A week’s worth of films

Here are some of the films I have this new year. Nothing recent and nothing spectacular or off the charts. Some just sounded interesting and some were critically-acclaimed.

1. Dressed to Kill
Last year I finally saw Scarface. I thought another Brian De Palma film wouldn’t hurt, especially one whose synopsis from IMDB read :A mysterious, tall, blonde woman, wearing sunglasses murders one of a psychiatrist's patients, and now she's after the prostitute who witnessed it. 

2. Leon the Professional
This movie is always floating in IMDB lists; so finally picked it up. While watching it, I loved the music, especially juxtaposing it with the continuous massacre in the film.

3. Paths of Glory
I am making an effort to watch war films. I haven’t counted but this might be my third war/anti-war film.
Paths of Glory is an anti-war parable, mostly about how war is not about the macro-picture but just about individual ambitions trumping over the lives of feeble soldiers. I was appalled and shocked at the right moments and Kirk Douglas was a revelation! Also Stanley Kubrick as the director ain’t bad either! 

4. The Social Network
I avoided this film on purpose. It’s difficult to see this film as an objective viewer. I’ll post a very apt blog entry by Filmdr who says that after watching this film ‘two ironies emerge’:
a) A shy, anti-social young man electronically seduces the world by appealing to everyone's social instincts.
b) Goaded on by sexual rejection and class resentment, Zuckerberg invents the ultimate club that establishes its own kind of exclusivity by allowing only members with the Harvard.edu address, but then he gradually lets everyone join. Like a bunch of lemmings, we do.

5. The Bad Seed
What makes a child go bad? Is it nurture or nature? I think the film tried to answer the question by introducing us to a child who acts perfect but is a basket of killings waiting to unravel. The film is a precursor to Children of the Corn, The Omen’s Damien but at a small, household level.

6. The Hurt Locker
In my attempts to watch War films, I came across this Oscar winner. I liked the film; the tension is palpable and loved the first words of the film:  The rush of battle is a potent and often lethal addiction, for war is a drug. There is no rush and there is no fast—paced action. Just the strain of getting out of anywhere alive. The film flowed like a poem, and ended where it began.


7. Winter’s Bone
I had heard a lot about the film but no names had popped up. The film’s story is nothing great, a girl who is hunting for her father; but the cinematography with the bleak and desolate land and a futile search kept me hooked. A thriller story set in the neo-noir country, the film creeps up on you. Just goes to show you that a good film can be made with less resources.

Of course everyone is out to get me!

Disorder | Rating
Paranoid: Very High
Schizoid: High
Schizotypal: High
Antisocial: Low
Borderline: Low
Histrionic: Low
Narcissistic: High
Avoidant: High
Dependent: Low
Obsessive-Compulsive: Moderate

I take these sort of tests once in a while and as I think, so I receive. Though I think there is some conspiracy here. I would say I’m extremely antisocial and dependent. But if I say I let other people make my important decisions, it’s an oxymoron, isn’t it?

URL of the test: http://www.4degreez.com/misc/personality_disorder_test.mv

What Am I Watching? Ichi

                             
So I’m looking at my download folder, which is just about to burst, and I think – How many dramas/anime am I watching?
Just a fair warning – Things that I watch are usually divided into episodic and non-episodic. With the episodic ones, I take my time cause the I think the story isn’t engaging if the author has to resort to episodic events. The non-episodic ones are sometimes also called awesome!

So here’s a list:
1. Inuyasha


Anyone’s who’s even a little bit into anime would have heard of this series at least. A high school girl is transported into feudal Japan reeking of demons and slayers. Here she meets the half-demon Inuyasha who is after the sacred jewel that can turn him into a full-fledged demon.
I like the series as a whole, but it’s too episodic and lengthy.  
For more pics, go here

2. You’re Under Arrest
Another anime. This time it’s cops in a quiet Japanese city.

The series is fun. Look at what they have – two female cops and an unusual motley crew. I’ve just started this but sadly this is episodic too.

3. Fringe

Welcome to episodic land! Fringe is something I watch when I’m loading up on some other (better) serials.  The place taken by Fringe now was earlier occupied by Criminal Minds. They try to do something better, but it’s all already been done. While Fringe is worth a watch, it’s not worth a save.

4. Glass no Kamen (Glass Mask)

And now, the good stuff. Glass Mask is such an inspired story. I first picked up the 1984 version anime and am currently watching and being inspired by the 2005 version. This is such a strong story that I’m now reading the manga.
Simply told, Glass Mask is the story of a teenage girl who knows nothing but acting; a simple girl who transforms on the stage. A must-see for everyone. Also a long, passionate love story.  

5. Gungrave

This anime is a delight to see. Not only does this have a strong storyline, I’ve fallen in love with its songs. Revenge, friendship, love, honour – and guns. Dark and serious, I love the heavy angst.
Here’s the opening!
p.s. The quotes on the wall!!!

6. Gal Circle
So this was an odd one. I am following the brilliant Jdrama reviews of this guy here! And when I saw Gal Circle there, I was a bit confused. A cowboy lands in Shibuya and with his pure-hearted Japanese and heart, tries to correct the behaviour of young para-para (dance) girls!! SO Odd!
 
But fun! Even though there is a usual moral ending, it’s just fun to watch everyone making a fool of themselves! Or you can just watch it for the tons of girls including Toda Erika!

7. Luther

I’m not asking for your approval sir; just your silence.

It’s just too good to see Idris Elba back on the screen and talking in British accent. The last I saw him was in The Wire as Stringer Bell…ahh, good times. Luther is a mystery/cop show. It’s not the best show around but it’s extremely powerful and it’s good. A definite must-watch.

Okay, this is just part one of what I’m watching. I’m sure by the time I write part two, many of these will either be done or long gone. I’ll update soon.
I sorta have a life!

Best books of 2010

This year, for me, has been a really slow year in terms of books. I’m glad I’m back on the wagon, even though it’s by the help of the Sookie Stackhouse series. I finished the last 4 books in a month and they were entertaining. Currently I am reading From Dead To Worse, the eighth book in the series.

Anyway,
Here’s a compiled list of the best books for 2010.
- A comprehensive list by Amazon HERE. It includes best customer favourites, Editor’s picks, and it’s also divided up by genre.
- NYT also has a list. You can also hear a podcast on the link. In the site’s book section, there are also links to notable children’s books and crime thrillers of the year. 
- Salon also has a list of this year’s best books, which is divided into fiction, non-fiction and author’s picks.
- Boston Globe’s top 10 children’s books here.
- Slate’s list of year’s top books.
- At NPR, you have book critic Maureen Corrigan’s favourite books of 2010. You can also have a listen too.
At largehearted boy, you can get a complete list of the online best books of 2010.

Popculture Linkage

Includes the greatest minfuc* moment, controversy that won’t die and what list would be complete without a nod to the infamous Lady Gaga. I do have some serious concerns regarding their choice of the biggest douchebag, but then that’s getting political.
available Here

For all your daily news needs, there’s the front page. You can always log onto Newseum, which is great for not just the front page view, but also gives an insight into journalism. What I like the most is their best of the week pages though.
You can also see the pages here: http://frontpages.tumblr.com/

Flip fast is like my go-to guide for news analysis. It has almost all major news sites linked to it and they’re all divided into sections.

 

Type stop

“Sex And The City was not a documentary, and it was a whole recession ago, and really a whole generation of online dating ago. So do us all a favor: Stop with Carrie and Miranda and especially Samantha, and while you’re at it? You could give the Bridget Jones thing a rest, too.

We’ve all moved on. Please move on with us.”

VIA

NPR response to an NYT article on being an independent working woman without a suitable love life.

 

Splosh, it fell

You know what being in love feels like?

It’s called daily dose of Crap.

For anyone who says different, take a knife, insert it in your chest and twist it gently. (Yes, it’s killing you softly).

On a happier note, here’s a link for all the One Piece in the world.
http://one-piece-anime-megaupload.blogspot.com/

Links barrage

Listening to: Zombie-Cranberries/Strange Fruit-Billie Holliday/Georgia-Ray Charles/

After a long time

- Beginning with self pleasure and masturbation, I have accounts on MAL and icheckmovies. Still have a long way to go in both – although re-watching Se7en on an off day does nothing to increase the list.

- For all your One Piece needs, this is probably the best place to go.

- I often go trailer watching because I skip the new movies. Some trailers look saucy (like Scream 4) and some look immensely thrilling (like All good things). And then there are some, like Biutiful, which are stories in themselves.

- I’m not sure if it’s a good thing but the Indian section of Wiki’s list of greatest films has Sholay (1975) as the last entry. There’s also some obvious choices like Satyajit Ray films (not in my top shelf), Gandhi (a bit of over-reaching there) and Junoon (which I have never cared for). I know that most films made in India are sort of, often marketing shenanigans and mostly crap wrapped up in decoration. But I would have put something like Pushpak in that list. (and a secret favourite called Teesri Manzil).

- Thought of the day:
When your hands reek tobacco,
and your mouth smells like sushi,
there’s a night you can always remember.

Countless sighs - a recap of last few months

The torrents are doing their job and so is radio.
Friends are trying hard but this indecision isn’t going away.
Have caught up on films though.
Checking movies has spurred me on more than anything. Noir is exhilarating and Billy Wilder, wonderful.
I’ll be glad when I overcome this pensive mood of mine.
Have probably written more in the last few days than the last year.
There’s something rotten in my state. Going bipolar, perhaps?
Was this even a post?
PS
In the last icons post, forgot to put the Magnificent Ambersons. Damn!

Just like that

Long time, no see Post.

1. I am on Twitter HERE.
Just a messenger.
Avoid personal reporting.

2.This is a good link for Encarta quizzes. Got a mixed variety. Pretty interesting stuff.
HERE

3. Check out this site for film posters. The Big Heat poster looks vapour-y.

4. Had a reunion with a friend who returned from the Naxal under-land, changed as a
coffee-monger, but unchanged in many ways.

5. Trying to find The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It's a Scholastic publication, unavailable in India. Got interested because of the brilliant art work from Jason Chan HERE.

6. Watched Brick featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Reminiscent of Sam Spade type/The Maltese Falcon but among the immoral, drug-abused present.
Features dialogue like:
"Maybe I'll just sit here and bleed at you."
"I've got knives in my eyes, I'm going home sick."
"Which wall's the door in?"

Personal update:
Life is drab.
Work is mercenary.

Interesting links

This post is dedicated to links.
Interesting links that will become a part of the blogroll that I will one day have.

1. Arts Journal that compiles articles on media, music, people, publishing, etc.

2. Top 100 sneakers (ya, really!)

3. A clock, but not for people who can’t read HERE

4. A package deal starring Kanye West
a. What he did (NYT calls it the celebrity run-in HERE)
b. This incident led to a buzz in the twitterati-activity leading to this Is Kanye the new O.J.? HERE

5. Discovered the classic magazine The Atlantic.

Flashbacks from The Atlantic are available at: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/index/flashbacks

Includes:

‘Mind over matter’ which compiles articles from the 1920s to the 1990s that reflect on the revolutionary insights of Albert Einstein.

‘Defending Darwin’ that compiles articles from 1860 to the present on the conflict between evolution theory and religious fundamentalism.

‘Private domain’ where three Atlantic authors consider the fine line between security and breach of privacy.

'Obscenity, Censorship, and the First Amendment', featuring Atlantic writings from the turn of the twentieth century forward on the fraught battleground between freedom of speech and public morality.

‘So You Want to Be a Writer’ that features Wallace Stegner, Francine Prose, John Kenneth Galbraith, and others offer advice to aspiring wordsmiths.

‘Broadcast News’ where David Halberstam, James Fallows, and Nicholas Lemann write on the rich past and uncertain future of broadcast journalism.

‘Nobel Quibbles’ cause when it comes to the Nobel Prize, controversy and debate have always been the name of the game.

‘The Diamond Myth’ which compiles articles from the past 150 years reveal the dark side of "the most brilliant of stones."

‘Finding a Place for God’ includes Atlantic contributors from throughout the past century question the value of religion in a scientific world.

'The Road to the Information Age' - Decades before the rise of the Internet, Atlantic contributors were dreaming of the day when all knowledge on earth would be available at the click of a button.

'White America Reacts' compiles Articles from the turn of the 20th century onwards show that the breakdown of racial hegemony in America has been a slow, challenging process.

TV Linkage

Browsing through the television (read as gossip, celebrity drivel), I cam upon few good articles..

1. EW has posted a link HERE supporting 1984 as the greatest year in movies. The author says that in the year movies like Footloose, Romancing the stone, Friday the 13th -Final Chapter, Star Trek -3, Gods must be crazy, Revenge of the nerds, Nightmare on the Elm street, Dune, Beverly Hills Cop, and many more were released.
The author was lashing out against those who believe that 1939 (which gave us Gone with the Wind, Wizard of Oz) is a year for the movies.
I guess it is a personal choice, but I can see that 1984 will get a popular vote.

2. Similarly, HERE is a list by TV squad of the greatest year for television debuts. The race is tough between 1994 (ER, Friends) and 2004 (Lost, Veronica Mars, Entourage, House).

3. The top TV shows at TV.com HERE shows True Blood with the highest popular rating. TB is followed closely by Entourage, another HBO creation. HBO is doing pretty well and winning acclaim all around.

4. MUST READ: Reviews of New York and Kambakkht Ishq, courtesy Variety.

5. Is it too late to start reading comic books?Any ideas?

random-ness..and numbness

I didn't know that Charlie Chaplin's body was stolen from his grave and is now cemented...WTF?!!

News and Link-age!

1. For one day the Israeli paper was handled by poets and writers...and it led to amazing results. Read more HERE

2. Watching Naruto Shippuden. Like tall, quit-er Naruto, with the less-thick voice. Gaara is amazing as always. Apparently, animation is growing in India. From 2006 to 2008, it has grown 20.1%. I'm banking on less of cartoon network and more of AdultSwim coming to India.

3. Think True Blood is a scam.. Vampires=nice, but vampires in a socially compromising setting=bleh!

4. Guardian linkage on books again...here

More, later!

Avatar-the movie

oH MY GOD...

New Avatar pics are out HERE

Dev Patel as Zuko doesnt look that good.... and Aang looks so serious .... How is Night going to pull it off?And do they plan to make all four movies or do they want to finish everything off in the first one..Impossible though..

Over Already? : Lost s05 finale

Another season comes and goes away quickly. And what have we learnt this time, I wonder.

Its another season of nothingness wrapped in crafts and wars and internal bickering. Some clues are thrown your way but some are just gift wrapped in complicated messes that will only be cleaned in the next season..

But in spite of all this, this season was interesting and fun to watch. It had everything, especially the final episode.

Bombs are always exploding, dharma stuff is always blowing up and there are always Jears (I think that's the copyright of ack-attack).

What I liked about the finale:

1. Jacob makes an appearance and I love him. Very suave, confident and almost God-like

2. I could see a few similarities with HP and even Batman-Joker and strongly.

3. Juliet...WOW...brave. That's all I call think of... and she made a decision many of the characters would fail to make.. Knowing that doing something will put you in the same rut that you wanted to escape from..selfless...(HP?)

2010 is too far away...

Links: Trailer for Last Vampire movie. The animation was really gory and interesting.. This looks like wall-breaking.

In Delhi...indefinitely

NEWS

1. Back in Delhi: Requires no explanation, except to say that its the most Awesome (as Barney Stintson would say it) city in India.

2. First time Voter: I would be lying if I would say that I did a wonderful job exercising my rights as a citizen. It was a shameful experience voting and an excellent sham. I thought I would read the parties and their nominees' agenda and then go vote, after being totally informed. Turned out that I could not find the name of the nominees standing from my city area and a greater surprise was that the ballot list had only the names of the candidates.

I'm no journalist!

3. Latest Passion: Anime! Have watched Naruto, Ouran high school Host Club and currently downloading a brilliant series called Paranoia Agent by Satoshi Kon (who made Paprika: a must for all). Apart from that, I have a whole list of things that I want to see ! Anime opens up a lot of possibilities that real live things cannot attain, apart from Hentai ;0

4. SHAMELESS LINKING: Posting links that I discovered through useless browsing

- CHECK the speed of your internet connection here. I was surprised!

-I want to watch THIS MOVIE. Have heard that that its wonderful and award winning...

-Discovered an amazing site for books and this trivia test that goes with it.. Will become a member soon

-Watched the movie called The Asphalt Jungle: its scenes of heist beat Oceans' 11, hands down!

More Later!