Happy New Year 2012

Hoping this new year will be an entertaining and knowledge achieving one. Happy New Year to all of you.
 

New Year Forecast

Wish you all a very Happy New Year 2012

 
I have been reviewing movies, and books on this blog, and you my readers have been enthusiastic about them. I must admit that 2011 was a year of movie reviews on this blog. There was a little extra focus on movies that one could watch for free on youtube. I watched a whole bunch of non-mainstream and indi movies last year. I watched several Indian language movies too - Hindi and Kannada to be precise.

 

This is a short blogpost to let you know what to expect next year. My first resolution is to post at least one book review every month, this will put pressure on me to read one new book every month. Then I will post at least one new movie review every month, i.e. I will make sure I watch at least one new movie every month. I will try and post one review every week, either movie or book.

 

If you have movie/ book suggestions for this blog feel free to leave a comment about the same.

Movie Review: Bad Reputation

High School is the age when children are undergoing transformation into adults. This is the time when students indulge in lots of reckless behavior, sexual experimentation, rebellious outbursts, etc. In the United States the High School years are held in high esteem by most people. While most people come out of high school happy and hopeful, a few unfortunate individuals suffer the brunt of bullying, exploitation, date rapes, etc and are damaged for life. The movie Bad Reputation is the story of one such girl who is wronged and branded as the 'high school slut' by peers. She embraces the Bad Reputation, transforms herself into a flirty, bold dressing individual and takes revenge on those who had wronged her.

Meet Michelle, a shy high school student who has been a nobody at her school. One day the most popular guy in school, Aaron invites her to a party at his home. She attends the party where the host Aaron is attracted by her looks. He gets her completely drunk and takes her to his room in a weakened state and rapes her. His friends Jake and Steve help him in holding her down and guarding the door. Michelle passes out and the when she comes to she is tied up to a tree in the yard and everyone is calling her a slut who slept with the three guys. Aaron's girlfriend is specially mad at Michelle for attempting to steal her boyfriend.

The next day when Michelle gets to school there is graffiti all over calling her a slut and all kinds of demeaning names. She goes to the school counsellor in a bid to get some support, but he makes a pass at her too. Michelle's depression makes her mad and she decides to embrace her new found Bad Reputation and take revenge on the people who destroyed her life.

This is not a family movie, definitely not for children under 15, at the same time a must watch for parents and high school kids. The movie convey's a social message about high school and how things go very very wrong when alcohol, and drugs are involved in unrestrained parties.

Movie Review: The Lucky Texan

I am an unapologetic fan of western movies - of course only the ones in which the conflict is between White people and I totally abhor those films in which Native Americans are portrayed as wild, cruel and uncultured people. Anyway when one thinks of western movies the first name that comes up is undoubtedly John Wayne. I have watched several of his movies including Big Jake, The Red River, among others.

The Lucky Texan is a movie that deals with the gold rush and how unscrupulous businessmen tried to usurp property of gullible individuals in the recent past in the United States. The protagonists in this movie are Jerry Mason effectively played by John Wayne and Jake Benson (George Gabby Hayes) who are partners in the gold mining operation. They have been able to keep their mining site a secret from everyone in the town. They want to extract as much gold as possible before they stake a claim on the mine so the area remains a secret.

Then there are two businessmen in the town who also have an eye on Jake Benson's ranch and are interested in knowing where the gold strike has happened. Meanwhile Jake's grand daughter comes to live with him from New York and life begins to get complicated. The businessmen follow Jake and try to kill him and steal his gold and then use some fraudulent documents to claim the ranch. Things take an ugly turn from here on but the end is funny court scene which has to be watched.

This movie is not one of the best of John Wayne's but it is definitely one that cemented his acting career. He is at his formative years as an actor and definitely has an appealing screen presence. It is available free to watch on Youtube, go ahead and enjoy it.

Movie Review: Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo

Cover of Deuce Bigalow - European Gigolo

This is one laughing circus of a movie. Set in Amsterdam the movie features the old favorites Rob Scheineder (Deuce Bigalow) and Eddie Griffin (T.J the Pimp). Duece is a former Gigalow who has gotten into research about fish and is living a quiet life in Los Angeles. Out of the blue he gets a call from his former Pimp TJ who is operating in Amsterdam to come and work for him. A sudden turn of events make him decide to go to Amsterdam and there things are quite different.

Drugs, and prostitution are legal and everyone seems to be in the trade. There is a university to train young men to become gigolos and there is an association to protect their rights. Male prostitutes aka gigolos pay taxes and have insurance. Just when everything is cozy and nice, a serial killer starts murdering gigolos one at a time. The association is worried, cops are after the killer.

TJ gets framed as the murderer and now it is upto Deuce to prove his innocence and secure release. The next part of the movie is fraught with hilarious scenes, one liners and other jokes. It is an R rated movie so I wouldn't advise watching with kids. Adults can watch this movie and enjoy the comedy. There is not much nudity so don't worry about getting embarrassed.

It is available free on Youtube, so you may as well take advantage of it.

Movie Review: Caught Up!

B-Grade Hollywood Action Movie
 
Caught up is a movie about how one can get stuck and fall into bad times even when the intentions are good. This is the story of Daryl Allen, a former drug peddler who is out of jail, living with mom. He has decided to go straight and do everything legal from now on. He comes to know that his girlfriend is pregnant with his child which makes him all the more motivated to turn a new leaf.
 
He wants to start a classy club and run an honest business. He is short of money, his friend who is still in drug peddling business promises to help him and asks him to drive to the bank so he can withdraw the money. Daryl believes him and they head to the bank. The friend steps in to get the money while Daryl relaxes in the car. The next thing we see is a lot of shooting and Daryl's friend comes running with the money chased by the bank's security guard. Quite predictably there is a car chase which ends in his friend getting killed and Daryl being arrested for bank robbery. He is sentenced to 5 years in jail.
 
when Daryl gets out of jail after 5 years. things have changed. His mother has passed on, his girlfriend has moved on and married someone, and much as he tries he can't find a job. On top of all this there the probationary officer breathing down his neck, keeping track of everything he is doing. Meanwhile Daryl bumps into Vanessa, a look-alike of his former girlfriend and gets attracted to her. As he is leaving he coffee shop with Vanessa a gunman shoots at them and Daryl is scared. He thinks it is someone after Vanessa and confronts her for the truth. She says it is her former boyfriend how is psychotic and she is out of the relationship.
 
Vanessa helps Daryl find a job as a limousine driver with one of her friends. The limo service is a shady operation which offers high-priced taxi service for people to exchange goods such as drugs, contraband, etc. The gunman is still after them and Daryl doesn't understand why? Later Vanessa reveals that she is in possession of a very valuable diamond that belonged to her former boyfriend and that is why he is after her.
 
Things begin to heat up after this. There is conspiracy, treachery and action all packed in the last 20 mins of the movie. It is a movie that the directors and team hoped it would hit off with all the action, but it simply doesn't have what it takes to become a hit. So I would say it is worth watching once but not worth searching for it. You can find it on Youtube's movie channel and watch it there for FREE.

Movie Review: Kissing Cousins

Funny Movie misrepresents Indian culture
 
This is one of those ABCD movies (American Born Confused Desi) that tries to depict Indian youth as completely accultured in England and America. Meet Amir lives in Los Angeles, works as a heart breaker, his job is to deliver messages of breakups to partners who have been dumped by their significant other. Basically men and women who doesn't have the courage/ heart to tell their partners their intention to end the relationship use him to deliver their message. He lives alone, watches porn every night, doesn't believe in lasting relationships, and goes on with his life. He best buddies are Tucker and Charlie who are in relationships and Bridget who is the former's sister and single.
 
Charlie meets Tina and decides to get married. It has been agreed for several that Amir is going to be the best man but while making plans Charlie and Tina decide that Tucker should be the best man because he has more positive "relationship karma". Amir is disappointed and outraged by the sudden change of plans. He goes home for the Thanksgiving holiday and notices that things have changed. His room has been rented, his sister is married to an African-American and is expecting, his father has a best buddy who is 15 yr old and Amir has no place to sleep other than the sofa. He meets his cousin Zara after a gap of 20 years. Zara lives in London and is in the US for a holiday.
 
After the holiday Zara travels with him to LA and she starts presenting herself as Amir's girlfriend in front of his friends. Everybody believes this and what follows is a fairly comical turn of events and Amir is once again given the mantle of the Best Man in Charlie's wedding. Things take sudden twist at this point. I wont reveal the end and spoil the climax.
 
While the movie is pretty entertaining, there are several factual errors and gaps in the story. First off, the names of the main characters Amir and Zara are Muslim names. Second Amir's mother appears like a Hindu. They celebrate all Christian festivals such as Thanksgiving and Christmas rather than Diwali which takes place around the same time as former. There is no indication that these people have converted to Christianity or otherwise. The film makers have made a cultural mess out of this family and its portrayal. I wish film makers were a little more culturally attuned before they start making movies of this sort.

Movie Review: Hot Fuzz

What happens when a hot shot police constable is transferred from London Metro area to a small sleepy village on promotion? His life goes crazy trying to enforce law and he finds out that the sleepy village is indeed not so, there is something going on and a secret society is bent upon murdering everyone who is not in with their agenda. Meet Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) who is the best policeman in London, he is so good that his colleagues are being questioned about their efficiency. They conspire and get him transferred to a small village out in the country on a promotion as a Sargent. He protests but he has to go.

Once there he is paired with a new recruit who is more interested in eating that anything else. The village community seems to be peaceful and there is no crime at all. Sargent Angel is not convinced, his gut feeling tells him something is amiss. Then there are a series of murders starting with an actor and then a local businessman and then the city newspaper editor. Sargent Angel is working on the case and there seems to be no leads whatsoever.

The motive and murderer's identity remains a mystery till the end. The mystery is good but it is the comedy that is the hallmark of this film. I'd recommend it to everyone, it is a complete family entertainer so you can watch it with your kids and parents and everyone.

Movie Review: The Mechanic

Action Packed Corporate Gangster Movie

I love action movies of all kinds - Western, Military, War, Police, Crime - you name it and I will watch it. However I don't like endless gore and blood on the screen. Watching explosions, gun fights and fist cuffs are fine but then when these get meaningless the movie clearly doesn't have a story but is trying to appeal to the primitive sense of humans.

Anyway I chanced upon this movie The Mechanic at the college library and picked it up so I can pass some time during the break. The Mechanic features Jason Statham as Arthur Bishop and Ben Foster as Steve and Donald Sutherland as Harry as the main characters. Arthur is a professional hit man who is hired to eliminate high profile individuals across the world. The movie begins with Arthur eliminating a drug lord.

Arthur's mentor cum friend Harry is the main conduit man who is one of the bosses in the enterprise that eliminates people. Harry is disappointed with his son Steve and confides that with Arthur. There is a small twist at this time Harry is murdered. Steve wants revenge and so Arthur trains him to become a killer. Now both are on the pursuit of the target - Harry's killer. From here on there is a load of violence, car chases, fist fights, etc. The end is rather different. Watch it and you will not be disappointed.

Movie Review: 17 Again

American culture glorifies youth so much that most people are obsessed with their high school years. I wouldn't blame them because high school is something that one either hates or loves. This movie kinda glorifies the high school experience once again and how decisions made at that time will go on to shape the rest of an individual's life. The story centers around Mike O' Donnell who has been thrown out of his house by his wife, his teenaged children don't want to have anything to do with him and at work he is passed up for a promotion.
 
Back up a few years Mike was the high school basket ball pro who was all set to go to college. On the evening he was supposed to play the match that would get him a scholarship to go to college he comes to know his girlfriend is pregnant. He throws it all away and settles down with this wife to raise a family. But deep within he harbors a sense of loss, a feeling that he would been someone else, done something else if his girlfriend now wife had not gotten pregnant. This feeling leads to angst and gets him to the brink of divorce.
 
There is a divine intervention at this point in his life and he is transformed into a 17 year old. He goes back to the same school that his children go to and then starts the fun. He becomes the coolest kid at school and changes the lives of his son and daughter and finally reclaims the love of his life - his estranged wife. The whole process is riddled with comedy and high school fun. The story and theme could have been handled much better but this movie is ok... not too bad. Worth watching once.

Expendables - Movie Review

I have been wanting to watch this movie ever since it was being promoted couple of years ago. I am a big fan of Stallone so I will like his movies even though they might have bombed at the box office. Anyway this movie was being promoted for its mega action star cast and also the presence of Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. If you are expecting all these mega action stars to work shoulder to shoulder, forget it. Willis and Schwarzenegger only appear in one short scene, suited and booted in a church. Absolutely no action for them.

Anyways the movie is about Stallone (Barney Ross) and his band of mercenaries who would do anything for money or so they say. Everyone rides a fancy motorcycle, choppers, sports, crotch rockets, etc. They charge millions of $$$s for their jobs and generally lead a low profile but comfortable lives. They are approached by one Mr. Church (Willis) who wants them to travel to the island of Vilena in South America and eliminate the military dictator.

Naturally Barney wants to go and recon the area before taking up the job. Once on the island they are met with the beautiful Sandra who shows them around and they get into trouble with the soldiers. Later it is revealed that Sandra is none other than the General's daughter. There is an American businessman who is trying to cultivate cocaine and transport it back to the States to be sold on the street and make billions of $$$s.Smelling something fishy Barney refuses the job but the memory of the girl continues to haunt him. So he decides to go and then all hell breaks loose.

One thing I don't understand about this movie is that though Barney lives in US of A, there are no cops in the streets they roam around. Nobody turns up when a bunch of assassins surround Barney and his friend shooting on city streets. Where are the cops??? The other day my car stalled at an intersection and there was a cop within 15 mins there. Strangely this movie doesn't show any American police, I wonder why.

When I see such movies I get the feeling that Hollywood is slowly but surely getting its inspiration from Bollywood or other Indian film industries. There are too many gaping holes in the plot to go unnoticed.....

It is an entertainer nevertheless, watch it once if you can get hold of the DVD free, like I did from the library.