Showing posts with label simbu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label simbu. Show all posts

Thursday, December 17, 2009

TPP: Asin and Simbu

A few promotional stills(I think) for their aborted project, Aezhumazhai vs Chitra. Too bad the movie never got filmed. They would've made an interesting pair.

An interview they did back in 2005.




Tuesday, December 8, 2009

SFR: "Kaala Kaala" from Kaalai

"Kutti Pisase" used to be my favorite song, now it's this one. I was suprised to learn that Mamta Mohandas is the female singer. It made me like her a little bit more. (Not that I ever hated her, I was just kind of "eh" about her.)

Vedhika is so cute, and she has a great figure. Plus, she's a Sridevi fan, which adds about 25 extra bonus points to her kitty. I'm not exactly dying to watch Malai Malai, Sangama, or Sakkarakatti, but if they show up on bhavanidvd, I might order them, just to see her.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

SFR: Manmathan theme

The more I rewatch Manmathan, the deeper in love I fall with this track. Simbu looks hot, but I can do without Mandira Bedi.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Saravana(2006)

Tamil remake of Telugu Bhadra. It's the only Simbu movie I don't own(although, I like to pretend that I never purchased Kovil). I've held off on buying it for the longest time because 1) I can't stand Vivek and 2) I don't like Simbu and Jyothika as an on-screen pair. I like them separately, but not together. In spite of that, however, I still sorta want to see this because of a rumor I read a while back on a now-forgotten forum. Allegedly, Simbu "sexually tortured" Jyothika during the filming of Manmathan and because of that, she didn't want to work with him again. She agreed to do Saravana only as a favor to the director. (For whatever reason(s), I can believe that.) I'm always intrigued whenever I hear or read about actors not getting along on-set, especially if I've watched the movie and didn't sense any animosity or discomfort between them.

I did a quick scan of some YouTube clips and from what I could see, although Simbu and Jyothika appeared in scenes together, there seemed to be--for lack of a better term--a professional distance between them. Even when they touched, I got a "Just doing our jobs" vibe. Perhaps I'm reading too much into the situation, but that's how it appeared to me. **shrug** Maybe one day I'll have to watch the uploaded parts to get a better assessment.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

NFR: Sana Khan(again), Lakshmi Rai, and Vijayalakshmi

I was surfing YouTube and came across these clips from Vijay TV's "Challenge With Simbu" Diwali special last year. Sana's segments in part one are from 3:29 - 5:00 and 6:27 - 8:23.

I think Lakshmi looks gorgeous. I love her eyes, her lips, and her nose. Vijayalakshmi isn't bad, either. I think she kinda resembles Priyamani(link to YouTube interview).



More clips:
Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Silambattam(2008)

Unfortunately, I was able to watch only the first hour, so while I wait to view the rest of the movie, here are a few random thoughts:

Yay, elephant! **claps**

In some ways, this feels like Kaalai: Part Two.

It's uncomfortable watching Simbu act like a coward, getting pushed around, running away from folks--oh, hai now! He's beating up the goons! This is the Simbu I'm used to seeing!

I guess Santhanam is the heir apparent to Vivek; he seems to be the go-to "comedian" in films these days. As with Vivek, I find him more irritating than funny.

Sana Khan looks pretty. Facially, she reminds me of Simran. She's yet another Mumbai export. At this point, I think she'll either be a one film wonder or she'll do the bunny hop from Tamil to Telugu and to possibly Kannada if she fails to get a foothold in the first two industries.

Hello, gratuitous shots of Sana's breast, navel, and lips!

Simbu getting turned on in the movie theatre. A little OTT there.

Oh, look! Phallic symbolism! (I'll admit, I laughed, 'cause I have a filthy mind.)

Hello again, Sana's navel!

I like the picturisation of "Nalandhana", even though I got a few "Kutti Pisase" and "Gutkha Lakkadi"(both from Kaalai) flashbacks. Simbu appears to have picked up some new dance moves, thank goodness.

I recognize this scene from some stills I viewed on indiaglitz a while back.

Aside from the comedy bits and the pervasive feeling of déjà vu, I like the film. It's rather good, and I can't wait for the 2-in-1 DVD so that I can watch it uninterrupted--oh wait, I think it got it. More later.

ETA 01/01/09: I forgot to add last night that Simbu looks really good as a temple priest. His meekness was a turn-on for me, but I didn't like seeing him taking abuse from others. Be quiet and soft-spoken but kick ass when necessary, that's what I say.

I wish he had followed Vishal's example and developed a six-pack for those scenes where he's exposing his torso.

I do like watching him fight. Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight. And more fight, fight, fight, fighting.

Certain parts of "Tamilan Endra" remind me of "Podu Aattam Podu", Simbu's intro song in Vallavan.

Like Meena, Sneha was born to wear saris. She looks so alluring in traditional clothes.

I love the "Machaan Machaan" song. The picturisation is so sexy. Sneha looks seriously gorgeous, and she and Simbu make a nice-looking pair. I can't wait for the better picture quality of the Ayngaran release.

Oh, crap. Gotta wait again.

ETA 2: Fighting in spite of getting stabbed brings to mind a scene near the end of Dum.

Death scene very effective.

Nice transition to the present.

Billa scene. Took me a second to recognize Nirosha from Soora Samharam(awesomely bad cop movie from the 80s). Funny, but maybe lasted a couple of minutes too long. And what's up with the goras who sound like bad voice-overs? If you're gonna hire white actors, at least get ones who don't make me cringe every time they open their mouths.

For some reason, the way Simbu's dressed in the "Where Is The Party?" song makes me think of the eighties aerobics craze.

Okay, this feels like the Lal-Simbu fight scene near the end of Kaalai.

Wow, Sana really looks like Simran with those specs.

Even with its flaws, I still think it's a pretty good popcorn flick. I hope it does well enough to make up for Kaalai.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Dum(2003)

The scene where Rakshita attempts suicide by slashing her wrist immediately brought to mind the saying, "Remember kids, it's down the road, not across the street." (Emphasis mine.) I just thought I'd mention that, 'cause I'm a sick fuck. Anyway...

I obsessively watched and rewatched this movie last week. I don't know why. I guess I was just in the mood for mindless-yet-still-entertaining-to-me fare. **shrug** I often get this movie confused with Kuthu because the plots are similar, and the heroines in both films are Kannadithis.

I believe this was the third Simbu movie I ordered after discovering him in Vallavan. I like it mainly because the character he plays reminds me of some of the guys I had crushes on in high school. I don't recall any of them having pocket knives, but I'm sure they carried concealed weapons of some sort. **chuckle**

Rakshita was also the heroine in the Kannada and Telugu versions of this film(Appu and Idiot, respectively). I thought she looked really beautiful and sexy, but there were times when I wanted to scrape the pancake off her face. And while I don't mind a woman having meat on her bones, I felt she was a little too fleshy for some of the outfits she wore.

I find Ashish Vidyarthi hot in a FILF kind of way. However, he's becoming the new Prakash Raj in the sense that he seems to pop up in nearly every movie I own or have watched online.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Totti Jaya(2005)

To paraphrase a YouTube commenter, "I like [Totti Jaya] because [Simbu] is QUIET!" **chuckle** While I find Simbu's finger-waving and overconfidence amusing and a turn-on at times, his laconic performance in this film is a refreshing change from his usual over-the-top, chatterbox antics in movies like Dum, Kuthu, Kadhal Azhivathilai, and Vallavan. He'll never be a great actor, but when he's not mimicking Rajnikanth or T. Rajendar, he can be pretty good. I wish he'd spend more time honing his acting skills than trying to live up to that silly "Little Superstar" moniker.

Speaking of which, the absence of his customary "Little Superstar Simbu" intro was another welcome relief. I think it should be bumped from of ALL of his future releases.

Gopika didn't have much to do except cry and/or look scared.

Linda Arsenio makes an appearance in the "Yaari Singari" song. (Totally pointless info: whenever I have this movie on before I go to sleep, I almost always wake up during that segment.)

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Manmathan(2004)

When I first watched this movie, I made the mistake of expecting a sexed-up**, modern day version of Sivappu Rojakkal, the apparent inspiration for this flick. To say that I wound up disappointed would be an understatement. In short, I HATED it. I felt there were too many songs, too many shots of Simbu looking at the camera, and that both the backstory and the motivation behind the killings were stupid. I also didn't care for the gratuitous flashbacks to Jyothika getting raped. I thought, "Okay. I GET IT. You gotta keep the front benchers happy but please, I've had enough."

I've since learned, however, that this is the type of movie you cannot take seriously. Once I lowered my expectations and accepted it for what it is--a poor man's copy of Sivappu Rojakkal***--I had a more enjoyable viewing experience. Now, I just roll my eyes at the parts I find dumb or annoying, and mentally flesh out the scenes that I feel have the most promise.

Oh, and I thought Simbu looked hot, especially when he was acting(?) crazy. He's not conventionally good-looking, but there's something about him that gets to me.

ETA 11/25/09: I've been rewatching this on and off for the past couple of weeks, and I'm both amused and disturbed at how...blatantly? it enforces the "The virgin never dies" rule of slasher flicks. The one time Mythili(Jyothika) had sex(and with Madhan, no less), it was in a dream, and it was against her will, so she's still "a nice girl", and not at all like those sullied, slutty girls who willingly sleep around with guys whose sexual behavior isn't governed by the same rigid codes of morality. While that's nothing new or profound, it's just something that was on my mind while I watched this. I could go off on a tangent about how some guys can't make up their minds about female sexuality--if you don't have sex with them, you're "uptight", if you do have sex with them, you're a "slut", there's no middle ground, you can't be both a "nice girl" and enjoy sex outside of marriage--but I won't ;) I'll refrain from using this post as an online therapy session :P

ETA 12/29/09: Now that I think about it, and I meant to post this a lot earlier, the bleeding nose thing was most likely swiped from Valentine. And let me say for the umpteenth time that I got so sick of him looking at the camera and wiping his nose. Plz don't b breakin' the 4th wall, thx. I hate it when actors acknowledge the audience.

ETA 02/08/10: I've developed a liking for the scene where Madhan kills Vaishu and Seenu. Before, I didn't really give it much thought, but lately, I've been rewatching that particular scene and finding it humorous in a dark, politically incorrect way. What really makes the scene for me is the way Madhan clucks his tongue a la Ajith in Vaali and says, "Vaishu waiting" before ramming Seenu's head into the wall(or was it on the stairs?). I also liked watching him slam that blunt object(a vase? a trophy?) on Vaishu's head. (Yes, I have a sadistic streak.) It makes me chuckle because, if I were to discover that my best friend and boyfriend were screwing around behind my back, I can imagine myself behaving--or rather, wanting to behave in a similiar manner. In reality, I wouldn't react one-tenth as violently, but I'd sure feel like it, especially if I didn't fully rage, as I'm wont to do. (I'm one of those "slow to anger" types. I don't truly get pissed-off sometime after the fact.)

ETA 03/24/10: I'm already going to hell, so I feel no shame in admitting that I liked the rape scene. I didn't like the frequent flashbacks to it, because I'm a "once is enough" kinda gal, but the first time? Yeah. I'm convinced that scene is one of the reasons this movie was so successful.

Jyothika was so pretty. One reviewer remarked that she looked more like Simbu's mother. Eh, maybe, but I consider her type of "matronliness" to be of the "warm, comforting" variety. Like, she would just give you a big ol' hug and nice, hot meal if you were having a bad day. Or maybe I'm just giving this way too much thought.

Anyway, Jo seems like the kind of person I'd want to hang out with in real life. She has such a likeable screen presence. Yeah, she can be OTT, but I find her histrionics endearing enough to kind of forget their headache inducing-ness.


**It was certainly "sexed-up", but not in the way I hoped--i.e. more implied, less in-yer-face. For the most part, I don't mind getting hit over the head with the sexuality hammer, but there are times when I find it sexier to have to use my imagination.

***While SR is one of my favorite films, I don't think it's necessarily great, but what makes it so appealing to me is Kamal's eerie performance and the chemistry between him and Sridevi.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

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.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Monisha En Monalisa(1999)

Custom VCD that came on three discs because it's nearly three hours long.

The first time I watched it, I thought it was just awful, but after repeated viewings, it grew on me, like mold, and now I would describe it as "watchably bad". However, I definitely don't recommend it unless you're TRULY a die-hard fan of Mumtaj.

The main reason I got it is because I wanted to see the "Monisha, Monisha" song performed by Simbu. I saw a brief snippet of it during the opening credits of Kadhal Azhivathilai and correctly guessed it to be from Monisha En Monalisa. I still can't decide if it's just "bad" or "awesomely bad". If I weren't so lazy, I'd pop the disc into my computer and make screen caps, but for now I'll just type, "Simbu, his little brother, and some backup dancers, in space--or rather, in front of a blue screen with 80s type computer graphics and such." If I didn't have to worry about getting flagged again for copyright violation, I'd upload it to YouTube.

Moving along...I thought Mumtaj looked suprisingly pretty. I say "suprisingly" because normally, I think she looks a bit sleazy. Nothing wrong with a little sleaze every now and then, but I'm talking about the kind of sleaze that clings to your skin and won't let go. Anyway, I thought she looked good, and did an okay job in the acting department.

The rest of the cast is just...there. With the exception of T.Rajendar and Vadivelu, I forgot about them as soon as the movie was over. The only reason I remember T.Rajendar and Vadivelu is because the former is Simbu's dad, and the latter I recognized from his other screen appearances.

I had like, no expectations for this movie, so I wasn't disappointed. And I liked the ending. I found it more darkly humorous(and kinda gross) than sad.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Vallavan(2006)

I think Simbu is cute, but what's up with all the white girls? You rarely see women of color in these song numbers. (I'm referring to the "Loose Penne" song, BTW.)

It's funny, because I initially bought this movie(well, the dubbed Telugu version first, because it was cheaper) for Nayantara and somehow ended up becoming a Simbu fan after one viewing.

I think Simbu and Nayan made a good couple. I don't know why he treated her so badly.

ETA 01/22/10: When I read the plot summary, I thought Reema Sen was the "older woman" because she looked about 30 to me. Turns out it was Nayantara's character, and by only three years. What a bummer. This movie had potential but fell apart thanks to Simbu's relentless mugging and Reema's over-acting, particularly at the end. Sandhya had no real reason to be there. While I liked parts of Vallavan, this is my least favorite of Simbu's vanity projects.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Kaalai(2008)

I like Simbu. He's not the greatest actor, but he dances well and I find him appealing, mainly because some of his off-screen antics remind me of just about every guy I've been involved with or had a crush on(i.e. sexually freaky jerkwads).

ANYWAY...I don't like Sangeetha. Something about her face makes me wanna punch it. I don't like that Nila chick, either. I'm such a hater.

Vedhika is cute, she will be in a Kannada movie with Ganesh, but I forget the name, and I'm too lazy to look it up right now.

I like the "Kutti Pisase" song. I was suprised to learn that Mamta Mohandas is the female singer for the "Kaalai Kaalai" song. I don't know why, I guess I just never thought of her as being a singer.