frEEk on the Moon!

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 !

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!!

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 Mulliganwho 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!

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!!!

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

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!!

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!