If you've seen the Lindsay Lohan starrer Just My Luck then you've already watched it's Hindi counterpart. Same story, different actors. Sayali Bhagat is Saba Sharma, an ad exec who's incredibly lucky. Aryeman/Aryamaan is Vicky Varma, a struggling musician who's cursed with bad luck. The two meet at a party and exchange a kiss that reverses their fortunes. Vicky saves music baron Tarun Chopra(Lucky Ali) from getting hit by a car, and Tarun signs Vicky's band to a deal. Saba gets thrown in jail, and loses both her job and her apartment. She goes on a quest to find the guy she kissed so that she can get her luck back. It's not an easy task, however, because he wore a mask, so she doesn't know what he looks like. But she remembers the chain he wore around his neck.
She meets Vicky again, not knowing he's the guy she kissed, and they soon fall in love. But when she realizes he's the one who stole her luck, she plots to take it back. Does she succeed? Will true love prevail in spite of her selfishness? Would anyone be suprised if I said, "Yes, she succeeds, but feels guilty, so she gives back the good luck kiss to help his band succeed"? No? Didn't think so. (And if you were spoiled, I'm sorry, but I thought the conclusion was obvious.)
Sayali was pretty and did a decent job. She's the sole reason I watched this. I liked her in The Train and wanted to see her onscreen again. Aryeman was okay, but looked hotter when he was wearing glasses or that mask. Ranvir Shorey was hilarious as a smooth-talking gigolo. Nazeen Patel, the woman who played Saba's boss, was awful. She spoke her lines in such a stiff, affected manner that she sounded as if she were either constipated or reading from cue cards.
And now, the REAL reason for this post: SCREENCAPS! Click the "read more" link for visuals.
Showing posts with label bollywood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bollywood. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Suhaagan(1986)
It's been a few years since I last watched this movie. It used to make frequent appearances in my DVD player on lazy Sunday afternoons. This post will serve as the write-up I meant to do a while ago, but without the aid of Wikipedia, imdb, or the currently misplaced DVD itself. What follows is totally off-the-cuff and based on my faulty memory:
Sridevi and Padmini Kolhapure are sisters. (I forget their characters' names, and I'm not going to look.) Sridevi is the oldest, and spends most of the day reading(and daydreaming?). Their father is a...landlord? He loans money to a lot people and as a result, the family isn't as well-off as it could/would/should be. One day, Sridevi runs into a guy I'll call Dreamboat because again, I don't want to "cheat" and actually get everyone's names straight. Anyway...Dreamboat is a former flame, I think, and he reads a lot, or his father does. I recall Sridevi purusing his bookshelves and selecting a book(or did he choose it for her?). I can't remember the title but I believe it was a paperback.
Sridevi wants to marry Dreamboat(or vice versa) but her father is worried about the dowry. He wants her to marry a farmboy?, played by Jeetendra. Jeetendra is one of those reliable, good-hearted, hard-working guys who most families love. Anyhow, Jeetendra loves Sridevi but she doesn't give him the time of day. However, they end up getting married because her father doesn't have to worry about paying dowry, and maybe also because he likes Jeetendra and thinks he's a better marriage choice than Dreamboat. Dreamboat's father comes to the house to give his consent for Dreamboat and Sridevi's marriage, but he's too late, he overhears Sridevi's dad making marriage plans with Jeetendra.
Let's see...oh! Jeetendra and Sridevi's first night. It's actually similiar to the first night Sridevi has with Anil Kapoor in Judaai. She complains about the heat, and the hard mattress, I think, and Jeetendra takes her over to the window and points out the people who are sleeping on the ground because they don't have homes. "Be thankful for what you have" and all that. Um...they have a baby, a girl. Sridevi is frustrated with married life. Jeetendra walks in on her one day while she's yelling at her daughter in the crib. He scolds her(Sridevi). She's miserable. Somehow, Shakti Kapoor, the local nuisance/pervert, comes into all this, convincing her one night in the woods to run away with Dreamboat. Not out of the kindness of his heart, but because he wants to shame her dad. Sridevi falls for the ploy and sneaks off into the night with Dreamboat. But it's not exactly happy times. She has the stigma of walking out on her husband and daughter, and living with a man she's not married to. One of her teachers comes by the house and, in a long-winded, roundabout way, calls her a dirty hoor. (I can't recall if he gave Dreamboat the same scarlet letter treatment, but I'm inclined to say no, just because, double-standard and all.) After he leaves, Sridevi, feeling lower than low, tries to light herself on fire, but Dreamboat stops her. The next day? Sridevi finds Dreamboat dead from self-poisoning. He may or may not have a left a note.
Sridevi returns home, but of course, being a shamed woman and all, she's not allowed back in the house. I believe she was living in the barn, or somewhere far from her parents home. In the meantime, Padmini and Jeetendra got married, and were raising Sridevi's daughter, who she meets one day, but her daughter doesn't know that the woman she's talking to is her mother since she was still a baby when Sridevi abandonned her. I don't remember what happened afterwards, so I'll jump ahead with this SPOILER ALERT:
Sridevi dies at the end. I want to say it was from heartbreak, but I don't think so. However, I vividly recall thinking, "She makes a good-looking corpse." Seriously. She looked so peaceful and childlike. She was very good at playing a dead person.
Yeah, that was a jumbled mess. Perhaps one day I'll come back and clean it up, but for now I'll leave it as is. Feel free to correct and/or fill-in-the-blanks. In the meantime, I'll continue trying to remove the writer's block I'm currently experiencing with my Boss post.
Sridevi and Padmini Kolhapure are sisters. (I forget their characters' names, and I'm not going to look.) Sridevi is the oldest, and spends most of the day reading(and daydreaming?). Their father is a...landlord? He loans money to a lot people and as a result, the family isn't as well-off as it could/would/should be. One day, Sridevi runs into a guy I'll call Dreamboat because again, I don't want to "cheat" and actually get everyone's names straight. Anyway...Dreamboat is a former flame, I think, and he reads a lot, or his father does. I recall Sridevi purusing his bookshelves and selecting a book(or did he choose it for her?). I can't remember the title but I believe it was a paperback.
Sridevi wants to marry Dreamboat(or vice versa) but her father is worried about the dowry. He wants her to marry a farmboy?, played by Jeetendra. Jeetendra is one of those reliable, good-hearted, hard-working guys who most families love. Anyhow, Jeetendra loves Sridevi but she doesn't give him the time of day. However, they end up getting married because her father doesn't have to worry about paying dowry, and maybe also because he likes Jeetendra and thinks he's a better marriage choice than Dreamboat. Dreamboat's father comes to the house to give his consent for Dreamboat and Sridevi's marriage, but he's too late, he overhears Sridevi's dad making marriage plans with Jeetendra.
Let's see...oh! Jeetendra and Sridevi's first night. It's actually similiar to the first night Sridevi has with Anil Kapoor in Judaai. She complains about the heat, and the hard mattress, I think, and Jeetendra takes her over to the window and points out the people who are sleeping on the ground because they don't have homes. "Be thankful for what you have" and all that. Um...they have a baby, a girl. Sridevi is frustrated with married life. Jeetendra walks in on her one day while she's yelling at her daughter in the crib. He scolds her(Sridevi). She's miserable. Somehow, Shakti Kapoor, the local nuisance/pervert, comes into all this, convincing her one night in the woods to run away with Dreamboat. Not out of the kindness of his heart, but because he wants to shame her dad. Sridevi falls for the ploy and sneaks off into the night with Dreamboat. But it's not exactly happy times. She has the stigma of walking out on her husband and daughter, and living with a man she's not married to. One of her teachers comes by the house and, in a long-winded, roundabout way, calls her a dirty hoor. (I can't recall if he gave Dreamboat the same scarlet letter treatment, but I'm inclined to say no, just because, double-standard and all.) After he leaves, Sridevi, feeling lower than low, tries to light herself on fire, but Dreamboat stops her. The next day? Sridevi finds Dreamboat dead from self-poisoning. He may or may not have a left a note.
Sridevi returns home, but of course, being a shamed woman and all, she's not allowed back in the house. I believe she was living in the barn, or somewhere far from her parents home. In the meantime, Padmini and Jeetendra got married, and were raising Sridevi's daughter, who she meets one day, but her daughter doesn't know that the woman she's talking to is her mother since she was still a baby when Sridevi abandonned her. I don't remember what happened afterwards, so I'll jump ahead with this SPOILER ALERT:
Sridevi dies at the end. I want to say it was from heartbreak, but I don't think so. However, I vividly recall thinking, "She makes a good-looking corpse." Seriously. She looked so peaceful and childlike. She was very good at playing a dead person.
Yeah, that was a jumbled mess. Perhaps one day I'll come back and clean it up, but for now I'll leave it as is. Feel free to correct and/or fill-in-the-blanks. In the meantime, I'll continue trying to remove the writer's block I'm currently experiencing with my Boss post.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Rog(2005)
I watched this movie ages ago, but felt inspired to type something since I'm currently listening to the soundtrack.
The soundtrack is great. The movie is...not-so-great. I didn't think it was awful, just very, very average and lacking in suspense. As with most(?) Bhatt films, Rog is a knock-off of a Hollywood flick. In this case, the "inspiration" is the 1944 Otto Preminger film Laura, with Irrfan Khan and Ilene Hamman cast in the roles played by Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney, respectively.
Irrfan is a world-weary police inspector who falls in love with a murdered model(Ilene) after he sees her portrait. He immediately becomes obsessed with her: he stays in her house, reads her diary, visits her grave, and dreams about her. However, it turns out she really isn't dead; she was out of town for a few days and it was another model who was killed. Whodunnit? The answer is obvious--well, it was to me, anyway--the minute that character appears onscreen. The remainder of the film is spent waiting for Irrfan to finally figure out who it is.
Irrfan was good and Ilene was adequate, given that her role required only a little skin show and the ability to convey a couple of facial expressions. I still say any reasonably pretty desi model-slash-actress could've delivered the same result. I was none-too-thrilled about seeing a White woman cast to play an Indian. And Pooja Bhatt's assertion that none of "the Indian beauties [she] met" were as "stunningly beautiful" as Ilene gets an eye roll and a "Whatever!" from me. I thought Ilene was attractive, but not to the extent where Pooja had no choice but to resort to brownface casting. However, as someone once said, "That shit's as old as the work week is long," so...**shrug**
Anyway, the soundtrack, as I already mentioned, is great. Even if you don't intend to watch the movie, I highly recommend giving the soundtrack a listen. If you have a pop-up blocker enabled, you can hear the songs here. (I didn't have a problem with the site, but since I got one of those "pop up blocked" messasges, I thought I'd mention that.) "Maine Dil Se Kaha", "Tere Is Jahan Mein", and the duet version of "Guzar Na Jaye" are my favorite tracks. Whenever I'm in the mood for something relatively soothing to listen to, I usually choose this CD.
The soundtrack is great. The movie is...not-so-great. I didn't think it was awful, just very, very average and lacking in suspense. As with most(?) Bhatt films, Rog is a knock-off of a Hollywood flick. In this case, the "inspiration" is the 1944 Otto Preminger film Laura, with Irrfan Khan and Ilene Hamman cast in the roles played by Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney, respectively.
Irrfan is a world-weary police inspector who falls in love with a murdered model(Ilene) after he sees her portrait. He immediately becomes obsessed with her: he stays in her house, reads her diary, visits her grave, and dreams about her. However, it turns out she really isn't dead; she was out of town for a few days and it was another model who was killed. Whodunnit? The answer is obvious--well, it was to me, anyway--the minute that character appears onscreen. The remainder of the film is spent waiting for Irrfan to finally figure out who it is.
Irrfan was good and Ilene was adequate, given that her role required only a little skin show and the ability to convey a couple of facial expressions. I still say any reasonably pretty desi model-slash-actress could've delivered the same result. I was none-too-thrilled about seeing a White woman cast to play an Indian. And Pooja Bhatt's assertion that none of "the Indian beauties [she] met" were as "stunningly beautiful" as Ilene gets an eye roll and a "Whatever!" from me. I thought Ilene was attractive, but not to the extent where Pooja had no choice but to resort to brownface casting. However, as someone once said, "That shit's as old as the work week is long," so...**shrug**
Anyway, the soundtrack, as I already mentioned, is great. Even if you don't intend to watch the movie, I highly recommend giving the soundtrack a listen. If you have a pop-up blocker enabled, you can hear the songs here. (I didn't have a problem with the site, but since I got one of those "pop up blocked" messasges, I thought I'd mention that.) "Maine Dil Se Kaha", "Tere Is Jahan Mein", and the duet version of "Guzar Na Jaye" are my favorite tracks. Whenever I'm in the mood for something relatively soothing to listen to, I usually choose this CD.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Short takes, pt.15.
Or, "Look what I received from Induna today!"
I'm addicted to ordering from Induna. If my blog attracted several hundred unique visitors per week, I'd sign up for their affliate program. Anyway...
Dekha Pyar Tumhara(1985) - I thought, "What the hell?" Even though I'm not really a fan of Kamal's Hindi movies, I find myself wanting to collect as many of them as I can find, just because.
Gateway of India(1957) - I have no idea what this is about. I got it because of Madhubala, even though I wasn't really feeling her looks in this song.
Kal Hamara Hai(1959) - I did a half-assed post here. Madhubala in a double role, that's all I know.
Masterji(1985) - Rajesh Khanna kinda annoys me, but Sridevi AND Anita Raj in the same movie? Okay. I thought I would try to watch the Telugu original first but again, "What the hell?"
Naata(1955) - No clue, but Madhubala, y'know, so...
Qaid(1975) - I saw some screencaps posted in the Leena Chandavarkar thread on Indomania and thought she looked good, so I tried to hunt it down, but Nehaflix didn't carry the DVD at the time, and I hadn't yet discovered Induna, so I forgot about it until last Friday, when I was searching for films to buy. According to Nehaflix, "A girl's evil uncle plots against her in order to steal her inheiritance". Sounds good to me. I hope it's entertaining, even if it's in a unintentionally hilarious way.
What should I get during my next visit to Induna? I would like to check out more Bengali flicks, but I don't know where to start. I guess I could get Sab Choritra Kalponik, and/or maybe Neel Nirjane. Aainaate, Swapner Din, Amanush, Nirjan Saikate, Antaheen, and Kaalpurush are other possibilities. I'll have to keep those titles in mind.
I'm addicted to ordering from Induna. If my blog attracted several hundred unique visitors per week, I'd sign up for their affliate program. Anyway...
Dekha Pyar Tumhara(1985) - I thought, "What the hell?" Even though I'm not really a fan of Kamal's Hindi movies, I find myself wanting to collect as many of them as I can find, just because.
Gateway of India(1957) - I have no idea what this is about. I got it because of Madhubala, even though I wasn't really feeling her looks in this song.
Kal Hamara Hai(1959) - I did a half-assed post here. Madhubala in a double role, that's all I know.
Masterji(1985) - Rajesh Khanna kinda annoys me, but Sridevi AND Anita Raj in the same movie? Okay. I thought I would try to watch the Telugu original first but again, "What the hell?"
Naata(1955) - No clue, but Madhubala, y'know, so...
Qaid(1975) - I saw some screencaps posted in the Leena Chandavarkar thread on Indomania and thought she looked good, so I tried to hunt it down, but Nehaflix didn't carry the DVD at the time, and I hadn't yet discovered Induna, so I forgot about it until last Friday, when I was searching for films to buy. According to Nehaflix, "A girl's evil uncle plots against her in order to steal her inheiritance". Sounds good to me. I hope it's entertaining, even if it's in a unintentionally hilarious way.
What should I get during my next visit to Induna? I would like to check out more Bengali flicks, but I don't know where to start. I guess I could get Sab Choritra Kalponik, and/or maybe Neel Nirjane. Aainaate, Swapner Din, Amanush, Nirjan Saikate, Antaheen, and Kaalpurush are other possibilities. I'll have to keep those titles in mind.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Short takes, pt. 14.
Or, "What did I order from Induna today?"
Jiban Maran(1939) - Hit "add to cart" on a whim since it was from the 30s, and the plot sounds like the kind of melodramatic pap I usually enjoy.
Kaun? Kaisey?(1983) - I sort of blogged about it here.
Bahu Ki Awaaz(1985) - A film about dowry deaths. IIRC, the movie poster for this was shown briefly during a documentary about bride burning that I watched in college.
Zulm Ka Badla(1985) - The plot sounds female-oriented, and Anita Raj looks very pretty in this song so I thought, "What the hell?"
Anokha Andaaz(1995) - This used to be aired pretty frequently on what was then known as the International Channel. (The name was later changed to AZN. Don't know what it's called now since I no longer get that channel.) Manisha Koirala is absolutely gorgeous in this flick. I've wanted a copy of this film for ages.
I passed on: Sab Choritra Kalponik(I was curious to see Bipasha Basu in a Bengali movie, but decided to hold off for now); Clerk(from what I've read, it's a hot mess, and not in a good way); Prem Qaidi(I decided I didn't want to see Lolo's debut that badly); Dil Ka Sathi Dil(dubbed Hindi version of Madanolsavam. I'd rather have the original); Dekha Pyar Tumhara(maybe later); Masterji(I'd rather watch the original Telugu version--I forget the title--first); Dulari(it sounded like something I might want to watch, but I was afraid it would just end up collecting dust. Maybe next time).
ETA 01/05/10: Thanks to my sudden renewed interest in Madhubala, I ordered three more movies, including Dulari. The other two are Rail Ka Dibba and Singaar. I wanted Tarana as well, but it's out of stock.
Now that I think about it, I should've checked for Neel Kamal--well, I just did, and it's not listed. I found three songs on YouTube, though: "Kal Jamuna Tat Par", "Bhool Jathe Hain", and "Jawani Agar Haae".
ETA 01/21/10: I found Shammi Kapoor so appealing(in spite of the pencil-thin moustache) in Rail Ka Dibba that I ordered An Evening in Paris. As an added bonus, Sharmila Tagore dons a bikini--yay!
I also got Police, starring Madhubala. I thought she looked great in the YouTube vids on this site(scroll down to the "Chale Hum Kahan..." video), so I "had" to get it, just as I "had" to get Ek Saal after skimming this review. I've changed my stance on Madhubala. Before, I thought she was "pretty, but not all that", but now I think she was damn gorgeous. Maybe I should've gotten Badal as well. Perhaps I'll order it when/if Tarana becomes available.
Last, but not least, Teesra Kinara, "a drama packed romantic story that revolves around the love triangle of three persons", according to this site. Raj Babbar gives me the creeps, but Anita Raj is in it, as well as Smita Patil, so I figure it won't be that bad.
I wish Induna carried Tamil films so that I would have a (hopefully) cheaper alternative to Bhavani and Anytamil.
ETA 01/27/10: Got my stuff yesterday. I'm so glad I finally ordered from Induna. Again, if they carried Tamil DVDs and/or VCDs, a miniscule part of my life would be complete.
Watched Zulm Ki Badla this past Saturday. Not bad, and Anita was featured rather prominently. She and Sridevi look great in black. In fact, I was reminded of Sri in Sherni as soon as I spotted Anita in her black get-up.
Bahu Ki Awaaz is very heavy. Watching Swaroop Sampat getting tortured was not fun. I realize it's a "social drama" and all, but still...the older I get, the more lightweight I prefer my viewing and reading material to be.
Jiban Maran was a not-bad viewing experience. I felt ridiculously thrilled to be viewing a film from 1939.
Kaun? Kaisey? was pretty awesome in a "sourced-from-VHS-god-I-love-the-80s" sort of way. Didn't really pay attention to the plot, just enjoyed looking at Anita Raj and watching Mithun(not a fan, but I think he has a larger-than-life screen presence that's interesting to watch). Will have to give it another viewing soon.
ETA 01/28/10: After one viewing of Police I've decided that I'm in love with Madhubala and that I "have" to order ALL of her movies. I probably won't do that, but I certainly feel like it, just so I can see MOAR of her.
And Sharmila Tagore? From the second she appeared onscreen in An Evening in Paris the following line from the song "Venus" popped into my head: "She's got it, yeah baby, she's got it!" Her daughter Soha, however, does NOT have it. Saif might have it, but I think I'm feeling kindly towards him just because he's with Kareena. Anyway...I must do a write-up on An Evening in Paris once I've watched it properly.
P.S. I ordered Vamsi and Desamuduru and hopefully, I'll do posts for those films as well. I've gotten so used to not blogging, but maybe I should get back into the habit, just to keep what's left of my brain active.
Jiban Maran(1939) - Hit "add to cart" on a whim since it was from the 30s, and the plot sounds like the kind of melodramatic pap I usually enjoy.
Kaun? Kaisey?(1983) - I sort of blogged about it here.
Bahu Ki Awaaz(1985) - A film about dowry deaths. IIRC, the movie poster for this was shown briefly during a documentary about bride burning that I watched in college.
Zulm Ka Badla(1985) - The plot sounds female-oriented, and Anita Raj looks very pretty in this song so I thought, "What the hell?"
Anokha Andaaz(1995) - This used to be aired pretty frequently on what was then known as the International Channel. (The name was later changed to AZN. Don't know what it's called now since I no longer get that channel.) Manisha Koirala is absolutely gorgeous in this flick. I've wanted a copy of this film for ages.
I passed on: Sab Choritra Kalponik(I was curious to see Bipasha Basu in a Bengali movie, but decided to hold off for now); Clerk(from what I've read, it's a hot mess, and not in a good way); Prem Qaidi(I decided I didn't want to see Lolo's debut that badly); Dil Ka Sathi Dil(dubbed Hindi version of Madanolsavam. I'd rather have the original); Dekha Pyar Tumhara(maybe later); Masterji(I'd rather watch the original Telugu version--I forget the title--first); Dulari(it sounded like something I might want to watch, but I was afraid it would just end up collecting dust. Maybe next time).
ETA 01/05/10: Thanks to my sudden renewed interest in Madhubala, I ordered three more movies, including Dulari. The other two are Rail Ka Dibba and Singaar. I wanted Tarana as well, but it's out of stock.
Now that I think about it, I should've checked for Neel Kamal--well, I just did, and it's not listed. I found three songs on YouTube, though: "Kal Jamuna Tat Par", "Bhool Jathe Hain", and "Jawani Agar Haae".
ETA 01/21/10: I found Shammi Kapoor so appealing(in spite of the pencil-thin moustache) in Rail Ka Dibba that I ordered An Evening in Paris. As an added bonus, Sharmila Tagore dons a bikini--yay!
I also got Police, starring Madhubala. I thought she looked great in the YouTube vids on this site(scroll down to the "Chale Hum Kahan..." video), so I "had" to get it, just as I "had" to get Ek Saal after skimming this review. I've changed my stance on Madhubala. Before, I thought she was "pretty, but not all that", but now I think she was damn gorgeous. Maybe I should've gotten Badal as well. Perhaps I'll order it when/if Tarana becomes available.
Last, but not least, Teesra Kinara, "a drama packed romantic story that revolves around the love triangle of three persons", according to this site. Raj Babbar gives me the creeps, but Anita Raj is in it, as well as Smita Patil, so I figure it won't be that bad.
I wish Induna carried Tamil films so that I would have a (hopefully) cheaper alternative to Bhavani and Anytamil.
ETA 01/27/10: Got my stuff yesterday. I'm so glad I finally ordered from Induna. Again, if they carried Tamil DVDs and/or VCDs, a miniscule part of my life would be complete.
Watched Zulm Ki Badla this past Saturday. Not bad, and Anita was featured rather prominently. She and Sridevi look great in black. In fact, I was reminded of Sri in Sherni as soon as I spotted Anita in her black get-up.
Bahu Ki Awaaz is very heavy. Watching Swaroop Sampat getting tortured was not fun. I realize it's a "social drama" and all, but still...the older I get, the more lightweight I prefer my viewing and reading material to be.
Jiban Maran was a not-bad viewing experience. I felt ridiculously thrilled to be viewing a film from 1939.
Kaun? Kaisey? was pretty awesome in a "sourced-from-VHS-god-I-love-the-80s" sort of way. Didn't really pay attention to the plot, just enjoyed looking at Anita Raj and watching Mithun(not a fan, but I think he has a larger-than-life screen presence that's interesting to watch). Will have to give it another viewing soon.
ETA 01/28/10: After one viewing of Police I've decided that I'm in love with Madhubala and that I "have" to order ALL of her movies. I probably won't do that, but I certainly feel like it, just so I can see MOAR of her.
And Sharmila Tagore? From the second she appeared onscreen in An Evening in Paris the following line from the song "Venus" popped into my head: "She's got it, yeah baby, she's got it!" Her daughter Soha, however, does NOT have it. Saif might have it, but I think I'm feeling kindly towards him just because he's with Kareena. Anyway...I must do a write-up on An Evening in Paris once I've watched it properly.
P.S. I ordered Vamsi and Desamuduru and hopefully, I'll do posts for those films as well. I've gotten so used to not blogging, but maybe I should get back into the habit, just to keep what's left of my brain active.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
TPP: Movie related randomness
Because I can't bring myself to type a "real" post right now:
ETA 12/09/09: Got Kandaswamy today. It's 194 minutes and 27 seconds according to the back of DVD case, which means Santa didn't do me a favor and remove ALL of Vadivelu's scenes. I figured as much, but it doesn't hurt to have hope every once in a while.
ETA 12/16/09: Zara Si Zindagi is slowly growing on me. The songs are beginning to sound less jarring, too. Right now, I find the first half of the movie more interesting than the second.
ETA 01/22/10: I watched Ghajini last night and felt the Nayan love all over again. She wasn't looking her best, but I found her oh-so appealing, flyaway hair, chubby figure, and all. This is the Nayan who pricks my soft spot:
ETA 02/03/10: I think there may be a slight resemblance between the old Nayantara and my best friend from high school. That thought popped into my head when I looked at the Boss DVD cover. (Yeah, I'm weird.)
- I think Amrita Arora is prettier than her
over-ratedolder sister, Malaika. - I hated Sivakasi when I first tried to watch it, but now that I want to order it, it's not in stock. Why do I feel like I've been punk'd?
- I was going to order 7/G Rainbow Colony, solely because I've somehow developed an appreciation for Sonia Agarwal's expressionless face, and then I remembered I already had it on the 2-in-1 DVD of Kedi.
- Anita Raj looks very pretty in Zara Si Zindagi, but she's no Sridevi. I wasn't feeling her character the way I felt Sri's. (And I think I would say that even if I wasn't a Sridevi stan.)
- Speaking of Zara Si Zindagi, the songs are not pleasing to my ears. I cannot bear to listen to them. The songs in Varumaiyin Niram Sivappu are much more melodious.
- One last thing about Zara Si Zindagi: I don't hate it, I just need time(and several more viewings) to get used to it.
- I still haven't watched Abodh. (ETA 01/06/10: I watched some of it last night. Teenage Madz was so choote. I think the lead actor is the same guy who married Bhagyashree, but I'm too lazy to check(ETA 01/08/10: nope, not him). Right now, I'll declare it "a decent timepass". I'll have to view in its entirety before I make a final verdict.)
- I'm toying with the idea of randomly giving away a free DVD.
- Jaali Note isn't bad, now that I remember.
- I ordered the Ayngaran Kandaswamy DVD. Better picture quality, blah, blah, blah, and really, it's not that bad. But I still think Shriya is the best thing about the movie.
- I miss the sweetly chubby, unpolished Nayantara from 3 or 4 years ago. These days, she looks kinda jaded and used-up. (ETA 01/05/10: I'm watching her item number in Twenty: 20 and yeah, I definitely prefer the chubbier, slightly awkward-looking version of Nayan. Here, she looks kinda porny and plasticized. (Unrelated: I think Prithviraj looks better with facial hair.))
ETA 12/09/09: Got Kandaswamy today. It's 194 minutes and 27 seconds according to the back of DVD case, which means Santa didn't do me a favor and remove ALL of Vadivelu's scenes. I figured as much, but it doesn't hurt to have hope every once in a while.
ETA 12/16/09: Zara Si Zindagi is slowly growing on me. The songs are beginning to sound less jarring, too. Right now, I find the first half of the movie more interesting than the second.
ETA 01/22/10: I watched Ghajini last night and felt the Nayan love all over again. She wasn't looking her best, but I found her oh-so appealing, flyaway hair, chubby figure, and all. This is the Nayan who pricks my soft spot:
ETA 02/03/10: I think there may be a slight resemblance between the old Nayantara and my best friend from high school. That thought popped into my head when I looked at the Boss DVD cover. (Yeah, I'm weird.)
Monday, November 23, 2009
Aag(1948)
When I first saw this in Nehaflix's "Back in stock" section I wondered, "Why is it $15?" And then I thought, "Oh wait, I can probably get this from Induna for a lot less!" (And I can. And most likely will, once my other order arrives.)
The only reason I have a smidgen of interest in this film is because A) Raj Kapoor was very good-looking in his youth and B) physically, he reminds me of some of my father's male relatives. I don't know what this movie is about, and I don't really care. Nor am I bothered by the possibility that it could very well suck. I'll just act like my father and automatically deem it "good" simply because it was filmed in black and white ;)
I feel like I should acquaint myself with some of Raj Kapoor's other late 40s and early 50s titles, for shallow reasons mainly, and also to have a bit of variety in my viewing habits.
The only reason I have a smidgen of interest in this film is because A) Raj Kapoor was very good-looking in his youth and B) physically, he reminds me of some of my father's male relatives. I don't know what this movie is about, and I don't really care. Nor am I bothered by the possibility that it could very well suck. I'll just act like my father and automatically deem it "good" simply because it was filmed in black and white ;)
I feel like I should acquaint myself with some of Raj Kapoor's other late 40s and early 50s titles, for shallow reasons mainly, and also to have a bit of variety in my viewing habits.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Short takes, pt.13.
AKA "I FINALLY ordered from Induna!"
This is what I bought:
Abodh(1984) - Madhuri's debut. I didn't quite blog about it here. I wish Gaja Gamini had also been in stock, but it seems to be permanently out of print.
Dev D(2009) - The DVD was out of stock, so I got the VCD. I hope I like it. If not, I can always stare at Kalki Koechlin's lips.
Dil Ki Rani(1947) - Madhubala's first movie. A blogger who watched this wasn't impressed, but that didn't deter me. I usually find something likeable about the films that most people hate.
Kidnap(2009) - I read about it on ajnabi1977's blog, and since it was only $1.67, I thought, "What the heck?"
Yeh To Kamal Ho Gaya(1982) - YAY!!!! FINALLY!!!! I hope the Eagle VCDs don't act up as badly as the DVDs. I posted about it here.
Zara Si Zindagi(1983) - Once again: YAY!!!! FINALLY!!!! Here is my original blog post.
The shipping and handling charge was $20.93 for $7.93 worth of movies BUT, at least I was able to get four movies I've been really, really wanting to see for the longest. And if the shipping is super fast, that's another bonus. Plus, I would like an alternative to Nehaflix and the occasional Amazon seller for Hindi movies, particularly ones that aren't yet available on DVD. So, I will keep my fingers crossed and hope that I will be pleased enough to make more purchases from Induna in the future.
ETA 11/23/09: My movies arrived today. Celebrate me! All of my discs were nicely packaged. I hope they play okay. I'm already thinking of other titles I'd like to order.
ETA2 11/23/09: I tried all but the Dev D and Abodh discs and they play fine, even the Eagle VCDs. Quick and/or shallow thoughts:
Zara Si Zindagi - It's not a bad viewing experience, as long as I remember to not compare it to the original, Varumaiyin Niram Sivappu.
Yeh To Kamal Ho Gaya - Hannah Mitchell is not quite as beautiful as I initially thought, and her acting sucked; still, I'll take her over that seemingly stoned French chick in Sattam En Kayil.
Kidnap - Minissha I'm-too-lazy-to-Google-her-last-name is bearable only when she's wearing skimpy clothes. I don't know how old she's supposed to be in real life, but playing a 17 year old? Ha! More like "17 going on 29 or 30". Her Britney Spears circa 1999 number was amusing for about a minute, then I had to hit the "skip chapter" button. Imraan Khan looked good. I want him to kidnap me. I bet we'd have all kinds of fun together. **shifts eyes**
Dil Ki Rani - I found it watchable enough, probably because I had zero expectations and didn't concentrate too hard. I have a feeling it will make frequent appearances in my DVD player. (Aside: It seems like the type of film my dad would enjoy.)
ETA 11/24/09: I looked up whatsherface on Wikipedia and she was allegedly born in 1985. Maybe she really is 24 but to me, she doesn't look a day under 30. From the neck down, she's fine, but her face makes me wish Hansika Motwani had been cast instead, simply because she's actually a teenager, even if she doesn't look it. Anyhoo...
Imran...mmmmmmm. I'm not a fan but I find him pretty hot in Kidnap. Isn't he in Luck with Shruti Haasan and FILF co-star Sanjay Dutt? Yeah, I think so. Not that I want to see that movie, but I just remembered.
From what I've seen so far, it seems like a decent Saturday night timepass, the kind of flick you watch when there's nothing else on the tube. And it was under $2 so it's not like I wasted a bunch of money on it.
I gave the 2nd disc of Dev D about twenty minutes of my time. I liked what I saw but the soundtrack gave me a headache, as did the commercials at the beginning of the disc(luckily, I was able to skip through them). I hope the DVD comes back in stock soon so that I won't have to always get up to change discs.
This is what I bought:
Abodh(1984) - Madhuri's debut. I didn't quite blog about it here. I wish Gaja Gamini had also been in stock, but it seems to be permanently out of print.
Dev D(2009) - The DVD was out of stock, so I got the VCD. I hope I like it. If not, I can always stare at Kalki Koechlin's lips.
Dil Ki Rani(1947) - Madhubala's first movie. A blogger who watched this wasn't impressed, but that didn't deter me. I usually find something likeable about the films that most people hate.
Kidnap(2009) - I read about it on ajnabi1977's blog, and since it was only $1.67, I thought, "What the heck?"
Yeh To Kamal Ho Gaya(1982) - YAY!!!! FINALLY!!!! I hope the Eagle VCDs don't act up as badly as the DVDs. I posted about it here.
Zara Si Zindagi(1983) - Once again: YAY!!!! FINALLY!!!! Here is my original blog post.
The shipping and handling charge was $20.93 for $7.93 worth of movies BUT, at least I was able to get four movies I've been really, really wanting to see for the longest. And if the shipping is super fast, that's another bonus. Plus, I would like an alternative to Nehaflix and the occasional Amazon seller for Hindi movies, particularly ones that aren't yet available on DVD. So, I will keep my fingers crossed and hope that I will be pleased enough to make more purchases from Induna in the future.
ETA 11/23/09: My movies arrived today. Celebrate me! All of my discs were nicely packaged. I hope they play okay. I'm already thinking of other titles I'd like to order.
ETA2 11/23/09: I tried all but the Dev D and Abodh discs and they play fine, even the Eagle VCDs. Quick and/or shallow thoughts:
Zara Si Zindagi - It's not a bad viewing experience, as long as I remember to not compare it to the original, Varumaiyin Niram Sivappu.
Yeh To Kamal Ho Gaya - Hannah Mitchell is not quite as beautiful as I initially thought, and her acting sucked; still, I'll take her over that seemingly stoned French chick in Sattam En Kayil.
Kidnap - Minissha I'm-too-lazy-to-Google-her-last-name is bearable only when she's wearing skimpy clothes. I don't know how old she's supposed to be in real life, but playing a 17 year old? Ha! More like "17 going on 29 or 30". Her Britney Spears circa 1999 number was amusing for about a minute, then I had to hit the "skip chapter" button. Imraan Khan looked good. I want him to kidnap me. I bet we'd have all kinds of fun together. **shifts eyes**
Dil Ki Rani - I found it watchable enough, probably because I had zero expectations and didn't concentrate too hard. I have a feeling it will make frequent appearances in my DVD player. (Aside: It seems like the type of film my dad would enjoy.)
ETA 11/24/09: I looked up whatsherface on Wikipedia and she was allegedly born in 1985. Maybe she really is 24 but to me, she doesn't look a day under 30. From the neck down, she's fine, but her face makes me wish Hansika Motwani had been cast instead, simply because she's actually a teenager, even if she doesn't look it. Anyhoo...
Imran...mmmmmmm. I'm not a fan but I find him pretty hot in Kidnap. Isn't he in Luck with Shruti Haasan and FILF co-star Sanjay Dutt? Yeah, I think so. Not that I want to see that movie, but I just remembered.
From what I've seen so far, it seems like a decent Saturday night timepass, the kind of flick you watch when there's nothing else on the tube. And it was under $2 so it's not like I wasted a bunch of money on it.
I gave the 2nd disc of Dev D about twenty minutes of my time. I liked what I saw but the soundtrack gave me a headache, as did the commercials at the beginning of the disc(luckily, I was able to skip through them). I hope the DVD comes back in stock soon so that I won't have to always get up to change discs.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Kinara(1977)
This is not the month to be me. First the dubbed Tamil version of Prema Pustakam was aired a few days ago on Vijay TV(which I don't have), and now, thanks to a post in this thread, I develop an interest in Kinara only to discover that it's not available on even VCD. As soon as I started watching this video, I didn't care what it was about, I just wanted to hunt down a copy. (BTW, a YouTube poster explained that the plot revolves around "...a [dancer] who maintains her craft despite being blind...") Apparently, it is--or rather, was--available on home video(I say "was" because I didn't see it listed in Bombino's VHS section). And I don't have Zee TV, either, so there's no chance of catching it during a re-air. **sigh**
More YouTube vids: "Jaane Kya Sochkar Nahin Guzra"(I'm guessing it was sourced from a Shemaroo compilation disc), "Meethe Bol Bole", "Koi Nahin Hai Kahin"
P.S. I even checked Induna and Moserbaer and came up with nada.
More YouTube vids: "Jaane Kya Sochkar Nahin Guzra"(I'm guessing it was sourced from a Shemaroo compilation disc), "Meethe Bol Bole", "Koi Nahin Hai Kahin"
P.S. I even checked Induna and Moserbaer and came up with nada.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Dev D(2009)
Kalki Koechlin's mouth is the only reason I want to see this flick. Seriously. If she possessed your average, everyday-looking mouth, I wouldn't care. But because I am so easily fascinated by the weirdest things, I want to check out Dev D just to look at and obsess over her lips and plain-but-in-an-interesting-way face. I don't care how well she acts. I don't care if her voice is dubbed or if she speaks heavily accented Hindi. I don't really care about the other two actors, although Abhay Deol isn't bad-looking. IIRC, he's kinda flabby, but that's okay. Who knows? I may end up liking it in spite of my initial "Eh, whatever"-ness.
It's currently available from Induna, but not Nehaflix. Why is that? Am I going to have to start patronizing Induna for Hindi movies? Hmmm...that's not a bad idea, actually. I just have to buy enough films to justify the shipping and handling charges. I should make a list and order them all at once.
It's currently available from Induna, but not Nehaflix. Why is that? Am I going to have to start patronizing Induna for Hindi movies? Hmmm...that's not a bad idea, actually. I just have to buy enough films to justify the shipping and handling charges. I should make a list and order them all at once.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Aadmi Aur Insaan(1969)
I saw this in Nehaflix's "Back in stock" section and was immediately tempted to order it solely because I find Saira Banu so fascinatingly odd-looking. Dark hair suits her, and red is definitely her color, as seen from 1:40 - 2:55 of "O Neele Parbaton Ki". In the green outfit, she reminds me of Hema Malini for some strange reason. I think it's the bangs and the eyeliner.
I'm not a fan of either Dharmendra or Mumtaz, but I'm willing to give both of them a pass because A) I found Dharmendra hot in that "older gentleman" way in Johnny Gadar(which reminds me, I need to fish it out from wherever and try to watch it again) and B) Mumtaz looks totally smokin' in the "Zindagi Ittefaq Hai" song. (Isn't that also the title of a movie?)
I skimmed the plot summary and it sounds like the usual melodrama. I might like it. And it might just collect dust on my shelf. The thing about impulse buys is that I rarely watch them more than once. If only I had been conceived during the late eighties or early nineties. I probably wouldn't know anything about buying DVDs because I would simply download movies from torrent sites. (I'm generalizing, I know, but...work with me.)
I'm not a fan of either Dharmendra or Mumtaz, but I'm willing to give both of them a pass because A) I found Dharmendra hot in that "older gentleman" way in Johnny Gadar(which reminds me, I need to fish it out from wherever and try to watch it again) and B) Mumtaz looks totally smokin' in the "Zindagi Ittefaq Hai" song. (Isn't that also the title of a movie?)
I skimmed the plot summary and it sounds like the usual melodrama. I might like it. And it might just collect dust on my shelf. The thing about impulse buys is that I rarely watch them more than once. If only I had been conceived during the late eighties or early nineties. I probably wouldn't know anything about buying DVDs because I would simply download movies from torrent sites. (I'm generalizing, I know, but...work with me.)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Love Aaj Kal(2009)
I have no idea what this movie is about, nor do I really want to know. I just want to find out if Deepika Padukone is really as boring as I suspect she is. I liked her in Aishwarya, and I still think of her as "a cute alien", but for the most part, whenever her name pops into my mind, the words "boring as fuck" follow. I thought that if I watched one of her Hindi movies, I might change my mind and pay more attention to her. I figured Love Aaj Kal would be the least painful choice since, even though I'm not a Saif fan, I find him more tolerable than either SRK or Ranbir. (And that's solely because of Kareena. I think they make a good pair.)
But do I want to spend $13.99? **ponders** Hmmm...kind of. It's been a while since my last impulse buy. However, I should try to watch it online first, because the urge to see it could vanish shortly after I hit the "confirm order" button. Or I could lose interest, as I'm doing right now as I type this. **sigh** I'm so fickle. I really do "change like the wind", as a college acquaintance once said about me.
But do I want to spend $13.99? **ponders** Hmmm...kind of. It's been a while since my last impulse buy. However, I should try to watch it online first, because the urge to see it could vanish shortly after I hit the "confirm order" button. Or I could lose interest, as I'm doing right now as I type this. **sigh** I'm so fickle. I really do "change like the wind", as a college acquaintance once said about me.
Hawas(2004)
"Delightfully sleazy" is how I summed up this movie after I watched it the first time. It used to be one of my fave "so-bad-it's-good" flicks, but then it fell by the wayside and I forgot about it until a few days ago, when I rewatched it. I had been reading a UAE culture guide and remembered that this was filmed in Dubai, so I gave it another look-see, for old time's sake. I think I've become more jaded than usual, because I found it somewhat less entertaining than before. Tarun Arora wasn't quite as visually appealing; the unintentional hilarity wasn't quite as amusing; the songs didn't sound quite as catchy("Alla Miya" is still my jam, though). On the plus side, I found Shawar Ali a lot more attractive than I did initially. He looked so good, I almost wished he were my husband.
Back in the day, I preferred Hawas to Murder. Now, I think I somewhat agree with the reviewer who said that Murder was the better Hindi version of Unfaithful(which was alright, but overall, I felt it was just a Lifetime movie with sex and nudity).
Back in the day, I preferred Hawas to Murder. Now, I think I somewhat agree with the reviewer who said that Murder was the better Hindi version of Unfaithful(which was alright, but overall, I felt it was just a Lifetime movie with sex and nudity).
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Out of Control(2003)
I used to compulsively watch this movie when I first got it a couple of years ago. I haven't viewed it in a while, so certain plot details have escaped my memory, but I do recall the following: Ritesh Deshmukh plays Jimmy, a Punjabi immigrant working as a cab driver in New York. He meets an aspiring singer and Bollywood fan named Sally(Brande Roderick). His visa is about to expire, and he can't find a US sponsor, so he's going to have to leave the country. Sally suggests that the two of them get married so that he can remain in America. He's reluctant at first but eventually agrees. Everything is fine until he returns home(I forget why) and his family gets him married to a local girl, Richa(Hrishitaa Bhatt). When Jimmy's father and Indian bride come to New York, that's when things get really "out of control"(hahaha). Jimmy goes crazy, figuratively speaking, trying to lead a double life and not get caught. In the end--**SPOILER ALERT**--Sally gives up Jimmy so that he can stay married to Richa.
Initially, I was prepared to hate Brande, but she came across as so sweet and harmless that I couldn't help but like her. Her acting was kind of awful, and her "Hinglish", while cute, was grating; still, I felt she was a better choice than Pam Anderson who, supposedly, was the producers' first pick. I wouldn't have minded if Brande and Ritesh had remained together at the end. I never thought I would say that about a gori leading lady, but there ya go. And here's another rarity: I found Brande hot enough to be one of the few tow-headed exceptions to my "brunettes only" meme.
I would describe Out of Control as "pretty good, in a hilariously bad way". It's available from Nehaflix for $12, but I recommend waiting until it gets marked down to $7 or less.
There were four or five songs, I believe, but only two were memorable: "USA Vich LA" and "Tera Chandsa Ye Chehra".
Perhaps I should revisit this flick later tonight, Y/N?
Initially, I was prepared to hate Brande, but she came across as so sweet and harmless that I couldn't help but like her. Her acting was kind of awful, and her "Hinglish", while cute, was grating; still, I felt she was a better choice than Pam Anderson who, supposedly, was the producers' first pick. I wouldn't have minded if Brande and Ritesh had remained together at the end. I never thought I would say that about a gori leading lady, but there ya go. And here's another rarity: I found Brande hot enough to be one of the few tow-headed exceptions to my "brunettes only" meme.
I would describe Out of Control as "pretty good, in a hilariously bad way". It's available from Nehaflix for $12, but I recommend waiting until it gets marked down to $7 or less.
There were four or five songs, I believe, but only two were memorable: "USA Vich LA" and "Tera Chandsa Ye Chehra".
Perhaps I should revisit this flick later tonight, Y/N?
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Short takes, pt.12.
AKA "The Madhuri Dixit edition, in 25 words or less."
100 Days(1991) - Her acne was at its worst, but she managed to look pretty in spite of it. Decent timepass.
Anjaam(1994) - I finally got the hype about her looks. Great hair and wonderful smile. Loved the ending.
Beta(1992) - The "Dhak Dhak Dil Karne Laga song was about the only thing I liked, aside from Madz herself.
Dayavan(1988) - I got this only for the smooch scene.
Deewana Mujh Sa Nahin(1990) - In this day and age, she would've filed a restraining order instead of marrying herstalker ardent fan. The first song is cute and bouncy.
Devdas(2002) - Pretty to behold, but too melodramatic for even overly melodramatic me. Watched it only for Madz.
Hum Aapke Hain Kaun!(1994) - I didn't make it past the first half-hour but IIRC, Madz made an entrance on roller skates.
Kanoon Apna Apna(1989) - I remember thinking how skinny her legs were in this song. I also remember **ahem** a couple of other things.
Khal Nayak(1993) - To be honest, I watched only the "Choli Ke Peeche" song. My Shemaroo disc refuses to let me cap it.
Koyla(1997) - SRK's mullet = love, Madhuri = gorgeous. Best of all, my Video Sound DVD didn't skip OR freeze. How often does that happen?
Phool(1993) - Flashes of certain scenes are dancing in my head but overall, I'm drawing a blank. Pic quality on Baba disc sucked.
Prem Pratigyaa(1989) - I remember thinking it was pretty good, but that's it.
Raja(1995) - Madhuri's presence made this very mediocre film watchable.
Sangeet(1992) - This number was an eye-opener. I recall thinking Madhuri was good in her dual role, but not much else.
Tezaab(1988) - The "Ek Do Teen" song is catchy. Too bad my (Video Sound) disc froze at chapter eight.
100 Days(1991) - Her acne was at its worst, but she managed to look pretty in spite of it. Decent timepass.
Anjaam(1994) - I finally got the hype about her looks. Great hair and wonderful smile. Loved the ending.
Beta(1992) - The "Dhak Dhak Dil Karne Laga song was about the only thing I liked, aside from Madz herself.
Dayavan(1988) - I got this only for the smooch scene.
Deewana Mujh Sa Nahin(1990) - In this day and age, she would've filed a restraining order instead of marrying her
Devdas(2002) - Pretty to behold, but too melodramatic for even overly melodramatic me. Watched it only for Madz.
Hum Aapke Hain Kaun!(1994) - I didn't make it past the first half-hour but IIRC, Madz made an entrance on roller skates.
Kanoon Apna Apna(1989) - I remember thinking how skinny her legs were in this song. I also remember **ahem** a couple of other things.
Khal Nayak(1993) - To be honest, I watched only the "Choli Ke Peeche" song. My Shemaroo disc refuses to let me cap it.
Koyla(1997) - SRK's mullet = love, Madhuri = gorgeous. Best of all, my Video Sound DVD didn't skip OR freeze. How often does that happen?
Phool(1993) - Flashes of certain scenes are dancing in my head but overall, I'm drawing a blank. Pic quality on Baba disc sucked.
Prem Pratigyaa(1989) - I remember thinking it was pretty good, but that's it.
Raja(1995) - Madhuri's presence made this very mediocre film watchable.
Sangeet(1992) - This number was an eye-opener. I recall thinking Madhuri was good in her dual role, but not much else.
Tezaab(1988) - The "Ek Do Teen" song is catchy. Too bad my (Video Sound) disc froze at chapter eight.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Mitti Aur Sona(1989)
I saw the movie poster in the Neelam thread on Indomania, Googled, and found the VCD, which may or may not be in stock, here, as well as a couple of songs on YouTube picturised on Sonam and Chunky Pandey: "Zindagi Mein Pehli Pehli Baar" and "Mara Jisko Mohabbat Ne Mara". I couldn't find any songs with Neelam, which leads me to believe that they were either yanked down, or she didn't have a very large role. Boo if it's the latter. The plot sounds right up my alley, though, and that could make up for the lack of Neelie-baby. I wish this movie were available on DVD.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Sanam Harjai(1995)
Simran's Hindi debut, which is why I bought it. I have this "thing" about hunting down and watching the first onscreen appearances of my favorite actors. Anyway, I enjoyed the utter badness of this flick. It felt like a 2 1/2 hour paternity test episode of the Maury show, but with songs and
***SPOILERS***
not one, not two, but FOUR murders! Long story, shorter version: Raj(Himanshu), alias Sunny, approaches lawyer KK Verma(Sadashiv Amrapurkar) for advice on how to rape a woman without getting convicted, as all of Verma's clients in rape cases have gotten off scot-free. Raj then uses Verma's tips to impregnate Verma's two daughters, Nillu(Saadhika) and Tina(Simran), as revenge for Verma getting Raj's sister pregnant, then killing both her and his mother when they threatened to expose his dirty deeds. All of this is revealed at a suprise party Raj throws for Verma, who is shocked to discover that the father of Nillu and Tina's respective children is the same guy he was going to represent. Verma attempts to kill Raj but Nillu steps in front of him and takes the bullet instead, staying alive long enough to blame Verma for Raj's misdeeds before firing several rounds into him.
Jump to the present and Raj's adoptive mother(Reema Lagoo) lights into him for ruining the lives of two innocent girls and tells him to man up and take responsibility for the son Tina left on their doorstep a few...weeks? months? earlier. He agrees to this, of course, and accepts both Tina and their son and everyone lives happily ever after.
I think the suprise element would've been greater if Raj's intent hadn't been made evident early in the film. The scene with him asking Verma for pointers on how to get away with raping a girl, as well as the one where Verma successfully defends one of his clients, should've been shown during the flashback episode at the party. And the...two? scenes with Verma receiving a flower bouquet with a "6-6-76" card attached should've been left out, because it was obvious(to me, anyway) that Raj was the one who sent them.
Speaking of Raj, I wish he had been played by someone other than Himanshu. I wasn't feeling him, to put it mildly.
Saadhika was lovely, and at times she sorta resembled Divya Bharati. I think it was the hair and bitchy-but-cute facial expressions.
I had a love-hate relationship with Simran's wig. On one hand, I enjoyed staring at it, but on the other hand, I was like, "Why is she wearing a wig? What was wrong with her natural hair?"
Screencappies:
Saadhika
Simran
not one, not two, but FOUR murders! Long story, shorter version: Raj(Himanshu), alias Sunny, approaches lawyer KK Verma(Sadashiv Amrapurkar) for advice on how to rape a woman without getting convicted, as all of Verma's clients in rape cases have gotten off scot-free. Raj then uses Verma's tips to impregnate Verma's two daughters, Nillu(Saadhika) and Tina(Simran), as revenge for Verma getting Raj's sister pregnant, then killing both her and his mother when they threatened to expose his dirty deeds. All of this is revealed at a suprise party Raj throws for Verma, who is shocked to discover that the father of Nillu and Tina's respective children is the same guy he was going to represent. Verma attempts to kill Raj but Nillu steps in front of him and takes the bullet instead, staying alive long enough to blame Verma for Raj's misdeeds before firing several rounds into him.
Jump to the present and Raj's adoptive mother(Reema Lagoo) lights into him for ruining the lives of two innocent girls and tells him to man up and take responsibility for the son Tina left on their doorstep a few...weeks? months? earlier. He agrees to this, of course, and accepts both Tina and their son and everyone lives happily ever after.
I think the suprise element would've been greater if Raj's intent hadn't been made evident early in the film. The scene with him asking Verma for pointers on how to get away with raping a girl, as well as the one where Verma successfully defends one of his clients, should've been shown during the flashback episode at the party. And the...two? scenes with Verma receiving a flower bouquet with a "6-6-76" card attached should've been left out, because it was obvious(to me, anyway) that Raj was the one who sent them.
Speaking of Raj, I wish he had been played by someone other than Himanshu. I wasn't feeling him, to put it mildly.
Saadhika was lovely, and at times she sorta resembled Divya Bharati. I think it was the hair and bitchy-but-cute facial expressions.
I had a love-hate relationship with Simran's wig. On one hand, I enjoyed staring at it, but on the other hand, I was like, "Why is she wearing a wig? What was wrong with her natural hair?"
Screencappies:
Saadhika
Simran
Saturday, July 25, 2009
36 Ghante(1974)
I don't know if it's because I wasn't really in the mood to watch it, but I found this movie rather boring. I switched it off just as Ashok(Raj Kumar) was advising his sister, Naina(Parveen Babi), to not let on that the three escaped criminals the police were looking for were hiding out at their house. At this point, I don't care how it ends. Maybe sometime in the distant future I'll rewatch it, or just skip ahead to the end, but right now, it's going into the "buyer's remorse" pile.
36 Ghante is based on the 1955 Hollywood movie, The Desperate Hours. I haven't watched that version, so I don't know how its Hindi counterpart compares, but I'm sure the picture quality on the Paramount DVD is not as bad as the non-effort put out by Yash Raj Films. "Nostalgic appeal" my ass! They just didn't want to spend the money to produce a better print. I'm not really a stickler for flawless pic quality, especially since I watch my movies on an analog TV, but still...YRF? Stop being so cheap when it comes to your older titles.
Parveen Babi is the reason I got this. In spite of being less-than-impressed with this film, I did enjoy watching her, as she's very telegenic. And when she fake-fainted, giving Ashok an opportunity to take the gun from one of the goons, Ajit(Ranjeet) and force him outside, I thought "Yes!" But my excitement was quickly dashed when I saw the little boy, Raju, choose that moment to jump out of his bedroom window and right into the arms of the ringleader, Himmat(Sunil Dutt). Don't get me started on Ashok failing to quickly SHUT THE DOOR after Himmat turned Raju loose and let him go back inside. **sigh**
ETA 01/22/10: Ha! I was about to comment in someone's blog that I hadn't watched any of Mala Sinha's movies and then I saw the tag for her name and remembered this movie. Still haven't gotten around to rewatching it. Maybe one day.
My viewing experience wasn't a total bust. Here are the few gems I found either amusing or asethetically pleasing:
The wife, Deepa's(Mala Sinha) sari
Himmat's bikini-clad girlfriend, Kamini, getting
a rub-down from a skinny masseuse
Kamini's red and white ensemble,
and huge bug eye sunglasses
Her snazzy ride
Nearly running over a pedestrian in her
haste to escape from the cops
The beautiful Parveen
The fiance's poor parents having to sit outside
in the cold, and leaving with the impression
that Ashok and Deepa didn't approve of their son
Vijay, the aforementioned fiance, imploring Naina
to talk to him in the "Chup Ho Aaj Kaho" song
Himmat(middle) ripping Dilawar(Danny, left)
a new one for trying to rape Naina.
A criminal with a conscience, gotta love it.
36 Ghante is based on the 1955 Hollywood movie, The Desperate Hours. I haven't watched that version, so I don't know how its Hindi counterpart compares, but I'm sure the picture quality on the Paramount DVD is not as bad as the non-effort put out by Yash Raj Films. "Nostalgic appeal" my ass! They just didn't want to spend the money to produce a better print. I'm not really a stickler for flawless pic quality, especially since I watch my movies on an analog TV, but still...YRF? Stop being so cheap when it comes to your older titles.
Parveen Babi is the reason I got this. In spite of being less-than-impressed with this film, I did enjoy watching her, as she's very telegenic. And when she fake-fainted, giving Ashok an opportunity to take the gun from one of the goons, Ajit(Ranjeet) and force him outside, I thought "Yes!" But my excitement was quickly dashed when I saw the little boy, Raju, choose that moment to jump out of his bedroom window and right into the arms of the ringleader, Himmat(Sunil Dutt). Don't get me started on Ashok failing to quickly SHUT THE DOOR after Himmat turned Raju loose and let him go back inside. **sigh**
ETA 01/22/10: Ha! I was about to comment in someone's blog that I hadn't watched any of Mala Sinha's movies and then I saw the tag for her name and remembered this movie. Still haven't gotten around to rewatching it. Maybe one day.
My viewing experience wasn't a total bust. Here are the few gems I found either amusing or asethetically pleasing:
The wife, Deepa's(Mala Sinha) sari
Himmat's bikini-clad girlfriend, Kamini, getting
a rub-down from a skinny masseuse
Kamini's red and white ensemble,
and huge bug eye sunglasses
Her snazzy ride
Nearly running over a pedestrian in her
haste to escape from the cops
The beautiful Parveen
The fiance's poor parents having to sit outside
in the cold, and leaving with the impression
that Ashok and Deepa didn't approve of their son
Vijay, the aforementioned fiance, imploring Naina
to talk to him in the "Chup Ho Aaj Kaho" song
Himmat(middle) ripping Dilawar(Danny, left)
a new one for trying to rape Naina.
A criminal with a conscience, gotta love it.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Purab Aur Paschim(1970)
I want to see this for two reasons: Saira Banu's and Barbara Lindley's horrible blonde wigs. Seriously. There's just something disturbingly fascinating about their obviously fake hair. (Yes, I need help.)
However, the more I read the plot, the more I think it might be interesting, particularly this part: "Preeti agrees to travel to India with Bharat to meet his family but only if they can return to the UK afterwards..Predictably, she has an awakening of sorts and agrees to stay, although she never renounces her miniskirt." And probably not that wig, either. Bad wig + miniskirt = worth a watch, Y/N?
However, the more I read the plot, the more I think it might be interesting, particularly this part: "Preeti agrees to travel to India with Bharat to meet his family but only if they can return to the UK afterwards..Predictably, she has an awakening of sorts and agrees to stay, although she never renounces her miniskirt." And probably not that wig, either. Bad wig + miniskirt = worth a watch, Y/N?
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Kaun Sachcha Kaun Jhootha(1997)
I came across these caps while going through my Photobucket album. It's been ages since I've watched it, and I remember only bits and pieces: Rishi Kapoor pretends to be a psych patient obsessed with his lost love, Madhu, who looks exactly like Sridevi. He breaks into her house one night, threatening her with a knife, she sedates him by mixing sleeping pills into the glass of water she gives him. Rishi's father wants Sridevi to pretend to be Madhu and after some hesitation, she agrees. It turns out the whole thing was a ploy to trap Sridevi into confessing to a crime she committed a while back, she accidentally killed some guy, some big muckety-muck, I think. She goes to jail. Rishi helps her to escape. They're on the run. There's also a conspiracy to murder a politician or something. And Sridevi's greedy...assistant? wants to kill her, and imagines doing so at the beginning of the movie.
When someone asked me if this was any good I replied, "I would describe it as 'watchably bad', but only if you're a die-hard Sridevi fan." And she was, so if she ever sees this film, she might like it.
When someone asked me if this was any good I replied, "I would describe it as 'watchably bad', but only if you're a die-hard Sridevi fan." And she was, so if she ever sees this film, she might like it.
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