When I heard the name of this move, I wasn’t too sure whether I wanted to invest my time to watch it. But after my friend a frequent movie watcher assured me that she had read the book and it was the story of the clash of civilizations, I decided to take a chance. Did I like it? Well I quite loved the movie’s portrayal of patriotism, treachery, politics and how people use these things to achieve their own ends.
Directed by Zack Snyder, of Dawn of the Dead, fame, 300 is an adaptation of Frank Miller’s novel. Once again Snyder proves that when passion, creativity and hardwork are the inputs, the output is always a great story. The movie, set in 480 BC narrates the story of the legendary courage and valor displayed by a band of 300 Spartan soldiers under the leadership of King Leonidas. The war at Thermopylae in which the million-strong army led by Persian King Xeres flounders and falters in the face of a small posse of 300 Spartans, is effectively portrayed.
Gerard Butler who plays Leonidas, the wise king of Sparta delivers an exemplary performance. Raised with the utmost ideals — honor, duty, glory — Leonidas is a brilliant military strategist and egalitarian champion of personal freedom. The movie starts with a depiction of how a Spartan soldier is trained to be a fighter for life and how he is hardened to live anywhere, eat anything and undergo all kinds of hardships. Believed to be the direct descendants of Hercules himself, Spartans are brave and freedom loving people whom the Persian King wants to enslave and subjugate.
So when Persia seeks to declare sovereignty over Sparta, Leonidas rebuffs the declaration and announces that his countrymen must fight to preserve their way of life. As per procedure Leonidas seeks the permission of the council to go to war and is denied as the Oracle says it is not the right time to go to war. The moral conflict within the king whether to abide by the councils words or to go to war (which his heart tells him to do) is excellently shown in this movie. In my opinion the story of this movie is not about history, but of confidence, courage, faith, and for believing in one’s duty, perseverance, loyalty to the King and country, patriotism and love for freedom and liberty.
The film also portrays the cunning politics which was at place. Politicians who would betray their country and people for money and sex. Ultimately treachery is what causes the downfall of the brave army of 300 and ensures temporary victory of the Persians.
While the cinematography, dialogue delivery and acting is exceptional, the portrayal of the Persian King as an effeminate individual is quite off beat. With so many body piercing and jewellery etc, King Xeres looks rather funny and nothing like a king. The only downside to this movie is the excessive blood and gore. Warring techniques of two different armies are very effectively portrayed in this movie. But so much blood and gore may not work in its favour in the box office.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Book Review: Into the Den of the Bear and the Lair of the Dragon on a Motorcycle
Epic biker’s odyssey
Into the Den of the Bear and the Lair of the Dragon on a Motorcycle by Werner Bausenhart; Legas, Canada; Price: Rs.900; 203 pp
Cross-country biking is not new to two-wheeler aficionados across the world. Men and mobikes taking off to far-flung destinations is old hat for intrepid and free-spirited souls who wish to explore the world. One such adventurer is Dr. Werner Bausenhart, a former professor at the University of Ottawa, who during the past decade has biked across the Americas and travelled down the west coast of Africa.
“Motorcycle adventure travel is mainly a man-thing, although lately a few women seem to have been bitten by the bug as well. It is a disease without a cure. The symptoms are well known, but not well understood, particularly by the female half of the population. We, the sufferers, need space; no, more than that: we need the vista of wide open spaces. We need adventure as a fish needs water. We need a bit of danger in our lives to add zest to an otherwise prosaic existence,” writes Bausenhart, the author of this travelogue. The ambitious eventful excursion on two wheels took Bausenhart across two of the largest countries in the world — Russia (the eponymous den of the bear) and China (the dragon’s lair). Refreshingly Bausenhart’s thrilling adventure narrated in this book began after his retirement from Ottawa University which he served faithfully for 27 years — proof there’s a lot of life after retirement.
The Russian leg of the 31,686 km journey on a BMW R 100 GS PD began in London and ended in Vladivostok via Moscow, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, and Khabarocsky, and return was via Beijing, Kashgar, Islamabad, Tehran, Ankara, and Istanbul — an eight month long odyssey.
Liberally peppered with route maps, monochrome photographs and illustrations, this book is an easy and entertaining read. Conversations with a multitude of locals, fellow travellers on the road and policemen and inevitable haggling with border officials provide useful information on local cultures and practices of each country.
“Although the highway to Minsk was excellent, I did not make much time, since at every little town I was stopped by their traffic police, only to admire my motorcycle and to make conversation. This I loved. This was the very purpose of my journey, to meet the locals. In Minsk I was chased by a city cop on a motorcycle for no apparent reason. He pulled me over at a traffic light, and with a smile pointed out at his motorcycle: it was a BMW, the same type and year as mine, but in police livery. The two of us went through an instant ritual of male bonding, a ritual that was to be repeated again and again throughout the trip. After all boys will be boys, no matter what nationality and where they may meet,” writes the author.
Like Bausenhart’s earlier books 8 Around the Americas on a Motorcycle and Africa Against the Clock on a Motorcycle, this comprehensive travel diary would particularly interest the multiplying tribe of bikers — majority of whom entertain ideas of hitting the highways full throttle. A series of vignettes and a tour d’ horizon of societies and cultures en route, mark the meandering jaunt.
Indeed as one pours over lengthy paragraphs, it’s arguable that the unique selling proposition of this travelogue is the valuable advice it contains on required documentation, bike maintenance, road and riding conditions and how they affect the motorcyclist, sea crossings by air/ sea freight and basic security precautions. A concluding appendix of hard data provides details of exact distances between towns, camping sites and most importantly, includes the author’s rating of hotels in which he lodged.
On the down side the book could have done with professional editing, production, and colour — instead of black and white — photographs. Nevertheless for the growing tribe of subcontinental bikers, Bausenhart’s recitation of an epic odyssey is certain to prove inspirational. It demonstrates that anyone with the ability to win friends and influence people can do likewise. All it takes is a bike, a bit of money, and lots of time.
Into the Den of the Bear and the Lair of the Dragon on a Motorcycle by Werner Bausenhart; Legas, Canada; Price: Rs.900; 203 pp
Cross-country biking is not new to two-wheeler aficionados across the world. Men and mobikes taking off to far-flung destinations is old hat for intrepid and free-spirited souls who wish to explore the world. One such adventurer is Dr. Werner Bausenhart, a former professor at the University of Ottawa, who during the past decade has biked across the Americas and travelled down the west coast of Africa.
“Motorcycle adventure travel is mainly a man-thing, although lately a few women seem to have been bitten by the bug as well. It is a disease without a cure. The symptoms are well known, but not well understood, particularly by the female half of the population. We, the sufferers, need space; no, more than that: we need the vista of wide open spaces. We need adventure as a fish needs water. We need a bit of danger in our lives to add zest to an otherwise prosaic existence,” writes Bausenhart, the author of this travelogue. The ambitious eventful excursion on two wheels took Bausenhart across two of the largest countries in the world — Russia (the eponymous den of the bear) and China (the dragon’s lair). Refreshingly Bausenhart’s thrilling adventure narrated in this book began after his retirement from Ottawa University which he served faithfully for 27 years — proof there’s a lot of life after retirement.The Russian leg of the 31,686 km journey on a BMW R 100 GS PD began in London and ended in Vladivostok via Moscow, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, and Khabarocsky, and return was via Beijing, Kashgar, Islamabad, Tehran, Ankara, and Istanbul — an eight month long odyssey.
Liberally peppered with route maps, monochrome photographs and illustrations, this book is an easy and entertaining read. Conversations with a multitude of locals, fellow travellers on the road and policemen and inevitable haggling with border officials provide useful information on local cultures and practices of each country.
“Although the highway to Minsk was excellent, I did not make much time, since at every little town I was stopped by their traffic police, only to admire my motorcycle and to make conversation. This I loved. This was the very purpose of my journey, to meet the locals. In Minsk I was chased by a city cop on a motorcycle for no apparent reason. He pulled me over at a traffic light, and with a smile pointed out at his motorcycle: it was a BMW, the same type and year as mine, but in police livery. The two of us went through an instant ritual of male bonding, a ritual that was to be repeated again and again throughout the trip. After all boys will be boys, no matter what nationality and where they may meet,” writes the author.
Like Bausenhart’s earlier books 8 Around the Americas on a Motorcycle and Africa Against the Clock on a Motorcycle, this comprehensive travel diary would particularly interest the multiplying tribe of bikers — majority of whom entertain ideas of hitting the highways full throttle. A series of vignettes and a tour d’ horizon of societies and cultures en route, mark the meandering jaunt.
Indeed as one pours over lengthy paragraphs, it’s arguable that the unique selling proposition of this travelogue is the valuable advice it contains on required documentation, bike maintenance, road and riding conditions and how they affect the motorcyclist, sea crossings by air/ sea freight and basic security precautions. A concluding appendix of hard data provides details of exact distances between towns, camping sites and most importantly, includes the author’s rating of hotels in which he lodged.
On the down side the book could have done with professional editing, production, and colour — instead of black and white — photographs. Nevertheless for the growing tribe of subcontinental bikers, Bausenhart’s recitation of an epic odyssey is certain to prove inspirational. It demonstrates that anyone with the ability to win friends and influence people can do likewise. All it takes is a bike, a bit of money, and lots of time.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Movie Review: I am Legend
I saw this Will Smith movie sometime last month. It is one of the first movies in which one actor takes the entire credits. Quite impressive and enjoyable for Will Smith fans, but I am not one of them. So here goes my review.
Nirvana for Will Smith Fans
Ever heard of a movie in which there is only one actor? Well if you haven’t you must watch I Am Legend. The movie is set in New York city on some futuristic date and the entire scene at the beginning appears like an enigma. The movie starts off showing Will Smith and his faithful dog, the only two survivors of a virus outbreak which makes affected people and animals thirst for human blood and can’t stand any light, not even that of electric bulbs. The affected population are strong, invincible, cruel, cannibalistic and of course ugly to look at. This kind of ‘save the world’ science fiction movies are a little out of place for the family crowds and definitely a ‘no, no’ for children.
But if you are a Will Smith fan and would like to see some of his exceptionally great acting, then this movie is a must watch. He has played his character very well. Another plus of the movie is their portrayal of New York city as a ghost town, inhabited by sloth bears, deer, the mutant creatures and of course Will Smith and his faithful dog.
The central character, Will Smith is a scientist, who firmly believes that he is the last surviving human being in the world who is not affected by the virus. When the entire country was evacuated he stays back to research and create a cure which would make the mutants human again. His routine everyday is to get up, do exercise and carry loads of guns and tranquilizers and go out into the city in a bid to capture some mutant and bring back blood samples. Every afternoon he sits on the pier and broadcasts a radio message requesting any humans in the city or surroundings to come and meet him.
One of these messages are heard by a mother and son and they come looking for him. Finding him in a violent confrontation with the mutants, they save him and bring him to his heavily guarded home. But the mutants attack that night and Will Smith is left with no other alternative but to kill himself to save the other two. At that moment he finds out that he has developed a cure for the virus and hands over the vial to the mother and son to take it to the rest of the survivors in some protected colony.
Will Smith’s stellar performance is the highlight of the movie. He talks to his dog, to himself, watches re-runs of the news, movies, cartoons etc and goes out into the ghost town, which New York has become in search of blood samples of mutants for his research.
But I fail to understand how Will Smith doesn’t get affected by the virus? And if humans and dogs are affected by the virus, how do the wild animals remain immune. At the end of the movie are all the mutants killed? How do the mother and child take the cure and reach the colony? Don’t they get attacked by the mutants? The directors could have done better if they had given answers to these questions.
Nirvana for Will Smith Fans
Ever heard of a movie in which there is only one actor? Well if you haven’t you must watch I Am Legend. The movie is set in New York city on some futuristic date and the entire scene at the beginning appears like an enigma. The movie starts off showing Will Smith and his faithful dog, the only two survivors of a virus outbreak which makes affected people and animals thirst for human blood and can’t stand any light, not even that of electric bulbs. The affected population are strong, invincible, cruel, cannibalistic and of course ugly to look at. This kind of ‘save the world’ science fiction movies are a little out of place for the family crowds and definitely a ‘no, no’ for children.But if you are a Will Smith fan and would like to see some of his exceptionally great acting, then this movie is a must watch. He has played his character very well. Another plus of the movie is their portrayal of New York city as a ghost town, inhabited by sloth bears, deer, the mutant creatures and of course Will Smith and his faithful dog.
The central character, Will Smith is a scientist, who firmly believes that he is the last surviving human being in the world who is not affected by the virus. When the entire country was evacuated he stays back to research and create a cure which would make the mutants human again. His routine everyday is to get up, do exercise and carry loads of guns and tranquilizers and go out into the city in a bid to capture some mutant and bring back blood samples. Every afternoon he sits on the pier and broadcasts a radio message requesting any humans in the city or surroundings to come and meet him.
One of these messages are heard by a mother and son and they come looking for him. Finding him in a violent confrontation with the mutants, they save him and bring him to his heavily guarded home. But the mutants attack that night and Will Smith is left with no other alternative but to kill himself to save the other two. At that moment he finds out that he has developed a cure for the virus and hands over the vial to the mother and son to take it to the rest of the survivors in some protected colony.
Will Smith’s stellar performance is the highlight of the movie. He talks to his dog, to himself, watches re-runs of the news, movies, cartoons etc and goes out into the ghost town, which New York has become in search of blood samples of mutants for his research.
But I fail to understand how Will Smith doesn’t get affected by the virus? And if humans and dogs are affected by the virus, how do the wild animals remain immune. At the end of the movie are all the mutants killed? How do the mother and child take the cure and reach the colony? Don’t they get attacked by the mutants? The directors could have done better if they had given answers to these questions.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Book Review: Two Wheels Through Terror
India has always been full of warm and compassionate people. This is the only country in the world where Jews were not persecuted. This is one country where everybody was welcomed with open arms. The concept of “Athithi Devo Bhava” or “Guest is like God” is practiced only here. But somehow in post-independence India, the road has become one of the most dangerous places. Road travel, be it in the bustling cities or on the highways has become increasingly dangerous. Somehow once people get behind the wheel or astride a motorcycle, a strange phenomenon happens. They get taken over by road rage, speeding, reckless driving, callousness towards other road users seems to be the order of the day.
In such scenario what do bikers who wish to travel around the country or even the world on their trusted metal steeds do? India being the youngest nation in the world with more than half its population comprising of people under 24 is also waking up to the growing culture of biking holidays.
Not surprisingly the availability of vrooming nexgen motorcycles has incubated the phenomenon of biking holidays. In contemporary India it’s not uncommon for bike enthusiasts to strap up their saddlebags and hit the highways to exotic, off-the-beaten-track destinations ranging from the freezing heights of the Himalayas to the golden beaches of the Indian Ocean. Cashing in on this new fashion are smart two-wheeler marketers who have promoted motorcycle clubs in major cities across the country. These clubs with evocative names such as Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, Bangalore; Inde Thumpers, Pune; 60Kph, Mumbai; Indian Bikers, Kolkata, among others, are thronged by leather-clad, greasy-handed motorcycle buffs.
But the new-age Indian biker is hardly aware of the hazards of cross-country running on a two-wheel machine. He has to negotiate unruly truck drivers, bandits, vehicle snatchers, naxalites and terrorists among other perils on the nation’s unpoliced highways. In terms of books and journals there are no recallable works by Indian authors on the subject and most automobile magazines devote their columns to techno mumbo jumbo. Against this backdrop Two Wheels Through Terror by US-based adventure motorcyclist and traveller Glen Heggstad, is a boon even to sub-continental bike enthusiasts. The book is a first-hand account of an ambitious motorcycle journey through South America that gets horribly, and violently, detoured. It’s as much a travel diary of a motorcycle odyssey as a story about bravery in the face of terror and perseverance in adversity.
Heggstad aka ‘Striking Viking’ has driven custom-built Suzukis across the most rugged terrains worldwide and is a former member of Hell’s Angels — the largest motorcycle riders group in the US — apart form being a martial arts expert. His biking adventures have been featured on NPR and CBS’s 48 Hours. Currently in Asia on yet another round-the-world motorcycle tour, Heggstad has his permanent residence in Palm Springs, California, where he owns and operates a martial arts school.
Divided into four sections featuring maps and top-quality pictures of South American landscapes, the book begins with the profile of a confident man preparing to zoom away from the safe confines of his home to realise a dream and ends with a dazzling display of determination and courage. "Warriors claim that battles are won in the preparation. This is a personal battle for which I am preparing — a battle to survive the adventure through Mexico, Central America and the West Coast of South America to the tip, across the Straights of Magellan to the island of Tierra del Fuego, and back up the East Coast — on a 650 cc dual-sport motorcycle. A 25,000 mile ride through blazing deserts, freezing mountain passes, sub-Antarctic wilderness, and steaming tropical rainforests," writes Heggstad in his introduction.
Two Wheels Through Terror is perhaps the most thrilling and absorbing motorcycle adventure travelogue ever written. Both diary of a motorcycle pilgrim and survival guide, this book should be standard reading for any daredevil motorcyclist who plans to hit country roads, and especially for bikers planning cross-country travel in India, infested with militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, the naxalite-insurrectionary states of central India or the lawless BIMARU (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh) jurisdictions. While biking through the rebels-dominated northern district of Columbia, Heggstad was kidnapped and held for ransom for five weeks by the rebel army Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional (ELN).
A compilation of events recorded by Heggstad during his journey, his capture, escape and eventual realisation of a dream, Two Wheels Through Terror is a gripping story of a bike adventurer robbed of all and frog-marched through fly-infested tropical jungles with assault rifles pointed into his back. But given his preparation in terms of proficiency in martial arts, unarmed hand-to-hand combat and shrewd thinking, he overcomes.
Once free, Heggstad does not return home. Not a bit bogged down by the violent torture he had to suffer, Heggstad arranges for another motorcycle to be despatched to him in Columbia to continue on the high road to adventure through Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. The rest is smooth riding, by his standards of adventure from which automotive two- wheeler enthusiasts worldwide can derive great inspiration and knowledge.
Published in EducationWorld
In such scenario what do bikers who wish to travel around the country or even the world on their trusted metal steeds do? India being the youngest nation in the world with more than half its population comprising of people under 24 is also waking up to the growing culture of biking holidays.
Not surprisingly the availability of vrooming nexgen motorcycles has incubated the phenomenon of biking holidays. In contemporary India it’s not uncommon for bike enthusiasts to strap up their saddlebags and hit the highways to exotic, off-the-beaten-track destinations ranging from the freezing heights of the Himalayas to the golden beaches of the Indian Ocean. Cashing in on this new fashion are smart two-wheeler marketers who have promoted motorcycle clubs in major cities across the country. These clubs with evocative names such as Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, Bangalore; Inde Thumpers, Pune; 60Kph, Mumbai; Indian Bikers, Kolkata, among others, are thronged by leather-clad, greasy-handed motorcycle buffs.But the new-age Indian biker is hardly aware of the hazards of cross-country running on a two-wheel machine. He has to negotiate unruly truck drivers, bandits, vehicle snatchers, naxalites and terrorists among other perils on the nation’s unpoliced highways. In terms of books and journals there are no recallable works by Indian authors on the subject and most automobile magazines devote their columns to techno mumbo jumbo. Against this backdrop Two Wheels Through Terror by US-based adventure motorcyclist and traveller Glen Heggstad, is a boon even to sub-continental bike enthusiasts. The book is a first-hand account of an ambitious motorcycle journey through South America that gets horribly, and violently, detoured. It’s as much a travel diary of a motorcycle odyssey as a story about bravery in the face of terror and perseverance in adversity.
Heggstad aka ‘Striking Viking’ has driven custom-built Suzukis across the most rugged terrains worldwide and is a former member of Hell’s Angels — the largest motorcycle riders group in the US — apart form being a martial arts expert. His biking adventures have been featured on NPR and CBS’s 48 Hours. Currently in Asia on yet another round-the-world motorcycle tour, Heggstad has his permanent residence in Palm Springs, California, where he owns and operates a martial arts school.
Divided into four sections featuring maps and top-quality pictures of South American landscapes, the book begins with the profile of a confident man preparing to zoom away from the safe confines of his home to realise a dream and ends with a dazzling display of determination and courage. "Warriors claim that battles are won in the preparation. This is a personal battle for which I am preparing — a battle to survive the adventure through Mexico, Central America and the West Coast of South America to the tip, across the Straights of Magellan to the island of Tierra del Fuego, and back up the East Coast — on a 650 cc dual-sport motorcycle. A 25,000 mile ride through blazing deserts, freezing mountain passes, sub-Antarctic wilderness, and steaming tropical rainforests," writes Heggstad in his introduction.
Two Wheels Through Terror is perhaps the most thrilling and absorbing motorcycle adventure travelogue ever written. Both diary of a motorcycle pilgrim and survival guide, this book should be standard reading for any daredevil motorcyclist who plans to hit country roads, and especially for bikers planning cross-country travel in India, infested with militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, the naxalite-insurrectionary states of central India or the lawless BIMARU (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh) jurisdictions. While biking through the rebels-dominated northern district of Columbia, Heggstad was kidnapped and held for ransom for five weeks by the rebel army Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional (ELN).
A compilation of events recorded by Heggstad during his journey, his capture, escape and eventual realisation of a dream, Two Wheels Through Terror is a gripping story of a bike adventurer robbed of all and frog-marched through fly-infested tropical jungles with assault rifles pointed into his back. But given his preparation in terms of proficiency in martial arts, unarmed hand-to-hand combat and shrewd thinking, he overcomes.
Once free, Heggstad does not return home. Not a bit bogged down by the violent torture he had to suffer, Heggstad arranges for another motorcycle to be despatched to him in Columbia to continue on the high road to adventure through Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. The rest is smooth riding, by his standards of adventure from which automotive two- wheeler enthusiasts worldwide can derive great inspiration and knowledge.
Published in EducationWorld
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Book Review: Ride Guide to America
With nothing much to do, all that I have been doing is reading and writing. Reading books from the fantastic public library nearby, the Dallas Morning News newspaper which gets delivered every day, books which are at home. And we definitely have a real good collection. Well being a roadie it is hardly surprising that my first choice would be books related to two wheels or to the road. And this is one book which I had read earlier when I was in India and now I thought I'd read it again and hence downloaded a softcopy from the internet and devoured it within a few days.Here is an abridged version or rather should I say version written with better understanding of the wide and long roads of America. The original review was published in EducationWorld way back in August 2007.
One thing I have noticed in America, unlike India where motorcycle is the major mode of transport, here it is a tool of indulgence and entertainment. It is easier to get a license to drive a car than ride a motorcycle. Perils of motorcycle riding are much more on American highways than on Indian roads. Then the extreme weather conditions of this large country make it almost impossible to ride motorcycles throughout the year. Hence motorcycles are largely a mode of entertainment, fun and enjoyment. People ride motorcycles because they LOVE TO RIDE and not because they can't afford a car.
In such a scenario a book like the AMA's Ride Guide to America (RGA) is very vital for motorcycle afficionados of this country. Americans are very much accustomed to travelling with high-tech gadgetry, including maps, GPS receivers, two-way radios, etc. And this book rightly features over 200 pages of information about best motorcycling trails in the the world's largest motorcycling nation. From California to New England, Rocky Mountain High to Texas, RGA informs readers about the most rider-friendly roads and highways in a country whose population has worked hard and put in place what is perhaps the world's best road networks.
One of the best features of this compilation is its detailed maps and point-to-point outlines for each of the 36 excursions recommended. These proposed rides across the US offer bikers challenging trails along scenic shorelines, mountainous terrain and into deep valleys and deserts. All excursions are illustrated with high-quality, full-colour photographs. RGA's 40 detailed, topographic road maps are a great boon to riders as their steeds run across the recommended routes. The riders can plan and anticipate the terrain they'll encounter in the Pacific Northwest, California, Rocky Mountains and the Southwest, Texas, the Appalachians and the mid-Atlantic, and New England.
Admittedly RGA is of limited utility considering its geographical coverage limitation. But perhaps the most exotic roads and rides of America are hidden in these states featured in the RGA. This book is definitely one that entices wannabe road warriors to saddle up and experience America's amazing highways. The chapters titled 'Loaded for the Road: How to carry stuff on your motorcycle' and 'Ride smart: Tips for street survival' are particularly recommended for bikers who should look into safety measures before embarking on a road trip especially on the highways of America. These chapters discuss and differentiate various types of backpacks, tank bags, rear-seat bags, saddle bags and other motorcycle paraphernalia useful for long distance, cross country bikers everywhere. Neatly sub-divided into six sections based on the regions of the US, RGA also contains a compilation of travel articles published in the American Motorcyclist, written by experienced bikers for bikers.
My favourite in the book is the section on a biking excursion on the Big Sur Highway through the rugged Rocky Mountains and down into Texas hill country. The route like all others in the book, is brought to life with attractive colour photographs and evocative descriptions. Currently in Texas I hope to make it to this highway in summer, if not on a bike, at least in our trusty Saturn 4-wheeled elephant.
But for now, I have finished reading the book and also sharing my views on this, hopefully, if any bikers are reading this they will leave some comments about the review.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Movie Review: Never Back Down
I watched this teenage fighting movie recently. This movie showcases how teenagers in the US are addicted to youtube and mobile video devices. The movie features illegal fights, teen rivalry in high schools, Multi media messaging and how videos are propagated among school kids in the US.
The movie starts off with a high-school football (American of course) game. One of the star players Jake Tyler (Sean Faris) of the winning team is taunted about his father by a disgruntled opposing player. Short-fused Jake gets into a fight and beats him up, this brawl is captured by spectators on mobile phones and uploaded to YouTube.
Quite expectedly Jake gets benched, but he is not worried because he transferring to a different school. Along with his younger brother Charlie (Wyatt Henry Smith) and widowed mom, Jake moves to Orlando, Florida where the latter has received a tennis scholarship. Jake's penchant for fighting and getting into trouble, upsets his mom (Leslie Hope).
At school, Jake attracts the attention of an attractive girl, Amber, and thinks he is set. But there is more in store for him, the boy friend of the girl who has seen his football brawl on youtube invites him for a party and challenges him for a fight. Inevitably Jake ends up broken and with a black eye. Jake feels let down by the girl who is having feelings for him and ends up becoming angry and frustrated.
One of Jakes class mates takes him to 365 Combat Club in which he starts training in Mixed Martial Arts. Finally after some twists and urns, Jake ends up it n the Beatdown, a free no holds barred illegal fight. There he gets even with the senior and earns the respect of all school.
While the plot is quite mediocre, the execution and story telling is very effective. The photography is excellent and of course the girls are easy on the eyes. I'd probably suggest watching it once, that too only if you are a big fan of free style fighting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
