FREEK ON FILM!

Buddah Hoga Tera Baap - Movie Review!!

2011-07-01T22:55:00.000-07:00

A geriatric hello, FreEk fellows!!

It is with fond remembrance, that most of us remember handcart driven chinese-outlet next to our college or first work place. These joints more often than not called "hungry eyes" or golden dragon" , having the nepali cook, to give us that "chinese-chef" feeling, served food in the filthiest of plates and surroundings, and quite of a few of us probably had a run to the loo after one of these meals, and yet such days are now remembered with fond nostalgia.

South director Jaganath Puri's masala flick starring none other than Amitabh Bachhan (AB) is somehow reminiscent of those meals!!

What it is: Buddah Hoga Tera Baap (BHTB) tells the tale of a retired gangster (AB) who returns to Mumbai to settle some scores, and kick -ass, all the while romancing much younger women and wearing enough blinding outfits to put an entire Manish Malhotra wedding collection to shame!

What works: Needless to say, this is AB's show all the way, the movie unabashedly recaptures his angry young man image, and dialogues, song tributes from his previous films are scattered throughout. Other actors such as Hema Malini, Raveena Tandon flitter around the screen in inconsequential roles. Perhaps the only inspired casting seems to be in Sonu Sood ( a dead ringer for the young AB) as an inspector, possibly as a tribute to AB's "cop movies" such as "Zanjeer".

What Doesn't: For a movie that doesn't pretend to provide anything other than unabashed AB adulation, BHTB certainly delivers. Yet having witnessed AB's acting forte in his recent works such as Cheeni Kum, Black and of course PAA, one wishes the character would have been better nuanced!

Verdict:

Three Freekies!!

Chutney on the side: As a child of the 80s, one vividly remembers the rise of AB into a one man industry. The biggest sign of his superstardom was the larger than life characters that he played in self-titled films such as "Toofan", "Ajooba", "Aaj Ka Arjun". As the the cine-world grew tired of the larger than life credo, his stardom failed, with "Mrityudaata" being the nail in the coffin. To his credit, and unlike recent aged Bollywood stars such as Dharmendra who still attempts to cavort nubile starlets (remember Tinku Jiya?) AB accepted his age limitations and churned out some modern day classics such as the above Cheeni Kum etc. BHTB, then is like a visit to that old chinese food stall, it brings back many memories, but you know why it is that you had chosen to move on.

FreEk

Dark Knight 2 - Bane Revealed!!!!

2011-05-20T22:16:00.000-07:00

A Batty hello frEek fellows!

Shortly after last week's expose on the shooting of the Dark Knight Rises in Jodhpur Fort, comes this Bat-errific update:

Warner Brother's has quietly launched the website for the Dark Knight Rises , the website features a strange chanting going on, which probably has something to do with the "birth" of Bane from the Lazarus Pit.

The clincher however, is the first look at none other than BANE as portrayed by Tom Hardy...feast your eyes!

BANE baby!!

You heard it first here folks!!!

frEek!

India - The Home for Superheroes!!

2011-05-09T21:47:00.000-07:00

A Mid-Week hello, frEek fellows!!

It seems of late, that our India has become home-ground to the shooting of the hottest upcoming superhero movies.

First up are set-photos (from Mehul Gohil) from the Jodhpur Fort of none other than "The Dark Knight Rises" being the latest in Christopher Nolan's acclaimed Batman Trilogy. Check them out..

The pictures of the "lake" below are being rumored to be the "Lazarus Pit" which gives R'as Al Ghul his immortality and power.

Set reports have also indicated that the shooting of a scene where a "bald headed" boy rises from the said lake. This boy probably grows up to be Batman's nemesis "Bane" who is trained by R'as Al Ghul. FanfrEeks will recollect that Tom-Hardy is scheduled to play Bane in this upcoming movie.

Actor Tom Hardy who will be playing Bane

The below photo shows Actor Tom Pence ( who plays the younger R'as Al Ghul) roaming around Jodhpur (India).

As if this wasn't enough to have us fanfrEeks wetting ourselves, come these set pictures from Alberquerue, where Marvel's super-hero extravaganza "THE AVENGERS" is being filmed.

However a closer look at the set pictures reveal that the shop signs are in Hindi, which leads to speculation on whether a portion of the film will be set in India, however it could well be Pakistan or Afghanistan as fan-frEeks will remember the capture of Tony Stark in the first Iron-Man movie by the terrorist Raza in Afghanistan.

Nevertheless, it's fun to see an "Adarsh Mithaiwalla" billboard in a superhero film!!

Till next time...stay freEeked!!

THOR - Movie Review!

2011-04-30T00:14:00.000-07:00

A Nordic Hello, FreEk Fellows!

The latest offering from the studios of Marvel comics "THOR" hits the theatres this weekend. Following in the footsteps of previous Marvel Films such as IRONMAN, and being a precursor to Marvel's Magnum Opus superhero movie "THE AVENGERS".

yeh reshmi zulfein.....

What it is?: Thor, being perhaps the most "difficult" of comic books being brought to cinematic adaptation, as it tells the tale of the Norse God Thor (Chris Hemsworth), who is punished by his father the almighty Odin (Anthony Hopkins) to earth. Stripped of his powers, Thor learns the meaning of selflessness,sacrifice and courage as he battles monsters unleashed upon earth by his evil brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston)

YEH FEVICOL KA JOD HAI KYA??

What Works?: Set between the heavenly abodes of ASGARD and earth, THOR is perhaps the most lavish of superhero movies in a long time, and it utilises its CGI well! Chris Hemsworth lights up the screen as the macho yet disarming THOR. There abound surprise cameos from various actors including Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) make things more interesting

What Doesn't: Despite all its lavish settings and CGI Brouhaha, THOR never manages an emotional connect with the audience, Natalie Portman fails miserably in the role of astrophysicist Jane Foster, Tom Hiddleston's LOKI looks convoluted and never and Anthony Hopkins barely passes muster as an out-of-shape ODIN.

Verdict: Thor comes about as a necessary link between Marvel's superhero movies such as IRONMAN and the forthcoming Captain America, in the aforesaid runup to the Avengers, THOR comes about as a weak link, quite knowingly then the end credits mention that THOR will return in the Avengers Movie; as the chances of the character having its own sequel are very thin!!

Rating:

a dismal two FrEekies!!

Oscar 2011 - Our FrEeking View!

2011-02-26T21:08:00.000-08:00

An Academy hello frEek fellows!

Tomorrow, the Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars will be handed out to apparentlythe best in western cinema. Here's a freEking look at the possible winners..

I. Best Lead Actor:

This year features a whole melee of actors from the seasoned Jeff Bridges (True Grit) to the newbie Jessie Eisenberg (the Social Network), the charismatic James Franco (127 hours) and of course Colin Firth ( the King's speech).

And the winner is:

While Bridges delivers a great performance in True Grit, he comes fresh of an Oscar win last year, and the chances of him winning are slim, similarly Eisenberg is too new on the horizon, and it will be very un-Academyish to award this new an Actor. James Franco has been chosen to host the Awards this year, and it would indeed be cheesy for the host to walk away with an Award (these are the Oscars, and not the Filmfare awards!!). We thus zero down on Colin Firth in the King's Speech to hoist the statuette this year!

II. Best Lead Actress:

From previous oscar awardee Nicole Kidman (the rabbit hole) to the overlooked talent of Anette Bening (The Kids are all right!), the gritty Michele Williams (Blue Valentine), the subtle performance of Jennifer Lawrence ( A Winter's Bone) and of course the tumultuous Natalie Portman (The Black Swan); this year features a vast pool of female talent wanting to fondle the naked golden man ( The Oscar statute of course!!)

And the winner is:

While Michele Williams delivered a gut wrenching performance in Blue Valentine, it may be too hard hitting for most, Nicole Kidman's weepy turn in "Rabbit Hole" may be overlooked as she is a past awardee, Jennifer Lawrence will go unawarded due to the small (indie) nature of her film, leading to the tussle between Annete Bening and Natalie Portman. The Academy often awards aging actresses for their body of work, knowing that their body of work may not get them nominated again (yes, like Sandra Bullock for the Blind Side!), and by this logic, Ms. Bening should be honoured, but if the hype (and justified performance) are to be believed, it could be Portman's year for balancing this very difficult role, and making the otherwise incredulous "Black Swan" seem notches better than it actually was!

Best Director:

Ooh boy, is the Academy stuck for choice here! From the mind*ck cinema of Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) to David Fincher (Social Network) previous winners the Coen Brothers (True Grit) and Tom Hooper ( King's speech)

And the winner is: The Coen Brothers have been Academy darlings, with 3 wins between them, the real tussle is between Tom Hooper and Fincher, with Fincher having that slender edge due to Social Network's "cool factor"

Best Picture:

described above, there is no clear winner in this year's list, but I am going with the King's Speech, given its build up as the crowd favourite, and has peaked in curiosity factor, at the right time!!

FreEk

127 Hours review: Filming the impossible!

2011-01-26T19:26:00.000-08:00

A high altitude hello, frEek fellows!!

British wonder-director was ushered into the collective psyche of Indian cinegoers through "Slumdog Millionaire", Slumdog's global success resulted in Boyle taking on a film which he had been planning for over four years; based on the book "Between a rock and a hard place" by mountaineer Aaron Ralston. The resulting movie was of course, 127 hours.

What it is: 127 Hours recounts the life of adrenaline junkie and free-spirit Aaron Ralston (played by James Franco), who while traversing the canyons in Robber's Roost - Utah, falls into a deep crevice, resulting in his hand getting lodged underneath a boulder. What follows, is a gut wrenching tale of courage, as Ralston desperately tries to dislodge his hand from the boulder; resulting in him spending the titular 127 hours in a mountain crevice! With dwindling food supplies and very little water, Ralston is forced to take the horrendous decision to amputate his lodged arm; things take a turn for the worse when he realises that the pocket knife tool he has carried with with him, is not sharp enough to cut through his arm!

What Works: Danny Boyle described his screenplay as an "action film that goes nowhere". Truly,the plot faces several disadvantages in that it focuses for the most part on one character, and that too stuck in one location; even so, Boyle lets his creative genius shine in this impossible film. At the very onset, we are made to understand Ralston's free-spirit and his willingness to be with nature, as the story progresses on to where Ralston is trapped; Boyle uses innovative cuts to give the viewers a glimpse of Ralston's imagination. This movie, marks the global heralding of actor James Franco who dials in a brilliant performance as the free-spirited Ralston; In a performance where the camera solely focuses on his face, for a major part of the film; Franco brings an easygoing charm, that never lets go of the viewer's attention. Truly, an Oscar worthy performance!

What Doesn't: 127 Hours, is a film that lacks Slumdog's larger-than-life canvas; even though it far vividly portrays the triumph of the human spirit. There have been known cases of audience fainting during the "arm-amputation" sequence - hence if you are the queasy type, be advised!!

Verdict: Film Critic extraordinaire Roger Ebert called 127 hours, "an exercise in impossibility" and I cannot think of a better term to describe this movie, that despite it's constraints, manages to herald the triumph of the human spirit, and in so doing, never once lets go of its vice grip on the viewer's emotions!

A Full Five FreEkies - A modern masterpiece!

Chutney on the side: A.R. Rahman provides a melodious score, but his duet with Dido; tries hard to do an "Enya" from Lord of the Rings but fails!!

DHOBI GHAT review: Half - Slice of life cinema

2011-01-21T20:26:00.000-08:00

A lazy weekend hello, frEek fellows!

Slice-of-life-cinema, in bollywood has tilted from the extremely schmaltzy genre such as "Life in a Metro" to the gut-wrenching such as "Mumbai Meri Jaan". Kiran "Mrs. Aamir" Rao's directorial debut, "Dhobi Ghaat" promises to be a slice-of-Mumbai-life film like no other. Does it deliver, or does it end up getting "washed up" (Dhobi...washed? get it?). Read on to find out:

Woh Dekh...Critics Award!!

What it is: Dhobi Ghaat, apollogetically publicised as the "the movie without an interval" tells the tale of a reclusive, divorced painter; Arun (Aamir Khan), a slum-teen; Munna (Prateik Babbar) who makes a living doing odd jobs from a Dhobi during the day, to a rat-catcher at night, and an NRI expat; Shai (Monica Dogra) who is on sabbatical in India. In very subtle strokes of circumstance, these characters from differing aspects of life are thrown together. Thrown together in this mix, is the video footage of Yasmin Noor (Kirti Malhotra); which Arun accidentally discovers and becomes intrigued with.

What works: Steering away from the above mentioned cliches, Dhobi Ghaat uses that long lost art of subtlety in telling its tale; Aamir Khan, known for his larger than life portrayals (Lagaan, Mangal Pandey, Ghajini) is refreshing in the role of the reclusive, temperamental artist. Monica Dogra displays earnestness, but the undisputed scene-stealer is Prateik; in his role as the odd-job Munna who lives in a shanty near the railway tracks, but earnestly harbours dreams of being a movie star.

What Doesn't: No Munni, No Sheila, No Interval: NO WAY!!

Rang De Basanti!!

Verdict: Shahrukh Khan in Om Shanti Om delivers a line which goes "Kahani ke end tak sab kuch theek ho jataa hai." Audiences in Bollywood are habituated to seeing a logical (mostly happy) end to their characters. Dhobi Ghaat steers away from this and other from melodramatic cliches, does a brilliant job in character study; while standard Bollywood characters are painted in borad strokes of black or white; Dhobi Ghaat allows each of its characters to display a wide range of emotions - and this is probably its greatest success.

BLACK SWAN - movie review!!

2011-01-08T21:28:00.000-08:00

A lazy weekend hello, frEek fellows!!!

While 2010 wasn't a great year for cinema, with many hyped up biggies both in Bollywood (Tees Maar Khan) and Hollywood (TRON: LEGACY) failing to live upto expectations. There was momentary respite through brilliant films such as PEEPLI LIVE and INCEPTION. Closing out the year came the much hyped Darren Aronofsky's "BLACK SWAN"

What it is: As previously covered by yours truly, BLACK SWAN is Aronofsky's (Requiem for a Dream, the Wrestler and the Fountain) darkly told tale of a ballerina played by Natalie Portman, who egged on by her overbearing mother played by Barbara Hershey vies for the lead role in a new ballet production, by the leading ballet producer portrayed by Vincent Cassel, coping with her mother's ambitions, the director's sexual advances and the threat of another ballerina (Mila Kunis) usurping her role, Portman's character slowly slips into delirium and starts seeing terrifying visions..or is it all true??

What Works: Aronofsky who arrived on the global cinema circuit through the eery, claustrophobic "requiem for a dream" and inched closer to Oscar Glory last year when "the wrestler" got nominated, uses his trademark, mindf*ck style with claustrophobic camera angles, eery lighting, and did-i-just-see-that shots; and makes it all work! Black Swan plummets into the ardurous lifestyle of a Ballerina as we see Portman suffer broken toes, sleepless nights and anorexia to put up with her schedule. Barbara Hershey as her overbearing mother reinvents creepiness, and will make kids lock their doors from their mothers for a long time! Mila Kunis playing a sexually adventurous ballerina, sizzles with the right amount of oomph on screen and Vincent Cassel, thrives in his role as a lecherous ballet producer.

Me Fair....You Lovely??

What Doesn't: Aronofsky's cinema thrives on putting its protagonists in situation where their psyche is tried, tested and ripped apart. To this effect, he has often used the above mentioned camera angles and brooding lighting; and for someone who has followed his other movies, this comes across as a tad repetitive. But really, I am just nitpicking here.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall..

Verdict: The Black Swan was a great way to cap off the cinematic year, and we may well see Portman, up on stage, come award time!

Four FrEekies!

Chutney on the side: Aronofsky, first intended to have the Wrestler as a love story between a wrestler and a ballerina, however as that was considered too complex a plot, the Ballet story was hived off into..Black Swan

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

2010-12-27T06:03:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-18T23:07:00.000-08:00

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!!!!

2010-12-10T21:36:00.000-08:00

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!!

2010-12-10T21:23:00.000-08:00

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?

2010-09-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2010-09-10T02:16:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-08-23T23:41:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2010-08-06T22:57:00.000-07:00

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!!

2010-08-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2010-05-22T22:04:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-05-13T23:36:00.000-07:00

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!!

2010-05-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

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!!

2010-05-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-04-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-04-07T23:22:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-04-06T06:34:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-04-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2010-03-31T04:28:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-02-06T21:44:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-01-29T06:49:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-01-25T22:15:00.000-08:00

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

A Decade in Review - A freEk's view!

2009-12-25T22:17:00.000-08:00

Hello my freEk fellows,

As the first decade of this century comes to a close, it is but arbitrary that us self professed lovers of cinedom, huddle together to bitch, bicker and banter about what constitutes as the best films of the decade, to give it our freEky twist we throw in a worst – of in each category that we cover…

Action:

The Best of:
The Jason Bourne Series:

Why: The impact of this movie series, can be determined by the fact that it forced the suave, slick, gadget friendly Bond series to go through a revamp, and come back with a grittier franchise. Directed by Paul Greengrass and featuring some frenetic action sequences, and a solid performance by the unlikely action hero : Matt Damon, the Bourne series is the meter against which spy movies in the future will be judged.

The Worst of:

G.I. JOE – the rise of the COBRA!: With a multimillion dollar budget, and a every little boy’s favorite childhood cartoon at hand, Director Stephen Sommers deserves the credit for directing probably the worst stinkpile in cinematic history in a long time. With a screenplay that bordered from ludicrous to insane, this turd could not even be saved with the presence of solid actors like Dennis Quaid and Joseph Gordon Levitt.

Humour

The Best of :Anchorman – the legend of Ron Burgundy:

That Will Ferrell is a comedic genius is now a redundant fact, given his successes in movies such as Talladega, Step- Brothers, hell the man even lit up movies such as wedding – crashers with his presence; but perhaps Will Ferrrell’s defining performance in this movie as the sexist, self – obsessed news reporter is above and beyond anything that this decade churned up.
Runners Up : The 40 year old virgin, The Hangover, TROPIC THUNDER

Worst of :
Freddy Got Fingered :

This movie, the cinematic creation of comedian Tom Green, is the cinematic equivalent of getting hit in the crotch with a blunt, rusted iron rod. Filled with Green’s trademark gross-out humour, it features a scene where he whirls a newborn around his head by holding onto its umbilical cord. Enuff said?

Drama
Best of:
There will be Blood / Syriana

There will be Blood is written and co-produced by Paul Thomas Anderson. The film is loosely based on the Upton Sinclair novel Oil! (1927). It tells the story of a silver-miner-turned-oil-man on a ruthless quest for wealth during Southern California's oil boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although many complained about its slow pace, There will be Blood is a masterpiece in the lost of method acting, as delivered by that reclusive genius : Daniel Day Lewis.

Syriana is 2005 geopolitical thriller film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, and executive produced by George Clooney, who also stars in the film with an ensemble cast. Gaghan's screenplay is loosely adapted from Robert Baer's memoir See No Evil. The film focuses on petroleum politics, and the global influence of the oil industry, whose political, economic, legal, and social effects are experienced by a CIA operative (George Clooney), an energy analyst (Matt Damon), a Washington attorney (Jeffrey Wright), and a young unemployed Pakistani migrant worker (Mazhar Munir) in an Arab country in the Persian Gulf.. No film that I can recollect has managed to draw a balance between the industrial, political and religious aspects of the oil industry – which this movie amazingly does; all the while remaining a taut thriller. Kudos to Mr. Clooney, who went on to win an Oscar for his portrayal of a CIA agent suffering bouts of conscience!

Worst:

The Kingdom is a 2007 film directed by Peter Berg and starring Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper,
Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Ashraf Barhom, with Kyle Chandler, Jeremy Piven and Ali Suliman. The film is fictional, but inspired by bombings at the Riyadh compound on May 12, 2003 and the Khobar housing complex on June 26, 1996 in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom is the cinematic opposite of the balanced approach that Syriana takes in understanding the middle east crisis, and propagates America’s “war-for-peace” approach. Coincedentally, the original cut of this movie featured a truer to life ending which was changed in favour of a audience friendly one.

Romantic

500 Days of Summer:

Directed by Marc Webb, produced by Mark Waters, and stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel., this brilliant rom-com told the bittersweet tale of a romance gone sour between Tom ( Levitt) and his girlfriend Summer ( Deschanel). The film’s usage of non-linear narrative, and split-screen narrative – where an ideal circumstance is shown at the same time as what actually conspired between Tom and Summer is brilliant. The impact of this movie has been felt as far as Bollywood, where Imtiaz Ali used a similar non-linear techqniue for his latest picture “Love Aaj Kal”

The Worst:

Down To You :
Starring 90s hearthrob Freddy Prinze Jr., this awful pastiche of weepy melodramas, features a scene where Freddy’s character drinks a bottle of hair conditioner in grief! Enuff said?

Blockbustery (as in, the potential to earn a gazillion dollars):
The Best Of :
The Pirates of the Caribbean Series / the Lord of the Rings:

This was a good decade for spectacle, and no movies evidence that better than the two named above. With all the thrills, chills and spills that the escapist demanded, we waited year on year for the sequels of both these franchises to enthrall us, and while it is impossible to rank one over the other, for sheer entertainment value alone; I would put ahead the Pirates series for the inclusion of this man, who single-handedly threatened to steal the show from all the explosions, thrills, and cleavage that co-existed on screen besides him.. Captain Jack Sparrow…savvy?

The Worst of:
G.I. JOE : The rise of the COBRA!
This one goes to G.I. JOE again follks!!

Mind F*ck: (as in the potential to make you go : What the F!)
The Best Of:

The Butterfly Effect:

is a thriller film directed and written by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber. The film stars Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Eric Stoltz and others, and was distributed by New Line Cinema. The move boasts of a warped storyline, where the lead ( played by Ashton) has the ability to change his past, by re-imagining it differently. Each re-imaginig however brings about unforeseen changes to his future, rather than the pleasant aftermath that he had hoped. The Butterfly Effect is a mish-mash of the Wonder Years and the Omen!

The Worst:

DONNIE DARKO:

2001 American science fiction film written and directed by Richard Kelly. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Featuring random time travel sequences, a ten feet long Bunny Rabbit and an in essence a plotline to convuluted for its own good, Donnie enjoys a cult fan following, I have yet to come across someone who has figured out, WTF goes on in the movie ( which, perhaps is what the director set out to do after all!)

HORROR:
The Best:The SAW Series:

Little did James Whanell know that the short feature that he had pitched in 2003 as a movie idea, would become a monster hit, and go on to spawn five sequels. Hailed as the movie responsible for the "torture porn" genre, We haven't seen the last of Jigsaw and his accomplices yet!

The Worst
The HAPPENING:

Otherwise known as the movie that effectively removed all memories of M. Night Shyamalan as the guy directed the "SIXTH SENSE

FOREIGN:OLD-BOY / 13-TZAMETI/PAN's LABYRINTH

OLD BOY (Hangul: 올드보이, the phonetic transliteration of "old boy") is a 2003 South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook, is perhaps the definitive revenge cinema. It's impact is seen in the fact that Sanjay Gupta directed a frame-by-frame remake of the movie called Zinda.

13-TZAMETI

This is a wonderful gem, directed by Georgian filmmaker Géla Babluani. Tzameti is the Georgia

word for thirteen. Tzameti's impact is seen in the fact that Babluani has been called by Hollywood to make a mega-budget remake of the original ( which in my opinion worked due to its miniscule budget!)

PAN's LABYRINTH

A visual treat, Pan's Labyrinth - directed by Guillermo Del Toro, is as wild and fanstatic as a fantasy film can hope to be!

So there you have it folks, a great decade with some great cinema. Do you agree with the above lists? Have a great next decade!!

FreEk

extra freeky:

The freEk's favourite movie, of the decade, in case you wondered is this masterpiece...

Memento, directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Guy Pearce will probably the decade defining movie, in my freEky little opinion for the sheer impact that it had on cinema, storytelling, and yes Bollywood's Ghajini - which was a pathetic rip-off!

IRON MAN 2 - baybee!

2009-12-17T06:50:00.001-08:00

Here it is folks, Robert Downey Jr. , Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle and a whole lot of metal suited badassery...

Following what have been minor sneak peeks into this mega- movie, Marvel today unleashed upon us grateful souls the much awaited trailer, feast your eyes:

Iron Man 2 Trailer: A Furious Display of Awesome - Film School Rejects

yes, we will be keeping you posted on more developments, but for now, a deep breath of gratitude will do!!

frEek

Rocket Singh .....Raju meets Jerry!

2009-12-11T22:49:00.000-08:00

A wintery hello, frEeky fellows!

For all its claims to be a professional and global industry, Bollywood is at the end of it, a mom and pop shop; with only the laadla star beta / betis that get launched every so often. One such privileged star kid was Ranbir Kapoor, who has probably turned out to be the surprise flavour of the year. With back to back successes such as "Wake Up Sid" and "Ajab Prem Ki Ghajab Kahani" Ranbir has found his groove as the simple/naive do-gooder whose charm prevails over all his obstacles; much like Ranbir seems to be winning over the audience these days! Ranbir returns yet again with Shimit Amin's "Rocket Singh - Salesman of the year!

What it is: Shimit Amin who gave us Bollywood's second best sport film "Chak De India"( I would rate Lagaan as the best) returns with another underdog tale featuring Ranbir as Harpreet Singh, a naive, yet simpleton (coincidence 1: Harpreet is then the same character that Ranbir has played in his previous films Sid and Ajab Prem...)who dreams of joining the big bad world of sales, upon graduation. Brimming with good worldy advice received from his grandpa played effortlessly by Prem Chopra (coincidence 2: Ranbir's character name in his last movie was, you guessed it : Prem Chopra!)

the Yaays: Ranbir, is effortless in his by now second nature performance as the kind hearted do-gooder. Disheartened by the unethical ways of his employer, he decides to start of his own little set-up in a manner which reminds one of Tom Cruise's Jerry Maguire. Ranbir has great screen presence, and Shimit in recognising this, keeps the melodrama to a minimum and chooses instead to focus on the antics of his lead. Although there are some interesting ( and true to life) office characterisations, such as the overtly made up office receptionist and the techie who secretly surfs porn while in office, this is essentially Ranbir's tale; who to his credit delivers!

the Naays: For the cine-going crowd that expect foreign locales, melodrama and a Paresh Rawal as their dose of entertainment, this movie will be a letdown. Shahzan Padamsee is quite the looker, but she and the other newcomer Gauhar Khan make earnest, yet almost there attempts to impress. The story in itself is nothing new, with the tale of the underdog been well documented in Shimit's last film itself.

Verdict:

Thoda Jerry + Thoda Raju = Rocket Singh!

While in no ways a path breaking film, Rocket Singh, like it's title character is a simple film, and is told endearingly well by Shimit Amin. It is perhaps this millennium's version of Ranbir's grandfather Raj Kapoor's "Jis Desh Main Ganga Behti Hai" with a dash of Jerry Maguire thrown in for good measure. While one comes away satisfied with the end product, one really hopes that Ranbir would attempt to break away from the "do-gooder" image that he is fast heading towards being typecast in.

Rating:

a theek-theek 3 freEkies

Even Better Than The Real Thing..

2009-12-05T04:34:00.000-08:00

A Wintery hello, frEeKy fellows,

This year's finest (bollywood) performance has finally arrived! With the release of R. Balki's PAA, Amitabh Bachhan treads into hithertho untested territory playing not only a "special" child ( read here my previous post about how actors playing special people are a shoo-in for the awards). In all seriousness, R. Balki's acerbic script, dripping with lighthearted humour combined with stellar performance by the Big B, make this a definite watch, even a notch better than the Hollywood original "JACK" that it was reportedly inspired from ( read up on my post about that here).

PAA thus joins an elusive league of desi movies, that I daresay, surpass the original film that they are inspired from. While Bollywood as we all know, shamelessly borrows liberally from its foreign film counterparts, and makes unforgivable desi versions that are too many and to bad to name here. There are a few gifted enough to borrow from the original and seamlessly integrate into Indian sensibilities ; join me tonight fellow frEeks in looking at some remakes that truly are,
even better than the real thing!!..

a) Dombivili Fast:

Directed by Nishikant Kamat, this 2006 marathi movie, was heavily inspired by the 1993 Hollywood movie "Falling Down" starring Michael Douglas. While Falling Down depicted the travails of a laid-off NASA employee - William Foster, played by Douglas. Foster's character, having just received the news of his unemployment, goes into depression and then into a self righteous rampage at the unequal distribution of wealth in the American society. Along the way he also dispenses his vigliante brand of justice to drug-dealers and the like. Dombivali Fast, made several years laters transposes the lead character to the bowels of Mumbai (i.e. Dombivali) and pulls no punches in showing his bleary life; from the mornings spent outside a water tanker waiting for his daliy quota of water, to the streetside cuppa tea that he has by the vendor outside his office, Madhav Apte ( played brilliantly by Sandeep Kulkarni)'s life is one monotonous day after which the director depicts thus..

Fed up by his wife's barbs about his self righteous anger, Madhav's rage boils over when a cold-drink vendor demands more than the regular price of a cola, leading Madhav to destroy his stall, and thereafter go on a righteous rampage much like Douglas' character in the original. While Falling Down created a few ripples at the time of it's release, it is to director Nishikant Kamat's credit that he has seamlessly integrated the theme of righteous anger, to perhaps an even more apt setting - the life of the Mumbai middle class man. Dombivali fast in exposing the stench of Mumbai's corruption, crowds and the rat-race which passes of as daily life; ultimately makes a far superior product than the movie which it was inspired from.

b) Chachi 420:

Chachi 420 a 1998 comedy film, by the legendary Kamal Haasan who also starred in the film as the main character, the movie was in no small measure by the brilliant Hollywood comedy , Mrs. Doubtfire starring Robin Williams. While one cannot measure the brilliance of Kamal Haasan's performance against that of Williams in the original, Kamal Haasan once again borrowed from the original and threw in some desi spic for good measure. What makes this remake as good or perhaps even a tad better than the original is the inclusion by Haasan, of perhaps India's greatest acting talent. Take a look at this brilliant scene..

By intertwining characters such as Amrish Puri ,who plays Kamal's father-in-law and who falls in love with Kamal's chachi avatar, Om Puri,as Amrish Puri's lecherous Bihari assistant; Johnny Walker,as an alchoholic make-up artist who disguises Kamal in his female avatar, Paresh Rawal,as Kamal's landlord who also has a crush on Kamal's female avatar, the script takes on some hilarious twists and turns all in no small part due to the inclusion of this brilliant ensemble cast!

extra frEeky: Kamal Haasan also starred in another remake, which matched the brilliance of its original inspiration "Nayagan"

freEk watch: THE BLIND SIDE!

2009-11-30T07:55:00.000-08:00

A weekdayish hello, my frEek fellows!

For many the movie season this year has consisted of the teenage vampire series "Twilight", and while the year has thrown up some underrated gems such as "The Hurt Locker", "Away We Go" or even "Julie and Julia" there has not been that one movie that has had the potential to sway young and old alike, to make that passing from a weekend release, to an award nominee, that is until last weekend!

The Blind Side which released last weekend over the US Box office, is a small movie written and directed by John Lee Hancock, and based on the 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. The movie is the true story of a traumatised homeless kid named Michael Oher, who is adopted by Leigh Anne Tuohy ( played by Sandra Bullock) and with her helps gains confidence, and goes on to become one of the greatest high school football players of all time.

Coming close to toppling the supremacy of the Twilight series at the box-office, this movie is already drawing comparisons to that true life tearjerker of past years, "The Pursuit of Happyness"

and yes, the possibility of ms. Bullock channeling her feistiest "Erin Brockovich" impression, is also said to be a possible Oscar contender. So there you have it folks, will this then be the movie of the year??

see ya at the movies!

extra freeky: you always hear it first here, folks!!!

Movie Review: KURBAAN

2009-11-20T22:15:00.000-08:00

A Jihadi hello my frEeky fellows!

It's been several years since 9/11 now, resulting in a spate of movies from Farenheit 9/11 to Oliver Stone's World Trade Center to the brilliant United 93 It seems rather ironical that Bollywood's bandwagon is catching on to the trend, only now. Following in the footsteps of the daring ( for Yash Raj Studio's standards) NEW YORK is Dharma Productions KURBAAN

What it is: Directed by Rensil D'silva and starring India's Brangelina jodi: Saif and Kareena, Kurbaan tells the story of a teacher (Kareena) who falls for a dapper colleague played oh-so-suavely by Saif. Their fairy tale marriage seems threatened whenupon moving to the USA, Mrs. teacher realises that Mr. teacher has a few secrets up his kurta sleeve!

the YAays: Slickly shot, Kurbaan boasts of sizzling chemistry between its lead pair, however the much talked about intimate scenes come across as too corny! Kurbaan boasts of an excellent supporting cast including Kirron Kher who deviates from her usual boisterous Punjabi mother persona to an underplayed performance. Om Puri as an calculating terrorist leader, is in fine form.

the NaAys: One can't but help get the feeling of deja-vu while watching Kurbaan. While the initial reels, resemble the deceitful romance of Kajol and Aamir Khan in Fanaa, the latter reels invloving Vivek Oberoi's character too strongly reminds u of Neil Nitin Mukesh's character in NEW YORK. Kurbaan's biggest apparent flaw is that it tries to hard from being a thriller to a palette for the romance between its leads to a political commentary; and the strain shows!!

Rating:

a theek - theek three frEekies!

KAMAL ka KAMAAL I : NAYAKAN!

2009-11-14T20:30:00.000-08:00

Vadakam and hellos, my frEEky fellows!!

Kamal Haasan, the actor, the star and the one man movie industry completed 50 movies this year, while praise showered upon him, is as redundant as blaming Pakistan for terrorism, we tread down memory lane to look at some his best work over the years, get yourself ready fellow freEks for:

Kamal Ka Kamaal

episode 1: NAYAGAN

Widely regarded as Kamal's best film, this masterpiece was directed by the then unknown Mani Ratnam, and scored by music maestro Ilayaraaja. Nayagan, an indianised version of Mario Puzo's Godfather ( in itself made into a brilliant film by Coppola) was saved from being a gimmicky copy of the Hollywood version due to Kamal's brilliant acting. While the movie's plot set in the "smuggler" era of the 80s might seem a bit dated now, Kamal's acting as the orphaned Velu, who is adopted by small time criminal living in Dharavi, and who goes on to become a veritable "Godfather" is incredible.
Scenes such as the one where Kamaal protests the local police inspector's bullying by bearing the entire force of the water cannon used against the slum people, or even that depicting his interaction with a prostitute, who requests that he let her study for the night, as she has an exam the next morning have all stood the test of time, take a look-see:

Time Magazine listed Nayagan as One of the Hundred greatest movies ever made ( the only other Indian movie making this list was Satyajit Ray's Apu trilogy). If you haven't seen Nayagan, well, you better do this now, cause this jewel of a film will never lose its sheen!

frEEk

frEEking exclusive: PAA! vs. JACK!

2009-11-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

hellos my frEeK fellows,

The Promos for R. Balki's "PAA" have created a stir! featuring Amitabh Bachchan in an unecognisable get-up, PAA's posters are already generating curiosity for the film.

With a cast that includes AB Jr. - Abhishek Bachchan and Vidya Balan, PAA is the story of an aspiring politician played by Abhisheik whose son Auro (played by Amitabh) suffers from a rare degenerating condition, which causes him to age far more rapidly than children his age. As a result, Auro, while in third grade already looks older than his father! The movie also features Vidya Balan as Abhi's wife and Auro's mother struggling to come to terms with Auro's condition, and Paresh Rawal as Abhi's father and political mentor who urges him to keep his "special" child under wraps. The papers these days are abuzz with news of Amitabh's astounding performance and the hours of makeup it took Amitabh to get in Auro's character. What they won't tell you is the amazing simlarity that PAA bears to an nondescript hollywood movie called "JACK"

directed by Francis Ford Coppola. and starring Robin Williams, it tells the story of a similar child (Robin Williams) who suffers from a similar degenerating disease, that makes him look like, well Robin Williams, while he is still in school!! Bill Cosby, plays Jack's teacher who encourages his parents to come to terms with their special child, the movie also focuses on Jack's efforts to get accepted with children his age in school. Jack, did dismally at the box office, and is perhaps remembered best for being one of Jennifer Lopez's first on screen appearances.

While there is really no doubt that Big B's stellar performance combined with solid support from actors like Paresh Rawal, will make PAA a definite must - watch, you now are in the know from where "PAA" was inspired from!!!

extra frEeky: u always hear it first here folks!!

Movie Review: Jail

2009-11-07T03:25:00.000-08:00

A lazy weekend hello my frEEk fellows!

That Madhur Bhandarkar has made a niche in "expose" films is an understatement, from the path breaking Chandni Bar , Page 3 and Corporate ; Madhur treaded unfamiliar waters with more masala movies such as "trishakti" ( am i the only one who has seen it?) and "Aan: Men at Work " which was a huge "off" for the audience ( aan -off..get it? never mind) Madhur has since stuck to familiar territory and returned to expose cinema which threatens to lay bare the seamier side of whatever universe he lays his eyes on, so join us fellow frEEks on Madhur's latest journey to..JAIL!

what it is?: Jail is the story of Parag Dixit (played with enough angst by Neil Nitin Mukesh) an upper middle class executive, who makes enough time from his hectic corporate life to romance lady - love ( played inconsequentially by Mugdha Godse). Life takes a turn for the worse when Parag is embroiled in a drug raid, and finds himself bhind the bars of where else, but JAIL!

the Yaays: As in all Madhur's movies the viewer is exposed to intricate details of the workings of a jail system, several scenes such as where Parag has to get used to sleeping with dozens of inmates in a cramped cell, the "torture" scene all score effectively. Neil Nitin Mukesh brings credibility to the character, and registers an impact in his role, Manoj Bajpai, playing a warden underplays his histrionics ( one just waits for him to spout a Bhiku Mhatre dialogue!).

the Naays: With due respect to Madhur's genius his movies now threaten to tread a similar path, where the moralistic "middle - class" protagonist is thrust into hellish circumstances, leaving him no choice but to rise to the occasion - as was the case with Konkona Sen Sharma's character in Page 3, Raveena Tandon's in Satta and Priyanka Chopra's in Fashion and in this case Neil's character in "Jail", while one appreciate the detailed canvas that Madhur paints, one wishes that the plot events unveiled somewhat differently. One also wishes that the initial reels of the movie were not wasted on the incosequential romance between Neil and Mughda's characters and instead focussed on the various characters that Neil interacts with while in JAIL.

rating:

a theek - theek 3 freEkies!

extra frEeky: What's next Madhur? "Hospital", "Hotel"....just remember to give me credit!!

Salaam Mozart: Salman se Simpson tak!

2009-10-12T23:22:00.000-07:00

hellos my frEEk fellows!

The promos of Vipul Shah's London Dreams are currently doing the rounds of our idiot boxes, featuring steroidal Salman Khan, alluring Asin Thottumkal and aggravated Ajay Devgan the movie revolves around

a wannabe Indian rock band in London led by Ajay Devgan, called "London Dreams" Asin plays the lead back-up dancer for this band (did not know rock bands required dancers!) Salman plays a village bumpkin and Ajay's childhood pal with a surprising music talent, which comes to the fore when he travels to London and ends up joining the band.

Jealousy comes to the fore when Salman's popularity with the crowds and with Asin threatens to usurp Ajay as the band's lead. Will talent rise to the fore, or will Ajay's villainous ways succeed in manipulating the naive Salman into ruin? - those my frEEks are answers we cannot provide, what we do recollect is the amazing similarity that the above plotline holds to 1981's

"AMADEUS" directed by Miloš Forman based on the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart starring Tom Hulce as the legendary composer who threatens to upstage the existing court composer Salieri (played by F. Murray Abraham in his Oscar winning performance), mirroring real life,
the movie reveals Salieri's sinister manipulations of Mozart as he convinces the young composer that there are people out to kill him driving him to paranoia, alcoholism and eventual death!

Mozart's legendary tale has not escaped the hands of our favurite animated series the Simpson's and an episode titled Margical History Tour featured a Simpson style retelling of "Amadeus"
the episode featured Bart reprising Mozart's role and Lisa replaying the evil Salieri.
The above clip, features Lisa's Salieri, having done away with Bart's Mozart, returning to the King, only to run into the new composer Ludwig van Beethoven (played by Nelson Muntz)!!

So there you have it my frEEks, the legendary composer has crossed boundaries of geography, medium and language to enthrall us with his everlasting music! a frEEky salute then to his great genius!

frEEk on the Moon!

2009-09-27T05:56:00.000-07:00

A Lunar hello my frEEk fellows!

Lo and behold, Chandrayaan has found traces water on the surface of our beloved Chandramaa (aka Moon), while the effects of this on the world at large are too vast to be contained in the meager realms of this blog, we can join hands in a celebration of chandamama on film.

Celluloid has enjoyed a long – standing relationship with earth’s only satellite from being compared in innumerable songs to the heroine, to being the abode for some truly frEEky creatues we take a look at some of the freakier moments that the Moon has enjoyed on screen:

I) Moon:

What better tribute to the Moon, than having a movie named exclusively after itself! Fortunately for us “Moon” directed by Duncan Jones is not simply two hours of footage showing Earth’s favourite satellite revolving on its ass. Moon tells the story of an Astronaut named Sam Bell played by Sam Rockwell stationed for a period of seven years on a mining station, with his term shortly coming to an end,

Sam starts to see visions of a teenaged girl around and even around the surface of the moon pretty soon he starts to visions of even himself!, is stress taking its toll on him? Or is there more to the eerie going ons than meets the eye?

Despite the obvious resemblances to Kubrick’s 2001 : A Space Odyssey, MOON manages to throw up some chills, thrills and spills to make u shiver in your spacesuit!

II) Nude on the Moon: a 1961 sexploitation film co-written and co-directed by Doris Wishman and Raymond Phelan

under the shared pseudonyms "O. O. Miller" and "Anthony Brooks". The film was produced in 1960 but was not released theatrically until 1961. Doris Wishman went on to become a significant female filmmaker and noteworthy director of sexploitation movies. Wishman is also credited as the film's co-producer. The film’s measly story line deals with two space scientists who journey to the moon, only to find a colony of nudists living there.

The film’s apparent lack of storyline is (apparently) compensated by the film’s gratituous use of nudity (though I must add, that the end result is quite cheesy rather than erotic). The scientists do manage extricate themselves from the confines of the alluring nudist ladies and return to planet Earth ( these stupid scientists I tell you!!!)

III) Apollo 13: Perhaps the most lauded about “moon” related films in recent times, Apollo 13 is a 1995 film that

dramatized the ill-fated lunar mission of the same name in 1970. The movie was adapted by William Broyles, Jr. and Al Reinert from the book Lost Moon by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger, and was directed by Ron Howard. It stars Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton.

The film garnered critical acclaim and was nominated for many awards, most notably nine Oscars and won for Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing at the 1996 Academy Awards.

Watch this one from superlative performances by the always dependable Hanks, Sinise as the astronauts stranded in space and Ed Harris as the NASA controller trying to get the crew back to earth. The film also takes a swipe at the apparent of loss of interest of the world at large in the Lunar mission (there were obviously 12 missions preceding it), the public interest is ironically revived upon news of the impending engine failure of Apollo 13.

So there you have it folks a wee peek at some of Chandamama’s finest attempts on celluloid,

Extra frEEky: while not exactly dealing with the Moon, MJ’s immortalised the moon in his dance – routine called “THE MOONWALK!”

DISTRICT 9 - THE NEW AGE GANDHI !

2009-09-21T06:36:00.000-07:00

hello frEEky fellows,

I chanced upon a recent article proclaiming the Neill Blomkamp directed District 9 (D9) as the new Slumdog Millionaire.and while that allegory may indeed be relevant given that D9 tells the story of aliens that land in South Africa and are relegated to living on the slums as a result of the local distrust of them. D9 may also be compared to Slumdog as it has well become the sleeper hit of the year. But the frEEk finds similarities in its core between D9 and a film about perhaps the most famous Indian ever: Gandhi.

D9 tells the tale of Aliens having landed in Johannesburg, being confiscated of their technology and weaponry and shoved into slum -like camps a metaphor for the apartheid camps which existed during the time a young Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi visted South Africa to pursue his studies.
D9 is also the story of Wikus van der Merwe (played brilliantly by Sharlto Copley) an employee of Multinational United (MNU), a private military contractor, who is placed in charge of evacuating the prawn-like aliens to a concentration camp, away from human dwellings in Johannesburg. In a bizarre set of events, Wikus becomes "infected" with alien DNA which slowly mutates him into an alienesque creature, driving him into sense empathy for the reviled aliens, a similar to where Gandhi's conscience was rudely awakened upon being thrown out of a train, in where else but Johannesburg!

Wikus' altered DNA now allows him to operate Alien weaponry - which has been consficated from the aliens upon their landing on earth, and which ability makes him a sought after "creature"by the government and the aliens alike. The clip shows how local warlords try to cut off Wikus' arm in the hope that consumption of his mutated arm will give them similar "powers"

This leads to Wikus becoming an involuntary messiah, once again akin to Gandhi's heralding of the SATYAGRAHA movement which led to the British evacuation of India. While Wikus' attempts are more non-satyagraheque, it steamrolls the aliens attempt to break free from the confines of their slave camp, and return to their home planet.

So there you have it frEEks, not only is D9 a tale of sci-fi told exceedingly well, but also a tale of humanity and how the most unseeming person, can create a revolution.

extra frEEky: watch D9, today!!

The Money Never Sleeps : Wall Street 2 news!!

2009-09-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hello my awaiting freaks,

mucho apologies for the delayed post, and a special thank - shout out those who wrote back. To make amends, we have some much anticipated news from the stables of Oliver Stone & Co, as reported by the frEEk in his earlier post, the shooting of the much inspirational 1980s movie WALL STREET, titled "THE MONEY NEVER SLEEPS" is well underway. Feast your eyes on old Oliver Stone directing Shia LaBeouf who plays a young investment banker with Frank Langella playing his mentor of sorts.

The plot revolves around Laboeuf's character whose mentor dies under suspicious circumstances, with the evidence pointing to a Hedge Fund Manager played by Josh Brolin . What can Laboeuf do but call on Gordon Gekko (played by Michael Douglas) who has since been released from jail, and is now a lecturer to help him settle scores with the wrong-doers. Gekko himself has a personal agenda and wants to get back with his daughter played by newbie actress Carey Mulligan who has left him after his arrest, and who is seeing Laboeuf's character in the movie! The movie of course is set against the chaotic world of stocks, hedge funds and of course investment banks.

There will be frEEks amongst you who will ask whether a movie which portrayed the excesses of financial mismanagement is relevant in today's world, well of course it is! Wasn't the recent anniversary of the the Lehman Brothers crash recently remembered with the same grief that that other heinous event in September: the fall of the World Trade Center?

With Obama's recent cautionary note to Wall Street's misuse of the recent rally in stock markets still ringing in our ears, there is no infact no better time for this sequel starring a multi oscar winning cast of Stone, Douglas, Susan Sarandon (and yes Charlie Sheen does cameo) to unfold before us, and no better person than that fiscal combat warrior Gecko to show us the path!

Is it too much ask then for a bit cameo, from Obie himself? after all Stone has previously handled U.S. Presidents in his scathingily comic "W" based on George W. Bush, one can't frEEking wait!

Sneak FrEEk: ISHQIYA!

2009-08-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

A lazy Sunday hello, my frEEk fellows!

Just chanced upon the latest offering from the stables of Vishal Bhardwaj and Shemaroo Entertainment: ISHQIYA" starring the unlikely duo of Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi in lead. ISHQIYA is a story of two small time hitmen, played by Shah and Warsi, who take refuge in a small town after a hit gone wrong only to fall in love with the (demure?) village belle played by Vidya Balan ; who seems to have a few tricks up her sleeve!

The chemistry between Warsi and Shah seems to rival that between Warsi's previous onscreed partner Sanjay Dutt) in the Munnabhai series and Vidya Balan appears to break off her goody two shoes image.

The movie for me bears shades of the cult hit In Bruges which starred Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as two hitmen who take shelter in the seemingly nondescript town of Bruges after a hit goes wrong.

Remember my fellow frEEks that Vishal Bhardwaj and co. succesfully desified Shakespeare in Maqbool and Omkara, and we can suitably trust him to add enough desi spice to "inspiration".

extra frEEky: can't wait!!!

THE AVATAR HAS LANDED!!!

2009-08-28T22:37:00.000-07:00

Salaam Namaste and a million hellos my frEEk fellows!

Although it hasn't quite reached our shores as yet, the AVATAR has well and truly landed! That's right folks, The movie, 14 years in the making, one that is set to the change the face of cinema as we know it, finally revealed itself to select audiences in theaters worldwide in the form of a trailer like no other.

What makes Avatar so special you say, well if you remember it comes to us from the stables of sci-fi movie maker James Cameron who gaves us summer masterpieces such as Aliens, the Aliens (1986) Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and yes that movie about the ship which hit an iceberg and sank! Avatar boasts a stellar cast of new and young actors including the first lady of sci-fi films Sigourney Weaver and Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation) but what really sets apart is that AVATAR incorporates an as yet unheralded technology (codenamed PANDORA) which allows the viewer to have an IMAX - 3D experience, that's right folks, not only will the images in this movie be larger than life, they will actually immerse you in the proceedings!

AVATAR, at its core is the futuristic story of a crippled soldier; Jake Sully played by Worthington, who is "mind-melded" into the body of a Na'avi alien, In his new "Avatar" (yes that is a sanksrit term - for new form!) he visits the Na'avi planet called PANDORA ( do u recollect reading that term elsewhere in this post?) and falls for a female Na'avi, named Neyetri played (voiced) by Zoe Saldaña in the lush surroundings of Pandora. Trouble ensues when the human corporation, that funded Sully's mind meld arrive to colonize ( read rule) over PANDORA,Sully now choose over what his duty orders, or what his heart tell him to do!

Already AVATAR's plot has come under criticism, for being glaringly similar to the "white man saves the natives plot" found in pictures such as Dances with Wolves or even "The Last Samurai", and admittedly it is, but what one must remember is that while AVATAR may not promise the most original of story lines, it does promise to change the way we experience cinema. Already there is talk of future blockbusters such as IRON MAN -2 utilising similar technology, and so while AVATAR may or may not go on to beat TITANIC ( incidentally alos Cameron's film) it will take the cinema viewing expericne on a thrill never before experienced, and for this to Mr. James Cameron, we express our frEEkiest thanks!!!

extra frEEky: Is it just my frEEking mind, or can similarities be drawn with the exiled hero of AVATAR, to another blue skinned being that we are familar with, bot of course were AVATARS!! let the controversies begin!!

Chris Nolan's next "INCEPTION" starring Leonardo Di Caprio

2009-08-25T09:55:00.001-07:00

Check out the trailer for Christopher Nolan's upcoming thriller "Inception"....
starring Leonardo Di Caprio, Cillian Murphy and Nolan's favourite Micheal Caine, Inception is a futuristic thriller about a CEO, played by Leo who...ah watch the trailer and be suitably titillated!!

appears to be a mix of Memento and the Matrix, can't frEEking wait!

She's the Haddippa!!

2009-08-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

Ek chota sa hello, mere barsaat ke thirsty frEEk fellows!!

These days, the promos of Yash Raj Film's next venture "DIL BOLE HADIPPA" are gathering eyeballs, with current it-boy, and perennial man-candy Shahid Kapoor, and Yash Raj Film's ( read Aditya Chopra's ) favourite female lead Rani Mukherji.

The music video features the new and improved Rani, trying to her best to look sensual while showing of her newly toned hot-bod. She is matched step by step on the road to attempted sexeeeeness, by Shahid's man cleavage! Rani also shows up in another avatar i.e. of a Sardar! take a look..

While Yash Raj is leaving no stone unturned to ensure this become's Rani's comeback film, what they won't let u know, is how closely this film mirrors a lesser known Hollywood movie called "She's The Man" starring Amanda Bynes and directed by Andy Fickman. The film also stars Hollywood man-candy Channing Tatum and co-stars David Cross. Viola Hastings (Amanda Bynes) is a high school soccer player who learns that the girls' team at her school, Cornwall, is being cut. Viola instead decides to pass herself off as Sebastian and join the boys' soccer team at Illyria. She hopes to beat the Cornwall team and humiliate her loving but slightly sexist goalie ex-boyfriend Justin (Robert Hoffman), who had discouraged her from joining the team. With the help of her friends Viola becomes the quirky "Sebastian". Viola/Sebsatien also falls in love with Soccer Team's captain played by Channig Tatum, resulting in much hilarity! check out the trailer below..

In Dil Bole...Rani too stars as a cricket-playing girl forced to play a double life as Shahid's love interest, and a member of the all-male cricket team disguised as a Sardar! So much for Bollywood originality!

If it makes u feel any better, even "She's the Man" is inspired by William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night!

Thinking frEEk: KAMINA FICTION!

2009-08-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

Namaste fellow frEEks,

Those amongst us who have caught a glimpse of Vishal Bhardwaj's latest offering KAMINEY ( you can visit my review here) have caught it's subtle nods to Hollywood offerings in the same genre i.e. films by Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie. What particularly got this frEEk thinking ( yes, there are moments when this happens!) were the sly references to one particular classic, Tarantino's "PULP FICTION" here's how:

a) Rocking Theme Song: Pulp Fiction, contained an awesome retro soundtrack, however one track in particular stood out; MISIRLOU by Dickie Dale, this insanely catchy number, was featured in all the initial promos for Pulp Fiction; take a look-see below:

Kaminey, too features a frenetic guitar pitched number "Dhan-Te-Nan" a duet between Sukhwinder Singh and Vishal Dadlani, the number, also featured in all Kaminey's initial promos, is by no means a rip-off but does pay subtle homage to MISRLOU, see for yourself:

b) That Darn Watch: A Rolex watch forms an integral part of Pulp Fiction's plot line, In a cameo, Captain Koons (played superbly by Christopher Walken) gifts young Butch (Bruce Willis' character) his father's watch, Koons serves with Butch's father in the Vietnam war, and to prevent the Viets from stealing the watch, hides the watch up his ass! before dying from dysentry, he hands over the watch to Koons ( who hides it up his own ass) before presenting the watch to youn Butch. It is the very watch, that the older Butch ( played by Bruce Willis) loses on the run from his "owner" Marsellus ( played by Ving Rhames) which leads in turn to Marsellus sending Vincent Vega (played by John Travolta) to kill Butch. Take a look at the hilarious Christopher Walken cameo below..

In Kaminey, too a Rolex watch plays a critical part in the movie, where Guddu's and Charlie's
(played by Shahid Kapoor)father steals a Rolex, and Charlie has to obtain money to bribe the cops to set their father free. You can get a fleeting glimpse of the Rolex in the promo below

So there you have it fellow frEEkies, again by no means is Kaminey a rip-off of Pulp Fiction, but the homages are well and truly frEEky!

extra frEEky: Kaminey is playing at your friendly neigbourhood cinema, you can purchase Pulp Fiction here

Movie Review: Kaminey

2009-08-17T07:33:00.000-07:00

Hellos my Kaminey frEEky fellows!

The last couple of weeks has been harsh on us, Swine-Flu, impending drought, and yes the catastrophic detention of SRK have taken their toll on our collective psyches. Fret not fellow frEEks, for celluloid relief is finally here in the form of Vishal Bhardwaj's much awaited KAMINEY

Vishal directing Shahid on the sets of Kaminey

What it is? : Kaminey is the next offering from the stables of Vishal Bhardwaj,, yes he who had succesfully indianised Shakespeare (Maqbool and Omkara) Vishal now takes on the hyperkinetic crime thriller genre popularised by the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie. Kaminey also gathered pre-publicity buzz due to a first time "double-role" by Shahid Kapoor and of course the chartbuster "Dhan-Te-Nan" sung marvelouslly by Vishal Dadlani and Sukhiwnder Singh.

Kaminey is the story of twin brothers; Guddu and Charlie (both played convincingly by Shahid Kapoor) born in the murkiest parts of Dharavi (and no, neither is called onto a quiz show unlike that other movie about slums!) . Driven to hate each other due to their varying idelogies, the movie is a story of how fate ( and the criminal underworld) conspire to bring the two brothers together.

What works: I have always been apprehensive about bollywood movies that attempt to introduce characters just to keep the plot moving (aka every Priyadarshan movie after Hera Pheri) but kudos to Vishal for pulling of the impossible, not only does the plot take the viewer down unconventional lanes, but each character (and believe me, there's a quite a few) is fleshed out and adds value to the plot. The screenplay is a skillful merge of some bhai-bhai bollywood cliche mingled with generous doses of dark underworld humor. Shahid Kapoor breaks away from his choco-boy image and delivers his best performance to date, watch the scene where the two brothers meet after ages, to appreciate Shahid's effort on screen, Priyanka Chopra manages to just about keep up, in her role as a Marathi Mulgi, who plays a fast one on Guddu. Then there is the brilliant supporting cast including Taare Zameen Par writer Amol Gupte as a "marathi manoos" supporting politico, Chandan Roy Sanyal as Mikhail, Charlie's drug addicted confidant/boss. Here's a film that acknowledges it's audience's intelligence and aims for its jugular, which is why surreal dream sequences seem rightly juxtaposed with the otherwise Mumbaiyaa plot.

What Doesn't: There's a section of junta that are into, the "leave your brains at home" movie genre (aka Singh Is Kinng, Chandni Chowk to China, should i go on?) this movie is perhaps is not for them! Also the climactic shoot out sequence seemed a wee bit contrived, but really folks I am just picking at very minor squibbles in this hugely entertaining movie.

Verdict: Grab your N95s and head for the movie hall folks, cuz this is probably the best Bollywood will offer this year!!

4 out of 5 frEEkies: a frEEking good watch!

My name is K..K.K. KHAN!

2009-08-15T23:19:00.000-07:00

A sleepy Sunday hello, my frEEky fellows!

We are awakened from our slumbers with the "shocking" news of Bollywood's Badshah
(does that title still apply I wonder?) Shahrukh Khan being detained for questioning at Newark airport. The impossible has happened, and the furore over swine flu, the drought, hell event the Ambani Brothers have been eclipsed by this event of catastrophic proportions.
It cannot be denied that said event reeks of racial stereotyping and was an easily avoided incident, especially given SRK's megastar presence, It was SRK's close friend Karan Johar who had once recounted how SRK had generated more crowds for a movie premier in London, than had Tom Cruise at a theater near by. Surely then it would not have been hard for airport authorities to recognise who they had detained.

What pertrubs me, is that said event too closely mirrors the plot of SRK's upcoming release called "MY NAME IS KHAN" - directed by close friend Karan Johar, the movie tells the story of an autistic patient (played by SRK) who is detained by U.S. officials, during 9/11, when is unable to answer their questioning due to his mental condition, the film goes on to show the efforts of SRK and and his wife (played by Kajol) to clear his name. Both SRK and Karan Johar have a lot riding on this movie, and have inked out a mega-dollar deal with a Hollywood Studio to promote the same. SRK can also use all the publicity he gets on this outing, as it is reportedly to be a songless film ( it would be a stretch even by bollywood standards to have an autisitic patient sing around trees!)

Bollywood has not been a stranger to publiicity stunts, several years ago, cheap-thrill-generator-extraordinaire Mahesh Bhatt had spalshed adverts in dailies claiming the murder of Manisha Koirala (remember her?). This turned out to be a marketing gimmick for his upcoming movie "Criminal" where Manisha played the murdered wife of the protganist. In the wake of the Gulshan Kumar murder, Mahesh Bhatt again was held responsible for creating a rumour about the SRK being shot on the sets of his then movie "Duplicate".

So there you have it folks, a sad case of mistaken identity or a publicity stunt like no other? Whoever said all is fair in love and war, forgot to mention movie publicity, after all a bollywood potboiler has equal amounts of love and war!!

extra frEEky: Duplicate was also produced by Karan Johar's production house - Dharma Productions!!

GOREY FILMAY, KAALEY LOG!

2009-08-01T22:54:00.000-07:00

A million hellos, my frEEK fellows,

I was recently intrigued by the interesting article, by Expat on the Edge aka a brit journalist living in Mumbai; Naomi Canton. Naomi's article provided an interesting look at the various foreigners that work in Bollywood cinema. She interviewed foreigners of various nationalities that are "recruited" by casting agents at various "foreigner hangouts" such as Cafe Leopold, and are utilised as background fillers, dancers and such for Bollywood. While providing an interesting insight on the good and the not-so-good time faced by these people, the article was though provoking on Bollywood's need, nay obsession with foreign locations, stars - while perhaps subconsicously trying to measure itself with its firangi counterpart Hollywood. While Yashraj films was responsible for exposing us to the lurid locales of Switzerland, where nubile heroines cavorted in see-through chiffon, only to extoll the virtues of vestal virginity a few reels later. More recently Sajid Nadiadwala and Akshay Kumar's vanity project : KAMBAKHT ISHQ got us the chance to see aging Hollywood Lothario Sylvester Stallone and ex-bond girl Denise Richard cavort with Akshay and Kareena; and what a disaster that turned out to be.
This led me to wonder whether Hollywood has ever thrown a glimpse at our shores? have our actors ever been called into participate in their mega-dollar offerings, so join me then my frEEky friends as we dive once again in the murky realms of celluloid to see if whether we desis did make an impact on foreign shores:

a) SABU:

Perhaps, the biggest and yet largely unknown offering from India's shores was Sabu Dastagir (although that last name was an error ) Discovered by director Robert J. Flaherty during a search for the lead in Elephant Boy, 11 year old Selar Shaik Sabu was from a family of elephant vtamers, and his skills were put to apt use in Flaherty's film which was about a boy who magically communicates with elephants. While the film itself received mixed review, there was no doubting Sabu's charisma, as is evident from the clip below:

An instant box-office favourite, Sabu was loved by the audiences, and became a mainstay of all "exotic" films set in the "mysterious" and forbidden eastern realms ( any place outside America!)
one of Sabu's bigger successes was "Jungle Book" based on Rudyard Kipling's classic of the same name:

Sabu went on star in a loosely adapted version of Aladdin called the "Thief of Baghdad" where though playing the lead role, he played second fiddle to the smashing prince (played of course by, a gora)

Roles faded as Sabu's age advanced, and no longer was deemed "cute" enough to play his previous roles, yet he was part of the controversial "Black Narcisuss" which dealt with a nun-in-training being seduced by the prince of a mysterious eastern kingdom that she volunteers to work for.

Plagued in his later years for allegations of homosexuality, Sabu died a rather unfortunate and impoverished death. His legend hitherto unknown in his home shores, needs to be discovered and cherished.

b) Om Puri and Victor Banerjee :

An underrated actor of immense talent, and brother of Amrish Puri ( who played the legendary villain Mola Ram in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) Om Puri made some inroads into Hollywood cinema starting of with a bit cameo in Attenborough's Gandhi, he starred in the cinema adaptation of the " City of Joy " starring Patrick Swayze. Om went on to play the stereotypical Indian mystic in films such as the The Ghost and the Darkness starring Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas and Wolf starring Jack Nicholson. He has also made several appearances in well-meaning but lesser known movies such as "Sam and Me" Om's defining moment in foreign cinema was perhaps "East is East " a low budget british movie, where he played a muslim immigrant, married to a firang trying to keep his two sons rooted Indian culture, and not be swayed by the lure of the West. The movie was a runaway smash and showcased amply Om's acerbic comic talent to the world.

Victor Banerjee, finds himself mentioned here on account of his undoubted acting talent which led to his roles in Merchant Ivory's - 'Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures" and David Lean's A Passage to India

and Roman Polanski's frEEky Bitter Moon. My favourite Victor Banerjee film is perhaps Foreign Body which stars Banerjee in the lead as a bumbling medical student who is mistaken for a high profile medical doctor and becomes the toast of high society London - the film was loosely remade as the The Guru. several years later.

c) Irrfan Khan :

Perhaps the most well known face of India in Hollywood right now, Irrfan announced himself as a global talent in Mira Nair's "The Namesake" , he followed it up with the true-life based "A Might Heart" also starring Angelina Jolie. Irrfan's most well known claim to fame is, you guessed it.. Slumdog Millionaire where as one reviewer put it, he effectively represented the audience in gauging the lead credibility in unbelievable adventures that he undertakes. Irrfan also made a blink-and-miss appearance in Wes Anderson's "The Darjeeling Limited . Irrfan's role was criticised by locals as an attempt to garner western publicity - to which Irrfan responded that his role was as a tribute to Wes, who was one of his favourite directors.
Jai Ho Irrfan,! may your talent never be restricted by geographical boundaries!

Extra frEEKy: Yes, there's Aishwarya Rai's foray in Hollywood, but then this article is about actors - i.e. people who can act!

G.O.A.T : Gayest Of All Time!

2009-07-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hello my drenched freeklettes,

It's been a while since my last post, so as a special treat, and in celebration of this wee Blog crossing 30 posts, we present to you my discerning frEEk, a countdown of the Gayest films that ever hit celluloid. Sure you have heard of the biggest sci-fi flicks, or the most romantic mushy sappy fests, but have you wondered what the gayest movies ever are? well, wait no longer and read on..

G.O.A.T. NOMINEES:

It's taken us hours n hours of back breaking, crotch scratching work to come up with perhaps the definitive list, and so without further ado, we present the winners:

I ) BRONZE: ROCKY III

What it is? : That's right folks , behind all the machismo, muscles and aggressive posturing of this movie, lies a tender love story, where everyone's favorite dim-witted (read large hearted) Rocky Balboa(played by Stallone) gets his ass whupped a tough-as-nails Clubber Lang (played by Mr. T.) , and with unceremonious death of his mentor Mickey, Rocky has no one to turn to but his former competitor Apollo Creed ( played by Carl Weathers), what follows is a muscular romance, as Apollo instills some much needed "confidence" back into the "Italian Stallion" ( tell me if that isn't a gay name!) . Take a look at the below training montage, don't the Stallion and Apollo make a lovely couple as the jog into the morning sunrise or grapple each other after a sweaty workout, just a wee - bit umm, gay? look at how the camera caresses their rippling muscles and bulging .... you can't ignore the sizzling chemistry between the two

Gay Giveaways:

a) Slow-Mo Shots of sweaty briefly clad men? - yes!
b) Mucho tears on the death of a beloved "mentor" - yes!
c) Suggestive gay innuendo? - the "favour" that Apollo asks of Rocky!

So, there you have it folks, one of cinedom's most-loved macho tales, was in fact a paean to "brotherly love", still don't believe me, take a look at a collage of some of the more intriguing scenes in the film, Ding-Ding, Round's Over!!!

II) SILVER: SHOLAY

That's right folks, in second place is Ramesh Sippy's curry western, and perhaps the best-loved movie from the loins of Bollywood.

What it is? - Come on, do I really have to tell you!!

You can ride (my bike) anytime baby!

Gay Giveaways:
a) Two men doting over each other than respective ladyloves! the two macho guys even sings songs of their love to each other which suspicsiously go "yeh dosti hum nahin todanGAY!", and vow to each other that "tera saath na chodenGAY", I mean do u really need me to go on!
b) A Dacoit living on his lonesome, with his band of men, with a not a woman in sight? - yes! Sure Gabbar Singh is the biggest badass ever on Hindi cinema, but what do u make of a guy who is interested in the lads, rather than the women, for doesn't his most famous line go "KITNAY AADMI THE!" really now Gabbar!

3) GOLD WINNER: TOP GUN!

And going, nay soaring all the way to the top is the classic actioner from the 80s; that's right frEEks, the G.O.A.T. of all time is none other than TOP GUN!

What it is? : Well, a movie about fighter pilots, who wear Ray-Bans!

Gay Giveaways:
a) Semi Nude Hunks: Top Gun revels us with Semi-Naked Pilots that love the sight of each other! !

Don't tell me you didn't enjoy that!

b) Endorsement by Quentin Tarantino: So powerful is the gay mythos, in this movie, that one of favorite frEEk directors, Quentin Tarantino actually makes a movie appearance in the movie "SLEEP WITH ME" describing Tom Cruise's character "Maverick" brush with homosexuality! Take a look below!

So there you have it folks, the Gayest movie of all time, who would have known!! and as icing on your frEEking pie, here's once again Tarantino's dailogue interspersed with some "interesting" dialogue from the movie, finally out there for the world to see!

extra frEEKy: Is good to be back folks!

GAY HO!! - a celluloid take on homosexuality

2009-07-03T22:32:00.000-07:00

Hello my steamed frEEksums!

It was a landmark day for the swingers, kite-runners, behnas last week with the Delhi High Court, declaring void, the Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code ( seriously, isn't it ironic that something known as the Penal Code banned sex!)
For those not in the know, the said section codified in the 1800s by the Brits, prohibited "unnatural" sex (man, the Brits, really were prudes!) and effectively banned homosexuality, whatever our stance may be on homosexuality it is a welcome relief, that the judiciary has kept up with changing times. Join me then my fellow frEeks in celebrating the depiction of the alternate lifestyle on celluloid!
The leading take on history of homsexuality in cinema, and amongst actors is the "Celluloid Closet" written by Victor Russo, which was later into a movie, on the same name, take a look:
The movie, takes an witty look at the exaggerated portrayals of homosexuality in early hollywood, where the "gay" man had overtly effeminate characteristics, dressed in drag and even carried a purse! In several films, the gay had character confessed his "sin" on being "different"! While Hollywood later portrayed more realistic homosexual character, there was always that sterotypical movie which portrayed gay men, as campy cross-dressers, or lesbian women as crazy violent bitches,
some of the better portrayals of omosexuality include:
"My Own Private Idaho" - which was a sensitive portrayal of Keanu Reeves, as a wayward youth who becomes involved with a gay lad played by River Phoenix
and Tom Hank's Oscar winning turn in Philadelphia - where he plays a gay lawyer afflicted by AIDs

and of course, the unforgettable "Midnight Cowboy" starring Dustin Hoffman and Jon (Angelina ka baap) Voight sad tale of a wannabe actor (Voight) forced into gay prostitution to make ends meet..

Bollywood on the other hand still has a coy relationship with homosexuality and
for the exceedingly rare "My brother Nikhil"

There is always the cliched portrayal of the homo/lesbo character, most notably for cheap thrills, the nadir of which was "Girlfriend" in which Isha Koppikar portrayed a boyish lesbian who

decides to kill her lover's boyfriend to prevent her from going straight, the movie aimed to titillate the basest of crowds, and garnered publicity due to the outcry that the "moral police" made in wanting the movie shut down!
Even the recent Dostana which was a blatant rip-off of the Hollywood flick "Now I pronounce you Chuck and Larry" had its cast proclaiming it to be India's first "Gay flm".. resorted to camp humour and gay stereotyping to bring in the laughs!
All the while, Homosexuality and celluloid have become comfortable bed-fellows ( yes, pun very much intended!) what with movies such as :
the Bird-Cage: starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane as a gay couple whose adpoted son falls for the daughter of an ultra conservative politician played by Gene Hackman

or event "To Wong Foo with love, Julie Newmar" - which starred the macho Patrick Swazye and Wesley Snipes as cross dressing gay dancers..

and of course homoerotic vampire thriller "Interview with the Vampire"

and yes, that little movie about the two Cowboys..

which have all gone on to become huge blockbusters!

Who knows, what the frEEking future holds, a gay James Bond perhaps???

You heard it first here folks!!!

Extra frEEky: Midnight Cowboy is the only X rated movie, to win an Oscar!

frEEk in the Mirror: Michael Jackson

2009-06-26T21:25:00.000-07:00

Namastes my freeklicious friends!

If u were as, this frEEk was, a child of the 70s /80s, u would have surely at some point grabbed, your crotch, attempted a falsetto scream and tried to shuffle ur behind, all in an attempt to imitate perhaps the greates musician, and undoubtedly the most unforgettable entertainer of all time : MICHAEL JACKSON.
Notwithstanding his phenom popularity in the West, Michael Jackson, uncannily enjoyed fame as perhaps the only "American" well-known to global audiences, right down to crafty "poster-sellers" in the sweaty bylanes of Mumbai, who soled many a poster of MJ in all his pelvic thrusting glory to the Indian teens, for whom MJ represented creative,aspirational and even cultural freedom.

Despite being musician, producer, dancer and inventor (yup, u read that right, check out his patent invention here) MJ, had a flirting relationship with cinema, and mastered the visual medium like no other artis before him had. watch his lavishly mounted music videos like smooth criminal, BAD and you will realise this. Let us then in our frEEky little way, pay tribute to ths legend, by taking a look at Michael's portrayal on celluloid:

Early Years: After breaking away from the Jackson Five (i distinctly remember an mtv promo which joked: Jackson 5 minus Michael Jackson = 0!), Michael's earliest attempts on screen,were the pathbreaking Moonwalker (featuring Smooth Criminal), the movie featured an awesome sequence (with 80s special effects) where Michael transforms into a Giant Robot, to destroy some bad guys..

In this escapist outing MJ (in an image that would haunt him him in his later years) as a friend to children, a sort of modern-day Peter Pan.

MJ, soon after even acted with his the "mentor" and "friend" Diana Ross, in a Motownesque adaptation of the Children's (a word we'll no doubt here again in this post!) tale: THE WIZ (based on the Wizard of Oz), while it did not set any cinematic milestones, it is remembered by nostaligc frEEks, as the one where Michael attempted to sing in a much lower (read masculine) voice than he usually does, take a look!

for best results, have a 'stash' at hand while watching this one!

MJ soon associated himself, with perhaps the greatest children's (there's that word again!) movie of all time E.T. by recording an "audio version" of the movie,

frEEks are us!

complete with a goose-bumply number called "Someone in the Dark" (it's not what you're thinking you pervs!) MJ would go on to win a Grammy (one of his 13) for this effort.

All the while, MJ was also subject to ridicule / caricature by other artists, most notably, Eddie Murphy who brilliantly pastiched MJ's mannerisms in his comedy routines; notably Delirious, from which the brilliant repost follows:

That Simpsons Cameo:

"Leon Kompowsky" - voiced by Michael Jackson on the Simpsons!

In the later years, MJ the music genius, hit the headlines for all the wrong movies, plastic surgery, child abuse allegations were what people knew him best for. Perhaps as rejoinder to all those, MJ made an uncredited cameo appearance on the Simpsons as "Leon Kompowsky" a mental institution inmate, who dances, sings, but unfortunately, looks nothing like Michael Jackson. Chaos ensues, when Homer Simspon, takes Leon to his town believing him to be the real Michael Jackson, only to be unceremoniously shooed away by the unbelieving townsfolk, in a touching moment, Leon tells Homer, to not be swayed by others, and only believe what his heart tells him to. Before leaving, "Leon" sings Lisa a birthday song, which is considered one of the best moments in the history of this epic television show, listen away!

In a frEEking twist of events, the "Leon" was credited to a "John J. Smith" and it remained an urban legend for several years, as to who actually "Leon" truly was until, almost 12 years to the date of the airing of the episode, it was revealed that the "Leon" voiceover was indeed provided by MJ himself, and was kept a secret as MJ was under forbidden under contract to record another television/media company, it remains one of televisions greatest "urban legends" to date!

All this while, MJ would continue to hold sway on pop and cinema culutre, not just in the west, but globally - check out India's own pelvic ( and i use that term loosely) thruster Govinda do his imitation of MJ's "BAD" dance moves..

Not to be outdone, India's southern superstar (and now wannabe politician) Chiranjeevi threw in his loose limbs in a frame by frame rip-off MJ's legendary "Thriller" dance..

For good measure, I have included the real deal below, take a look!

They say imitation is the best form of flattery, but I wonder if MJ would be proud!

Later years: In the later years, little was heard (cinematically) from our favorite one-gloved frEEk, MJ's last cinematic outing was the sci-fi extravaganza "Men in Black - II" where MJ, playing himself, and admitting he is an alien, requests to join the "men in black" and known as "Agent M" through the "alien affirmative action" program!

you cannot but admire the man, who gives in to his harshest critics, that too on screen!
Perhaps, it is indeed true, and MJ was not of this world, but was given to us, to entertain, enthrall and embolden us, and now that we had all grown up, and needed him no more, this eternal Peter Pan had whisked away in search other galaxies to entertain.

f
good bye MJ, they took you away, but they can never take away your music!

extra frEEky: "Billie Jean" is the greatest pop-song of all time, period!

uNHOLY Trinity : Three on Trek!!

2009-06-05T23:53:00.000-07:00

Wassup my Frekkies!!
(that's umm.. frEEks who are trekkies, never mind!!)

It's trek season folks, and in continuation of our tribute to this legendary television saga, we unleash another installment, of that ever popular feature of ours: THE UNHOLY TRINITY!!

Tonight's feature, is a triad of movies that have been inspired by Star Trek; easy enough you say, but wait, there's more to this than meets the freeeeeeking eye, and so without much ado, here are

THREE ON TREK

Trek Tribute 1: HALLOWEEN (1978)

What it is: 1978 American independent horror film set in the fictional suburban midwestern town of Haddonfield, Illinois on Halloween. . John Carpenter directed the film, which stars Donald Pleasence as Dr. Sam Loomis, Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, and Nick Castle, Tony Moran and Tommy Lee Wallace sharing the role of Michael Myers (listed in the credits as "The Shape"). The film centers on Myers' escape from a psychiatric hospital, his murdering of teenagers, and Dr. Loomis' attempts to track and stop him. Halloween is widely regarded as a classic among horror films, and as one of the most influential horror films of its era. In 2006, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Trek Connect: Fanfreeks, will be hard pressed to understand what the connect between this legendary slasher horror film and Star-Trek, and a teeny-weeny-freeky hint, look below..

Captain Kirk

Michael Myers

still don't get it? then continue to read below

Here's the freeking connect my friends, the mask that the psycho-killer Myers wears throughout the movie, is in fact a "Captain Kirk" Halloween mask! (freeky, but true) be sure to check out this detailed blurb on how the art-director actually adapted the Kirk mask for one of the most well known (or masked) killers in movie history!!!

Trek Tribute No. 2: FIGHT CLUB

What it is: Fight Club is a 1999 American feature film adaptation of the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. The film was directed by David Fincher and follows a nameless protagonist (Edward Norton), an everyman and an unreliable narrator who feels trapped with his white-collar position in society. The narrator gets involved in a fight club with soap salesman Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) and becomes tangled up in a relationship triangle with Durden and a destitute woman, Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter).

At a loss again are we my fellow freeklings? how indeed is this cult hit of a movie, in any manner related to the Star-Trek movie series! The answer (as with most things in life, lies below!!)

FIGHT CLIP 1:

FIGHT CLIP 2:

Trek Connect: There you have it folks, Captain Kirk, simply was the greatest fighter in all galaxy! having succesfully fought green lizardlike aliens to even his own Vulcan first officer - Spock!

In an thinly veiled tribute to Kirk's reknwoned fighting skills, Edward Norton (the narrator) in Fight Club, expresses a keen desire, to have a one-on-one with him.

check out the dialogue at "2:20" - in the above trailer!!

Trek Tribute 3: Galaxyquest:

What it is: Galaxyquest is a 1999 science fiction / comedy film written by David Howard and Robert Gordon and directed by Dean Parisot; starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Daryl Mitchell, Missi Pyle and Justin Long in his feature-film debut.

Trek Connect: The movie is about the washed-up stars of a fictional 1978–1982 TV series called Galaxy Quest, ( anow relegated to book signings and small celebrity appearances, the actors get a new lease on life, when they are approached by actual aliens (who believe the actors to be their actual Galaxy quest counterparts) requesting them to save their alien planet.

Stellar performances by Tim Allen ( as the Captain Kirkesque macho captain), Sigourney Weaver (in a character symoblising all the overtly sexy yet stupid female characters in the star-trek series) and Alan Rickman (as the Spockesque overtly logical alien first officer)

The movie takes potshots not only at the cliches that Star-Trek stood for, but also the insecurities of the leading crew (actors) in allowing the smaller cast (actors) to take forefront in the adventure ( a swipe at Shatner's legendary insecurities in preventing co-actors to have better dailogue/scenes).

All in all, a must watch for any trek - fan worth his phaser!

So there you have it folks, three movies that pay tribute to Trek, albeit with a freekish twist!

extra freeky: for those who cannot get enuff of old JTK's fighting skills, here's a glimpse of his finest punch ups! ahhh sweet jesus!

Movie Review: Star Trek...The Adventure Begins!

2009-06-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

STAR TREK - THE ADVENTURE BEGINS!

Hello, fellow frEEklings!

Following the legendary run of the first Star Trek series (now enjoying its billionth re-run at a local cable channel near you), Gene Rodenberry's sci-fi saga kept being stretched, molded into makes, remakes and increasingly bad motion pictures.

If my cob-webbed memory serves me correctly, the fanboys through several online petitions made it clear, that they only way they would be interested in another Star-Trek spinoff, is if it would involve the shenanigans of the original crew onboard the USS Enterprise, yes. Capt. James T. Kirk and his rag-tag crew.

Few and cherished are those moments, when us fan-freeks get exactly what they ask, and so don your freeksuits one more time and set your phasers to stun as we launch into hyperdrive, to review the revamp of perhaps the greatest sci-fi saga ever (yes, excluding star-wars).

Behind The Scenes: J.J. Abrams, who helms this current revamp of Star-Trek has well established his skill at interweaving terse human drama with thrilling action sequences in outings such as the Alias series, Cloverfield and of course the under-rated Mission Impossible III. Adding further to the fan-frenzy was the addition of Zachary Quinto (of the t.v. series HEROES fame) as Spock - due to his uncanny resemblance to Leonard Nimoy (who played Spock in the original series). The icing cake was the 150 million dollar budget that the studios had shelled out for this flick. Ever since the first trailer leaked on to the net, fan-freeks had been salivating with glee!!

The Plot: If you really haven't heard about Star Trek until now, well umm.. wow!!

The Yaays: Fan-freeks can relax, the series is in safe hands (read: a lot more sequels can be expected!) What really impressed me, are the subtle references that J.J. Abrams makes to the tone and mood of the original 70s star show, from young Kirk's introduction in a vintage (70s style car) to an old industrial setting where we get to see the birth of the USS Enterprise; the movie successfully in rekindling the kitsch that made it so popular in the first place.
Freeks would remember the unabashed racial stereotypes employed in the original series such as the befuddled Scottish engineer conviniently called "Scotty" , now portrayed aptly by funnyman Simon Pegg, the sultry african communications officer "Lt. "Uhura" played ever so sultrily again, by Zoe Saldana. Of particular note, is the otherwise b-movie actor Karl Urban in his portrayal of the neurotic ship's doctor "Bones" McCoy legendary for his quip "I'm a doctor Jim, not a magician!"; Ubran brings a wonderful insanity to this paranoid doctor who accompanies the crew in its myriad expeditions.

Kirk (Chris pine) takes Command!

What particularly stands out is the sizzling chemistry between the cavalier Kirk (Chris Pine) and the zen-like Spock (Zachary Quinto) the two actors are worthy successors to the legendary roles that they have stepped in to fill.
and yes, true-blue Fan-freeks will recognize the sly reference made to Capt Kirk's raging libido (which was one of the running gags in the television series!).

the Naays:
The Battle scenes, in this movie, are of truly inter-galactic proportions, and while that's a good thing (if you're a 15 year old) it take a bit away from the main plot-line, the space-chases, exoplosions and myriad boom-bangs make you appreciate where the largesse of the movie's budget has gone, but you keep wishing for more drama quotient. Also, the time-travelling story-line without giving too much away comes across as a very convenient device to create plot twists - and hopes it is used to limited effect in forthcoming sequels.

Eric Bana - as NERO

Lastly, the previous Star-Trek series have thrown up some worthy villains for our crew to battle, and sadly Nero played by Eric Bana, does not match upto the best of them. But really folks, I am nitpicking here, these are but minor flaws in perhaps the most enjoyable movie of the year so far!

the Verdict:
/5

a solid 4 /5 frEEkies!!! LET THE SPACE OPERA BEGIN!!

UNHOLY TRINITY: Trial and Errors!

2009-04-29T21:09:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow freeks!

Whoever said three is a crowd, never ever chanced upon an installment of this blog's popular feature.....

UNHOLY TRINITY!: Trial and Errors!:

While our beleagured, beloved (you get the point) city of Mumbai, awaits the trial proceedings to decide the fate a certain Mr. Kasab
who like other callous individuals before him, had tried to rip apart the complex fabric that is our city, and while it is far from this FrEEk to pass judgment on the actual need for said trial; join the FrEEk in sampling for yourself in some celluloid's finest attempts to portray trials and proceedings in court!

Trial No 1: Judgement at Nuremberg:

Based on the true life Kaztzenberger trial and featuring a stellar cast including Spencer Tracy, Montgomery Clift, Judy Garland and directed by Stanley Kramer managed to intersperse the terse proceedings of the Nuremberg Trials with that of the no-less charismatic Katzenberger case.
The movie takes a fictionalised view of the trial of three judges at Nuremberg having been alleged of delivering judgements leading to mass genocides during the second world war. What is especially of note is that the script does scamper down the easy path of glorifying the misdeeds of the judges - rather it plays along much rather like a real trial would. The defense attorney played by Maximillian Schell (in an oscar-winning role) uses such diverse evidence such as studies conducted by American universities supporting eugenics ( and therefore genocide) and even audio clippings of Winston Churchill praising the methods of Adolf Hitler.

The prosecuting attorney played effectively by Richard Wildmark as an effective counter-punch shows in court footage of the corpses of the victims at various Nazi Concentration camps (what is significant to note is that this is the first time that this footage was released on a cinematic medium for audiences anywhere, and one can well imagine the impact that such visuals carried).

The movie, ends with a brilliant testimony by one of the convicted judges - Danning played by Burt Lancaster - where he admits upon his guilt but not before throwing in perspective the reason that he and the other convicted judges chose their horrendous path of action. You can check out Lancaster's testimony scene below:

Trial No. 2: 12 Angry Men

What sets this apart this brilliant legal drama, is that while the movie revolves around the trial of a teen charged with the brutal killing of his father; the viewer never steps into the actual trial proceedings and is in fact ushered into the jury room - where the 12 diverse (in though, mind and action) jurors debate the guilt/innocence of the accused. What starts out as an seemingly easy verdict given the damning evidence against the accused, turns into a murkier tales of morals, misgivings when Juror # 8 (played superbly by Henry Fonda) attempts to convince the rest of the jurors about the possible innocence of the accused. What follows then is an epic battle of logic, empathy, bigotry (and all other mental maraudery that you can imagine) where one by one he attempts to have the jurors to deliver...or at least consider delivering a "not-guilty" verdict, until....(you'll have to watch it yourself!!)
The movie most effective thrives on its claustrophobic setting (yes it is shot in just the one room!) and establishes that the outcome of a legal trial rests not in damning evidence or the slick statements of the lawyers; but in the mind of the juror who for that all-too brief period plays God for the accused on trial.
A copy of this movie rests in the United States Congress building; and perhaps one should be resting in your DVD player...right now!!

TRIAL No. 3: M

Of all the trial movies that celluloid has ever churned out, M directed by legendary German Director Fritz Lang; stands out as perhaps the FrEEkiest take on the legal process.

Directed in 1931, M may perhaps be considered of latter-day crime thrillers such as Seven or even Primal Fear in its spine chilling tale of a un-named psycho (later referred to as M in the movie) in Dusseldorf who preys upon unsuspecting girls left upon by their parents to play in the neighbourhood park. luring them by offering to buy them balloons from a blind balloon seller, before committing his ghastly deeds.
Lang's bleak lightning and the repetitive usage of the musical theme "Le Hallen du Roi de la Montagne" in no small way complement this dystopian tale. In a spine-freeking twist of events, it is the criminal element of Dussledorf, threatened by the beefed-up attempts of the police force to stop this pyschopath decide to take matters in their own hands, and arrange for a trial of M, a trial by you guessed it; the criminals themselves! In a celluloid blazing performance Peter Lorre's depicts the haplessness of a man driven by the urges of his distended mind to perform unpoken deeds. Watch then as Lorre's "M" tries to convince his "jury" of his inability to contain his ghastly urges!

So there you have it folks, three varied masterpieces, from varying times that till date stand the trials (yes, pun intended!) and tests of time!!

extra freeky: does the above pictured gentleman, really need a trial?

IPS CUSTODE?....

2009-04-06T07:36:00.000-07:00

Hellos my freeky fellows! and sincerest apologies for this long-in-the-coming (no sexual pun intended) post!
and so to make amends, we feast our scaly gaze on another long-in-the-coming extravaganza, more specifically the cinematic adaptation of what many call the Greatest Graphic Novel (yes, the cool term for comic book) ever....Alan Moore's : THE WATCHMEN!

Set in a bleak 1980s, where the cold war rages on, and Nixon has been elected president of the US, for a fourth consecutive term, the WATCHMEN to a regular comic book, is to compare a Pinto to a Bentley!. sure there are costumed superheros, plot twists and action galore, but the Watchmen deals with far complex issues including the debate over a policed yet content totalitarian society vs. a democratic yet chaotic one; the inherent human need for paranoia, as well as the great power that great responsibility brings. (whew!)
While the novel itself gained cult status; check out the Peanuts tribute above, hell even the Simspons, paid homage to this graphic behemoth.

All this, while lesser heroes in spandex took their shots at the box office (hey, the FANTASTIC FOUR had a sequel even!), all this until Zack "300" Snyder let the world know that it was he, who would bring this masterpiece to the silver screen!! (umm...do yourself a favour, and click on "know"!...NOW!). And then after much internet fuelled casting rumours, a legal disupte and a Hollywood strike later..the world could finally watch..THE WATCHMEN!! (freeking click on the title already!)

The movie, to its credit stays true to the nuances of the novel, add to it; a bleak colour palette, some splendid performances by the cast; including a great voiceover by Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan.

Snyder, even manages to sneak in a few extras for the discerning freek, check out the number of the hotel room where, the Comedian (yes, that's a superhero) is murdered....spoiler: (it's 300!) or the scene where a giant Dr. Manhattan sets out to destroy a Vietnam village; in an no uncertain tribute to this classic scene here!

All in all, THE WATCHMEN, without giving away the plotlines, can be said to be true to its source form, and manages to retain viewer interest, quite a mean feat for a superhero movie, that strays away from usual superhero vs. supervillain formula,

so, what are you waiting for, go on, watch....THE WATCHMEN!

Extra Freeky: The greatest graphic novel, in the FREEK's humble opinion is this

Sneak Freek 1: Low Budget - High Thrills!

2009-03-17T06:31:00.000-07:00

Hello my sugar-coated freeklates!

Are you one of those who reads up a movie preview/synopsis only to yawn at its more than obvious plot? Have the run-of-the-mill plots feel like regurgitated insanity to you?

Then you a true, freeking FREeK my friend, and in an attempt to rekindle your long lost romance, that feeling of unexplained freekishness when you first fell in love with celluloid, the Film Freek presents to you a sneak peek at some outstanding bits of forthcoming cinema, who are way of the freeking radar, well then ladies and (who cares about the rest), get ready for...

SNEAK FREEK :

a) PONTYPOOL:

Having spent part of my growing years (yes, where the growing was vertical, as opposed to the middle expansion that I indulge in now!) in a remote town near Alaska, the premise of the little Canadian horror flick was eerily close to comfort for me! In an freekative interpretation of the Zombie genre, Pontypool directed by Bruce McDonald merges the claustrophobia (Cave, Descent, Dog-Soldiers) and the Zombie Genre (28 days later, 28 weeks later).

(click, on the pic for the trailer!)

The plot revolves around a shock-jock (that's a radio host who makes controversial statements, not electric underwear!) who is carted off to the non-descript town of Pontypool ( which really exists!) as a result of his on-air shenanigans, only to find to receive freeked out on-air callers describing bizzare incidents, about crazed people attempting to rip-out the tongue of passerbys, burning down the town school, and slowly losing the ability to communicate comprehensibly! Is it the imagination of the coked-up jockey? a town-wide prank? or more to this than meets the eye (or the ear in this case?) Pontypool takes an innovative swipe at the horror genre, and is an outstanding example of how thrills, chills, and umm..spills? do not necessarily involve high budgets, or marquee stars!

B) INK

Given the blitzkrieg of visual imagery that we are subjected, our rarely do our saturated craniums sit up and take notice of the beautiful vision that cinema can provide us, from the epic storytelling of Lawrence of Arabia to the Hirsteque (yes, i made that word up!!) imagery of Tarsem Singh's THE CELL . Cinema has provided us with some though provoking, and in the case of that scene from the CELL; seat wetting visuals! and promising to join the ranks of the visual treats; is this little indie gem from Jamin Winans, while the other movie in this article dealt with the concept of "sound" in exploring the psycho-horror genre, Ink undoubtedly deals with the fears that one perceives in one's dreams (yes, that uncharted territory) Ink, is set in a freekesque world of nocturnal beings that create sweet dreams that share an uneasy peace with similar beings that create nightmares...and what happens when such peace is shattered over a tussle for a little girl's dreams! is your freek-sense all tingly?...well click on the pic below, to watch this genre-bending trailer for...INK!

Ink, is then a shining example of how a measly budget, unknown stars and a freekingly gifted director can churn out such amazing cinema!

The fReEk

extra freeky: Ink is the new BLAIR WITCH! (you heard it here first!)

FREEKs ON FILM: SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE!

2009-03-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

Hellos, my freeky fellows!

Back by popular demand...tonight's post is another venture into celluloid murkiness for another episode of:

FREEKS ON FILM:

SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE

There have been Vampire films..about old count Dracula, teenage vampires, and even a little girly vampire (that we covered in a previous entry here), and just when you thought they'd sucked this genre dry (get it?..vampire ...suck dry? never mind!) comes along this little gem of a genre twister.

Imagine if you will, the shooting of the german classic horror movie Noserferatu, in the 1920s, with the cast and crew on a remote island, complete with an creepily authentic castle and nothing or no-one for miles..what if (yes, here's where the freek-o-meter goes into overdrive!) the actor hired to play the vampire, actually WAS A VAMPIRE!!

yes my freek-a-lings, The Shadow Of The Vampire directed by E. Elias Merhige is a freektionalised account of the shooting of Noserferatu, with John Malkovich playing the harangued movie director W.Murmau who, in a desperate bid to achieve movie authencity has sold his soul (or rather that of his lead actress) to an obscure German performer called Max Schreck (played freeking awesomely by Willem Dafoe) who is an actual vampire!

Dafoe - As Max Schreck - the Vampire

The movie is as much about the difficulty that the crew faces in shooting the movie in Schreck's remote castle lair, as it is about Schreck's increasing thirst for blood, which results in the director allowing him to "dispose" of those actors and crew whose services are no longer as the movie progresses! As a final reward, Murmau has promised to Schreck, the..ummm...neck of his statesque lead actress Greta (played by the yummy Catherine Mccormack)

Can Murmau hold of Schreck's blood-lust till the end of the movie? Will the cast eventually get a hint of the actual nature of their extremely talented lead star?? don't get your unmentionables in a twist, and go on to watch this little masterpiece. and fret not, oh yes, you can click on Dafoe's cutesy grin above, for the trailer!

A FREEKING MUST-WATCH!!

Extra Freeky: Dafoe was nominated for an Oscar, for his biting performance (get it...vampire..biting? argghh!!)