Bunny(2005)

Strangely enough, I like this movie better than Paragu. I say "strangely" because 1) I paid only scant attention to whatever scenes I skipped to/through, and 2) somewhere along the line, the plot got lost among a comedy track with a comedian whose name I can't be bothered to look up, a segment or two involving politics, and a child left in the middle of the road during a rainstorm(baby-switching, perhaps?). And then there was Allu dancing, and the heroine...doing something. I wouldn't call it "acting", more like "just being there". I can't recall either her character's name or her real name, but the one thing that stuck with me was how hard she looked, like she spent her childhood drinking and smoking and hanging out until the wee hours of the morning. She was a "MILF" minus the "ILF". I found it laughable how, within the first 7 minutes of the film, the word "beautiful" was used twice in reference to her. I thought, "She ain't cute!" That being said, I will admit to having a weird fascination with her matronly-looking, almost expressionless face. She sorta reminded me of Sonia Aggarwal, but with about 1.3 more facial movements.

Prakash Raj plays another daddy. I wish he were my daddy. I used to poke fun at his ubiquitousness, but now I want to--never mind.

Allu was cute, but I think I prefer the longer hair he sported in Desamuduru. Should I try to watch Arya(which apparently was successful enough to warrant a sequel)? Or Gangotri? I still don't consider myself a "fan" BUT, he does have a certain je ne sais quois that makes me wish--oh, once again, never mind. **sigh**

That's all I have for now. One day, I'll try to watch Bunny in its entirety. Or maybe I should just post some screen caps and call it a day. Yes, I might do that. (Which reminds me, I still need to make caps from Boss.)

Boss(2006)

I had ordered this movie several months ago, along with a couple of other titles, but my package either got lost in transit, or stolen by a disgruntled postal worker who decided to give him/herself an early Christmas gift. In hindsight, I should've taken my missing package as a sign that perhaps Boss wasn't really worth watching, anyway. (Same goes for Manasantha, but I don't regret reordering Preminchu Priya.) It's not that it's a bad film, it just suffers from Nenunnanu-itis in that there are several unnecessary scenes and subplots that make me reluctant to rewatch it more than once or twice.

Boss is the Tollywood version of Two Weeks Notice, but with the requisite comedy, sentiment, tragedy, songs, and fights thrown in. Nagarjuna is the boss, GK, and Nayantara is his lovelorn secretary, Anu. Romantic rivals in the form of Anu's designated replacement Sruthi(Poonam Bajwa) and GK's deceased wife Sanjana(Shriya Saran in a cameo role) complete the love rectangle. If the movie had focused on just the GK-Anu storyline and it's predictable ending(GK finally accepts and returns Anu's love), it would've been a pleasant viewing experience. However, I had to put up with a bunch of extraneous shit that kinda made me regret getting it. I should've heeded the words of the Bhavani reviewers who remarked that "the last 45 minutes goes haywire" and "I can watch the first part over and over again, but not the second".

On the plus side, Nagarjuna had his jolie-laide. I thought he looked quite handsome, and he and Nayantara made a good pair. Nayan looked stunning in her sarees, Shriya was her usual gorgeous self, and Poonam may very well become my next SLO. She has a sexy, glamourous look that sort of reminds me of Raasi/Manthra, and maybe a little Daisy Bopanna. I found myself really liking her and wanting to check out her other films.

Once I stop feeling lazy, I'll come back to this post with some screencaps.

Paragu(2008)

So far, I don't like it. Admittedly, I watched a total of maybe 30 minutes, thanks to my liberal use of the "skip chapter" button, but what little I saw failed to hold my attention. Allu was likeable, and nice to look at, but not even he could keep my eyes glued to the screen. Perhaps if Poonam Bajwa had been the main heroine, I would've made more of an effort to sit through it. While I liked Sheela in her small parts as a child actress in Rettai Jadai Vayasu, Dheena, and--I believe--Dum Dum Dum, the all-growed-up version leaves me cold. She lacks the looks and charisma to be a lead heroine. Maybe I'll feel differently after more viewings, but my gut instinct tells me that my initial impression is right.

I'll give this one a rewatch, and maybe some "ETA"s, when I'm in a better mood.

Desamuduru(2007)

Scattered thoughts, based on last Saturday's viewing:

1. This movie is LONG. I put it in the DVD player at a little after 5 PM and by 7:30 it was still playing. "This is like the Energizer bunny," I thought. "It just keeps going, and going, and going."

2. Some of Allu Arjun's mannerisms and facial expressions reminded me of Simbu, and not in a good way. But perhaps I've watched Simbu's movies so often that I "see" him in every dancing, fighting, OTT chocolate hero.

3. Hansika Motwani didn't annoy me. In fact, I actually--**gasp**--liked her. And she didn't look a day over 17. Must've been the makeup, or lack thereof.

4. The Bala-Vaishali storyline was similiar to Paap.

5. I don't know what this movie is about. I wasn't really paying attention. There were so many things happening that I lost focus, as well as interest. But that's okay, because I'm sure that a few months from now, I'll return to this post with at least one "ETA".

6. I recognized one of the actors as the guy who was engaged to Laila before Ajith killed him in Paramasivan. He was the one who got fresh with Hansika when she was begging in the market.

7. Rambha's item number was near the end, which was kinda disappointing. I hoped it would be at the beginning.

8. The bits of this movie that managed to sink into my brain made me like Allu Arjun enough to purchase Paragu(got it today), and I'm thinking about getting Bunny, even though I find the heroine rather unappealing.

SFR: Jaganmohini(2009) trailer

I am seriously sad that this movie isn't airing on late-night cable right now. The "special effects" alone are laughable enough to bring me out of my funk. And the little of Namitha's "acting" I saw appeared equally as hilarious.

Nila, the second heroine, was apparently upset that some of her scenes were cut. I say that's a good thing, but I guess she feels sorta like that Catskills joke.



I kind of want to watch the 1978 version now, just to confirm my belief that it's not nearly as cringe-worthy. Plus, I finally remember Jayamalini from Ram Lakshman and Guru(1980). I think I have another movie she was in, but I can't recall the title.

Yuvaraju(2000)

I've thought about buying this for the longest time. It's only $5.99. It has Mahesh. It has Simran. But it also has a kid, and I don't like kids. Also, it sounds verrry long and boring. And the other heroine, Sakshi Sivanand, does nothing for me. The YouTube vids I glanced at didn't sway me to buy it. While I think Mahesh and Simran make a cute couple, I believe I will give this one a pass for now.

I wish Mahesh would come out with a new movie already, even though his next sounds like it might be the Tollywood version of Collateral(remade in Hindi as The Killer).

ETA 01/22/10: I ordered it. I hope I don't hate myself. Sakshi looks annoying, but hopefully the presence of Mahesh and Simran will make up for that.

ETA 01/27/10: I had it playing in the background last night while I was doing other things, and my first impression is that while it's very looonnnnggg(or at least feels that way), it's not bad. The kid didn't get on my nerves like I thought he would, and Sakshi wasn't that annoying(facially, she reminds me of Reema Sen), although I would've preferred it if Simran had been the main heroine instead of her. Mahesh was his usual goofy-looking-but-still-cute and charming self. My $5.99 + s&h wasn't wasted. That's good. Now, I'm considering Vamsi(and watch, it'll get marked down to $5.99 if/when I buy it for $7.99).

ETA 02/08/10: I just remembered exactly why I felt compelled to order the DVD. Next time I watch it, I'll have to remind myself to keep an eye out for that particular scene.

Kayva's Diary(2009)

No, I haven't seen this, but my hopes of patiently waiting for the DVD to get marked down to $4.99 have been dashed. When I read this review I thought, "OMG! So-bad-it's-good territory!" Any review that suggests I might need "intensive therapy" for being interested in "screechy women, catfights, [and] painfully happy families" makes me wanna rush out and watch the movie, just to see how awful it really is. But then I read this review and I was like, "Oh, it's a remake of The Hand That Rocks The Cradle." I thought that film sucked, mainly because of my irrational dislike for Rebecca DeMornay. I'm in no hurry to watch the Tollywood version, even if it does star Charmi.

Then again, it does star Charmi, and the last movie of hers I saw was Nee Thodu Kavali, and that was a few months ago. (I might have to watch it again, just to refresh my memory.) Even if her acting isn't up to par, she's still an improvement over whatsherface. Maybe there's hope after all, especially if I can find it online first; that way, I'll know for certain whether or not I want to spend even $4.99 on it.

Prema Katha(1999)

Or, "The Things You Discover When You're Looking For Something Totally Different".

I was trying to find songs and/or scenes from Miss Julie Prema Katha, the Telugu remake of the Malayalam film Chattakari(see previous post) and stumbled across songs from this movie. As soon as I saw the words "Antara Mali", I figured this must be the Telugu flick that was mentioned in an old online article about her. What's more, right at the 1:17 mark of "Nee Kosam Nireekshana" I thought, "Hey, I've seen that expression before!" It turns out that shot was used for the cover of the DVD, which is currently in stock. I may order it since it's only $4.99.

Another song: "Devudu Karunisthadani". She appears heavier compared to the lean, toned physique she had in Road and Naach. And the thick makeup and colored lenses don't really suit her.

A mostly instrumental tune until 2:50. Antara's dubbing artist sounds familiar. I think she's dubbed for Jyothika and maybe Ileana, and quite possibly for Trisha and/or Asin.

Preminchu Priya(1997)

Just as I figured, this is the dubbed Telugu version of Pagaivan. Shortly after I popped it into my DVD player I thought, "This is the best $2.99 I've spent!" Not because the film is a cinematic piece of art but because A) I didn't have to plunk down $20 for a custom VCD of the Tamil original and B) the picture quality is relatively better than what I usually see on these kinds of cheapie DVDs. Also, it's the sort of brain-dead entertainment I usually like. As I get older, I find that movies that don't require me to think, or even pay close attention, are often my best bet. When I was younger and even more irritatingly pretentious, I would've scoffed at something like this. But now, I embrace it and thank god for bhavanidvd's $2.99 section.

I'm convinced I've seen this movie before. Well, not this particular flick, but the "poor-kidnapper-and-rich-kidnappee-fall-in-love" storyline feels awfully familiar. Perhaps I'm thinking of Excess Baggage, but I don't think so.

Anjala Zhaveri does the glam doll thing very well. I still think she looks better with glasses, though. Facially, she reminds of a Hollywood actress and I'm going slightly nutso trying to think of who. And as a non sequitur, let me add that the scene where she receives a blood transfusion reminds me of the one in Dum, where Rakshita donated blood to an injured Simbu.

I find Sathyraj disturbingly appealing. He's not a looker; whenever he appears onscreen I think, "Slack-jawed yokel". But at the same time, I know that he could get it. I'm not gonna lie, or pretend otherwise. He could totally talk me into it. There's just something about him that has a strange hold over me.

Parts of "Ohh My Butterfly Neeyae" and "Raajanae Yuvaraajanae" were obviously "inspired by" Mariah Carey's "Dreamlover" and Miami Sound Machine's "Rhythm's Gonna Get You"(two of my least favorite songs, btw). The saving grace of "Raajanae Yuvaraajanae" is that the picturisation reminds me of Rakshak's "Sundara Sundara", particularly when Anjala is dancing on the rocks.

Unrelated: I wish bhavani had the dubbed Telugu version of Kalloori Vasal(and preferably for only $2.99). The 2-in-1 DVD I recently ordered had another feature instead. **wail** As much as I like Ajith, I cringe at the thought of paying $20 for a custom VCD. I think I'll have to amuse myself by watching the songs on YouTube.

Short takes, pt.10.

AKA "What Should I Order Next?"

Dasavathaaram(2008) - As much as I like Kamal, I'm really not jazzed about seeing him in those ten getups. I waver back and forth on whether or not I want to watch this. I can picture myself buying it, but not viewing it right away.

Preminchu Priya(1997) - This appears to be the dubbed Telugu version of Pagaivan. It has Ajith, and Anjala Zaveri, who looks more appealing--to me, anyway--when she's wearing glasses.

Okkadu(2003) - I watched it online and found that I liked it better than the Tamil remake. However, I wasn't really feeling Bhumika Chawla as the heroine. I kinda wish the Telugu version had been the remake and that Trisha reprised her role because from a purely physical standpoint, she was a better fit, IMO.

Villu(2009) - I kid, I kid. I still can't believe it was also released on Blu-ray. Even VHS is too good for this.

Preminchu Priya looks the most promising since it's only $2.99. And, I'm not dying to see it so badly that I'm willing to plunk down $20 for the Tamil custom VCD.

Maro Charithra(1978)

Aside: I haven't logged in to my YouTube account in ages, so I was suprised to see that "Kalisi Unte Kaladhu Sukamu"(aka "The Elevator Song") is still there. I thought I had removed it but, whatever. **shrug**

This was remade in Hindi as Ek Duje Ke Liye. Since I had already watched the Hindi version, I didn't feel the need to view the original in its entirety since I already knew what would happen. And, I got it only for Kamal, really, because I'm in love with the way he looked in his youth. Maybe sometime in the future I'll watch it all the way through.

Just for fun, I decided to post some of the many screencaps that have been collecting dust since I made them over a year ago. The last five are my favorite because shirtless Kamal = LOVE.

Raja Kumarudu(1999)

Mahesh Babu's debut film. I watched a little bit of it last night. It was alright. Preity Zinta was suprisingly tolerable. I lost interest once the comedy track began. Don't know if I want to drop sixteen and change on the DVD. I might get the VCD at some point simply because I find Mahesh's goofy charm irresistible.

Songs from the movie that I found on YouTube: Un deux trois quatre(pic quality isn't the greatest)

Sardar Paparayudu(1980)

Remade in Hindi as Sarfarosh(1985).

Sri is a cutie, but her none-too-pretty or youthful co-star NTR is the reason I can't bring myself to watch this all the way through. Same with Vetagadu.

Prema Pustakam(1992)

Ajith Kumar's first and only Telugu movie. It doesn't appear to be commercially available--not in or to the U.S., anyway. It was supposedly a hit, so I figure it would be on VCD at least. I can't find anything on YouTube or Google, which only makes me more determined to hunt it down, because I really, really want to see how Ajith looked in his debut. He's one of my current obsessions, so I "have" to watch as many of his movies as I can ;)

ETA: Well, according to the not-always-reliable Wikipedia, "this flim was super hit telugu box office[sic]", but an old rediff.com article called it "eminently forgettable"; in an interview on the same site, Ajith said that the director died during the shooting of the film and it was shelved, and in this interview("The Star Next Door", scroll down a bit), he used the words "a disaster" to describe his debut.

Forgettable disaster or not, I still want to see it. I'm suprised none of his superfans have tracked it down and uploaded it somewhere. Then again, maybe one of them did and it got yanked. **shrug** Who knows?

ETA2: Here's a link to the songs, as well as a pic of Ajith as he appeared in the movie: I think he sorta looks like the young Kamalhassan. Thank you, Sree, for the link, as well as additional info about the film :)

Billa(2009)

I sorta want to watch this, even though I'm not a Prabhas fan, just to see how it compares to the 2007 Tamil version. The trailer looks pretty cool, and I like the picturisation of the "Bommali" song. I'm sure it will have a huge, or at least decent, opening, and it may even be a hit. **shrug** Who knows?

ETA 06/22/09: I feel a strong urge to pay full price for the DVD instead of waiting for it to land in the $5.99 pile. I blame my itchy fingers on the YouTube clips of Anushka. Not only did they ping my interest, they also made me seek out the whole movie. It's a near scene-by-scene rehash of the Tamil version, but with more stuff added. "Over-the-top" is the best description I can come up with right now, and I mean that in a good way.

Somebody hold me because I find Prabhas hot. I don't know if it's the shades or the gratuitous shots of his naked torso, but I actually feel something. Like, I sense myself wanting to become a fangirl and rewatch Munna and Yogi. It's downright scary.

Even Hansika Motwani appeals to me(although, I still think she looks about 23 instead of her actual age of 17). I like her item number better than Rose Dawn's.

Namitha looks prettier here than in the Tamil version. She could still stand to lose a few kilos, though. And her dancing is as cringe-worthy as ever. Anushka seems to have more oomph than Nayantara, especially in her bikini scenes. Or maybe it just seems that way because both she and Namitha were given more screen time to vamp it up.

Based on what I've viewed so far, I think I like the Telugu Billa a teensy bit more than the Tamil one, especially since Prabhas and Anushka have more interaction/flirtation than Ajith and Nayantara.

ETA 12/24/09: Having rewatched the Tamil version for the fifteen millionith time, I've now decided that I like Rose Dawn's weaving and jerking to "Sei Ethavathu Sei" better. For reasons unknown, I've suddenly developed a soft spot for her. She might become my latest "SLO", even though I have no idea what she's done since Billa.

And while I thought Prabhas looked hot, he just doesn't do it for me the way Ajith does. No matter how old, fat, bloated, and/or haggard-looking Ajith gets, I will always find him sexy on some level. He's just got it like that.

However, I still prefer Anushka's bikini scene to Nayantara's, especially now that I'm getting kind of sick of Nayan. Maybe I need to rewatch Ghajini, Vallavan, and/or Rappakal to feel the love again.

ETA 02/03/10: Anushka still looks better in a bikini but I've decided that I really don't like Hansika's item number. It's not bad, just not significantly better than Rose Dawn's. I've also decided that the Telugu Billa is an unncessarily drawn-out near-copy of the Tamil version. I do like the additional scenes with Prabhas and Anushka, but otherwise, it's like, "Why?"

I found Prabhas appealing enough to consider rewatching Munna, Yogi, and Chakram, but I'm still not totally sold on him. He looked nice, but the robotic voice and "Hasta la vista, baby!" killed it for me. Ajith doesn't have the most expressive of voices, either, but I felt his particular deadpan was a better fit for the character. Maybe I'm biased. Oh, well. **shrug**

I wonder if the 1980 Billa with Rajnikanth is available from Anytamil. It's listed, but that doesn't mean it's in stock. I liked what I saw online, and while I'm not a Rajini fan, I thought he did justice to the role. I should probably watch the original Don with Amitabh and Zeenat, just to see how it compares.

Short takes, pt. 9.

Or, "What Should I Waste My Money On Next?"

Black & White - I have no idea what this is about, and I'm too lazy to Google, but Sindhu Tolani is in it, which is good. Jackie Shroff is also in it, which might be not-so-good because for some inexplicable reason I'm not jazzed about seeing him in a Tollywood flick. But, if I can deal with the "shock" of seeing Shakti Kapoor in a Kannada film(Makeup), I guess I can put up with Mr. Shroff.

Premikulu - The plot sounds interesting, but I dunno. It's only $3.99, so it wouldn't be too much of a waste if I wound up not really liking it.

Dhill - I'm not feeling Vikram's hairdo in this movie, but I kinda want to see it, mostly for Laila, my current SLO(Short Lived Obsession). Speaking of whom, she's also in the following flicks:

Akrosam - Dubbed Telugu version of Nandha.

Love Story 1999 - No clue, but Rambha's also in it.

Ullam Ketkume - Also has Asin. Could be a possibility.

Na Hrudayamlo Nidurinche Cheli - ??? I can't seem to find any info on this. Maybe it's a Telugu dub of a Tamil movie.

I have posts in the "draft" stage for Raasi, Mugavari, Andala Ramudu, and Paramasivan that I hope to have published soon(and by "soon" I mean, "Sometime by the end of this year."). I would also like to type something about Rojavanam and Unnidathil Ennai Kuduthen. I wish I could swallow a bottle of motivation pills because that's what I'm lacking these days WRT this blog. I started out great guns and then I lost interest. I have to find a reason to be interested again.

Back to movies: I've bitched about it elsewhere, but I'll bitch here, too: Kannadastore, why Paypal? I don't trust Paypal. If I did, I would get Meera Madhava Raghava, Masti, Satya in Love, and Rama Shama Bhama, and also Kokila and Maria My Darling, even though I have a feeling that the last two are in the "on backorder indefinitely"(i.e. not available) category.

I love her so much, I'm willing to interrupt my hiatus.

AND break my "text only" rule(which I already broke with the Amar post, but anyway...) Sridevi and Chiranjeevi in Mosagadu. Sadly, this doesn't appear to be available on even VCD(at least not in or to the U.S.). **cries** I'd get it on VHS if I knew of an online retailer that sold Indian movies on tape.


Oh Sri, how I love thee!

Annavaram(2006)

Another "Please liberate me from draft hell". This is way shorter than I originally intended, but since I probably won't rewatch it any time soon:

Telugu remake of Thirupachi. I watched about a half-hour before deciding that I prefer the Tamil original. I think that Vijay and Mallika were more believable as siblings than Pawan Kalyan and Sandhya. Also, I'm not feeling Pawan Kalyan. I'll try to give this another watch, but just like Chakram, this one's gonna collect dust for a while.

Nuvve Nuvve(2002)

I'm just freeing this from draft mode. I've got some notes scribbled down that I'll organize later, but for now:

This kinda feels like Bommarillu, only with the genders reversed.

Shriya's got the magic, too--well, at least in this movie. In Enakku 20 Unakku 18, neither she nor Trisha could sell me on Tarun, but here, I could deal with him somewhat. (Aside: I don't hate Tarun, I just think he has a very lackluster screen presence.)

I think I might have to become a Prakash Raj fan, just because he's so damn ubiquitous.

Nenunnanu(2004)

The pace of this film is agonizingly slow. I'm not sure of the running time, but it certainly feels as if it's as long as Gone With the Wind. I wish the director had trimmed 2 or 3 songs, some of the fights and comedy, and all of the inconsequential scenes. Repeat viewings are more enjoyable when you don't have to fast-forward past a bunch of crap that only bogs down an otherwise entertaining bit of sentimental fluff.

The plot: Venu(Nagarjuna), a port contractor and an orphan since childhood, takes in Anu(Shriya Saran), a clasical music singer after she is abandonned by both her family and Arun(Subbaraju), the guy she tried to elope with. Venu protects Anu from the goons JP, Arun's father, hired to kill her. Unexpressed love blossoms. Fights, fights, and more fights ensue. Near-tragedy strikes. Oh, and there's the added angle of Anu's best friend, Sruthi(Aarti Agarwal), who also loves Venu.

Favorite scenes:

• Venu using the flat side of a hot iron to make dosas for Anu. Seeing that reminded me of a scene from an HBO special about Riker's Island where a couple of female inmates demonstrated how they made grilled cheese sandwiches using a paper bag and a hot iron.


• Venu saying to Anu, "If death were the only solution to problems, do you know how many times I would've died by now?" shortly after her failed suicide attempt.


• Venu asking Anu not to leave when he sees her packing a bag and she tells him she's only gathering clothes that need to be washed.


• Anu throwing a suprise birthday celebration for Venu and giving him his birth certificate as a present.


• Venu kicking open the door at the exact moment Anu calls him on a cell phone, and bashing up the rowdies who were harrassing her.


• Venu beating up JP's men while Anu participates in a singing competition.


• Venu rushing to Anu's hospital bed and telling her, "You must live. You must live for me. I'll become an orphan again if you die."

Best songs(IMO, of course): "E Shwasalo" and "Nee Kosam"

Why I don't regret buying this, even though I had to put up with a lot of extraneous shit: I really enjoyed watching the three leads. Shriya looked like a dream in those saris, Aarti was cute, "gas cylinder" frame and all, and I've developed a soft spot for Nagarjuna.