Evil Dead 2 by Sam Raimi

Category: English

I didn't like this movie at all first, considering the amount of scare quotient the previous one had. But this one is much more funny.

Bruce Campbell pretty much makes this role his and while this time he suffers a lot in comparison to the previous one. He also finally is pushed over the edge to do what's needed to survive. The movie has Bruce Campbell striving for his sanity till he comes across four individuals who don't understand what the Evil Dead is all about and thus starts the cabin horror story with some elements borrowed from the prequel.

Have a look at this if you enjoy horror movies and of course crazy faced people!

Recommendation level: 2.5/5 - I liked this, in some aspects it's better than the original and worse in some other ways. Got this from a friend.

Fight Club by David Fincher

Category: English

The movie that pretty much inspires most alternative music loving youngsters to brag to their pop music loving friends. Ladies & Gentlemen welcome to Fight Club.

At the heart of Fight Club is a protagonist who much like millions of others like himself is punished with the never ending desire of more. This more is represented by several consumerism and the restlessness we have in us as human beings. Eventually there is a conflict which arises and he solves that conflict by creating an alter ego. The alter ego creates an underground organisation that believes every desire we have can be made lighter, our burden made lesser if we are to engage in physical activities that include mayhem and violence. Pretty much the rawest form of Anarchism you can find there, despite the words used sounding very similar to Nihilism, the means are pure Anarchy.

The ends to nihilism were a reset of morals and values to understand nihilism in the first place, Anarchism is far from that.

A lot of people thought they understood Nihilism after this and that's pure bull shit.

The movie has some very good points to be made about consumerism and everything else I just mentioned, but it does lack a really good execution, there's a lot of repetition to enforce certain things and that's something which isn't required and which is why it's a bit drawn out at 2 hours and 19 minutes.

Feel free to have a look at the movie though, if you're 16 and above this movie will change your life if you're above 21 you should be able to pick some good points from it. The acting is as good as the dialogues so that should be able to sum up what Brad Pitt & Edward Norton are doing here.

Recommendation level: 3/5. It's based on a novel, and the novel is more complete than this in the formal sense, still this movie has a funky feel to it.

Bande à part by Jean-Luc Godard

Category: Non-English

Jean-Luc Godard's Bande à part hits out at the right notes and at the right places, quickly uncovering the plot of the movie in the first 10 minutes and then recapping it for you in the first 10 minutes itself is proof enough that he's one of the greatest directors or auteurs that ever existed.

Bande à part follows the lives of 3 restless youngsters who have the access to robbing a lot of money and eventually wanting to get away with it. Do they? That's the question you should be asking yourself right now, but that's not the point of this movie. Godard quickly pays tribute to all his influences & influences of those days - be it the Westerns, the gangster genre or the kind of cars his protagonists want to drive.

The film is fast paced at 97 mins and never lets up. The historical context is obviously shortly after DuGaulle decided to enter into Africa and take on the fight there.

A few things to watch out for:

- a minute of silence sequence

- the dance sequence

- A scene from a Truffaut film being spoken out (I think)

- Anna Karina's talking to the camera

- Franz' character

- Background score

-Godard's thoughts on the Louvre & museums in general, watch his protagonist run through the Louvre!

- Godard's control of the medium (cuts, deconstruction of Paris, genre of music, characters, pop culture digs, guns)

Recommendation level: 5/5. This is Godard at his finest, stand in awe at this masterpiece.

Evil Dead by Sam Raimi

Category: English

After Night and Fog I watch Evil Dead.

Straight to the premise, Evil Dead features 5 youngsters who go holidaying at a very far off cabin in the woods. They eventually discover a book that brings evil spirits which in turn posses people for the good humour in it. Eventually Bruce Campbell finds himself having to take on all his friends in Exorcist form.

This film spawned a ton of movies which use the same "teenagers going to a cabin for vacation and end up finding more than what they bargained for" premise. Very original in its form and concept, full marks to Raimi for it.

Worth a watch if you're a horror film fan, but then again if you are a horror film fan you might have already seen this movie. Don't watch it otherwise, it might give you nightmares. You have to wait for parts 2 and 3 for Bruce Campbell's character to become bad ass.

Recommendation level: 2.5/5. Got it from a friend.

Night and Fog by Alain Resnais

Category: Non-English

I've been told a lot about this film by people around me and until I actually got around to watching it and...

Well obviously tons of quick thoughts on this film, Resnais uses a daunting score, a strong narrative and a narrator who is as cold as the harsh realities of the concentration camps set up during the second world war. He juxtaposes present day footage with that of the old archival footage he managed to lay his hands on. The result is an interesting blend of reality, documentation and of course cinema. The 31 minute documentary as it's pegged in some places is very far from a documentary since most French New Wave directors found calling a movie a "documentary" to be problematic. Who is doing the documentation?

Obviously the "in your face images" are very hard to take in and even though it's not as atrocious as the stuff they show in cinema today it's one of the hardest films I have had to sit through. Mostly because all of this stems from events based in our world. This movie brings to mind the Roberto Benigini film, Life is Beautiful. A movie in which the concentration camps are shown to be a little boys fantasy game played with his father, to think that anyone would want to downplay the relentless and brutal treatment meted out to the inmates of such a place is atrocious.

Back to the movie, it's obviously worth watching, but what Resnais does with reality and this film is remarkable, he doesn't make any bones that this is far from what reality actually was but how does one actually capture what happened then? There are some questions which even the normal fellow watching this will get, such as a "Who is responsible for this". Try moving past that. Creation of the sound track is also important as that forms a major arch of the film itself, do some research before actually watching this, it shall be rewarding.

Note: This was made about 10 years after the liberation of the concentration camps.

Recommendation level: 5/5.

Diary of the Dead by George A. Romero

Category: English

After the Land of the Dead dud that was made by George A. Romero, the documentary style Diary of the Dead manages to pretty much kick life into the ...Dead series. The film follows a group of film school students who eventually end up recording all the events of the Zombie Apocalypse in which everyone turns into a Zombie (whether bitten or if they died of natural causes)

The only big change is that there's not much gore and violence that's a signature move of Romero, even still the chilling suspense and impending doom on all the people in this film grips you like the cold hand of a Zombie on your shoulder.

The characters aren't that standout barring a few (like the professor) and while the social commentary follows as usual there's also the important question raised in a Zombie fall out (Do we really want to survive in a world like this?) and of course the basic humanity of humans and if they should actually be survivors.

Eventually the movie takes a turn for the worst and fans of happy endings might not really like this ending! But whatever it's worth a watch. Obviously everyone is waiting for Survival of the Dead, the 6th part of the "official Dead series"

Recommendation level: 3.5/5 I had watched it a while back but managed to snare a copy again from a friend. If you like Zombie movies this is a 5/5 though!

Equilibrium by Kurt Wimmer

Category: English

A future in which emotions are removed and the people are ruled by a greedy all controlling entity, in all of this our hero Christian Bale's character falls from grace as a top ranking enforcer known as a Grammaton Cleric to join the resistance and bash the baddies!

The fight sequences are pretty well choreographed and while the director is pretty bad at completely controlling things he does make this movie a decent watch thanks to a well backed cast which at times is wasted (Emily Watson, Sean Bean).

The movie definitely has some amount of philosophy in it which is sadly all popular culture based and fans of a dystopian future with an all controling big Brother (Father in this movie) might find this a little flaccid.

Recommendation level: 2/5 - If you're a Bale fan this ranks pretty high so I'd say it's a 4/5. Watch it when you have nothing to do and need to kill time at the end of the week. Got this from my earlier collection. Oh by the way Kurt Wimmer also directed the turkey known as Ultraviolet.

Late Spring by Yasujirō Ozu

Category: Non-English

A first for me and an introduction to Ozu from here, having read extensivley but never really felt his Cinema earlier, Ozu's Late Spring is based on Father and Daughter a novel by Kazuo Hirotsu.

The film revolves around a father and daughter who are both widowed by circumstances (hi America!) and in an ironic twist they have both given up on finding love again. The love they share is very precious and the daughter doesn't want to let go and even though the father eventually tricks the daughter into getting married he finds himself all alone with nothing but loneliness.

Ozu's cinema is very simple and rather than rely on melodrama to get his message across he completely gets the repressed feelings from the father. The daughter on the other hand is a picture of sun shine and while her face completely captivates the camera it can also turn into a jealous figure when she finds that her father might be getting re-married. In a theater scene we see Kabuki figures performing we also get to see the lead actress having a massive change of heart.

At the end there's a beautiful shot of the sea, a sea which is shown only once throughout the film but reflects the final ode perfectly well. Tons of references to America and American values imbibed into a generation of Japanese (ref: Baseball and Values) there's also a lot to be shown in the beauty of Japan. Hats off to him.

Recommendation level: 4/5 - A little difficult to actually sit through but definitely a simple tale that reaches at the heart with the right classical music too! Watch it!! This is from my own collection.

Paris, Texas by Wim Wenders

Category: English

I have never seen a Wim Wenders movie before so watching this was undeniably a treat. Paris, Texas is a film based entirely on a man, portrayed brilliantly by Harry Dean Stanton (HDS), who has had a tragic incident 4 years back which led him to leave his wife and child.

When he's found 4 years later by his brother he meets his son and sets out to find his wife after his momentarily meet with his brother and his wife. On the surface the film is about a man who is torn on the inside and is trying to seek retribution for himself from the people he once held dearly in his life. Lost in the Mojave desert and exploring the Texan landscape, Wenders does a terrific job of mirroring the lifestyle in the year 1984, a year of transition for most people in the US of A.

The search eventually leads him to his wife and even though the end doesn't really matter the journey is as harsh and merciless as the desert in the backdrop, even in Los Angeles the movie finds its way into the dull lifestyle of the brothers family. When it reaches the wife in Houston it takes on a lovely saturation of green and red for a brief moment before re-uniting with the other colors.

Recommendation level: 4/5 - The pace is a little slow but the story of a man torn within because of certain beliefs can possibly hold onto you.

Hostel by Eli Roth

Category: English

A slasher ultra violent movie at the heart with no real story to back it up. Obviously the Elite Hunting agency is created purely to justify the slaughtering that takes place in this movie.

The movie follows 2 American friends who are joined by a Finnish bloke, on their journey they are posed with the question of more hedonism. That leads them to Bratislava and from there begins the violence. Eventually there's some retribution for the lead characters but that all ends with the beginning of the second movie.

There's not much else I can write about barring the setting which is quite eerie at times and although it recaptures some of the Soviet hangover still sported by the Iron-Curtain countries the camera in the movie points only at the 3rd world section or the murderous intent of shady Eastern European looking men.

Recommendation level: 2/5. Catch this if you want to see Eli Roth at the helm of a movie or if you want to see Takashi Miike's blink and a miss cameo.

Infection by Masayuki Ochiai

Category: Non-English

Definitely not a movie for the faint hearted, I had watched Infection many years back and decided to re-visit it again. Back then the movie had a lasting impression thanks to the J-Horror genre it belongs to, on a recent viewing however I wasn't as impressed as I was back then.

The movie follows a hospital where a mysterious patient arrives suffering from a disease with no real treatment. Eventually he dies and what follows next is a mind game across the soon to be run-down hospital. Whether it is real or fake is put to the test as our minds come across various psychological scenarios in the movie. But more than that there's an element of the supernatural which is also present that gives us a tough dose about our own reality.

Recommendation level: 3/5 - Pretty interesting as a one time watch only though!

500 Days of Summer by Marc Webb

Category: English

I am a little befuddled here as to what to say, this film has a lot of potential. It is definitely an interesting film to watch but there's something amiss...

500 days of summer follows the life of Joseph-Gordon Levitt's character who falls in love with Zooey Deschanel's character. Obviously one of them has committment problems and the other doesn't. While on the surface it's a typical "rom-com" as they call it, the only real saving grace has to be the editing and the jumping back and forth in time. The 500 days that Levitt's character knows Deschanel's character are more or less covered in a what appears to be non-linear format. Yet we are very clear about where their love started for each other and while you recollect the movie in your mind you recollect it as a liner narrative.

The acting is plastic at best, neither of them can act aside from looking pretty. Deschanel's character in particular is starved of any emotions to the point that one believes she is deliberately causing all that harm to the one she says she loves. Levitt - well he looks pretty like a school boy but what good is that?

Recommendation level: 2/5 I didn't think I'd be let down by the movie but I was and so there's nothing really to harp about it - barring a little slick editing. Also mister writer when Art is used as a device of revenge it ceases to be art anymore (ref: Any resemblance to people living or dead is purely accidental ... Especially you, Jenny Beckman ... Bitch - at the start of the film).

Where the Wild things are by Spike Jonze

Category: English

Haha, if you were one of the people who liked this film, obviously it should be a no brainer that you're either 12 years old or you are still stuck mentally at being 12. This was probably one of the worst films I've seen till date. Ah yes, snuggly creatures that looked like over sized Sesame Street characters (that was an intentional comment) give me a break, these guys are probably someone whom even Jason from Friday the 13th wouldn't want to snuggle up with.

So the premise yeah - kid wants attention, said attention whore kid runs to a magical land (maybe he just had a shroom eh?) and encounters giant furballs who somehow teach him how much a family matters.

Spike Jonze - I hope you hate this film yourself, I hope the money was worth it.

The adaptation isn't even that great, even a hardcore fan of the book admitted that it goes off on a tangent. Even the kid is annoying.

Recommendation level: 1/5 - Haha I couldn't put it below The Hills have Eyes, now can I?

Sherlock Holmes by Guy Ritchie

Category: English

What can I say? There's crappy movies and then there's a movie like Sherlock Holmes which is even worse. The only time I have ever wanted to doze off in a cinema hall - thanks to the Homo-erotic Adventures of Holmes and Watson.

Downey Jr. & Jude Law are pretty pathetic in this film with almost no real identities or character development. I hope a lot of people were disappointed, but sorry looking pretty doesn't make you a good actor. Jude Law's mustache is about as annoying and discomforting as his plastic acting skills and Downey Jr. is pretty much Tony Stark but in the past. I have to say Downey Jr. stopped his acting a few movies back and now just loves playing a drunk, talented person.

Recommendation level: 1/5 - I didn't even yawn at other crap movies like the Day of the Dead remake. Give it a miss, but you probably have already seen it. I can't believe Guy Ritchie made this movie, probably because Joel Silver whipped him around. I watched this in the cinema hall, so yeah I spent a good amount of money for trash.

The Girlfriend Experience by Steve Soderbergh

Category: English

Quite easily one of the best movies I've seen in a month or two. Surprisingly it's by Steve Soderbergh who returns back to his roots of understanding the human aspect of cinema. He experiments a fair bit with sound, thoughts and the leads but the best part about this movie has to be, Sasha Grey.

The movie follows a few days in the life of an escort portrayed by Sasha Grey a real life Adult Video star. She lives with her boyfriend and they share a committed-open relationship. There's a fair amount of political commentary pertaining to Obama and American politics and even though the movie is meant to have a feeling of being in touch with reality, it seems very staged - if this is on purpose or not by the director I am not sure.

The movie has its strong moments, as I mentioned some of the images we see (look at the poster, I love it) create a strong bond with you that lasts. It's an experimental film in some ways but is not difficult to watch. It explains relationships on a very different level, and while I can go on and on about this, I suggest you take a look.

Recommendation level: 3.5/5 - So close on the 4, but it didn't deliver in some places. Got it from a friend, just make sure you lay your hands on this, it's short.

Dead Snow by Tommy Wirkola

Category: Non-English

So obviously this is kind of my "return post" and the movie I saw was Dead Snow, heard a lot about this movie and probably you have too. The selling factor being - Nazi Zombies.

As per the movie, during World War II several Nazis were posted in Norway at a particular mountain. After they treated the villagers like hell things changed and after a revolt they were driven back to the mountains. However their greed for the wealth they had amassed living in that village knew no bounds. To the point that they are back now to kill anyone who encroaches on it.

Enter some teenagers who are holidaying on the weekend in a friends cabin. The friend gets eaten alive at the start and most of them end up becoming a meal as well. These zombies don't convert anyone as one of the characters observes, "They're not looking to team up!". The movie has some funny moments but in general lacks a real feel to it. It comes very close to becoming a really good horror/comedy film but falls a few places short. These places sadly are visible.

Recommendation level: 2.5/5 Ah, a Zombie movie after a while for me. But I can't just give it a higher rating. Catch it on a weekend when you have nothing left to do but watch Norwegian Zombie movies.

Zombieland by Ruben Fleischer

Category: English

A busy schedule lets me review movies with less frequency but anyway when I do get the chance I obviously review. On Sunday I caught Zombieland and I was looking forward to this movie, since there hasn't been a good zombie movie release in a while and Survival of the Dead won't be here for a few months or might never.

Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin are all survivors who band together despite some treachery on the part of the latter two. The premise being the world has been over run by Zombies and they are all traveling together to possibly find a safe zone. Eventually they find themselves in different scenarios fighting tons of zombies (only sometimes for a good 30 mins there are no Zombies).

The movie has some originality when it comes to the whole "rules of survival" most of them are explained, some repeated and of course some changed as the movie progresses. Woody Harrelson is apt in his role and so are the rest, the women in the movie were a little annoying and the little girl should have got her head bitten off but oh well.

Recommendation level: 3/5 - It's no Romero movie but definitely a good movie to watch if you're looking for some decent gore and are a Zombie movie fan, there are some impossible situations and of course watching Woody Harrelson perform the impossible (winning a stand off against a horde of zombies) is a bit unnatural but fine. Oh yes, the Bill Murray angle is pretty cute too!

Boogie Nights by Paul Thomas Anderson

Category: English

I've been waiting to check this film out for a while now and I have to say Paul Thomas Anderson (now referred to as PTA) has a unique way of getting an ensemble cast to act perfectly. He gets every bit of acting that he can from these talented bunch of people unlike some multi-starrer turkeys. Best part is, not one person can lay claim to the film.

The movie follows the pornographic industry while it was rising in the 1970's and 1980's in America. There's plenty of references to porn stars of those years, heck Mark Wahlbergs' character is based on a famous porn star. It's all loosely based but there's important landmarks to remember and watch the movie in - for example the advent of the video tape and the "creative differences" the director has with the financier concerning it.

The film follows the meteoric rise (no pun intended) of Dirk Diggler (Wahlberg) and the people he interacts with and the kind of work he produces. His addiction to cocaine and eventual fail in the industry, the movie however does end on a happy note. . . Sucks.

The cast includes PTA's favorites; Julianne Moore, Alfred Molina, William H. Macy, John C. Reilly, Philip Seymour-Hoffman as well as Burt Reynolds, Heather Graham and a host of others who shine in the movie in their own little way.

Recommendation level: 3/5. Got this one on VCD, but the Indian version is heavily censored. Same director to give us Magnolia, Hard Eight and other good movies from Hollywood.

I Love You, Man by John Hamburg

Category: English

Paul Rudd's character is to get married to Rashida Jones' character and while their busy looking at the wedding they realize that Rudd never had a strong male bond with any of his friends. Over the years he has only women friends and so the quest for finding his Best Man or his 'bromance' begins.

After hunting around with the help from his gay brother and the internet he eventually finds nothing. Enter Segel's character and things take a turn for good as he instantly connects with him.

While the movie takes a pedestrian look at how guys bond in the most stereotypical manner, Rudd manages to pick this movie up from the standard set of comedies that are around these days. Segel is the perpetual best friend, this guy can almost never be a lead - am convinced. Everyone (even in real life) wants a best friend like him right from his How I met your mother days.

Entertaining to watch with the friends after a hard days work I reckon. But not world class cinema.

Recommendation level: 2/5. Rudd and Segel take this to 2.