Gialli, Guns & Gore! The Films of Darren Ward (Sudden Fury, A Day of Violence, Beyond Fury) – Treasured Films (Blu-ray)

Release Dates: UK, 1997 (Sudden Fury), UK, 2010 (A Day of Violence), UK, 2019 (Beyond Fury)
Director: Darren Ward (All Films)
Cast: Chris Barfoot, Antony Dobson, Stuart Farrell, Adam Light, Andy Ranger, Nick Rendell, Victor D. Thorn, David Warbeck, Antony Wedge (Sudden Fury), Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Nick Rendell, Christopher Fosh, Victor D. Thorn, Peter Rnic, Steve Humphries, Helena Martin, Tina Barnes, Forbes KB, Pete Morgan (A Day of Violence), Dani Thompson, Hannaj Bang Bendz, Lee Craven, Jeff Stewart, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Tina Barnes, Dan van Husen, Mark Chapman, Joanna Finata, Glenn Salvage, Anthony Straeger, Tony Mardon (Beyond Fury)

Release Date: April 27th, 2026 (UK), April 28th, 2026 (USA)
Approximate Running Times: 108 Minutes 1 Second (Sudden Fury), 94 Minutes 53 Seconds (A Day of Violence), 117 Minutes 17 Seconds (A Day of Violence)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 720 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Sudden Fury), 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (A Day of Violence, Beyond Fury)
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo English (All Films)
Subtitles: English SDH (All Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £29.99 (UK), $49.95 (USA)

Sudden Fury: "Randall is a small time crime boss with his eye firmly on his rival's cocaine stash and criminal empire. Randall and his right-hand henchman Jimmy hire legendary hit man Walker, to take out his nemesis Harris. With Harris out of the way, Randall plans to take over sole distribution of the cocaine trade for the south coast of England. It soon becomes apparent to Walker that Randall never intended to pay for his work and his plan of domination soon becomes compromised. Randall pulls out the stops to have Walker killed, but Walker doesn't go down easy..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

A Day of Violence: "Mitchell Parker lies dead on a morgue slab. In life, he served the low ranks of debt collectors, surrounded by the filth and scum that the streets had to offer. On a routine collection he stumbles across £100,000 in cash, hidden in the sofa of one of his clients. A dark and haunting past hangs over the head of Parker, one that will lead him on a journey of redemption and ultimately sacrifice. Hunted by the gang whose money he has stolen, he must evade capture and use the money to rid himself of his demons once and for all." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Beyond Fury: "Ex-Mercenary Michael Walker and his pregnant girlfriend Claudia are brutally attacked. Now with Claudia and the unborn child dead, Walker reverts to his military training to hunt down and serve his own kind of street justice. The concluding part of Ward's 'Crime trilogy' is his most ambitious, action packed and goriest of the three." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 2/5 (Sudden Fury), 3.25/5 (A Day of Violence), 3.75/5 (Beyond Fury)

Sudden Fury comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.8 GB

Feature: 22.2 GB

A Day of Violence comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.8 GB

Feature: 22.2 GB

Beyond Fury comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.9 GB

Feature: 27.3 GB

Sudden Fury is the worst-looking transfer, while Beyond Fury looks the best, and A Day of Violence falls somewhere in between them. That said, the provided screenshots give a clear indication of what to expect.

Audio: 4/5 (All Films)

Each film comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in English with removable English SDH. All tracks sound clean, dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and action sequences are reasonably robust.

Extras:

Extras on the disc with Sudden Fury include reversible cover art, an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background, (poster/home video art/stills), an archival trailer (2 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), outtakes (11 minutes 18 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), deleted scenes (1 minute 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a behind-the-scenes make-up reel (47 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with director Darren Ward titled The Crime Trilogy Part 1: Sudden Fury (13 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a retrospective documentary titled Sudden Fury: 12 Years On (33 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio Commentary with Darren Ward and actor Nick Rendell, and three short films directed by Darren Ward; Paura Il DIavolo (41 minutes 7 seconds, 1.78:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Blue Fear (67 minutes 49 seconds, 1.85:1 aspect ratio/letterboxed widescreen, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and Bitter Vengeance (18 minutes 12 seconds, 1.66:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Paura Il Diavolo: An ancient evil kills everything in its path.

Blue Fear: In this giallo-inspired short, a man witnesses a murder, and the killer sets out to silence him before being exposed.

Bitter Vengeance: A hit squad is sent to ambush a hitman instead of paying him for his services. Bitter Vengeance’s story evolved into what became Sudden Fury, and it was part of an anthology film directed by Darren Ward titled Three Tickets to Hell.

Extras on the disc with A Day of Violence include reversible cover art, an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background, (poster/home video art/stills), 'Soprano' trailer (2 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), soft trailer (2 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), hard trailer (2 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), deleted scenes; full-length driving (5 minutes, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles) and extended car crash (42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Darren Ward titled The Crime Trilogy Part 2: A Day of Violence (13 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Darren Ward and Nick Rendell for A Day of Violence, a feature-length documentary directed by Darren Ward titled Making-of A Day of Violence (91 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a short film directed by Darren Ward titled Nightmares (11 minutes 55 seconds, 1.78:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Darren Ward about Nightmares titled The Crime Trilogy: The In-between Years (11 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Darren Ward for Nightmares.

Nightmares: A serial killer relives his murders through a series of nightmares.

Extras on the disc with Beyond Fury include reversible cover art, an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background, (poster/home video art/stills), a teaser trailer (1 minute 17 seconds,) a trailer (2 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette titled The Crime Trilogy Props Tour (7 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Gasworks visual effects reel (2 minutes 18 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo), a featurette titled Chainsaw Fun (6 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a behind-the-scenes featurette (38 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Darren Ward titled The Crime Trilogy Part 3: Beyond Fury (33 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Darren Ward and Nick Rendell for Beyond Fury, a short film directed by Darren Ward titled Passion (13 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Darren Ward for Passion.

Passion: An homage to the giallo film that was made for an anthology film titled Exhibition of Evil. What the narrative lacks in exposition, it makes up for with a series of stylized killings.

Other extras include a 32-page booklet with an essay titled Furious: The Story of the John Woo of Southampton written by Tom Lee Rutter.

Summary:

Sudden Fury: A small-time crime boss looking to take over the local cocaine business hires a hitman to kill off his competitors. Things go awry when he double-crosses the hitman, who then marks him for death.

When one thinks of ultra-low-budget do-it-yourself cinema, there are not that many examples of action films. Case in point, Sudden Fury is a film that sticks to crowd-pleasing elements like blood-soaked carnage that is over the top and then some. That said, there are even fewer ultra-low-budget action films that pull it off as well as Sudden Fury does.

While the performances suit the story that unfolds, unfortunately, the characters are mostly one-note, which gives the cast little to work with. The most memorable performance is David Warbeck (The Beyond), who delivers a delirious portrayal of a sadistic hitman who takes too much pleasure in his job.

It's clear early on that Sudden Fury is more concerned with style than substance. Although the narrative has a few lulls, for the most part things move at a good momentum that effectively builds to an explosive, high-body-count finale. Considering the budget, the action sequences are actually impressive. Ultimately, Sudden Fury is a highly entertaining film that never strays from its strengths, over-the-top action and bloody carnage, making its shortcomings easy to look past.

A Day of Violence: A debt collector for a crime boss steals £100,000 that belongs to his employer. 

The narrative is told via a lengthy flashback from the memories of the debt collector who now lies lifeless in the morgue. The narrative moves briskly and it does a phenomenal job building momentum with a series of tense moments that top each other.

All around, the cast are excellent in their roles, especially Nick Rendell in the role of a debt collector named Mitchell. He perfectly portrays a determined man who can endure a beating while leaving a trail of corpses behind. Giovanni Lombardo Radice (Cannibal Holocaust) makes a brief appearance as a man who owes the crime boss a large sum of money.

When it comes to the action, it's bombastic, and the carnage is brutal and gory. Ultimately, A Day of Violence is a solid exploitation film that does an excellent job of drawing you in and holding your attention.

Beyond Fury: An ex-mercenary reverts back to his old ways when a group of thugs kill his wife and unborn child while leaving him an inch from losing his life. From there he sets out on a vendetta, killing everyone involved and wiping out a crime syndicate in the process.

Beyond Fury is a sequel to Sudden Fury; it's a continuation of Walker’s story that further fleshes out his past, notably his connection to a secret government agency. In terms of growth, from a production standpoint, Beyond Fury is light years ahead of Sudden Fury. Not only are the action sequences, special effects, and acting better, the narrative is greatly enhanced by more exposition.

The narrative has two storylines that run parallel; one is about a man looking to avenge the murder of his girlfriend and unborn child, while the other is about the police investigation into their deaths. Not surprisingly, the most arresting moments are where Walker tracks down those responsible and viciously works them over before killing them. That said, the narrative does a superb job building momentum to a twist finale that provides the protagonist the closure he needed.

The narrative strikes a satisfying balance between exposition and bloodletting. In terms of the latter, the carnage often ventures into excessive territory, with certain moments that may not be suitable for the faint of heart. The most notable cast member is Giovanni Lombardo Radice, known for his role in House on the Edge of the Park, portraying a Russian crime boss named Ivan Lenzivitch. Ultimately, Beyond Fury stands as Darren Ward’s most accomplished film to date.

Treasured Films’ Gialli, Guns & Gore! The Films of Darren Ward is more than just a collection of three thematically connected films; it encompasses Darren Ward’s entire filmography. Overall, this release is solid and sure to delight fans of do-it-yourself cinema. Recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

Mystics in Bali – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Indonesia, 1981
Director: H. Tjut Djalil
Writers: Putra Mada, Jimmy Atmaja
Cast: Ilona Agathe Bastian, Yos Santo, Sofia W.D., W.D. Mochtar, Debbie Cinthya Dewi  

Release Date: May 12th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 85 Minutes 59 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Indonesian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.99

"A young American woman on holiday in Bali becomes fascinated by tales of the local black magic cult known as the Leyak. She seeks out a Leyak witch and attempts to learn her secrets. Needless to say, it all goes horribly wrong!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Widely recognized as a benchmark of Asian horror movies, this is the first Blu-ray release of the film and is digitally restored from the original negative. The disc also includes a rare extended version of the film with more than 40 minutes of extra footage."

Mystics in Bali comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.2 GB

Feature: 24 GB

This new transfer is a massive improvement over Mondo Macabro’s 2007 DVD. Outside of some special effects insert shots, which come from a lesser source, the bulk of the transfer looks excellent. Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Indonesian), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Indonesian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented. Included are removable English subtitles for the Indonesian language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an introduction by filmmaker Joko Anwar (8 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles), an interview with director H. Tjut Djalil (14 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Indonesian with English voiceover translation), a video essay by Jake Gallo titled Monsters, Movies, and Myth (10 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an extended 2-hour cut of Mystics in Bali (118 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Indonesian with removable English subtitles).

Summary:

H. Tjut Djalil directed Mystics in Bali. He is also known for directing The Warrior and the Ninja, Lady Terminator, and Dangerous Seductress.

An American interested in the exotic world of Asian magic makes a pact with a witch to learn the secrets of becoming a Leyak. Now that she has discovered the secrets of a forbidden and rarely seen world, will she be able to return to her former life?

Black magic is a familiar theme that runs throughout Asian cinema. And just when you thought that you had seen it all when it comes to black magic, along comes a film like Mystics in Bali. The premise of an outsider looking into a world that is foreign to them is superbly realized. That said, if you are looking for action, adventure, romance, horror, and just anything remotely bizarre, then Mystics of Bali is a film that will surely get your juices flowing.

For a film that's filled with the unusual, nothing stands out more than its leading lady, Ilona Agathe Bastian. Reportedly, she was a German tourist with no acting experience who was discovered by the producer's wife. She has an exotic quality about her that makes her stand apart from the rest of the cast. That said, Mystics in Bali is not a film that one watches because of its performances.

Despite featuring an eastern subject matter, Mystics of Bali was the first Indonesian horror film that was made for a Western audience. I have seen about 20 Indonesian films up to now, and all of them showcase an extravagant presentation rather than focusing on realism. This most definitely holds true to Mystics of Bai, a film that has all of these traits in spades.

From a production standpoint, despite there being areas where Mystics of Bali is not flawless, notably when it comes to its special effects sequences, for the most part, Mystics of Bali comes out far ahead of its limited resources. The narrative does an excellent job balancing explosion moments with its more outlandish moments. The most memorable moments are the scenes where the protagonist's detached head floats around and drinks the blood of babies in their mothers' wombs. Ultimately, Mystics of Bali is a truly unique cinematic experience that deserves its reputation as one of the best films ever to come out of Indonesia.

Mystics in Bali gets an exceptional release from Mondo Macabro that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, an extended version of the film, and a wealth of insightful extras. Highly recommended.

Extended Version—Screenshot Examples of Insert Shots.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Aatma: The Ghost – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: India, 2006
Director: Deepak Ramsay
Writer: M. Salim
Cast: Kapil Jhaveri, Shabana Raza, Ranjha Vikram Singh, Amriena, Mukesh Tiwari, Sadashiv Amrapurkar  

Release Date: May 12th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 112 Minutes 11 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo Hindi
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.99

"Dr. Aman Mehra leads an enviable life. A successful and much-admired physician, he is married to the beautiful Nehra and lives with her in a splendid villa in the best part of town. Then, one night, just as they are celebrating their first wedding anniversary, the doctor and his wife are disturbed by a late-night caller. Answering the door, Dr. Aman is confronted by a very serious and rather scary-looking man who tells the doctor that he will perform a postmortem the next day on a man called Avinash and that he must write a truthful report about the cause of death. If not, the stranger warns Aman, terrible things will happen.

The next day the doctor is shocked to discover that the man on whom he is to perform the postmortem is the man who came to see him at 1 AM that morning. Four hours after his body was brought into the hospital.

From that point on, Aman’s charmed life turns into a nightmare as events crash around him. He finds himself threatened by gangsters who want him to falsify the post mortem report and he then discovers that the dead man, Avinash, was an expert practitioner of the black arts. Eventually Aman’s wife becomes possessed by the dead man’s avenging spirit. There is only one course of action left to him—an exorcism to free his wife from her spiritual bondage and then to tell the truth about the body in the morgue.

But will Aman have the courage to take on the forces of darkness? And will his family ever be free from the evil that has taken over their lives?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Brand new 4K transfer from the film negative, digitally restored."

Aatma comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.3 GB

Feature: 31.1 GB

The source looks excellent; the flesh tones are healthy, the colors are well-saturated, the image clarity and black levels are strong, and there are no compression issues.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in Hindi with removable English subtitles. This audio track sounds excellent; the dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an introduction by Tim Paxton (6 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 9 seconds, DTS-HD stereo with English text, no subtitles).

Summary:

A murdered man’s vengeful spirit visits the doctor who performed his autopsy and his wife. In order for this spirit to be at peace, he needs those responsible for this death brought to justice.

Directed by Deepak Ramsay, the son of Tulsi Ramsay, he takes all of the elements that were synonymous with his father's and uncle's horror films and gives them a modern makeover. Notably, when it comes to onscreen carnage, there is an ample amount.

Aatma is a mix of these genres: horror, comedy, romance, and police procedural. Horror moments rooted in the supernatural are where Aatma excels the most. That said, Aatma will give those familiar with Shyam Ramsay and Tulsi Ramsay horror films a feeling of déjà vu.

Though Aatma is a film with the right intentions, it is an homage to 1980s Bollywood horror cinema. Its execution is not without its shortcomings. It is a film that is overly dramatic, and though it has a few good jump scares, it lacks the atmosphere that is synonymous with Shyam Ramsay and Tulsi Ramsay’s horror films. A few areas where things come up short are dated CGI and musical numbers that disrupt the narrative. Also, dated CGI and musical numbers that disrupt the narrative are a few areas where things come up short. In the case of the latter, it is not as effective in integrating musical numbers into the narrative as the films of Shyam Ramsay and Tulsi Ramsay were. Ultimately, Aatma fails to capture the magic that made Shyam Ramsay and Tulsi Ramsay films so much fun to watch.

Mondo Macabro gives Aatma a first-rate release that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and an informative extra. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Tahkhana: The Dungeon / Purani Haveli: The Monster Wakes – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: India, 1986 (Tahkhana), India, 1989 (Purani Haveli)
Directors: Shyam Ramsay, Tulsi Ramsay (Both Films)
Cast: Hemant Birje, Kamran Rizvi, Arti Gupta, Preeti Sapru, Puneet Issar, Imtiaz Khan, Sheetal (Tahkhana), Deepak Parashar, Amita Nangia, Shubha, Tej Sapru, Sikander Khan, Preeti Sapru, Anil Dhawan (Purani Haveli)

Release Date: May 12th, 2026
Approximate Running Times: 123 Minutes 4 Seconds (Tahkhana), 145 Minutes 19 Seconds (Purani Haveli)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Hindi (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $39.99

Tahkhana: "Two sisters, separated as children, share the secret of a hidden treasure. Years later, their secret falls into the hands of a bunch of sleazy adventurers who are determined to claim the riches for themselves. What none of them know is that the treasure is guarded by a hideous monster, animated by the blood of a vengeful black magician." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Purani Haveli: "A girl takes a group of her friends to visit an old mansion in the country, owned by her family. Unbeknown to any of them, the mansion is haunted by an evil entity. Many years before, the monster was trapped inside the mansion by an elderly man who now acts as its guardian. When he is killed, the evil is released and all who come near the mansion are its potential victims." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5 (Both Films)

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, "Brand new 4k transfer from film negative, digitally restored."

Tahkhana comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.7 GB

Feature: 33.2 GB

Purani Haveli comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.3 GB

Feature: 39.1 GB

The sources have some minor debris and emulsion stains, which vary in degree throughout. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look very good, image clarity and black levels are strong, and there are no issues with compression. That said, both transfers are a noticeable upgrade over Mondo Macabro’s DVD release.

Audio: 4/5 (Both Films)

Each film comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Hindi with removable English subtitles. These audio tracks are in good shape; any distortion is minor and never too intrusive. Dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds are well-represented, and the score sounds appropriately robust.

Extras:

Extras for Tahkhana include an introduction by Tim Paxton (4 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Extras for Purani Haveli include an introduction by Tim Paxton (3 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles) and a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Hindi, no subtitles).

Summary:

Tahkhana: A dying man disowns his son, who practices black magic. Angered by his father's decision, the son kidnaps his brother's two daughters. While trying to rescue the two girls, one of them disappears. Twenty years later, the daughter who was rescued and her friends search for the treasure hidden in the dungeon of the family home.

If you get a feeling of Déjà vu while watching Tahkhana, that is because it reuses sets and locations from Purana Mandir. And though billed as a horror film, Tahkhana is actually never scary. That said, Tahkhana is a film that relies more on atmosphere than jump scares.

Tahkhana is a story about two sisters who haven’t seen each other in years. The family has relics hidden in their dungeon, and the only way to locate them is with two halves of a necklace, each sister holding a half. The most despicable character in Tahkhana is a pervert named Shahkal who rapes or tries to rape just about everyone in the female cast.

At just over 2 hours in length, the narrative moves along with good momentum. That said, the narrative has a few missteps, which are easy to forgive. Also, the monster does not appear until around the halfway point.

The performances are the most disappointing aspect of Tahkhana. Though they work well with the story that unfolds, there is no one performance that stands out. Fortunately, the actresses who portray the two sisters, Sheetal and Aarti Gupta, provided plenty of eye candy. Notably, a musical number in which one of them gets soaked by pouring rain.

From a production standpoint, despite there being more positives than negatives, Tahkhana is a letdown when compared to Purana Mandir. Once again, Shyam Ramsay and Tulsi Ramsay’s direction is solid. Also, the narrative is a satisfying mix of humor, horror, and musical numbers. Ultimately, Tahkhana is a rare misstep by Tulsi Ramsay and Shyam Ramsay, making it their weakest horror film.

Purani Haveli: Anita has been living with her uncle since her parents' untimely deaths. Her parents left her an inheritance that her aunt is trying to steal. One weekend, Anita and her friends go to an abandoned mansion. What starts off as a trip for pleasure quickly turns into a weekend of terror!

Purani Haveli is not a good example of genre blending in Bollywood horror cinema. Every time there is a tonal shift from horror to comedy, the narrative loses steam. Also, the bulk of the comedy scenes feel more like padding than narrative enhancements. The narrative is at its strongest when it focuses on Anita's inheritance and the dilapidated mansion where most of the film takes place.

The performances are adequate; no one stands out. And nowhere is this more disappointing than Amita Nangia’s portrayal of Anita. Her performance lacks the charisma that someone like Jasmin brought to Veerana.

From a technical standpoint, there are no areas where Purani Haveli is lacking. Shyam Ramsay's and Tulsi Ramsay’s direction is solid, and the visuals are once again filled with atmosphere. Unfortunately, a poorly constructed narrative and lethargic pacing are things that are hard to overlook. That said, for those who have the patience to make it to the film’s finale, you are in for an extraordinary conclusion. Ultimately, Purani Haveli is a fun film that fans of Shyam Ramsay and Tulsi Ramsay should enjoy. That said, a better starting point would be Purana Mandir or Veerana for someone who has not seen their films.

Mondo Macabro gives Tahkhana: The Dungeon and Purani Haveli: The Monster Wakes their best audio/video presentation to date. Highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer