With April, serious fun begins!

April is only a day away! Woohooo! Technically the summer period of movie blockbusters will not begin yet for that honour falls to the month of May. But April, especially the end of April, carries with it its own grand set of movies that usher in the summer euphoria a little earlier. And who is complaining? I for sure ain't. There are quite a few interesting movies releasing this April, some of which could turn out to be surprise packages and win either critical acclaim or commercial success or the sought-after combination, both. These five movies are most likely to make heads turn this April, though it is the top three in this list that I'm really interested in. 

5) Pain & Gain: What should I say? This movie could really surprise people thanks to a cast featuring Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson (gosh, how many movies can The Rock do at a time!?) or it could really bomb with Michael Bay at the helm of things and no robots this time around to save his film. This movie is allegedly an action/comedy/drama/thriller so maybe at least one segment could hit the right notes.

4) Evil Dead: A lot of positive buzz has been afloat for this remake/reboot of the 1981 horror flick that launched Sam Raimi as a director worth taking note of. While I'm not particularly a fan of 'remakes' where the new creators pay no homage to the originals and aim to leech their goodwill, this one could be different with Sam Raimi himself on the producer's seat. If all goes well, this could relaunch the demonic series again. 

3) 42: From hereon it gets exciting! A biopic sports movie, 42 is the tale of baseball star Jackie Robinson and the barriers of society which the African-American player had to break to launch his ultimately successful career. Reminiscent of Remember the Titans, if 42 turns out to be as classy as its trailer and does not fall short in giving the goosebumps, it could well turn out to be the long overdue sports drama film I've been looking forward to. And if nothing else, the presence of Harrison Ford should do enough to cheer you up!

2) Oblivion: For all his good looks and charm that people talk of, Tom Cruise has seemed more at ease to me in sci-fi films, at least in the past decade. With a rather forgetful 2012 (and a mixed bag prior to that too), Oblivion should thus help rebuild Cruise's reputation, at least to those who feel it has been damaged. Aided by the ever reliable Morgan Freeman, the initial trailers of Oblivion have been eye-catching both in terms of the landscapes being explored (a deserted Earth) and the hint of a mysterious plot beneath Cruise's assigned mission that he must uncover. The film seems to have the traits to pull off an interesting sci-fi flick and well, I hope it does exactly that!

1) Iron Man 3: There are no words to describe the kind of excitement that is surrounding the release of Iron Man 3, the first film post-Avengers. The movie is in fact slated for a first week May 2013 release in USA making it the first summer blockbuster. But internationally the film is being given an Imax release earlier, in the last week of April in most places. And in fact the movie is having its first release as early as April 18 in New Zealand. So the reviews and the comments are bound to start flowing in from April itself, making it for practical purposes an April release. I have no doubts about the splendour, the drama, the style and the intensity which this movie would carry, no doubts itself! And if the trailer, of which I previously raved about, does not give you any indication about what the movie has to offer, you are bound to be eventually swept away in the hysteria that should result as the release dates come nearer. This could very well turn out to be the biggest Hollywood film of the year. Buckle up, we are getting close!

Interstellar, a name to remember

Interstellar is a name that will start getting googled quite a lot in a few months down the line. Not because there will be a sudden emergence of a deep interest in science and the cosmos. But quite simply because this is going to be the next movie of star-director Christopher Nolan, scheduled currently for a November 2014 release. While Quentin Tarantino charms with the uniqueness of his characters and their dialogues, Steven Spielberg blends majestic stories into a simplistic tale with ease, James Cameron dwells into the grandiose and spectacular, Christopher Nolan entertains with the complexities of his stories that intertwine with splendid grace and meticulousness. Nolan to many would be the creator of The Dark Knight trilogy and hence a genius of a director. Nolan to me is the creator of Memento, The Prestige and Inception and hence an astute writer along with being a gifted director. And behind most of the masterpieces brought to the big screen by Christopher Nolan, lies also the hand of his brother and fellow collaborator Jonathan Nolan, another gifted writer. This collaboration is very much present for Interstellar and that is a big reason to be all excited about this movie. The Imdb page on Interstellar gives this very short brief at present: 

An exploration of physicist Kip Thorne's theories of gravity fields, wormholes and several hypotheses that Albert Einstein was never able to prove.

This is a big chapter in science to weave a story from, where facts and fantasies are separated by thin lines, and one can be easily confused for the other. Enough fodder for the Nolan brothers. 

Another sub-plot to the build up towards Interstellar is the latest news about the lead role being offered to... wait for it.. wait for it... Mathew McConaughey! It's an interesting casting choice, one I would really love to see on the big screen. Mathew McConaughey has a very charming presence in most of his movies, but has played, in my opinion, very safe roles. Usually the romantic in Wedding Planner, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Ghosts of the Girlfriends Past and Failure to Launch, at times the adventurer in Sahara (this one I really enjoyed) and Fool's Gold, and sometimes the odd gritty role as a lawyer in A Time to Kill and The Lincoln Lawyer. A few more interesting roles have been attempted, such as the football coach in We Are Marshall, but they all have looked comfortable enough for McConaughey, an actor I feel is more talented than he usually displays. But maybe things are changing, maybe McConaughey realizes the need to branch out too. Lately he's ventured into more serious films, drama and thrillers, starring in Killer Joe, The Paperboy and Mud, which have really not set the box-office alight and probably faded him from public memory for sometime, but they might become the foundation for bigger things to come. And that could start from this year itself, as he stars in Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street, which is expected to be a financial thriller. That one should get people talking about McConaughey again. And if he does finalise on playing the lead role for Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, one would really have to learn to pronounce his surname better. For 'Matthew McConaughey' would be coming up in quite a few discussions henceforth! 

G.I. Joe: Retaliation: Fight, breathe, fight fight!

As a youngster, especially if you are a lad, you would probably have had at least one G.I. Joe action figure. Something given as a gift to you, or maybe something you screamed for at the toy shop. I had been gifted a female action figure that came along with a toy boat, and now when I racked my brains to remember more about her, I am pretty sure I had been given one from the Cobra Command line. The Baroness. I cannot blame my parents for picking up a villain, probably that would have been the last figure available at the toy store. But coming back to the point I was making, G.I. Joe action figures have been around since the 1960's and any mention about them are likely to evoke some childhood memories, which in my case are my memories of Baroness (in a completely child-like unadulterated way!). 

G.I. Joe: Retaliation does not bother with reigniting any of your childhood memories nor does it offer you the space for any sentiments. It is an out and out action packed, bullets whizzing, swords clanging, fists smashing, film. And if you get tired of that then you have some nuclear threats, possibility of Cobra domination and then more of the action repeated all over again. G.I. Joe: Retaliation, which is the sequel to the 2009 movie G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra, takes off from where the previous movie ended. The White House has been infiltrated by Cobra, with Zartan impersonating the President. The Cobra Commander is however locked up in a secret place which Zartan is seeking. The Joes on the other hand have been framed for stealing nuclear warheads and are on the run while also looking for revenge. Quite straightforward, right? Well, the movie never sold itself as something that would make you wonder about the path that humanity is moving on or trigger a debate on the importance of nuclear disarmament. In fact the manner that the world is about to be blown to bits and prices through nukes triggered by single button clicks is so rudimentary that it borders on being comical. And that is why, the action saves the day!

Oh boy, from start to finish, the film is loaded with action sequences. First the Joes are in North Korea (an obsession for America's writers), then in Pakistan, then their base is infiltrated, then a fight scene at the Cobra Commander's prison, and many more, right up till the very end. You get a few dialogues to breathe and sip your Pepsi before they are back at it again. The action sequences have been well directed, with the camera angles changing rapidly which adds to the intensity of the scenes. But the pick of the fights as was the case with the first film, is the clash between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. In the times of guns and bombs, it is still the clash of swords that truly entertains. And the director Jon Chu seems to have agreed with me, for this particular fight sequence has been shot in quite a grandiose manner. It begins with the friends turned nemeses battling it out indoors, using all the tools at their disposal to get the better off each other. Once things are taken outside, snow laden mountains cover the backdrop as Snake Eyes with a new apprentice swings hither and tither as ninjas swing after him. Swords clash in the silence of the high altitudes, with only the skies above and the deep valley below. It is a fight scene worthy of being termed poetic and probably the highlight of the movie. 

If you were to keep the fighting aside, G.I. Joe: Retaliation is a Dwayne Johnson movie. Johnson aka The Rock has climbed up in Hollywood with sheer hardwork and despite his bulk, he has an affable charm to him which is again on display in this film. His chemistry with Channing Tatum in the early parts especially give a solid build-up to the film. And he definitely has the persona about him to fit the role of a G.I. Joe, in this case Roadblock. The movie has some of the old cast back, but Joseph Gordon-Levitt does not reprise his role, probably becoming a bit bigger for such a flick post G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra. There is no Dennis Quaid as General Hawk, no Sienna Miller as Baroness, no Marlan Wayans as Ripcord. Bruce Willis enters the fray though, adding a bit more glamour on screen, but his screen time as well as the importance of his role is very subdued, making you really wonder if he is even bothered to read the scripts he picks. G.I. Joe: Retaliation holds better than its previous film though when it comes to the dialogues, with some light humour mixed up in right proportions. 

The disappointment with the movie is rather self-inflicted. You probably are going to enter the theatre expecting an entertaining action film, and in that sense G.I. Joe: Retaliation delivers to quite an extent. But when the movie kicks off, building with a nice pace, mixing the action along with lighter scenes such as the one at Dwayne Johnson's home where he is playing video games with Channing Tatum, you might notch up your expectation. You might seek some character building, some more emotionally intense scenes, some soul-searching within the characters, things like that. And so when none of this happens, a sense of disappointment will hit you. For if the action had been cut in places to spend some more time with the characters and to understand them better, G.I. Joe: Retaliation could have been more than just a popcorn film. It fails on that aspects. Oh, and it does have probably one of the worst villains I have seen who is trying to take over the world, the Cobra Commander who tries a Vader-like attempt, speaking behind the mask and wearing black, but all he seems capable of taking over is the grocery shop next to my house and that too if he offers a fair price. So there it is, the last movie of March. A fun movie, watch it and enjoy, then come back and wait to see Channing Tatum in White House Down, Dwayne Johnson in Fast & Furious 6 and Bruce Willis in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. 

PS: Snake Eyes is played by Ray Park who has also portrayed Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Found it interesting that the same guy has played two pretty cool characters. 

An ode to Tarantino!

On March 27 of this year, Quentin Tarantino celebrated his 50th birthday. I, like most of you, have been fascinated by Tarantino's body of work, a compelling story-teller that he is. Tarantino has his own brand of narrating a plot by creating the coolest of characters who appeal to you not by the guns they wield or the dark suits they wear (though those help too!) but by the strength of their dialogues and the depth of the plot in which they are placed. His style of bringing things to life is unique, something which many directors in the future would aspire to achieve, though I doubt how many would actually be able to bring forth the universes he does with the quality of the characters that he creates and mix those two up with the most amazing of background scores that result in movies which deserve the most superlative of eulogies. What more can you say about a man whose first feature film was as stylish and mesmerizing as Reservoir Dogs? I am indeed not surprised that Tarantino's two Oscars have been not for Best Direction but infact for Best Screenplay (written directly for the Screen). 

21 years in the business of direction, 8 full-length feature films directed. Tarantino does take his time to wring out those classics. Which is his best work yet or which is the coolest character he has brought to life; these are the kind of questions that are debated for nights with no definitive answer. That is probably the most definitive stamp of greatness. So here's looking back at some of the great works of an extraordinary writer and director. And here's to 50 more years of Quentin Tarantino!

"You shoot me in a dream, you better wake up and apologize"

"And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy My brothers. And you will know My name is the Lord when I lay My vengeance upon thee."

"I am calling you a killer. A natural born killer. You always have been, and you always will be."

"So, gentlemen, let's discuss the prospect of ending the war tonight."

"D-J-A-N-G-O. The D is silent!" 

Amen!

The Claws are out!

"Eternity can be a curse!" That's how it starts! Yay! It's here, it's here... calm, calm! Phew, well before I get excited all over again, I should let you know that the first trailer of The Wolverine has been launched today. If anyone was wondering whether Hugh Jackman as Wolverine still can hold the charm and the persona the way he did in the X-Men series, you bet he can! The trailer starts off with a very ragged looking Logan appearing quite aimless and the background narrative indicating the burden that immortality can hold. A little into the trailer, and out goes the homeless looking man and in steps the suited and hulked up mutant with all his claws intact. And then of course as the trailer picks up tempo, the claws are very much out looking to slash all that comes in their way. This particular movie of course has been built up for the clash between the samurai steel and admantium claws, and boy would that be fun to watch on a bigger screen! And there should be cameos, some flashbacks, maybe hints to future story plots. Lot going on in the X-Men world, keep them coming...

And another of the summer season movies had a trailer release today, White House Down. Right on the heels of Olympus Has Fallen which has quite a similar story. But White House Down is being directed by none other than Roland Emmerich, and if someone knows how to blow up things beyond proportions so that they make the teenage guys and gals (and me!) exclaim with admiration in the theatre halls, it is this director of Independence Day, Godzilla, Day After Tomorrow and 2012. The trailer makes no little effort at displaying this and with Chaning Tatum having the good luck charm sitting quite solidly on his shoulders lately, maybe the White House will not go down after all. Look that one up on Youtube, for this post is for Wolvie alone!

Angry as a Wolverine

Grrr... some people proclaiming that Olympus Has Fallen is a good enough watch. I find that annoying, very annoying! Not that I have anything against the movie. The problem is, I did not watch it. I have ended up watching quite a few average and below-average movies hoping they would turn out to be entertaining popcorn-films only to feel cheated, and now this one movie which I was sure would be just a random shoot-the-bad-guy film with a cheesy line here and there, is being termed as worthy of a watch!? C'mon, have I lost my all-knowing eye that could dig deep into a trailer and pick out where the film was headed to? Apparently so! Hey, GI Joe sequel up next. Grrrr... so that too would be a rather lame duck now, right!? Because I am watching it. And if I don't, then presto it would be at least a 'one-time' watch. Aarggh! Someone is in a foul mood today. Oh yeah, it's me! 

But something to cheer me up. Or if not that then at least something that might teach me how to channelise my anger in such a manner that adamantium claws rip through the gaps between my fingers. You would have understood by now the thing I am talking of, the genius that you are. Wolverine. The movie, Wolverine. Also the mutant Wolverine. The guy who is probably angry enough to take on even the Hulk. Unlike the Hulk though, he does not even try to curb his anger. I like the angry Wolverine. He is so... so... angry and raged up. That is what this little teaser tweeted by director James Mangold displays too. Lot of the angry chiseled Wolverine in a very brief clip, but his claws are there, and one small scene has the claws slashing against the samurai sword. And if you blink, you might miss it, but there is a moment with Jean Grey too which looks to me more like an older memory that Wolverine might have recalled, considering that the storyline of this movie is to be after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand. The trailer is to debut on March 27, so that is not very far away. And if for a couple of days, I can keep a check on my anger, I am bound to reach there all hale and hearty. Then let rip the adamantium, I say!

https://vine.co/v/bDExaiMjJ1F -- go to this link!

A look back...

One more weekend of March remains and yet eyes are already set for the month of April. But before one were to smack their lips in delight over the prizes that await as the summer period beckons, I took a step back to recount what Hollywood had given me so far this year. With nine movies seen in this period, it has not been a very busy opening time of the year for me. And even those have been quite a mixed bag. There have been enough talented actors on display so far and while some made their movies work, others would be wishing that they had opted for a vacation in the Caribbeans instead. Right on top of that list would be Jeremy Renner who would still be wondering whether he was suffering from a severe hangover when he agreed to play any sort of a role in Hansen & Gretel: Witch Hunters. Arnold Schwarzenegger on the other hand would be questioning his star power itself, when his return back to Hollywood in a rather action-packed Arnie-suited movie The Last Stand failed to cause any stir at the box office despite receiving good reviews. It was a poor day for action stars more or less as Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham solo movies turned out duds. I had the misfortune of believing that Bruce Willis would not let his Die Hard series get tarnished in any way but that was not the case with A Good Day to Die Hard turning out to be an action movie unbecoming of this franchise. The franchise though still thrives on the magic of the old movies and A Good Day to Die Hard earned decently well enough in the foreign markets to give you a sad feeling that we have not seen the last of McClane. 

And fables to movies was a theme common in this short span with Bryan Singer's Jack the Giant Slayer expected to build on the age-old story and use the high production budget well. All it did was provide mild entertainment which failed to live upto the promises made and no wonder has been one of the biggest failing in the box-office so far. But when it did seem a bit like doomsday with dejection being the common theme running across most films, Oz the Great and Powerful provided that beacon which made me believe once again in the power of movies. Magical, well-crafted, neatly acted, strong script writing, paying homage to the old movie, and visually appealing, everything was well packed in this Sam Raimi's flick which has been the highlight of 2013 so far! Showcasing the harsh reality as against the magical backdrop of the land of Oz, was the gritty Zero Dark Thirty which had a wide release in January and seemed worthy of its Oscar nomination right from the beginning to the end. In the same month, came the equally gritty Gangster Squad carrying a lot of acting strength and fearless performances that made the gangster story enjoyable. Filled with acting prowess was also Hitchcock though it could have been so much more if the story had been sharper. Little can be said though of Broken City which too carried big acting names and yet failed to evoke any emotion apart from exasperation. 

So there have been moments of thrill and joy, along with moments of annoyance and exasperation, both sets probably sharing equal space in my movie-viewing life so far this year. The priceless moment of sheer ecstasy is still missing though, and maybe it is just there, around the corner, waiting for me to take the turn. Here I come... 

Slow slow slowwwww

Things are pretty sluggish in the Hollywood land, as March inches to a close and grand April to come soon. Then there will be May and June and July and time for the blockbusters to unleash themselves on mankind! Snippets from these blockbusters have started emerging consistently now, notifying our race that things are just getting warmed up. New trailers for Despicable Me 2 and Star Trek Into Darkness have exploded on screen recently. Day in and day out there is always some news on one of the Avengers. Photos from Pacific Rim are becoming larger and larger. And today Riddick, Vin Diesel's third foray in this sci-fi adventure, has showcased a roughly 20-second footage to set things running. The teaser is impressive enough to make you wait for the complete trailer and while I've not seen the previous movies in this series, the initial teaser has gotten me interested enough. So as things rumble at their own pace, I too wait patiently, typing slowly and carefully, for soon enough, I know, things are going to get only big, massively big! With thoughts of those yet unseen times, we wait... 

Deadpool dead for Ryan Reynolds?

Ryan Reynolds is the name that makes quite a few ladies fall into a swoon, and understandably so. He's got tremendous potential as an actor too. He will be seen behind the screen this year, voicing for characters in the animation flicks The Croods and Turbo, and on screen playing a new look zombie in R.I.P.D. But even though his slate is quite full at the moment, his shot to really move a notch or two above in the star category, came and went (at least for the time being) with Green Lantern where he played the famed DC Comics superhero. One cannot fault Ryan Reynolds much with the debacle of the movie when the flimsy script and quite a tiring effort at direction were quite apparent. 

Reynolds has played another character from the comics in the past. In X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Reynolds played the sword yielding Wade Wilson who finally transforms into Deadpool, a deadly assassin, gifted with many mutant powers. For the last three years, a spin-off movie on Deadpool has been openly talked about, but with the project on X-Men: First Class taken up, the spin-offs never really gathered pace. Would things change anytime soon?  

With the next movie in the X-Men world titled Wolverine releasing in a few months' time, the most interesting piece I've recently read about it is Ryan Reyonold's submission about some tidbits on Deadpool emerging in this movie. "In the current iteration of the script, it doesn’t address Wolverine – though it does address Deadpool’s appearance in Wolverine," is what he had to say, referring to the slightly different look of Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Well, while things might get clearer on that front, the chances of Reynolds playing  the titular character soon enough may be dim. In his own words, "It’s about a guy who knows he’s in a movie and knows he’s in a comic book who is deeply mentally disturbed and hyper violent, and that’s tough to get by a studio." Point taken, but even then there might come a time not so far away that studios would dare to take on movies on the anti-heroes, the not so angelic beings, and reap rewards on them. Once this shift of thinking does happen, I would like to see Ryan Reynolds take a shot at this role once again. Or else to see him play a comic book character again, one might have to wait for the many times dreamt-of Justice League based movie and hope for the studio to allow him to don the green suit again. Either way round, Reynolds' chances of portraying these roles again do seem bleak! Maybe there's something more interesting for him lying ahead ...

A place of dreams called Pixar!

The name Pixar has crept closer to my heart as the years have rolled on and the majestic animation studio has dished out one superlative movie after another. For a group that started out in the Computer Division of Lucasfilm (of Star Wars creator George Lucas of course) way back in 1979 and bought later on by a disheveled Steve Jobs in 1986 who had resigned from Apple, Pixar has come a long long way indeed. Now creator of thirteen feature films, innumerable short films, pioneer in the field of animation, and a name known in each household, Pixar is no longer seen only as an animation studio, but as a creator of something bright and beautiful, something moving and touching, something warm and fuzzy. And while all this stems from the highly creative and bold set of people working behind the scenes, what must also drive them is the beautiful setting they work in. The grand headquarters of Pixar at Emeryville, California, USA.

This the grand entrance of Pixar headquarters. Before you sweep down any further, be warned that these photos may make you struggle to reach your own office premises the next day. Self-pity could also envelop you quickly! Getting back to the magic of Pixar, the headquarters at Emeryville was opened in November 2000. Overseen by Steve Jobs himself and driven by his obsession over details, the building along with the campus has been designed in such a way to encourage maximum interaction between employees, especially from different departments. So to encourage such unplanned encounters, there is a vast atrium that invites you once you step in through the doors. 

The main doors are right in front, and an inviting canteen stands to the right side in the photo. No better way to start the day than with a healthy breakfast, right? Oh, did I forget to mention that you would be greeted by smiling cheerful monsters once you enter the gates of the building?

Walk inside, and it is said you are free to decorate your space as you like. As an interview with Brad Bird, director of The Incredibles and Ratatouille, reads, "If you walk around downstairs in the animation area, you’ll see that it is unhinged. People are allowed to create whatever front to their office they want. One guy might build a front that’s like a Western town. Someone else might do something that looks like Hawaii. John [Lasseter] believes that if you have a loose, free kind of atmosphere, it helps creativity." No wonder then that the cabin of John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer at Pixar and one of the key personnel behind Pixar's unequivocal success, at some time looked like this. 

Step away from other offices and take the bridge that reaches your own cubicle, feeling like you are walking above the world all the time.

Or get away from work for a while and try your skill set on the video games or the foosball table; maybe the theme for the next Pixar movie will creep into your mind right then. 

Got tired of being inside? Step out into the lush lawns, take a breather on those stairs, stretch out and feel closer to nature. Or just stare with wonderment. Time after all has slowed! 600-seat outdoor amphitheater, a soccer field and an organic vegetable garden for Pixar's chefs, is what constitutes the exterior campus. 

And then of course you meet the the world's most famous lamp and the star of Luxo Jr, Pixar's first ever short film, playing with his ball. 

And once the sun sets, take a step back, gaze and admire.

I salute the makers of this great animation studio, the vision that they had and the ability to bring it to light. I have scavenged the internet to find pictures of this place, a place which would hold well guarded secrets too, and so I thank the ones who have posted some of these wonderful pictures. I implore people who ever come across this article and aspire to build a company of such repute, that irrespective of the scale of your company, understand the fundamental thinking that has gone behind building a workplace as this, where creativity and joy along with toil are mashed up. And I sleep now with beautiful dreams. I am probably not going to my office tomorrow.

Minions are back in Despicable Me 2

They are cute. 

She is always cute.

They can never stop being cute.

It was a combination of extreme cuteness, an interesting plot where the protagonist was an anti-hero, and more cuteness, and also talented actors like of course Steve Carell lending their voices , that made Despicable Me one of the surprise hits of 2010. When you get it right once, you always gonna try it again, right? In the movie business, you most certainly do! So work on Despicable Me 2 was underway and is now releasing in July 2013. But I ain't complaining at all! The teaser trailer kicked things off in a lively fashion by turning it into a '1-minute minions show'. And now the full length trailer has been launched. 

It is funny. It has its own touch of adventure. Gru is now a proper hero. And oh of course, it got cuteness amplified. It got the minions, flying like Superman or laughing at their own jokes. It got the three girls, adding to the fun and drama. It seems like a perfect family trip to be taken. And with Steve Carell, this one got Al Pacino throwing in his classy voice too. It sounds oh so perfect that I'm afraid I'm gonna jinx it! 'It's so fluffy that I'm gonna die!' Sigh. Watch for yourself. 

Cameron the multiplier!

I just read a small part of an interview that James Cameron gave recently, which made me recollect that there is something massive being constructed inside this guy's head about to hit us soon. Avatar 2 and Avatar 3, that is what he's been working on for quite some time. Well, I wasn't a big fan of Avatar and am still trying to figure out what was so remarkable about it to justify the mind-boggling money it earned in probably every continent on this world (even the penguins in the Arctic would have paid to see this one!). But even then I am most likely to end up watching the early shows for the sequels, considering the extent of hype and pressure that one is going to feel when these movies surface. Not to worry, as they are still in early stages and this is what Cameron had to say in the interview I read.

I'm working on Avatar 2 and Avatar 3. I was talking the other day with Peter Jackson and said, 'You had it easy dude. You had the books when you did the second and third Lord of the Rings.' I have to create my own books in my head and extract a script from it. I'm deep into it and I'm living in Pandora right now.

The full interview here -- http://play.lifegoesstrong.com/article/james-cameron-interview-3d-films-cirque-du-soleil-movie-avatar-sequels-and-what-he-knows-now

There are no official release dates yet but December '14 was the date initially planned for Avatar 2. Might get pushed a bit possibly. Come whenever it does, this one is gonna be huge. I'm not talking of the script or the latest technologies in 3D that would emerge with it, nor the further discovery of Pandora through Cameron's eyes. I am simply talking of the thing that many say matters eventually. Money! Remember, Cameron has never failed to deliver. He's some kind of a genius when it comes to ensuring that his movies make money. Yeah, his works are impressive. But I still cannot fathom if one was to say that Avatar and Titanic are the two greatest movies of all time, even though only these two movies have ever crossed $2 billion in worldwide earnings, and I mean ever! James Cameron somehow gets everything right, from the initial buzz, to the movie itself and then to the marketing and publicity, along with gathering a few awards for his movies here and there. 

The best way to look at it is from the viewpoint of the 'Mulitplier' -- that is asking this simple question, how many times of the production costs are the movie earnings (worldwide)? Of course, we are ignoring the marketing costs but this still gives a good idea on how well the movie has done. Check out this graph for James Cameron's full-length feature films.

It is simply staggering, a kind of ratio that hardly anyone in the industry could match and that too on such a consistent basis. It has never dipped below 1x, and of his seven movies, this multiplier has been five times above 5x! The producers do make a lot of dough when Cameron takes on the Director's chair. And with the bars raised so high for the sequels of Avatar, Cameron would really have to go deep into Pandora to continue delivering such staggering box-office performances. 

Pictures of Interest

Movie publicity in the current age does not begin and end with trailers and posters and an interview here and there, as you would be well aware. You as an audience are fed in with regular doses of happenings during the movie production itself, at times even the casting is a frenzied activity. With the advent of social networking sites, the movie creators have further found a new tool to use. So with loads of such activity on-going, these two pictures have specifically caught my attention.  

Who's in, who's out, has been highly discussed online ever since Bryan Singer came back to the X-Men series with his plans to create a time portal to connect the original and older X-Men with the latest younger versions of them. This picture, tweeted by Bryan Singer, largely concludes the casting discussions, though there are six empty slots which are expected to be for lesser known mutants. It's quite a cool way of showcasing the ensemble that will glorify the movie X-Men: Days of Future Past scheduled for a July 2014 release. I don't expect Singer to botch this up as he did with his latest Jack the Giant Slayer. Can't wait for this one! But a whole year to go...

Releasing not so far away is Gulliermo Del Toro's sci-fi action flick Pacific Rim. The buzz around this movie had tamed down post the release of the first trailer quite a while back. Maybe this picture released by the production house could be the start of things to come. Dwarfing even Godzilla, this picture seems to be of a news broadcaster announcing the discovery of a footprint of the monstrous creatures, called Kaiju, that step out from the oceans and engage mankind into one of its most important battles to protect itself. Pacific Rim has a July 2013 release and hopefully the publicity and the buzz around the movie would also reach the gigantic levels of the footprint! 

Hitchcock: A chapter worth knowing!

Alfred Hitchcock is a name no one could be unfamiliar with. A British director who then went on to take Hollywood by storm, 5-time Oscar nominee who worked on more than fifty decades in a career that spanned half a century, Hitchcock is nothing short of a legend. Be it Strangers on a Train, Dial M for Murder, Rebecca, Rear Window, Birds, and so many more, each of his works could be separately talked about and discussed. But a conversation on Alfred Hitchcock cannot start without uttering the word Psycho. One of the great movies of the last century, and considered Hitchcock's best work, Psycho (1960) was a story filled with suspense, intrigue, horror, to an extent unknown in that era. And as is with any great movie, there is always an equally intriguing plot behind the making of the film as much as there is in it. 

Hitchcock is based on Alfred Hitchcock's time during the making of Psycho and concentrates more on his relationship with his wife Alma Reville during this period. Having a tad bit of obsession about the actresses that he eventually turns into superstars, Hitchcock deals with the strains that erupt in the relationship between the great director and his wife and how the two manage this phase in their lives. But don't get me wrong, for it is hardly melodramatic. While Hitchcock has its 'drama' moments, it is still light-hearted in its approach showcasing the legend handling the stress of his work and life issues. Hitchcock also brings forth the gamble that Alfred Hitchcock took with Psycho by financing it on his own, his obsession about the ending remaining a secret (to such levels that he had his secretary buy all the copies which she could find of the book Psycho, on which the movie was to be based), and his disputes with Paramount for the distribution of the movie. 

Anthony Hopkins is as good as it gets when one talks of quality acting. His acting prowess is something one dare not even question, for the man is impeccable. Be it regularly fashioning the Hitchcock poise with the arms on the side and the stomach jutting out, or the drooping eyes, or the drooling manner of speech, Hopkins was perfect (helped by of course great makeup work which was Oscar-nominated). But matching him every step of the way is Hellen Mirren as Alma Reville. She is graceful as Hitchcock's wife, being the toughie that is required to handle such a great artist who may tend to lose his way, and being the delicate wife who at times just needs a hug. Her laughs, her frowns, her annoyance, her need for love, all is portrayed so effortlessly, something only an actor of Helen Mirren's calibre can pull off. Scarlett Johansson is charming in her portrayal as the famous actress Janet Leigh, who starred in Psycho. Despite the presence of other stalwarts, Johansson makes most of her screen time so as not to be overshadowed. The supporting cast manage their bits neatly, though sadly James D'Arcy who portrays Anthony Perkins (aka Norman Bates of Psycho) has limited footage and Norman Bates will always be missed, even if it be in a movie just dealing with an aspect of the making of Psycho.

While the film more or less guarantees an astute performance by its actors, what it lacks is in terms of being neater and crisper, something that Hitchcock himself was so brilliant at. There are certain scenes that seem overly stretched and others that could have been longer. The plot at times loses its way between showcasing the making of Psycho or the relationship between Hitchcock and Reville and thus does not do justice entirely to both the elements. Maybe with a stronger writing team and a more experienced director (for this was Sacha Gervasi's first full length feature film as director), Hitchcock after all had a plot that could have been converted into a classic film. But having said this, it is still a lovely peek into one of the most influential movie directors of all time. And if you are a lover of Psycho, or any Hitchcock work, this is a chapter of his life worth knowing. Do not miss! 

PS: This is one of the original posters released by Alfred Hitchcock for Psycho. He extended the buzz about the movie by declaring a 'no late admission' rule which eventually led to long lines outside the theatres before the screening of Psycho. Great men do things their own way! 

The dinos need more buzz...

Any news connected to this should probably be a news flash. I mean literally flashing boldly as a news item of extreme importance. But I still do not feel the buzz. Maybe it is the trepidation that crept in with the third movie of the franchise. Oh my apologies for I forgot to mention... I am talking of the Jurassic Park series and its latest venture, Jurassic Park IV. The first movie helmed by God's angel, Steven Spielberg, truly introduced dinosaurs to the modern civilization. It was an encyclopedia of sorts, maybe an abridged version. The sequel again directed by Spielberg continued educating the audience but it was the third movie, which did not have Spielberg in the director's seat, that really got panned by many. That was slightly more than a decade back but people do have strong memories. So while Jurassic Park IV has been talked about for a a couple of years or maybe more now, with a strong sense that the angel would take on his directing duties again and take off from where he left the franchise in 1997, that is not to be.  

In those boots steps Colin Trevorrow. Not heard of him? Well, J.J. Abrams cannot be everywhere rebooting all the forgotten classic sci-fi movies, can he? So Colin Trevorrow has been given this task with Spielberg continuing in the Executive Producer role. This name would be googled quite a lot in coming days and what you are largely going to find is that Trevorrow has a limited body of work as of now. In fact when it comes to directing full-length feature films, his work includes just one movie! This is the 2012 flick Safety Not Guaranteed which has a touch of sci-fi to it. The movie has a 7.1 rating on Imdb and had received largely positive reviews from critics. So is this resume good enough? Only time will tell. Trevorrow would be tested now, for when it comes to Jurassic Park IV, the challenge would be to revitalize the movie series, bring back the old magic and mix science with action so smoothly without any troughs and crests, that one is transported back to the Spielberg days. I hope they make this a huge budget film, not holding back on the CGI. And I hope Trevorrow remembers the importance of building human characters instead of staying focused on the CGI-generated dinosaurs. 

June 13, 2014. Mark your calendars! Maybe soon the buzz too would start building up. Eventually turning into one loud growl... Rawwwwrrr.... 

Ahh... the memories from Star Wars!

As a friend digs into the magic of Star Wars, I cannot but enter into a reminiscent mood, reflecting on my younger days and my first viewing of the classic trilogy. Star Wars is many things to many people. Calling it a movie series would be like calling Roger Federer simply a tennis player or Bob Dylan a songwriter. So I would not even venture into explaining the phenomenon that Star Wars is, for after all it's the personal bonds that you develop with the movie, the varying level of connections you create with its characters, the tide of emotions you feel through the amazing storyline, which has made this movie series something special for each one of us. It is like one of those crazy rides in a theme park where everyone goes on the same ride but each one comes out different with a different story to tell. Sigh... Star Wars! Here's looking back to probably the most memorable moments from each movie of the original trilogy that I still distinctly remember. 

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Oh, there are so many from this episode. After all, it was the beginning of things to come! Each scene that showcased a new character was worth remembering. Each dialogue between the central characters laid grounds for bigger things to come. The one where Obi-Wan Kenobi sort of poofs away in his fight with Darth Vader was totally unexpected and of mammoth importance. Each scene of Darth Vader was spell-binding. But the moment that stood out for me was the final battle that took place with the Rebels attacking the Death Star in the backdrop of the massive darkness of space as a determined Luke Skywalker makes the difference. A historic space battle scene, a huge step in cinematic history. 

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Ominous, as the name sounds, so did quite a few moments in the movie. The slashing of Luke's right hand being one of them. But what followed is undoubtedly one of the most memorable scenes in cinema itself - 'the revelation' by Darth Vader to Luke right towards the end. A scene that still resonates deeply within any Star Wars fan. But it was the training that Luke could gather under the guidance of Master Yoda, that I have fond memories of. A character who had reached the echelons in mastering the Force, the mystery behind Yoda's exile was only truly revealed in the prequel trilogy, but the little green fellow simply awed everyone with his wisdom and sensibilities, in his first appearance in Episode V. And the above picture is quite a special one!

Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi

Star Wars series is filled with lightsaber duels that delight the heart. And while the prequel trilogy might hold some more skilled and fluid fight scenes such as the one between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Episode III, it is still the final battle scene between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in the grand climax of this epic series that remains closest to the heart. While introducing shades of grey in a hero is becoming common in this century, Star Wars truly introduced a villain who was never completely evil after all, a shade of grey that develops over the three films and culminates in the final scene. And that is why this fight scene holds something deeper, for with the change being seen in Vader, it does not remain a fight between purely good and evil after all. It is a bit more personal, something you can feel now after having been through the entire journey with these characters. A truly classic ending to a series that deserves the greatest of salutations!