Na Munni Na Sheila..2010 Ki Item Girl Hai..

A jhatka matka hello, frEek fellows!!

While 2010 wasn't a happy year for Bollywood, what with biggies such as Kites and Guzaarish flopping, it certainly marked the return of that staple known as the ITEM NUMBER!


With the release of Salman Khan's curry masala "Dabangg" came the rustic chart topper "Munni Badnaam" giving us a the gyrating dewar-saali duo of Malaika Arora and Salman Khan, added for extra measure were lookalikes of Saif Ali Khan and Amitabh Bacchhan.




Soon after, were we treated to the Beyoncesque gyrations of a barely clad Katrina Kaif, who flaunted the results of her low carbohydrate diet for all and sundry to see; in Tees Maar Khan's " Sheila Ki Jawani" .




While the promos itself praised Sheila as the sexiest item song ever, it seemed to have been inspired from sources as wide as Beyonce to Kimi Katkar from "Jhumma Chumma".


It is however the frEek's opinion that the item girl of 2010, was not a munni or a sheila, but that dark damsel from videshi shores who wowed us with her spontaneous dance skills, all when her husband wowed India with his charm, that's right folks, I am talking about none other than Michelle Obama!!




So there you have it folks...2010 main Munni badnaam hui, aur Sheila jawaan, but it was Michelle that took our votes!!


Stay frEEked!!

TRON: LEGACY unfulfilled

A Sci-fi hello, frEek fellows,

This week saw the release of Disney's much anticipated sequel to its 1984 TRON. Coming nearly thirty years after its path-breaking predecessor; TRON: LEGACY promises the next step in Graphic Imaging.. the future of cinema after Avatar's path breaking effects, does it deliver, well freeking read on...

What it is? : Tron Legacy tells the tale of Kevin Flynn (Garett Hedlund) who is the son of TRON's protagonist Sam Flynn ( Jeff Bridges), Kevin a maverick hacker decides to investigate his father Sam's disappearance and ends up following him into the digitized universe known as TRON. Neon suits, lightcycles and techno music follow!!

Glow Baby Glow!!!

What Works: TRON: LEGACY, promised the next level in cinematic effects, and it manages to live upto that promise in part. The Lightcycle battles are truly amazing experience to watch on screen. Tron: Legacy also features Jeff Bridges in two roles, and he tries valiantly, to succeed in both while succeeding. Tron: Legacy also enjoys the collective presence of beauties such as Olivia Wilde, Beau Garett and YaYa Dacosta and Serinda Swan..or better explained in the below picture!!!

go buy your ticket...now!!!

What doesn't: TRON, released in 1984 had all the hallmarks of a typical Walt Disney movie; namely a good looking hero who is capable of extreme physical action and at the same time can hack into the most complex of computer systems in a matter of seconds. An over the top bad guy, a sympathetic, ultra-hot yet tough female lead and of course the uber-cool lightcycle. Where TRON-LEGACY majorly falters is that in upgrading the cinematic effects, it neglects to upgrade the story line and ends up in a laughable plot with some laugahble lines. Jeff Bridges in his two roles as the genius scientist Sam flynn, is left mouthing 70s lingo such as "cool" "radical" and wait for this.."knock on the sky..man!" to distinguish himself from his evil clone CLU (a CGI generated younger Jeff Bridges).

The Verdict: TRON: Legacy, was hailed as the next Avatar, and instead it ends up resulting in being a half-hearted mish mash of its predecessor. A lesson that fancy-packaging cannot disguise an empty soul...now doesn't that sound like something Sam Flynn would say!!



A disappointing two FreEkies!!

THOR TRAILER!!!!

A Superheroic hello freEk fellows.

The trailer for the latest in Marvel Comic's onslaught of superhero films : THOR, just hit the net, following worthy predecessors such as IRON MAN, HULK; THOR is the tale of THOR (Chris Middlesworth), who is banished to Earth as punishment by his father ODIN (Anthony Hopkins). Will this prove to be a worthy contender in the previous superhero Marvel releases, only time will tell

Thor Trailer from WatDaDickens.com on Vimeo.

Can's wait when all of Marvel's medley superheroes will appear on screen together in the AVENGERS ( 2012)


Stay frEeked!!!

TRANSFORMERS 3 - TRAILER!!

A weekend hello, frEeK fellows,

Apologies for having logged out for so long, this episode of Film freEk brings to you the trailer for the final part in Michael Bay's TRANSFORMER's trilogy, called : TRANSFORMERS - THE DARK OF THE MOON.


with the second part coming in for a lot of criticism regarding its CGI overkill and the lack of a coherent plotline, BAY appears to have taken a Spielbergish approach and attempted a suspenseful feel to the movie, although that will vanish within the first 15 minutes of the movie, to be filled in with the usual images of giant robots, and Shia Laboeuf running aroung screaming "nonononononono!!!"

Transformers: Dark Of The Moon Teaser Trl from Kellvin Chavez on Vimeo.

Oh well, what's the use, I know you'll be there!!


stay frEeked!!

The Fighter - A Knockout at the Oscars?

A Punching Hello, frEeK fellows!!!

The trailer for David O' Russel's " The Fighter" hits the internet today. The Fighter tells the true life story of Irish boxer Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg) who, coached by his brother played by Christian Bale, went on to become a boxing legend. Bale's character is an ex-boxer who succumbs to drug addiction and to his credit Bale looks the part of a recovering drug addict! Mark Wahlberg, reportedly trained for two years to get the fighting skills required for this movie.




The Fighter, is not a very new story, but what will set it apart, is the performance of its lead cast, and accordingly is being released in December, to be close to the Oscars.
Will it score a knockout at the Oscars? time will tell...


FreEk!

DABANGG - Return of the Man!!!

A Macho hello, freEk fellows!

Wet N' Wild Sallu!

For years, Bollywood cinema was dominated by stock character, the gareeb gaon ki gori, the evil (rich) zamindar/thakur/neta and of course the macho, boorish hero..who smashed the evil zamindar and swooped away the lovely gori all in a days work. When the Johars and Chopras of the world intervened and Bollywood shifted its focus to NRI cinema, where men in Armani wooed women in Gucci and the village background was replaced by the Golden Gate/Venice/Eiffel Tower etc. Finally, after what seems like an eternity, Abhinav Kashyap's "Dabangg" threatens to return the macho hero of yore to his throne in Bollywood; does it succeed? read on...
What works: Dabangg is a rehash of the old gaon-in-distress story that Bollywood overkilled in the 70s-80s. Salman Khan plays Chulbul Pandey a boorish corrupt yet lovable cop who doesn't mind doing his job, as long he gets to make some moolah on the side. A misunderstanding leads to Chulbul seperating from his brother Makhanchand (Arbaaz Khan) and step father Prajapati (Vinod Khanna). Chulbul is also at loggerheads with Chedi Singh played by Sonu Sood. To add some meetha to this masala mix, walks in Rajjo (Sonakshi Sinha) to steal Chulbul's heart. While the plot is nothing new, its the little details that make this movie special. Chedi carries with him in his entourage a photographer, to capture his exploits! Chulbul manages to a dance sequence while bashing goons to a pulp! and yes, Sallu's bhabhi; the sizzling Malaika drops in to gyrate for the new national anthem.."Munni Badnaam"!

Bhala Mera cleavage, aapke cleavage se zyada kaise??

What Doesn't: The plot is old wine, in an older bottle, and actors such as Anupam Kher, Om Puri and Mahi Gill are wasted in slightly incosequential roles. But hey, I am just nitpicking here!

Verdict: Dabangg, rises over the maar-dhaad movies of yore due to one factor, and one factor alone: SALMAN KHAN! Sallu who previously portrayed the muscled buffoon in movies such as Wanted takes Chulbul Pandey a step further, from his tongue in cheek dailogue to his rippling muscles, he brings to screen a character worth remembering for a long time ( seriously in the recent past, after Munnabhai, which other Bollywood character is worth remembering?). The over the top action sequences ( apparently as much time was spent shooting them as a regular movie) and the pulsating movie add to this maar-dhaad-pyaar-vyaar-khichdi! Southern India always acclaimed Rajni as the king of the over the top films, where the hero performs superhuman stunts, passes ribald dialogue and has a laugh with the audience in doing so; with Dabangg, Bollywood has a Rajni of its own!! Critics always complained about Salman's lack of acting skills that put him notches below the acclaimed Aamir Khan, with Dabangg, Salman proves to the world, he may not be much of an actor, but he is the STAR!!

extra frEeky: I have a feeling Dabangg 2 will be upon us soon!!

THE BLACK SWAN - Best of the year?

A mid-week hello, frEek fellows!

Ask any freEk for the year's best movie so far, and the answer in all probability will be INCEPTION, Chris Nolan's dream opera, seems a shoo-in for the best picture awards next year; that is until this trailer showed up on the internet..

With such classsics like Requiem for a Dream, the Wrestler and the Fountain behind him, Darren Aronofsky is one of the best directors of our generation, and when he comes up with this dizzying trailer about jealousy, mystery, sex, and shaky camera work (did i also mention sex?) in the world of ballet, our freEk senses go in a tizzy!!!

Black Swan features Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis as well as the legendary Vincent Cassel
(the guy who married Monica Bellucci) in a tale set against the New York Ballet. The trailer reveals Aronofsky's now-trademarked k camera work, and one hope the movie lives upto its promise!!!

Inception, finally seems to have some competition!!

freEk

extra freEky - I'm getting a Fight Club vibe from this, and you?

Predators - Review!!!

A Jungli Hello, frEek fellows!!

For all the action buffs amongst us, John McTierman's 1988 "Predator" remains a masterpiece. It pulled of the impossible task of making Arnold Schwartznegger, look scared and introduced the world to the bad-ass alien hunter species known only as the PREDATOR. Sadly, none of other sequels (Predator 2) or even the cross-over with the alien species (Predator Vs. Alien 1 & 2) failed to live up to the tone set by the first one, which is a shame given that you would expect better movies due to better CGI, make-up and so on! When Robert Rodriguez, announced a re-boot of the Predator franchise to be helmed by Nimrod Antal (Vacancy), much hype was generated. When Oscar winner Adrien Brody was added to the cast, the hype bubble grew bigger! And when the final product released...

What it is: Continuing the tale of the Predators "hunting" other species, Predators tells the tale of several humans who find themselves on an alien planet, these being: Royce (Adrien Brody); A mercenrary, Mexican drug cartel enforcer Cuchillo (Danny Trejo), Spetsnaz soldier Nikolai (Oleg Taktarov), Israel Defense Forces sniper Isabelle (Alice Braga), Revolutionary United Front officer Mombasa (Mahershalalhashbaz Ali), death row inmate Stans (Walton Goggins), Yakuza enforcer Hanzo (Louis Ozawa Changchien), and doctor Edwin (Topher Grace).

What Works: On a much larger scale than the 1988 original, Predators features some great visuals, the dark jungle locations are put to great use, the usage of CGI to create alien creatures is also nicely interspersed. The movie also benefits from the unique casting. While many had cried foul over casting someone like Adrien Brody (obviously much skinnier than Arnold), you may realise, that real-life soldiers/mercenaries, are actually lean rather than the bulk-a-saurus that Arnie was!! The fight sequence between Hanzo and a Predator, is one of the highlights of the movie ( cheesy, but fun!!)



What doesn't: The original Predator featured only one Alien, massacaring an all star team of mercenaries, hence the concept of a rag-tag team of convicts taking down several predators is a bit unsettling!!! While Adrien Brody does his best to play the "mercenary-with a conscience" none of the other characters do make a lasting impression.

Verdict:


A measly 2 FreEkies!!


Extra FreEky: Manliest Greeting ever...

AMOL PALEKAR KI INCEPTION!!

A much delayed hello my FrEek fellows,

Heartfelt apologies for staying away from my blog so long. If you are half the freEk i think you are, you have already been overwhelmed by what the critics have called the greatest movie in the last five year; INCEPTION!!!

Chris Nolan's masterpiece has everything going for it, a great cast, amazing visuals, a stirring starcast, and yes, a less than simple plotline!!!! Without spoiling much, it suffices to say, that you will have been left scratching your head, there are a lot of webpages that have sprung up, trying to explain the convulted web of dreams..

still confused? fret not folks!! for Bollywood's favourite friendly man, Amol Palekar has taken upon himself to explain the cinematic twists and turns of Inception, and that too in sing-song manner!!!

don't believe me?? take a look!!

Think about it, wasn't Inception after all "Sapne main dekha Sapna" phenomenon? Trust the great Amol Palekar to helps us out of this cinematic mess!!

Stay freEked!!

KITES review - Kati, Phati Patang!!!

A Patangi hello, freEky fellows!

Ever so often our desi stars get the urge to try their luck on firangi shores. Dharmendra tried this with Shalimar, Amitabh was to dive into the now cancelled Shantaram, and reportedly SRK turned down a role in the Bond thriller Tomotrrow Never Dies. It is now the turn of Hrithik to aazma his fortunes on videshi audiences and he does this, as usual with the help of papaji and uncleji dearest who collaborate with him in their latest bilingual outing.. KITES What it is:In a plot, suspiciously similar to the Kevin Costner, Anthony Quinn starring thriller called “REVENGE”...

Hrithik stars as “J” a swashbuckling salsa expert (what an Indian is doing teaching salsa to the Spanish, is best left unanswered!!) who also runs a side-business of marrying illegal immigrants from Mexico to bring them into the USA. When the “bigdi-raeez” daughter of a ruthless casino owner played by Kangana Ranaut takes a fancy to him, he decides to play along and seems well until he discovers that the casino owner’s daughter-in-law is one hot chick (Barbara Mori). Aur pyaar ho jaata hai..

What works: a) Hrithik in his Macro Man banian and Hot Chick in various brands of lingerie, make a stunning couple, their chemistry is certainly sizzling!! b) Kites is touted to be one of the most expensive Bollywood movies ever, and the car chases and lavish desert shots justify the costs well spent! c) With only one song sequence, Kites thankfully does not have a “I don’t know what you say…” (EK DUJE KE LIYE) like number where the bilingual lovers croon to each other!!

What Doesn’t: a) With a wafer thin plot-line Kites is essentially a mish-mash of the star-crossed lovers tale such as Ek-Duje Ke Liye, Qayamat se Qayamat tak with a firangi chick! In fact, it bears eerie similarities to Enrique Iglesias’s video “HERO”.


b) Acting talent such as Kabir Bedi and Kangana Ranaut are reduced to playing over-exaggerated characters and are thoroughly wasted!! Verdict: Despite the lavish setting and the sizzling Mori, Kites leaves you unsatisfied. Given that it is to have a huge US release (with a version re-edited by Brett Ratner) it leaves you with a feeling that it is perhaps a show-reel of Hrithik Baba’s acting “talents” meant for western directors and audiences, in much the same way Roshan Sr. had lovingly crafted “Kaho Na Pyaar Hai” to previously showcase Hrithik’s talents for the Indian junta a decade ago!

Extra freEky: Ratner has just announced an upcoming movie with Hrithik (big surprise !!!)

The Avengers : The Biggest Superhero Movie Ever!

A Super-heroic hello, my freEk fellows!!!

Over the last few years, comic-book giant Marvel has got its act together and taken creative control of the screen adaptations of its comic book properties. As a result, we got to see the the reboot of the Incredible Hulk, the awesome Iron Man and its sequel. but Marvel isn't done yet!!

Those who have watched the above movies will clearly remember the cameo by Tony Stark
(Robert Downey Jr) in the Hulk movie, which went something like this...

Tony makes the mention of the "Avengers Initiative" in his brief yet snappy cameo! freEks will also remember my previous post where I had scooped out the presence of another superhero in the Incredible Hulk, that superhero being none other than Captain America! take a look...

Not to be content with one Captain America cameo, Marvel also shoved Captain America's trademark shield in both the iron man movies...
IRON MAN 1:

IRON MAN 2:

If that's not all, IRON MAN 2 contained a post-credits scene hinting at the arrival of yet another superhero: THOR!!

Check out Thor's Hammer in the last frame!

The Avengers Movie:
What does this crossover brouhaha mean you ask? Well, the frEek has all the answers! Marvel will shortly roll out movies featuring Thor directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Chris Helmsworth, the first image has already been leaked out...

chris hemsworth as Thor

The next on the block is of course Captain America directed by Joe Johnston and starring Chris Evans.

Actor Chris Evans will star as Captain America

As a final coup-de-grace, Marvel plans to unite all these characters in what will be known as the "Avengers" movie which in turn is modelled on the comic book superhero team of the same name. Marvel has gone ahead and signed sci-fi director extraordinaire Joss Whedon as the director for the same. Still don't believe it? here's further proof:

The above picture, is a capture from Iron - Man 2 showing a map of "super -powered" individuals across the globe, as indicated from the circles on various continents. These are the superheros that Nick-Fury (Samuel Jackson) wants to unite as the Avengers. Apart from the circles in the Americas ( Iron Man, Hulk) of particular note are the ones in the North Pole (being the frozen Captain America) as well as one in the middle of the ocean could

this be a secret nod to yet the introduction of "NAMOR" who is Marvel's underwater superhero? time will tell!! So there you have it folks, an exclusive freEk-peek at the superhero extravangza starring Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and a slew of smaller superheros!

Will this be the greatest cinematic miracle since buttered popcorn or a mish-mash of many genres? We can only wait and freEking watch!!

That Extra FreEky: You always hear it here, first folks!!

IRON MAN 2 review: Suit to Thrill!!

A metal suited hello my freEk fellows!!

When Marvel released the first Iron Man a couple of years ago, the brilliance of this movie with Jon Favreau's crackling direction and Robert Downey Jr's bang-on portrayal of Tony Stark was all but overshadowed by another superhero flick released at that time, which went on to become the 2nd highest grossing film of all time ( yes, we are talking about the Dark Knight). With a bigger budget and the inclusion of some major acting talent IRON MAN 2 seems placed to deliver a knock-out punch to all it previous competiton, does it deliver the goods? read on...

Ok, which one of u farted??

What works: IRON MAN 2 was given a substantially larger budget to operate from and it shows! more explosions, bigger baddie robots and a beautifully shot fight against the monaco grand prix, make this the perfect popcorn flick!! Robert Downey Jr. (RDJ) brings his game on as the eccentric genius that is Tony Stark, it is hard to imagine any other actor bring such quirkiness into even a tiny scene such as where Tony eats a box of strawberries that he buys by offering the seller, his Jaeger Le Couture watch! Sam Rockwell (SR) as Justin Hammer, Tony's rival dials in a brilliant performance bringing equal parts goofiness and evil, frEeks might remember that SR was at one time in the reckoning for the role of Tony Stark ( which was utlimately played by RDJ) and it is interesting to see how he fleshes this character (Justin Hammer), who in many ways tries ( failingly) to model himself after Tony Stark. Who can forget Scarlett Johansson's smoking hot turn as Tony's lawyer / Secret Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Her supple yet lethal fight scene where she fights off a dozen baddies is a treat to watch!

What doesn't: fanFrEeks had high expectations when Mickey Rourke was signed on to play Ivan Vanko, the crazed russian inventor with a historical grudge against Tony, while Rourke definetly looks the crazy part, he is just not given enough screen time! The "birth" of the superhero "War Machine" when Col. Rhodes decides to borrow Iron Man's spare armour to deal with Tony's alcoholism, is true to the comic book storyline but is an unusual plot nevertheless!

Bhala mera armour, tere armour se safed kaisa??

Verdict: Despite it's strecthed plotlines, IRON MAN 2 is the definitive summer blockbuster, and you would be one messed up frEek to miss this one!

extra freEky: Iron Man's suit is actually a gold-titanium alloy!!

Housefull: Full of Inspirations!!

An early-birdy hellos, freEk fellows!

For someone took well-aimed and ruthless pot shots at film-makers, Sajid Khan probably threw away all caution to the wind when he took on the mantle of director himself. His earlier venture “Hey-Babyy” was an unashamed rip-off of that 80s Hollywood classic “Three Men and a Baby”, and his new mish-mash “Housefull” appears to a well convoluted mix of recent Hollywood blockbusters..

What it is: Akki (quite convincingly) plays an endearing yet neurotic “loser in love” (borrowing liberally from Ben Stiller’s character in “Along Came Polly” and “Heartbreak Kid”) when his first, hurried marriage to seductress ( read nymphomaniac) Jiah Khan ( trying hard to come off as sexy, and failing by miles!) doesn’t go quite as planned, Akki finds himself falling in love with Deepika Padukone (effortless) and trying desperately to get out of his marriage with the suspicious Jiah. Add to this a half dozen twists and turns and Akki finds himself (pretending to be) married to Lara Dutta as well! At some point in time, all 3 heroines show in bikinis, at which point one wonders if the movie should have been called “Blousefull!”

What works: Akki who hasn’t had a hit in a while, puts a lot of effort in the characterisation of his neurotic and hapless character, almost making it work. Riteish Deskhmukh as Akki’s friend brings along his easy charm and Arjun Rampal as an army man, suspicious of Akki’s motives, plays his stern persona well. Chunky Panday as the imaginatively titled “Aakhri Pasta” and Boman Irani ham up their parts collectively, this ham and pasta dish is too rich for my taste (burrrpp!) To Sajid’s credit he seamlessly manages to make the year’s first purely fun film! And yes, that “item-number” with Jackie Fernandes is pure-fun! the modern version of the Lawaris number “Aap Kya Hoga”

What doesn’t: Yes Akki is one of the best looking guys around, yet his pairings with heroines substantially younger than himself are wee bit yucky (Yucky Akki!) to say the least. The seduction number between him and Jiah Khan seems like the sequel to Nishabd! Sajid also follows David Dhawan’s and Priyadarshan’s tried and tested route of adding twists and new characters to compensate for the lack of a basic plotline. For viewers of angrezi hits such as “the Heartbreak Kid” and the “Hangover” the mish-mashed scenes will bring a unwelcome feeling of déjà-vu!

Verdict:

An iffy -iffy 3 freEkies!

Positioning itself as Bollywood’s first major summer release post the IPL extravaganza, Housefull surely stands to gain from crowds looking for their next dose of escapism, just wish that the thrills, lasted a little longer than the theatre exit!!

bollywood tribute to twitter!

A tweeted hellos, my freEky fellows!

With its limited vocabulary of 140 characters or less, it has managed to keep celebs in touch with their salivating fans and more revently...dethrone ministers, uncover scams and if word is to believed Mumbai Police will be forming their own tweet-cell to help them uncover corruption (just kidding!!)

That's right folks the phenomenon that is TWITTER is indeed here to stay, and as a tribute to this chirpy little wonder, we present Bollywood's first song tribute to Twittter...

That's right folks, Bollywood's greatest showman; Raj Kapoor had predicted the phemonenon that Twittter would be, way before its actual existence (he just mis-spelled a few alphabets that's all)!!


Bollywood - will its wonders never cease!!!!

fReEk

Dinner For Schmucks - Will Carell eat Pathak's Bheja?

A mid-week hello, my freEk fellows!!

That glorious web of deceit, that is the internet just threw up the trailer for Judd Apatow's latest "Dinner for Shmucks". Any freEk worth his salt will indeed be reminded of Sagar Ballary's suplerlative BhejaFry (2007) which in itself was a copy of the french masterpiece Le Dîner de cons.



Dinner for Shmucks stars Steve Carrel as Barry (in the Vinay Pathak role) and Paul Rudd as Tim (in Rajat Kapoor's role). Zach Galifanakis ( "Hangover") also stars in what appears to be the role played by Ranvir Sheorey in Bheja Fry, although Zach's character is shown to be competing with Steve Carell's character when the dinner starts. FreEks will remember that Bheja.. never showed the actual dinner taking place, and this is perhaps where the Hollywood version will differ from its Indian counterpart.

Many will agree that Bheja Fry, was one of the funniest works to come by in the starved for genuine humour industry that is Bollywood. It remains to be seen whether Apatow and his crew mess this up, or take this up to a whole new level!


see ya the movies freEks!

FIRED - Scariest Bollywood Movie...ever?

A daraawna hello, my frEeky fellows!!

For reasons best left unsaid, Horror has always been a genre that Bollywood has shied away from. Apart from valiant stints by the Ramsay Brothers (Khooni Panja, Khooni Darwaza, Khooni(insert random noun here) and so on....) and Vikram Bhatt's "inspired" series of horror movies ( Raaz, Shaapit) Bollywood has generally shied away from this genre.

Which is why the promo for Rahul Bose's latest offering "Fired" has me in a tizzy! Well, although not purely a bollywood movie, it does star a largely Indian cast and is directed by Sajit Warrier. Fired has Rahul playing a "lay-off" expert who has been given the unenvious taks of laying off 80 people in one evening and begins to see horrible visions while left alone in office, are they real or is he hallucinating from the impending guilt of ruining so many lives??? Watch the movie and find out!!!

Fired appears to be a curious mix of "Up in the Air" (directed byJason Reitman) and "Audition" (directed by Takashi Miike) , the movie is set to release soon within our shores and I for one wholeheartedly welcome what promises to be a full-on gorefest ...with a desi tadka!!

Movie Review: Clash of the titans!

A Mythical hello, my freEk fellows,

Surely James Cameron must have realised the implications of unleashing the 3D
(enhanced) technology, that he would be opening quite the Pandora's box, for wasn't the planet in Avatar called Pandora!


Studios today are falling over themselves to create/re-create every adventure epic possible and the latest cinematic offering to get the remake treatment is 1981's Clash of the Titans

What it is: Clash of the Titans is the mythical story of demi-god Perseus who undertakes an epic journey to fend off Hades ( the god of the underworld) from destroying Earth.


How it is: On paper Clash Of The Titans could well be one of the biggest earners ever, with a stellar cast having Sam "Avatar" Worthington as Perseus, Liam Neeson as "Zeus" and Ralph Fiennes as "Hades" not to mention a bevy of digitally created monsters such as gigantic scorpions, the lovely Medusa and the horrible horror that is the KRAKEN! In reality though, the lead actors sleepwalk through their roles, in fact when Perseus manages to mount the winged Pegasus we are all but reminded of the similar scene in Avatar when Jake Scully ( also played by Worthington) manages to mount the Turak Makto in Avatar.

Even the CGI created KRAKEN, leaves you yearning for the rather cute KRAKEN puppet that starred in the 1981 original.

Verdict:



An iffish two stars....watch the 1981 version instead!!

Expendables Trailer - Return of the Man!!!

hello freak fellows!

It's been a while since my last post, and for this please accept my sincerest apologies, and as always to make amends, I bring to you news fresh off the ovens of cinemadom.

For those of us growing up in the 80s, action movies meant bone-crushing, adrenaline fuelled extrvaganzas starring muscled monoliths such as Stallone, Schwartznegger, Willis and Chuck Norris. Gleefully we watched as our favourite action hero single-handedly ripped apart entire armies of russians/arabs/european villain not before managing to deliver a punch-line such as "Rest in Pieces" or "I'll be back". Sadly with the advent of cinematic technology like CGI and bigger budgets, the realm of the action hero (like the VHS casettes that we watched them on) began to disappear. Fist fights and exploding cars were replaced with transforming robots, and CGI generated badguys. With CGI beginning to rule the roost, larger than life was par for the course and other than a random actioner such as the Bad-Boys series, the escapist action genre had all but vanished. That is, until now....

In the revent past, a surfeit of overblown CGI movies (Transformers, GI Joe) has led to many a fan yearning for the more realistic actioner fare. At the same time, the rise of actual combat related shows such as Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) the varoius wrestling shows ( WWE) have given film houses a sea of talent to pick the next action hero from.

This summer, promises what appears to be a return to the action genre of old, and leading from the front is Stallone's "The Expendables" starring what appears to a reunionof the action stars of the old (Willis, Schwarzenegger, Lundgren) with some newer ones such as Statham and Jet Li. What is also interesting is the use of actual MMA fighters such as Randy Couture, Gary Daniels and the Noriega Brothers in the movie to add a touch of realism to the combat.

The Expendables revolves around a group of mercenaries led by Ross (Stallone) who are hired by a businessman ( Church) to perform a routine operation in a remote island run by evil dictator Garza. Barney and his trusted henchmen run up against more than what they had hoped for when they realise that Garza is supported by a rogue CIA agent and his troops. Way over their heads, will Barney order his troops to retreat or will they acting through conscience help the villagers overthrow the dictator's oppressive regime? As opposed as I am to revealing plot lines, the simple answer is....HELL YEAH!!!

extra freeky: It's the return of the man, baby!!!

My name is....(an open letter to SRK)

Dear Mr. Khan,

my name is (never mind, that's what got you into all ths trouble in the first place didn't it?) and I am a big fan of your work. I am really saddened by the news that your latesht film "My Name is Khan" may not be seen in Mumbai due to the Marathi manoo's backlash against your "foot-in-mouth" disease syndrome.

While it be far from me to adjudge the veracity of this issue (I can picture the Sainiks burning printouts of my blog!) , I am very keen to see your latesht picture release in aamchi Mumbai
(which counts for 20-25% of the movie's gross, I heard you say on a leading channel), and as your most humble fan, suggest that a slight change of title might work, in appealing towards one and all, before closing this blessed blog, hear me out, for I present to you not one but three alternate titles, which mught help in finally releasing this movie..

a) My name is KHANolkar:

Khanlokar is a typical maharashtrian name, and it will please the marathi manoos no end, that they have finally got a movie with a maharashtrian leading character; after all the gujjus got one with that film called "Gandhi".

b) My Name is Thackeray:

Sir, surely you realise that both your political tormentors (the MNS and the Shiv Sena) share one thing in common ( besides the penchant for burning your posters) is the surname Thackeray! and what better way than to appease these two birds than with this dramatic change in name, Although I cannot rule out political clashes between these two parties, on which Thackeray it is that you claim to be!

c) My Name is KHAN (3-D)

Sir, James Cameron's 3-D extravangza Avatar has been smashing local box office records, and I see huge potential in upgrading your latesht picture in this manner, although the sight of the hatti-katti Kajol in 3-D may not be for the faint hearted!!

d) My name is Khanna:
Do you remember that recent Salman Khan starrer called "Main Aur Mrs. Khanna"? no?...well neither does anyone else! by this change of title of your movie, you can pass this off as the sequel to that imminently forgettable film, and avoid all controversy!!

e) The 4th Idiot:

Sir, at the risk of being politically incorrect, we all know that you play a "special" (read idiot) in the film, and what better way than this to ride on the success wave of your close friend ( read rival) Aamir's blockbuster 3 idiots! Didn't Aamir ensure that Ghajini lookalikes flooded the theatre during the release of your "Rab ne Bana di Jodi"

I hope the suggestion of a name change, does not anger you. "What's in a name..." Shakespeare had once said, and surely you will agree, for haven't you played the same character in so many different movies, with different names? what's in a name indeed!

your most humble fan

film frEek!

cc: Mr. Karan Johar

My name is Khan...his is Thackeray!

a brief hello my frEeky fellows,

The recent brouhaha surrounding Balasaheb Thackeray's (yes, of the esteemed Shiv Sena fame) ire against Shahrukh Khan left me truly befuddled. Surely a man of his political stature had better items on his agenda than to rabble rouse against an actor (even one as prolific as Shahrukh Khan), was the Shiv Sena venting its anger against posters and publicity material of Shahrukh's forthcoming movie "my name is Khan" (MNIK) truly justified?? Consequently surely someone as business savvy such as Shahrukh - the megastar, and the only Indian to have been gifted an island in the palm shaped Dubai island project, know better than to irk the wrath of the marathi tigers? surely not!

Is there perhaps more than meets this eye? Shahrukh's MNIK is set to release around the corner, and SRK himself is in desperate need of a blockbuster hit, especially since rival Aamir Khan having just delivered the biggest hit of hindi cinema. But is there a deeper motive to this apparently ill-timed controversies. Remember these are unusual times we live in, where unusual methods are used by stars to get publicity for their films, so where we had an Aamir Khan turning up in various disguises around the country to publicise "3 idiots" Salman Khan participated in a horse race to promote "Veer", even the Big Bachhan, appeared as a news anchor on a leading television channel to publicise his news-channel themed movie "Rann" which releases today. Is then too far fetched to think that b irking the Sena into a ban of MNIK, SRK is perhaps attempting the most perverse publicity stunt of them all? Fellow freEks may remember a previous situation, where SRK complained of detention at an American Airport due to his muslim roots, and made utilised every possible newsbyte to regurgitate that his name indeed was Khan!!!
One must also not forget that Bal Thackeray and his cohorts, have been around for ages, and are all too aware of how the political game is played. As a lawyer of an American fast food chain, I had the opportunity to meet with Sena officials, who had negotiated the amount of damage, that they would be carrying out to the chains store, in protesting against lack of employment of the marathi manoos. Why the extended courtesy you ask? surely you will remember that it very corporations such as this that would fill up the Sena's coffers come election time! Surely then the Sena whose mileage with its votebank suffered during the last elections, due to the emergence of Raj Thackeray, would not be amiss from using this publicity opportunity!

While it far be from me to pass judgement on this issue, remember that necessity ( or publicity) always makes strange bedfellows!!!

extra freeky: MNIK releases in two weeks from now!

And the Oscar goes to...

a new year's hello! ( freEky fellows)

The Oscar season is breathing down our neck, and as witness to some of the better works of the year ( thank you, video piracy!) the frEek scratches his balls ( i meant crystal, what were u thinking!) and comes up with who/what will take away Oscar glory this year, so with further ado...

Best Picture:

The Hurt Locker:

From the lady director (Kathryn Bigelow) who gaves us "Point Break" the defining action movie of the 80s, comes this gritty masterpiece about a bomb demolition expert serving in Iraq, carrying dollops of nail biting moments, this gem gets you as close to the battlefield and as deep into the mind of a demolition expert, as most of us will ever be. Jeremy Renner ( as the renegade expert) and Anthony Mackie as his reluctant partner have already been heralded as new stars to watch out for. While Avatar (James Cameron) has been raking in the big bucks, and has won the Golden Globe, Hurt Locker has won almost every other critical award, and I really hope it prevails upon the Oscar jury to award this better movie.
ironically...Kathryn and James Cameron were once married!

Best Actor

George Clooney - Up in the Air

For years we have seen two Clooney charm our pants off in his various movies: the suave Clooney in films such as Ocean's 11 and the disturbed conscientious Clooney in films such as Syriana. Jason Reitman's "Up in the Air" gives us a curious amalgam of both these Clooney translating into perhaps his best performance yet. Clooney lays on equal amounts of charm and conscience as a layoff expert, who is paired with a younger colleague who may soon be filling in Clooney's shoes herself. I will also predict Clooney's Oscar speech will focus on generating aid for the Haiti disaster.

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock - Up in the Air

Every once in a while, the Oscar committee for presents awards for actors portraying schmaltzy , sugary roles, where the box office of the movie is of equal importance as the actual acting credo of the award winner. Previous winners in this category include Julia Roberts ( Pretty Woman, Erin Brockovich), Gwyenth Paltrow (Shakespeare in Love), Marisa Tomei - (My Cousin Vinny). The academy in all probability will do a repeat this year to that long standing mistress of cuteness : Sandra Bullock for her portrayal as the feisty rich socialite who adopts a black kid and helps him become a football star.

Best Director:

James Cameron - Avatar

All said and done, you cannot but award this guy for the sheer technical genius involved in his latest labour of love: AVATAR


Best Foreign Film

The White Ribbon / The Prophet (Une Prophete)

This is a tough one, there is a huge hype behind the eery thriller "The White Ribbon" which takes us through the days preceding the first world war and is part historical/part horror ( and of course a lot of hype!)

I would personally pick "Une Prophete" which tells the story of a muslim boy, leading his way into a french prison, and forced to choose sides between warring groups ( all the while having his own agenda) - this is a sheer work of genius!

So there you have it folks, what do you think of the freEk's picks? agree, disagree? let me hear you on:

the filmfreek@gmail.com