Indian Cinema [PART 4]
08-02-10, 10:32 AM
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08-12-10, 04:43 PM
#252
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Considering my interest in Indian crime films, the following trailer for the Telugu film GAAYAM 2 has caught my interest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whj33GFSElA
It is actually a sequel to a 1993 Telugu film from director Ram Gopal Varma. This new sequel - coming to theaters in September - is being marketed as "Ram Gopal Varma presents"...I think they basically just got his blessing for the project. But the director is a former underling of Director Varma, so the film does fall within easy reach of some of Varma's crime efforts...at least based on the style of the trailer.
I might actually be catching a few Indian films in theaters in September...the 3rd for ENDHIRAN, the 10th for DABANGG, and then the 17th for Varma's RAKTI CHARITRA.
And nitin, I strongly considered keeping our off-topic discussion to PM's, but, well, maybe some lurkers who might have been interested in what we were talking about, well maybe at least some one of them might be interested in the remainder of the converstation...and THE WIRE is only 5 seasons so it is just a matter of a few more posts....and this forum is kind of inactive lately anyway...so, if you aren't too bothered by it, I'll ramble on here....
I did finish off Season 3 of THE WIRE about a week ago. Given how highly I rated Season 2, I must say that I was very pleased by Season 3 as well and thrilled that it came close to matching Season 2. A couple of insignificant/petty nitpicks maybe...such as the rather subpar actor they had playing one of the cops on
team...and also maybe the Dennis Lehane references which shook me out of things for a second or two (they did it twice, once when a character is reading a Lehane book, and another episode where author Lehane makes a brief appearance as police officer). I'm sure they did it other times as well with other folks...I do recall a mention of the name writer Ed Burns as a detective and such, but as a fan of Lehane it sort of really caught my eye but not in a good way....but again I'm just mentioned it because well...I'm longwinded. And I know they did this sort of stuff on THE SHIELD too with football coach Jimmy Johnson, and it was a distraction there too. But yeah, I'm just mentioning it because I'm in a type-ative mood (maybe because the Red Sox really blew it today). There are really so many tremendous performances on THE WIRE...and I'll admit to a bit of a man crush on
, and the nightime alley meet up between him and
was a tremendous scene, and the scene when
gets the two women at the party...just very strongly cinematic stuff. So, yeah, I was thrilled with Season 3...right now my rank has 2 as my favorite followed ever so closely by 3, and then down a bit is Season 1. I'm curious to see how Season 4 unfolds...I will say that the first three seasons felt like they've told a complete tale...and maybe Seasons 4 and 5 might feel like postscripts or epilogues to the earlier seasons...I recall you mentioning Season 4 is highly appreciated...I'm simply doing a little thinking out loud to offer insight into my current frame of mind.
And to update on THE SHIELD...as I mentioned last Season 4 had been a letdown...and upon completion of the season that still stands. It spun its wheels for the first 4 episodes or so and it just didn't have the same vibe as the first three seasons...it felt maybe like they were trying to be THE WIRE maybe too. But Season 4 did get rolling to a decent degree and it finished on quite a strong note. Overall though it felt slightly uneventful. And I have also now finished Season 5 and that was a return to the high levels of the first three seasons. I can't wait to see what Season 6 is going to deliver.
I did watch Antoine Fuqua's recent cop film BROOKLYN'S FINEST a few days back, and it really felt like it had a strong THE WIRE-influenced vibe (cast included)...unfortunately not as successful. If I hadn't seen THE WIRE I might have been more impressed, but falling where it has on my viewing schedule, BROOKLYN'S FINEST felt rather ho-hum as compared to its TV counterparts. So for anyone who is a fan of recent films such as BROOKLYN'S FINEST, PRIDE AND GLORY, WE OWN THE NIGHT, etc., I'd say you really do need to slate THE WIRE and THE SHIELD on your schedule (and yeah I know I'm super late to the party with regard to watching these TV shows...so my suggestion is likely of use now to pretty much no one...so just chalk it up to the longwinded thing again).
And yes THE WIRE and THE SHIELD are thoroughly destroying my movie watching as of late because most films I'm watching are falling short when compared to these TV shows...I just keep thinking I should have skipped whatever movie I'm attempting to watch and simply pushed on with more episodes of THE WIRE and THE SHIELD. I expect a major period of withdrawal when I don't have any more episodes to watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whj33GFSElA
It is actually a sequel to a 1993 Telugu film from director Ram Gopal Varma. This new sequel - coming to theaters in September - is being marketed as "Ram Gopal Varma presents"...I think they basically just got his blessing for the project. But the director is a former underling of Director Varma, so the film does fall within easy reach of some of Varma's crime efforts...at least based on the style of the trailer.
I might actually be catching a few Indian films in theaters in September...the 3rd for ENDHIRAN, the 10th for DABANGG, and then the 17th for Varma's RAKTI CHARITRA.
And nitin, I strongly considered keeping our off-topic discussion to PM's, but, well, maybe some lurkers who might have been interested in what we were talking about, well maybe at least some one of them might be interested in the remainder of the converstation...and THE WIRE is only 5 seasons so it is just a matter of a few more posts....and this forum is kind of inactive lately anyway...so, if you aren't too bothered by it, I'll ramble on here....
I did finish off Season 3 of THE WIRE about a week ago. Given how highly I rated Season 2, I must say that I was very pleased by Season 3 as well and thrilled that it came close to matching Season 2. A couple of insignificant/petty nitpicks maybe...such as the rather subpar actor they had playing one of the cops on
Spoiler:
Spoiler:
Spoiler:
Spoiler:
And to update on THE SHIELD...as I mentioned last Season 4 had been a letdown...and upon completion of the season that still stands. It spun its wheels for the first 4 episodes or so and it just didn't have the same vibe as the first three seasons...it felt maybe like they were trying to be THE WIRE maybe too. But Season 4 did get rolling to a decent degree and it finished on quite a strong note. Overall though it felt slightly uneventful. And I have also now finished Season 5 and that was a return to the high levels of the first three seasons. I can't wait to see what Season 6 is going to deliver.
I did watch Antoine Fuqua's recent cop film BROOKLYN'S FINEST a few days back, and it really felt like it had a strong THE WIRE-influenced vibe (cast included)...unfortunately not as successful. If I hadn't seen THE WIRE I might have been more impressed, but falling where it has on my viewing schedule, BROOKLYN'S FINEST felt rather ho-hum as compared to its TV counterparts. So for anyone who is a fan of recent films such as BROOKLYN'S FINEST, PRIDE AND GLORY, WE OWN THE NIGHT, etc., I'd say you really do need to slate THE WIRE and THE SHIELD on your schedule (and yeah I know I'm super late to the party with regard to watching these TV shows...so my suggestion is likely of use now to pretty much no one...so just chalk it up to the longwinded thing again).
And yes THE WIRE and THE SHIELD are thoroughly destroying my movie watching as of late because most films I'm watching are falling short when compared to these TV shows...I just keep thinking I should have skipped whatever movie I'm attempting to watch and simply pushed on with more episodes of THE WIRE and THE SHIELD. I expect a major period of withdrawal when I don't have any more episodes to watch.
08-13-10, 05:40 AM
#253
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Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4]
flixtime,
good observations, Omar is a favorite here too
As for season 4, let's just say everyone except David Simon thought season 3 was it, including HBO. The show was on a year's hiatus and everyone was worried how s4 would unfold. I personally think s4 benefits from the year break, it's evident how much work went into it (and I would argue you can see in s5 how much that season is rushed for finality except the last episode which is perfect).
good observations, Omar is a favorite here too
As for season 4, let's just say everyone except David Simon thought season 3 was it, including HBO. The show was on a year's hiatus and everyone was worried how s4 would unfold. I personally think s4 benefits from the year break, it's evident how much work went into it (and I would argue you can see in s5 how much that season is rushed for finality except the last episode which is perfect).
08-29-10, 06:52 AM
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Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4]
well it seems like the last few pages have turned into flixtime not recommending something and me liking it, so why break the trend
Just finished watching Ishqiya and despite some pacing and plotting issues, I quite enjoyed it. Once again most of the fun comes from Vishal Bhardwaj's clever dialogue and the cast's handling of the same, so this is where I think me and flixtime differ. Translated, the dialogue loses most of its wit and context, and the rest of the movie is not admittedly good enough to earn a recommendation. But for native speakers, it is pure bliss compared to the usual banal dialogue in your average hindi film.
Just finished watching Ishqiya and despite some pacing and plotting issues, I quite enjoyed it. Once again most of the fun comes from Vishal Bhardwaj's clever dialogue and the cast's handling of the same, so this is where I think me and flixtime differ. Translated, the dialogue loses most of its wit and context, and the rest of the movie is not admittedly good enough to earn a recommendation. But for native speakers, it is pure bliss compared to the usual banal dialogue in your average hindi film.
08-30-10, 02:40 PM
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Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4]
LUCK BY CHANCE: a perfect example of a regular Bollywood film that has good acting, good story, good music, and is not plagued by filler or bad comedy.
JODHAA AKBAR: All-around epic serious, good film (instead of the overrated Lagaan)
MISSION KASHMIR: a great Bollywood movie about terrorism, which has good music and is very touching.
EKLAVYA THE ROYAL GUARD: no singing in this one - just a good, short Indian film with famous Bollywood actors.
MAGADHEERA: All-around epic fun, highly entertaining film
All of the above have excellent anamorphic video and DD 5.1 quality DVDs and Blu-rays (only for Jodhaa Akbar and Magadheera).
08-31-10, 08:46 AM
#258
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Joe Camel, welcome to the discussion...we can use the company. toddly and nitin are on the mark with their suggestions. So I'll look at things a little differently. Last I was aware the 5 biggest stars in Bollywood/Hindi cinema right now are:
Akshay Kumar
Aamir Khan
Shahrukh Khan
Hrithik Roshan
Salman Khan
To get a sampling of their work I'd maybe go as follows:
JAAN-E-MANN (2006) - would cover both Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan...some might suggest that killing these two birds with this one stone is strongly advisable
Aamir Khan - I actually liked LAGAAN (2001), if not try FANAA (2006)
Shahrukh Khan - DON (2006 remake of a classic 70's film)...I liked the remake better. OM SHANTI OM (2007) and RAB NE BANA DI JODI (2008) are also enjoyable. Other high-profile films of his are MOHABBATEIN (2000) which I liked. KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM (2001) which was also quite okay. DEVDAS (2002)...which I didn't care for except as gaudy visual spectacle.
Hrithik Roshan is covered by a couple of toddly's suggestions (note: the DVD for JODHAA AKBAR is not anamorphic)...and he is also in KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM mentioned above. I also found reasonably enjoyable his KOI...MIL GAYA (2003).
Some other stars:
Amitabh Bachchan is a Bollywood god...he is in some of the mentioned films already...EKLAVYA, KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM, MOHABBATEIN. And maybe I'd recommend BUNTY AUR BABLI (2005) and JHOOM BARABAR JHOOM (2007) to see him at work with his son Abhishek Bachchan who is also a big star.
Sanjay Dutt - his MUNNABHAI (2003) and the sequel LAGE RAHO MUNNA BHAI (2006) were both huge successes...rightfully so. He is also in the aforementioned EKLAVYA.
Some other random suggestions:
DOR (2006) - remake of an earlier Malayalam-language film...this remake is much better and highly recommended by me! I keep recommending it but no one seems to listen...or they didn't like it and are being polite. If you want a prime example of quality Hindi cinema, this would be it.
JAB WE MET (2007) - featuring rising star Shahid Kapur
KABUL EXPRESS (2006) - starring John Abraham
COMPANY (2002) - if you enjoy nitin's recommendation of the Indian crime classic SATYA. Another Ajay Devgan film that might be of interest is OMKARA (2006) which I enjoyed reasonably enough (though I think it tailed off a bit in the second half if I remember right).
ANNIYAN (2005) - isn't Bollywood/Hindi-language but is Tamil-language...still a prime example of what the masses in India enjoy most....a fine mix of action, comedy, romance, tremendous music, and substance (a message film for the masses).
There are other recommendations...Bollywood is often seen as a genre by Western audiences but that isn't entirely accurate as their are actualy genres within that label just like anywhere else...so you have Bollywood comedies, Bollywood action, Bollywood romance, Bollywood crime, Hindi arthouse, etc...though a lot of movies include a bit of everything.
I might suggest that you might better appreciate films such as LUCK BY CHANCE, JHOOM BARABAR JHOOM, JAAN-E-MANN, and OM SHANTI OM, once you gain a little exposure first to other Bollywood films. These films are successful even if you don't have a wealth of Bollywood viewing experience, but I think that they can also be appreciated on another level once you've familiarized yourself with the usual conventions of Hindi cinema.
Naturally, most of the leading Hindi actresses are covered in the recommendations above so you will be exposed to Aishwarya Rai, Kajol, Priyanka Chopra, Rani Mukherjee, Preity Zinta, etc.
If all the above turns out to be a failure for you, you can still find some more APU-like (meaning close to arthouse or more serious fare) such as WATER (2005), SWAPNER DIN (2004, Bengali-language), A TALE OF A NAUGHTY GIRL (2002, Bengali-language), HEY RAM (2000), BOMBAY (1995), DIL SE (1998), etc. that you might enjoy.
So that's what is coming off the top of my head...basically all at least mentioned in past discussions...though there are a bunch more if you go back through these threads. Many of the films I've recommended might not be the absolute best, best instead more in the category of favorites/enjoyable and/or recommended as samples of what to try if you want to get a feel for contemporary Bollywood/Hindi cinema.
To conclude, if you live in the U.S. near a major metro area, I'd recommending searching out your local Indian grocery store. Often these stores will offer movie rental services or can tell you an area store that offers Indian movie rentals. Don't go overboard on buying stuff to start...go the rental route to see what you like...the rental cost should be rather inexpensive.
Akshay Kumar
Aamir Khan
Shahrukh Khan
Hrithik Roshan
Salman Khan
To get a sampling of their work I'd maybe go as follows:
JAAN-E-MANN (2006) - would cover both Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan...some might suggest that killing these two birds with this one stone is strongly advisable
Aamir Khan - I actually liked LAGAAN (2001), if not try FANAA (2006)
Shahrukh Khan - DON (2006 remake of a classic 70's film)...I liked the remake better. OM SHANTI OM (2007) and RAB NE BANA DI JODI (2008) are also enjoyable. Other high-profile films of his are MOHABBATEIN (2000) which I liked. KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM (2001) which was also quite okay. DEVDAS (2002)...which I didn't care for except as gaudy visual spectacle.
Hrithik Roshan is covered by a couple of toddly's suggestions (note: the DVD for JODHAA AKBAR is not anamorphic)...and he is also in KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM mentioned above. I also found reasonably enjoyable his KOI...MIL GAYA (2003).
Some other stars:
Amitabh Bachchan is a Bollywood god...he is in some of the mentioned films already...EKLAVYA, KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM, MOHABBATEIN. And maybe I'd recommend BUNTY AUR BABLI (2005) and JHOOM BARABAR JHOOM (2007) to see him at work with his son Abhishek Bachchan who is also a big star.
Sanjay Dutt - his MUNNABHAI (2003) and the sequel LAGE RAHO MUNNA BHAI (2006) were both huge successes...rightfully so. He is also in the aforementioned EKLAVYA.
Some other random suggestions:
DOR (2006) - remake of an earlier Malayalam-language film...this remake is much better and highly recommended by me! I keep recommending it but no one seems to listen...or they didn't like it and are being polite. If you want a prime example of quality Hindi cinema, this would be it.
JAB WE MET (2007) - featuring rising star Shahid Kapur
KABUL EXPRESS (2006) - starring John Abraham
COMPANY (2002) - if you enjoy nitin's recommendation of the Indian crime classic SATYA. Another Ajay Devgan film that might be of interest is OMKARA (2006) which I enjoyed reasonably enough (though I think it tailed off a bit in the second half if I remember right).
ANNIYAN (2005) - isn't Bollywood/Hindi-language but is Tamil-language...still a prime example of what the masses in India enjoy most....a fine mix of action, comedy, romance, tremendous music, and substance (a message film for the masses).
There are other recommendations...Bollywood is often seen as a genre by Western audiences but that isn't entirely accurate as their are actualy genres within that label just like anywhere else...so you have Bollywood comedies, Bollywood action, Bollywood romance, Bollywood crime, Hindi arthouse, etc...though a lot of movies include a bit of everything.
I might suggest that you might better appreciate films such as LUCK BY CHANCE, JHOOM BARABAR JHOOM, JAAN-E-MANN, and OM SHANTI OM, once you gain a little exposure first to other Bollywood films. These films are successful even if you don't have a wealth of Bollywood viewing experience, but I think that they can also be appreciated on another level once you've familiarized yourself with the usual conventions of Hindi cinema.
Naturally, most of the leading Hindi actresses are covered in the recommendations above so you will be exposed to Aishwarya Rai, Kajol, Priyanka Chopra, Rani Mukherjee, Preity Zinta, etc.
If all the above turns out to be a failure for you, you can still find some more APU-like (meaning close to arthouse or more serious fare) such as WATER (2005), SWAPNER DIN (2004, Bengali-language), A TALE OF A NAUGHTY GIRL (2002, Bengali-language), HEY RAM (2000), BOMBAY (1995), DIL SE (1998), etc. that you might enjoy.
So that's what is coming off the top of my head...basically all at least mentioned in past discussions...though there are a bunch more if you go back through these threads. Many of the films I've recommended might not be the absolute best, best instead more in the category of favorites/enjoyable and/or recommended as samples of what to try if you want to get a feel for contemporary Bollywood/Hindi cinema.
To conclude, if you live in the U.S. near a major metro area, I'd recommending searching out your local Indian grocery store. Often these stores will offer movie rental services or can tell you an area store that offers Indian movie rentals. Don't go overboard on buying stuff to start...go the rental route to see what you like...the rental cost should be rather inexpensive.
08-31-10, 09:32 AM
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Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4]
And just to prepare you about these actors:
Akshay Kumar: the most annoying, obnoxious douchebag leading man actor in Bollywood. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him. Why does he have to be in every new Bollywood movie?
Aamir Khan: great actor, but just sort of boring
Shahrukh Khan: Tom Cruise of India. He's better in his newer films than when he was young.
Hrithik Roshan: the best actor of India, with the most presence and acting skills.
Salman Khan: Sylvestor Stallone of India
Amitabh Bachchan: Al Pacino of India. the most whorshipped actor of India.
He's in every other movie and a bit overrated though (he's awesome in Eklavya)
Sanjay Dutt: Jean Reno of India. The coolest old actor in India
Aishwarya Rai: the hottest and best actress of India.
Priyanka Chopra: another hot actress of India - her acting is getting better.
Rani Mukherjee: Reese Witherspoon of India. She's just a solid actress but she doesn't blow me away.
Preity Zinta: Drew Barrymore of India (only that Preity Zinta is better looking and more talented)
Mallika Sherawat: Halle Berry/Jennifer Fox of India. Bad actress, but extremely hot
Ajay Devgan: David Strathairn of India
Saif Ali Khan: Patrick Dempsy of India. solid actor, but nothing special.
Akshay Kumar: the most annoying, obnoxious douchebag leading man actor in Bollywood. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him. Why does he have to be in every new Bollywood movie?
Aamir Khan: great actor, but just sort of boring
Shahrukh Khan: Tom Cruise of India. He's better in his newer films than when he was young.
Hrithik Roshan: the best actor of India, with the most presence and acting skills.
Salman Khan: Sylvestor Stallone of India
Amitabh Bachchan: Al Pacino of India. the most whorshipped actor of India.
He's in every other movie and a bit overrated though (he's awesome in Eklavya)
Sanjay Dutt: Jean Reno of India. The coolest old actor in India
Aishwarya Rai: the hottest and best actress of India.
Priyanka Chopra: another hot actress of India - her acting is getting better.
Rani Mukherjee: Reese Witherspoon of India. She's just a solid actress but she doesn't blow me away.
Preity Zinta: Drew Barrymore of India (only that Preity Zinta is better looking and more talented)
Mallika Sherawat: Halle Berry/Jennifer Fox of India. Bad actress, but extremely hot
Ajay Devgan: David Strathairn of India
Saif Ali Khan: Patrick Dempsy of India. solid actor, but nothing special.
08-31-10, 04:10 PM
#260
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Thread Starter
Speaking of Sanjay Dutt, he has a new movie - KNOCK OUT - coming in October...the trailer makes it look like a knock-off of PHONE BOOTH.
KNOCK OUT trailer at youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp4louF6CwA
It seems ENDHIRAN has been delayed until September 24...oh well, that clears my schedule for this coming Friday afternoon.
Watched the most recent Telugu box-office record breaker Simha (2010)...it's not available with subtitles but, like many of these masala/action type Telugu films, it is very easily followed without subtitles...almost like a silent movie but maybe even simpler because you don't even really need any form of intertitles. Actually, not having to read subs actually might make it better as you are protected from the experience of having to read what they are talking about during the comedy sidebar portions of the film. My own personal vision of hell....being trapped with folks who find the comedy sidebar portions of South Indian films to be funny. As to SIMHA it is an average at best entry in the genre...and actually is subpar in terms of being glossy spectacle. The film does go a bit overboard in terms of the violence and this actually hurts the work as it makes the protagonist slightly less sympathetic. Otherwise, nothing really comes to mind...except for the presence of Aishwarya Rai look-alike Sneha Ullal who seems to have moved down to South Indian films after her high-profile debut in Salman Khan's 2005 Hindi film LUCKY. SIMHA is not recommended.
Also watched another Telugu film from critical and box-office darling director Sekhar Kammula Leader (2010). This was actually quite decent...at least something different from the usual in Telugu cinema...this is more of a political melodrama or we'll call it a political fantasy such as MUDHALVAN (1999)/NAYAK (2001)...you know the type where a righteous man enters politics and tries to make things better. The film is also notable for being the debut of actor Rana Daggubati...who was a little bland but otherwise serviceable enough for sure...and of course - like pretty much most Indian actors - he comes from a family that is pretty much Telugu film royalty...his grandfather- chief among them - being a major film producer in the Telugu film industry. In other words Rana Daggubati is going to be around for the next two decades. LEADER is rather simplistic and has some problems such as an unnecessary female love interest in the first half. And it doesn't really cover any new ground we haven't seen before...corrupt politics and black money. However, I did find it quite watchable and it was thankfully free of any comedy sidebar...and the music was quite decent. As far as Telugu films go I'd give it a recommendation...predominantly because it wasn't the same old boy meets girl meets villain followed by fight, song, comedy, melodramatic speech, fight, song, comedy, melodramatic speech...basically the pattern of way too many South Indian films.
nitin, that's good that Vishal Bhardwaj seems to be rating fairly strong on your scorecard. It looks like the significant difference between my being less enamored with him comes down to you being in a position to appreciate the language and me having to rely on subtitles...I recall we discussed this aspect of his work sometime back.
And now that I've actually been on-topic for a bit...my next post can go back to talking about THE WIRE and THE SHIELD...I have one more episode to go on Season 4 of THE WIRE. My position at this moment is that it really does feel like a sequel series...FURTHER ADVENTURES OF THE WIRE. nitin, I appreciate your sharing that information regarding everyone thinking the show would end after Season 3...I did not follow the show in any way so I have zero familiarity with information such as you mentioned...so it was really good to learn that heading into this new season. It also fits with what I mentioned that I felt the first three seasons told a complete tale. Anyway, I'm glad you mentioned it as I adjusted my expectations down a bit going into Season 4. I'll post an update maybe tomorrow once I finish the last episode...but it seems a safe bet that Season 4 will rank a measurable bit down from how I felt about Seasons 2 and 3.
Also finished Season 6 of THE SHIELD. I actually broke from pattern and did back-to-back seasons of THE SHIELD because Season 5 was so good, and I just had to continue on to Season 6...plus as mentioned THE WIRE felt comfortable resting where it was after three seasons. Anyway, the first few episodes of Season 6 of THE SHIELD continued the strong run from Season 5. Things took a breather for the following couple of episodes before again building to a strong conclusion over the last half of Season 6. I'm very much looking forward to seeing how things close with the final seventh season.
That's enough long-windedness for one day...now to go back to comtemplating what team to root for now that the Red Sox are done...Rays, Rangers, Twins, Reds...heck, anyone who stops the Yankees are okay in my book.
KNOCK OUT trailer at youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp4louF6CwA
It seems ENDHIRAN has been delayed until September 24...oh well, that clears my schedule for this coming Friday afternoon.
Watched the most recent Telugu box-office record breaker Simha (2010)...it's not available with subtitles but, like many of these masala/action type Telugu films, it is very easily followed without subtitles...almost like a silent movie but maybe even simpler because you don't even really need any form of intertitles. Actually, not having to read subs actually might make it better as you are protected from the experience of having to read what they are talking about during the comedy sidebar portions of the film. My own personal vision of hell....being trapped with folks who find the comedy sidebar portions of South Indian films to be funny. As to SIMHA it is an average at best entry in the genre...and actually is subpar in terms of being glossy spectacle. The film does go a bit overboard in terms of the violence and this actually hurts the work as it makes the protagonist slightly less sympathetic. Otherwise, nothing really comes to mind...except for the presence of Aishwarya Rai look-alike Sneha Ullal who seems to have moved down to South Indian films after her high-profile debut in Salman Khan's 2005 Hindi film LUCKY. SIMHA is not recommended.
Also watched another Telugu film from critical and box-office darling director Sekhar Kammula Leader (2010). This was actually quite decent...at least something different from the usual in Telugu cinema...this is more of a political melodrama or we'll call it a political fantasy such as MUDHALVAN (1999)/NAYAK (2001)...you know the type where a righteous man enters politics and tries to make things better. The film is also notable for being the debut of actor Rana Daggubati...who was a little bland but otherwise serviceable enough for sure...and of course - like pretty much most Indian actors - he comes from a family that is pretty much Telugu film royalty...his grandfather- chief among them - being a major film producer in the Telugu film industry. In other words Rana Daggubati is going to be around for the next two decades. LEADER is rather simplistic and has some problems such as an unnecessary female love interest in the first half. And it doesn't really cover any new ground we haven't seen before...corrupt politics and black money. However, I did find it quite watchable and it was thankfully free of any comedy sidebar...and the music was quite decent. As far as Telugu films go I'd give it a recommendation...predominantly because it wasn't the same old boy meets girl meets villain followed by fight, song, comedy, melodramatic speech, fight, song, comedy, melodramatic speech...basically the pattern of way too many South Indian films.
nitin, that's good that Vishal Bhardwaj seems to be rating fairly strong on your scorecard. It looks like the significant difference between my being less enamored with him comes down to you being in a position to appreciate the language and me having to rely on subtitles...I recall we discussed this aspect of his work sometime back.
And now that I've actually been on-topic for a bit...my next post can go back to talking about THE WIRE and THE SHIELD...I have one more episode to go on Season 4 of THE WIRE. My position at this moment is that it really does feel like a sequel series...FURTHER ADVENTURES OF THE WIRE. nitin, I appreciate your sharing that information regarding everyone thinking the show would end after Season 3...I did not follow the show in any way so I have zero familiarity with information such as you mentioned...so it was really good to learn that heading into this new season. It also fits with what I mentioned that I felt the first three seasons told a complete tale. Anyway, I'm glad you mentioned it as I adjusted my expectations down a bit going into Season 4. I'll post an update maybe tomorrow once I finish the last episode...but it seems a safe bet that Season 4 will rank a measurable bit down from how I felt about Seasons 2 and 3.
Also finished Season 6 of THE SHIELD. I actually broke from pattern and did back-to-back seasons of THE SHIELD because Season 5 was so good, and I just had to continue on to Season 6...plus as mentioned THE WIRE felt comfortable resting where it was after three seasons. Anyway, the first few episodes of Season 6 of THE SHIELD continued the strong run from Season 5. Things took a breather for the following couple of episodes before again building to a strong conclusion over the last half of Season 6. I'm very much looking forward to seeing how things close with the final seventh season.
That's enough long-windedness for one day...now to go back to comtemplating what team to root for now that the Red Sox are done...Rays, Rangers, Twins, Reds...heck, anyone who stops the Yankees are okay in my book.
08-31-10, 09:11 PM
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Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4]
How could I forget Dil Se, still the best shot Bollywood film I've come across. And a decent film otherwise too.
Flixtime, you would like to hear your further thoughts on The Wire. David Simon always said that he envisioned it as a 5 season series, I think you can make an argument either way but you definitely to see all 5 first before judging.
Flixtime, you would like to hear your further thoughts on The Wire. David Simon always said that he envisioned it as a 5 season series, I think you can make an argument either way but you definitely to see all 5 first before judging.
09-01-10, 06:13 AM
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09-01-10, 07:23 AM
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Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4]
I dont agree with Hrithik being the best actor in India, but he is probably the most interesting commercial actor around at the moment. He certainly surprised me in Jodhaa Akbar.
09-01-10, 12:08 PM
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09-01-10, 01:48 PM
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Wrapped up Season 4 of THE WIRE last night. It was good, but still a couple of notches below the excellence of Seasons 2 and 3. On my scorecard it is closer to my ranking of Season 1, though Season 4 was more evenly enjoyable than Season 1 which took half a season to really grab my interest. At the same time, I might rank Season 4 a fraction below Season 1 in the sense that of the four seasons so far, Season 4 would be the one I would be least likely to rewatch. Season 4 just lacked for the addictive, snowballing momentum I experienced with the latter half of Season 1 and then most certainly with Seasons 2 and 3. I thought Season 4 started out okay enough and certainly ended fine enough, but it really had a lull in the majority of the middle section where things just weren't progessing to my interest...it felt like covering the same ground over and over. Plus, the education part of the story arc didn't really grab me as I thought the material was stretched and repetitive...but then again maybe that is viewer-specific to me as I have some experience in teaching a challenging population...more challenging than the comparative angels shown here...so maybe I wasn't really seeing much I hadn't personally experienced...so I felt rather disengaged perhaps. Also, some of the performances felt just slightly off and/or there also seemed to be a few more non-professional actors who had a line here or there so they seemed to catch my eye a little more. Again, Season 4 is certainly quality television, I'm just saying that it didn't rate as highly with me as did the previous two seasons. Also, the Season 4 version of the theme song was my least favorite so far...though I suppose it did fit with the tone of the season.
NOTE: Have to take care of something right now, so I'll edit this post a little later today with some spoiler protected thoughts on Season 4.
NOTE: Have to take care of something right now, so I'll edit this post a little later today with some spoiler protected thoughts on Season 4.
09-01-10, 07:33 PM
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Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4]
hey guys, I'm now covering indian cinema for an independent film site. if you have any suggestions let me know. I know I'm a relative noob, but I do like doing my homework.
09-02-10, 06:06 AM
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Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4]
zombeaner,
what genre do you want?
flixtime, interesting thoughts, I must say I was completely enamored with the school angle coupled with the political background with Carcetti's push for mayor and the difference in 'business style' in Marlowe's gang compared to Barksdale's. For me, season 4 was the best season of drama tv I have come across (just ahead of Deadwood Season 1 and Carnivale season 1).
Couple of responses to your observations/questions: McNulty is being setup for his season 5 development. Same with Cutty.
Oh, season 4 also contained my favorite opening scene of each season (according to Simon each opening season scene is meant to set the tone and themes for the entire season).
what genre do you want?
flixtime, interesting thoughts, I must say I was completely enamored with the school angle coupled with the political background with Carcetti's push for mayor and the difference in 'business style' in Marlowe's gang compared to Barksdale's. For me, season 4 was the best season of drama tv I have come across (just ahead of Deadwood Season 1 and Carnivale season 1).
Couple of responses to your observations/questions: McNulty is being setup for his season 5 development. Same with Cutty.
Oh, season 4 also contained my favorite opening scene of each season (according to Simon each opening season scene is meant to set the tone and themes for the entire season).
09-03-10, 04:14 PM
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Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4]
Horror:
Arundhathi (http://www.bhavanidvd.com/product_in...ducts_id=3585)
Goddess (http://store.nehaflix.com/goddessdvd.html)
Sci-fi:
Love Story 2050 (http://store.nehaflix.com/lost20dvd.html)
Fantasy:
Magadheera (http://www.bhavanidvd.com/product_in...oducts_id=4049)
Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic (http://store.nehaflix.com/thpythmadvd.html)
Drona (http://store.nehaflix.com/drona-dvd.html)
Crime:
Company (http://store.nehaflix.com/companydvd.html)
Kaminey (http://www.bhavanidvd.com/product_in...oducts_id=4455)
Don (http://www.bhavanidvd.com/product_in...oducts_id=4196)
Epic:
Jodhaa Akbar (http://store.nehaflix.com/joakbluray.html)
Mughal-E-Azam (http://store.nehaflix.com/mueazcdvd.html)
Action:
Mission Kashmir (http://www.amazon.com/Mission-Kashmi...3547949&sr=8-1)
Drama w/music:
Devdas (http://store.nehaflix.com/dedvdsidied.html)
Drama w/ no music:
Eklavya (http://store.nehaflix.com/eklavyadvd.html)
Masala (all genres mixed in one):
Sivaji (http://www.bhavanidvd.com/product_in...oducts_id=2386)
Dramedy:
Luck By Chance http://store.nehaflix.com/lubychdvd.html
Superhero:
Krrish (http://store.nehaflix.com/krrishdvd1.html)
Mr. India (http://store.nehaflix.com/mrindiadvd.html)
Animation:
Sita Sings the Blues (http://www.amazon.com/Sita-Sings-Blu...3549008&sr=8-1)
Last edited by toddly6666; 09-03-10 at 04:24 PM.
09-10-10, 03:59 PM
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In observance of Eid...well, okay, maybe not, I just wanted to catch the movie...watched Dabangg (2010, Hindi) and it delivered on the promise of the trailer...thumbs up! It's mass market, old-fashioned Bollywood served up with a playful tone to make it fresh and of course more palatable to contemporary audiences (something South Indian films need to work on). The description I had read...something about a cop and showing flaws in the system - doesn't really represent the film all that well at all. It's an action comedy with the prime story interest being family melodrama/sibling rivalry...there's of course Salman Khan as a cop, and a villainous small-time politician...but the driving force is the family/sibling storyline. Salman Khan turns in a very nice performance...one of my favorite efforts from him. The first half is the strongest part of the movie with the highest fun factor before playing it more straight over the latter half of the film. The action scenes - though of smaller scale and short on grandeur - were entertaining. The humor was generally amusing. The romantic track should have been more touching. The song and dance was of good quality...I enjoyed every one of the songs...and two made me want to stand up and dance in the aisles...solid title song, solid item number (featuring Salman Khan's sister-in-law...wife of his brother - Arbaaz (not Sohail) - who also plays his brother in the movie (and produced it too)). Shatrughan Sinha's daughter - Sonakshi - makes her film debut as the female lead and - while she isn't really given much of substance to do - the former model does suit the part well...she had the right look for the role required. Sonu Sood (ARUNDHATI, JODHAA AKBAR, EK NIRANJAN) turns in his usual solid performance as the villain. Vinod Khanna does fine in a limited supporting role...as do Om Puri and Anupam Kher in even smaller roles. Debut director Abhinav Kashyap turned in a work that surpasses his big brother Anurag's recent efforts...though to be fair big brother tackled significantly more challenging material. DABANGG - perfectly timed to the Eid holiday - should do really well at the box-office.
nitin, I've finished THE WIRE...I'll comment maybe tomorrow.
nitin, I've finished THE WIRE...I'll comment maybe tomorrow.
09-10-10, 08:52 PM
#272
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As I was saying I've finished off the final season of THE WIRE, as well as the final season of THE SHIELD...and the Red Sox are done...so - after this post - any contributions in the near future should be more on-topic...and maybe the time for PART 5 of this thread is close to upon us.
First off...the seventh and final season of THE SHIELD was of the same high caliber of the previous two seasons...a really strong run - meaning seasons 5, 6, and 7 - to close the show. The low point of the show for me was the first four-to-six episodes of season 4, and that weak flashback episode sometime back in season 2 I think (what a speed bump that episode was)...but given the show totalled 88 episodes that means the overwhelming majority were quality viewing...a very fast-paced show.
And now for THE WIRE...some general comments before I go to spoiler protection. I had commented last about not being a fan of the Season 4 song, but having finished off Season 5, I'd have to say that Season 5's song and opening credits would now claim the title as my least favorite by a comfortable margin. Season 5 was rather hit-and-miss for me and in that sense it made for an uneven viewing experience...I enjoyed some parts of an episode while other aspects left me entirely cold. I sort of feel the show can be looked at similar to a UK series...Seasons 1-3 would be like Series 1, while Seasons 4 & 5 would be Series 2. Overall though it is a solid show and while it may read as if I like THE SHIELD better that really isn't the case...they are both terrific shows...I'm simply going into some more detail about THE WIRE because I've got nitin riding shotgun for me on the conversation. Might as well go spoiler protection now (do not read if you plan to watch the show). Before that, I salute you folks who watched both these shows during their original broadcasts...how you survived the suspense I don't know...both really addictive shows...I'm glad I could roll through them at will as opposed to having to wait weeks, years, etc. to find out how the story progressed.
First off...the seventh and final season of THE SHIELD was of the same high caliber of the previous two seasons...a really strong run - meaning seasons 5, 6, and 7 - to close the show. The low point of the show for me was the first four-to-six episodes of season 4, and that weak flashback episode sometime back in season 2 I think (what a speed bump that episode was)...but given the show totalled 88 episodes that means the overwhelming majority were quality viewing...a very fast-paced show.
And now for THE WIRE...some general comments before I go to spoiler protection. I had commented last about not being a fan of the Season 4 song, but having finished off Season 5, I'd have to say that Season 5's song and opening credits would now claim the title as my least favorite by a comfortable margin. Season 5 was rather hit-and-miss for me and in that sense it made for an uneven viewing experience...I enjoyed some parts of an episode while other aspects left me entirely cold. I sort of feel the show can be looked at similar to a UK series...Seasons 1-3 would be like Series 1, while Seasons 4 & 5 would be Series 2. Overall though it is a solid show and while it may read as if I like THE SHIELD better that really isn't the case...they are both terrific shows...I'm simply going into some more detail about THE WIRE because I've got nitin riding shotgun for me on the conversation. Might as well go spoiler protection now (do not read if you plan to watch the show). Before that, I salute you folks who watched both these shows during their original broadcasts...how you survived the suspense I don't know...both really addictive shows...I'm glad I could roll through them at will as opposed to having to wait weeks, years, etc. to find out how the story progressed.
Spoiler:
09-11-10, 06:54 AM
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Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4]
Flixtime, Nitin, or anyone else:
Does anyone know if this new English-subtitled Thai dvd of Jodhaa Akbar is anamorphic? On the ethaicd website, they only list it as "widescreen":
http://ethaicd.com/show.php?pid=55544
Does anyone know if this new English-subtitled Thai dvd of Jodhaa Akbar is anamorphic? On the ethaicd website, they only list it as "widescreen":
http://ethaicd.com/show.php?pid=55544
09-11-10, 08:15 AM
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toddly, I have no idea if that DVD is anamorphic or not...just came to know of its existence because of your post...if no one else can give you an answer then maybe just try e-mailing ethaicd...you have the Blu-ray, right...well if the Thai DVD is anamorphic it would be a good option for those who haven't gone Blu-ray yet.
nitin, I liked the final episode of THE WIRE, it lived up to the high expectations I had...all the season ending episodes of THE WIRE were solid efforts so this last episode delivered what I expected...maybe that is why I didn't reference it in particular...it was the perfect bow to wrap the series. Also, maybe since I had just gone through the final episode of THE SHIELD, that is another reason I didn't offer any special comments on the close of THE WIRE. In the sense that the final episode of THE SHIELD was more eventful/suspenseful whereas THE WIRE was - like I said - the perfect bow to bring closure to the show. One more point I really didn't care for with Season 5 of THE WIRE comes back to an earlier complaint I had regarding Season 1...the gratuitous profanity thing...it really seemed to be back during Season 5, noticeably early on but also at points later on...at times it just felt like endless cursing no matter what the scene and no matter who the character...just a little too easy to have everyone utter a curse word instead of writing some other dialogue...or maybe just keeping quiet.
I'll admit to feeling a bit of a void now that I'm done with THE SHIELD and THE WIRE...it's back to only movies again...at least until I get started on ASHES TO ASHES or that new THRILLER boxset. I survived yesterday okay enough with DABANGG and cracking open UNDERWORLD from the new Criterion von Sternberg set. Still, watching THE SHIELD and THE WIRE was a bit revelatory...coming from someone who doesn't watch a lot of TV shows...makes me wonder where the true excellence in writing/storytelling can be found...TV or the movies...something like the budget-waster that was the recent SHERLOCK HOLMES movie just comes across as entirely vacuous when compared to what you can find in THE SHIELD and THE WIRE. But I suppose that is material for an entirely different thread in a different forum...what is better now...the best of TV versus the best of cinema...many movies seem overly concerned with being displays of the latest/greatest technology at the cost of storytelling and character development.
nitin, I liked the final episode of THE WIRE, it lived up to the high expectations I had...all the season ending episodes of THE WIRE were solid efforts so this last episode delivered what I expected...maybe that is why I didn't reference it in particular...it was the perfect bow to wrap the series. Also, maybe since I had just gone through the final episode of THE SHIELD, that is another reason I didn't offer any special comments on the close of THE WIRE. In the sense that the final episode of THE SHIELD was more eventful/suspenseful whereas THE WIRE was - like I said - the perfect bow to bring closure to the show. One more point I really didn't care for with Season 5 of THE WIRE comes back to an earlier complaint I had regarding Season 1...the gratuitous profanity thing...it really seemed to be back during Season 5, noticeably early on but also at points later on...at times it just felt like endless cursing no matter what the scene and no matter who the character...just a little too easy to have everyone utter a curse word instead of writing some other dialogue...or maybe just keeping quiet.
I'll admit to feeling a bit of a void now that I'm done with THE SHIELD and THE WIRE...it's back to only movies again...at least until I get started on ASHES TO ASHES or that new THRILLER boxset. I survived yesterday okay enough with DABANGG and cracking open UNDERWORLD from the new Criterion von Sternberg set. Still, watching THE SHIELD and THE WIRE was a bit revelatory...coming from someone who doesn't watch a lot of TV shows...makes me wonder where the true excellence in writing/storytelling can be found...TV or the movies...something like the budget-waster that was the recent SHERLOCK HOLMES movie just comes across as entirely vacuous when compared to what you can find in THE SHIELD and THE WIRE. But I suppose that is material for an entirely different thread in a different forum...what is better now...the best of TV versus the best of cinema...many movies seem overly concerned with being displays of the latest/greatest technology at the cost of storytelling and character development.