Tag: movies

Movie Review : Rajneeti (Politics)

When one of the oldest action stories in the world, the Mahabharata ( a Sanskrit epic is mashed together with some inspired Michael Corleone like scenes from the Godfather) the result is another hearland drama from Prakash Jha. With an ensemble cast from Nasseerudin Shah, to Nana Patekar, Manoj Bajpai, Ajay Devgan with some inspired acting from Arjun Rampal, Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor- this one is worth a dekko at a theatre near you. With twists and turns, almost very little music, and action galore along with dramatic scenes subtly mixed in a chutney flavor- Rajneeti shows Politics at its worst and Bollywood movie making  at it’s best.

and yes Katrina Kaif does look like Sonia Gandhi, but the story is clearly influenced from Karna and Duryodhana from the Mahabharata, and if you are a movie buff you would snicker at the Godfather scenes (like the breaking of the jaw at the hospital, the dead horse er body in the bed etc). This one is the latest hit here in India.

3 Idiots: Insight to Indian Engineer Campus Life

Ever wondered what makes Indian engineers so ahem hard working. Or Just in the mood to sample a BollyWood Movie. Here is 2009’s best movie – an all time grosser from the Oscar Nominated Aamir Khan.

It’s called 3 Idiots and loosely based on the adventures of 3-5 engineering students as they face academic and peer pressure challenges. Awesome. Loosely based on Chetan Bhagat’s book of 3 IIT friends.

Here is a preview of the video-

(Note the students praying for good grades).

The Blind Side – Movie Review

Q Whats a movie review doing on a data mining blog? A Because blogs are read by people who ALSO like movies.

Over the Thanksgiving Holiday- I didnt get much Turkey and spent more time reading Tukey, and the only offer I got on Black Friday in Knoxville, East Tennessee was to take a discount for a tanning studio at Kingston Pike, near my house. So you can imagine my trepidition when I decided to go for a movie on Saturday- hoping for better luck.

There are amusing things in Blind Side, especially if you are a brown guy wearing a bright orange U Tenn T Shirt as I was doing. The beautiful game of the movie, as in all sports movie is however overshadowed by Sandro Bullock’s performance as a rich white woman who takes a black teenager under her wing. Despite the innuendo in a Memphis, Tennessee- which is quite realistic. And horrifying for a non American like me to watch. It kind of reminded me when I was the only guy cheering in Austin Texas at the end of the movie “W” -2008.

For non Tennessee football fans, watch as how the game unites all- as how a common God and morality finds rescue for a kid among horrors. And how number 74 discovers his destiny as the guy who protects the quarter back.

This could be the Hollywood version of SlumDog Millionaire of 2009. Nicely crafted. and yet an intelligent movie. For people who don’t like Twilight 🙂 If you have ever felt unsafe while traveling in a poor black neighbourhood watch this movie. If you live in a black poor neighbourhood- then watch it with your homies.

if you ever watched a game of football and marveled at the magnificent heart break of college football. Watch the movie.

As someone said- Football is like the Mafia in the Godfather movie.

Sooner or later you will get whacked.

Movie Review- Inglorious Basterds

When a Knoxville born director creates a movie with Brad Pitt speaking in an East Tennessee accent, Orange country citizens cant help but catch the movie. If you need escapist fare to charge them ole grey cells with good ol fashioned American movie- this is the one.

I could wax eloquent on the direction and deft artistry of Quentin Tarantino, or the acting of Hans Landau- or even the breakthrough perfromance of Brad Pitt who plays the leader of a Nazi hunting commando unit. For the first time- you see Brad’s character overshadowing his adorable mannerisms. Watch how he rolls those Southern R’s.

But there is plenty of that- and you need to watch it yourself.

As the director himself puts it- A Basterd’s work is never done.

Inglourious-Bastards-1819

This is just a loong weekend post..

If you liked the concept of data mining and entertainment- well I actually got inspired by the entertaining writing of the prominent R blogger J D Long of Cerebral Mastication

http://www.cerebralmastication.com/

 

ND_FilmingContinuing with the Slumdog Millionaire celebrations in India , we have an interview here at DecisionStats with an up and coming intense Indian film maker. Nitin Dash is a creative film maker based out of India. He has created movies like the science fiction movie “ Formula 69” , short videos like “500” (see below) . He gave up a corporate career after 5 tears of corporate experience and after studying at the renowned  Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow to pursue his creative side. Here in a candid interview , Nitin discusses the things that motivate him and passes some tips for home movie making. Coming from a person that has 200,000 plus views on his YouTube video , it is nifty and useful advice.

 

Ajay – What has been your educational and career journey so far . 

Nitin- Finished my MBA from IIML in 2000. Worked for 5 years in the corporate media sector.. Did a short 6- month course in filmmaking from New York in  2005. Started my own film production company  Filmkaar Productions.. www.filmkaar.com

Ajay – What inspires your art. What are the key things that made you decide to take a leap into movie direction from the corporate world.

Nitin – I find inspiration from people around me. A common man , his life and the simple conflicts and challenges that make it interesting..
I felt that the corporate world was stifling my creativity and the work was very operational and mundane. I had some friends from Jamia mass comm.. school. We got together and started making short films over the weekend. After a few months I decided that film making is my calling in life.

Ajay – I have a Sony hand camera and I would like to be Steven Spielberg while shooting my son’s videos. Comment please. Give me 5 bullet points or tips.

Nitin –  The following links would help you.

www.video101course.com
www.cybercollege.com

Learn windows moviemaker. It is a very simple to learn and easy to use software and already installed on PC’s with windows xp / vista

Ajay- How effective do you think is viral marketing . What paradigm changes do you think have Web 2.0 ,blogs, YouTube brought about in the traditional content business.

Nitin- Viral marketing is very effective, but the content has to be right. Getting a good
content that turns into a viral is very difficult and most of the times unpredictable. Web 2.0 has given access to people to express their creativity and share it with the world.

Ajay-What do you think about the  casting couch as a director ? 1 line comment please

Nitin- It’s unofficial term for networking in the film industry.

Ajay- What has been your most successful movie- short film. Which short movie do you like the most and why ?

Nitin-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35u0J4p26Fg
A magical tale about a young boy who finds a solution for Global Warming from a monk in the mountains. I like the simplicity of the story and the beautiful location it is shot in.

Ajay- Well there is no telling when Nitin would bring home an Oscar , but you can preview a short 2 minute video by him. Its called 500 and describes how different people would spend Rs 500 if they found it. Simple and powerful on the ways money moves us in different ways-and the social disparities in India shining.

 

 Filmkaar Productions has been set up to promote thought provoking cinema.To create entertaining films that are socially relevant. Engaging films that can transform minds.Our mission is to make ‘Extraordinary films with Ordinary people’. Visit them at www.filmkaar.com

India arrives at the Oscars party

While watching the Oscars today  in which eight were won by Slumdog Millionaire based in India- I could help but note the fact that the song and dance musical routine (vaudeville) is now back in Hollywood , while in India’s Bollywood it never went away.

A R Rahman won two Oscars , one more Indian won for sound mixing, while the poet Gulzar won for best song as well. 4 Oscars for 3 Indians – is unprecedented for the nation of a billion movie watchers- India produces and consumes more movies in more languages than any single other nation. What took India so long- the cocoon of isolation in which movies were released 3-4 years in India after they had been released abroad  was finally waved off in the mid 1990s.

And thanks to the globalized world, Indian movie goers learn the pleasures of multiplexes , off beat movies, award ceremonies while teaching the world – how to dance when the wallet , stomach and the home is empty. To the newly impoverished Western citizens in the global folly of the financial recession , Indian citizens , at least 80 % of whom live below 1 dollar a day, these citizens ask – “ As long as there is music in the movies , life and  it’s surprises are worth living for.” And like the 18 year old actor who debuted in a low budget movie which won 8 Oscars, you too can win the Millionaire show. If it is written. Because it is written.

A R Rahman, an Indian Muslim trained at Trinity College,England ,rising from poverty himself  —kind of summed up the Indian way of looking at things ( as opposed to the Pakistani 😉 way when he said – In  Life you can choose between love and hate. I chose love and so here I am.

ps – Hugh Jackman tried so hard .

But I would prefer Steve Martin and Tina Fey any day.

Slum Dogs Come

Young slum dogs chipping away,

writing code,plugging away.

Take the place under shiny sun someday,

Slum puppies wont go away.

 

You let them in,

They are hungry for more, they stay,

Nobody ever gave them a break on the way,

Grew up fast,slum childhood wasn’t a child’s play.

 

 

Still here they are firing away,

Full steam ahead, and

Damn no Torpedo’s to dissuade.

Before you could pause, object

Cut them short saying Boy hey.

 

Slum dog walks away,

In his teeth , the shiny bone of the day.

Blood on his fur ,its there 

Long enough to stay.

 

The dog beens much worse,

 Much tougher days.

His brain the only weapon ,

he chooses to play.

 

Brain red hot, it keeps firing away.

That dog wont roll down, play dead, no way.

Been through much pain already this way,

Now numb, The Slum Dogs come here to stay.