This used to be one of my favorite mindless flicks. But it's been so long since I last watched it, I've forgotten most of it. Let's see: Mohit Ahlawat, man of two facial expressions, comes to Mumbai and lands a job as a club bouncer. Nisha Kothari is a model who's being pursued by some goon who makes nasty calls to her cell phone. Mohit and Nisha meet at the gym. She goes to the club where he works and is harrassed by the aforementioned goon. IIRC, Mohit beats him up and gets fired. As he's walking down the road, Nisha catches up to him in her car and offers him a lift. There are a couple songs that focus mostly on Nisha's legs, butt, and midsection. (Her intro song is filmed in the same manner.) Something else happens. There's a church, there's running, there's Mohit beating up goons in the middle of the street. Something else happens, part two. Nisha throws herself off a cliff. Something else happens, part three. Mohit bashes up the bad guys in the rain. The end.
Granted, I left out a lot of stuff I didn't remember, but I believe that's the gist of it. I may have to dig out this movie from wherever I have it stashed and view it again. I rather enjoyed the "No real plot? No problem!" approach. I tend to favor movies that don't require me to really think about what I'm watching.
ETA: I believe this was remade(?) in Telugu as Shiva(or maybe it was actually in Hindi, but dubbed in Telugu. I don't know. The DVD I have is in Telugu). This time, Mohit is a cop and Nisha is a reporter. I don't remember anything beyond that except I didn't like it as much as James.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Chakram(2005)
I don't like Prabhas. There's something about his screen presence that irritates me. He's nice to look at, but whenever he opens his mouth, I immediately lose interest. I should've learned my lesson with Yogi and Munna, but I figured, "Charmi and Asin are also in this, how bad could it be?" Much worse than I expected. I wasn't looking for award-winning material, just two hours and change of mindless entertainment, but this flick didn't do it for me.
It started out promising, with Prabhas's character, Chakram, ditching Lakshmi I(Asin) on their wedding day, but swiftly tumbled downhill once he arrived at Sahara Colony. His good samaritan acts failed to move me, so I kept my finger on the chapter skip button until I reached the "big reveal"(which I correctly guessed upon reading the plot summary) near the end. Had the screenplay and/or direction been better, and a different actor cast as the lead, I probably would've liked this film in spite of its predictability.
I might give this another chance, but for now, I'll let it collect dust on my bookshelf.
It started out promising, with Prabhas's character, Chakram, ditching Lakshmi I(Asin) on their wedding day, but swiftly tumbled downhill once he arrived at Sahara Colony. His good samaritan acts failed to move me, so I kept my finger on the chapter skip button until I reached the "big reveal"(which I correctly guessed upon reading the plot summary) near the end. Had the screenplay and/or direction been better, and a different actor cast as the lead, I probably would've liked this film in spite of its predictability.
I might give this another chance, but for now, I'll let it collect dust on my bookshelf.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Once More(1997)
I think I enjoyed the clips from Iruvar Ullam more than the actual movie. **chuckle** I was so intrigued by what I saw, I checked to see if it's on DVD. Unfortunately, it's not; it's available on custom VCD only. **pout** Do I want to spend $20 to watch the rest of the film? I don't know.
As for the movie itself, it was watchable, a nice timepass. It was funny seeing Vijay with long hair and that thick moustache. Ironically(?), he looks younger now than he did ten years ago. Simran was her usual gorgeous self. Her hairstyle and the dress she wore in her intro scene reminded me of Karishma Kapoor's look around that time. I wish a different dubbing artist had been used, though. That breathy, girlish voice did not suit her.
Thanks to those Iruvar Ullam snippets, I've developed an interest in Sivaji Ganesan and B. Sarojadevi. I'd like to check out some of their earlier films, provided I can find them on DVD or VCD. I feel like I'm missing out by not watching movies prior to 1970.
As for the movie itself, it was watchable, a nice timepass. It was funny seeing Vijay with long hair and that thick moustache. Ironically(?), he looks younger now than he did ten years ago. Simran was her usual gorgeous self. Her hairstyle and the dress she wore in her intro scene reminded me of Karishma Kapoor's look around that time. I wish a different dubbing artist had been used, though. That breathy, girlish voice did not suit her.
Thanks to those Iruvar Ullam snippets, I've developed an interest in Sivaji Ganesan and B. Sarojadevi. I'd like to check out some of their earlier films, provided I can find them on DVD or VCD. I feel like I'm missing out by not watching movies prior to 1970.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
I Love You Raa(2002)
Telugu dub of I Love You Da. I love the "I Love You Raa", "Autograph", and "Oh Priya" songs so much, I wish I had the Tamil DVD just for the better picture quality. I wonder if any of those songs are on the Simran Hits DVD? I'm not a fan of songs-only DVDs, but for Simran, I'd make an exception.
The movie itself is not as awesomely bad as I hoped. Granted, I know zilch about cricket(and sports in general, as I don't watch them), but I thought even a non-fan like me would be entertained by a film about match-fixing. Instead, all I can think is "feels disjointed", "ends abruptly", "too clichéd and over-the-top for even me", "little boy committing suicide--WTF?" On the plus side, I enjoyed watching Simran, Raghuvaran, and--gasp!--Prakash Raj(he looks nice clean-shaven, I must say). And, it was only $2.99, so it wasn't a total waste of cash.
Aside: I Googled and yes, "I Love You Da" is on the Simran Hits DVD, along with "MTV Paarthu Putta".
The movie itself is not as awesomely bad as I hoped. Granted, I know zilch about cricket(and sports in general, as I don't watch them), but I thought even a non-fan like me would be entertained by a film about match-fixing. Instead, all I can think is "feels disjointed", "ends abruptly", "too clichéd and over-the-top for even me", "little boy committing suicide--WTF?" On the plus side, I enjoyed watching Simran, Raghuvaran, and--gasp!--Prakash Raj(he looks nice clean-shaven, I must say). And, it was only $2.99, so it wasn't a total waste of cash.
Aside: I Googled and yes, "I Love You Da" is on the Simran Hits DVD, along with "MTV Paarthu Putta".
Friday, February 20, 2009
Nijam(2003)
The short version, for now, part deux: I heart Mahesh Babu. If only I could've been Rakshita's character and mercilessly teased him "[beyond] the limit of decency"(to quote one reviewer). He is extremely pleasing to my eyes. And Rakshita's no slouch, either. Even glammed-down, she's still sexy.
Raasi/Manthra reminds me of someone, maybe a yesteryear actress, but I can't think of who, and it's driving me nuts.
More later, once I gather my thoughts.
ETA: I haven't forgotten about this, just got sidetracked, as usual. Three things:
The look in Raasi's eyes when she rammed the knife into Mahesh's side was both scary and a thing of beauty.
The movie doesn't start to pick up until after the father is killed and the mother and son set out to destroy the people responsible for his death one by one.
The showdown between Mahesh and Gopichand at the end requires a serious suspension of disbelief.
Raasi/Manthra reminds me of someone, maybe a yesteryear actress, but I can't think of who, and it's driving me nuts.
More later, once I gather my thoughts.
ETA: I haven't forgotten about this, just got sidetracked, as usual. Three things:
The look in Raasi's eyes when she rammed the knife into Mahesh's side was both scary and a thing of beauty.
The movie doesn't start to pick up until after the father is killed and the mother and son set out to destroy the people responsible for his death one by one.
The showdown between Mahesh and Gopichand at the end requires a serious suspension of disbelief.
Thulladha Manamum Thullum(1999)
The short version, for now: I really like this movie. Yes, it's very contrived, melodramatic, and sentimental, but that's part of its charm, I think. It reminds me of some 80s Bollywood movies I've watched, but whose titles I can't recall at the moment.
I have more thoughts brewing. Stay glued.
P.S. Simran rocks.
ETA: As with Nijam, I haven't forgotten about this, either, just been sidetracked. I meant to add this earlier: "Has there ever been a blind heroine--whether by birth or by accident--who remained blind for the entire film? In the few movies I've seen, someone always conveniently dies so that their eyes can be donated to the heroine."
I have more thoughts brewing. Stay glued.
P.S. Simran rocks.
ETA: As with Nijam, I haven't forgotten about this, either, just been sidetracked. I meant to add this earlier: "Has there ever been a blind heroine--whether by birth or by accident--who remained blind for the entire film? In the few movies I've seen, someone always conveniently dies so that their eyes can be donated to the heroine."
Priyamanavale(2000)
I had a feeling of déjà vu while watching this, and it turns out it's a remake of a Telugu movie, Pavitra Bandham, starring Venkatesh and Soundarya. I haven't seen Pavitra Bandham, but for some reason, I sensed that Priyamanavale's plot(wealthy, westernized youth agrees to marry poor, traditional girl for one year) was a rehash of an earlier flick. Strange. Anyway...
This is quite entertaining, in spite of a few bumps: the time from when Vijay and Simran get married up until he sends her back home on the day of their wedding anniversary.
WTF?: just about everything that happens afterwards. Like the Energizer Bunny, this movie just kept on going and going and going.
That's my initial impression after one viewing. I'll rewatch it, but not right away, because I'm still reeling from my feeling of "Good god, will this movie EVER end?" According to the back of the DVD box, the running time is 151 minutes, but it felt like 181 minutes.
Another thought: Simran is gorgeous, and looks good in both traditional and western outfits. Also, her character's self-sacrificing nature reminds me of my mother.
This is quite entertaining, in spite of a few bumps: the time from when Vijay and Simran get married up until he sends her back home on the day of their wedding anniversary.
WTF?: just about everything that happens afterwards. Like the Energizer Bunny, this movie just kept on going and going and going.
That's my initial impression after one viewing. I'll rewatch it, but not right away, because I'm still reeling from my feeling of "Good god, will this movie EVER end?" According to the back of the DVD box, the running time is 151 minutes, but it felt like 181 minutes.
Another thought: Simran is gorgeous, and looks good in both traditional and western outfits. Also, her character's self-sacrificing nature reminds me of my mother.
Bobby(2002)
One-armed Prakash Raj is love. I like to rag on him for being in every third movie I own or have watched, but seeing him in Bobby, with only one arm, I felt for him. Rationally, I know that his other arm was strapped behind his back and not really missing, but still, it was touching, and kind of funny as it reminded me of the "one-armed solider" dance this kid in my high school German class did. Anyway...
Mahesh Babu and Aarti Agarwal are Romeo and Juliet-type lovers whose fathers(played by Raghuvaran and Prakash Raj, respectively) are bitter enemies. Unfortunately, they don't remain enemies. And just as unfortunate, not everyone dies in the end. I hate seemingly tragic love stories that end on a happy note(not unless I'm misunderstanding and Mahesh and Aarti's marriage just before the closing credits was really a "dream-before-dying" scenario, but I don't think so). I firmly believe that star-crossed lovers should not survive, simply because I'm fatalistic like that. (Or would "morbid" would be a better word?)
Mahesh did a good job in the acting department, although I wish his character would've gotten laid already so that he would shut up about "committing the sin". Aarti looked lovely and appeared to have good chemistry with Mahesh. One of my favorite scenes is the one where she tips him 100 rupees for (accidentally) rolling out a red carpet for her, and the back and forth banter between them that follows. I also liked the scene where she and Mahesh are sitting on top of a bus, in the rain, smoking, and she suddenly puts out her cigarette, saying that she no longer feels the urge to smoke out of boredom now that she has him, and they lean in for a kiss that leads to the "Vaa Vaa" song.
This movie appeals to the fifteen year-old in me who believes in the made-for-TV version of love and romance. It has a little Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet(the fish tank scene), a little Showgirls(the french fry scene), a little Spice Girls' "Wannabe" video(during the "Pullani Pullattu" song when Aarti Agarwal is dancing on the stairs with four other girls), and a song("Lokam") whose beat is ripped off from Jennifer Lopez's "Love Don't Cost A Thing". The picturisation of said song makes me feel as if I'm on drugs, which isn't a bad thing. It was certainly different, kinda cool, and kinda "Where have I seen this before?" I'm sure it was "inspired by" another artist's music video, but I can't think of who. Moving along...
My only quibbles are that the movie tends to drag in places, and the comedy bits with Brahmanandam and Sunil, while brief compared to the amount of screen time they normally get, could've, should've been left out. But otherwise, the $5.99 I paid for this DVD was well spent. I had zero expectations and wound up pleasantly suprised, which is always a good thing.
Mahesh Babu and Aarti Agarwal are Romeo and Juliet-type lovers whose fathers(played by Raghuvaran and Prakash Raj, respectively) are bitter enemies. Unfortunately, they don't remain enemies. And just as unfortunate, not everyone dies in the end. I hate seemingly tragic love stories that end on a happy note(not unless I'm misunderstanding and Mahesh and Aarti's marriage just before the closing credits was really a "dream-before-dying" scenario, but I don't think so). I firmly believe that star-crossed lovers should not survive, simply because I'm fatalistic like that. (Or would "morbid" would be a better word?)
Mahesh did a good job in the acting department, although I wish his character would've gotten laid already so that he would shut up about "committing the sin". Aarti looked lovely and appeared to have good chemistry with Mahesh. One of my favorite scenes is the one where she tips him 100 rupees for (accidentally) rolling out a red carpet for her, and the back and forth banter between them that follows. I also liked the scene where she and Mahesh are sitting on top of a bus, in the rain, smoking, and she suddenly puts out her cigarette, saying that she no longer feels the urge to smoke out of boredom now that she has him, and they lean in for a kiss that leads to the "Vaa Vaa" song.
This movie appeals to the fifteen year-old in me who believes in the made-for-TV version of love and romance. It has a little Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet(the fish tank scene), a little Showgirls(the french fry scene), a little Spice Girls' "Wannabe" video(during the "Pullani Pullattu" song when Aarti Agarwal is dancing on the stairs with four other girls), and a song("Lokam") whose beat is ripped off from Jennifer Lopez's "Love Don't Cost A Thing". The picturisation of said song makes me feel as if I'm on drugs, which isn't a bad thing. It was certainly different, kinda cool, and kinda "Where have I seen this before?" I'm sure it was "inspired by" another artist's music video, but I can't think of who. Moving along...
My only quibbles are that the movie tends to drag in places, and the comedy bits with Brahmanandam and Sunil, while brief compared to the amount of screen time they normally get, could've, should've been left out. But otherwise, the $5.99 I paid for this DVD was well spent. I had zero expectations and wound up pleasantly suprised, which is always a good thing.
Rowdy Don(2004)
Dubbed Telugu version of Jana, starring Ajith Kumar and Sneha. I watched some of it last night before falling asleep. I thought it was pretty good, in spite of the poor picture quality and the dubbing artist used for Karunaas. The main reason I enjoyed the movie is because of Sneha; she looked amazing, as usual. I found Ajith hot, too. And speaking of hot, that's the adjective I would use to describe the picturisation of the "Thithi Thidavae" song. To put it delicately, I really, really liked it. And the scene where Sneha is hiding in the bushes, snapping pictures of Ajith while he's sword fighting? Yeah, I liked that, too.
I would order the Tamil version, but knowing anytamil, they don't have it in stock. And I'm too paranoid about viruses and spyware to download it from the 'net. Maybe one day, it will show up in bhavanidvd's inventory. Quite a few Tamil and Kannada films I ordered from anytamil eventually appeared on bhavani's site, so hopefully, this one will, too. If not, I'll just make do with my Telugu dub.
I would order the Tamil version, but knowing anytamil, they don't have it in stock. And I'm too paranoid about viruses and spyware to download it from the 'net. Maybe one day, it will show up in bhavanidvd's inventory. Quite a few Tamil and Kannada films I ordered from anytamil eventually appeared on bhavani's site, so hopefully, this one will, too. If not, I'll just make do with my Telugu dub.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Short takes, pt. 8.
Or, "I feel the urge to start posting again, thanks to the shitload of movies I've ordered."
Today I received: Nijam(I'm watching it right now), Priyamanavale, Thulladha Manamum Thullum, Rowdy Don(dubbed Telugu version of Jana starring Ajith and Sneha), Bobby(Telugu version with Mahesh Babu and Aarti Agarwal(a fellow Pisces!), and Sarada Saradaga(Srikanth isn't a heartthrob, but Sindhu Tolani sure is. Plus, it was only $2.99).
I'm waiting on: Blade Babjee(I got it because of Sayali Bhagat, who I've liked ever since The Train), Chakram(because of Asin, and also Charmi), Annavaram(Asin, as well as Sandhya), I Love You Raa(dubbed Telugu version of I Love You Da. Another $2.99 find, and the plot sounds awesomely bad), Bava Nachadu('cuz of Simran), and Once More(MOAR! Simran!).
Oh, and I liked Ammai Bagundi and Nee Thodu Kavali, as well as my two additional purchases, Mumbai Salsa and Good Luck, even though the former felt like a badly-acted soap opera, and the latter was a lift of the Hollywood movie Just My Luck.
I don't know what else to type, so I'll sign off.
Today I received: Nijam(I'm watching it right now), Priyamanavale, Thulladha Manamum Thullum, Rowdy Don(dubbed Telugu version of Jana starring Ajith and Sneha), Bobby(Telugu version with Mahesh Babu and Aarti Agarwal(a fellow Pisces!), and Sarada Saradaga(Srikanth isn't a heartthrob, but Sindhu Tolani sure is. Plus, it was only $2.99).
I'm waiting on: Blade Babjee(I got it because of Sayali Bhagat, who I've liked ever since The Train), Chakram(because of Asin, and also Charmi), Annavaram(Asin, as well as Sandhya), I Love You Raa(dubbed Telugu version of I Love You Da. Another $2.99 find, and the plot sounds awesomely bad), Bava Nachadu('cuz of Simran), and Once More(MOAR! Simran!).
Oh, and I liked Ammai Bagundi and Nee Thodu Kavali, as well as my two additional purchases, Mumbai Salsa and Good Luck, even though the former felt like a badly-acted soap opera, and the latter was a lift of the Hollywood movie Just My Luck.
I don't know what else to type, so I'll sign off.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Brief hiatus.
At the moment, I don't feel motivated to post here. I hope that will change by next week. If not, it may take up to a month before I start updating regularly again.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Short takes, pt. 7.
I haven't been feeling inspired to post a "real" entry, so here's yet another list:
Last night, I watched: Paandu(starring Sneha and Jagapathi Babu), as well the 1980 version of Billa with Rajnikanth and Sripriya. For me, the highlight of the latter film was watching Helen dance in a outfit similar to the one Sridevi wore in Kalakaar. Overall, I thought it was pretty good, but I think I prefer the remake(which is rare, because it's usually the other way around).
The night before, I watched: Julie, the 2006 Kannada remake with Ramya/Divya Spandana and Dino Morea. I liked the antiquated feel in the first half, but hated it in the second half. I wish I had known about and watched the Malayalam original, Chattakari, before it got pulled, especially since it doesn't appear to be available on even VCD.
Last week, I obsessively watched: Ghajini and Billa. With regards to the first flick, even though Nayantara doesn't look her best, and her character is annoying as hell, I still found her appealing. I think it's because of the first couple of minutes of the "X Pichi Y Pichi" song(I have the dubbed Telugu version 'cause it was cheaper).
They were under $5, so I bought them: Nee Thodu Kavali(Charmi's Telugu debut), Ammai Bagundi(because of Meera Jasmine).
I was going to buy: the 2-in-1 DVD of Chakraviyugam solely because of Daisy Bopanna, but I didn't. Maybe next time. Same for the Telugu version of Happy Days.
Posts that are still brewing in my head: Sridevi, Mungaru Male, Kallori, Heartbeats. Hopefully, they'll all see the light of day sometime within the next couple of months.
Last night, I watched: Paandu(starring Sneha and Jagapathi Babu), as well the 1980 version of Billa with Rajnikanth and Sripriya. For me, the highlight of the latter film was watching Helen dance in a outfit similar to the one Sridevi wore in Kalakaar. Overall, I thought it was pretty good, but I think I prefer the remake(which is rare, because it's usually the other way around).
The night before, I watched: Julie, the 2006 Kannada remake with Ramya/Divya Spandana and Dino Morea. I liked the antiquated feel in the first half, but hated it in the second half. I wish I had known about and watched the Malayalam original, Chattakari, before it got pulled, especially since it doesn't appear to be available on even VCD.
Last week, I obsessively watched: Ghajini and Billa. With regards to the first flick, even though Nayantara doesn't look her best, and her character is annoying as hell, I still found her appealing. I think it's because of the first couple of minutes of the "X Pichi Y Pichi" song(I have the dubbed Telugu version 'cause it was cheaper).
They were under $5, so I bought them: Nee Thodu Kavali(Charmi's Telugu debut), Ammai Bagundi(because of Meera Jasmine).
I was going to buy: the 2-in-1 DVD of Chakraviyugam solely because of Daisy Bopanna, but I didn't. Maybe next time. Same for the Telugu version of Happy Days.
Posts that are still brewing in my head: Sridevi, Mungaru Male, Kallori, Heartbeats. Hopefully, they'll all see the light of day sometime within the next couple of months.
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