious instead.

After Alia Bhatt’s Sooha Saha track for AR Rahman in Imtiaz Ali’s Highway, buzz is, it’s Shraddha Kapoor’s turn to belt out a song. Although, Balaji Motion Pictures has been tight-lipped about the development, Mirror has it that the actress is making her singing debut in their upcoming production, Ek Villain. Revealed a friend of the actress, “The song, called Galiyan, was recorded last week at a suburban studio. It’s a duet with Ankit Tiwari, who rose to fame with the Aashiqui 2 hit number Sun Raha Hai Tu.

The track has been composed by Ankit as well.” In Aashiqui 2, although Shraddha played a singer, it was Shreya Ghoshal who sung for her. However, it seems that the actress (whose mother Shivangi Kolhapure is Lata Mangeshkar’s niece) is now ready to put her singing talent to test. The source revealed that she has been taking singing lessons to prep up for her debut behind the microphone. When contacted, the film’s director Mohit Suri without denying the news, said, “It’s too early to comment. We will make an announcement soon.”

Supermodel Heidi Klum says she wants women to feel fashionable while working out and has sketched new designs for American sportswear brand New Balance. “As much as I love dressing up in sparkly gowns and attending glamorous events, I also love great active-wear. It’s fun working with a company that is also passionate about fitness and fashion,” contactmusic.com quoted Klum as saying.

The Heidi Klum for New Balance line is inspired by the idea that fitness should be a daily part of everyone’s life. “I really wanted to design a collection of items that women could feel fashionable wearing while working out,” said Klum. The 40-year-old also hosts designer search competition “Project Runway” and said that she takes inspiration from “everywhere” and thinks wearing trainers on the runway is a fun idea. She said: “I had my ‘Project Runway’ contestants design an outfit that would fuse fitness and fashion. All the models looked fierce on the runway wearing their sneakers. They definitely kept a fashion attitude.”

Nicole Kidman thinks love is ”the be-all and end-all.” The ‘Railway Man’ star has been married to Keith Urban for seven years and admits he means everything to her. Asked what love means to her, she said: ”It’s the be-all and end-all. It’s your salvation. It’s the thing that keeps you all right, and hopefully, if you’re on the right path, it envelops you and keeps you safe.

If you find it, you don’t let it go.” The 46-year-old star recently admitted Keith showers her with love notes when they’re apart in order to keep their relationship exciting. She said previously: ”For every single night he’s away, he leaves me a love letter. Every single night of our relationship. It keeps us close.” When Nicole isn’t filming, she enjoys accompanying the ‘American Idol’ judge on tour with their daughters Sunday Rose, five, and Faith Margaret, three, because she gets to indulge on fast food. She said earlier this year: ”Keith and I eat at Wendy’s. You’ve got to remember, I’m with a musician on a tour bus. We do drive-throughs!”

Cast: Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Kate Mara Direction: Wally Pfister Genre: Sci-Fi Duration: 1 hour 59 minutes

STORY: An Artificial Intelligence researcher’s consciousness is uploaded online to supposedly benefit mankind. Fighting to stop him however is an antitechnology group that believes this is conceptually immoral. REVIEW: Will immortality in the future mean an infinite existence in cyberspace, where one’s consciousness can outlive the human body? Soft-spoken genius Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) researcher, Dr Will Caster (Depp) certainly thinks so.

The film is set in the not-too-distant future where there is a backlash against artificiallyintelligent technology. Ably supported by co-scientist and wife Evelyn (Hall), Caster envisions mankind being benefited by a God-like A.I. that has the power to heal, regenerate and create. Caster addresses a seminar, outlining his plans for creating a supreme form of intelligence that is selfaware. When someone accuses him of trying to create a ‘God’, Will’s reply is awkward but he doesn’t disagree. Soon after, he is fatally wounded by a polonium-tipped bullet fired by an assassin from anti-technology group RIFT (Revolutionary Independence From Technology), headed by Bree (Mara).

Realizing that Caster has barely days to live, his wife and associate Max Waters (Bettany, also the narrator) uploads his consciousness and memories to an A.I. system that Caster had created, called PINN (Physically Independent Neural Network) to give him immortality. Caster’s transcendence gives him overarching powers. This also alerts FBI Agent Buchanan (Murphy) and Joseph Tagger (Freeman). Caster transforms from reclusive researcher into some kind of cyber-Frankenstein who can give eyesight to the blind, make super-humans, reanimate the dead and cure cancer.

Caster’s ghostly (often ghastly) disembodied visage intoning emotionless sentences combined with the semi-surreal, bare landscape of Middle America is a metaphor for isolation. Hall’s performance is tense and there are some creepy moments in the film. First-time director Pfister (Christopher Nolan’s longtime cinematographer) gives Jack Paglen’s screenplay a moody, slow pace. Film composer Mychael Danna’s (Life Of Pi), sweeping orchestrations and moody synthesizers sometimes highlights the slow pace. The film is essentially a far-fetched, sometimes muddled, cautionary tale about mankind being taken over by the machines that they themselves have created, albeit with the best of intentions.

Cast: Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites, Annalise Basso, Garrett Ryan, Katee Sackhoff

Direction: Mike Flanagan Genre: Horror Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes

STORY: Tragedy strikes the Russell household after the parents succumb to mysterious deaths. Their young son is convicted of their murders while the daughter blames a possessed mirror in the house for the killings. Haunted by the past, 11 years later, the siblings decide to decode the mystery. REVIEW: To begin with, Oculus bears no resemblance to 2008 horror film Mirrors.

It is by far one of the most cleverly executed psychological horror films that puts you through hell without resorting to gore. The nonlinear narrative structure sees the past overlapping with present, real with unreal, facts with hallucinations and truth with deception as siblings Kaylie (Karen Gillan) and Tim (Brenton Thwaites), now in their 20s, try to resolve the mysterious deaths in the family.

The two track down the mirror and put it under observation, thus surrendering themselves to their terrifying past once again. Filmmaker Mike Flanagan should be lauded for coming up with an unconventional, original premise that offers much more than the standard scares or cliched backstories. No done-to-death tricks are used, like doors unlocking themselves or a sound of footsteps when nobody is around. It’s the fear of the unknown that grips you and creates a sense of ever-increasing dread throughout.

Set in different time periods, with the past colliding with present, the film plays evil mind games that will make you think twice before dismissing occurrences as ‘hallucinations’. The grotesque events will challenge you to question your sanity, just like the characters. If you find mirrors spooky, stay away. And if you love to check yourself out in the mirror, this low-budget thriller will compel you to think otherwise.