Special Super Random Thoughts Post About Death and Disney

          Hi guys! Long time, no see etcetera.
 
          Okay so it's like 3:45 am here and I was in my bed trying to sleep but I couldn't because I was having my occasional thoughts about aging and mortality and about how I am going to age and then DIE one day and I was thinking of how I will be 70 years old in 2062 (if I don't DIE that is, duh) and then I thought about how Disney will still be announcing sequels then and now I am very confused about what to think/feel. I mean, does anyone else feel that Disney is going to be announcing sequels till the end of time? Isn't it weird/creepy?

         So yeah, I wanted to share that with you guys (I would have tweeted it but it's too long and did I mention it's 3:45 am here?).

         Also, since we're on the subject, here are my two cents of the Tim Burton's live-action Dumbo remake and Frozen 2:

1) Why, Tim Burton? Why?! Also dafuq, Disney? Dumbo is an extremely depressing and disturbing movie as it is and I can't even imagine the trainwreck this film will be. Tim Burton, you were meant for greater things!!!

2) I am not completely surprised that Frozen 2 is a thing but I swear, if it isn't about Elsa falling in love with her Disney princess, I am so not watching it! (Okay I am but still!)

        Sorry if this was a waste of your time, guys. Here's Chris Hemsworth's abs and also the rest of him to make it up :D

         I would also like to add that this blog is probably on hiatus till my exams get over in May (I may or may not post super random stuff like this so yeah, Idk). Byeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

Thoughts

1) Remember when I had intended to embark on a "Crazy Nikhat Month" earlier this year (yeah, that totally happened), and I had asked you guys to suggest crazy disturbing but essential movies for me to watch? Josh had recommended Dogtooth and Alps, both directed by Greek director Yorgos Lanthinos. Even though I gave up on this month after Eraserhead (yikes!), I did watch both of Lanthinos's films and really liked them. Last week, it was announced that he is going to make his first English feature called The Lobster. The synopsis is really interesting-

"An unconventional love story set in a dystopian near future where single people, according to the rules of the Town, are arrested and transferred to the Hotel. There they are obliged to find a matching mate in 45 days. If they fail, they are transformed into an animal of their choosing and released into the woods. A desperate Man escapes from the Hotel to the Woods where the Loners live and there he falls in love, although it’s against their rules."

The cast also is very impressive. Jason Clarke, Ben Whishaw, Lea Seydoux, Olivia Coleman, Ariane Labed and Angeliki Papoulia are all going to star in the film. Here is what the director had to say about the film-

"The Lobster is a story about love, without being a conventional love story. It observes the ways and reasons certain people come together to form couples, while others don’t. It is a story about the terrifying effects of solitude, the fear of dying alone, the fear of living alone and, above all, the fear of living with someone. Forcing ourselves to like someone is one kind of suffering; trying to find someone we really like is a different sort of suffering. The Lobster tries to discover synonyms for love in words such as fear, norms, deadlines, matching, synchronicity, naivety, prosperity and lies."

2) Is it me or are there suddenly a lot of biopics being announced? There is the Stephen Frear's helmed Lance Amstrong biopic with Ben Foster in the lead role. There is already an official image that has been released. The film also stars Chris O'Dowd, Guillaume Canet and Breaking Bad's creeptastic Jesse Plemons. Next, Tom Hardy will play Elton John in Rocketman. Did anyone see this coming? I honestly did not. It is being written by Billy Elliot's writer Lee Hall and has been described as a bigraphical musical fantasy with hyper-visuals and a non-linear storyline. But with Hardy joining this project, he has had to drop out of a few. Everest, which is going to be directed by Doug Liman, earlier had Hardy playing climber George Mallory but now that he has dropped out, Benedict Cumberbatch is in talks to be the replacement. And for the role of George Finch, actors such as James McAvoy, Tom Hiddleston, Henry Cavill, Dan Stevens, Matthew Goode and Jim Sturgess and a couple of others are being considered. All I can say is wowsers, this might become my dream movie! All the beautiful British men unite! Finally, Emile Hirsch is going to play John Belushi in a biopic about the doomed comedian. It will be directed by Steve Conrad who wrote The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Again, I did not expect that but I do love Hirsch and he needs to come in more movies.

3) So Tim Burton had finally gotten back into everyone's good graces with the announcement of Big Eyes, but alas, it wasn't to last. He is going to make a sequel to Beetlejuice that will be set 26 years after the original. WHYYYYYYY?!!!!!! Michael Keaton has already agreed to star. The only way I can condone this movie is if Burton casts Winona Ryder too. She was the all-black-wearing morbid heart and soul of the first one and I have been waiting for her comeback for forever. Do it, Burton!

4) Craig Roberts is going to star in 22 Jump Street, the sequel to the surprisingly fun 21 Jump Street 2012 remake. Both Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill are returning to reprise their roles and this time around, they will be going undercover to a college. I adored Roberts in Submarine and Skins: Rise so this is good news.

5) Woody Allen's next film is going to be called Magic in the Moonlight.  There isn't much info on it yet except that it is set in the south of Fraance, it is a romcom which spans 20 years, presumably during the 20s and 30s. The cast is led by Colin Firth and Emma Stone and also stars Marcia Gay Harden and Jacki Weaver. The first official image has been released and I must say, all of this looks very promising. Stone seems perfectly suited to be a comic lead in Woody's movies and here's hoping this isn't another Jesse Eisenberg-To Rome With Love deal. I still haven't seen Blue Jasmine because India is a crazy place but yes, Woody forever.

6) They found a new Christian Grey! I don't know why I have this need to keep posting about this movie but the whole thing still seems so unlikely, I just want to see where they go with it. Anyways, Jamie Dornan will play the complicated perv and True Blood's Luke Grimes will play his brother. I actually really approve of both these casting choices. If anything, I will watch this movie for hot men and these two totally are. Dornan played Kirsten Dunst's sexy beau in Marie Antoinette and Grimes plays the dreamy vampire James in True Blood.

7) Sherlock series 3 will come out on January 19th, 2014. CURSESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!! So much waiting :'(

8) So Paul McCartney's new video is fucking bonkers. Not only is it shot in Abbey Road studios, but it has like a million famous people. They just keep coming!

a) Johnny Depp needs to start looking sexy in his films again because that man has the bone structure of a god.

b) Meryl Streep is the bestest.

c) Chris Pine looks so happy just to be there. Seriously, this-

He's like an introvert trying to socialise at a cool party. One of us! One of us!

9) Pixar's next, The Good Dinosaur, has a first poster out. It *is* very Dreamworks-y, but whatever, I love Pixar. The story is set in a sort of alternative universe where the meteors that destroyed the dinosaurs actually never came and the dinosaurs are still there and they have become farmers and are trying to kill little bugs on their land, which are actually cavemen. Dawww.

10) The next Across the Universe Podcast episode will be the first time we have a guest on. Ryan from The Matinee will be our first visitor from across the universe, so to speak. We will be talking about our Favourite Music-related Movies (excluding musicals). We would love to hear some of yours which we will mention in the episode depending on the amount of responses we get. Do comment below!

11) Trailers- The teaser to Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary special "The Day of the Doctor" is finally here! It literally just teases and gives nothing away but god, I missed Eleven :( Zac Efron, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan and Imogen Poots star in The Awkward Moment. It's a rather random red-band trailer to a rather random movie but I have a new-found appreciation for Efron so I shall give it a go. The Immigrant boasts of a very incredible cast- Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner. The period settings don't hurt either. The trailer is interesting enough. X-Men: Days of Future Past finally has a trailer out. First of all, the Hans Zimmer score in the trailer, though setting its mood in everyway, isn't really a good thing. Ask Man of Steel. That worked for the Dark Knight trilogy and I am scared that Bryan Singer might end up Nolan-ifying this. Why can't everyone just be happy? Secondly, I am actually very skeptical about this film. It has a tad too many people, like 5 normal ensembles in one and I don't know how well Singer can pull it off. Thirdly, I will *obviously* watch this film because McFassyMan or McManBender or whatever you call it but I am not keeping my hopes up for you know, the story and execution and all that important stuff. Just give me the gorgeous men. In direct contrast to this, I actually think Captain America: The Winter Soldier looks great. The first film was unique with its period settings and I think this one will also be unconventional due to the spy and government angle. And then there is THIS. God bless Tumblr. My favourite trailer this week is actually not a real trailer at all, but I wish it was! The Midnight Coterie of Sinister Intruders is just perfect. I love Edward Norton.

12) I know I have already spoken about Masters of Sex but I saw its opening credits for the first time today and they are fucking fantastic! They are probably my favourite since True Blood. Everyone please watch the show. All the actors are just killing it.

13) Finally, God bless Tumblr x 1000000000000000000-

Everyone who read it in the original Mean Girl voices are as cool as Glen Coco!

Everyone who tried to imagine the Game of Thrones actors saying the lines just got punched in the face by Regina George!

Byeeeeeeeee.

Thoughts

       I skipped this last week. I was going to rally for other blogs for the LAMMYs, but the voting is closed now so I am sorry about that. I hope everyone does awesome. These are my thoughts this week.

1) The great and legendary film critic, Roger Ebert passed away yesterday at the age of 70. If you haven't noticed, I have a number of links on the right side of my screen belonging to bloggers whose stuff I love to read. Ebert is the only promineny critic there because I found his reviews as personally relatable as those of the people I discuss films over on Twitter with and so on. I have loved reading his thoughts on the artform called film. Even something like the review of a Twilight film was full of so much humour and wisdom. It was incredible to see the love and respect for him from my fellow film-bloggers on social media last night. Ebert has been an inspiration to all of us. I don't want to make this about me but my dream is to someday make films, and whenever I have dreamt such dreams, I would also fantasize about Ebert reviewing them, because he was the best of the best. This is the end of that dream, which saddens me a lot, but life goes on and films go on and I'm sure that's what Ebert would have wanted. He will be sorely missed. RIP Roger Ebert.

2) The filmverse also lost British actor Richard Griffiths. He had appeared in Withnail and I and History Boys though he will always be Uncle Vernon in the Harry Potter films for me. RIP Richard Griffiths.

3) Christopher Nolan's next epic Interstellar is to be looked forward to because of another huge reason- Matthew McConaughey will be its lead. Before 2012, I would have rolled my eyes at this. Now however, I think it's friggin' brilliant. His career renaissance is complete.

4) Tim Burton is also hopefully returning to form as he is set to make his next film Big Eyes on a couple of painters from the 50s, Margaret and Walter Keane who gained prominence because of their paintings of unusually large-eyed children. The script was written by the writers of Ed Wood which is excellent news. Also, Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz have been cast as the Keanes, which is a fantastic pairing. It will just be a delight to see both of these amazing actors together, but the whole story makes it that much more intriguing. And if you have seen these paintings and how frankly terrifying they are, you can understand why Tim Burton would be the perfect man for the job. I hope this film will be as good as it sounds.

5) Speaking of pairings, I am thinking of starting a petition for a movie which stars Robert Downey Jr. and Peter Dinklage, possibly as themselves. It will be fantabulous.

6) Shailene Woodley has been chosen to play Hazel Grace in the movie adaptation of the beloved John Green novel, The Fault in Our Stars. I think she will be perfect. The character of Augustus Waters is still to be cast and I, for one, am absolutely clueless as to who can play him. Woodley is currently filming The Amazing Spider-man 2 in which she will play Mary-Jane Watson. I couldn't give a shit for this film except it was announced that The Avengers 2 will have Spider-man in it and if anyone can make me care about the new Spidey (sorry Andrew Garfield!), it's Joss Whedon.

7) In other sequel news, Pixar is releasing the sequel to Finding Nemo, which will be called Finding Dory, in 2015. I am so disappointed in Pixar. They are supposed to be better than this. Dori topped my favourite female Pixar characters list, and now she's just another means for making a lot of money at the box-office. Pixar is one thing I expect originality out of. So sad.

8) In case you haven't noticed, and I don't see how you could miss it, my blog's been a little Doctor Who-crazy lately. Anyways, the current Doctor, who is also *my* Doctor, Matt Smith has confirmed that he will be staying in the show for the next series. Yaay! I was really afraid of him bowing out early, but I along with other Eleven fans don't need to worry for at least another year.

9) Trailers- I have already gone batshit crazy about the Only God Forgives trailer. Another awesome trailer is that of This is the End. I can already see "Hermione stole all of our shit" being in my favourite quotes list at the end of the year. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters looks like harmless fun. I'm going to watch it because one of my many husbands, Logan Lerman is in it, and also for Nathan Fillion. Carrie looks v. stupid, as was expected. Julianne Moore will be amazing though. Go Goa Gone is the first Bollywood zombie movie that I can think of, and it looks rather fun. Saif Ali Khan is obviously trying to emulate Woody Harrelson's character from Zombieland, but I like it. The latest The Great Gatsby trailer gives us a taste of what might just be a genius soundtrack, and the total visual extravangance that one would expect from a Baz Luhrmann film. I'm excited to see what they actually do with this. Finally, Wolverine is back and hopefully this film will be good unlike its predecessor. Still, Hugh Jackman shirtless is a nice image.

10) Finally, though this was released a while back, I hadn't yet freaked out about how amazing it is. This year's Cannes poster uses one of the most loveliest pictures ever of dream couple Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward kissing. I have been in love with this picture ever since I first laid my eyes on it. It's magical-

Goodbye.

"I'm not finished."

           After doing the The Film Experience's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" last year with one-half of my two most favourite movies of all time, Moulin Rouge!, I had expected to partake in many more of these this year. Alas it wasn't to be, but with a lot of difficulty I've managed to do one such post for another of my most favourite movies, another romantic one- Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands.

         It is a very interesting looking film. I thought about several aspects of it which I like. One of the funniest things about the film, because it is a very hilarious film too, is the gossiping housewives. This time around, I actually noticed how Burton showcases their hair, since that will become a bit of a centerpiece of the film later on. If you enlarge the picture, you'll see how Helen, played by Conchatta Ferrell (the second housewife) still has a roller in her hair in the last shot.

          The most ferocious housewife of them all of course is Joyce, played splendidly by Kathy Baker. When I was taking screencaps of the film for this post, I felt oddly compelled to take some of her big, witchy, sharper-than-scissors nails.

          Also the scissors- I love how almost always the scissors are shown before Edward himself. It is a sad albeit incredulous reminder of what life must be for a man like him.

          Look at this gem of a shot where both are shown together- wonder which one is more deadlier...

         But now, after this rather long intro, let me get to my favourite shot. It was a little difficult to choose because my personal favourite part of the film is when Kim, played by the lovely Winona Ryder, asks Edward to hold her, and he says that he can't; it is a painfully beautiful scene that unfortunately cannot be captured in a screencap... you have to see Johnny Depp's amazing acting to truly feel it. But then, Kim makes him embrace her, and there is a little flashback to when the Inventor, played by Vincent Price, is finally going to give him real hands.

            It is this part that makes you realize how much he wants to be with Kim. He yearns for her, for her touch and beauty and love, as much as he yearns to have hands and be normal. And somewhere inside he's afraid it won't be just like how he never was able to get the normal hands. This is the true tragedy of Edward Scissorhands, the one and only.

Mini Reviews- Edward Scissorhands, Straw Dogs and Oldboy

             After a female-themed mini reviews post back when, I think it is time to do a "men, men, men, manly men" one. Don't ask me where I get these ideas from- I am highly jobless and my brain is dying. Also I am like high on Ron Swanson.

Edward Scissorhands (Dir: Tim Burton, 1990)

Basic plot- Edward was created by a scientist who gave him scissors for hands. He lived alone in the creepy-looking Gothic mansion until a kind-hearted make-up saleswoman, Peg Booths, decides to take him in. Her little colour-coordinated town with the gossiping housewives is swept with curiosity at this strange, yet meek man and try to use him best to their advantage. In all this Edward starts to develop feelings for Peg's teenage daughter Kim. But the fickle town soon begins to create trouble for the scissor-handed man.

             I have loved this film for a very, very long time for which there are a number of reasons. The story combines many tales that we have all read or heard or seen before such as a need for love and acceptance, a beauty and a beast falling for each other, society exploiting those who are different and then crippling their genius and so on, but in a most singularly magical way. We feel for this strange man who could be very dangerous, but remains gentle and helpful throughout the film. It is only when he gets blamed for the wrong things do we see his carefully controlled anger, for being created in such a way, come out. Still, Edward is a beast of love and art and the film depicts that beautifully in all of his creations. His feelings towards Kim are pure as a child which make some of the most heart-wrenching moments in the film, like when he cannot seem to hold her lest he hurt her. That one tiny scene reveals the true heart of the film and the man- someone who should not love because he wasn't designed that way, but he does. The film has some really amusing moments too, provided by the residents of their town, especially in the form of the original Edie Britt, Joyce played by Kathy Baker.

              Even though I disapprove of his career choices at present, Johnny Depp still is my favourite actor and this was the film that introduced me to him, and also to the quirky and dark film maker Tim Burton. I am quite a huge Winona Ryder fan too, who plays Kim. Depp of course is Edward, a role that was as custom-made for him as his costume in the film. This film is the prime example of what the Burton-Depp team was capable of. They were absolutely unique here; there may have been various influences but they weren't remaking or adapting anything, and it worked wonders. This film was the true brainchild of Burton, who has on many occasions called it the epitome of his style of work. It is a fantastic looking film too- the dark is perfectly matched with the colourful.  It majorly influenced the Goth culture, but I think it is so romantic. I even wrote about it as a modern example of romanticism in today's world, where the idea of snow represents eternal love to an old lady. One of my favourite endings.

Rating- 10/10

Straw Dogs (Dir: Sam Peckinpah, 1971)

Basic Plot- A seemingly docile mathematician and his wife move into her old house in a quaint British village where they have a bit of trouble with the unruly locals, including the wife's ex. When things go too far, the mathematician decides to fight back.

              I love films in which the darker side of people comes out. I think that is precisely the reason why Batman is so famous. We are inherently violent and only because of that peace-loving icons like Gandhi are revered. The attraction to violence is in our nature but we try have to control it in order to live in a civilised society, just like Dustin Hoffman's character David Summer. We are shown how this "pacifist" has moved to this remote village in a different country because he did not want to take part in anti-war protests. He tries to avert conflicts as most of us do, but when one is constantly ridiculed, the facade of civility and even sanity may start to slip. Which is exactly what happens with him. The best part of the film is when this happens, but that is only in the last half hour or so of the film. But we see the build up to it, and quite perversely, we champion the violence when it takes place. That is precisely what the film maker wants us to do, and through the character of David, mirror our own secret savage desires.

              The film has been wrapped in controversy for a reason ever since its release, and that is my biggest problem with the film- the portrayal of women in it. They are represented in this promiscuous, nagging, needy, childlike way who have no problem being slapped around. Many people have tried to explain it by showing David's Humbert Humbert-esque tastes, but the only two women in the film are exactly his dirty fantasy type, which was a little hard to swallow for me. Apart from that, I was very impressed by Hoffman's acting in it. It is a fascinating character study. The film is all about him, and it's a crucial part of the 70s anti-hero boom. Hoffman and the final act make the film for me.

Rating- 9/10

Oldboy (Dir: Chan-wook Park, 2003)

Basic Plot- Oh Dae-su is kidnapped and imprisoned in a hotel room for fifteen years. When he is released, he starts the search for his captor and the reasons behind his captivity. He becomes involved with a young sushi chef Mi-do during his quest for vengeance, but the truth waiting for him is far more terrifying than anyone can ever imagine.


        Oh what a mind-fuck! In my lost podcast where I spoke about another Chan-Wook Park film, I talked about how I wouldn't be as shocked going into this because I would be mentally prepared for it. Boy was I wrong... It starts out almost innocently. Yes it is violent as hell, but nothing I couldn't handle after so many years of Fincher and Tarantino devotion. It is very stylized and all sorts of awesome (that hallway scene- swoon!). One starts to love the crazy Oh Dae-su as he seeks the truth, with his hammer. But then the film takes a very grim turn and all hell breaks loose, at least for me. 


            However, I love intricate films like this. The story is a truly twisted yet brilliant one. All the three main actors, Min-sik Choi as Oh Dae-su, Hye-jeong Kang as Mido and my personal favourite now, Ji-tae Yu as the diabolical Woo-jin are incredible. I don't want to give anything away because the film has more impact if you don't know anything about it at all. And you bloody well need to be shaken like that. There are things in it no one approves of, but it is presented to us in such an enigmatic way, that we are all blown away. I mean I really wanted to hate this film because that is how much I loathe the final truth of the film, but I just couldn't. The look, the feel, the dialogue, the music, and the acting have made me a fan.


Rating- 10/10

Thoughts

1) Trailers- Let's just delve right into it, shall we? I sort of feel like writing an ode to Eva Green à la Angelique Bouchard after watching the Dark Shadows trailer. Never thought it was possible for me to write or even think this, but this trailer has too much Johnny Depp *gasp*! I was kind of expecting it to be a Michelle Pfeiffer fest, because I love that woman. But what it lacks in La Pfeiffer, it makes up with Green's sex-crazed witch-goddess act. I can't help but like the intro to the 70s with the music and the lava lamp and the "Reveal yourself tiny songstress!" Also I have a good feeling that I will make HBC my newest role model after watching the film- I love that voice and that attitude. Chloe Moretz is getting annoying though, and after watching the Addams Family movies this week, I wish she would have been a tad Wednesday-esque. On the whole it looks good-ish, slightly funnier than what I expected. I really hope Tim Burton and Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer all succeed in this. God knows they, and I, need it. The other big trailer this week was On the Road's, which I already somewhat discussed here. There is also Now is Good starring Dakota Fanning and certified pretty boy Jeremy Irvine. It looks like it will be depressing, but nice still. I like Irvine in the leather jacket so I will probably see it (shallow people be hailed!).

2) Rupert Grint will star in The Drummer, a film about the last years of Beach Boys' drummer Dennis Wilson's life. I am so glad that the trio are getting acting jobs after the end of the Harry Potter series. As expected, Emma Watson is most in demand and Daniel Radcliffe too is lining up roles, mostly thanks to his awesome personality, but I was quite skeptic about Grint's ability to land roles. But thankfully, this kind of role seems perfect for him. He will play a mail-room intern who befriended Wilson. Wilson will be played by the always-brilliant Aaron Eckhart. Also joining the cast is the amazing Vera Farmiga as Fleetwood Mac singer Christina McVie and mini-Jessica Chastain only in terms of ubiquity and nothing else, Chloe Moretz as Wilson's daughter.

3) Speaking of in-demand fourteen year olds, Elle Fanning will play Sleeping Beauty opposite Angelina Jolie's Maleficient, in Disney's Maleficient. I am all for this. I love both these actresses, and post-Oscar-leg, I think Jolie would be deliciously brilliant in this role. I want to say that I can think of an actor who would do the Prince role well, but I don't know. Maybe Logan Lerman? Or what about Matt Lewis? He's totally hot now, even though there is no chance in hell either of them will be able to hold their own in the presence of Jolie.

4) I have been watching a lot of sitcoms this week. Well not a lot, just Bored to Death and Parks and Recreation. The former is witty-ish and the cast is nice, but it isn't really that funny. Or maybe I haven't yet reached the part when it gets good. The latter is fantastic, and by that I do mean me-falling-on-the-floor-and-rolling-like-a-potato-sack-and-laughing-and-crying-hysterically fantastic!! I want to be April Ludgate. I know I'm pretty late to this party, as it takes me a long time to get to TV shows, but boy am I glad that I have arrived!

5) Finally, following the Dark Shadows chain of thought, and the unending anticipation for The Avengers, I give you this-

LAWYERED!

Catwoman > Ironman.

Toodles.

Film Makers who make Me want to be a Character in their Films

       This can be considered as film makers who I wish could direct my life, but the truth is that my life is wayy too boring and lackluster for them. Instead, I want to be one of the brilliant characters in their films, because then I would be awesomely quirky or drop-dead gorgeous or super smart or deliciously badass.


Honourable mentions: Steven Spielberg except I really only want to be Indiana Jones, Peter Jackson but not anyone from Heavenly Creatures or The Lovely Bones (the only PJ films that I have seen are the aforementioned and LoTR films), P.T Anderson but not really (no Daniel Plainview for me), Richard Curtis so that I can get charming, funny, handsome, brunette, blue-eyed British men or Hugh Grant.


The list (not in any particular order because I cannot choose)-

Sofia Coppola
Have you seen the women in her films? I would be oh so beautiful and lovely and mysteriouzzz then. (See how I ruined that? I need help Sofia, please).

Wes Anderson

I wanted to marry the recently released Moonrise Kingdom trailer. Quirky, fun, flawed, brilliant- basically characters as colourful as his films.

Quentin Tarantino
Do I really need to explain this? I would be a total BAMF, that's why!

Edgar Wright

All the films he has produced/directed/written have one thing in common- insanely epic characters! They are uber violent AND they tickle your funny bone- YES!!

Woody Allen
Uh duh. It's my list. I crave to be a nervous bumbling knowledgeable depressed narcissistic brilliant person. Some one get me a psychoanalyst please!

Billy Wilder
Whether it be comedy or noir, the Wilder characters are always incredible and unforgettable.

Tim Burton
Yes so his popularity and genius is apparently deteriorating now. But Burton was the king of morbid romantics. His characters runneth over with eccentricity. 

John Hughes
Because I am still a teenager and yes I do wish that he had directed my life.

Now someone please go find me a magic lamp.

"I have a million ideas, but, they all point to certain death." ~Alan Rickman as Marvin, the Paranoid Android

        Oh Alan...how I love thee. So here's a guy who's made a career of playing iconic villains, or maybe just one, who in the end isn't a villain at all. With a legendary voice that can be compared to that of James Earl "Darth Vader" Jones's, Alan Rickman is a gem of an actor upon whom the unfortuantely prevalent curse of widely-respected and wildly-talented without any recognition-received has been cast.

A look back..

Hans Gruber: Who said we were terrorists?

Sheriff of Nottingham: That's it then. Cancel the kitchen scraps for lepers and orphans, no more merciful beheadings, and call off Christmas.

Harry: Oh, God. I am so in the wrong. The classic fool!

Marvin the Paranoid Android: Life? Don't talk to me about life!

Antoine Richis: Very well, but remember this... I'll be looking at you when you're laid on the cross and the twelve blows are crashing down on your limbs. When the crowd is finally tired of your screams and wandered home, I will climb up through your blood and sit beside you. I will look deep into your eyes and drop by drop I will trickle my disgust into them like burning acid until finally you perish.

Judge Turpin: You see, sir, a man infatuate with love, her ardent and eager slave. So fetch the pomade and pumice stone and lend me a more seductive tone, a sprinkling perhaps of French cologne, but first, sir, I think... a shave.

Blue Caterpillar: I can't help you if you don't even know who you are, stupid girl.

And finally...

Severus Snape: Has it ever crossed your brilliant mind that I don't want to do this anymore?

      So call this a silly girl's dream, but I really think that if EVER Harry Potter has a chance at anything acting-related in the Oscars or any proper-award show for that matter, it will be next year for Alan Rickman as Snape with "The Prince's Tale" if done properly- no other character or actor in the film has the emotional ability to pull it off and this could be the big crowning glory moment. If Gandalf then why not Snape, is my question.

      This was Part 3 of my Favourite Actors who play villains and Anti-heroes.
      Also it was Alan Rickman's 65th Birthday a few days back, so HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY PROFESSOR!!

 

She's making a list, and checking it twice- FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS FILMS!!

      Ho Ho Ho...it's that time of the year again!! While due to the many insignificant complications of my life, I haven't had a Christmas tree or anything Christmas-related this year, my favourite Christmas films do not fail me. I love Christmas films and it is absolutely essential for me to watch them on Christmas Eve/Christmas.
Now unlike the other lists I put up, these are ranked in order of my preference. Also I must add that if anyone has noticed, there is a "Recently Watched/Rewatched Films" list to the right of the page and those have been given ratings. These ratings directly refer to my love of the films and there is a great chance that they might not be "critically acclaimed" or "commercially successful" or both (a rare occurrence indeed), but I do love them if given a high rating or vice versa.


      Anyways, here are my most favourite Christmas films, in reverse order:

8) Elf- This is an adorable film about how a human baby crawls into Santa's bag of presents and grows up in the North Pole as an elf only to find out his "true nature" when he grows up. He then embarks upon a journey to New York to find his father, only to see that he has been in the "naughty list". Will Ferrel plays Buddy, the  human-elf who has to experience the greedy and often unkind world, that he changes with his true love for Christmas. The films also stars James Caan as Buddy's "naughty" father and Zooey Descahnel as his musical love-interest. 

7) Love Actually- This film shows us that during Christmas "love actually is all around". Of all the romcoms made on Christmas, Love Actually stands distinct. I love this film and it's enormous and fantastic cast. Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Martin Freeman, Rodrgo Santoro, Rowan Atkinson etc. The list goes on and on. I love Richard Curtis films because they end up leaving one feeling all warm inside, and that's exactly the feeling a Christmas film should leave behind. There are a whole bunch of intertwined stories in this film and all are set during Christmas time and all have some connection with love, whether it's young love, trans-lingual love, trans-Atlantic love, sort of nudist love, love between friends, love between the British Prime Minister and his worker, unrequited love, love between an old couple facing problems etc. (By the way, this paragraph contains 14 "loves" just in case you are wondering).


6) The Santa Clause- What happens if Santa falls of your roof and dies/disappears? Why, you take his place of course. This is exactly what happens to Scott. Obviously he isn't very keen on it, especially since he is facing problems with son Charlie and custody rights. Add to that, he starts growing this enormous white beard and gets a Christmas goodies-fetish. This film is sort of similar to Elf in showing how people do not care much about Christmas, but they need to be reminded of its magic. I love Tim Allen as Santa and the elves and his son are plain adorable.

5) Jingle All the Way- I love funny Arnold Schwarzenegger films!! While the best is Kindergarten Cop, Jingle All the Way is quite precious too. He plays a workaholic father, Howard Langston, who has to get the perfect action figure present, Turbo-Man, for his son on Christmas. Except, he forgets and goes to all extremes to buy it last minute. This is a hilarious films and one of my original favourites. Also, I like how it deviates from the whole "Christmas is not about presents" ideal. Damn right it is, and you know it!





4) The Nightmare Before Christmas- From this point on, all the films are technically on the same level but for rankings' sake... Tim Burton's and Henry Selick's animated Christmas feature has become on of the biggest and greatest cult classics ever. The story of Halloween Town and Christmas Town and Jack Skellington and Sally and all the weird Burton-esque characters is just brilliant. The idea that Christmas can be taken over by the most horrific festival- Halloween and what the outcome of it would be, how Santa Clause becomes Sandy Claws, and a blossoming love in all of this just shows the true friggin genius of Tim Burton! Oogie Boogie people!!!

3)  How The Grinch Stole Christmas- This can also be called How Jim Carrey and Dr. Seuss Go Together. They really do. I love the story of a green and hairy Scrooge-ish Grinch who hates Christams and the Christmas-loving Whoville. He has shunned Christmas like how the people of Whoville have shunned him. It suits both of them fine until a young Who called Cindy Lou decides to vote him as the recipient of Whobilation, a great tradition and honour in the little town. At first Grinch is hesitant, but he does come to join in the celebrations, only to be then insulted by the Mayor Augustus May Who. After creating much havoc, he decides to ruin Christmas by stealing all the presents, disguising himself as Santa and his dog Max as a reindeer. Even though his masterplan at first seems successful, he then realises that Christmas is about more than material gifts. A change comes over him, his heart grows three times its original choice and he decides to make Amends. This is the highest grossing Christmas film of all-time (in your face Avatar!), and it comes from the highly acclaimed and very cool producer-director pair of Brian Grazer and Ron Howard. This is one of Jim Carrey's best roles, second only to probably Count Olaf in Lemony Snickets: A Series of Unfortunate Events. His Grinch is funny and tragic at the same time and we love him for that.

2) Home Alone 1 & 2- Kevin McCallister's epic survival tales take place during the lovely snowy time of Christmas. These are amongst the most loved children and holiday films of all time. This is because of the fantastic story of how a young boy left home alone, and alone in New York survives and protects himself from two of the funniest baddies ever- Harry and Marv. Macaulay Culkin's legendary role made him amongst the most famous child stars ever. Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern and Catherine O'Hara are also part of the great cast. Chris Columbus has a gift of making evergreen and lovely children films (see Harry Potter) and these are amongst his best.

1) The Polar Express- Only animation can truly achieve feats that live-action cinema can only dream of. And I think Robert Zemeckis's The Polar Express is a testament to that. I absolutely love this film. True, not may paragraphs ago I said that Christmas is about presents. But it is also about believing in the good and the naughty and the magic in the world. The film is about a boy who is starting to think that Santa Clause and North Pole and everything is made up, and then he is visited by a magical train that takes him to North Pole on Christmas Eve. It is fantastically made film, slightly dark but heart-warming nonetheless. It is number one because while it does apply many of the Chistmas movie rules to it, the total effect of it, with the story, the images, the music, the characters, the mystery, the aura, the Christmas spirit make it absolutely unique and unforgettable. I love Tom Hanks with all my heart. The review is here. 


       A special mention to It's a Wonderful Life, which was quite lovely too, but not that Christmas-y for me. Also Robert Zemeckis's Jim Carrey-starrer A Christmas Carol. I haven't seen the other adaptations of Charles Dickens' classic, neither have I seen Scrooged or Miracle on 34th Street. I don't want to watch Santa Clause 3 or Four Christmases. I really do not want to see Bad Santa as it might scar me forever.


        So as the carol goes, "Tis the season to be jolly," have a great time on Christmas watching these films, if you would like.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!