Billa was painful. Excruciatingly. Even the best guy to do this remake job, Vishnuvardhan, failed, big time. With Billa, Ajith has exhausted all his options. What's left ?

Go back to the drawing board(if there is one), and he should rethink his options. He should be looking at his career and verify his career highs. Aasai, Kathal Kottai, Kadhal Mannan, Vaali and Dheena. The rest of his films are pure crap or moderately interesting films. All the above films are major hits, with due credits to the director/story/screenplay. Isn't it time to get a class in acting(the one that includes dialogue delivery) ? Seriously, no jokes.

The only other way, Ajith can pick up his career is comparing himself to Vijay, which is invariably happening, thanks to the fan clubs. But this wouldn't be fruitful to him. Why ?

Vijay's major success stems from the fact that he has accepted his limitations and started to tread on the path that has been laid by yester year heroes with similar limitations. Vijay should thank Rajini for being a veteran on this route. And he does.

Can Ajith pick-up the heroic path of Vijay. NO. Why ? Because heroism doesn't happen. One has to create it. Not a single scene of Billa, Ajith was trying to be heroic, including the scene where Ajith escapes from the bridge by diving down. There isn't a movie where I've seen Ajith as heroic as Vijay. And that's why he shouldn't be compared to Vijay.

Part of Ajith's success comes from his cool personality, lover-boy image, a typical middle-class south indian boy. A good family drama, a neat down-to earth comedy film can do the magic. There are hundreds of stories and tons of directors waiting for Ajith to make this happen. And Ajith has been quite successful to pick up fresh talent. It's just that he has shunned them for some time now.

There are two directors whom I really think can give Ajith a break provided Ajith changes his mindset and starts to concentrate on his areas of improvement. Not Mani Ratnam. Not Shankar. Go Figure.

Previous Ajith Kumar Rant.

lazy geek | # | Comments (18)

India Glitz is reporting that someone has unearthed a trailer of Kamal's dream project Marudhanayagam. And doesn't that seem like a joke. Yes, because the you tube generation found the trailer, more than a year back and it has been written and talked about in every single cinema blog. Suresh even went one step ahead of scoring a BGM for this muted trailer.

Now, read the joke, again -

When everyone is talking about Kamal Haasan’s upcoming project, someone has unearthed the trailer of Kamal’s dream project ‘Marudanayagam’ and put it in a website that provides free video shows.

The trailer is amazing, to say the least. The two minute video shows what is in store for us if the dream movie of Kamal gets a chance to take off. It shows a thrilling action scene set in the period of British rule in India. Another scene, in which an eagle tries to eat the flesh of the protagonist, is incredible. The scenes have the grandeur that stuns you instantly. The visuals are astonishing.

The film, if you go by the trailer, has the potential to become a real treat to those who love to see the movies with substance. The awesome visuals promise you that the movie would come out as an entertainer with an outstanding content.

Yeah !! right.

lazy geek | # | Comments (7)

Click To Play

Prasanna's next short film, ART. The film is a review by itself. Hence no review for this short except for an adjective, brilliant.

lazy geek | # | Comments (9)

Srini Raghvan, one of the organisers of Silk Screen Festival informs about Asian American Film Festival (called Silk Screen) happening in Pittsburg, two weeks from now. He also adds, celebrating diversity and multi-cultural appreciation through film, the festival will be a week-long event that will showcase over 30 films, filmmakers and actors with origins in India, Japan, China etc. A variety of special events are being planned including a gala Opening Night reception, workshops and panel discussions with prominent Asian filmmakers, actors and producers.

Looking at the film listing, desi film buffs have something interesting to watch. If you are in and around Pittsburg, do take a spin.

lazy geek | # | Comments (3)

I think we are on the threshold of development. Today, a lot more films are made for an international audience. Technology will play a big role with the growth of the digital medium. Filmmaking will become a lot more personal. It will become like writing. Anybody will be able to make a film - Mani Ratnam

From here.

lazy geek | # | Comments (0)

Anand Alagappan's short film No Exit is a well made short-film that just walks us through a phone call. It comically captures the credit card service and how one is put through the hardship. Just like how one suffers to cancel the internet service. Anand's movie shot to fame when it was officially selected for 8 film festivals including the one where it was nominated alongwith Mani Ratnam's Kannathil Muthamittal.

Though I was aware of this short film through the Hindu article, it's only when Anand mailed me with the video link, I was able to watch it.

Anand is planning to his next short film this July. And he is on look-out for the cast. If you are interested or if you want to recommend someone, mail Anand at colorsmovie[at]gmail[dot]com. He is looking for the following cast in NY/NJ or Chicago area.

1. Indian Mom [Lates 40's]
2. Indian Dad [Late 40's]
3. Indian Aunt [Late 40's]
4. 15 Indian people for a scene [any age range]
5. Assistant director / Production Assistants

lazy geek | # | Comments (21)

Anand C who was posting guest blogs here, couple of years back, is now an executive producer. When I first knew about it, I thought, Gosh !! What a deep problem he got himself into ?. That's until I read more about it. Here is what the crew has to say about Carma -

Carma is Anand's first film as executive producer and is directed by self-taught filmmaker (and concert pianist / Stanford Ph.D Ray Arthur Wang). At 81 minutes, Carma features Academy Award Nominee Karen Black as the voice of the main character. CARMA is a chilling tale about a CAR haunted by a psychopathic killer's dead MA. Carma's last prestige festival stop was Cinequest Film Festival alumni 2005 (one of the Top 10 U.S. Independent Film Festivals), and after it was one of the Highlight Films at the Delray Beach Film Festival. Its next stop is the Bare Bones International Film Festival (one of the Best Truly Independent Film Festivals) 2006.

As the literature says, CARMA is an independent film. Just that fact differentiates it from other hollywood studio flicks. Studios don't go with experimental films, all the time. Due to the big-budget spendings on films, studios are usually conservative and cautious in approach. At such junctures, independent films are the only way to get creative. So if you check-out CARMA's trailer it wouldn't necessarily look-alike MI.3 trailer. Independent Films have their own short comings in terms of financing and marketing. Still, the only reason for independent films to prosper is due to film buffs, around the world, who love good cinema.

Keeping the lazy lamenting to a seperate post, here's the news. An exclusive screening of CARMA is happening at Stanford University. There is also a post-screening Q&A with the cast and crew:

When - April 14, 2006 | 8 PM.
Where - Fisher Hall, Arillaga Alumni Center, Stanford University. Directions.
More Info -
CARMA website .
Carma Trailer
Teaser Trailer:
Making of Carma

If you are a blogger/press media person, mail Anand[anand.chandrasekaran@gmail.com] for a special invite / backstage pass. Others please book tickets online, here.

lazy geek | # | Comments (2)

Oscar nominees are announced. Spielberg is still in the race. Kong awaits four oscars. Have to watch Brokeback Mountain, Syriana and Walk The Line before they start feeding us with too many spoilers. Just 32 days remaining for the Oscars.

These two blogposts[Part 1 / Part 2] are probably the best curtain raisers to Selvaraghavan's Pudhupettai. Though I did read these posts when they were written, I forgot to link them. These posts also made it to the print world.

Quinceañera wins the best dramatic film award in Sundance 2006. Anand C has some pictures from Sundance 2006.

Looking at Madhavan in Thambi, I am reminded of ArvindSwamy's Thaalaattu.

While the King talks about his music for Rang De Basanti, Gautam Menon starts to market Vettaiyaadu Villayadu.

NY Times - How Pixar Adds a New School of Thought to Disney.

lazy geek | # | Comments (6)

**Hasn't been spell checked. Was just blowing some gas. Read at your own risk**

The latest picture postcard of Rajini[looking energetically as in Billa/Mr Bharath] in Sivaji makes me fear that this Shankar flick will also turn out to be another Baba. Baba was a flop mainly due to the hype that was created by media. Now that blogs are trying to match the media in every other area, news is spreading like nobody's business on blogosphere.

If only someone kept track of that picture, it would possible be the most e-mailed picture in the last week or so. I got atleast 6 forwards of the same picture from various newspapers. Sujatha and Shankar should be grinding their teeth to catch hold of that photographer who paparazzi'ed the whole thing. Me too. Just because I am going to miss the surprise of meeting the 'old' rajini in a 'new' movie. Starting now, we will have numerous stories floating around on Sivaji that would even entice Shankar to include in the original script.

I was also bloddy irritated about Selvaraghavan's pre-release marketing of Pudhupettai. While making a whole movie on gangsters, an interview that's sounding as cheap as, "This is a special movie for Sneha. She is acting as a prostitute. It would be a milestone in her career", doesn't suit. For someone like him, I would expect a rather sublime interview and not being so obvious about the characters which spoils the whole fun of watching a movie. I care a damn if its a milestone for Sneha or not. Especially not before the movie. The pre-release marketing should only being hinting at what the movie is aiming to do. Whether its going to be a milestone or not is for the audience to decide. Also this attitude of glorifying someone is he shaves his head or he acts with lungi or if a heroine acts with a saree through out a movie, doesn't stand a chance to make an impression. Come on dude, I'm expecting Pudhupettai should do atleast 50% of what Marti's GoodFellas did to Hollywood. If only its turning to be a pot boiler, I'm no more bothered. BTW, Pudhupettai has many context based songs/themes that may not be once-more numbers but they will sure be an enjoyable watch.

lazy geek | # | Comments (29)

Hemanth's note on Killing Michael Bay, pushed me to watch the film on iFilm. And a big WOW, I let out after I finished watching this shortish fiction movie with classy motifs. An upset digital filmmaker, alongwith his friend, plans to kill the famous commercial movie maker, Michael Bay. Bay known for his famous masala movies like Bruce Willis' Armageddon, Sean Connery's The Rock and ofcourse the movie in context, Pearl Harbour. These two dudes upset by Bay's bad(read commercial) films which kills the 'good' movies' business, abduct him to a faroff place in Los Angeles. What happens when Michael Bay escapes forms the rest of this short film. It's certainly a must watch provided you have a broadband connection and fifteen minutes to spare. It might tell you what a shoe-string budgeted short film can do.

The theme here is that commercial movies kill the good films with their sheer box-office money, studio power and ofcourse the intoxicating elements that gives people a real doppy feeling. They don't allow people to look beyond the commercial stuff and there-by kill their intellect to appreciate worthy films. A brain dead scenario. But these guys who made the movie don't tell such stuff directly. Rather they symbolically represent the current scenario as in Hollywood and how finally the commercial crop win over the spirited independent filmmakers. More than the inspiring theme, the movie itself is a nail-bitting satire on hollywood flicks which have Matrix style stunts, Bond style car chases and Arnold style WWF fist fights. The only thing missing was a bikini clad vamp. That would have completed a full circle.

I immediately thought about the comparison to Michael Bay in Tamil cinema. While we have a thousand such directors in kollywood, naming just one wouldn't do justice(!!) to the entire group. But if someone were to even make a movie with a similar name, ' Killing XYZ' in kollywood, even as a joke, they would be contested by the mushromming political parties with venom and anger. The kodambakkam heroes/heroines would walk, with their coolers(on a rainy day!!) from liberty theatre to beach as a token of showing opposition to the movie. One group would fire the theatres which features the movie. Thousands of cases will be filled in a zillion courts. If those film makers don't appear even in one of the courts, it would become a contempt of court like what's happening with Kushboo. I don't suggest its all freedom here. But atleast this short film was released in 2002 and still lives on the internet.

Anyway, coming back to the title, I truly feel the class of independent film-makers are nearly non-existent in Tamil. It doesn't need to be software engineers, running back from US, who should make independent movies. It could be anyone from a journalist to a cinema-loving Gumasta of a govt office. Such a wave of good cinema is yet to rock kollywood. I am sure that war will be staged soon. No matter who wins, 5 years from now if mainstream commercial movies( despite an awful storyline), be picturised without songs, I think its the victory for everyone collectively. What say ?

lazy geek | # | Comments (28)

So they actually gave PAGE 3, the national award for the best film ? God save the Indian film industry.

I couldn't believe, Swades lost out to Rituparno Ghosh's Raincoat on the award for the best hindi film. While I just saw Raincoat and liked it, I still think Swades was one of the best hindi films in the last couple of years. Virumandi was released in 2004 and Aayitha Ezhuthu / Yuva rocked in 2004. What happened to those ?

I know why mature directors still day-dream Oscars. Because we have such screwed up ways to judge ourselves, they have started looking else where for proper recognition. No wonder !!

P.S - I didn't want to open up yet another comment war but someone posted a comment in the previous blogpost looking for this. Neyar Viruppam.

lazy geek | # | Comments (30)

[Pic - Frontline]

Reading this quasi-review Matrubhoomi directed by Manish Jha, I'm pushed to look out for the availability of the film in video stores around me. While most science fictions deal with gizmos and fanatasy stuff, here's a sci-fi with a social sense.

From what's been written, the movie could also end up as yet another message movie. It's the premise of the movie excites me for this is what is expected from our folks at woods of India. Also the note that Jha, the director of this movie had already won a Prix du jury at Cannes his feature, for A Very Very Silent Film, makes me have high regard on his abilities as a director.

From Frontline -

Futuristic films are supposed to be an escape into fantasy, even if they do make passing or pointed references to current attitudes and cultural fashions. They are usually not grounded in current social reality - a reality rooted in centuries of accumulated prejudice and burdens of history. Jha's film is more a doomsday warning - of the approaching apocalypse of moral collapse and sexual depravity caused by selective decimation of women - than a futuristic sci-fi scenario. The film describes the nightmare of what happens to a society that systematically kills girls - after they are born, if they have not been finished off in the womb itself. Our past foretells the future. The past Jha resurrects is from the Mahabharata, of a Draupadi married to five brothers - in this case, not out of the choice of a swayamvar but because there is a dearth of brides in a sex-starved patriarchy. Will this enhance the value of women and the girl child? So the proponents of sex-determination tests would have you believe, as they try to offer a sociological rationale for the morally indefensible practice of selective abortions.

His short A Very Very Silent Film (a pavement dweller is raped through the night by the many passers by till it is discovered to be a corpse the next morning) won the Prix du jury at Cannes in the year our media went gaga over Devdas (ignoring the quickly emptying halls) to the exclusion of everything else - including the arrival of a major new talent.

lazy geek | # | Comments (7)

In the case of new films, the ban would be subject only to some rare situations such as the treatment of historical personalities known to smoke, and period films. Also, it would be allowed as part of social messaging against smoking itself. As for old films, due to technical difficulties, it was agreed that instead of a prominent scroll containing a health warning accompanying smoking/tobacco-using scenes, theatre owners would have to show warning slides.

Similarly during a smoking scene in the movie, if they are showing the scroll, Cigarette smoking is injurious to health, our friend would get reminded of the single cigarette left in his pocket an walk out of the movie hall, to smoke. Aren't you LYAO ??

lazy geek | # | Comments (19)

Going forward we will only have movies which are rehashes of Thiruvilayaadal or Thirunilaakandar and Veera Pandiya Kattaboman. No Mughal movies as they have scenes where the Sultans smoke Hooka. Why ?

Smoking to be banned in movies, television serials. All our movie heroes will chew bubblegums from today, on-screen.

Let them even ban making movies in India but in the name of censor or such explicit laws, I hope these wouldn't happen to the growing media industry. Why wouldn't they ban making movies in India ? Why won't they ban cigarettes itself from entering the country rather than resorting to such bans ? Both these might not happen because both fetch money like nobody's business.

Let's not fool ourselves that media reflects society or viceversa anymore.

lazy geek | # | Comments (64)

a) During today's Seattle Pallavan journey, was catching up with a friend, who stays in the same community, about the weekend that went by. I have to say that we just met a month back, in the same bus. He was aware that I went to Mumbai Xpress and asked me about it. When I said it was OK but not as expected, he pointed out to various reviews on the net and said Chandramukhi wasn't better than Mumbai Xpress. Cut here.

After few more minutes of discussion as to why Mumbai Xpress was only OK and not great, he dropped a surprise bomb. He remarked,"Even in lazygeek site 'they' said it was not that good". Read again, 'they' said. I was stumped. Missing bails. Curiously I asked him how he got to 'that' site. He said he got through Google and was not a regular reader. He wasn't aware of too many details which I had asked only to drive him to the fact that it was my blog. He wasn't too sure and I left it there. I am sure he would read this in a day or two and then kick me up for the dig. Funny though.

b) It was Ram Ganesh who picked me up for Mumbai Xpress movie. But thats not the reason why I am writing this. I knew Ram Ganesh only through email that he sent me with regards to screenplays in tamil. He sent the mail long before I came to Seattle. He was also from Seattle. So when saw the note on the blog that I was at Seattle he sent an email asking if I needed some help to move around and some help. I did reply him back that the local bus is keeping me mobile. For a night show of Mumbai Xpress, he came over to pick me up. When co-ordinating for this, we sent a series of emails. One of his email, he sent me his blog address which he never sent before on his emails to me. It was his personal email address and it contained the blog address in his signature.

I was throughly impressed by his photo blog, Point and Shoot. They were full of realistic pictures with blurred backgrounds making his subject's emotion being expressed very well. And while running through his lbog I found that he was the top finalist for the Grand Prize in the prestigious National Geographic Celebrate Photography Contest. This was my favorite picture. Much to my surprise he also passed me a PDF file containing a script. It was copyrighted with the Writers Guild of America and was a unique one. Could be made into a good 10 minute short film.

c) Balaji from Singapore was a stranger and became an acquaintance to me only through this blog. An ardent Kamal fan who would IM me in Yahoo messenger to find out about the Kamal movie/music review. We were chatting today on IM when we started discussing about European films and their sheer greatness when compared to Hollywood. As he works at Singapore, he gets to see a lot of them and made some worthy suggestions of European films which I have queued in my personal 'must-see' list. He also said European film had much superior screenplays which were atleast a decade ahead of these Hollywood ones.

From Malena to Facing Windows to 5*2 his list of European films kept growing.

Three different people, three different situtations and full of surprises. No yaps, just a joy.

lazy geek | # | Comments (13)

I am Andrew Shepherd and I am the President.

Michael Douglas, one of the best American Presidents on-screen. Better than Bill Pullman[Independence Day]. Topped with Martin Sheen and Michael J Fox, it was a cheerful script. Enjoyed the movie after a long time, again.

lazy geek | # | Comments (10)

Righta Thappa has good reviews coming in. Here is Shobha Warrier's review in Rediff. As usual she re-tells the story of Righta Thappa in the review. Forget that. Shobha is full of praises for R Bhuvana, the director of Righta Thappa. While, I am sure the movie is going to be good the review makes me skeptical.

From the way the film has turned out, she can call herself successful.

Given Rediff's recent reviewing talents, I am afraid if this is the feministic thing that's going on.

P.S - If you hate to believe me, there is this Shobha De advertisement next to the review. Probably co-incidential but then makes for a good joke.

lazy geek | # | Comments (4)

From Toy Story to Finding Nemo it was a journey through the wonder world of animation.

Now, it's just two days left for The Incredibles to rock. The guys at Pixar are making it happen again. I'm looking forward to it, very anxiously.

lazy geek | # | Comments (10)

[Pic: hindu.com]

The Hindu spotlights on Aditya Chopra's Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which is still running as a single show in a Mumbai theatre Maratha Mandir.

DDLJ could possibly be the movie running so long in the history of cinema but all that I am concerned is about the projection guy in the theatre. It was a speculation that a projection attendant in a theatre where Jackie Shroff's Hero crossed a couple of years, went a little abnormal. It was said that looking at the same movie throughout the day, for years, affected his thinking patterns. If that is true(which I am unsure of ), then the similar guy in this theatre should also be shown some concern.

While it's accepted that DDLJ was superb entertainer and Kajol was a major drool-over then, I am suprised at the longevity of the movie in theatres. What about video piracy here ?

lazy geek | # | Comments (6)

[Pic: hindu.com]

Shyam Benegal's interview to Business-Standard is one of the best interview columns I've read in the near past. It's as refreshing as the energy he holds.

With his latest grand movie Netaji Subhash: The Last Hero, set to hit the screens soon, he talks about his admirations towards Indian cinema and it's film makers. He admires many of his contemporaries and also the new comers in the same level. From Satyajit Ray to Gurinder 'Beckam' Chadha to the mushy mushy Karan Johar, his admiration levels shows his broad spectrum of liking towards Indian Cinema. He was very right when saying about Mani Ratnam, "He is an intelligent filmmaker, with a good control over the medium, and Nayakan is my favourite". And expectedly he has so much to say on Ritwick Ghatak.

“Younger directors,” he continues, “are looking at cinema in a entirely different way. Their attitude is different.” How so? “For the older filmmakers, tradition was not be touched and whatever you did, ultimately you had to accept tradition. This is particularly true of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. But the younger lot grapple with tradition, much like they did before Independence.” Good he said that and now wait for the arguments to suffice from the oldies. It's Engrossing. I would have expected that such an sweeping interview would happen with the filmy magazines. He finally opened up with the Business-Standard. Film magazines can go dump themselves. But you read ahead.

lazy geek | # | Comments (11)

Night Shyamalan's Village has finally arrived last week to Chennai. Probably thats one film that I would have expected to release parallel to its hollywood release given the proven audience for Night's films.

Steven Speilberg's The Terminal which has won accolades around the world is yet to release in Chennai. Or has it released and gone out of theatres without my knowledge. Can't comment on that, anything is possible. A similar thing did happen to Steven Spielberg's Amistad. It released and on the first weekend, less than 20 odd people were found themselves aloof inside the theatre. If that's funny, here's more. The 1996 Oscar winner, The English Patient, is yet to release in Chennai. Why would someone release it when you have such a small audience for good films. Blame it on the audience and they blame it back on the distributors.

If Shyamalan's Village could get kollywood audience amused, we will have some more Shock movies in Tamil. Can't stand those bad adaptations.

Update : Latha has some nice things to say on herself and also on bloggers [Indian Bloggers especially] in the Guest Blog. Read her blogpost - I, Me, Myself.

lazy geek | # | Comments (12)

[ pic : kyunhogayana.com ]

So it happened / happens / will happen. The emails containing Aishwarya Rai's pictures will be coming as long as emails become obsolete. It happened somewhere in the fag end of the last millennium that people started getting email forwards of Aishwarya Rai. You, me and everyone where in the list of CC. Several avatars of Ash [Aishwarya]are being circulated including the young ash, teenage ash, school uniform ash, model ash, miss universe ash, iruvar ash, animated ash and of course vivek oberoi ash. No one knows the origin of these emails. Even if you are one of Ash haters, you will be forced to receive an email a day of Aishwarya smiling.

She was one of the first celebrities in India who was most emailed, written, drooled over on the internet. She definitely has an aura. But sometimes it's been overdone. Like how Shankar's Jeans really helped in proving Aishwarya is still learning the term called acting. She hardly acted but the movie was a hit, and she was spotted as one the reasons. She is quite lucky. Yeah, while we have actors/actresses in tons who can really justify acting and who are equally beautiful, she can just walk away with the cake and also eat it. Whether the movie is a hit or not, bother not, she surely has a director/ producer/ script writer waiting outside her house to book her for their next film(s). But that's the hard truth.

She and Vivek Oberoi were there on today's MTV for promoting their new film Kyun...Ho Gaya Na. As usual MTV Cyrus did try to pull out the reason for their nice on-screen chemistry. They blushed at the same time. Enough, we have an answer here. The promos were slick and the film promises to be a lot of fun. Thats pretty clear from the promos. Especially the Pyaar Mein Sau Uljhanein song where Vivek Oberoi dances frenziedly in that Chumma De De type bar, Aishwarya and her siblings dance comfortably well in their kitchen. This song is well written with the lyrics that talks about the pains and goodies of love. Forget the first few paras here. Aishwarya is beautiful and I'm already planning the first weekend watch for it.

lazy geek | # | Comments (19)

[Pic: The Hindu]

Raj Kumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra in their interview to The Hindu today, opens up about the success of their cult classic, Munnabhai MBBS. Also there is a script getting by done by Raj Kumar himself called Munnabhai LLB which is a sequel to the original Bhai. LLB meaning Bachelor of Laws.

Having said that, they are very confident that Munnabhai MBBS remakes in Tamil and Telugu starred by Kamalhassan and Chiranjeevi respectively will also become hits themselves.

The same column on Munnabhai also talks about the review done on the movie by the British Medical Journal, which shocked the purists. The review calls the film 'a riot' and notes that Sanjay Dutt won a Filmfare award, the Indian equivalent of the Oscars, for his performance. It is peer recognition from the MEDICAL journal on a movie made on a wannabe-doctor-turned-don. Are the protestors of Vasool Raja MBBS here in tamilnadu listening ?

lazy geek | # | Comments (12)

[Typos intentional through out this blog post]

The moore I read the moore I'm anxious, the moore I'm anxious the moore I'm lost.

As the world goes on and on over the controversial Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, the hype goes on and on like the bullish stock market. And before it begins to fall down, I would love to watch the film to get a glimpse of the controversy they talk about.

Read moore about moore here, here and here. Moore also has started a blog, Mike's Blog. Welcome Bloggie.

Every move of Moore is watched here, Anti Michael Moore.

Ok. So this isn't a blog post to place all the links of Michael Moore. These were just some(!) of the interesting news that I have been reading about Michael Moore. I observed one thing, the maker is reviewed moore than the movie itself. That sounds very biased to me but that alone kicks my entu to watch it soon.

I am sure by the time you read all these articles, you would be atleast half confused as me. Yeah, just reading all the news without watching the movie takes you nowhere. I realised it just when I finished reading these articles. There is just one moore thing, read the column Unfairenheit 9/11 - The lies of Michael Moore by Christopher Hitchens in Slate. This one gets you a clearer picture and sums up all the above said articles well.

But then, let me watch it and talk.

lazy geek | # | Comments (12)

[Pic : Time]

Very coincidental that there are two goodbye blog notes this week. This one is very close to film lovers.

Morgan Freeman still remains my favorite Hollywood actor. But Brando is also one in my small list of personal favorites. I haven't got a chance to see all those 50's movies, which they say, is Brando's best. I understood that he is a great guy when our own acting university, Sivaji Ganesan called Marlon Brando as an actor's actor. That's all I needed to get an opinion on Brando. With that same opinion in me I watched Godfather and that opinion became more and never less. Having enjoyed his acting, which I hate to call as method acting and restrict it to that school of acting. We have/had parallels of Marlon Brando in India too. Still he has inspired our Indian actors with his unparalleled performances in The Godfather trilogy.

If you were to ask Tamils who were teenagers during 80's about their most favorite film, they would have uniformly replied Mouna Ragam. If you ask the same to the 70's teenagers all over the world who knew Hollywood, The Godfather would eventually be their reply. My Brando favorite till day is his flamboyant performance in The Last Tango in Paris. This movie could be overlooked as a yet-another French erotica, if you watch it for the first time. But there is more to that. As I watched a couple of times more, I saw that clandestine and the versatile genius in Brando. This was exactly when the Brando bug bit me.

The closest that I have come to Brando is that I had been to the village in Illinois called Libertyville, where he grew up. Libertyville is en-route to Wisconsin. It is a small village/town, which is very English-like, and a scenic place. People there still mention and are proud to have the greatest actor of time, grow up there.

So even as the actor's actor is dead, we hope, that his performances would continue to inspire the millions of actors who are still about to be born. Goodbye Godfather.

Update 5th July, 2004 :
I am the son of Brando - Kamalhassan

In Brando's films, he dared take up subjects which very few actors have done. He was a role model not only for American actors but international actors too. Read more here.

lazy geek | # | Comments (5)

Bijoy Venugopal writes in Rediff on the American Film Institute's list of Top 10 Hollywood movie songs.

Some observations/suggestions(not for the American Film Institute, for myself):
a) When you wish upon a star from Pinochio (1940) is on the fourth. I would have rated it number two.

b) The Sound of Music - The Sound Of Music (1965) features at tenth. Remember our own kollywood's Shanthi Nilayam, was inspired from The Sound of Music. Thats ofcourse, is a very old news. But I would personally rate it number one.

Also The Bridge On The River Kwai theme, Colonel Boogie's March, hasn't been included because it never had lyrics to it. It was the yesteryear Mission Impossible like theme. Pity that it was out of the list. I'm atleast happy for Eminem to have made it in the list from his own movie 8 Mile (2002) for the song Lose Yourself.

lazy geek | # | Comments (5)

Farhan Akthar's Lakshya is set to release this week. The movie has been hyped and expected just because of Dil Chahta Hai. Dil Chahta Hai tried to change the way people looked at bollywood films. Especially DCH But the expectation was ephemeral. Not many movies after DCH created the impact like what it did.

Out of a blue, on one fine saturday, if you are lazing through channels and you see this tall guy Hritik Roshan dancing like a Prabhu Deva in the recent super hit Main Aisa Kyon Houn. Especially those clandestinely beautiful Bharathnatyam movements where Hritik moves his fingers like scissors across his eyes, are certainly prabhu deva like ones. When I finally learnt that it was Prabhu Deva who composed the choreography, I couldn't resist my curiosity. Now this is what Prabhu Deva's uniqueness. He can add those magical movements even to a rather monotonous song.

Recently, during a talk show called The Lounge show in CNBC TV18, Farhan Akthar displayed absolute discipline and was very level headed, unlike many of his contemporaries. Simone D Singh who hosted the show was a show-off. With he not-so-glamorous-and-not-so-natural smile, she was parroting Frahan and kep me irritating. But Farhan maintained his cool even when Simone jumped sky high while mentioning about his wife who did the neo-urban hairdressing for the Dil Chahta Hai guys.

However, I didn't like the feel of Dil Chahta Hai. It was very unnatural, especially the interiors and the story. But Aamir and Saif Ali Khan played their roles, appreciably well. The interiors, Aamir's french beard and the Jaane Kyon Log Pyaar Karte song all inspired Kamalhassan in Panchathanthiram. Looking at the promos for Lakshya, it looks like Farhan Akthar has a long way to go. FYI, he also does the lyrics for Bend it like Beckam fame Gurinder Chadha’s latest flick Bride and Prejudice.Are you asking, what about Hritik Roshan?. Thats slightly doubtful.

Read this interesting profile of Farhan in Outlook, here.

lazy geek | # | Comments (8)

This 2004 election will be in historical in many dimensions. One important fact would be that the political parties have managed to rope the most number of stars than any other election before. Every single party irrespective of their representation in parliament have roped in stars.

Bollywood has shelled out the major share of it's stars for this election campaign. From Dharmendra to Govinda to Hema Malini to Sharmila Tagore, Sudha Chandran, Phoonam Dhillon, Zeenat Aman, Smiriti Irani, Om Puri, Yukta Mookhey and Namrata Shirodhkar, this list extends endlessly. South India, known for elevating simple stars to supremo of a state, also offers a bouquet of stars.

While accepting that the stars have added glitter and glamour to the election campaign, are they experienced enough to contest for the MP seats. While it is even debatable if the existing non-star politicians are adding value to their consituencies, a rain of stars in the election will make up for more face and no intrinsic value.

Triggerring a debate if stars should become politicians is as old as elections themselves. I ain't for it. But just showing them off for a election campaign and trying to woo the voters doesn't seem ideological. If only stars could denounce the politicial parties, what a noble virtue it would be.

I am just dreaming. Lazy, wake up !!.

lazy geek | # | Comments (7)