Thoughts

Hello nice people who still read this blog even though I do nothing on it. How are you all? How is your day going? I hope your day goes well and everything is awesome and blah. My day, in case you're wondering, is not going that great. Firstly, I had this awful dream about lizards attacking me and I woke up pretty early because of that. Secondly, I have to go to the doctor's pretty soon because in spite of being Indian, I think I'm allergic to the Indian weather. Speaking of, the weather here is terrible right now. It's like summer came back all over again, and I don't like summer. I like winter. For one thing, my like perennial cold actually makes sense then. For another, I have this really adorbs woolen sweater with reindeer on it and I unfortunately only get to wear it then. Thirdly, my results come out today and I'm properly super nervous about them. We found out about it yesterday. I have little-to-no memory of giving my exams because I was so sleep-deprived throughout but I do remember not being particularly ecstatic about any of them, so that's not great. Lastly, I don't know how my day will end because of the results bit and that's also stressing me out. Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Anyways, now that that's out if my system, let's get back to the world of cinema which is a world all of us care about unlike my stupid life and my stupid day.

Note: There's no way in hell I remember all the movie news announced in the last four months, since my last Thoughts post, and I'm not going to go through websites looking for them either.

1) SARAH POLLEY IS MAKING LOOKING FOR ALASKA!! I know that this is old news but I'm still very excited about it and I needed to acknowledge that on my blog. I know I have only seen one Polley movie, which is Stories We Tell, but god, it's one of the best movies I have ever seen and Looking for Alaska is one of the best books that I've ever read and it's SO fucking amazeballs that both of these are coming together. Even when I first read LFA, I had wanted a female director to make its movie because I just had a gut feeling that they'll do justice to it better than a male director can (See also: The Virgin Suicides, American Psycho) and yaay Polley is fantastic. I need this film in my life already.

2) In related news, the Paper Towns movie is also being made and they've cast Cara Delevingne as Margo Roth Spiegelman. This is pretty great news. I love Delevingne's look and energy. She was apparently the best part about The Face of an Angel, which showed at TIFF. My 13 year old brother is in love with her and one can understand why a character like Q, who is the protagonist of the story and will be played by the adorable Nat Wolff, will fall for someone like her. I already prefer this casting to that of The Fault in Our Stars because I still hate Ansel Elgort's face. The film will come out next year and will be directed by Jake Schreier who made Robot and Frank (which I have not seen. How is it??).

3) Matt Smith has been cast as Mr. Collins in the upcoming adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I find this very odd. I always saw him as a Bingley. Mr. Collins is a clown and not in a good way. Still, I'm happy to see Smith in anything. The film also stars Lily James (Smith's current girlfriend btw), Sam Riley, Douglas Booth, Jack Huston and Bella Heathcote.

4) Fincher news- All of the Fincher stuff getting released nowadays is so interesting. From the fact that he cast Ben Affleck as Nick Dunne in Gone Girl because of his creepy smile to his new projects which include an HBO series he is developing with James Ellroy about the corrupt studio system in the 50s, which will be in the style of the classic film noir, and a TV series about 80s music video industry!! Is anyone else having major "Vogue" flashbacks? He also said that the sequels to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo may still get made which is something I kind of need in my life. Finally, did everyone watch and love his adverts for GAP? Fincher seriously needs to make a black and white movie already.

5) Jessica Chastain will star in Xavier Dolan's next film, which is also his English language debut, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan. It's a satire of the gossip magazine business and Chastain is playing the antagonist, which is going to be delicious. Can you imagine how Dolan is going to dress her? *swoons* This is amazing news and I love the fact that all this sort of originated from a flirty Twitter convo between the two cinema geniuses (which is what they are).

6) Other casting news- Daniel Radcliffe's movie about the Brooklyn Bridge called *obviously* The Brooklyn Bridge now also has Brie Larson and Sir Ben Kingsley. Yaay! Love the idea of DanRad and Larson starring in a film together, although isn't she taller than him? There is going to be a Ben-Hur remake and I'm kind of okay with that because it will star Jack Huston and I love Jack Huston. It will also star Morgan Freeman and is being written by John Riley who wrote 12 Years A Slave.

7) Trailers- I just saw the trailer of Big Eyes. I like the look but I absolutely hate the song. Why would someone like Tim Burton use that song? I don't understand. A Most Violent Year looks pretty intriguing. I love the shot of Chastain at the end. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1 trailer is also out. I'm just too excited about Natalie Dormer being in this tbh.

8) Finally, it's almost time for the results so I'm just going to stop here and leave you with this beautiful man and his beautiful scruff-

Bye.

Thoughts

        Hi guys! Remember that time when I stopped writing these posts for like 3 months and then promised to never do so again and then did not write them for another month- yeahhhh... sorry about that. I am kind of out of ideas about what to do for this blog. Do you guys have anything that you might want to see me tackle (probably badly but still)? Help, I'm useless.

1) Sofia Coppola is going to direct the live-action adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid (and not the Disney one)! YAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY! I literally cannot imagine what this will be like, apart from the gorgeous cinematography *obviously*, and that's kind of awesome. Coppola is such a feminine director and I am really psyched to see what she does with the story. It's based on the original story, i.e., the one with the sad ending and the script is by the writers of 50 Shades of Grey and Shame so that's, er, interesting.

2) So Marvel has apparently lined up movies till 2028. What the fuck?! That's total madness. I'm sorry that I'm an age freak but I'll be 36 then and it's disturbing to think that even though I have no idea where I will be or what I will be doing (hopefully Ryan Gosling- BA DUM TSS) at that point in my life, I *know* that I will be watching Marvel movies then. I can't even imagine what the world will be like in 2028. Just UGH!

3) Pixar is going to make The Incredibles 2 and Cars 3. Even though I was initially pissed off about the former (not even going to address the latter- your mess, Pixar), I heard that Brad Bird is the one making it and then thought about how Pixar DID make the Toy Story trilogy and now I'm on board. Also, even though I forgot to add her, Edna Mode was one of my honourable mentions in Sati's spin-off blogathon because I would love a film just about her. She better return. #nocapes

4) The sequel to Magic Mike is going to be called Magic Mike XXL and I love it. Duh. They haven't finalised the cast yet but going by my recent Google searches, I would like Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Ryan Gosling, Matthew Goode, Jack O' Connell, Xavier Samuel, Rodrigo Santoro, Daniel Sharman, Fassy, the twins from Teen Wolf and so on. Anyone would actually do because the first film made me like people like Alex Pettyfer and it was also the beginning of McConaissance for me. Just let there be some good ol' fashioned male stripping and you have my money (in singles. Duh).

5) Almost casting news- David Fincher wants Christian Bale to star in the Steve Jobs movie that Aaron Sorkin wrote. I dig this. Ryan Gosling might be producing and starring in a Busby Berkeley biopic. This is fantastic. I am slightly bored of his silent, conflicted hero roles. If he does this film, he will be dancing and choreographing and stuff. HELLZ YEAH! Also lots of romancing because Berkeley was married 6 times. HELLZZZ YEAHHHH!!! Chiwetel Ejiofor is being considered to play the villain in the upcoming Bond 24. I am completely on board with this.

6) I don't know if I have declared this yet but 2014 is going to be the Year of Jack O'Connell and I'm super excited about that. The news that he will star in Joe Cornish's next feature Section 6 has increased my excitement tenfold. Cornish's previous movie Attack the Block, which was also his first, is one of smartest and most thrilling movies in recent years so this is excellent. The film is a historical spy thriller about the formation of MI6 after WW1 and its first director, Sir John Mansfield Cummings, who was actually the inspiration behind M in the James Bond series. O'Connell will play a young protege of Cummings.

7) John Green recently made the announcement that following the release of the adaption of his latest novel The Fault in Our Stars, the same team behind it will make the film version of another of his novels, Paper Towns. I really love Paper Towns too and I feel it has a more unique premise than TFiOS and so it could be a pretty interesting movie if made properly. Nat Wolff, who played Isaac in the TFiOS movie will be playing the protagonist Q in Paper Towns. I approve of this because he looks like how I imagined Q to be, unlike Ansel Elgort who is playing Gus in TFiOS.

8) I know most of you guys don't listen to Bollywood music but I have a feeling you might appreciate this if you like music in general. Those of you who do, this is kind of pure genius.

All the songs are listed here. I love most of them before the 2010s.

9) Trailers- I'm going to go from best to worst. So my favourite trailer that has come out in the last *sigh* month is Frank. I have seen it like a million times now and it cracks me up every time. I have this really strong feeling it might become my favourite movie of the year and possibly my favourite Fassy performance. Yes, I know his Steve McQueen movies will always have his best performances but the heart wants what it wants and if I know my heart well enough, it wants Fassy wearing a giant head and acting nuts (I should be a lyricist). The latest X-Men: Days of the Future Past is a tad impressive though I still think the film is going to fail, which sucks because it has incredible actors. Lucy pretty much looks batshit crazy and I really think the film isn't going to be good but hot damn, I LOVE SCARJO SO MUCH! She looks amazing and I definitely want to watch this. The True Blood season 7 teaser which is pretty much useless but I am sooooooooooo glad this show is ending. Jupiter Ascending looks like the kind of movie that will inevitably suck but at the same time, there's Eddie Redmayne in it and so I'll have to watch it. I don't particularly like the trailer of Night Moves because it looks pretty meh but I've read that the film is excellent and I do like the cast so I'm interested. Same goes for Begin Again although its USP for me is that it's made by the guy who made Once, which is a perfect film. Sex Tape can't possibly be an entire movie, right? With that thin and stupid a premise? Also, I like chubby Jason Segel and this weight loss makes me sad. And now, we get to the *really* good stuff. Bad Johnson has one of the craziest premises and posters I have EVER heard of/seen in my life. The trailer is relatively tame but just, WOWSERS! Also, this is exactly the kind of movie I expect Cam Gigandet to do. I saw the next trailer before Captain America: The Winter Soldier so just imagine my reaction- Pizza is a horror film about a pizza delivery man which is actually a remake of a South Indian film and it has just blown my mind. And finally, THE worst trailer of the month is that of the Indian movie copied from Sherlock, Samrat & Co.. No. Just no. Stop it, Bollywood!

Side note: I should totally just start a segment called "Stop it, Bollywood"/ "Why, Bollywood? Why?" and just cry over/rant about Bollywood. It just makes me so mad!

10) Finally, this reunion of Matt Smith and Karen Gillan brings me immense joy-

They should just get married. Well, the only people Matt Smith is allowed to marry, in order of preference, is me, Karen Gillan, Ian McKellen and Jennifer Lawrence. Since he hasn't found me yet, Gillan would do.

On that slightly insane note, byeeee! Oh and happy Thrones day :) Winter, boobs and incest are coming.

Thoughts

Okay let's do this quickly before everything is erased from our heads due to Oscars.

1) David Fincher is in talks to be the director of the Aaron Sorkin-scripted Steve Jobs movie. HELLZ YEAH!!!!!!!! I don't know if you guys are aware of this but I'm kind of obsessed with The Social Network and think that it's a perfect movie and the fact that these two guys might be collaborating again is music to my earholes. In case you've forgotten, the script of this movie is rather unique because it is set at three different points of time, right before the launches of Mac, NeXT and the iPod. Usually, Sorkin is a bit too American for my taste but I really think Fincher can bring out the best out of him. I cannot wait for the film if this comes to pass.

2) There's going to be a new Fantastic Four movie because we REALLY NEEDED another one and the cast is more than weird. Miles Teller will play Mr. Fantastic (no, I don't remember any of their real names), Kate Mara will be Invisible Woman, Michael B. Jordan is the Human Torch and Jamie Bell, of all the humans currently inhabiting this planet, will play the Thing. What the what? I'm not all that concerned about the face that Invisible Woman and Human Torch, who are siblings in the comics, are going to be played by a white woman and a black man because I think Jordan's the most perfect casting here and Mara is always cool. But Jamie Bell is like a tiny albeit very hot Englishman. What about him reminds one of a big, bald guy made of rocks and boulders? First Eisenberg, now this- all the casting agents are on lemmons.

3) Okay no, that's too much of a generalisation. I mean, I LOVE the fact that Patrick Wilson is now going to be in Edgar Wright's Ant-Man too! This movie is going to be gold. Also that Adam Driver is the new Star Wars villain. I am a bit skeptical about this movie but Driver has the potential of being an interesting kind of scary and I'd like to see that.

4) They're remaking Point Break, which is totally POINTless (hehehehehe) because Hot Fuzz exists and it will never be better than that. Some people have been cast. I don't care. I just wanted to profess my love for Hot Fuzz again and make that totally hilarious dad joke.

5) Also, there will apparently be a new Amazing Shit-Man movie every year. Lovely. Anyone for mass suicide? Marc Webb will direct the 3rd one too and hence be successful in making all of us forget that he was the man behind something as original and wonderful as (500) Days of Summer.

6) I was not aware of this but Mean Girls is based on a book (?) and its writer, Rosalind Wiseman has a sort of sequel to it called Queen Be Moms and King Pin Dads: Dealing With the Parents, Teachers, Coaches and Counselors Who Can Make - Or Break - Your Child's future. Wordy name but it's kind of like Mean Girls but instead with moms and this is now going to be adapted into a film entitled Mean Moms starring Jennifer Aniston. I actually like this project. It reminds me of Desperate Housewives a bit.

7) I've started reading Neil Gaiman's legendary graphic novel series, The Sandman and I love the heck out of it already. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is going to direct its movie adaptation and possibly star in it too and screenwriter Jack Thorne, who has things like Skins and This is England among his credits, will write it. I am curious to see what they do with these stories. If handled properly, this movie can be amazing.

8) This video is v. important because of reasons-

I can't believe Superwoman (you should check out all of her videos- she's amazeballs) got Madhuri Dixit to star in one of her videos. It's beautiful.

9) Trailers- Enemy looks like the right kind of mindfuck. I am super psyched about it. Orphan Black's second season's trailer is out and I can't wait to get sucked into its cleverness and thrill again. Penny Dreadful's trailer definitely has the dramatic creepiness down. Let's hope the show doesn't disappoint. The Olympic featurette for Angelina Jolie's Unbroken looks pretty impressive to me. But then again, it might be because I really want this to be Jack O'Connell's year. Locke's trailer is kinda boring but apparently it's really good and I've started to find bearded Tom Hardy v. hot so there's that. My second most favourite trailer was of the new Godzilla movie. The part where the planes begin to fall down looks fantastic. The king, or the StormLord of the trailers though is The Guardians of the Galaxy. It's the most "un-superhero movie" superhero movie trailer I have ever seen. I love how it looks, the use of the song is fucking brilliant, Chris Pratt is now hot AND awesome, and I have heard the "What a bunch of A-holes" line some 5856891748292 times already. It's my new "It's a bingo!" So funny.

10) Finally, June Squibb is officially my role model now-

George, you dog!

Bye guys! Let's hope Oscars aren't too awful. #prayercircleforLeo

Thoughts

       I know I keep changing the day of publishing these posts but I am really going to try and keep it on Sundays from now on. Anyways, here are my movie thoughts-

1) David Fincher will direct the pilot of Utopia, the American remake of a British series of the same name about a group of people who find a cult graphic novel called "The Utopia Experiments" that predicts all sorts of disasters and try to stop them while an organisation called The Network is set out to intercept their attempts. This sounds like a pretty cool project and Gillian Flynn, the author of Gone Girl, will also be involved as a producer. I just read Gone Girl and absolutely loved it and am now super duper excited for the movie adaptation, being directed by Fincher of course. The most amazing thing is that I am now totally for the Ben Affleck casting- it's perfect! Ditto with Neil Patrick Harris. Flynn seems like a really talented writer and I can't wait to read her other novels. Fincher is the ideal director for this movie. I can imagine it being something with Fight Club-esque narration, editing a la The Social Network, badass heroine/twisted leads like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and it also has a lot to do with crime and media so bits of Se7en and Zodiac too. And also the new ending is something to look forward to. After reading the novel, it has jumped up to being #2 on my most anticipated 2014 films list (since we're never going to get any promotional stuff for How to Catch A Monster EVER. Wtf, Gos?). Yaay!!

2) Greta Gerwig will write, produce and star in How I Met Your Dad, a spin-off show of How I Met Your Mother. This is a bit depressing. Gerwig was so excellent in Frances Ha, both as the lead and co-writer, that to see her in a spin-off television show is kind of shocking. I do like that she's writing and producing and hence she'll have more control on the show, which is apparently about a "female Peter Pan" whose one-year marriage is now failing. This actually doesn't sound a great deal like How I Met Your Mother but the fact that it will be on CBS is apparently a bad idea ('apparently' because I don't really know or care about American networks unless they are HBO). We'll see how this goes.

3) Ellen Page, who came out earlier this week (yaaay, go Juno!), will star in Freeheld, a movie based on the documentary of the same name about a woman, Stace Andree, who was denied pension benefits of her longtime partner, Laurel Hester, when the latter became terminally ill. Page will play Andree and Julianne Moore will play Hester. Zach Galifianakis will also join the cast as the activist Steve Goldstein who helps Andree in her court battle. Peter Sollett, who directed Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, is going to be at the helm. This is a pretty neat cast and it will be nice to see Page doing interesting roles again.

4) Have you guys read the alternative ending to Gravity? Sheesh, bleak stuff! The entire interview with Alfonso Cuarón is quite interesting actually. Also, the Jack O'Connell interview is pretty cool. It's nice to see someone so figured out and not blind after fame and stuff, though I do think this is going to be a huge year for him.

5) All the Best Original Song nominees (minus "Alone Yet Not Alone" obviously) will sing at the 86th Academy Awards come March 3rd. The one I am most excited about is this one-

My crush on Spike Jonze grows daily. I wish he would play on Oscar day too.

6) Trailers- The second trailer of Transcendence has Johnny Depp upping the creepy. I do like the idea of him being the baddie and Rebecca Hall and Paul Bettany being the heroes. The teaser of Tammy is fucking hilarious. Melissa McCarthy is a comic god.

7) Finally, I know I have to find like new hot people to put on this blog every week but just look at Benedict Cumberbatch!!!

Cumberbatch looks younger than I am and he was in his early-to-mid 30s then! How do these Brits do it, man? Also, I really want Martin Freeman's jumper.

Byeeeeeee!

Thoughts

      Hello people. It's been a long time since I have written a proper thoughts post. I have exams going on and I am a sleep-deprived mess right now but this is going to be my very brief respite from Swift and Chaucer and Blake and Coleridge and Donne and all those other sadistic literary bastards.

1) First of all, Stevee of Cinematic Paradox kinda, maybe, sorta giving up blogging for a while to focus on her final year of school. Stevee's was one of the first film blogs that I started following and it was a huge inspiration for me, even though it's only a few months older than mine. She's my blogging soulsister and I do hope she returns eventually.

2) I have started making my end-of-the-year lists but as I mentioned, my exams are on. Hopefully, I should finally start posting them in my study leave in between. I also had an Oscar-themed post in mind but we'll see how that goes. I won't be watching the Oscars live as I will be giving my film-studies exam then (oh the irony).

3) After my little freakout last week about Matt Smith joining Ryan Gosling's directorial debut How to Catch a Monster, it was reported that Saoirse Ronan will also be among its cast. I love Ronan and think she's like a wonder young actor and this film better be good because my expectations are crazy high right now.

4) Chris Pratt, who plays the lovable Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation and was the only one happy about Osama Bin Laden being dead in Zero Dark Thirty, is going to play the lead in Guardian of the Galaxy. Reading the character description, I kind of don't see it but here's hoping for the best.

5) Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Christian Bale will star in David O. Russell's next film about "70s FBI sting operation Abscam that took down a bunch of U.S. congressmen." This is amazing. This will be Lawrence's third film with Cooper, though in this, she will be playing Bale's wife.  I'm already so high on the Silver Linings Playbook love that I cannot wait for this.

6) Ladies and gentlemen, David Fincher-

The song's kind of blah, but my goodness, Fincher HAS to make a black and white film now, yes?

7) Hey guys, don't you miss the music in this blog? I sure do, but I haven't been able to find a good site that will allow me to post a playlist on the blog. If you know of any, kindly put a link in the comments.

8) Trailers- Fast & Furious 6 is going to come now. You would think that people will stop making these films. However, I will say that while watching the trailer, I kind of did want to watch it. It's just the kind of film I need right now. Trance's red-band trailer is all kinds of awesome. If that last Vincent Cassell bit doesn't make one want to watch the film, I don't think anything else can convince them. Two Mothers looks really creepy and fucked-up. I do not want to watch it. Monster's University doesn't have the most impressive trailer out, but I would like to see how Pixar tackles the frat lifestyle. Finally, Game of Thrones, series 3 is only a month and a half away!!

9) Finally, if you are not aware of it, I have gone a little Noel Fielding-gaga over the past few weeks. I have watched a lot of The Mighty Boosh and Big Fat Quiz of the Year and all of his Never Mind the Buzzcocks stuff. Since the Boosh won't make much sense to people who haven't watched the wonderfully weird show, here is a collection of some of my favourite Noel parts in Buzzcocks-

(on Beiber)

My goth god :)

Bye for now!

My Favourite Directors

        Well my blog is almost three now and I am celebrating this milestone with various lists. In this, I look at 15 of my most favourite directors, since I am simply incapable of stopping at just 10. Even though I might have not seen all the films that they have made, these filmmakers are my role models and people I admire the most in this world. Cinema is a gift and no one makes me more thankful for it than the following visionaries-

15.

Tim Burton

In spite of the unfortunate choices Burton has been making of late, he was one of the first directors to make me crazy about films. His eccentric characters, dark humour, unique settings, but all with a romantic touch to it are usually a joy to watch. Not to mention he uses my favourite actor in everything ( that should stop for now though).

Favourite films- Edward Scissorhands, Big Fish, Ed Wood

14.

Steven Spielberg

One of the few Hollywood directors introduced to me through my dad, I was instantly swept away in Spielberg's close encounters with adorable yet heart-breaking aliens. And after that came the ultimate hero in the form of a daredevil archaeologist. I began thinking of him as the coolest action director, only to then stumble upon Schindler's List and be stunned. Very few directors can do equal justice to childlike wonder and the worst of humanity.

Favourite films- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Schindler's List, Close Encounters of the Third Kind

13.

John Hughes

I have had nothing resembling an American teenage, but I almost feel like I have because of Hughes's evergreen films (and yes, I know how depressing that sounds). No one understood young people like him. His films are as funny as they are perceptive and smart. Also, Kevin McCallister was every kid's role model.

Favourite films- The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Home Alone

12.

Martin Scorsese

It was very recently when I actually started watching Scorsese's films. I started with Taxi Driver, and needless to say, I was completely bowled over. A true devotee of cinema, most of the films that I have seen of his are violent and edgy, with troubled characters and a lot of Rolling Stones. Then of course, there is Hugo, which is one of the most beautiful love-letters to films I have ever seen and kind of helped me turn my life around, something I am very thankful to Scorsese for.

Favourite films- Taxi Driver, Hugo, The Aviator

11.

Pedro Almodóvar

When I first sat down to watch Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, it was more for that outrageous name than anything else. Instead, I got this hilarious, colourful, slightly crazy tale of wonderfully real women and I was instantly hooked on to Almodóvar. Every film I see of his turns out to be beyond anything I could have imagined. Complicated narratives that seamlessly mix melodrama and humour (in most cases), memorable characters and vibrant look have made him quite a favourite of mine, in spite of having watched only five of his films.

Favourite films- Talk to Her, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, The Skin I Live In.

10.

Alfred Hitchcock

The master of suspense himself. It is not only the terror and the thrill of his films that is so engaging, but also the exploration of the human psyche that he did better than anyone before or after him. His storyboard precision and complete domination over his work is more than inspiring.  His films can be darkly funny, romantic, tragic, horrific and exciting. The way he crafted his scenes has caused some of them to be imprinted in our minds forever, from a crop-cutter to the birds in a playground to an unbelievably passionate kiss to of course, a murder in a shower.

Favourite films- Psycho, Notorious, Rear Window

9.

Paul Thomas Anderson

I have seen five out of the six films that PTA has made and among them, I was indifferent towards one and hated another because of huge amphibians falling from the sky. Which leaves me with only three films and god, what mighty films they are in their own ways. He is prodigiously gifted in his craft. One of my favourite things about his films is how they have a momentum to them- they keep building up and they have the power to just leave you rapt. Added to that characters that have never been more broken, excellent single-takes, gorgeous cinematography and scores. Also, the existence of Boogie Nights never fails to baffle me- how did he do it?

Favourite films- Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, Punch-Drunk Love

8.

Billy Wilder

He possibly has the greatest range as a director that I have ever seen. I refused to believe that the man who made Some Like It Hot also made Double Indemnity. Same for The Apartment and Sunset Boulevard. His comedies and his noirs are equally fantastic and his characters unforgettable.

Favourite films- The Apartment, Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot

7.

Wes Anderson

It really speaks to me when a director puts effort into making his film completely his own, so much so that even a single shot of his movies can make the viewer figure out that it is that specific director's movie. Basically, auteurs are the shizz and Anderson is one such singularity in today's world of cinema. His use of colours and music, with efficient yet troubled characters in the centre of it all is a joy to watch, even though his films usually have a dark undercurrent to them. The Bill Murray presence is also appreciated.

Favourite films- Rushmore, Moonrise Kingdom, Fantastic Mr. Fox

6.

Edgar Wright

Now Wright has made only three films, but all of them are so full of awesomeness that I happen to love the shit out of him! He has a sort of Midas-like touch with which he takes over-used genres like zombie movie or buddy-cop movie or a video-game/graphic-novel inspired movie, and turns them into hilarious, smart, heroic tales about love and friendship and a girl with hair like this. 

Favorite films- Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs the World, Hot Fuzz (and The World's End 'cuz duh)

5.

Stanley Kubrick

Like in the case of Wes Anderson, a Kubrick film is always distinctly-Kubrick. The camera angles, settings, music, movie adaptations of questionable books, sometimes nudity are what makes them so Kubrick. But the reason why he gets a higher ranking is, well, balls. I think his films are ballsy and bold and he is completely unafraid to show futility of war or glorification of violence or a sci-fi adventure that shows human evolution or a dream-like odyssey of self-discovery and so on. There is nothing I love more than ambition, and all his films were extremely, ballsily, ambitious, which is magnificent.

Favourite films- A Clockwork Orange, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, 2001: A Space Odyssey

4.

Sofia Coppola

Yes I do realise that this list has a dearth of female directors, but if its any consolation, I happen to be in love with one. Ever since I saw The Virgin Suicides, Coppola's way of story-telling has enticed me. Her films are very feminine, with usually a beautiful and lonely girl at the centre. Still, it's not just flowers and clothes with her films, even though something like Marie Antoinette can make you believe that. Her later films all tackle with growing up around wealth and fame, and how lonely it makes a person. The atmosphere and lighting in her films, with a soft, lovely scores accompanying them, make her films uniquely dreamy and romantic.

Favourite films- Marie Antoinette, The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation

3.

David Fincher

The thing I love about Fincher is that he makes good, clean, practically perfect movies. While many of the other directors in this list are chosen for their particular quirks and trademarks, which Fincher has as well, he is here because of how well made his films are. Notorious for his incessant takes to get the perfect shot, it is evident from the end products why he does so. Probably because of his music video-director roots, Fincher's film are impeccably paced and his dark and gritty thrillers are a lot of fun to watch with their special brand of uncomfortably dry wit so (see: the Enya song in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo when a man is about to be raped and killed).

Favourite films- Fight Club, The Social Network, Se7en

2.

Quentin Tarantino

I am tempted to write "BECAUSE HE IS AWESOME!!!!" and be done with it, but we all know it is more than just that. Tarantino lives and breathes films, and he uses this love for them to make an amalgam of the many, many, many things he has watched and give us his movies. His movies are gorgeously violent and incredibly funny, with some doomed romances on the side. His characters talk like no other, fight like no other and definitely dance like nothing I have ever seen before. The man even has his own filmography planned, which even though sounds nothing short of apocalyptic for us QT-worshippers, is infinitely cool because he is just that interested in movies, including those he makes himself.

Favourite films- Kill Bill Vol. 1, Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds

1.

Woody Allen

While Hugo in many ways helped me get my film-loving back on track, it was Woody's The Purple Rose of Cairo that made me first realise how much I loved and lived cinema. I owe whatever life I am going to have to this man. And it's not just because of Cairo, but almost every film that I have seen of his. Woody Allen's movies have a knack of curing me of whatever mood is ailing me at a point of time and making me feel calm and happy because I have watched something I loved, and also incredibly wistful because I could never make anything like that. Woody does dramedies better than anyone else, which my favourite genre. His films can be deadly funny and still have a lot of poignancy in them. I laugh, I cry, I feel inspired by all the cultural aspects of his films, and even frightened by the bleakness in his dramas. 

Woody makes his films because he makes his films, and there is no other reason to it. He tells a story and moves on to the next, and though that makes it harder to catch-up, it is something magical when I stumble upon a Woody film that I know I will love forever (which thankfully happens often enough). 

His muses are as legendary as they are beautiful and his love for New York is contagious, even though I have never been there myself. The use of music, of arts and culture, lately the beauty of European cities are some of the things that make his movies so special. In the end though, it is all about the stories and relationships that he can show so masterfully.

Favoruite films- The Purple Rose of Cairo, Interiors, Midnight in Paris

Woody Allen is my film god and my greatest wish is to meet him once and to thank him (and then break down crying etc.).

Thoughts

This has taken a while. I call this THE MOTHER OF ALL THOUGHTS POST! Just think it is catchy...

1) Personal update- Yes people, I am alive. I have just been v.v.v.v.v.v. sick. I had a seriously bad case of viral fever and I was/am really weak. I am about the worst person in the world to ever fall sick, since I cannot swallow pills and literally prefer dying but yeah I was nursed back to health by my family. I then had to travel from Calcutta to Dubai in my fragile condition. They put me in a wheelchair which was super embarrassing and just added motion sickness to my list of discomforts. The plane journey itself was extremely boring. I have a history of discovering awesome shows in flights like Doctor Who and Luther. This time there was Kenneth Branagh and apparently Tom Hiddleston-starrer Wallander though the latter wasn't there and the show was boring as fuck. Also the only new film to watch was People Like Us (which was again very boring and overly dramatic) and Beasts of a Southern Wild, a film that has been on my to-watch list ever since I saw its trailer, was showing on the return flight so rats! The only good thing about this whole journey was that this unbelievably hot guy was there in my plane but yeah that led to nothing. Another thing I liked about it was in the five hours I seemed to have stood in the passport control line, there was a group of really quaint old British men behind me who were hilarious and right now while reading JK Rowling's latest The Casual Vacancy, I cannot quite stop picturing the men as part of the book. Right now my mother is force-feeding me back to health (or so she wishes) and I keep thinking back on the days of the illness where I was this close to finally being my own Tyler Durden but eh whatever. At least I can blog now.

2) Posters and pictures- Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, part 2 has the most hilarious poster of all time. I cannot get over how ridiculous it looks. Speaking of, Carrie looks plenty terrible too. What is a good poster is that of my most anticipated sequel of all time, The World's End. This film will be so epic. My darling Daniel Radcliffe is doing two films. There is a poster for his romcom The F Word with Zoe Kazan which looks sweet. There is also the released picture of him avec horns in Horns. It does look kind of retarded, but this film sounds cool. Also since we're talking about weird pointy things (TWSS), the new Wolverine picture looks mental. Hugh Jackman does not need to be that photoshopped. He is a beautiful man as it is.

3) Okay so you know how long I've been gone? Back when Seth MacFarlaine hosting the Oscars was big news. I haven't actually seen anything he has done (Family Guy, Ted) but it seems like a weirdly ballsy move by the AMPAS so we'll see where this goes. What is great hosting news is that Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will host the Golden Globes. YESSSS! I just keep thinking of Mean Girls for this, even though they are more famous for Saturday Night Live and Baby Mama together. Still, epicly awesome funny ladies FTW!

4) Continuing with my last weekly thoughts post about TV shows and movies- The Coen Brothers are making a Fargo movie. Woaaahh! I know right. I don't remember Fargo very well, just that wood chipper scene and saying "Yeah" like Frances McDormand for weeks after that. I am not big on Coen Brothers (yes I know blasphemy!) but this will be interesting. Also Alfonso Cuarón and JJ Abrams are making some sci-fi supernatural tv show together, whose premise is about "a girl in possession of a great gift/powers — which will come into their own in seven years — and the man who is sprung from prison to protect her from those trying to hunt her down ." Then David Fincher and Kevin Spacey have developed a political drama show called House of Cards. Why don't I know these things? It sounds pretty impressive. It also stars Robin Wright, Kate Mara and Corey Stall.

5) Casting news round-up- Daniel Radcliffe may be starring in Frankenstein which will bring a  sci-fi spin on the classic horror story. It sounds very offbeat and cool and I like everything Radcliffe has been attaching himself to post-Potter so this can continue the trend. Ben Whishaw might star in Steven Spielberg's Robocalypse. I love Whishaw and think he's a wonderful actor and it will be very good for his career to be attached to a big project like this. Martin Freeman and Eddie Marsan have joined the already awesome cast of The World's End. I really cannot effing wait for this film. Not only will Marc Webb be returning to direct The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (YUCK), but Shailene Woodley is in talks to play Mary Jane Watson (DOUBLE YUCK). I like Woodley but I think I have made my animosity towards the first Amazing Spider-Man movie and the absolutely horrendous role of Mary Jane Watson be known far and wide. I will hate this film too. I know it. Robert Pattinson will star alongside Carey Mulligan in Hold on to Me which is about a real life femme fatale and seems like a juicy part for Pattinson to, pardon the pun, sink his teeth into. Amy Adams will star as Janis Joplin in a biopic directed by Lee Daniels, which sounds very interesting even though I have not seen any of Daniels's work yet. Also Natalie Portman may star as Jackie Kennedy in the biopic Jackie that was once a pet project of Darren Aronofsky and Rachel Weisz. I can see it happening.

6) Apparently Benedict Cumberbatch is the new James Bond villain for whenever Bond 24 will come out? What? Why do I read about these things in Indian tabloids? That's bloody amazing though. Just the thought of verbal and possibly physical sparring between two very attractive British men in suits *fans herself*.

7) Since when was Michael Fassbender part of the Terrence Malick film that also has Rooney Mara and Ryan Gosling? It's very hard to keep track since Malick is making like 50 movies, but this is the music festival one. But man, Fassy and Gosling in one movie together is not going to be good for my nerves. Still, who knows who will actually make the final cut (this thought keeps me up at night).

8) Everyone has heard this, yes? I kept hearing it even though it was triggering my headache back when I was sick-

9) Back when I was gone, Sati's absolutely brilliant site Cinematic Corner turned 1 year old. Her blog puts mine, and let's face it, probably yours to shame also. It is just that good and that pretty. And it's only a year old, a prospect that makes me sick and disgusted. Let's hope it continues to be this awesome for many many more years to come.

10) Edgar Wright will be definitely making the Ant-Man film so good on Marvel for officially becoming wayyyyyyy cooler than DC. Also Agent Coulson will be there in the S.H.I.E.L.D. tv show pilot so maybe he didn't die, which will be very sneaky on Nick Fury's part. Still yaay! because Agent Phil Coulson is ab fab.

11) Trailers- The Lone Ranger which looks wayyy too serious, and it should have more of Armie Hammer seeing that he is in fact the Lone Ranger. A proper trailer for Lincoln came out that does not make it look like War Horse with Daniel Day-Lewis. I like it so much more. Stoker that looks ahmazing and creepy and is definitely one of my most anticipated films of next year. Zero Dark Thirty also released an actual trailer that makes sense. I'm still not a hundred percent sold on this film but I do love me some Jessica Chastain and this is like her first proper big profile lead role so yaay! Hitchcock looks really good and fun. Anthony Hopkins is killing it as Alfred Hitchcock and Helen Mirren looks really good too. I love how Scarlett Johannson doesn't even get a mention. It ain't her movie! Carrie's teaser looks good until you actually get to Carrie, being played by Chloe Moretz. She looks stoopid. They will all laugh at her!! The new Gangster Squad trailer has a lot more Emma Stone to offer, but it looks the same to me. I have become so much lesser enthused about this film as time has gone by. Still, gotta love Gosling in a suit. Finally the latest Django Unchained trailer is all sorts of batshit crazy, especially in the form of one delicious Calvin Candie, played by Leonardo Di Caprio. This film will be fantastic.

12) Finally, who else was devastated by the mid-season Doctor Who finale? I have never cried like that for a tv show ever. I will write about it but for now-

Truth. Troll.

Okay so I will be back soon. I hope. Byeee.

"Some people go to the movies to be reminded that everything's okay. I don't make those kinds of movies."- David Fincher

David Fincher is easily one of the most gifted filmmakers out there. Notorious for his perfectionist method of film making, he is responsible for some of the best and coolest movies of the last two decades, including my favourite film of all time, Fight Club.

HAPPY 50TH, DAVID ANDREW LEO FINCHER!!

Here's to the next 50 being just as awesome :D