Sivakasi(2005)

I like Asin. I like Vijay. But I don't like this movie. I watched only a half-hour before deciding that I'd had enough. It went downhill for me after Vijay's intro-slash-obligatory-fight-scene. And the part where Vijay lectures Asin about her clothing choices only gave me the incentive I needed to click the "stop" button. (Ironically, the same scene in Vijayadasami didn't bother me. Go figure.) I'm glad I didn't buy this without first checking it out. I would've been really disappointed.

Kanthaswamy(2009)

The trailer is too long(eight minutes), but it's wonderfully weird enough to pique my interest. 5:05 to 5:44 is my favorite part. Vikram and Shriya make a hot couple. I can't wait for this movie to be released.

Sainikudu(2006)

Even though it started off slow and dragged in places, I knew that I would order this movie after I finished watching it. The chemistry between Mahesh Babu and Trisha Krishnan alone was enough to convince me to buy it. I liked this film better than Athadu, which I started watching first, but it failed to hold my interest, despite the cute scenes with Trisha and Mahesh. However, I figured I would be partial to Sainikudu after I read on Wikipedia that it didn't do as well as Athadu. I tend to like the so-called flops or average grossers of a particular actor or actress better than their hits.

As with Vijay, I had formed a somewhat negative opinion about Mahesh based on what I saw in still photographs. But after seeing him on film, I had a sudden change of heart. I now think he's rather cute and has a compelling screen presence. I'm glad I took a chance on him. I forsee a Pokiri DVD in my near future.

Trisha was lovely, as always. I think I am officially in love with her.

The running time could've trimmed by a half-hour.

ETA: WAAHHHHH!!!! My disc is defective! It froze during the "Aadapilla Aggipulla" song and I had to skip ahead two chapters before it would play normally again :( I have to order another one, I guess. **sigh**

BTW, I loved Trisha and Mahesh's scuffle in the woods prior to the start of "Aadapilla Aggipulla". I thought it was both hot and funny.

ETA 02/19/10: I finally bought a replacement DVD. It plays all the way through, yay! However, it's not as entertaining as I initially thought. I can see why it flopped. I enjoy watching Mahesh, still love the scene where Trisha imagines Mahesh trying to rape her in the woods. I liked seeing him, however briefly, as a lecherous rogue and wished I were in her place, only I wouldn't have resisted, 'cause I'm naughty like that.

P.S. Trisha was cute, but she kinda annoys me these days. I'm so fickle with my affections.

P.P.S. I don't know why it took so long for me to warm up to Mahesh. Maybe because I'm more into the heroines than the heroes. (It's that whole "identification" thing, I think.) Also, the running time could've been trimmed by about forty-five mintues. And while I found it rather boring this time around, I still kinda like it better than Athadu.

Aishwarya(2006)

Deepika Padukone's debut. I don't know why it took so long before it was finally released on VCD.

So far, I've watched only the first disc, and really, it wasn't so much "watching" as it was "waiting for Deepika to come onscreen".

Deeps was cute and charming. I agree with the person who told me that on film, she's very regal-looking. Her big eyes made her appear a tad alienesque, IMO, but that's not necessarily a bad thing :) If I liked any of her co-stars, I would check out Om Shanti Om and/or Bachna Ae Haseeno just to admire her beauty.

Even though she's a Kannadithi, I think a dubbing artist was used. But that's not unusual, because very few actresses dub in their own voices, even if the language they're acting in is their mother tongue.

Chess(2006)

I bought this along with Billa. It was only $7.99 and the plot sounded interesting so I thought, "What the hell. I'll get it."

It was utterly predictable and lacking in edge-of-your-seat suspense, thanks to the "tell, don't show" style of narration, but I managed to enjoy it, anyway, mainly because I found Dileep strangely appealing. There was just something about him that made me go "Hmmmm...." Which is weird because, about a month ago, when I watched parts of Vinodayathra, I thought he looked dorky and too old for the character he was playing. But now, I want to try to rewatch it to see if I have a change of heart.

Bhavana, the heroine, was cute, and I liked her in the few scenes she was in. I will have to check out more of her movies.

The "Chandham" song is really beautiful, and the way it's picturised brings to mind certain scenes from Salangai Oli.

I just remembered that a while back, I watched another one of Dileep's movies, Kochi Rajavu. I saw only the first hour or so, but IIRC, it was a not-bad viewing experience. I think I'll give it another look-see and if I like it enough, I might consider buying it.

Vayanadan Thampan(1978)

Malayalam movie starring Kamal Hassan that was dubbed into Hindi and re-released as Pyasa Shaitan in the 80s in an attempt to, I assume, capitalize on Kamal's post-Ek Duje Ke Liye popularity. I saw a trailer for Pyasa Shaitan sometime last year and noticed that, ahem, "extra"(read: naughty) scenes had been added to spice up the flick. They looked so out-of-place, and it was obvious that they were filmed during a different decade.

I started watching this a few minutes ago, but(aside: Wow! Kamal looks great in that shot! I wish I could cap it)I think I'm going to save it for later viewing because my head hurts(damn rainy weather!), and it's difficult to concentrate.

Billa(2007)

My initial thoughts, based on Wednesday's viewing. I might add to this once I get the DVD and watch it a few more times.

With all of the hype surrounding Nayantara wearing a bikini in this movie, I was expecting something along the lines of Madhavi's bikini scene in Tik...Tik...Tik. But when I saw the bikini top-sarong combo I thought, "Is that it?" I was doubly disappointed when the camera didn't show the lower part of her body when she dropped the sarong and got into the pool. I'm guessing it was for modesty purposes. Fine. That's what I get for letting my imagination run wild.

While I'm on the subject of Nayan, I'll state that I thought she looked best in the white top, white mini-skirt, and leather jacket she wore towards the end of the movie.

Namitha didn't have anything to do except look pretty. Dancing is definitely not her forte. Her movements during the "Naan Meedum Naanaga" song looked awkward and out-of-place. Mumaith Khan would've been a better choice, IMO, because she moves well and would've added the needed "oomph!" to the number.

At first glance, I thought it was Brinda Parekh in the "Sei Ethavathu Sei"song, but closer inspection revealed that the girl--who goes by the name Rose Dawn--was slimmer in the midsection and wore far less pancake makeup. And then I realized that I saw her in an earlier scene.

Ajith was the perfect casting choice. I can't imagine anyone else in the role of Billa.

Santhanam has become the new go-to comedian, it seems. Whether or not I'll grow to dread his presence remains to be seen.

I found the ending anticlimatic. I wish there had been more of a bang, whether literally or figuratively.

All in all, I liked it. Billa's intro scene is my favorite so far. I found it both clever and comical, mainly because I would've been just as easily distracted.

Mourya(2004)

Dubbed Telugu version of Sullan, a Tamil movie starring Dhanush and Sindhu Tolani. I'm not a fan of dubs, but it was only $2.99, and I didn't want to spend $20 on the Tamil version without having any idea whether or not I'd like it.

I watched it last night and I do like it--or rather, I like Sindhu's glamourous appearance, particularly in the songs, and for that reason alone, I want to buy the Tamil DVD. (I also want the better picture quality, because the Telugu print has a greenish tint that I find distracting.) Her presence made the movie watchable enough for repeat viewings. I like Dhanush, but had some random actress been cast as his heroine, I probably would've added this title to my "never to be watched again" pile.

I found Sindhu so appealing, in fact, that I think I may consider getting Athanokkade.

Shock(2006)

I don't want to get too excited, especially since I viewed only the first few minutes--thanks to the effed-up audio--but I think Jyothika may have been able to do what Ileana and Trisha couldn't, and that's make Ravi Teja bearable. Again, I didn't watch the entire movie, but during the time he was onscreen, his presence didn't trigger an allergy headache or my "Ugh!" reflex the way it did when I tried to watch Khatarnak and Krishna, respectively. However, I won't be able to reach a final verdict until I watch the entire film.

ETA: Which may be never, because I just peeped the "Madhuram Madhuram" song on YouTube and immediately felt that familar tingling in the back of my neck. Nope, not even Jo can sell me on Ravi Teja. He's just one of those actors who will never appeal to me. I don't hate him, I just don't want to watch any of his movies.

Bheema(2008)

So far, I've watched only the first half-hour or so, but for purely shallow reasons, I've already decided that I want to buy the DVD once it's available again from bhavanidvd. Trisha and Vikram look so damn good, especially in the songs. And, according to its Wiki entry, there's no forced happy ending which, for me, is another plus.

Aside: I'm tired of seeing Prakash Raj in every other movie I own or watch online.

ETA: I got it today, and had it playing in the background until about a minute ago. I wasn't really paying attention to it(multi-tasking), but I like it. I know I'll like it even more when I give it my undivided attention, probably later tonight.

Super(2005)

I was unable to watch the first part because the audio was out-of-sync. I tried acting like it was a silent film by muting the sound, but that didn't help. So I clicked on the second part and thankfully, the audio was fine. I'm a half-hour in as I type this and I've already decided that I like the movie enough to buy it.

I find Nagarjuna to be the male equivalent of jolie-laide in this flick. I don't know if the picture quality is that bad or if special camera filters were used, but unlike Boss, his mug didn't deter me from ordering the DVD.

Speaking of special camera filters, Anushka looks REALLY beautiful in this film, maybe even more so than in Rendu. Normally I think she's very bland-looking. But, aside from Super and Rendu, I've viewed only stills of her, so maybe she's one of those people who's more telegenic than photogenic.

Ayesha looks plump and the lightened hair isn't doing her any favors, but I still think she's cute. She's the reason I wanted to check out Super in the first place. (Aside: I'm still on the fence about buying No Smoking.)

ETA: I got the movie yesterday and watched most of it before going to bed. It was good. Nice, fluffly, mindless entertainment. Nag was looking so good, I was tempted to reconsider my earlier stance and order Boss.

Sonu Sood looked--and acted--like a male model. He provided nice eye candy.

Did Ayesha get a boob job during filming? Because I swear in one scene, she looked totally flat, and in the other scenes, she, um, had quite a rack. Still not feeling that lighter hair color, but she was very, very cute and sexy. She and Nag shared good chemistry, and were believable as a couple.

Ab Ke Baras(2002)

To buy or not to buy? That is the question.

The first forty minutes or so were pretty good, despite some minor bumps. But from what I've peeped of the second half, it looked and felt like a totally different movie. Because of that, I don't know if I would have the DVD in constant rotation in my player. Maybe I should get the CD instead(the songs are good, especially "Hoga Hoga" and "Mujhe Raab Se Pyaar").

Other thoughts:

Arya Babbar is cute. But for some reason, I picture him as more of a south hero. I was suprised to learn that he's Raj Babbar's son. I guess I should've known from the last name.

The scene where Amrita hides in the trunk of a car that gets stolen by Arya reminded me of a similar scene in the Alicia Silverstone film, Excess Baggage.

Maybe I will check out Athidi, Amrita's Telugu flick with Mahesh Babu.

ETA: I ordered the movie AND the soundtrack. I just couldn't resist the infectious charms of "Hoga Hoga", and I decided that I'd rather watch Ab Ke Baras than Amrita's other Hindi films. **sigh** I wish I had bought it during the $5 sale at Nehaflix, though. Oh, well. Live and learn.

Sunday(2008)

Hindi remake of Anukokunda Oka Roju.

I wanted to like this movie because I think Ayesha Takia is lovely, and did a decent enough job in Salaam-E-Ishq and No Smoking that I'm sure she would've been passable, at least, in Charmi's role. But the opening credits alone were enough to make me say "Hell no!" to the possibility of buying the DVD. The rest of the movie looked just as bad. Granted, I watched only bits of certain scenes, but my gut instinct tells me that the director tried too hard to make a slapstick comedy and failed miserably. I could be wrong, but I'm in no hurry to find out. I'll give this one a pass for now.

Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule(2007)

Yaaradi Nee Mohini is the remake of this Telugu movie.

Normally, I prefer the original version of a remade film, but for purely shallow reasons, I'll declare Yaaradi Nee Mohini the winner, solely because there wasn't an obvious age gap between Dhanush and Nayantara. With Venky and Trisha, I just couldn't shake the feeling that A) he was too old for the part and B) he looked like her dad as opposed to a love interest. Generally speaking, I don't like it when 40+ heroes are paired with much younger heroines. I think it looks creepy.

That's not to say that Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule was a total waste, however. About fifty minutes in, I managed to put aside my ageism and focus on the movie, which I thought was quite good. But as with Yaaradi Nee Mohini, I could've done without the farting scenes and the "Oh Baby!" item number. Length-wise, it didn't feel as long as YNM, but that could be because it was broken up into three parts. (Aside: the audio was out-of-sync in the second part, which drove me batty. It's very distracting when the actors' lip movements don't match the spoken dialogue.)

I didn't watch the last half-hour(beddie-bye time), but I doubt it ended differently than Yaaradi Nee Mohini.

BTW, the scene that stood out the most to me was the one where Trisha gets drunk in a bar. She's allegedly a boozehound in real life, so I found it funny to watch her gulp down those glasses of what appeared to be regular orange juice as if they were actual alcoholic drinks.

Another BTW: Trisha and Meghna Naidu looked hot in the "Cheli Chamaku" song.

This movie has been remade again in Kannada as Anthu Inthu Preethi Banthu with Divya and Aditya Babu.

Yaaradi Nee Mohini(2008)

If it were trimmed by about forty-five minutes(it clocks in at just under three hours), it would be the perfect popcorn flick. But in spite of the lengthiness, I really like this movie, mainly because the second half brings back childhood memories of visiting relatives, the combined noise of adults and children, heavy traffic in and out of the upstairs and downstairs bathrooms, the house feeling more alive because so many people were in it, etc. **sigh** Anyway...

I find it eerie how Raghuvaran, whose character dies in the movie, died about a month after the film was released. The funeral scene brought to mind my paternal grandmother's funeral, and how my father wept. I got teary-eyed while watching it.

I wasn't crazy about the picturisation of the "Oh Baby" song. The director should've ditched the item girl and just had the song playing in the background.

The "Palakkaattu Pakkathilae" remix song was cute, but could've been left on the cutting room floor, IMO. As with most songs, it didn't really add anything except extra minutes to the movie.

Aside: I doubt anyone will read this blog, but just in case...

***SPOILER ALERT!***
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I have mixed feelings about the ending. On one hand, it wasn't totally happy since Cheenu's grandfather still felt anger towards Vasu(Dhanush), but on the other hand, I don't think Vasu and Keerthi(Nayantara) should've ended up together. I would've preferred a more realistic ending--i.e. Keerthi and Cheenu getting married, and Vasu returning to Chennai alone. However, that's just a minor quibble since, in spite of feeling obligatory, the ending did put a smile on my face, and made me feel all mushy-gushy inside('cause I'm a sap like that).

No Smoking(2007)

Wow. Where do I begin?

I saw it listed for $7 on Nehaflix, and I was tempted to order it sight unseen, but then I thought I should try to find it online and watch it to see if I liked it enough to spend a total of $11 on it.

I found it online. I liked the first 20 minutes or so. I lost interest after John's character went to the rehabilitation center.

No Smoking is like a David Lynch film, IMO. Which is good in some ways, and bad in others.

I came across one blog that described the movie as "an ambitious failure". I agree. But that's only because I haven't watched it in its entirety. I think this is the type of flick that I would need to watch in bits and pieces because to try to watch it all at once would be too much for me to digest.

But, I'd rather watch "an ambitious failure" like No Smoking than the likes of Partner and Heyy Baby. (And this is coming from someone who can usually stomach crap films.)

Scattered thoughts:

Gratuitous shots of John's naked torso = GOOD

John wearing shades = HOT

In the scene where John and Ayesha appear to be getting intimate, what was UP with that thick-ass robe she was wearing while bundled up in a comforter? Modesty is one thing, looking downright ridiculous(not to mention uncomfortably hot) is another. Maybe that was the point. I don't know.

Is Ranvir Shorey naturally cockeyed, or was he wearing an optical device to give that impression? As ugly as I found him, I thought he and Ayesha had sexual chemistry, and could easily imagine their characters having an affair.

I liked Ayesha as the wife, but not as the receptionist--well, I guess in a way I did, kind of. Like, I could see her and John acting out a boss-secretary scenario, if you catch my drift.

Oh, and John stopping the elevator and telling the old woman to take the stairs after she asked him to put out his cigarette? HILARIOUS. Seriously. I loved that scene.

I'll have to return to this(the movie, not this entry) later. I want to like it because it's so out there. Maybe I will buy the DVD and watch only certain scenes, skip over others, and then return to the parts I fast-forwarded through. I think I would enjoy it more that way.

ETA: I ordered it today. I think I'll try watching the last couple of chapters first, and then work my way to the middle before watching it from the beginning.

ETA2: I watched it from chapter 13 to the end, and then from the beginning to the end. The final verdict? I LOVE it! I found it gross, morbidly funny, and wonderfully off-the-wall. For me, it's the kind of movie that stays with you long after you've watched it. I'm glad I went ahead and bought this. I need to hunt down similar films.

Alai(2003)

I first spotted this movie on indiaweekly.com while searching for Trisha Krishan titles. I never got around to ordering it because, at the time, I didn't know whether or not I'd like the hero. Fast forward a couple of years and I'm checking indiaweekly for this movie again, and this time, not just for Trisha Krishan, but for Simbu, who I took a liking to after watching Vallabha. It was out-of-stock. I thought, "Ya snooze, ya lose. Let me check anytamil." Less than a week later, it arrived in my mailbox.

I would describe it as "a cute movie, if you don't think too hard". It's utterly predictable, and the usual boy meets girl, they hate each other, pranks ensue, heroine has a change of heart, a song or two later, they're in love, tragedy strikes, and just when it looks like the lovers are about to be separated, everything works out in the end. (How's that for a run-on sentence?)

Quick thoughts:

Raghuvaran plays father roles really well. I also liked him as Dhanush's dad in Yaaradi Nee Mohini.

I recognized Simbu's little brother, Kuralarasan, from Panchathanthram.

Trisha was cute, as usual, but I thought her pancake makeup was too thick. I liked the streaked hair she was sporting, though.

I would've liked the movie A LOT better if Vivek's comedy track had been axed. While I thought the first bit where he pretended to be dying of cancer and scammed a woman into giving him money was chuckle-worthy, after that, I was like, "Okay, enough already!" Generally speaking, I'm not a fan of comedy tracks. I feel that they interrupt the flow of a film, and are usually more lame or vulgar than funny, IMO.

I enjoyed the movie, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you're a die-hard Simbu fan. I think it's the weakest of his films. As many viewings as it took for Manmathan to finally grow on me, I would recommend that, or Totti Jaya, or even Kuthu, instead of Alai.

Athanokkade(2005), Vijayadasami(2007)

I'm alternately watching them online as I type this. The former was remade in Tamil as Aathi/Aadi(Vijay/Trisha), and the latter is a remake of the Tamil movie, Sivakasi(Vijay/Asin).

I think the hero of both flicks, Kalyan Ram, looks better in Athanokkade. Shorter hair suits him.

Sindhu Tolani is the heroine in Athanokkade, and while she looks nice and does a fine job in the acting department, I prefer Trisha's role in the remake. I also think Trisha's intro was better picturised and had more of an impact than Sindhu's.

Vedhika, the heroine in Vijayadasami, is cute and looks good in both traditional and western dress. She also dances well. I think I've already mentioned in another post that I like her. If not, well, I like her, and hope to see her in more movies.

If I had to choose, I would say that Athanokkade is the better of the two, mainly because Kalyan's mannerisms and dialogue delivery are not as stylized and over-the-top as they are in Vijayadasami. In the latter film, his acting style reminded me of Simbu at his very worst. But from what I've viewed, Vijayadasami appears to be a decent popcorn flick. It will never be mistaken for great cinema, but for me, it's watchable enough that I would probably buy it if the urge hit me.

Ghilli(2004)

I watched this movie again in hopes of somehow persuading myself to buy the DVD. Because the first and second parts failed to impress me, I decided to start with the last part. It wasn't bad. The highlights were Trisha's salwar kameez(blue is a good color on her) and the "Appadi Podu" song. And then the chase scene started, and I was suddenly reminded of why I didn't care for the first few minutes of the second part: all that constant running from one place to another gave me a headache, and I found it more tedious than thrilling. (And I wouldn't be suprised if the part where Vijay's car barely misses getting hit by an oncoming train was lifted from Madhyahnam Hatya(or maybe it was the other way around. I don't know which scene was "inspired by" the other).)

I'm watching the second half again as I type this, hoping to have a change of heart. I really like the Vijay-Trisha pairing, and want to add this film to my collection. (Note to self: add "cute and scared" to Trisha's acting repetoire.) But I can't picture having this movie in constant rotation in my DVD player, so I think I'll spend my sixteen bucks on the Billa DVD once bhanvanidvd gets the Ayngaran version in stock. (I'm not an Ajith fan(ETA 01/22/10: My, how times have changed! Actually, I've always kind of liked him, but never felt moved to watch any of his films until after I saw Billa.), but I like the washed-out look of the film, and it appears to be the kind of mindless, style-over-substance flick I usually enjoy.)

ETA 01/22/10: A couple of months ago, after watching the middle part online, I decided that maybe it really wasn't so bad. So I ordered it from bhavanidvd only to discover that it's not in stock. It's like a bad joke. When it was available, I didn't like it, but now that it sorta grew on me, it's no longer available. I guess if I really wanted it, I could try anytamil, but I'd rather not. Ya snooze, ya lose.

Thirupachi(2005)

I ordered this after watching a couple of YouTube clips. Having already viewed Thirumalai and Kuruvi, I had an idea of what to expect, so I wasn't disappointed. Yeah, it was heavy on the sentiment(not to mention violence), but Vijay and Mallika shared such a good chemistry, and were so believable as siblings, that I didn't really mind. I even found myself tearing up at a few places.

Speaking of chemistry, out of all of Vijay's heroines, I think he has the best rapport with Trisha. To me, they're like a modern day Sridevi and Kamal Hassan. They just "go together", like peanut butter and jelly(corny, I know, but it's the best description I can come up with right now). With the exception of Ghilli(I've tried, but for the life of me, I just can't get into that movie), I've enjoyed all (three?) of their films together.

Trisha doesn't have much to do except look good, which is what she does best ;) I don't think she's necessarily a bad actress, she just has a limited range. Cute and sweet, cute and bitchy, and cute and feisty roles are her forte.

I can see Vijay becoming the next Rajnikanth. His look, his acting and fighting style just scream "MASS HERO!" I just hope that as he gets older, he tries to break out of his mold a little bit. I would hate to see a fiftysomething Vijay doing the same shit he did in his thirties. To paraphrase a line from Udayananu Tharam, "There's only so much that makeup can do."

And to end on a shallow note, Vijay's gotten better-looking with age, IMO. When he was younger, he looked middle-aged(to me, anyway), but that might've been due to the combination of his round face and that unflattering hairstyle and thick moustache he used to sport back in the day.

Anukokunda Oka Roju(2005)

Or, "Memory loss is so sexy!" (Well, really it's not, but...)

I watched this movie for the second time last night. I really liked it, but I feel that the songs, while nice enough, should've been ixnayed because they interrupted the flow of the film. **pause** Well, maybe keep the "Right O Left O" song, 'cause I thought the picturisation was funny as hell.

I liked Charmi's performance. She was very natural, and she looks so hot when she's playing drunk :) (I find her hot in general, in a "regular gal" as opposed to a "in-yer-face" kind of way.)

The next time I watch this, I will have to take notes so that I can return to this post and flesh it out more.

Boeing Boeing(1985)

I'm giving it a quick look-see online as I type this.

Garam Masala is the Hindi remake of this film. I briefly considered buying it a while back, just for John Abraham('cause he's easy on the eyes) and Daisy Bopanna(ditto), but I'm not an Akshay Kumar fan, so...

Back to the Malayalam version: Mohanlal looks so cute! Right now, I have a ridiculous fondness(for lack of a better term) for the scene where Mohanlal, with only a towel wrapped around his waist, attempts to prepare chicken masala and manipulates the raw chicken according to the instructions he hears on a TV exercise program.

Oh, and there's Mohanlal again, this time by candlelight and making "fuck me" eyes at an actress whose name I do not know.

He looks like such an adorable teddy bear that I want to check out more of his early-to-mid 80s flicks. Unfortunately, this one isn't available from anytamil. I guess the VCD is sold only in India, which is a shame because this appears to be worth buying.

Or maybe not, because I'm totally not feeling the outfit Mohanlal is wearing in this song sequence. I want to say it's "cowboy inspired" because of the hat(with a peacock feather!) and the vest, and then there's the neck scarf and shades, and all of it at once is too much for my eyes to handle. The song is nice, though.

At least I can watch it online and decide if it's something I might want to buy in the future, if/when it becomes available for sale in the U.S.

Ore Kadal(2007)

This movie is responsible for my current Mammootty crush. I bought it on a whim from bhavanidvd. It was only $7.99, and after a quick skim of the plot summary I thought, "Why not?"

I'm glad I got it because otherwise, I never would've been introduced to the drunken, disheveled hotness that was Mammootty's character. **wry grin** But that's not the only reason I liked it. I thought it was well-acted, engrossing, and erotic. (That sentence sounds weird, but I'll leave it be.) I wish I could give a more detailed explanation of why I enjoyed this film so much, but my thoughts are scattered and it's hard for me to translate what I'm thinking to my computer screen. Maybe one day I'll take notes while I'm watching it for the umpteenth time and attempt to come up with something that sounds semi-intelligent.

Azhagiya Tamil Magan(2007)

IIRC, I bought this 2-in-1 DVD because the plot sounded interesting. Also, Pokiri was the second feature on the disc and I figured I'd save about four bucks by not buying it separately.

I checked my order history at bhavanidvd.com and I see that I ordered this movie back in January. Today is the second time that I'm attempting to watch it because the first time, I think I gave up after a half-hour or so. So far, all I can think to type is "Vijay looks cute", but--oh, Shriya looks amazing in blue!

Where was I? Yeah, it's been on for about twenty minutes and aside from Shriya's intro, nothing really jumps out at me. I think I'm gonna have to shut off my brain for this one. I'll try to watch it tonight, or at least have it playing while I'm drifting off to sleep. (I like to do that with all of my movies. I don't know why. It's just a habit I started a few years ago.)

ETA: I'm thinking that maybe, just maybe, this could be one of those "awesomely bad" flicks, the kind that I watch whenever I'm in a bad mood and need something to take my mind off the crappiness of my day/life/job/whatever.

"Bad" Vijay(or rather, "Prasad") is so over-the-top that I can't help but have a soft corner for him. Watching Vijay attempting to portray a negative character is so endearing. He tries too hard and it shows, and that's why I love it.

I'm tempted to buy the Ayngaran DVD just for the better picture quality, but I don't know if I like the movie that much. However, knowing me, I'll probably end up doing that.

ETA2: Yeah, this is definitely "watchably bad". I forsee an Ayngaran version in my near future.

ETA3: In a few days, the Ayngaran version should arrive in my mailbox. I finally decided that a movie this awesomely bad deserved to be viewed with much better picture quality. This would be the perfect bad movie if SPOILER ALERT!!!!
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Shriya and the two Vijays had died in the end. I didn't like Shriya getting saved. I didn't like bad Vijay turning a new leaf. I didn't like both of the Vijays riding off into the sunset with their respective girlfriends. In short, I didn't like the forced happy ending. Boo! **gives a thumbs down**

Gair Kaanooni(1989)

I bought it because of Sridevi and watched close to an hour of it before calling it quits. I thought the first ten minutes or so were pretty good, in spite of Shashi Kapoor's bloated face and body, and how out-of-place I thought Rajnikanth looked. But after that, I quickly lost interest. The 80s Govinda does absolutely nothing for me. I prefer the 90s version, and only when he was paired with Karishma Kapoor or Divya Bharati. There's something about Kimi Katkar's face that annoys me, and Sridevi, while I love her to bits, I vastly prefer her south films(well, with a few exceptions) to her Hindi ones.

I'll try to watch the entire movie one day, but for right now, I'll let it collect dust on my bookshelf.

Devadasu(2006)

Aside: I always refer to this movie as Devdas. I don't know why.

The first time I watched this, I could barely get through it because of the rapid-fire, MTV style editing and lead actor Ram's histrionics(which, while watching last night, brought to mind Simbu, who may or may not be aping Vijay's style, who might be aping someone else(Rajnikanth?), and so on and so on). I should've appreciated the fact that he was under 40 and not bad-looking, but he got on my nerves so much, I wanted to slap him like he was my wayward son.

Well, mulitple viewings later, last night being the most recent, I quite like it. It's far from perfect, or original(poor boy loves rich girl but father disapproves, part two million and six), and the editing still gives me a headache, but it's colorful and frothy and makes me wish I were young and in infatuation lust love again.

My eyesight must be failing because Ileana looked bonier(well, her top half) in Devadasu than in Aata, when I initially thought it was the other way around. I dunno. Maybe I'm seeing things that aren't there, with regards to her non-fluctuating-but-I-seem-to-think-it-is weight. And while I'm on the subject of weight, I might as well throw out that I thought she looked heavier in some of the stills for Kedi, but in the movie, she was quite slim. (Yes, I have an obsession with weight and figures, both mine and other people's.)

Shriya Saran should just be an expensive item number girl. Her face and figure are perfect for that kind of thing. I'm sure--or rather, I hope--she'll be decked out in glamourous outfits(or as "glamourous" as one can get in the 7th(?) century) for Marmayogi. She's supposed to dub in her own voice so yeah, it's important that she looks good, because I don't have faith in her acting abilities.

Back to Devadasu: The songs are good, "Nuvvantene Ishtam" and its picturisation is my favorite.

I really like the scene where Ileana is tied up and blindfolded while Ram--for lack of a better word--"interrogates" her, but the less said about that, the better.

I won't call myself a Ram fan, but I do want to check out Ready to see what kind of chemistry he has with Genelia D'Souza(currenly a very close second in the girl crush department, right behind Ileana).

ETA 12/29/09: I watched it last night, and the camera tricks still give me a headache, as did Ram. The facial hair made him look about 24. I don't really like him, and I've changed my mind about Ready. I still like Genelia, but I prefer Ileana in all of her wide-hipped, big-legged glory. And yes, I do have an unhealthy obsession with the lower half of her body, mostly because I'm pear-shaped myself. I'd love to follow Keira Knightley's example and whittle down my bottom half to match the top, but then I'll see a picture or a movie with Ileana and think that maybe I don't look so bad. But, enough online therapy. Moving on.