Magical Mirwi 2016 was a highly anticipated event that took place on October 31st, 2016 in the town of Mirwi. This event aimed to bring together magic enthusiasts, performers, and fans from all over the world for a mesmerizing and enchanting experience. The event featured a wide variety of magical performances, including stage magic, close-up magic, illusion acts, and mind-reading demonstrations. Renowned magicians and illusionists from different countries were invited to showcase their unique talents and skills on stage. Attendees at Magical Mirwi 2016 were treated to a mind-boggling display of magic tricks and illusions. From vanishing acts to levitation tricks, the performers left the audience spellbound with their extraordinary abilities.
The characterisation is weak, even for the empty exercise in sadism that Chan aims for, and the story’s stance against animal cruelty is flimsy. The abrupt jumps in locales – from alleys in the city to a random blend of haunted house and dungeon in the wilderness – come across as haphazard screenwriting.
Lam and Lau look like they had a field day in their unhinged roles, but the revelations are ultimately unravelled in such a short time that they offer barely a fraction of the impact they should have. Now, the last movie is the best of the bunch as it has a group of apartment block strangers working together to deal with this strange wet figure blocking the stairway that seems to be kill anybody trying to leave the block.
From vanishing acts to levitation tricks, the performers left the audience spellbound with their extraordinary abilities. The intimate setting allowed for close interaction between the magicians and the spectators, creating an immersive and unforgettable experience for everyone involved. In addition to the magical performances, Magical Mirwi 2016 also featured workshops and seminars where attendees could learn the secrets behind some of the tricks and techniques used by the magicians.
‘Tales From The Occult’: Udine Review
Newcomer Wesley Ip Sang-hoi joins veteran filmmakers Fruit Chan and Fung Chi-chiang for the first instalment of Media Asia’s new Hongkong omnibus series, Tales From The Occult. Bringing together three distinct modern takes on the classic ghost story, Tales From The Occult is spooky rather than scary and even occasionally funny as each of the filmmakers use well-oiled horror tropes in a nod to the spectre of the territory’s past whilst also providing 111 minutes of quality genre entertainment.
111 minutes of quality genre entertainment
Narratively efficient due to the short run-times of each individual film, all three ghost stories move along at a cracking pace – there is no time for tiresome false jump scares, or characters who don’t believe their friends are being haunted; all three shorts simply cut to the chase. And though each short film is distinct, there is tonal continuity in Henry Lai’s consistently creepy scores. A polished package, with a big enough name in Fruit Chan, Tales From The Occult should have no trouble finding its audience both at genre festivals and beyond – this would be a perfect Hallowe’en offering for cinemas or a streaming service.
The first short, The Chink, is Ip’s directing debut. It begins with two teenage girls hanging out after school. After they part ways, and on her walk home alone, Yoyi (Cherry Ngan) follows a cat up to the titular chink between two walls. But when she pulls an obscuring object away for a closer look she finds instead the cold, hard stare of a dead, rotting corpse. Editor Mathew Tang, who is also a producer on the project, cuts abruptly to the present day where the two girls, now women, are unpacking in Yoyi’s new apartment. As the story goes on, it becomes clear that the cut represents the callousness with which Yoyi has forgotten her past trauma, revisiting it now as, “The feeling’s been creeping back.”
Crafted entirely around that creeping tone, The Chink is all billowing curtains and growling, rumbling sound design. Her sensible Uncle Ronald (Lawrence Cheng), a psychiatrist, uses relaxation techniques to help Yoyi through her trauma, which he assumes to be imagined and not real. Ultimately, though, the surprise ending, which takes place in session, suggests some ghosts have greater impact than modern methods can manage.
In Fruit Chan’s Dead Mall, real estate, consumerism, pandemic panic and online influencers all come under attack. The aesthetic is claustrophobic, beginning with close ups of a crowd at a busy street crossing, wearing masks, mostly surgical style until Benny Chan’s slow motion focuses on gas masks, signalling something even more serious than the current Covid-19 pandemic. Moving indoors and with a smaller resolution handheld camera, Dead Mall is an assault of bright lighting, point of sale signage and eerily empty shopfronts. Our host is Wilson Yeung (Jerry Lamb), an online influencer for a channel called ‘The Gate To Wealth’. He is staging a video to encourage investment in the mall, working with its managers and a crew of paid actors. But things take a turn for the worse when a female figure wearing a gas mask starts stalking him and another influencer turns up to film in the mall.
Finally, Fung Chi-chiang’s The Tenement, which blends comedy with horror, is both the most classic and revisionist of the three ghost stories. In a half-empty, dank and crumbling apartment building, occupied only by five strange and stubborn tenants who won’t sell to developers, a water ghost appears. They all see it, and immediately form a 1980s-style ‘kids on a caper’ gang (think The Goonies, or Stranger Things, but with a strong sense of irony). The water ghost first appears as a shadow on the wall, with long, sharp talons and a hunchback. Later, in close-up, it appears to be a woman whose face is painted ghostly white, her fixed stare and dark cloak a genre giveaway that she has come specifically for one of the five individuals. Who then, can anyone trust? Literally drudging up the past, flooding the stairs and apartments with water, this initially appears to be your garden variety ghost. But, when a journalist turns up, investigating one of the tenants, the whole thing is turned on its head, giving the overall project a killer ending.
The films are ordered according to their seriousness, lightening a little in tone each time, but always anchored by Henry Lai’s creepy score. For a first instalment, Tales From The Occult promises old school horror with a contemporary twist, its light-touch satire a welcome addition to classic supernatural fare. The next instalment, the currently undated Tales From The Occult 2, has Frank Hui, Doris Wong and Daniel Chan attached.
Production companies: Media Asia Film, Movie Addict Productions
International sales: Media Asia Film, [email protected]
Producers: John Chong, Mathew Tang
Screenplay: Fruit Chan, Fung Chi-chiang, Wesley Ip Sang-hoi, Ling Wai-chung, Ho Sui-hong, Stanley Wong
Cinematography: Benny Chan (Dead Mall), Ming Wong (The Tenement), Kwan Pun-leung, Sunny Wong (The Chink)
Editing: Tin Sup-fat, To To, Mathew Tang
Production design: Delon Sui, Chet Chan, Pater Wong
Music: Henry Lai
Main cast: Jerry Lamb, Cecilia So, Richie Ren, Sofiee Ng, Peter Chan, Paul Che, Baby Bo, Cherry Ngan, Ng Wing-sze, Kelvin Kwan, Lawrence Cheng
Screenplay: Fruit Chan, Fung Chi-chiang, Wesley Ip Sang-hoi, Ling Wai-chung, Ho Sui-hong, Stanley Wong
These educational sessions provided aspiring magicians with the opportunity to improve their skills and gain valuable knowledge from industry professionals. The event also included a magic-themed marketplace where attendees could purchase magic props, books, and other merchandise. This allowed participants to take a piece of the enchantment home with them and continue their magical journey beyond the event. Overall, Magical Mirwi 2016 was a resounding success, captivating audiences and leaving them in awe of the power of magic. It brought together magic enthusiasts and performers in a celebration of this timeless and mystical art form. The event served as a reminder of the ability of magic to transport us to a world of wonder and imagination, leaving a lasting impact on all who attended..
Reviews for "Immersive Experiences at Magical Mirwi 2016: VR and Augmented Reality"
1. John - 2 stars - I found "Magical Mirwi 2016" to be quite disappointing. The storyline was weak and predictable, with no surprises or twists. The characters lacked depth and I couldn't relate to any of them. The special effects were also underwhelming and felt outdated. Overall, it felt like a cheap attempt at capitalizing on the fantasy genre without putting in any real effort. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating and engaging movie.
2. Sarah - 1 star - "Magical Mirwi 2016" was a complete waste of time. The acting was subpar, and the dialogue was cringe-worthy. It felt like the filmmakers were trying to imitate successful fantasy movies without understanding what makes them great. The plot was convoluted and hard to follow, leaving me confused and disinterested. I regret spending money on this film and would advise others to avoid it.
3. Mike - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "Magical Mirwi 2016," but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The pacing was slow, and the movie dragged on unnecessarily. The characters lacked development, and I struggled to connect with any of them. The CGI effects were lackluster, and it was evident that the filmmakers had a limited budget. The overall result was a forgettable and uninspiring film that I wouldn't bother watching again.
4. Emily - 2.5 stars - "Magical Mirwi 2016" had potential but failed to deliver. The concept was interesting, but the execution fell flat. The storyline felt disjointed, leaving unanswered questions and loose ends. The acting was mediocre, and the dialogue was cheesy. It was difficult to immerse myself in the fantasy world the movie tried to create. While it had some redeeming qualities, I ultimately found it to be unremarkable and forgettable.