2009 - the year that was.

My last post for 2009 because tonight the hubby and I get on a plane and head to the other coast to meet up with family for the holidays... Before that, here are some of the highlights (and some low-lights) of 2009 (boy was it tough to pick just a few moments from the myriad of events making up 2009).

In no particular order:
1. Susan Boyle - Without a doubt, she was the biggest surprise of 2009 - the skepticism of the audience and judges on Britain's got Talent, before she opened her mouth to sing, was very palpable as was the shock and awe once she started singing. Here is a link to her video if you want to revisit that first performance.

2. Slumdog Millionaire's million dollar run at the 2009 Oscar's - this little movie that could, came out of nowhere in 2008 and bagged a total of 8 Oscars out of 10 nominations in March 2009. For me, I was just happy that the movie introduced the genius that is AR Rehman to the world.

3. It was a sad year too for the world saw the demise of Michael Jackson, Farah Fawcett, Brittany Murphy, David Carradine, and many others. But the show must go on.

4. I bet Kanye West completely regrets that cringe-worthy moment at the 2009 VMAs when he ran on stage, completely out of control, and grabbed the mike from teen Taylor Swift to add his 2 cents about Beyonce. This move caused many seasoned stars to show their support to Taylor Swift via their blogs and Twitter. This incident almost helped catapult Taylor Swift to stardom (she was already on her way there - this incident gave her a major push so in some twisted way she has Kanye West to thank).

5. And no 2009 list will be complete without the mention of Octomom and the debacle that is Jon and Kate plus 8 - first, let's start with Octomom. This woman is truly insane. And the sad part is that she is responsible for the welfare of 14 innocent kids. Here are some snippets of her interview on NBC. All I can say at this point is God help those kids. Now on to Jon and Kate - I actually was a fan of this show before all the craziness began. I thought Kate was a bit high-handed but on the other hand she was responsible for 8 kids and her household. I get stressed when I invite a few folks over for dinner so can just imagine the effort to have dinner on the table everyday for 10 people. That said though, the couple did not handle the divorce gracefully. Both of them came off as complete idiots who are after fame and money. I just hope the 8 kids get through all this public scrutiny okay.

So that folks was my highlights list for 2009. Leave me a comment and let me know if you had any other noteworthy moments to list.

Happy Holidays and wish you a lovely and wonderful 2010.

Forget Paris

My third attempt to watch this little gem of a movie - for some reason, although I have always wanted to, I never did get the opportunity to watch this movie - until last night. By some stroke of luck, this movie was playing on HBO and I seized my chance and recorded it (did I mention how much I cherish my DVR?).

The movie stars Billy Crystal as the hotshot basketball referee Micky Gordon and the awesomely talented Debra Winger as Ellen Andrews, an airline employee working in Paris - they meet in Paris where he is trying to inter his dead father and the airline loses the body. Paris works its magic and they fall in love. Their love story is narrated by one of their friends to his fiancee in a restaurant as they are waiting for the rest of the friends to join them (does this sound familiar? If yes, it's because in recent times Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na copied this aspect of the story - exchanging the restaurant for the airport). It's not all smooth sailing because it turns out that Ellen is married (but separated and confused) - once they get over that hurdle and she quits her job and moves back to the US to be with Mickey, she ends up resenting him for his job which entails a lot of traveling and so on. In short, it is a story of a marriage told in flashbacks - a marriage where two people love each other a lot but also struggle to hold on to their own individual identities, sometimes at the cost of their mutual happiness. Do they end up together or do the realities of life drive them apart?

Some of my favourite lines/moments from this movie are:

Andy: Marriages don't work when one partner is happy and the other is miserable. Marriage is about both people being equally miserable.

Mickey: You just had one of those 'I glued a bird to my head' days.

Mickey: [Mickey on finding out that Ellen is married] You don't do this to a person, you know? You don't walk around being fabulous when you know you're not available.

Mickey: [after finding out about Ellen's husband, still in shock] Is he French?
Ellen: Yes.
Mickey: Is he handsome?
Ellen: Yes.
Mickey: Is he rich?
Ellen: Yes.
Mickey: Does he have a sister?

Lucy: See they had a fundamental problem with their marriage - one is a man and the other a woman.

On his way to the IVF clinic, Micky hits a spot of traffic and gets ready for a bit of daring driving: Strapping the passenger-side seatbelt around the bag with his *stuff* in it screaming Hang On Boys was a laugh-worthy moment.

I liked this movie a lot - at the beginning, it is peppered with witty one-liners and good humour and the second half, while a bit serious, is still realistic with simply wonderful acting (which is at the same time suitably subtle and understated). You root for this couple to succeed because you can't help but identify with them - with their love for each other, their quarrels, their frustrations with themselves and each other. It's a great watch for the married folks for sure but it's also a fun watch for the single ones. Watch the movie for the screenplay and the acting and I am certain you will like it.

2009 Bollywood - year in review

Back from the hubby's company Christmas party last night, this morning promises to be a lazy Saturday morning. Since the year is almost over, I was going over a program on TV listing their top picks for Bollywood for the year 2009 which gave me the idea to review my own picks for this year - now by no means can I claim to have watched each and every Bollywood flick released last year but of my own population of movies viewed, here is my list.

Most entertaining movies of 2009 (in no particular order):
1. Kaminey (stellar performance from Shahid Kapoor and great songs - what is a Bollywood movie without hummable music)

2. Wake Up Sid (loved Ranbir and Konkona in it - one of the few movies that has established Ranbir Kapoor as a force to reckon with despite his disastrous debut in 2008, loved the iktaara song from it - my current obsession)

3. Love Aaj Kal (while the story was a bit confusing with its back and forth flashbacks what with Saif essaying the role of a young Rishi Kapoor in addition to his own role in the movie - it was quite entertaining. I'm still not convinced that Deepika Padukone can act and am completely convinced that Saif cannot dance - if you don't believe me watch his bhangra numbers and the twist karein song - terrible dancing!! I'm glad the movie introduced us to the Chor Bazaari song - loved it.)

4. 99 - Small movie with Kunal Khemu and Soha Ali Khan in the lead ably supported by Cyrus Broacha and Boman Irani - I'm only sad that this movie got lost among the myriad of flicks released in 2009.

5. Luck By Chance - introduced us to first-time director Zoya Akhtar. (This is one heck of a multi-talented family. Mom Honey Irani, actress & script writer, Dad Javed Akhtar script writer and lyricist extraordinaire, brother Farhan - awesome director who proved to us that he can also sing and act)

6. Dilli 6 - I found the movie to be a let down (coming as it was from the director of Rang De Basanti). However I enjoyed Sonam Kapoor's acting skills and the songs (zara hatke gaane especially Masakali and the title song)

7. Dev D - people either loved it or hated it - I kind of liked the modern take on Indian classic Devdas - I am a huge fan of Abhay Deol - he is amazing. The movie felt like it was made on a shoestring budget but I enjoyed the slick direction, the folksy songs and the acting of Mr. Deol. He is my favourite Deol hands down.

Now for the films that one goes what were they thinking?

1. What's Your Rashee - complete disappointment
2. Chandni Chowk to China - the less said the better
3. Kambakht Ishq - another Akshay Kumar gem
In addition to these there is a large number of movies that I didn't even want to watch based on everything I heard - the 3 hours of my life spent watching each of these is much too precious to waste - Billu, 13B, Short kut the Con is on, Wanted, Blue, London Dreams (although I have heard some good things about this movie but since I am not a fan of Ajay Devgan or Sallu bhai, I have to pass), De Dana Dan (rule of thumb - movie has Akshay Kumar? If yes, this is not the movie for me), Radio (Himmesh Reshammiya in the lead - enough said)etc.

Some of the 2009 movies on my yet to watch list - Paa, Kurbaan, Main aur Mrs. Khanna (though I have a gut feeling this will go on the second list), Three Idiots, and Rocket Singh (maybe)

If you stop by this blog, leave me your faves and not so faves from this year that is passing us by!!

New Moon does not disappoint

As one of my birthday gifts, the hubby took me to watch New Moon this afternoon - he is well versed with my earlier obsession with the Twilight series (and I say earlier because I don't think I am as obsessed as I once was - it's a much more toned down version of how I felt when I had just read the books and I know this because I am not constantly trolling youtube for interviews with the cast - I still think Robert Pattinson is super adorable though) and decided to make the "sacrifice" and watch the movie with me.

That it would be better than Twilight was never a question - from the trailers itself, one could tell that it was much better crafted and had a bigger budget than the first movie. The make up was much better, the direction too (sorry Catherine Hardwick) as well as the script (Melissa Rosenberg's second script for the series). The script is the real hero of this movie because the book itself is one of the worst books in the Twilight series for me at least and the movie could have been really bad and sappy but the script moved the movie forward at an even pace and kept me engaged throughout.

This movie is by no means going to be a critically acclaimed film or win any awards (besides the MTV and People's Choice ones where avid fans will make sure that it wins a few accolades) but it left me pleasantly surprised. In a nutshell, the second installment in the series is about Bella Swan (played by Kristen Stewart) who is dumped by her vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen (played by Robert Pattinson) for her own safety because he truly believes that Bella will be better off without him and the dangers that lurk around by default when one hangs out with vampires. She gets swept into a deep depression over her break up - enter Jacob (her best friend and werewolf) who helps her through it and rekindles her interest in life. Will Edward come back? Will Jacob and Bella be together? That is the crux of the film. In the process we get introduced to the wolf pack and the Volturi (the most powerful vampires and lawmakers in the supernatural world).

Of the cast, Dakota Fanning and Michael Sheen did a bang up job. They were fabulous and creepy at the same time. Robert Pattinson was not in the movie too much and when he was on screen he was adequately good - Kristen Stewart also did a believable job as Bella. Taylor Lautner did a good job and was appropriately buff to pull off his werewolf alter ego. I am still undecided as to whether all 3 are good actors though. Hopefully I will have made up my mind by movie 3. That said, I have to note that they were not bad by any means and much better than they were in Twilight.

My recommendation is to definitely watch it if you have read the books. I am not sure how enjoyable it would be if you are not familiar with the books, the story and the characters.

Nine on Oprah

Not sure if everyone is aware of this but the maker of the fabulous Chicago movie is coming out with yet another musical extravaganza called Nine. The cast of Nine reads like a who's who in Hollywood - the esteemed cast is led by 2 time Oscar winner Daniel Day Lewis, Oscar winner Nicole Kidman, Oscar winner Marion Cotillard, Oscar winner Penelope Cruz, Oscar nominee Kate Hudson, Oscar winner Dame Judi Dench, Oscar winnder Sophia Loren and Grammy winner Fergie (I wasn't kidding when I said it read like a Hollywood who's who).

The cast (Marion, Nicole, Kate and Penelope along with Daniel Day Lewis) visited Oprah and I thoroughly enjoyed their little tete-a-tete with the queen of daytime. Everyone looked ravishing except for Penelope - am not sure who chose her frumpy dress but on the flip side she more than made up for it by just being her charming self. Daniel Day Lewis - can't say enough about him. I remember watching The Last of the Mohicans and being completely taken in by his character in the film - a fabulous talented actor that words cannot do justice to. He revealed that he can fix shoes and can make furniture - who knew!! Nicole Kidman - as pretty as ever - I swear the woman never ages... is it nature or botox - who knows? They showed a few snippets from the movie and it was hard to believe that she had apparently done the movie a few weeks after having her baby. The unfortunately dressed Penelope talked about playing the sultry mistress and admitted to being terrified of singing and the complex dance moves. She has done this fabulous number with ropes and pink satin - she looks absolutely gorgeous... (it just struck me that Penelope dated Tom Cruise right after his divorce from Nicole Kidman when they worked together on Vanilla Sky... wonder how uncomfortable/awkward the first meeting and shooting was).

Marion Cotillard was as luminous as ever and so expressive - can't imagine how much more she could have conveyed in this interview if she had a better command over the language - don't get me wrong - she was fabulous and heartfelt. They showed a snippet of her song and she has a lovely voice. I also had no idea Kate Hudson could sing. She may have a backup career lined up. She was her usual bubbly self - definitely Goldie Hawn's daughter :). She did not reveal much despite Oprah's probing - must say I have a lot more respect for Kate Hudson for standing up to the talk show God; and she did it in a very very charming manner - she absolutely refused to go into it other than saying that she was happy - kudos to her.

Here's a link to the show's synopsis. Am looking forward to watching this movie (now to find a way to drag hubby to it ;)) - am usually not a huge fan of musicals but am definitely making an exception to watch this one.

My Sunday - all 'Fired Up'

This morning the hubby and I were flipping through channels and chanced upon 'Fired Up' - I wasn't sure that I wanted to watch another almost but not quite teen movie but we watched it anyway and I must say that it was surprisingly good.

The plot is all about 2 football jocks Shawn and Nick (played by Nicholas D'Agusto and Eric Christian Olsen) who hatch a fool-proof plan to meet girls and brighten their prospects, so to speak, by entering Cheer leading camp. While the plot is a bit cliched with their team being the underdogs and the boys actually bringing with them some much needed spirit and attitude to brighten their chances at the competition, the dialogue is very witty and better than most other teen movies I've seen. Of course the movie ends with the good guy getting the girl and the team not finishing up in last place as they've been wont to do in the past (which was another refreshing change from the run-of-the-mill movie ending which would have seen them finish in top spot).

I actually loved the chemistry between the 2 boys who play friends - their comic timing and dialogue delivery were on the mark. The crazy coach and the other men at cheer leading camp provided comic relief as well. On the whole, worth a watch if you are looking for a light but very funny comedy. As is my blogging tradition, here are some of my favourite lines from the movie:

Nick Brady: Hiya Dick.
Dr. Rick: It's Rick!
Nick Brady: Ah, sorry, I don't know why I keep doing that. You just look like such a Dick to me.

Nick Brady: [reading her nametag] Diora? I believe that's Italian for 'beautiful princess'.
Diora: No.
Nick Brady: Well it should be, I'm calling the dictionary people.

Dr. Rick: [after Downey punches Dr. Rick in the face] I hope one of you ends up in my ER one day, bleeding. I'll make you wait for days. Unless one of you has Blue Cross. That's a PPO, none of that HMO bullshit!

Dr. Rick: [holding up his hands] If these weren't tools for healing, I would crack you in the jaw.
Nick Brady: YOU'RE a tool for healing.

Coach Keith: Mediocrity deserves an applause - why don't we find a Ford Focus and clap around it?

Dr. Rick: You should get that mole checked out. I'd do it myself, but I don't have my bag on me.
Shawn Colfax: Your book bag?

Nick Brady: Do not poop where you eat, remember? That's why there are no restaurants called "The Bathroom."

Talk show moments

I am a fan of a good talk show - I enjoy seeing the stars being their "natural" selves - well as natural as tinsel town would allow. Talk shows also make for interesting moments in pop culture history. I thought I would dedicate this post to some famous (and not so famous) talk show moments since I've been watching...

1. Tom Cruise and the couch - I don't think anyone that watched this a couple years ago will forget the exuberance and craziness that was Tom Cruise on Oprah's couch as he proclaimed his love for Katie Holmes. I truly believe that his overdone enthusiasm really hurt his image of being this larger than life movie star. This is one instance where I actually wish I didn't have to see this side of him and that he would have retained some of the movie star mystique.

2. Sherri Shepard claiming that the world is not round - This was probably one of the most ridiculous things I've heard on a talk show - you can see Joy Behar openly laughing in the clip. Enough said! And yet (well clearly not enough said) - she probably makes thousands of dollars per episode of The View.

3. Joaquin Phoenix on David Letterman - Another ridiculous TV show appearance - I am not sure if Joaquin was high on something during this interview but I'm yet to sit through a more painful interview.

4. Chris Matthews groping Ellen - Ellen always asks her guests to dance - but I am sure she didn't see this coming. I have never laughed harder than when I caught this on my DVR - it was CRRRAZZY.

5. Sarah Silverman and Matt Damon - A completely novel concept - thoroughly enjoyed by all; which led to this response by Jimmy Kimmel that had so many stars doing a cameo.

These were the top 5 moments that came to my mind - if you have any to share leave the link!!

In the spirit of Halloween...

It being Halloween and all, I decided to watch a movie in the thriller/horror/ghost genre this weekend. Lifetime Movie Network (yes - one of my guilty pleasures) did not disappoint. I watched this tiny movie called 'Dorothy Mills' starring Carice Van Houten, Jean Murray and David Wilmont. Now there are a very few ghost movies that actually tie together at the end, most just end up with a very flimsy ending that doesn't completely satisfy the viewer. But I am glad to say that this one did a good job from beginning to end.

The movie begins in a small little island off the coast of New England (and this is purely a guess on my part because I wasn't paying too much attention at the beginning of the flick) in a very closely knit community where a young girl is accused of physically abusing the child she was baby sitting for. The girl is Dorothy Mills (played by Jean Murray) and she maintains her innocence claiming that she wasn't there even though she was caught red-handed by the child's parents. Enter a very pretty Carice Van Houten as the psychiatrist Jane sent by the courts to assess Dorothy Mills' mental state. The viewer is led to guess that Jane is dealing with her very own personal tragedy involving her young son seen mainly in photos. Jane reaches the town and is almost immediately drawn into the strange goings on in the little hamlet. At first she believes that Dorothy is suffering from a multiple personality disorder but as she digs deeper she finds links to a terrible tragedy that took place in the town a few years ago.

The pace of the movie is taut (good direction by Agnès Merlet) and the story progresses rapidly to it's unexpected conclusion. All characters play their parts believably. Jean Murray is especially good in switching between the vulnerable Dorothy Mills and the various other ghosts haunting her. Carice Van Houten delivers a restrained but powerful performance as the stranger in town trying to decipher the mystery in front of her. All in all a great movie by Lifetime standards and a good movie by any other :P

Some of the better ghost/horror movies I've seen are The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Omen (who can help getting chilled to the bone by demon spawn Damien?), and one of the very first movies I saw as a youngster that introduced me to this genre - The Exorcist. Leave me some of your favourites so I can add to my collection!! Boo!

What's your rashee - what was Ashu thinking?

Despite all the bad reviews (or maybe because of them) regarding What's your rashee a few friends and I were curious to see the movie - we bullied our respective spouses into agreeing to watch the flick - Blue being their choice clearly (not sure that Blue is a better movie but that is another review). And boy did we regret it!! 3 hours of my life that I am not going to get back (and it was 3 hours only because we watched all the songs and some of the scenes in fast forward mode).

The movie starts with an astrologer predicting that the younger son of a Gujrati family will get married by the 20th of that month. The older son has borrowed money from a few shady characters and is in over his head when the family hears that their wealthy grandfather will turn over his entire property to the younger son upon his wedding. This is a further impetus for the family to pressurize their son to come to India and opt for an arranged marriage. The boy (played by Harman Baweja) agrees to meet 12 different girls (all played by Priyanka) but from each sign of the zodiac and choose his life partner from among one of them. The story then progresses with Priyanka Chopra essaying each of the 12 different roles. The biggest letdown is the completely weak storyline and non-existent script. That is then compounded by all the background noise in the form of unnecessary background stories of how much in debt the older brother is, the matchmaker uncle who is also cheating on his wife and the million songs. While the songs are certainly very pleasant and hummable there are just way too many of them thereby prolonging a very weak and flimsy plot.

I wonder if Ashutosh realized in the middle of making this movie just how bad it was going to be and had no other option but to finish it despite his misgivings. I cannot believe that this was made by the same director who gave us Lagaan and Swades. The portrayals of the 12 different zodiacs is very cliched and some of the characters are reduced to downright caricatures. Harman is okay. The good thing is that he no longer seems to be trying to ape Hrithik Roshan (a la Love Story 2050). Must say, the future is not looking too bright for Mr. Baweja. Priyanka is okay as well. I remember watching an interview with her where they were talking about how she has still not come across the role of a lifetime - similar to what Pakeezah was for Meena Kumari or Umrao Jaan was for Rekha - and sadly if she was pinning her hopes on this movie, this is definitely not it.

So the verdict (if it is not already crystal clear from the paragraphs up above), give this movie a miss unless you really have nothing else to do with 4 hours of your time.

Happy Diwali

Today's post has nothing to do with TV - but just wanted to wish all my readers a very very Happy Diwali. For those who have never heard of it, Diwali (or Deepavali) is the age-old Indian festival of lights (also known as deep) - it signifies the triumph of good over evil. Indians celebrate this festival by a few rounds of Diwali cleaning leading up to the day (where one's home is cleaned from top to bottom in preparation of this auspicious day), buying new clothes, performing Lakshmi puja (Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth), bursting firecrackers with friends and family and making and sharing sweets and other mouth-watering delicacies.

I was chatting with one of my friends this afternoon about Diwalis of the past - we were reminiscing about some of our age-old traditions such as wearing new dresses and visiting friends' and neighbours' homes exchanging sweets and savouries. Those were the good old days when we would wake up at the crack of dawn, have an oil bath and get ready to burst some firecrackers with friends and family. This was usually followed by a visit to the temple - followed by a long line of deliveries of homemade sweets to neighbours' homes - as kids it was usually our task to carry a tray laden with food to our neighbours' homes and wish them and wait while they unloaded our food and filled it with food made at their place and this continued pretty much all morning until we had made the rounds of all close family friends. This was followed by a bout of phone calls to wish people far away. I waited eagerly for this festival because we would have a break from school with no exams to worry about and Diwali usually fell around November which meant my birthday was only a few days away - so it was always good!! Going shopping for Diwali was always a great bonus.

Cut to the US and during my days in Houston, Diwali would come and go and we really wouldn't do much out there. That has changed for the better here in California since we are surrounded by a huge Indian community (not that the Houston Indian community is any less but for some reason I was less involved in it) and friends who would make it a point to meet up and enjoy some of the local programs put up by the local Indian community at the nearby temples and community centers. This Diwali brings with it a host of nostalgic memories and hope and optimism for the future. Happy Diwali to us all!!

Fall TV picks

My choices from this fall's TV lineup... drum roll please... The Good Wife and Eastwick. I hope both these shows stick around for a while. I'm getting used to seeing these fabulous ladies light up the screen every Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

The Good Wife (CBS, Tuesday nights at 10 pm), starring Juliana Margulies last seen in ER, is about the wife of a politician who has to re-start her career in law because her husband is in jail following a very public sex and corruption scandal. Her old friend gives her a job as an associate in his law firm and she soon finds herself competing against a 20-something yuppie lawyer for a coveted spot in the firm. Serene is the word that comes to mind when you see Juliana tackling this role. She plays the character with admirable restraint while at the same time, very effectively, portraying the betrayed wife with anger and resentment simmering under the surface. It has a solid supporting cast with Archie Panjabi (from Bend It Like Beckham) as the investigator, Matt Czuchry (from Gilmore Girls) and Christine Baranski. I've watched 3-4 episodes so far and I am impressed with the storyline including the individual cases that come her way and her unique manner of resolving each and everyone of those. I recommend this - 2 thumbs up.

My second favourite show this fall is Eastwick (ABC, Wednesday 10 pm) - it's somewhat similar to Charmed in that the show is about 3 women that live in the witchy town of Eastwick and discover each other and their fledgling powers with the arrival of a mysterious stranger in town. The cast includes Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price, Jaime Ray Newman and Paul Gross (who I first saw in this teeny-tiny show, called 'Due South', about a Canadian Mounty and his loyal wolf who end up in the US). I had a big crush on the guy so I was pleasantly surprised to see him back on the small screen after all these years. Darryl Van Horne, the mysterious stranger in town brings together 3 women in town who, on the surface, appear to be your average late 20-somthing, 30-something women from different walks of life - one is a nurse, the second a journalist and the third a hippy sculptress. Strange events start occurring in their lives making them aware of their own powers. There is something sinister however, about Mr. Van Horne, as one of the ladies discovers that a businessman with his identical face was killed a few decades ago. The plot thickens... I am slightly less enthused about this show than the former for some reason. But at the same time, I think its one of the better shows on TV.

Another show I've heard good things about is Glee - but since I have not watched it myself, I cannot endorse it. The third show I added to my lineup is Cougar Town and the only reason I am watching this is because of Courteney Cox and my loyalty to her other show Friends. The acting is over the top and comes across as trying too hard. I'm hoping it gets better - Courteney is a fabulous actor - if only she could attempt her hand at some of the restraint from The Good Wife.

A Tale of 2 movies

And 2 very different movies at that!! The hubby and I clearly have too much time on our hands - we took in 2 movies on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was District 9 and Sunday was Wake Up Sid. Completely different movies and genres but both kind of enjoyable. Wake Up Sid was more enjoyable for me versus District 9 - but let me not get ahead of myself.

We were all set to watch Wake Up Sid on Saturday but we heard mixed reviews so, at the last minute, we decided to switch to District 9 - the hubby has been wanting to see this movie ever since it released so needless to say he was very happy. The movie, we discovered, was running in just 1 theater in the vicinity - in Mountain View - so we get to the Century Cinemas and end up sitting in this row of seats with very very little legroom - and I mean very little - so while I watched the movie, my primary concern was to save my knees from the seat in front of me every time the woman pushed her seat back or stretched. When the movie began, my first thought was that it was very much like 'The Office' - as in the camerawork and mode of shooting were very realistic - like someone was given a video camera and told to go interview a few people. The movie is set in Johannesburg and has a very interesting plot line - it's about aliens stranded here on earth in South Africa, in an area called District 9. Their integration into society is not very smooth and a decision is made to evict them from District 9 and move them into District 10 - away from the city and more confined as such. There are some twists and turns and the person in charge of the eviction ends up empathizing and identifying with the aliens. I'll say no more so as not give away the plot. The movie is clearly an "indie" science fiction movie - it appears to be made on a shoestring budget. I was engaged throughout the movie (while not trying to protect my legs from the afore-mentioned seating situation) and it was a pretty interesting concept - I would recommend it for sci-fi lovers looking for something that is not the run-of-the-mill alien/predator situations.

Come Sunday, we met up with friends for brunch and heard that Wake Up Sid was indeed a decent movie so we decided to check it out for ourselves. The theater was pretty packed (and this is a mainstream theater that predominantly plays western flicks - so it's been very pleasant to note that big desi movies are also making their debut here - we had Kaminey, Love Aaj Kal and What's Your Rashee showing here in recent times) so we were glad we made it in plenty of time to get good seats. The movie was super-enjoyable and a great first-time directorial effort by Aayan Mukherjee - Ranbir Kapoor is yet to make a bad decision as far as movies go after the debacle of Saawariya. The movie belongs to him. Konkona Sen does a great job - am glad the girl is able to showcase her talent in more and more mainstream movies. The movie is about an aimless spoilt brat finding his path in life. While the story-line is not anything new, the treatment of the subject matter is dealt with in a very realistic manner - there are no melodramatic scenes and no over the top acting by anyone in the movie (okay maybe Supriya Pathak's character as the mom and her relationship with Sid was a little too contrived but in the grand scheme of things it can be overlooked). It's refreshing to see new blood in Bollywood that can shoulder a movie and bring it to success - I mean frankly, I was a little tired of seeing the same old faces on the big screen - the Khans and Hrithik are too old to play 20-something 30-something characters so to see this new generation of heroes and heroines making it in the big bad world of Bollywood has been invigorating. The soundtrack is nice - loved iktara especially - good music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy. I would recommend it to people that enjoyed flicks like Dil Chahta Hai, Rock On and Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na.

Now to prepare for my week ahead - as someone once said "Yeh Sunday ke baad Monday kyon hota hai?" (translation for my non-Hindi speaking readers and I'm not sure that I am doing justice to the line and the sentiment it conveys - Why is it that we have a Monday always following Sunday?)

All time faves

I recently met a couple of friends who were out of the movie loop and were wondering if I had any recommendations as far as movies go - as I was listing some recent movies they could watch, I decided to come up with a top 10 movie list.

My Top 10 Hollywood movies in no particular order:
1. Speed (1 not the sequel) - don't ask me why - I watched this flick 10 times - loved the chemistry between Keanu and Sandra Bullock
2. Say Anything - A very precocious movie about opposites attracting
3. When Harry met Sally - love the idea of destiny bringing you to the same person again and again.
4. Terms of Endearment - keep those tissues handy - you will need them.
5. Steel Magnolias - see note about tissues above.
6. Crash - what a unique concept - loved this movie.
7. The Holiday with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz
8. Diary of a mad black woman/Why did I get married - both movies by Tyler Perry - I liked the quirkiness of both movies.
9. Top Gun - fell in love with Tom Cruise - of course this was much much much before the couch jumping antics.
10. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Part I - I watched it on the recommendation of a very good pal/relative and I loved it.

Now that my top 10 Hollywood list is done, I suddenly remember a ton of movies that could have made the list but since I had to limit it to 10 (and I know I cheated by adding 11) I have to at least give these an honorable mention - The Magnificent 7, While you were Sleeping, Juno, The Family Stone, Mr. & Mrs. Smith (for its sass), He's Just not that into you, Pretty Woman, 3 Fugitives (haven't watched this in a long time but I remember it being a very funny flick), Ghost, The Bourne series, Sleepless in Seattle, The Hangover, this tiny movie called Slumdog Millionaire, The Sound of Music (one of the earliest movies I remember watching - this was probably what started my love affair with movies) and the list goes on and on and on.

So if you read this post, leave me some of your favorite all-time flicks!

Pay It Forward...

I watched the Oprah show today and realized how incredibly lucky I am that I was born where I was and am living the life I am. The show today was all about the power of hope and how every bit we can do will help transform the lives of women around the world.

The show started with the story of Tererai, from Zimbabwe, who basically had nothing but her dreams to egg her on and ultimately managed to pull herself out of stark poverty and earn a Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture, followed by a Master's Degree and in the immediate future, a Ph.D - all this despite a father that did not allow her to go to school, marriage to a wife abuser at the age of 11 and supporting 5 children. Watching this story unfold made me realize how truly inconsequential my problems are. This inspirational story was followed by the introduction of another story where a $5 loan changed a woman's life forever. The show then took us to the women in Congo where unspeakable acts are perpetrated against them by a militant group called the FDLR - it was sad to see the burn-ravaged face of a young woman who was raped and brutalized because the FDLR chief's dog died and he decided to exact vengeance on that particular village. I know - HORRIBLE!! You can review the show here.

By the end of the show I was moved to tears and silently thanked God for all my blessings and resolved to do my little bit to publicize the cause by virtue of this blog. Next stop FB status message. But first, here's a little more information on how we can change the world - one tiny step at a time. For as little as $5 one can provide a midwife with a birthing kit, for as little as $15 one can help a rape victim get hospitalization and medical care - the various tabs give you the different options/causes available to donate.

So many gods, so many creeds,
So many paths that wind and wind,
While just the art of being kind,
Is all this sad world needs.
~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Oprah, Ash and AB's baby!!

I just watched the Oprah episode where Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai were invited on a show about International celebrities. Aishwarya was her usual giggly self - mercifully a lot more toned down version of what we saw on 60 minutes a couple of years ago. Abhishek was poise personified.

Watching them together made me realize that he is not afraid to call BS on Ms. Rai's affected mannerisms which is what probably makes them tick. For instance while she giggled about his proposal being very "real" - he asked audibly "Real?". I respected the dude a little more in those couple of seconds. A guy who could easily be overshadowed by his dad's meteoric fame and his wife's global popularity (she is definitely much much more famous than he is) appeared to hold his own and then some on the Oprah show. Now for Ash, Ash fans brace yourselves. While she appears to have improved a lot with respect to her interview skills, she still has a long way to go. A simple question from the other International star showcased on the show, the Oprah of China, regarding when they would come visit China met with a long convoluted response which had little to do with the question itself. I wonder if Abhishek cringes internally every time his beautiful wife speaks. She appears to be very fake and very calculative with her responses - it's almost as if she does not answer the question straight from the heart - it's more like what does my audience want/expect to hear and how can I exceed those expectations... I think I like her a lot more when she keeps her mouth shut.

Overall though I thought the interview went well and they were able to represent India adequately - at least I, as an Indian, did not want to crawl into a hole as I've been want to do whenever I've watched Aishwarya on international TV (60 minutes, The David Letterman show anyone?) and for that I have to give kudos to Abhishek Bachchan. On behalf of avid celebrity watchers everywhere, I demand that the lady never be interviewed by herself anymore - gimme more of AB's baby on all her appearances.

Ode to Twilight

One of my co-workers is reading the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer and conversations with her remind me of my introduction to them. I have to credit my very good friend at work with first introducing me to Twilight - she was so insistent that I read it and, since I was #107 in the queue for it at the library, managed to get a copy for me from her sister.

First off, I was not too sure if I would like it as much as my friend did, but I decided to give it a read anyway - to make a long story short, I got it on a Friday, finished reading it that Saturday, got on Amazon and ordered the next 3 books in the series immediately - New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn (in my hurry I ended up ordering the Spanish version of the third book Eclipse and was so disappointed that I had to wait some more to get a version I could actually read and comprehend).

Twilight and the related books are all about the intense love story between human Bella Swan and vampire Edward Cullen. There are other pivotal characters in the book like the werewolf Jacob who pines for Bella, Edward's vampire family with Carlisle and Esme Cullen at the helm and his 'siblings' and her father, Police Chief, Charlie Swan. The story draws you in with a first person narrative and progresses rapidly and the intensity is breath-taking - you cannot put down the book and want the next one and the next - you get my drift. I am glad that I was introduced to it this late in 2008 because I cannot imagine waiting for a few months to read the next sequel. Now I do want to point out that her writing style is not great - on any given page, the staple words you will find are 'grin', 'chuckle', and 'sigh' but as you move from book to book, you do get, dare I say it, a little bit obsessed with it (I admit it - for a few weeks I only had Twilight on my mind and youtubed every interview with Robert Pattinson and gang).

The movie version catapulted its stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson to overnight global fame and beat out James Bond in the opening weekend. The sequel to it is eagerly awaited this November. This book has spawned many obsessions (Twilight moms anyone?, warring teams of 'Team Edward' and 'Team Jacob' and stampedes everywhere the cast for the movie visited).

Every now and then, I will re-read a book in the series and am amazed at how it will still draw me in into this world of true but forbidden love and vampires. It doesn't matter what your age, but if you are a woman/girl and even if you don't really love to read, I highly recommend this book series. For the guys, not so much unless you are man enough to admit to liking "chick lit" - that you will go watch the movie when it releases for your wife is good enough :)

My big fat Greek tv marathon

It took me the better part of 3 weekends but am finally caught up with Season 3 of the ABC Family tv show Greek. Never having been a part of undergrad college life in the US, I was not exposed to the 'Greek' way of fraternities and sororities etc. So one weekend when I was sleeping at all odd hours due to jetlag, out of sheer curiosity, I decided to start watching Greek on Hulu.

I didn't think that I would be too engrossed in this show since, well, let's face it, I'm not exactly the demographic for this series (ABC family - teens and their hapless parents maybe?) but I was pleasantly surprised. The show follows the lives of the 4 main protagonists - college students Casey Cartwright (played by Spencer Grammer and yes if you recognize her last name, she is the daughter of Frasier's Kelsey Grammer and looks a lot like him too), her geeky brother Rusty Cartwright, Evan Chambers (played by the handsome Jake McDorman) and "Cappie" (played by the adorable Scott Michael Foster; Cappie also has the best lines on the show) - as they balance student life and academics with their respective sororities and fraternities. The show is thoroughly entertaining, the dynamics between the characters are believable (what with Casey being so embarrassed about him, that she has never mentioned her younger brother Rusty, or the relationship between BFFs Casey and Ashleigh - they're always there for each other - minor tiffs notwithstanding), the chemistry between the leads (the triangle between Casey, Cappie and Evan) is palpable and all in all enjoyable fare. The supporting characters also do a fabulous job - my current favourites are Dale - who can help loving him and Ashleigh. As we follow the characters through the various rituals such as hazing, friendly competitions between fellow Greek houses, first loves and heartbreaks, one can't help but get a little involved.

This show took me back to my college days when events that seem so silly/trivial 10 years later took precedence over our lives back then - at the same time, college was also where we experienced the first taste of relative independence after 12 years of school and got to meet and interact with people from vastly different backgrounds. It's a story about growing up, making mistakes and finding your own way through this big, crazy maze called life. So, my recommendation - if you have some time to spare and want to watch a show that has dollops of good humour and the potential to take you down memory lane, do watch it!!

Another teen movie...Not

Back from a great vacation/work trip, no longer fighting jet lag and with nothing interesting to watch on TV, I sat cross-legged on my couch to browse through my list of Instant Netflix movies to select one worth the next 2 hours of my time. I stopped at 10 Things I Hate About You - I had watched this flick a long long time ago and now with the introduction of a new series on TV based on this movie, I decided to give it a second watch. And I'm glad I did :)

The movie essentially starts with the entrance of new student Cameron (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who I've loved since his '3rd Rock from the Sun' days) to the same school attended by sisters Kat and Bianca Stratford (played by Julia Stiles and Larisa Oleynik). As he is being given the tour of the school by AV nerd Michael (the curly-haired guy from Numbers) he notices Bianca Stratford. Cameron is smitten - it's love at first sight. However he soon finds out from Michael that Bianca is not allowed to date. Kat is shown to be sort of a hard-ass, no-nonsense girl who is not interested in boys or the prom or other trivial things. When Bianca protests to being the only girl in school that doesn't date, her dad stipulates that she can date only when her sister does. At this point, Shakespeare readers realize that this movie is a modern-day take on 'The Taming of the Shrew'. Cameron is now faced with the task of finding a guy who can take on the older Ms. Stratford. Enter Heath Ledger, playing Patrick Verona who takes on the Herculean task of asking Kat out on a date. He is persuaded to do so by way of a bet with the quintessential baddie (every romantic movie worth its salt has to have a villain in the mix), which also sets it up for a giant misunderstanding in the end before all things end well.

The dialogues are witty. The roles are essayed pretty well. Julia Stiles is perfect for the part - it's her eyes and mouth that give her the naturally snooty look. For instance, I could never imagine her in a soft, lovey-dovey romance movie, 'The Prince & Me' notwithstanding. Refreshing to see Heath Ledger in a sunny happy-go-lucky role. This movie reminded me a lot about 'Clueless' - another classic redone for modern times, but then that is another review :)

Some of the highlights of this movie:

# Alison Janey in a crazy cameo as the guidance counselor who also doubles up as a porn writer.

# Heath Ledger singing "Can't Take my Eyes off you"

# Michael to Cameron, while talking about Bianca (sarcastically): She's deep for sure.
Bianca overheard in conversation with friend (who, incidentally, is played by Gabrielle Union): Yeah but there is a difference between like and love - because I like my Sketchers but I love my Prada backpack
Her friend: But I love my Sketchers
Bianca: That's because you don't have a Prada backpack.
Friend: Oh...

# Ms. Perky to Bianca: People perceive you as somewhat...
Kat: Tempestuous?
Ms. Perky: "Heinous Bitch" is the term used most often.

#Patrick: Was that a yes?
Kat: No
Patrick: Well then, was that a No?
Kat: No

#Kat to Bianca: Bianca, wait!
Bianca: Please do not address me in public!

#Patrick to Cameron: Secondly, don't let anyone make you feel like you don't deserve what you want.

Blast from the Past

Tonight's So You Think You Can Dance featured a few dances from the past few seasons. But first, there was a group number with mirrors choreographed by Ms. Michaels - the woman is a genius. I wish she was more likable but eh! life goes on. It was awesome to see Hawk and Jamie do the Wade Robson hummingbird and flower routine - they were great. A few minutes before that, the bottom 2 girls were revealed which was quite a shock - it was Jeanette and Kayla... either way, SYTYCD loses a really good dancer. The bottom 2 guys were also quite a shock to me - can't believe that Evan was not among them. Brandon and Jason were revealed to be in the bottom 2. Evan looked shocked too.

Heidi and Travis came on next with the bench routine by Mia again - they were just fabulous. Travis has a few mean tattoos on his arms now... the kid has grown up. I get wanting a tattoo or 2 but to do a Megan or a Travis and have them down over your entire arm - No! The bottom 4 folks danced their individual solos although since America had actually already voted, it wouldn't have made a difference. Brandon's solo was mind-blowing. The next group dance was Wade Robson's Emmy winning routine and to add a twist to it, he joined his dancers - he is GOOOOOOOOODDDDDD!! I can see what Michael Jackson saw in him all those years ago and brought him to LA.

We then saw the present Mrs. Cruise have a little tete-a-tete with Cat Deeley - she looks incredibly toned and fit. I don't like men or women to have very bulky arms - she had just the right amount of muscles. It was fun to see her dance with some of the guys from previous seasons. Didn't see Mr. Cruise in the audience. She was decent - didn't blow me away though. Judy Garland's son watched Katie's routine originally performed by his mum.

Then the bottom two had to go home :( The show bid adieu to Jeanette (shows that American does not always get it right!! It was a shocker for the judges too) and Jason - sad but I never saw Jason winning it all (then again, based on my prediction from yesterday what do I know?). I do hope their careers go places after this because they truly are excellent.

Blog's going to be on a mini-hiatus for a while with my vacation etc. etc. I do hope to blog off and on so we'll see.

So you think you can Ellen?

Surprise Surprise - 2 blogs in one day (like it or not :P) - I clearly have too much time on my hands and watch too much tv!!

Tonight saw Ellen as the celebrity guest judge on So you think you can dance so naturally I had to blog since I love both shows - so it was a nice treat to see Ellen on my favourite reality tv show after American Idol. But before I forget, tomorrow's show sees the return of past contestants and dance numbers that took us by storm. It will be awesome to see what past contenders have been up to.

The show opened with a number by past contestant Travis - it was a back to the future kind of a number with all dancers - am not sure what to make of it - I'm still deciding if I liked it or not.

So, without much ado, let's look at the partnerships of the night:
Evan & Jeanette - Sonia strikes again - this choreographer is just brilliant. She gave them an awesome jazz number. For the second number, they had the rumba (I think - my DVR was acting up this evening - probably the overload - poor thing!!) - super hot. Jeanette was not my favourite contestant when the show began but I must say that she can do anything she is asked to - she's growing on me. Evan is good but he doesn't have the 'It' factor.
Brandon picked Jeanine - They had a waltz by Hunter Johnson. Not the smoothest lift I've seen on the show - its like his hand got stuck at her butt among the ten thousand folds of her dress - but all in all, as waltzes go, it was a dreamy, magical dance though the judges didn't quite like it. They redeemed themselves with their second routine - pop jazz. They were goooooood.
Melissa and Ade - Can they recreate the magic of past episodes? Suffice it to say, they did!! The cha-cha was a little slow but super sexy. Mia was not too complimentary to Ade. Actually, I think the judges are a little more harsh on the contestants since it is the top 8 now. Their second number was emotional - the judges were visibly moved. Tyce is good - can't believe he is the same choreographer that thought up the first Broadway routine that Jason and Kayla did.
Jason and Kayla - Broadway - liked the theme - I liked this pair - couldn't take my eyes off them - Fabulous!! Their second routine was a Shane Sparks hip-hop routine. I personally think that the night belonged to this couple.

Solos: Liked Jason, Kayla is getting repetitive (though the judges love love love her), Ade was repetitive too, Jeanette is still awesome, Melissa's solo was not fiery for me, Evan - cute and goofy but was it enough to keep him in, not sure, Jeanine's solo will keep her in and Brandon - superb technically but he is the guy I keep forgetting - not sure if that is the general reaction to him.

Loved Ellen on the panel - she kept the entertainment quotient up :) Host Cat Deeley looked great in gold. Mary Murphy, when she is not screeching, actually makes sense - how I wish she did not yell all the time! Mia was her bitchy self most of the time, Nigel was um.. same old same old.

My picks to leave tomorrow - sadly, I think its Evan and among the gals I think it might be Melissa and not because they don't dance well but because someone just has to go.

Thank you for the music...

If you love the music of ABBA you will enjoy Mamma Mia! I grew up listening to ABBA and remember the times when my uncle in Mangalore would pull out his old gramophone records (these was the early 80s people!) and put on some English music for us. It was a big event - he would pull out the gramophone player from under his bed (us kids were not allowed to touch it) and browse through his collection of gramophone records and the anticipation would build while we decided what music to play - the staples were ABBA, Boney M and other awesome 70s music. Now and then I will hear a song which I recognize from my summers in Managalore all those years ago :)

So coming back to the movie - its about a young girl, played by Amanda Seyfried, about to be married, who doesn't know who her father is - there are 3 suspects (Pierce Brosnan - still as hot as ever, Colin Firth - who may be losing his hotness a little bit and Stellan Skarsgard - for me, he's one of those guys you've seen in movies and know his face but not his name - now, thanks to this blog I researched it) and since she doesn't know who it is, she invites all 3 to her wedding. Meryl Streep plays her free-spirited mom - and I must admit, it was kind of strange to see Meryl Streep frolicking on the beach and uncharacteristically (for her at least) singing ABBA songs. Ditto for Pierce Brosnan (I mean, imagine James Bond singing the song SOS - not exactly a perfect fit but that's why it's called acting I suppose - though he did do a decent job with it).

The movie is an out and out musical - which is the whole point of having ABBA peppered throughout the movie (I'm not sure that I have the patience to sit through a musical these days though - so I was glad to have my packing to do while the movie played in the background). The film has a very theatrical feel to it probably since it was conceived as a Broadway play. The locales are gorgeous. Amanda Seyfried has a lovely voice. It's a decent watch if you're a fan of ABBA - if not, consider this fair warning - you will not like this movie.

With that, I am off to put on some ABBA on my ipod and hum along to "There was something in the air that night".

100% fun

This morning I caught the Bollywood flick 99 and I must say that it's a must-watch entertainer. After a long time I watched a Hindi comedy that actually has a plot. It's not like one of those so-called Hindi comedies where 10 minutes into the film you wonder why the heck you coughed up the moolah to buy that ticket.

The movie starts off with 2 bumbling small-time technology-savvy thieves (Zaramood played by Cyrus Brocha and Sachin played by Kunal Khemu) who make money by peddling illegal SIM cards. Unfortunately they steal a getaway car (which is ultimately wrecked) from one of Mumbai's shady bookies called AGM (played by Mahesh Manjrekar). They now have to work for him to pay him back for stealing and wrecking his favourite car. They are sent to Delhi to retrieve some money that a compulsive gambler (played by Boman Irani) owes AGM. This takes them to Delhi where they run into Pooja (played by Soha Ali Khan) and Sachin promptly falls for her. The rest of the story is how they manage to get AGM's money back and how Boman's character tries to make arrangements for money that he owes several characters besides AGM while at the same time balancing a wife (played by the lovely Simone Singh) who is super mad at him and his gambling tendencies.

This movie sees the return of several actors who I have not seen in a while. Saw Sudesh Berry (I had a giant crush on him when Kashish was on TV) in a blink and you'll miss it role but I guess I didn't blink :). Vinod Khanna makes a guest appearance in the movie as well. And watching Cyrus was just a treat. While this is not a rip-roaring comedy, it has its moments. I was entertained throughout and was quite engrossed in all the situations the main protagonists find themselves in. Directors Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK got a lot of things right with this movie - there are no unnecessary songs in the movie, the script is always moving the movie ahead - not too many stalling moments, the dialogues are witty for the most part with apt use of the Mumbaiyya slang in true tapori fashion and the modest budget appears to be well-spent and all the characters do justice to their roles. I am hopeful to see what Kunal Khemu and Soha Ali Khan do next in their careers - I get that they will probably have to do some run-of-the-mill roles but I hope they continue to explore these "zara-hatke" roles as well.

As far as Bollywood capers go, this was a good entertainer (I mean - one of the smaller fish in the goon sea has a 6 ft-tall sidekick named Dimple - ha ha) that I would recommend - 2.5 stars.

The Boys are back!!

One of my favourite HBO shows is back - Entourage - and I'm loving it. Vinny Chase and his friends are back to make my Sunday evening blues go away. The show is about young actor Vincent Chase (played by Adrien Grenier) and his 3 best friends including his half brother Johnny aka Drama (played by Kevin Dillon), best friend E (Kevin Connolly)- also his manager and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara).

Entourage, produced by Mark Wahlberg, gives us an insight into the fickle world of Hollywood. In essence it's all about the ups and downs in movie star Vincent Chase's career and consequently that of his friends with whom he has the strongest of bonds. I love the show because each of the main characters essay their roles very well. Casting is excellent. I love love love Jeremy Piven's Ari Gold, the ultra-wily Hollywood agent and his sidekick Lloyd (played by Rex Lee). It's as close a look at Hollywood as us commoners will ever get. The power plays and politics are portrayed well. More than that, it's about this awesome friendship these laidback guys share with each other and Vinny's agent Ari set against the glamour and glitz of Hollywood.

The season premiere saw Vincent Chase finally getting his driver's license and a spot on Leno, Lloyd sticking up for himself and demanding a promotion from Ari and the boys (up until now, they've always lived together making their abode more like a "frat house" in the words of Sloane, E's sometimes on-sometimes off gal pal) actually contemplating their own ways as far as their paths in Hollywood are concerned. Even though this may be the beginning of a new era, I look forward to what crazy situations the boys are going to get into (who can forget the episode where Drama is contemplating calf implants because his legs don't measure up to the rest of him, and Drama again who has to agree to let himself be Gary Busey's live canvas because they want to get this antique desk that Busey owns, as a gift for E) and see the new dynamics in their relationship as they make their forays into the world while still maintaining their bond with each other.

Quotable quotes from the show:
Ari to Shauna: Hey I'm still at 6% bodyfat okay
Shauna: Yeah and still like 94% full of shit

Turtle (in the tub with his real-life girlfriend who also portrays his reel-life gal, Jaime Siegler, after she pushes him underwater): "You know what, just for that I'm going to pee in the tub"

Some other quotes I found funny are probably too risque for this blog ;) So sit back, relax and enjoy the rest of the summer because the boys are back!!!!!!

The Holiday

Maybe its because I am off for a holiday of my own in 2 weeks, but when I saw the movie playing on TV, I set my DVR to record it (have I ever mentioned how much I love my DVR? It's fabulous - a TV lover like me cannot imagine life without it - never ever miss your fave programs again). Got back from a day spent running errands and made myself a hot cup of coffee and plonked myself in front of my TV and started the movie.

In a nutshell, the movie is about 2 women who've reached dead ends in their personal lives and impulsively decide to swap homes for 2 weeks - one lives in England (Iris, played by Kate Winslet) and the other in LA (Amanda, played by Cameron Diaz). Iris is unable to get over her unrequited love for a co-worker who seems to take full advantage of it. Amanda makes trailers for movies for a living and has just kicked out her boyfriend who was cheating on her. Needless to say, both women are disappointed with the men in their lives. The movie is about what happens in the following 2 weeks that the women explore new surroundings and meet new people. Iris befriends an old Hollywood screenwriter and ends up falling in love with a composer Miles who's been through some love disappointment of his own. Amanda meets Graham, Iris's brother and falls in love with him.

The main reason I love watching this movie (did I mention that this is probably the 3rd time I am watching this film?) is because it is so hopeful. The inherent message of the movie is that anything can happen - give life a chance. 2 women with seemingly unhappy lives find happy endings of their own. Some lines I absolutely love in this movie:

Arthur Abbott: Iris, in the movies we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason you are behaving like the best friend.
Iris: You're so right. You're supposed to be the leading lady of your own life, for god's sake! Arthur, I've been going to a therapist for three years, and she's never explained things to me that well. That was brilliant. Brutal, but brilliant.
(I found this line brilliant myself.)

Miles (reaching over Iris to grab something off a restaurant counter): That was accidental. Accidental boob graze. I'm sorry.
Iris: Changing subject

Miles: You with me, Simpkins?
Iris: Miles. You really are an incredibly decent man.
Miles: I know. It's always been my problem.

Kate Winslet essays her role really well as usual. Cam does a good job. Jack Black, for once, is seen in a normal role - not one that requires comic timing. So if you get a chance, do watch it!! 2 thumbs up :)

Mia Michaels is a genius

So I wasn't going to blog about today's So you think you can dance episode but this dance routine choreographed by Mia Michaels was simply fabulous and I had to comment.

This week's episode began with Melissa and Ade dancing the disco - now this is one couple that I have always liked - they've done a great job so far but today's disco left me feeling a bit blah! Not that they weren't good but they were not great! This boy can move!!

The second routine by the afore-mentioned Mia Michaels left me speechless (but thankfully not wordless because I am still writing - okay poor attempt at a joke - ha ha). The dancers did a great job portraying Addiction which was the theme of the piece. Now I am not a fan of Mia Michaels, the person (she is always so high-handed and bitchy while giving her feedback) but have always been a fan of Mia, the choreographer (viewers of the show cannot forget the routine she put together last season with Twitch and Kherington and a bed - yes you read right - a bed - you can watch it here)

The third couple, Caitlin (my nickname for her is Britney Spears because I swear she looks like the songstress with certain camera angles) and Jason were doing the fox-trot. These guys have consistently been in the bottom 3 for a few episodes now - I actually like their dancing usually. Today was no different but I am not sure that they will be safe.

Jeanine and Phillip are also doing good in this competition this far - they performed a Russian folk dance. I wasn't quite sure if they'd be able to pull it off but I was pleasantly surprised. Their costumes were cute and the dancing lively. Boo to Nigel - he gave them some not so good reviews but he agreed that it wasn't the dancers' fault but the choreography.

Randi and Evan had Tabitha and Napolean who choreographed a hip-hop routine for them. T&N are consistently good - I usually like everything they do. Once again it was good - I was not disappointed. This routine reminded me of a dance performance by Allison and Ivan (video quality is not too good but it was the only one I found)- it was hip-hop with an umbrella for a prop.

Brandon and Jeanette did the Argentine tango - Brandon didn't have much to do but provided good support - Jeanette was awesome. They got a standing ovation from the judges. Excellent footwork!!

At the end of Round 1, I must say that Kayla and Koppono with the Mia routine are at the top of my list followed by the Argentine Tango. Noone was bad but unfortunately tomorrow, 2 dancers will have to leave.

Round 2 (I am limiting this to highlights else this post is going to be really really long):
Melissa & Ade - loved loved loved the waltz.
Kayla & Kopono's Broadway - okay for me.
Caitlin & Jason - Their performance BLEW ME AWAY. They've climbed to the top of my list with this routine. Mandy Moore is someone to watch out for - she is consistently excellent in her choreography. I completely disagree with Mary Murphy - there was magic tonight.
Jeanine & Phillip - They're growing on me. Jeanine is the hubby's favourite.
Randi & Evan - Saw the return of Pasha and Anya as choreographers - the dance number itself was HOT but not Randi and Evan's forte unfortunately.
Jeanette & Brandon - a Wade Robson routine - fabulous way to end the night.

The End - Phew!!!!

The Hangover - Must watch or a pass over?

Happy 4th of July everyone - sorry for the short break but was quite busy this past weekend with not too much time for tv (I know - blasphemy!!) but the hubby and I still managed to sneak in a movie Friday night - that's right - The Hangover.

At first I thought this would be a guys' movie with not much in it for me - but I was pleasantly surprised. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and highly recommend it to both guys and gals - though of course, be prepared for some crude language and nudity!! As the title suggests, this movie is about 3 guys who have accompanied their soon-to-be married friend for a Bachelor party and wake up the next morning with a massive hangover - they have no recollection of the night before or how they wound up with a tiger in their room and a missing groom. The rest of the movie deals with them piecing back the night together. I don't want to give the movie away but these friends land in implausible situations with impossible results - downright hilarious!!

Now coming to the performances - I was never a fan of Bradley Cooper in his earlier roles on Alias and He's just not that into you (am not a fan of his weak chin - don't ask me why but I just don't find him handsome although I've heard him described as such) - that changed with this movie. I loved his role in this movie. He pulled off his 'cool as a cucumber in most situations' character really well. Another person showing tremendous potential is Andy from the TV show The Office (don't know his real name but am sure you can look it up). I love watching his character on The Office and he too did a good job here. I like Heather Graham but she doesn't have much to do in this movie. Loved the crazy Asian guy - he is NUTS!! All in all a fun watch.

I don't want to hype up this movie too much but I definitely recommend it for a summer leave your brains home comedy!!

Ah the romance!!

Pretty woman playing on TV - loved the movie and the memories it brought back. My really really good friend and I watched this when we were in the 9th Standard with her neighbour who was in college at the time.

We had an idea of what this movie was and knew it wasn't something our parents would gladly allow us to watch :) - (Can't believe I am blogging about this but..) we snuck out one summer afternoon and rented it from one of the two video shops in Chembur - watched it at my friend's place because her parents would be at work. Boy was the movie good - we were not disappointed!!! It was everything fairy tales are made of - poor girl meets rich boy; rich boy falls for her and they fall in love and a few misunderstandings later, live happily ever after. Besides the romance (which I am a big sucker for), I loved the witty dialogues, the acting, loved loved loved the 2 leads and Hector Elizondo and the outfits (who can forget JR in the gorgeous red gown ready for the opera). This movie was the movie that put Julia Roberts on the map - she had done a few good movies by then - Mystic Pizza, and Steel Magnolias to name a couple but with this movie there was no denying her "superstardom".

Truth be told, the plot of the movie may be a bit far fetched but I highly recommend this to anyone that loves a good romantic flick. And if you've already watched it, well... watch it again I say :)

Raising the Bar

Maybe it's all those Perry Mason novels I devoured as a kid, but I cannot resist a good Courtroom Drama. In the past I have loved The Practice, Law and Order SVU, Ally McBeal and Boston Legal. Looks like I may have discovered a new summer watch.

I was just channel surfing this evening and stumbled on Raising The Bar (TNT 7 & 9 pm Tuesdays). There were only 25 minutes to go when I started watching. Today's case was about a father who posted some semi-clad pictures of his little son innocently on a social networking site and was then prosecuted for child pornography because those pictures ended up on a porn website. As a result of this case, he was reduced to supervised weekly visits with his son, under indictment for child pornography which literally ruined his life and it all started with posting pictures of his son on a social networking site. Raising the Bar stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar (who many may recognize from Saved by the Bell - and boy has he come a long way) as a public defender - the do-gooder type - and he does a stellar job. It co-stars Gloria Reuben, Jane Kaczmarek (from Malcolm in the Middle) and Natalia Cigliuti. All the characters seem well etched from what little I saw and the show appears to be edgy and relevant.

I guess I've found something to do with my Monday evenings this summer. It's only 8 pm. What to watch next?

MJ is dead

I used to love his music once upon a time so I just cannot let it pass without a mention on this blog. I still can't believe that Michael Jackson is no more. I grew up listening to his songs, watching his music videos, watching him wade through numerous controversies and ultimately become a misunderstood, bankrupt recluse.

Let us set aside his flaws (and he does have many of them) and celebrate his groundbreaking career. Starting out as part of the Jackson 5, he found fame and fortune despite a controlling, sadistic father and ended up as one of the major legends of our time. Right from 'Thriller' to 'Black or White' to "We are the world" to his moonwalk - Michael was different from the run of the mill pop star. He was unique and will always be remembered for his music. That he was part of so many unfortunate controversies like his numerous surgeries on his nose and lightening of his skin, the child molestation accusations (to this day I am not sure if he was just an innocent that got manipulated for money or if he was truly guilty), his kids (who show no trace of African American in them by the way - that said, he may have been a wonderful dad to them) is...well... unfortunate. He was NUTS for sure but there was no denying his musical genius. Would his mega-comeback efforts have been successful? We will never know.

Rest in peace MJ!!

Some of his works: Beat It
Stranger in Moscow
Heal the World

It don't matter if you're black or white

Or does it? My initial title for this post was 'Racism in Hollywood' - then I thought it might be a bit too harsh... a better word for it would be "typecasting"!!

My coworker (who is Asian) pointed out, during one of our water cooler breaks, that there are no substantial roles for Asians in Hollywood unless the movie is about martial arts or the Asians are playing 'nerdy' characters (but for some reason the same cannot be said of Asian women - case in point being Lucy Liu, Michelle Yeoh, Sandra Oh - although technically she is Canadian but you get my train of thought). We then started to rack our brains to see if we could come up with Asian male stars in Hollywood that were main protagonists in non-martial arts movies and we came up with.... NO ONE (we did come up with Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee, but he died an untimely death so we will never know).

That got me thinking about Indians (or lack thereof) in Hollywood – with the exception of Kal Penn, I cannot think of any desi or American of Indian origin that has made it big in Hollywood. This, despite the fact that Ashok Amritraj is actually a bigwig Hollywood producer with movies like Raising Helen (the next door neighbour was portrayed by a desi I have to admit but the movie was not about her) and Bringing Down the House to his credit. Aishwarya Rai is trying to make inroads but with limited success this far. Hopefully movies like Slumdog Millionaire will help pave the way for us to shine in movies as well. As a direct consequence of the movie, I hear that Freida Pinto is starring in a Woody Allen flick – I send my good vibes & wishes her way and hope she is successful in establishing a strong, if petite, presence in Hollywood.

P.S. If you can think of non-martial arts movies with Asians/Indians (yes – I’ve already thought of Harold and Kumar but they are both kinda sorta nerdy and losers) in the main role please leave a note :)

The Celebrity you cannot stand...

For me, that person would be Reese Witherspoon - not that I know anything about her that is terrible or awful but I just don't like her.

She seems like a devoted mom, a very smart business woman, a very good actress but there is something about her that I just cannot stand. Maybe it's her always cheery personality in front of the cameras, but I find her very fake. I think she is one of those people that will always be "on" for the camera but can be very different off it.

On the other hand, a celebrity I think would be fun to know and hang out with is Tina Fey. Again, I know squat about her!

So what is this magnetic pull (or aversion, as the case may be) that causes us to instantly like (or dislike...) a person? You know, how sometimes you just click with a person and sometimes, come what may, you just cannot carry on even a conversation with someone?

So what about you? Any celeb you particularly do not care for or someone that you think will be fun to know? Leave a note.

Just for fun

I came across this forward recently and just loved it - so here it is...

The Man Rules
At last a guy has taken the time to write this all down - Finally , the guys' side of the story.
We always hear " the rules " from the female side. Now here are the rules from the male side.

1. Men are NOT mind readers.
( FIRST & FOREMOST RULE)

2. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

3. Sunday sports, It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.

4. Crying is blackmail.

5. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one:
Subtle hints do not work!
Strong hints do not work!
Obvious hints do not work!
Just say it!

6. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

7. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.


8. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become Null and void after 7 Days.

9. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.

10. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one

11. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

12. Whenever possible, Ppease say whatever you have to say during commercials..

13. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.

14. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not A color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have noidea what mauve is.

15. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.

16. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," We will act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.

17. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.

18. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine... Really.

19. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as Football or Hockey.

20. You have enough clothes.

21. You have too many shoes.

22. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!

23. Thank you for reading this. Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight; But did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.

Curious about The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Today, I eagerly raced to my mailbox to retrieve my latest Netflix flick - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I've been very curious about this movie and all the Oscar buzz it generated and today I got the chance to see if it lives up to its reputation and I must say that it does to an extent - a very different love story. Not sure if it was the face that it was nearing my bed time but I found it a tad long.

The movie starts in a hospital where an old woman is on her deathbed with her daughter beside her. She requests that her daughter read to her from an old diary. It turns out that the diary belongs to Benjamin Button who was abandoned the day he was born and taken in by a young black woman Queenie who works for an old people's home. Benjamin Button was born old and starts "aging" in reverse. What follows through the movie is the story of his extraordinary life.

The story starts off a little slow. Benjamin is a kid but looks like an old man and seems to blend in at the Senior home. He soon makes a friend when Daisy comes to visit her grandma who lives at the same Senior home. What follows then are a series of incidents in Benjamin's life that bring him various experiences - all the while he crosses paths with Daisy at different parts in their lives, finally meeting in the middle.

Cate Blanchett is simply luminous - there's no other word for it - and essays her part well. Brad Pitt is good in this role. There's a scene on the sailboat where, in his sunglasses, he looks heart-stoppingly gorgeous. The makeup is a true standout in this film - whether it is making Cate Blanchett look 20 something and then age progressively, or make Taraji P. Henson look realistically old (I've always wondered about Taraji's name - did her mother know an Indian woman named Tara, who was addressed with respect as 'Taraji' and thought that to be a name? - anyway, I digress...) or of course make Brad Pitt look so alarmingly old and amazingly young again.

My two cents? All in all, I would give it 3 stars - worth a watch for sure.

18 and counting...

This morning on the Today show, I watched as Meredith Vieira interviewed the oldest son of the show "18 kids and counting". To give you some background, this show , aired on TLC, follows a family (the Duggars) that has 18 kids and mom and dad. The oldest son got married last year and is now expecting his first baby with his wife.

Over the last couple of years, I have watched this family appear on the Today show and talk about their plans and their lives etc. etc. So Michelle and Jim Bob (the parents) think that children are blessings from god and there can never be too many of them. Michelle said that children are like flowers - would you say there are too many flowers? My response to her is that we do not have a responsibility to look after the flowers for 18 years but we do have that responsibility towards our children. The Duggars claim to have a well-oiled machine that has the older kids helping out the younger ones in a "buddy" system. I have seen this happen where the older kids almost lose their childhood because they are, in essence, doing the job of their parents. Michelle and Jim Bob say that they have quality time with their kids - they've got to be joking - I can't even imagine how one goes about knowing each and every one of their 18 kids.

Fawning over families like the Duggars with 18 kids is what has led to Octomom in the first place. The trend seems to be shifting towards having huge families and then hawking them to TV channels which will air each and every moment of their lives. Now that being said, I do like the occasional Jon and Kate + 8 episode on TLC because that family seems so much more real to me compared to the Duggars who seem to be programmed on auto-piliot to be cheerful and without individual personalities (and I know this because I watched one episode out of sheer curiosity and it was one too much for moi). On Jon and Kate, on the other hand, you get drama (sometimes a little more than we bargain for as is the case right now), crankiness, fun and everything that goes along with having 8 kids.

Coming back to the Duggars, it was heartening to note that Joshua and his wife only plan to have 2 or 3 kids. But for the fans of the Duggars, never fear, because by then the son or daughter #2 will be ready to carry on the family tradition and the show will go on.

The Ellen Degeneres Show

Happy weekend to everyone (and by everyone I mean the 2 people that actually read this blog - he he)!!

Now I have followed many a chat show this far but only recently discovered Ellen's show and I must say that I absolutely adore it. Thanks to this marvel of modern technology called the DVR, I am able to record the Ellen show everyday of the week and watch it with the hubby in the evenings. Now, said hubby I think actually enjoys the show but claims to be a reluctant watcher "forced" to watch it since I am watching it - but let's get back on topic.

Today's show featured Heidi Klum and Matt G from American Idol after his ouster from the show. Now as most Ellen shows go, there is dancing, humor, and quirky but honest-to-goodness fun fun fun all the way. I love her brand of humor, the way she makes guests feel at-home and is so down to earth with the audience. She also has that little sparkle in her eyes even though she's been doing this for a few years now. She invents these fun games she plays with both the celebrity guests as well as the audience. If you guys missed her commencement speech at Tulane University, here it is. She was really funny and did a wonderful job.

Alrighty then, gotta get back to Ellen - have a good day!!

Old is gold...

The other day I was online on youtube and caught some episodes of the usual saas-bahu saaga that seems to be so popular in India these days. The show started with a believable enough story but as it progressed, it got more and more unbelievable. The story moves at a snail's pace and I am, at this point, thoroughly annoyed with the main characters. That does not bode well for a series...

It makes me sad to see these shows today rampant on TV when I have grown up with shows like Nukkad, Intezaar, Karamchand, etc. which were truly lovely little gems... Some of my favourites were Honee Anhonee, Karamchand, Air Hostess, Mr. Yogi, Kacchi Dhoop, Indradhanush, Trishna, Isi Bahane, Kashish, Rishtey to name a few. They each actually had a story, a plot that moved along with each episode which we eagerly waited for and were all unique in their own way.

I am sad about what I perceive to be a regression in television - if we could produce these gems in the 80s and 90s why are we having such a tough time today? Hopefully the 2000s are just a small detour before we get back on track.

So you think you can dance is back!!!!!!!!

One of my summer faves - So you think you can dance (Wed 8 pm on Fox)- is back - yay!!!! Maybe its because I have two left feet but I am always fascinated by the dances on this show. Dancing with the stars pales in comparison. I can't wait to see who stands out this season - Loved Katie and Joshua from the previous season and Allison and Ivan from the season before that, Travis and Benji, Heidi and Benji's sister (her name escapes me right now!!) and Hawk. Oh and as a proud desi I must mention that Bollywood found a place in this show last season and it turns out that we have a Bollywood number being performed tonight!!!!!

Some of my personal highlights of tonight's show are listed below:
1. The opening number - a hip-hop routine performed by Janine and Phillip - simply awesome considering Janine is a ballet dancer and she matched Phillip step for step.
2. The cha-cha was also good - but the hip-hop routine is still my #1 at this stage... Adam Shankman is doing a great job judging
3. The Jazz piece was excellent... a joy to watch. Kat Deely looks super tall by the way - especially standing next to these 2. (On a side note, I do get annoyed with the funny faces some contestents make when they ask for votes but I guess one cannot be too serious on TV)
4. Okay - so if I thought the first hip-hop routine was good, this second one simply blew me away. My critique by the way has nothing to do with the guy Tony being, as Adam said, 'the cute guy on the show'. Boooooooo Mary and Nigel!! Bollywood up next...
5. Of course they pick 'Jai Ho' for the Bollywood number which is technically not a song from a Bollywood movie - but who cares right? Not sure that it lends itself to a dance routine though... that said the pair performing it did a good job - they got good reviews from the judges. Jai ho!! On a side note, not sure why they keep referring to choreographer Nakul as Nicole :) Another side note (I know that we're having too many side notes - I never claimed to be a good writer) - no desis (or people of desi origin) in this competition :( Guess we don't have any time left over from the Spelling B...
6. My favourite choreographer Wade Robson is here - yay!! He does completely DIFFERENT things and very well I might add. Once again he does not disappoint - quirky and kinda nice. I like this routine. 2 thumbs up!!
7. There's something so enchanting about a contemporary dance routine - simply loved it!!
8. The samba was hot - I wish they had better music though - but a great way to end the show!!

Until next time...

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl

As I do most evenings, when I have nothing to do, I plop myself on the couch and turn on my much-beloved TV. Today as I was channel surfing, I came across this lovely little gem of a movie called Kit Kittredge: An American Girl. So here's my first movie review :)

It's set in Depression-era Cincinnati. Kit is a young girl whose main ambition in life is to be a reporter. As the story evolves we realize that all is not as it seems. This seemingly well-to-do family is coming up on hard times as the young girl sees her dad in the local soup kitchen. As things progress we are introduced to two "hobo" kids who end up working for the family in exchange for food. Kit and her mother end up turning their home into a boarding house to earn some money and keep the household afloat while her father goes to Chicago to look for a job. One of the two hobo kids is accused of being a robber and Kit and her friends set out to prove his innocence. The interesting melange of characters that occupy the boarding house provide interesting sub-plots but at the heart of the story is humanity, compassion and dignity. Throughout the movie we see human beings trying to hold on to their last shred of dignity as they become homeless, are forced to live in boarding houses, accept handouts and come to terms with their new situation in life. Simple kind acts can change lives.

All the kids in the movie act well. The plot is believable (well okay - kinda sorta) and all in all the movie provides good entertainment. I recommend it worth a watch!! Hope you have fun.