Hello 2014!

With a new year, we have a whole set of new films to look forward to. Of course, if you are like me, you still have a huge number of 2013 to get over with. But as it is becoming a tradition on this blog, I give you my most anticipated films of the coming year on 1st January (even though I'm failing my exams for writing this).

Honorable Mentions- Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Sils Maria, The Monuments Men, Beauty and the Beast, The Boxtrolls, Cuban Fury, Fury, Chef, 22 Jump Street, Tammy, The Interview, Dark Places, Madame Bovary,  The Imitation Game, Tom at the Farm, Maps to the Stars, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1, Unbroken, The Cobbler, Noah (still not sure on this one, but then, Aronofsky), Life Itself, Jupiter Ascending (again, for the directors), Jane Got a Gun, untitled Cameron Crowe, Neighbours, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, Stretch, The Maze Runner, Under the Skin, Annie, Get On It, The Search, Dumb and Dumber To, Horrible Bosses 2, Veronica Mars, Exodus, Cymbeline, Every Thing Will Be Fine, Happy Christmas, Frank, Brooklyn, Midnight Special, Need for Speed and any Terrence Malick film if he decides to release one this year.

The 25:

25) X-Men: Days of Future Past
This would have been higher on my list were it not for that gargantuan cast. Seriously, too many characters. There is big chance of this film not working, but I'm still quite excited. Also, that picture is hilarious.

24) Far From the Madding Crowd
Thomas Vinterberg made one of the most acclaimed movies of last year, The Hunt. This will be his English language debut. The material is great and so is the cast. I'm happy to see Tom Sturridge bagging such roles.

23) The Lobster
The concept is kind of genius- people forced to find their soulmates or else they turn into animals. The cast is exciting and I have become quite a fan of Yorgos Lanthimos over last year.

22) Muppets Most Wanted
The Muppets was one of the biggest surprises of 2011 for me. It was the happiest movie of the year and so I have high hopes for its sequel.

21) Nymphomaniac
I don't think any film has me equally intrigued and scared like this one. It is going to be something.

20) The Trip to Italy
I thought the first one was totally brilliant and super hilarious and I have a feeling this one will be too. And I love Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon!

19) Maleficient
Though the teaser did little for me, I have been excited for this film since day 1. Angelina Jolie is PERFECT for a role like this. And gotta love Elle Fanning.

18) Godzilla
Talking of teasers/trailers, Godzilla's absolutely rocked! Plus the cast and the visuals have my attention completely.

17) Transcendence
The trailer was absorbing enough and that cast is quite amazing. Curious to see how Wally Pfister fares as a director. Also, so nice to see Johnny Depp looking normal in a film... sorta...

16) Into the Woods

I love Chicago. That alone guarantees my interest in this film. But then we have fantastic actors like Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Johnny Depp, James Corden (!), Chris Pine, Anna Kendrick in big and small roles playing fairy tale characters- oooooooooooo!!

15) Gone Girl
I'm sorry, David Fincher. I just hate Ben Affleck's chin so much! Otherwise your film would have been higher on the list, I swear on Jack's everything! I do love Rosamund Pike though.

14) How to Train Your Dragon 2
I regret not having watched How to Train Your Dragon in the theatres in 3D. Not making that mistake with its sequel, which looks quite breathtaking too.

13) Foxcatcher
Love it when an actor tries something different. Steve Carell looks set to wow us in this and, having read up on the whole incident, I think this might be a helluva movie.

12) The Fault in Our Stars
I absolutely loved the novel and Shailene Woodley has been fantastic in everything I've seen her in. I seriously hope and pray the film does John Green's beautiful, hilarious and heartbreaking book justice.

11) Guardians of the Galaxy
I think this is going to be a very atypical superhero movie, and we need some of those now. And wowsers Lee Pace, Chris Pratt and Karen Gillan in a movie together!

10) Magic in the Moonlight
Statistically, observing the trend in Woody Allen's recent films, this *should* be a dud. But I absolutely adore the idea of Emma Stone being in one of his films and this looks and sounds quite lovely.

9) Inherent Vice
It's probably a lazy reason but it's a Paul Thomas Anderson film. It's bound to be good if not great. Joaquin Phoenix is also in top-form right now and the story is very interesting.

8) The Raid 2: Berandal
Because The Raid is a perfect film. 'Nuff said.

7) The Double
Submarine is one of my most favourite films ever. This looks v.v.v.v.v. different, but that's not a bad thing, especially with some people talking about its similarities with Fight Club. Also, bless Richard Ayoade for bringing Jesse Eisenberg and Mia Wasikowska together in this film!

6) Captain America: The Winter Soldier
I am a huge fan of the first one and I like the fact that it seems to be merging superheroes with spies. Chris Evans is so great in this role too.

5) Only Lovers Left Alive
I like vampires. I like vampire romances. I like off-beat romances. I like John Hurt. I like Anton Yelchin. I like rockstars. I love Mia Wasikowska. I looove Tilda Swinton. I looooove vampire Tilda Swinton. I looooooove Tom Hiddleston. I looooooooove vampire Tom Hiddleston. I looooooooooove vampire rockstar Tom Hiddleston.
I think I will like this film.

4) Interstellar
I love a smart blockbuster and Christopher Nolan is just about the king of those. Excited to see what he does now, with the Dark Knight trilogy behind him. And then there is that cast which includes Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway and like a million other amazing people and basically, this might be brilliant.

3) Carol
Todd Haynes directing Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara in a film based on a Patricia Highsmith novel about two women in a relationship in the 50s on the run- YES PLEASE!

2) How to Catch A Monster
I *did* call this my most anticipated film of all time, but I am a bit scared about the surreal aspects of the film and obviously, how good the Gos will be as a director. Still, that's a picture of Ryan Gosling directing a shirtless Matt Smith. I'm ready to sell my soul to be able to attend the premiere.

1) The Grand Budapest Hotel

Look at that poster! This film is going to be gold. Don't you just wish that Wes Anderson was God so that the whole world would be as pretty as his films and everyone would be as fun as Ralph Fiennes's Gustav H. seems to be? Jokes (existential jokes? Idk) aside, my favourite thing about Wes Anderson's films are the darker layers hidden beneath their gorgeous exteriors and as delightfully screwball-like as The Grand Budapest Hotel's trailer seems to be, I think the film will have much more to offer. Cannot wait!


And there you have it. I hope all of us have a fantabulous 2014 :D

Thoughts

       Another late Thoughts post and I have nothing to say for myself except that I have been lazing around in my house ever since my summer vacations began last week. I haven't even started preparing for the exams that will start once the holidays are over. Sorry folks!

1) The Across the Universe Podcast that I have started with Mette and Sofia released its first episode and the feedback has been excellent so far. We are also on iTunes now where you can subscribe to the podcast and download and listen to the episodes, which are all free.

2) Andrew Garfield and Ken Watanabe will starring in Martin Scorsese's next, Silence. The film will follow Garfield's character, a 17th century priest who goes to Japan to find his mentor, but is instead faced with religious persecution. Watanabe will play his interpreter. Scorsese has been working on its script since 1988 when he read the novel of the same name by late Japanese author Shusako Endo, but has had trouble filming it due to its sensitive nature. I think this sounds excellent and so does the cast.

3) Charlie Kaufman is set to co-direct a stop-motion animated film Anomalisa which is, as its Kickstarter page reads "about a man crippled by the mundanity of his life". It will follow a character named Michael who is a celebrated motivational speaker who has, so as to speak, lost the motivation in his life, but all that changes when he meets a girl called Lisa. Sounds quite Kaufman-ish, and hence awesome. Voice cast so far includes David Thewlis and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Cannot wait.

4) Scarlett Johansson is going to direct her first film. Summer Crossing is based on the lost first novel of Truman Capote. It's a film that has been close to her for a long time now and it will be out in 2015. The story follows a 17 year old girl who falls in love with a Jewish parking attendant in 1945 New York.

5) Speaking of directorial debuts, my favourite one is well into its shooting now. How to Catch a Monster better be good, especially seeing how Matt Smith has shaved off his gorgeous, gorgeous hair for it. It is an interesting look overall though, and it doesn't hurt that he's shirtless throughout most of it. He is playing the antagonist Bully in the movie, and after the last Doctor Who episode "Nightmare in Silver" where he got to be a villain and was extremely effective at it, I cannot wait to see what he does.

6) Cannes Film Festival is also in full swing now. I did not know that Vidya Balan is in the jury. She is easily the best working Indian actress right now and I couldn't be happier. Plus I love her outfits. She and Christoph Waltz need to come in a film together. Also movie-wise, Asghar Farhadi's The Past is getting rave reviews so far, which is great because his A Separation is one of the most flawless films I have ever seen.

7) Jesse Eisenberg, Isabelle Huppert and Gabriel Byrne are going to star in Joachim Trier's Louder than Bombs. I have seen one film by Trier and it was Oslo, August 31st, which was a very well-made and affecting film, so I have high hopes for this. The official synopsis says that it is a Rashomon-style drama that "revolves around the character of a famous, late war photographer played by Huppert. On the eve of a retrospective of work, some three years after her untimely death, her husband and two sons discover an unsettling secret from her past." It sounds intriguing to say the least.

8) Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep and the ADORABLE James Corden are slated to star in Rob Marshall's adaptation of the musical Into the Woods. Joining them is the lovely Emily Blunt and also, scruffy gods Chris Pine and Jake Gyllenhaal are said to appear as princes. The last two are small parts but it feels like Hollywood is hacking my brain because good lord, aren't they like princes already? I am getting excited about this.

9) Reese Witherspoon is going to join her Walk the Line co-star, the great-faced Joaquin Phoenix in Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice. I really need to watch Walk the Line, but I guess this is a good choice. I have faith in PTA.

10) Nymphomiac is going to be some film. The first cast photo has been released and everyone's doing weird shit in it, as one would expect from a Lars von Trier movie. He is in the photo too with duct tape over his mouth. Read the text he sent to Nicolas Winding Refn. Read the entire interview while you're at it. It's hilarious.

11) Btw, the Doctor Who series finale is today and I am going CRAY CRAYYYYYYYYYY!!!

12) LOADS of trailers- August Osage County which looks fairly typical but I do like the idea of seeing Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts as a bickering mother-daughter pair. Also, what is up with Benedict Cumberbatch's hair? The Butler has that annoying uplifting music playing throughout which really distracts me from the trailer. Although that can be a blessing in disguise because who really wants to see John Cusack playing Nixon... sober? Still, I kind of want to watch it for Oprah. Pacific Rim has another fucking awesome trailer out. Jean-Pierre Jeunet has a delightful new movie out called The Young and Prodigious Spivet which has a lot of his characteristic elements in it. Jim Jarmusch's vampire flick Only Lovers Left Alive has two clips out (both of which are in that video). I think it looks amazing and Hiddles and Tilda Swinton have insane chemistry together. Richard Curtis is back with another awesome-looking romcom About Time which has time travel in it so huzzah! It stars Domnhall Gleeson, who looks adorbs in it, and Rachel McAdams and Curtis-regular Bill Nighy. I already wrote a whole post on the trailer of my most anticipated film of 2013, The World's End. Finally, the king of trailers this week is the one and only Gravity. It looks mindblowingly spectacular and I really hope they don't release anymore trailers because this is perfect. I want this film. Give it to me!!

13) Finally, my ultimate girl-crush Emma Watson is wowing everyone at Cannes. Her W Magazine shoot, entitled "The Prime of Miss Emma Watson" is stunning-

Just... wow.

Toodles!

Thoughts

I don't know how but I have gotten into this terrible habit of posting my weekly thoughts every two weeks. I am late today as well and will probably be next week too as I am going to UAE for my summer hols. I promise to work on being better though.

1) First of all, Something Is Afoot.

2) Old, old news to get off my chest- Lee Pace will be the villain in Guardians of the Galaxy. Even though this means that all of his beauty will probably be burried under tons and tons of make-up, I am really happy that Pace is getting the big break he deserves. He is also in talks to star in the second season of Hannibal, along with fellow-Pushing Daisies stars Kristin Chenowyth and Anna Friel. Him, Mikkelsen and Dancy- yummy! (See what I did there?) Next, people are trying to remake The Crow, which I feel is an excellent idea because the story and the character are very interesting and the 1994 original is almost too cult to do them justice. Among the people whose names have been thrown around for playing the titular character are James McAvoy, Tom Hiddleston (who would have been perfect, imo), and now Alexander Skarsgard is in talks. Speaking of Hiddles, he will be starring in a Robert Capa biopic along with fellow Marvel-actor, Hayley Atwell. Me likey. His Marvel brother Chris Hemsworth is going to star in a new Michael Mann cyberthriller along with Viola Davis. I think this is a very interesting pairing and am excited to see what comes out of it.

3) Jessica Chastain is in talks to star in Christopher Nolan's next big space adventure movie, Interstellar. She will join Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Nolan-regular, Michael Caine. Give me this movie NOW!

4) Daniel Radcliffe continues to make bold, cool choices with his post-Potter career. He is going to star in the adaptation of Tokyo Vice which is based on a true story about a reporter whose crime stories and a final scandal get him into trouble with a Yakuza boss. It is going to be directed by music director Anthony Madler, who is making his feature film debut with this. I really like how this sounds. Let's hope it's awesome and DanRad with it.

5) Paul Thomas Anderson is set to start shooting his next film Inherent Vice this month. It will star his The Master-collaborator, the great-faced Joaquin Phoenix (what a face, man!). I am still a bit sad that Robert Downey Jr. won't be in it instead. I think he and PTA would have made quite a pair. Still, cinephiles everywhere are rejoicing of course.

6) Michael Fassbender and Natalie Portman are going to "Bard" it up in Justin Kurzel's adaptation of Macbeth. I wasn't the biggest fan of the Scottish play when we studied it in school, but if anyone can make me change my mind, it is Fassy. I think he will be perfect. And Portman, who so cleverly joined this project after being denied the chance to work with Fassy in the now-annoying-with-its-casting-problems Jane Got A Gun, is a very intriguing choice to play Lady Macbeth, who was probably the only character I liked in the play. Kurzel, whose debut film Snowtown is apparently very violent, is again a most interesting choice as the director. I can see this working v. well.

7) Other casting news- Bradley Cooper is going to star in Steven Spielberg's next American Sniper, which is based on the autobiography of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. I have become quite the Cooper fan since Silver Linings Playbook and am thus looking forward to this film. My husband, Logan Lerman, has joined Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf in David Ayer's World War 2 tank drama Fury. The film is about a five-man American tank squadron who go to Germany to fight off Nazi forces. Lerman, according to the site, will play, "Norman Ellison, an Army typist and the youngest and most inexperienced member of the crew who is thrust into being a tank gunner." Sounds pretty good to me.

8) Only one poster worth talking about really, and that is of Lars Von Trier's potentially v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v. controversial new film, Nymphomaniac. I think it is brilliant. People have been calling it a Tumblr fan poster, but that's exactly what I love about it. Fan posters often highlight the most important features of the respective film and just drown out all the noise and that is what this poster is doing. This two-part film is about the sexual journey of a woman, played by the underrated Charlotte Gainsbourg, and the poster is implying this in the most simplest of ways. Genius!

9) Trailers- The Bling Ring's official trailer is making me want this film even more than I do, which is A LOT. Also, I am so going to be talking like (well, trying to) Emma Watson for a week after I watch this. Thor: The Dark World looks cool, especially with Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor at its helm. I expect loads of fight scenes. My favourite part of the trailer is Loki, obviously. Violet and Daisy looks very interesting and lovely. Love the duo of Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore!) and Saoirse Ronan. Kristen Wiig's follow-up to Bridesmaids, Girl Most Likely looks like a whole lot of fun. I think she and Annette Benning, who plays her mum, are a charismatic and awesome match, and Matt Dillon and even Darren Criss are great. Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing looks so so so so good and I really hope it releases here. I am certain that I will love it. Finally, for trailer of the week, Pacific Rim looks unfuckingbelievably out-of-this-world fantastic! 2500 tons of awesome to be exact. I can't wait to watch this now.

10) Finally, my most anticipated film of all time has started filming-

Hottest director ever, anyone?

Also, I am guessing (and hoping and praying) that the picture below is for How to Catch a Monster and not Doctor Who-

It *is* a bit of a shock, but I think it is fine, all in all. Hair generally grows back. 

However, when this picture got released, this is what happened to Tumblr-

This is coincidentally what is going to happen to my ovaries once the Gos and Matt Smith start filming together. Can't wait.

Byee!!

Thoughts and FYCs

1) The LAMMYs are here, folks! Here is my banner-

If you would like, please do vote for me in these categories. You can see my blog's design and this is a Weekly Thoughts post. As for Funniest Writer- Q: What is red and smells like blue paint? A: Red paint. *drops the mic and walks away*

The entire Eligibility List is out and I would be checking them out soon. However, I already know that two blogs that I will be voting for a lot are And So It Begins... and Cinematic Corner. Alex Withrow is a shoo-in for the Most Knowledgeable Writer. Dude has watched every movie ever, seriously! And though Being Norma Jeane is in the Best Design category too, Sati's site is, and this is probably the highest praise I can give to anything, the Ryan Gosling of blogs. It's gorgeous! Also, I am conflicted between Alex's "In Character" thingies and Sati's "Visual Parallels" for Best Running Feature.

2) Anyways, getting back to film world, Steven Spielberg was in India recently and is thinking about making a film about the India-Pakistan-Kashmir conflict. Woah! A part of me thinks it will be brilliant and a part of me, i.e. the part that remembers Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom only far too well, is scared. That was one ridiculously inaccurate and racist film and was saved only because Harrison Ford is a god. One of the names being thrown about for the Bollywood cast of the Kashmir film is that of Anushka Sharma, which is awesome because she is a wonderfully charismatic and beautiful actress who can actually act- a rarity in Bollywood. I guess I do want this to happen. Also if Spielberg comes to Calcutta, I'm sooooooooo stalking him.

3) Jane's Got a Gun. I don't really have anything funny to say about that. I don't need to. *drops the mic and walks away*

4) Ryan Gosling is apparently taking a break from acting. RUBBISH, I TELL YA'! Yes, him directing How to Catch a Monster is the single-most awaited event of my life right now, but still. He's an amazing actor! He can't talk all this crap. In the meantime, some stills from his upcoming potential epic, Only God Forgives have been released.

5) Speaking of, my ovaries explode and go to heaven at 7:32 in this video-

This film will be the death of me. It's going to be really experimental though, so I am a tiny bit scared too.

6) TV talk- Season 3 of American Horror Story will be called American Horror Story: Coven. So witches it is, and glamorous ones at that. Can't wait! Bates Motel started this week and it wasn't half bad. Freddie Highmore's face is really weird and distracting, though not in a good way, but he was pretty creepy as Norman Bates. I thought Vera Farmiga's Mrs. Norma Bates was exactly like how I had imagined her to be, except she's obviously much prettier. Girls, thankfully, had a pretty great season finale. Was anyone else reminded of Manhattan's Isaac Davis when Adam ran across Brooklyn streets to Hannah? They are both completely insane romantic gestures if you think about it.

7) Trailers- Despicable Me 2 looks fun enough. You know, I would really like to have some minions. THE BEST STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS TRAILER YET! As much as I love Kirk and Spock, I am definitely going to end up siding with Benedict Cumberbatch's villain. I know it.

8) Oh and have you guys been listening to Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. It's absolutely fantastic. Everyone in it is doing a great job, with special props to Scottish king, James McAvoy and the angel of voices, Benedict Cumberbatch (yes, I did just write that. It's allowed because it's true).

9) New header and sidebar pictures. YAAY!

10) Finally, Matt Smith wants to be a Bond villain. I don't know if he's menacing enough to be a main villain, but he can be like a side-villain and fight Q. I would really, really, really like that. So would, it seems, Sir Ian McKellen-

Would not mind sharing Matt Smith with him one bit. Nope.

Please vote and adieu!

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!