Happy Halloween

ESPN’s TMQ columnist Gregg Easterbrook suggests, the appeal of zombie movies and TV shows is more primal — and somewhat disturbing — that: “the heroes can kill, kill, kill without compunctions or consequences.”

That said, here’s my Top 10 zombie pictures:

1. “Night of the Living Dead.” George Romero’s 1968 ultra low-budget black-and-white creepfest that started the modern zombie film. The 1990 remake isn’t bad, either.

2. “Dawn of the Dead.” Romero’s 1978 second entry in what was originally a zombie trilogy might be even better than his first picture as the zombies take over a shopping mall. It was made for $650,000 and made $50 million worldwide.

3. “28 Days Later.” “Slumdog Millionaire” director Danny Boyle’s 2002 picture upset zombie purists — it’s a disease movie, like “World War Z.” But it was scary and the zombies are fast, not plodding.

4. “Shaun of the Dead.” The best zombie comedy ever, this 2004 British film starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost bitingly sends up the genre, forever bursting its bubble.

5. “Zombieland.” More fun, the 2009 picture feels like a video game with Woody Harrelson mowing down zombies right and left and features a memorable turn by Bill Murray.

6. “White Zombie.” The 1932 original belongs on this list, with Bela Lugosi at his best playing the evil zombie master. It's set in Haiti, where zombies are supposed to originate via voodoo.

7. “Dead Alive.” This bloody, gory, over-the-top 1992 mess comes from Peter Jackson, who, of course, went on to make “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, remake “King Kong,” etc.

8. “Return of the Living Dead.” The first film to have fast-moving zombies rather than the plodding variety, the 1978 picture was also the first to use the cry “Brains.”

9. “Day of the Dead.” The final installment in Romero’s original trilogy (he’s made two more forgettable zombie movies since) wasn’t well received when it came out in 1985. Watch it now.

10. “Planet Terror.” Half of “Grindhouse,” the 2007 exploitation picture, this one comes from Robert Rodriguez, who gets everything about zombie pictures right.

Honorable mention: “World War Z,” the high budget, highfalutin zombie picture that was a modest hit this summer and is now available for home viewing — just in time for Halloween.

Don't be a Broker

Broker seems like a good movie after a long time. Like all good movies, we wish people watch it and come out changed and may be quit being corrupt. Will that happen? I sure wish it will.

Good things are for viewing and not for following. People tell me this is usually a tax saving stunt but at least something is being done. I love the music in this song as well as the message. If you are a movie goer, watch it at least once. I ain't that naive to think anyone would change the way they live by just one movie. But can you take at least one decision this year with the values your parents taught.

What's in a Title

Invasion of the Big, Scary, Long Film Titles has changed the entire scenario at the movies. This is explained in more detail here.

Top 10 in Hollywood

This weekend's top 10 is as follows:

1 - "Shrek Forever After," $71.2 million.
2 - "Iron Man 2," $26.6 million.
3 - "Robin Hood," $18.7 million.
4 - "Letters to Juliet," $9.1 million.
5 - "Just Wright," $4.2 million.
6 - "MacGruber," $4.1 million.
7 - "Date Night," $2.8 million.
8 - "A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)," $2.2 million.
9 - "How to Train Your Dragon," $1.8 million.
10 - "Kites," $1 million.

Nice to see Kites in the list.

5 Things Avatar Can Teach You

Avatar is a world-wide phenomenon and is currently the top grossing movie of all time*. How can you learn from its success and apply it to your own projects (even if they aren’t billion dollar movies).

1. Technology Matters. James Cameron first wrote Avatar in 1994, but he ended up tabling it until 2005 because he felt the technology wasn’t there yet. Figure out what your idea needs and how you can make it happen. If your current idea won’t work well, put it on hold and work on something else.
2. Love Your Idea. This movie finally came to fruition 15 years after Cameron’s initial idea. He didn’t just forget about it, he waited for his moment and made it happen. And now he’s very rich (er, richer).
3. Get Fans, Not Just Viewers(/Users). Avatar was so successful because you didn’t just go and think “good movie” and go to sleep. You wanted to tell everyone you knew about it. After watching this movie I immediately started telling my family and friends they had to see it. Now.
4. A Little Controversy is Good. Avatar’s a commentary on the war in Iraq. And our treatment of the environment. And a critique of the military. And advocates polytheism. And deals with racial issues. Or maybe none of the above, but it made you talk about it, didn’t it?
5. Make it Beautiful. Avatar is a cinematic masterpiece. It’s gorgeous. Don’t settle for less with your iPhone app. If your iPhone app is the best looking thing I’ve ever seen I’ll not only use it but share it with everyone I know.

*Okay, so this actually depends on whether or not you count inflation. In any case, it did very, very well.

Source: Megan's post

Top 10 of 2009

AFI's top 10 movies of 2009 are...

1. Coraline
2. The Hangover
3. Up
4. Up in the Air
5. Precious
6. The Hurt Locker
7. The Messenger
8. A Serious Man
9. A Single Man
10. Sugar

Here is a glimpse. You know what to do :)

Lifelong love affair

A life without adventure isn't a life worth living. Up's definition of adventure is not limited to attaching hundreds of helium-filled balloons to one's house and riding it like a Zeppelin to remote South American waterfalls. A masterpiece that depicts near-silent as Carl was when he was smitten as a child by Ellie after the screening celebrating Muntz's travels and banishment from the world.

Up's opening montage is a sentimental recounting of a lifelong love affair, a poetic view on the manner in which dreams are shared, and a bittersweet acknowledgment of how such desires can sour over time or are deferred by the demands of modern living. Old and alone, Carl has hardened by regret, but after the twin intrusions of a noisy construction site surrounding the perimeter of his house and an adorably chunky Asian boy, Russel, hankering to fulfill a merit badge requirement, the old man takes to the skies, his first step in understanding life as something more than a short period of time in which we are alive, but as a short period of time worth living to its fullest and to its absolute grandest.

Up is not just an animated movie. It challenges you to think about what you are, your dreams, priorities in life and gives you chance to fly away... in a fairy tale way to romance the skies, fulfill your dreams. Loved the song sequence and how Carl & Ellie meet, their courtship and marriage, and—in a startlingly somber turn—her illness and off-screen death. In fact it moved me to tears. Up works out adult ideas about our notions of self, our sense of disappointment and complacency, and the hopes—like the people and animals that surround Carl—we're always choosing to either look up or down to. You got to watch this.

Rating: 8/10.

Pics are from here.

The real rocky

Art is an impression of life?

Chicken a la Carte

Just think about it.

If this video doesn't open click here

This film is about the hunger and poverty brought about by Globalization. There are 10,000 people dying everyday due to hunger and malnutrition. This short film shows a forgotten portion of the society. The people who live on the refuse of men to survive. What is inspiring is the hope and spirituality that never left this people.

The good earth

A wonderful speech from The Great Dictator. A barber is confused to be Hitler in this satirized version portrayed by Charlie. Charlie Chaplin speaks for the first time on camera. You judge for yourself.

UP

The next sure hit is UP! Here is a trailer.

Releasing on 29th May, 09, talks about Carl who flies away along with his house by tying 10,000 balloons to it.

Knowing

Watched Knowing yesterday. One word to describe: Awesome. Especially the flight scene shot in continuous motions for over 2 minutes is captured very well. Excellent graphics, screenplay and use of shadows. Read the story here.

Rating: 3.5/5

Salvation

Over the years Terminator has become a household name and draws awe from young and old when it comes to special effects and story line. Three outings later, each one out performing its predecessor and winning more audience, its here for the fourth edition. Hitting the theaters in the hot summer of 2009 its sure to be a massive hit.

Here is a first look at the trailer.

Good films

Bollywood

1. Delhi 6
2. Billu
3. Dev D
4. Slumdog Crorepati (dubbed)
5. Kisse Pyaar Karoon?

Hollywood

1. Madea Goes to Jail
2. Jonas Brothers: 3D Concert
3. Slumdog Millionaire
4. Taken
5. He’s Just Not That Into You

--- Outlook

The freedom writers

What can a common citizen do to change any one else's life? Well, you should watch The Freedom Writers. This film discusses how Erin Gruwell used a normal classroom to transform the lives of many students. 

The film is based on a book by the same name, in which the real Erin Gruwell’s class wrote about their experiences as gangbangers and then their attachment to Gruwell’s class. So early on the movie approaches their lives from their skewed perspective. Her students believe themselves brave soldiers in some war, and fill their diaries with empty justification for the racial hatred and brutality they’ve idealized. Eventually Erin gets through to them, breaking through their wall of keeping it real to serve them a little bit of reality. Are her breakthroughs with them moving? Yes. But her methods are incredibly naïve and you will love watching it.

My rating: 7/10 (Must watch)

Got the pic here.

Smile Pinki

Will Pinki smile?

Where is the party?

Indian film industry churns out more movies than Hollywood. So there is a high chance that any of the movies released would be missed in the clutter. So what do you need to do to stay on top and reach that audience you are targeting? Here many movies miss out on what they are targeting and try to be everything to everyone and turn out being nothing to anyone. And no wonder Prof. Ray mocks the creativity of Indian Cinema. The lack on genuine acting, story and ability to show real stuff in an interesting way is clearly.

But there are exceptions. Some films do ensure they get noticed by going for clear segments of audience. Have a number that will be played a zillion times in all pubs and parties, hit that note of mass audience with a lot of beat, slithery sensous dance and the traditional theen mar and chances are that you will be noted. No one cares what the lyrics are as long as they can count on the trance they get from the beat. Here is a song from Silambattam which is the present top list in Tamilnadu and slowly catching up with pub audience all over south India.

So where is the party?

Top 10 @ Hollywood, this week

Top 10 this week @ Hollywood

1. The Day the Earth Stood Still
2. Four Christmases
3. Twilight
4. Bolt
5. Australia
6. Quantum Of Solace
7. Nothing Like the Holidays
8. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
9. Milk
10. Transporter 3

You know what to do :)

Mumbai Meri Jaan

Bidisha Ghosal reports Mumbai Meri Jaan as a must watch and this is rare.

A film on the lives that the seven bomb blasts in Mumbai on July 11, 2006, changed could have easily turned into a hackneyed one, but Mumbai Meri Jaan is different. The six stories shown in the film are fresh. From the corporate (Madhavan) who finds it difficult to get back into the local trains, the TV journalist (Soha Ali Khan) whose husband dies in the blasts and then gets a taste of her own medicine when other newshounds ask her how she feels, to the Hindu bigot (Kay Kay Menon) who tails a Muslim man simply because of his cap-their lives startle you with hitherto unrealised depths. The relationship between the rookie cop (Vijay Maurya) and his mentor (Paresh Rawal), who is on the brink of retirement, will be the one to touch you the most, as will the portrait of a chaiwallah (Irrfan Khan).

While the performances are brilliant, the real heroes of the movie are the director and the writers. Director Nishikant Kamat and writers Vinayak Joshi and Upendra Sidhaye have done an outstanding job. In recent times no other film has been able to give a human face to the Indian police. It also had the courage to bring the Hindu face to face with his own bigotry. Even the callousness of the media has been handled in a sensitive manner.

It is a must-see; watch it to be touched and for new perspectives and a better understanding of people.

Wanted Drift Sequence

Wanted trailer.
A must see.