Archives For Language

I just posted my 350th review, Jigarthanda [also in Español], which happens to be my 30th (sorta) Indian film review. So~ commemorating! Here’s a list of my first 30 Indian film reviews. You can actually see how my journey [1][2][3][4][5] has shaped up from DDLJ, KKHH and K3G YRF, SRK (and Kajol, though I posted her reviews later on) and Karan Johar-centric to Bhansali, Rani, Vidya, Madhuri, alternative Hindi cinema to regional stuff.

my-30-indian-film-reviews

Here we go (in order of posting date):

  1. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge [tmb en Español]
  2. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
  3. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
  4. Chennai Express [tmb en Español]
  5. Black
  6. Khamoshi: The Musical
  7. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
  8. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
  9. Kahaani
  10. U Me Aur Hum
  11. Bombay Talkies [tmb en Español]
  12. Hey Ram
  13. Fanaa
    But honestly~ these photo recaps are best [Part 1][Part 2]
  14. Hasee Toh Phasee
  15. Gulaab Gang
  16. Moondram Pirai/Sadma
  17. Shaadi Ke Side Effects
  18. Aiyyaa
  19. Dedh Ishqiya [tmb en Español]
  20. Siddharth
  21. Goynar Baksho [tmb en Español]
  22. CityLights
  23. Kadal
  24. Bangalore Days [tmb en Español]
  25. The Hundred-Foot Journey [tmb en Español]
    (I know, I know. Not strictly Indian but was produced by Reliance~)
  26. Mardaani [tmb en Español]
  27. Lucia [tmb en Español]
  28. Happy New Year [tmb en Español]
  29. Haider [tmb en Español]
  30. Jigarthanda

And if you want to keep track of my reviewed Indian films, go here: English, Español.

I’ve mentioned this before [1], Hula Girls was shot in Iwaki prefecture, so when the tsunami and eventual nuclear meltdown affected the zone, the Hula Girls team as well as the dancers lent their support and/or donated money. Now, Yu-chan is lending her time (maybe there’s money too, though I’d like to think this is from the bottom of her heart) to jump-start visits to Iwaki with the campaign Tadaima Iwaki (ただいま! いわき).

It doesn’t matter, I’d watch 1hr. of Yu eating savory things and visiting places if they’d made a movie about it. LOL As naturally charming as ever~ I’ll watch this 30-sec clip instead.

yu-aoi-tadaima-iwaki

Oldie song, but new performance at… what seems, the Bird Nest Stadium in Beijing.

Mayday has just released the Nowhere Concert Movie in four editions: 3D BR + Live in Live Making-Of the concert DVD, Simple BR, Free Region DVD, and the DVD with the Making-Of.

They’ve also re-released their albums in Chinese versions, and I’ve seen (super expensive) Vinyls, as well.

I still can’t believe Asian Blurays are so expensive compared to their US counterparts. Now we all gotta way for Asian movies to be released in America.

If you read this blog and/or have stumbled upon a post on the subject or -somehow- seen my comments on social media or… maybe a review or feature I’ve written, you’d know I’m not very fond of Sonam Kapoor [1]. Or I wasn’t. At the moment, I’m not sure anymore. A while ago, I saw her on Khoobsurat, which in normal circumstances I wouldn’t have picked, but it was Disney (!) so I couldn’t help myself.

It’s perfectly fine light entertainment, though I think this is the first time I’ve seen a Disney movie where our female protagonist gets (though admitedly quite endearingly funny) pissed drunk, who then later accepts a bottle of soda with ruffies to end up kidnapped (don’t worry, it’s still Disney so nothing happens), and finally ends up with a (hot) prince that was engaged to some other woman. Anyway~ since then, I found myself not hating Sonam as it seems like she’s TRYING. Like- you can sense a change of pace/vibe.

Dolly ki Doli doesn’t look awful.

And in this segment for Anupama Chopra’s The Meeting Ground, Rajkummar Rao (who is also in DkD) makes her palatable. It gets a bit awkward when they keep going on their talk on star children and their upper hand in the industry. Sonam tries to make a point, but Angelina Jolie didn’t make her starring debut in a studio picture with a brand director. Angelina’s credits went from a small role in one of her dad’s films, to straight-to-video releases and shorts until Without Evidence.

Gwyneth and all her Gwynethness is a bit more lucky, but not as lucky as star children in India. TV Movie debut directed by her dad, small role on a movie until she cameo’d on godfather Steven Spielberg’s Hook. It wasn’t until a few years later when she landed Se7en with Fincher and PTA’s Hard Eight.

Nobody goes to Eva Amurri or Rumer Willis and tells their parents Susan Sarandon, Demi Moore or Bruce Willis, “I want to launch your daughter with this banner.

LOL, this seemingly harmless post turned into a rant. But honestly, no one would care if a star child would begin with small roles in movies, working their way up. Instead, they are given starring roles in medium-big budget films to launch them.

Rant over.

10 Years After As If

January 23, 2015 — Leave a comment

uktv-as-if-still-2

Oh, man. I remember when I used to diligently run the As If fanlisting. Hadn’t even bothered to check on it for the past 5 years, so just deleted the whole thing because it all broke down. However, Pete brought to my attention a two-part piece that Digital Spy has run for the 10th anniversary of the show’s final episode- in their “retro” section nonetheless.

It’s a lovely catch up piece, and it just basically crushes what people had -somehow- hoped for~ a DVD release. Music licensing is just too damn expensive, and the show just relies too heavily on its music. Very much like the Popular conundrum. It’s a good read, catching up with almost everyone. I always giggle (and get giddy) when I spot anyone from the cast in other projects I’m watching.

I *cough* caught the show a very very VERY long time ago. *cough* You know where.

Oh, man. Sooz was my life.

The bad thing is that the show is not readily available… the good thing is that only the really cool people know it. xD

Last year, I fell in love with Carrchy’s (卡奇社) music. And honestly, their 2007 album Daylight Allure (日光倾城) is pretty good stuff [Xiami] [YouTube Sample], but they hadn’t been releasing ANYTHING for many MANY years. Last night, they surprised with the release of the single track Clouds (云, Yun), which you can get in Xiami (Sorry, those who Xiami is blocking). I don’t know anywhere else where you might listen to their music [Here’s some Douban demos].

carrchy-yun-cloud

Other than that, happy listening!

I said it before and say it again~ the best thing to come out of Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken was to see Miyavi being fabulous on carpet events in the US where so many oblivious in the west got to see him. [My favorite is Lainey who’s gushed over Miyavi twice] And now to see him on Ellen playing his guitar- that’s really more than I could hope for.

And I love that he did a bit of What’s my Name on top of Let Go.

Except for the mandatory appreciation for Boyhood (the Patricia Arquette show) and Whiplash, which had me contorting from all the conflictive feelings, I’m feeling rather lukewarm with this year’s award season as you can see from my 2014 Films Ranked compared to my Academy Award Watchlist.

oscars-2014-2015-nominations-watchlist

Hot pink is watched, light blue on to-watched queue, highlighted in green haven’t been found yet. My excuse for lack of documentaries and shorts is because of access. I find them extra difficult to get. Also, any respectable award show needs the presence of Haider. LOL And I could do a LOT LESS from Clint Eastwood. I’m not even one of those complaining for lack of women behind/in front of the camera, the nominees are just so damn BLAH! except for the few couple of surprises- some spice with Marion Cotillard (even though I don’t feel strongly about the movie), Ida and Mr. Turner in cinematography… and The Tale of Princess Kaguya.

Though I haven’t made successful contact with Milk@Coffee on Weibo, they’re still one of my favorite Chinese mainland artists, though I feel like they peaked with Give You a Little Color (给你点儿颜色) in 2010. Last year, they released Shine of Memory (时间的光) [Xiami] and though I picked Young Conviction (信仰年轻) as one of my pick songs of 2014 [1], Occasionally Still Think of You (偶尔还是会想起你) is the song that brought the most feelings ‘coz it made me think of my dad (even though it’s totally a love song).

Milk@Coffee just released a music video for it.

My dad’s bday is this Saturday.

The lyrics go something like this:

Occasionally still think of you
in the middle of the night, when people are quiet.
Maybe I’m still not used to being without you.

Occasionally still think of you,
repeating over the familiar scenario-
similarly, I still can hear the sound of your voice.

I think it’s been a long time since people saw Nicole Kidman being so damn cute, funny and… I suppose, relaxed. In some strange parallel universe, there is a Nicole Kidman that has been giggling for the past ten years with her alternate universe relationship to Jimmy Fallon.

If you didn’t like her, Fallon made you like Kidman. If you don’t like him, she made you like him.