Monday 31 December 2007

Genius? Crap? Melody ? Three Youtube videos


Kavya Madhavan stars in Classmates: our song of the week video

TRACTOR FIGHT Ever seen a tractor fight like this? It is not much of a thing apart from a novel concept, a 63-second video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcGMT1AJsqI

DWARF DANCE
One of the most viewed videos on youtube is this little disco piece from a Rajnikanth film...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVuIBpJ6B4E

Classmates Soundtrack: Song of the week

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCp66YgN9HA

Happy New Year? The ERNEST HEMINGWAY way


No, not Santa Claus, but the great writer Ernest Hemingway..

Every day is a new day
Said one Ernest Hemingway
So why fuss
Happy New Year anyway

Sunday 30 December 2007

Sleepwalking Person of the year: Guess Who?

All these magazines and newspapers choosing their so called person of the year, why should we be left behind..
Only that human beings do not deserve it this year or any year.

THE SLEEPWALKING AWARD GOES TO:

The Albatross

The bird with the largest wing span and the only one that comfortably dozes off while flying at 25mph. Now, which human can do that?
The award citation follows in susequent posts...

Friday 28 December 2007

Secret Collage At Home: Stunt Driver and other clips

On the inside of "my" cupboard, I have placed cutouts from various newspapers and magazines. The whole thing is now so spread that it wouldn't show clearly on a single photograph, so here are a couple of bits...





Leching?


No...


Just an innocent guy with a fanatic love of books...

Tuesday 25 December 2007

Movie Review: Taare Zameen Par: On education, a lost childhood & lack of empathy...

December 24, 2007
Rahul Talkies
6:30 pm show


Ever wondered why school was so nightmarish to attend? No review today friends, and this is not out of laziness. I would not want to point the so called errors like some strict heartless teacher of a school. When the effort is so sincere and skillful, does every scene have to be of cinematic brilliance? Taare Zameen Par is a film with a heart of gold, thought provoking, endearing and immensely watchable.

Part emotional blackmail, a bit contradictory and part masterpiece, just go out there and watch it on 70mm.

Child artist Darsheel Safary puts in an amazing debut performance in his role as a dyslexic child
Aamir Khan plays a supportive drawing teacher. This is his directorial debut too.
Prasoon Joshi's simple, sensitive lyrics have being set to music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy

WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS: Santa Claus Cartoons



Reindeer Blues




nicholsoncartoons.com

Monday 24 December 2007

Sunday 23 December 2007

Sighgad Fort Trip: More outlines

Silhouette
sil·hou·ette
A dark image outlined against a lighter background.


Raincloud emerges into the frame like a guerrilla warrior of Shivaji's army would have 350 years ago


Raincloud's mysterious gestures continue


What the heck? The mystery deepens...

Saturday 22 December 2007

On Sighgad Fort with Raincloud: Part I

December 21, 2007, Friday

Raincloud recreates a man asking for help


Raincloud attempts to sleep on a hot baking rock


The Khadakwasla Dam shines a bright blue; a bird's eye view from the fort

Travel Photo Feature: Sighgad Fort with Raincloud: Part II

December 21, 2007, Friday

Raincloud outlined on a fort wall


Down on his knees, Raincloud clicks a fort gate


This is I. Outlines look better rather than sad faces

Thursday 20 December 2007

This began as a movie review post...

YAWN...
Yes, I thought of writing lengthy reviews of each of the three films I saw in three days, including ten separate reviews of Dus Kahaniyan (Ten Stories) but somewhere in between the road diverged.
Kick the review, I say, you never know a movie until you see it. Whatever the reviewer may say, you may find tiny bits wonderful even in a 'bad' movie.
Let your friends and scream their irritation, their boredom, you still have to watch the movie, no other way about it...
So forget it! Until next time, that is, when I do not feel so lazy..yawn....

Saturday 15 December 2007

Three Days, Three Movies: Dus Kahaniyaan , I Am Legend and 1408 : Single Screen Theaters and Multiplexes

Watch out for the movie reviews of these three films in subsequent posts, which I hope to post soon...

THURSDAY, December 13
WESTEND is one of the best single-screen theater in Pune. Balcony tickets cost 50% to 60% less,70 rs to be exact, with great seats, a great screen and sound system and umpteen trailers of upcoming releases.

SOME GREAT STORIES; LARGELY AVERAGE TREATMENT: DUS KAHANIYAAN


FRIDAY, December 14
With a former workmate I am at INOX for the 7:15 pm show of this Will Smith starter. Tickets are at 160rs each, without any extra facilities, in fact the quality is the same as offered at WESTEND.

GOOD BUT NOT CLASSY: I AM LEGEND

SATURDAY, December 15
E-square is a happy contrast to INOX. This Still, we had to wait outside the screening hall and are allowed inside just before the screen flickers with the opening credits.

FORMULAIC SCARE GAME: 1408

Monday 3 December 2007

Indian Film Soundtrack: Song of the week: Blowing every worry away...

I am moving along with life / blowing every worry away in smoke / to rue destruction was useless / I am moving along, celebrating destruction....
would be an attempted translation of this 1961 song from the soundtrack of Hum Dono.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCBSaUPZmGc
ALLOW VIDEO TO LOAD FULLY FOR UNINTERUPPTED VIEW
Preferably close your eyes and allow the music to takeover.

THE SONG MAKERS

Sahir, a very difficult man to get along with for his ego and drinking bouts, was a great lyricist and wrote many beautiful songs for Hindi films.


For Jaidev, this was a fleeting moment of fame in his life as music director; and for Mohd Rafi, well, yet another song for his angelic voice.

Saturday 1 December 2007

Celebrating the Indian film soundtrack: Song link of the week: Ghajini


Harris Jayaraj at work

By a hazardous estimation, a hundred new songs are being composed in the Indian film soundtrack world every day.
Most of them are for films in Hindi,Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada, the languages in which most of the films are made every year. Most of the films are trash, but for the ironically beautiful music.

Even though you might not understand the lyrics; the songs stand alone. Truly, there is nothing as infinite, as far-reaching as music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm8UyF-ZLtQ
(ALLOW THE VIDEO TO LOAD FULLY TO ENJOY THE SONG WITHOUT ANY INTERRUPTION)

Here is a link to the 2005 Tamil soundtrack of Ghajini, the film is being remade in Hindi starring Aamir Khan. The music for the Hindi version is by AR Rahman though.
Harris Jayaraj scored the music for the Tamil version.

Wednesday 28 November 2007

ESCAPING TV: Work yourself to sleep theory



Work yourself to death all day, let the sweat flow, let your mind drag itself ploughing through; let creativity get the whip on the back, be your own slave all day; that by evening you are crawling to bed.


There...you see the result!

Monday 26 November 2007

SURRENDER TO TV: INDIA _ PAKISTAN DELHI TEST MATCH : SHIFTING SCALES DUE TO BLUNDEROUS CRICKET


THE TURNING POINT: Ganguly gets Misbah caught in the deep on the third day of the test match ( November 25) that led to restricting Pakistan to 248 in the second innings; India were set 203 to win on a pitch that had no demons in it for a determined batsman

The first test match ended today morning with India acquiring the remaining 32 runs for the loss of Saurav Ganguly; won by five wickets.
I finally succumbed to TV as the second day and the third day showcased enthralling cricket. But a match that must have gone down the wire, was marred by lacklustre fielding and bowling by both sides. More noticeably, Pakistan had no fire in their bowling except for Shoiab Akhtar.
On the third day, Pak batsmen just gave their wickets away, trying to slog sixes like one-day cricket..
Where are the bowlers like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis who set up such exciting contests...?


Tendulkar and Akhtar share a water bottle after India won the first test on a cold November morning (November 26)


Akhtar engaged in a humorous duel with Tendulkar


Indian captain Anil Kumble poses with his man of the match award for his captainship and bowling


Indian team members applaud as Sachin hits the winning runs on Monday morning (November 26), India required only 30 odd runs before the start of the fourth day's play, with six wickets in hand

PHOTO COURTESY: CRICINFO and AL-JAZEERA

Wednesday 21 November 2007

TV WAR: FIGHT BACK: THE COMPLETE PEANUTS : THE ART OF CHARLES M SCHULZ



On an idle afternoon, I bought myself the first volume of the enjoyable and endearing comic strip Peanuts by Charles M Schulz, titled - The Complete Peanuts(1950-1952). The publishers claim to have collected every Peanuts comic strip ever made.

Lovingly designed, the volume is a great companion for lazy, back from work evenings, alternative to being a zombie before the TV.

The special thing about the first volume is that it takes us to where it all began.
Charlie Brown looks different, Snoopy is an unnamed dog and the other characters make their first appearance.
You can also notice where Bill Waterson got his inspiration for Calvin and Hobbes; one thing noticeable is that the early Charlie Brown drawings have similarities to Calvin.


The 1957-1958 volume of the collection

Monday 19 November 2007

Fighting TV: lost battle

It was a lost cause when my family left the battleground all open for me.
They went on a two day trip to Mumbai. I could have accompanied them but then decided that this was the time to test myself.
Hour one, goes to the TV.
HOUR TWO
My arms are laid.
HOUR THREE
I do not surrender. I change sides.
HOUR FOUR
The devilish TV soul has taken over my body.
HOUR FIVE
FINISH

ENDNOTE
Round 2 begins now. November 19, 2007. 1800hours.

Friday 16 November 2007

Escaping TV: Go to the cinema: Om Shanti Om: disappointing




Yeah, I ended up watching the Hindi Diwali film release Om Shanti Om on Friday afternoon.
Yeah, the same Shah Rukh Khan one. Like formulaic Hindi movies go, it was a cold evening when the show got over.
Farah Khan has great ideas in setting up comedy, the celebration of Hindi cinema, this can be seen in the Filmfare awards scene - the only light moment of the second half.
The first half lights up with the fervour of the 70's cinema. But whenever Farah goes for drama and more drama, the goings are torturous to say the least.
The fault, if one say so in the satirical script that follows Subash Ghai's 1977 reincarnation hit Karz, and takes itself too seriously.
That is it for short, a great idea as Farah's first film, but the mix of drama, spoof and comedy doesn't flow convincingly.

Too much has been made by Manoj Kumar of the supposed ridicule and insult made of him in the film. The scene is funny, celebrating the actor's style rather than mocking him. Placing the story on the Times of India front page seems more like a advertisement than anything.

FIGHTING TV ADDICTION: ha ha ha



Ha ha ha, laughed the family on my suggestion of doing away with the satellite TV service.
I suggested that we embrace World Space Radio and only watch movies on TV, that is on weekends.
HA HA HA
The family fell off chairs, tried getting up and fell down again.
For a start, this was me versus the TV, and the temptation of joining the family when they sat like logs before the Satan incarnate...

14/11/2007
18:30 hours

Wednesday 14 November 2007

KICKING TELEVISION OUT OF MY LIFE: Day 1



I am only more and more convinced of television killing us quietly.
Every time I press the remote control and vile away hours switching channels, the feeling of being a slave is more evident.

Here is a petition that is available on the net:
________________________________
To: The government of the world

TV is corrupting the minds of our world. Without TV, there would be so many less deaths in the world, and everyone would be more peaceful. TV is responsible for so many deaths around the world, and, a rare fact that not many people know, World War II was actually started because of TV. And the more recent war on Iraq! TV is evil, surely. TV will one day take over the world, and we will be mindless sheep who don't even notice so! This day will come, it is prophesised. Also, I don't have cable. And that sucks. So please, help me with my goal to BAN TV WORLDWIDE ONCE AND FOR ALL!

Sincerely,
The Undersigned

_________________________________

Thing is, it is easier to sign a petition than to give up television.
My only reason, it kills our minds, our time, kills us alive, if not make wars or cause death...



So..
My time starts now.
My subsequent posts will document my adventures in fighting this invisible devil.

Will I be able to resist the temptation to give up my source of voyeurism and obscenity?

What changes shall I see, for worse or for better?

Let's see...

Wednesday 7 November 2007

The festivals of lights: the light of knowledge and thought


My senile computer shall require upgrading for me to post my village travel photos and posts, that should take a week or more. 

Happy Diwali to all. 
Do not induce the Earth to wear a gas mask and a hearing device because of loud and smoke filled crackers. 

Diwali is the season of getting together of old friends and relatives and beautiful light. My introvert behavior ensures things will be different. 


The lighted oil deeps (not 'deep' of the English language) does illuminate the senses with comfort and awareness, dispelling fear and ignorance. That is Diwali for me; the incentive to change.

Saturday 3 November 2007

VILLAGE TRIP CURTAIN RAISER

OCTOBER 23
I TURN 25 YEARS OLD; WE LEAVE BY THE 5:30 BUS TO MANGLORE,KARNATAKA.

OCTOBER 24
11:30 HOURS
WE ARRIVE:I AND THUNDERMAN.
WE DO NOT KISS THE NATIVE SOIL.
OUR DESTINATION, TO MY UNCLE'S PLACE AT SHIRIYA, KERALA.

OCTOBER 26
12: 30 HOURS
TRAVEL TO ULLAL, MANGLORE TO MEET MY GRANDMA. THE WELL SWELLS WITH WATER, THE FALLEN BANYAN TREE LIES HUGE, BROKEN AND SCATTERED.

OCTOBER 27
BACK TO SHIRIYA,LOCATED 10O METRES FROM THE SEA SHORE.

OCTOBER 29
18:30 HOURS
BACK AT GRANDMA'S PLACE

OCTOBER 31
17:10 HOURS
A SHAVE AND A HAIRCUT AT THE OLD VILLAGE BARBER SHOP. WE TALK, AND THE BARBER REMEMBERS MY GRANDFATHER AND MY UNCLES BEING HIS CUSTOMERS.

NOVEMBER 1
14:40 HOURS
WE CATCH THE TRAIN, TRAIN JOURNEYS ARE WONDERFUL. EXTRA LUGGAGE: 25 COCONUTS IN A GUNNY BAG AND LITRES OF COCONUT OIL.

NOVEMBER 2
6:30 AM
WE HURRIEDLY ALIGHT AT PANVEL, MUMBAI AND BOARD A STATE TRANSPORT BUS TO PUNE.

9:35 AM
WE ARE IN A TRAFFIC JAM. LOTS OF SMOKE, HONKING HORNS, A RUNNING AUTO METER. JUST LIKE "HOME"?

Friday 2 November 2007

From tranquil stagnancy to self destruction

Hello to anybody out there who reads my posts.
It is very hard to believe anyone reads these pages, just as hard it is to believe that life exists outside our planet.
Welcoming me from the village trip to Pune today morning, was Carbon Monoxide. Felt it in my breath again, stranded in the traffic, the auto meter snapping at my purse all the time.
Travelogue dairies shall follow.
Goodbye till then....

Saturday 6 October 2007