Screentime

For the 3rd time

2009-04-06T23:41:00.001-05:00

In case this setting works.

Yet another test

2009-04-06T23:37:00.001-05:00

another test.

Test Post

2009-04-06T21:53:00.002-05:00

For testing the Intense Debate stuff

Spider-man 3

2007-06-14T08:32:00.001-05:00

I saw Spidey 3 the day it was released in the US, some six weeks ago. The only thing I remember from the movie is Peter Parker's singing and dancing act in that NY club, a la Shammi Kapoor. A total waste of time.

A Film by Arvind

2007-06-13T23:57:00.000-05:00

Not bad, at least the first half. I liked one particular moment in the climax too, when the scriptwriter..ok, no spoilers.

The story is about a Director-Actor duo who hit the road to plan their next movie together. The director has half a script with him, which he finds interesting. He finds it even more interesting when the script comes alive, as he and his friend travel in their Tata Safari (of course) and pick up a hitchhiker or two (natch).

The pace isn't sustained till the end and the movie just gives up after a couple of hours. Still, worth a watch, at least for its novelty value. Thanks, Jayasankar.

Shrek the Third

2007-06-13T23:47:00.000-05:00

A.k.a Shrek the Worst. Doesn't generate a single laugh, not even from my four year old who has been looking forward to this movie ever since she learnt the art of how to look forward to movies from her dad.

My biggest complaint is that Shrek has been reduced to a caricature of himself, a figure who is forced to look upon his own story from the sidelines. Gone is the mean, green fighting machine from the first and second parts.

The movie drags from the beginning to the weary, lazy, slipshod finale. Wish I could find something positive to say. Tough. Sad.

The Lookout

2007-04-14T14:09:00.000-05:00

Saw this yesterday night without knowing much about the story. Just remembered it had a pretty high tomatometer rating and the protagonist had a mental disability. The movie was surprisingly good: one of those low budget movies from Miramax with relatively unknown actors - Jeff Daniels was the only face I recognized.

Starts off well, slow buildup and a good, albeit predictable, climax. Nice doses of humour throughout the movie too.

Worth a watch.

Grindhouse

2007-04-08T20:24:00.000-05:00

I'm thrilled to bits that I watched Grindhouse in the US, as one full segment: both features and all the three previews. Muahahahaha!

Bloody brilliant.

Planet Terror is the B movie to end all B movies. It's got everything - and I mean everything. Right from the sherrif who won't believe the hero to the rapist who loses his..well, I don't want to spoil the fun for you. And oh, Naveen Andrews has some balls!

Death Proof starts off as another B movie satire, but quickly morphs into a Tarantino flick, which is what you've paid money for anyway. Lots and lots of dialog, a bad ass bad guy, cool chicks and a killer soundtrack. I've become a fan of Sydney Poitier, by the way. And that's no typo.

The Holiday

2007-04-01T20:44:00.000-05:00

The Holiday is a heart-wearming tale of two women (Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet) who, having been treated un-heart-warmingly by their lovers, decide to exchange homes and find their hearts warmed by Jude Law and Jack Black respectively. Quite heart-warming, really. Especially Kate Winslet in a slinky black dress.

Varalaru

2007-04-01T20:42:00.000-05:00

Varalaru stars Ajith, Ajith and Ajith in a complicated saga of emotions, drama and dance. The story goes like this - Ajith is a classical dancer, whose wife-to-be walks out on their wedding date as she finds him effeminate. His mother dies of a heart attack while watching this, so he does the obvious thing: he rapes the girl and proves his manhood.

Girl walks away with tearful mom, delivers two baby boys, Ajith and Ajith. Ajith the father takes one of them, not knowing the existence of the other. He wants to ensure his son grows up normally, and does the obvious thing again: he pretends to be paralysed and spends the rest of his life in a wheel-chair.

Meanwhile, the other Ajith grows up to become a lunatic, hell bent on killing his father. En route, he rapes a woman, attempts to kill a man and generally makes an ass of himself. The third Ajith - ah, forget it. You really don't want to know.

A must watch, of course.

King Kong

2006-01-03T22:41:00.000-06:00

A movie that defines what movie-making is all about, what movie-viewing should be. Makes you want to go up to the next guy who says "They don't make 'em like that anymore" and sock him in the face.

Peter Jackson, Lord of the Kings, I salute you.

Rajamanikyam

2005-12-30T23:10:00.000-06:00

Ivan puliyanu, ketta! A must-see movie for anyone who has spent at least a week in Thironthoram. Take Mammootty out and you don't have anything in the picture, but why would anyone take Mammootty out?

Miller's Crossing

2005-12-30T23:08:00.000-06:00

One of the Coen Brothers' best films. Brilliant story, awesomely cool characters and a great background score. How did I miss this?

Crash

2005-12-30T23:03:00.000-06:00

Crash is one of those people-keep-bumping-into-each-other-thereby-forming-a-plot movies. That said, it is well made and each character is etched out quite nicely. No one is in black and white, heh heh. Yup, worth a watch.

Quills

2005-12-29T23:08:00.000-06:00

Starts off very well, but meanders towards the end. Rush hams it up quite well, Joaquin Phoenix and Michael Caine are good as always and Kate Winslett is very, very, pretty.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

2005-12-29T23:06:00.000-06:00

The book was better. The book was better. The better the book. Whatever.

Dogma

2005-12-29T23:05:00.000-06:00

Funny, but not wickedly funny. Entertaining, but not edge-of-the-seat. Good, but not great. A could-have-been film.

Akira

2005-12-03T23:01:00.000-06:00

Entertaining film that brought anime to the world. Nothing compared to Miyazaki's stuff, but worth a watch nevertheless.

Hot Shots! Part Deux

2005-10-30T15:35:00.000-06:00

Not all that great, not all that bad. Timepass, as they say. Sends up Rambo, Casablanca and Saddam Hussein.

A History of Violence

2005-10-30T13:27:00.000-06:00

Brilliant film about a small town regular joe who isn't. Great screenplay, direction and fantastic performances by everyone. William Hurt's cameo is superb. An absolute must-watch.

Herbie Fuly Loaded

2005-10-30T13:24:00.000-06:00

Honestly, there was nothing else to do on the flight.

Runway

2005-10-18T22:13:00.000-05:00

Run away. As fast as you can.

Sleepy Hollow

2005-10-18T22:09:00.000-05:00

Things come to a head when the Headless Horseman is brought back from the dead. All because one person wanted to get ahead in life. Heady brew, but leaves you with a headache.

Alright, I'll stop.

Chocolate

2005-10-14T01:07:00.000-05:00

Har har har. An outrageously stupid remake of The Usual Suspects, with a couple of scenes from When Harry Met Sally and Basic Instinct thrown in. It's not even mildly interesting, nor remotely intelligent.

Nerariyan CBI

2005-10-12T22:53:00.000-05:00

Ayyo. This is not a movie, this a long advertisement for four products - AVT Tea, Tiger Biscuits, Kalyan Jewellers and Tata Indicom. Mammootty makes tea ("Very good tea. Very strong"), eats biscuits (the Tiger logo leaps out at you from an advertisement on the road when he's driving), checks out a jewellery store ("This is genuine 916 brand gold") and interrogates a sales person at a mobile store ("I am a TruePaid customer").

As for the suspense: bah! Think of the one person who could not have done the murder and there you go. Oh, sorry for the spoiler.

Kaazhcha

2005-10-12T22:49:00.000-05:00

I liked this movie - not so much for the story of a Gujarati boy who winds up in Kerala after the earthquake, but for the marginals, the details that Blessy includes in the movie while moving from scene to scene. The dialogue between characters, the scenes from everyday Kuttanad and the wry humour made for some very pleasant viewing. Mammootty has done a fantastic job after a very long while; his State award is well and truly deserved this time.

Don't miss this one.

Yavanika

2005-10-12T11:52:00.000-05:00

No:1 masterpiece in Malayalam movie, as the promo suggests. It's one of KG George's better works, anyway. Gopi is absolutely brilliant as Ayyappan, the womanizing tabala player. Mammootty isn't half bad either, not to mention the excellent support cast of Thilakan, Asokan, Srinivasan, Jagathy, et al. Worth watching twice, at a minimum.

Superman The Movie

2005-10-12T08:14:00.000-05:00

You will believe a man can cry. No, seriously. You will either keel over laughing or cry helplessly, watching what you had believed to be an awesome movie with great special effects - from what you remember. Hopelessly dated, this is oh-so-avoidable. The 'Can you read my mind' number is especially cringe-worthy.

Identity

2005-10-12T08:09:00.000-05:00

Obviously inspired by Christie's And Then There Were None, this is a half-hearted attempt. Features one of the most stupid endings I've ever watched. Tip: don't try predicting the identity of the killer. It's not worth it.

Birth

2005-10-12T08:07:00.000-05:00

Very cool and very smart movie that doesn't leave too many loose ends. Nicole Kidman is good, Lauren Bacall is acerbic and Anne Heche has a very interesting cameo. Worth a watch, yeah.

Waqt

2005-10-12T08:04:00.000-05:00

Run of the mill family drama. Amitabh again, Akshay again. A few funny scenes initially, but a big yawn later on. Watched this on an inter-continental flight - there was no escape.

My Wife's Murder

2005-10-12T08:01:00.000-05:00

The problem with these offbeat, made-for-multiplex movies is that most people assume they are good. Made for the elite and not for the general public, you know. Has to be good, right?

No.

Sarkar

2005-10-12T07:57:00.000-05:00

Surprisingly good. Just don't compare it with The Godfather, no matter what the critics say. For once, I thought Abhishek was watchable.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

2005-10-12T07:55:00.000-05:00

Oh, if Jolie's lips had been a tad smaller, the course of movie history would have been changed.

Or something.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin

2005-10-12T07:51:00.000-05:00

No, it's not like what you think. Yes, it's got its share of puns and innuendoes, but it does make you laugh. I walked in expecting a 2005 version of something from the Carry On series, but was pleasantly surprised. Definitely worth a watch.

Wedding Crashers

2005-10-12T07:48:00.000-05:00

Gah. Just proves the adage that one can never go broke underestimating the taste of the American movie going public. The sentimental second half is quite pathetic, really.

Iqbal

2005-10-12T07:14:00.000-05:00

Iqbal is the movie of the year. It's got more intelligence, charm and joi de vivre than all the other recent Bollywood releases put together. A feel-good movie about the underdog who rises to cricketing fame, this is a must watch. Easily Kukunoor's best.

Shrek 2

2005-10-12T07:08:00.000-05:00

The monster hit of 2004, this has a lot more digs at mainstream Hollywood than the previous one. But then, the first Shrek had a strong story, which this lacks. Sure, the gags are good and it's always fun to spot the dozens of movie-references, but that alone does not a good movie make. Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy are excellent, as always.

Sin City

2005-10-12T07:02:00.000-05:00

Redefines the term 'comic book adaptation'. Violent and dark, this is pretty much what you expect when you watch a Robert Rodriguez movie that has Tarantino guest-directing. And yeah, Mickey Rourke is superb.

Pandippada

2005-10-12T06:56:00.000-05:00

A pathetic mishmash of different Dileep movies, this is strictly for the masochists. The only bright spot is Prakash Raj, who plays the title role, or at least half of it.

2005-06-07T06:31:00.000-05:00

Wild and wacky Tim Burton movie. Or rather, a Tim Burton movie. Albert Finney is excellent in the title role, as is most of the supporting cast. I thought it was a good feel-good movie, didn't really care too much about the special effects.

2005-06-07T06:23:00.000-05:00

Like the first, rollicking good fun. There's never a boring moment, everything works and fits in beautifully. Too bad it had to end.

2005-05-31T06:16:00.000-05:00

About Schmidt is all about Nicholson. But Nicholson like you've never seen before. I could spot an eyebrow arch a couple of times, but that was it. None of the over the top aggression and mannerisms that one has come to associate with Nicholson over the years. A brilliant performance, mainly because he wasn't playing himself after a long while.

The movie is directed by Alexander Payne, he of Election and Sideways fame. The guy is good, worth tracking.

2005-05-24T07:10:00.000-05:00

Revenge of the Sith had the corniest dialogue you can imagine. If you can sit through that and remain awake for the first 100 minutes, then you'll enjoy some of the snazziest action ever seen on screen. Starting with Obi-Wan doing Greivous harm, moving on to Anakin getting converted to the Dark Side and winding up with the fantastic duel over lava, the last 45 minutes made it all worthwhile. If you are someone who hasn't watched a single Star Wars film, I recommend skipping the first two episodes and walking in halfway into the third.

2005-05-24T07:07:00.000-05:00

Ho hum ha ha ha. He's blind, he cuts people. Oh wait a minute, he's not really blind. Oh no, he is. Why do all these folks queue up to get slaughtered anyway? Why is this a cult classic? Why do I keep watching these new wave Japanese/Chinese movies?

2005-05-24T07:05:00.000-05:00

Considered the black sheep of the trilogy, this movie isn't all that bad really. A bit darker, fewer jokes and a mite too confusing. You can't avoid watching it though.

2005-05-24T07:04:00.000-05:00

Hmm. Did they change it recently? I always thought this was a hilarious rip-roaring adventure yarn. Anything but, when you watch it now.

2005-05-24T07:02:00.000-05:00

Another repeat. Good, rollicking fun. The soundtrack isn't half bad either.

2005-05-24T07:01:00.000-05:00

Again. And again. Never get tired of watching it, never get tired of reading it. Almost perfect.

2005-05-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

Wicked. Not a movie to watch with your significant other. Or hold on, maybe it is.

2005-05-24T06:59:00.000-05:00

Yawn. Overrated, sentimental 'classic'. The more I see of Tornatore, the less I like him.

2005-05-24T06:53:00.000-05:00

Wonderful, wonderful movie. The characters are - pardon the obvious pun - very well drawn and the dialogue is top-notch. Pixar is incredible!

2005-05-24T06:49:00.000-05:00

Gets under your skin, this film. The plot's quite stupid and the acting sucks. The saving grace is of course Sharon Stone - and I don't mean just the famous legs-crossing scene.

2005-05-24T06:41:00.000-05:00

My second Miyazaki. Quite nice, really. Interesting story, cute characters. I must remember to watch the others from Studio Ghibli.

Before Sunset

2005-03-16T07:43:00.000-06:00

All they do is talk the whole day, but I found it absolutely gripping. Romantic and intelligent, sexy and funny. A must see. And oh, I need to watch Before Sunrise now.

Meet the Fockers

2005-03-16T07:41:00.000-06:00

The worst movie I've seen so far this year. An incredibly bad waste of talent; Robert de Niro never looked more uncomfortable. Stay away.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

2005-03-16T07:36:00.000-06:00

What can I say? Charlie Kaufman is a genius. I bow before him.

Black

2005-03-16T07:32:00.000-06:00

Black is beautiful. The best Hindi movie I've seen on screen since Dil Chahta Hai. The film belongs to Sanjay Leela Bhansali - well on his way to becoming one of India's few auteurs. Good or bad, an auteur nevertheless.

Once Upon A Time In The West

2005-03-16T07:29:00.000-06:00

Typical Sergio Leone western about the coming of the railroad and one man's revenge. Much more mature than the Dollar trilogy but not as much fun. Henry Fonda rocks.

Princess Mononoke

2005-03-16T07:26:00.000-06:00

Convoluted storyline, but a good watch nevertheless. Good visuals, action, drama - you know how it goes.

Udayananu Thaaram

2005-02-13T22:44:00.000-06:00

Phew, Mohan Lal hasn't forgotten how to act. The movie is no great shakes, but I liked the way Lal's character was etched. A few laughs, Sreenivasan doing what he does best and Lal playing a believable, realistic character for a change.

Sideways

2005-02-13T22:40:00.000-06:00

Delectable. Brilliant acting and direction, coupled with a silken smooth script. Tight enough to keep you engrossed, smooth enough to let you walk around with the characters, glass of wine in hand.

Cellular

2005-02-13T22:38:00.000-06:00

Good thriller-cum-advertisement on Nokia cell phones. Ideal for a Hong Kong-Singapore flight. No, seriously, it's worth a watch. Or a cell.

I "Heart" Huckabees

2005-02-13T22:36:00.000-06:00

Tries a bit too hard to be clever. Metaphysical codswallop, but fun nevertheless. Jason Schwartzman is excellent.

elf

2005-02-13T22:33:00.000-06:00

Oh cho chweet and christmassy. Har har, he acts like a kid. Har de har, he's wearing tights in New York! Oh, they are singing Santa Claus is coming to town, isn't that cute, Ebenezer?

Jesus Christ Superstar

2005-02-13T22:28:00.000-06:00

Lovely music. A direct translation of the musical to the screen, or so I'm told. Judas walks away with the film, of course.

Love Actually

2005-02-13T22:27:00.000-06:00

Love is all around us, or so the story goes. Cameos by every Brit on earth. A bit of fluff, but endearing.

Malena

2005-02-13T22:25:00.000-06:00

No, there are no great scenes with Belucci in the buff. And no, it's not quite like Summer of '42, though it comes close. Overdone, over-dramatic waste of time.

A Shark Tale

2005-02-13T22:23:00.000-06:00

Yawn. Load of tripe.

The Motorcycle Diaries

2005-02-13T22:20:00.000-06:00

Or How Two Buddies Went Looking For Nothing And Found It. Watchable flick, though I liked the sidekick better than Che. Left me feeling slightly cheated - what's missing?

we don't live here anymore

2005-02-13T22:18:00.000-06:00

Adultery, married life, sex, men and women. Anyone who's been married for a few years should watch this at least once.

Bonnie and Clyde

2005-02-13T22:15:00.000-06:00

Brilliant film with believable characters. Both Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty have done a fantastic job.

Raincoat

2005-01-22T03:38:00.000-06:00

Tired reworking of Gift of the Magi. Pretentious twaddle.

Shaun of the Dead

2005-01-22T02:57:00.000-06:00

Brilliantly made. Doesn't quite fit the spoof category; it stands on its own as a movie.

Chathikaatha Chanthu

2005-01-22T02:53:00.000-06:00

Unfunny. Not even close to funny. Not even in the same continent as funny.