A Call for Crazy

         So I have been watching this piece of shit show, Hemlock Grove, that thus far has been good for only two things: 1) Bill Skarsgård and 2) the most unbelievable yet supremely disgusting werewolf-transformation scene that I doubt can ever be topped. Therefore, seeing how I am in the mood for something crazy, now would be the perfect time to start my "Crazy Nikhat Month!".

          Now what is "Crazy Nikhat Month!" you ask? Basically, I am not the kind of person who enjoys bizarre, surrealistic movies much. They freak me out, and thus the 'crazy' is for me and not the movies. I think it is my mathematical background that makes me react so, but seeing how I am a bigger film nerd than a math nerd, I think it is time for me to face these films, and even try and enjoy some of them. I did really love Holy Motors.

          All of which brings me to my request to you, my fellow film nerds- give me a list of movies that "Crazy Nikhat Month!" should cover. Throw in all the Lynches and Cronenbergs and Herzogs and whatever you like. I am looking for a syllabus of 20-25 movies that I should ideally finish watching in May or latest June, since I have my exams in July. *Of course* I am going start this month right before my exams but meh, I'm crazy too.

SHOW ME THE CRAZY!

Thoughts on Barfi!

         A cousin of mine tells this joke every time we talk about Bollywood- 

Q- What do you call a Bollywood movie that is completely original and has not been copied from any other film?

A- A flop.

          I know that it is a very cynical attitude towards an industry that is primarily responsible for my love for movies in general, and I do like to give it the benefit of the doubt that I barely watch Bollywood movies anymore and hence miss out on quite a few good ones. However, it is also hard to deny that the majority of the "big Bollywood blockbusters" nowadays are either copied from crowd-friendly Hollywood action or comedy movies, or as the latest trend goes, from bombastic, nonsensical and occasionally fun South-Indian movies. Now I am not judging either of these types of movies. They are both made for a specific audience and they deliver suitably. My bone to pick is solely with Bollywood, and this copycat attitude.

           To be fair, Bollywood has been copying, or as we like to call it, "being inspired by" other movies for a very long time, and with all sorts of results. But a recent discussion in my film studies has piqued my interest in this issue. The topic was about how as an industry, or even a country, we don't seem to have a distinctive identity when it comes to our movies, except that they are colourful and have musical numbers. Big whoop. It is kind of sad considering that we are the land of geniuses like Satyajit Ray and Raj Kapoor. Admittedly I am not that well-versed in their work, not at all in Ray's case (yes, I do hate myself), but the fact is that we are capable of such films and the current state of mainstream Bollywood is a bit tragic. 

           Now all this brings me to Anurag Basu's Barfi! First and foremost I have to say that I enjoyed it thoroughly and I do think that it is a very good movie. But its "inspirations" are so in-your-face. Anyone who is a film buff can easily pick out which films the various elements of Barfi! were taken from. Slapstick gods like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton are obvious influences, the look and style is clearly reminiscent of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amélie, there are a couple of scenes lifted from Donald O' Connor's incredible "Make 'Em Laugh" from Singin' in the Rain, and there is also traces of The Double Life of Veronique and Benny and Joon. Due to all this, Basu has been getting a lot of heat on plagiarism allegations, especially since it was announced that Barfi! is India's entry to the Best Foreign Film category at the 85th Oscars.

         Here is my question- what is the difference between an homage and a copy? Because I would say that I was thrilled to a lesser degree than others around me who have not seen the many films that Barfi! borrowed from. Basu, when trying to defend his film, gave examples of film makers like Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese who do emulate other films and film makers into their own final products. Tarantino was actually the very person I kept coming back to while discussing Barfi! with a friend right after we had seen it. My main argument was that maybe the reason why I love his movies so much is because I have never watched any of the films that he uses as inspiration. Except one- Bande à part, which is where things got even more complicated in my head, because it is a known fact that the dance in it was a major influence on the Mia-Vincent's Jack Rabbit Slims dance. But apart from both being incredibly awesome and a bit random, they are actually very different dances. So if this indeed is how Tarantino makes all of his films, then they can never be called copies of anything. But Barfi! did in fact imitate scenes, although in different contexts and I really don't know what to make of it.

          Also I have to give credit where credit is deserved, even if we are talking about something as controversial as possible plagiarism. The thing is that yes, Barfi! has "been inspired" by many other films and isn't a completely original work, but once again look at the people and films Basu chose! There is actually a split second where there is a cut-out of Chaplin on the screen in between this very Chaplin-esque chase between the protagonist, Barfii and silly policemen. Therefore instead of yet another film with terrible one-liners and actors with their shirts being ripped off on their own accord and god knows what, here we have a film that celebrates these wonderful movies and people and does a more than decent job of using elements from them in its narrative.

          Obviously Barfi! is much more than just this amalgam. The acting is superb. Ranbir Kapoor is pretty much the actor of his generation at present, and note how I say actor and not star, because the man knows how to act. He is splendid as the titular character, a happy-go-lucky, deaf and dumb, simple man who loves life and lives it to the fullest. Also the two actresses, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D'Cruz, are both revelations. Chopra plays an autistic girl with a great deal of honesty and sincerity, something I really did not expect from her. D'Cruz, a newcomer in Bollywood, is just so beautiful and acts like a veteran in her field, so natural and understated. A perfect trio for such a film. Also I love that the film was set in Calcutta, aka my hometown, and Darjeeling, and that too in the 70s! There is such a dearth of period films in Bollywood. And I really adored the setting. Very few Bollywood films are set here anymore, and Barfi! looked gorgeous. The music is rather lovely too.

         I am happy that such a happy film has been chosen as India's entry to the Oscars (there have been some dreadful ones in the past) and also that people are liking it so much. Of course many argue about how it is "completely unique" and I reflexively roll my eyes... Also when they say/post that it has been nominated for an Oscar, my blood boils just a little bit. But keeping my crazy cinephile tendencies aside, I am actually pretty convinced that it will not be nominated, seeing how tough the competition is this year with films like Amour, and because of well, all the reasons/rambles I have stated above. 

        I would like to end this post by asking repeating my earlier question and posing a new one-

What is the difference between an homage and a copy?

And if you have seen Barfi!- what did you think of it and its Oscar chances?

       In case your answer to the latter question is 'no', I highly recommend it. 

       Thank you for reading :)

Liebster Award

Sati from Cinematic Corner, Diana from Aziza's picks, Anna from Defiant Success, Alleyandthemovies from Random Film Buff and Andy from The Film Emporium have awarded me with the Liebster Award. 

The Rules:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.

2. Answer the 11 questions the person giving the award has set for you.

3. Create 11 questions for the people you will be giving the award to.

4. Choose 11 people to award and send them a link to your post.

5. Go to their page and tell them.

6. No tag backs.

I'm just going to go ahead and say this- rules will be broken.

11 things about me:

1. I don't know if the above picture is the most accurate depiction of me, but I like it because my wonky eyes in it have been inspired by Adrien Brody.

2. I am quite good at math. Not Matilda-good because I really can't multiply long numbers in my head within seconds, but I can grasp concepts quickly. However once I am done needing them, I delete them from my memory a la Sherlock Holmes.

3. I am an Olympic baby (1992 born). Woo hoo! Still hate sports though.

4. I have always been an actor-obsessed person, so much so that I sometimes divide my life into segments of specific actor-obsession (that might just be the creepiest thing I have ever written). Chronologically, it has been Leonardo Di Caprio, Hrithik Roshan, Daniel Radcliffe, Josh Hartnett, Tom Sturridge, Andrew Garfield and currently Matt Smith. The one actor I have consistently lusted after, since I was about 12 or 13, has been Ryan Gosling.

5. Ryan Gosling was the reason I read 50 Shades of Grey, since he was rumoured to take on the part of Christian Grey. The things I do for that man.

6. Remember when Oscars used to get other people to describe the acting nominees- that always made me cry.

7. I recently got into shit with a teacher of mine because she wrote that Otto Preminger was the writer of some book and I pointed out that he was actually a director, and she refused to believe me and called me an idiot. Ahem...

8. My favourite frozen dessert is raspberry sorbet.

9. I love how Calcutta is often depicted in Hollywood movies. The most recent example is The Avengers of course, where "Calcutta" looked like some famine-raged land from half a century ago. So funny.

10. I am the laziest person I know. Quoting Bukowski, "My ambition is handicapped by my laziness."

11. America's Next Top Model is my one true vice. I need some amount of trash TV in my life. Bring Andre Leon Talley back!!

Question time:

Sati's questions-

1. What is your favorite movie scene?

Jack vs Jack in Fight Club. I just knew then that I will never be the same, and that this film will take over my life. I still cannot understand how Edward Norton and David Fincher did it.

2. Your favorite performance?

Adrien Brody in The Pianist. It makes me cry.

3. Movie character that is most similar to you?

I can't think of just one with all my qualities. A mixture of three maybe- Brian, the brain, in The Breakfast Club, Cecilia in The Purple Rose of Cairo and Bridget Jones in Bridget Jones's Diary- nerdy, film-loving, awkward and unlucky me.

4. Favorite movie quote?

The one I use the most in daily life is "Boo you whore" from Mean Girls. The one I think describes me pretty well is "Christian, you may see me only as a drunken, vice-ridden gnome whose friends are just pimps and girls from the brothels. But I know about art and love, if only because I long for it with every fiber of my being" from Moulin Rouge!. My favourite quote about movies is one by Francois Truffaut, "Film lovers are sick people."

5. What is one movie where you would change actual director/actor/actress for someone else?

I really want to see Jackie Brown as directed by David Fincher. I don't know what it will be like, but I am curious.

6. What is the first film you saw?

I don't know what was the very first film I saw, though I am sure that it was a Bollywood flick. My earliest vivid memory of a cinema hall is when I saw Titanic. I was 5.

7. Would you change any character's fate? If so, whose and for what?

Presently, I would not have that big reveal at the end of The Dark Knight Rises for one of the major characters. THAT WAS SO GAY! Also, I would not let Fred Weasley die *sniff*.

8. Your favorite track from movie soundtrack?

This keeps changing for me. I guess Radiohead's "Talk Show Host" from Romeo + Juliet.

9. What book would you like to see adapted for screen?

I would love a proper Lolita adaptation, with Robert Downey Jr. playing Humbert Humbert. Also I want an animated adaptation of Markus Zusak's The Book Thief.

10. Favorite guilty pleasure movie?

I watch a lot of crappy movies, but then I enjoy them thoroughly. I would say Charlie's Angels, especially for Sam Rockwell.

11. Favorite trailer?

Blue Valentine. It is such a perfect trailer.

Aziza's questions-

1. What's the song that you keep listening these days (the repeat curse)?

"Unknown" by The Maccabees, "Shiny Happy People" by R.E.M. and "How To Disappear Completely" by Radiohead.

2. The last film you saw in cinema? 3 words to describe it please

The Dark Knight Rises. FUCK YEAH CATWOMAN!

3. Childhood crush? 

Leonardo Di Caprio as Jack Dawson when I was 5.

4. Think of a soundtrack of a movie and tell me the best song from it, one that you still listen, years after you've seen the film.

I still listen to "Where Is My Mind?" by The Pixies from Fight Club.

5. What's that one genre of films that you usually don't watch?
Westerns. Snore.

6. If you could adapt a book into a movie or miniseries, what would it be and why?
See question 9 from Sati's questions.

7. Tell me one actor/actress that you would be starstruck by (imagine you walk in a Starbucks and you see him/her 2 feet from you- possible reaction: eyes wide open, legs shaking, suddenly it's hot in the room)
Ryan Gosling. I will melt, but not before embarrassing myself in some awful way before that.

8. If you could recommend a book to your readers, what would it be and why?
50 Shades of Grey, because then they will appreciate the writing in this blog so much more. Okay seriously, I don't know. The Invention of Hugo Cabret maybe, since it is so pretty.

9. How would you describe a perfect (or close to perfect) script? What are they key elements it should have?
I like clever dialogue, well-formed characters, and loads of descriptions (like a Tarantino script).

10. Favorite British actor/actress?
Ewan McGregor and Michael Fassbender for actor; Helena Bonham Carter and Kate Winslet for actress.

11. What did you have for lunch?

Mushroom crêpes and blueberry pancakes. The crêpes were okay, but the pancakes were to die for!

Anna's questions-

1. Any actors you show promise for?
Quite a few actually. I am going to choose Daniel Radcliffe because he was my childhood hero and I really want him to get good roles and show off his acting chops.

2. Anyone you're hoping makes a comeback soon?
Winona forever.

3. Name someone in Hollywood you find overrated.
Channing Tatum. And he keeps coming in good movies- so annoying!

4. What do you do apart from blogging and watching movies?
I used to read a lot, but now I go to college and then come back and fall dead on my bed.

5. What TV shows do you watch?
Doctor Who, Sherlock, Parks and Recreation, Game of Thrones, True Blood, Girls, The Newsroom, New Girl, and of course, America's Next Top Model.

6. Your most prized DVD?
The 2 disc edition of The Social Network.

7. Do you watch movies in theaters more or at home?
Home. Mostly because nothing releases where I live.

8. You have the chance to go back in time to see a film premiere. Which film would you see?
I would love to see The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station by the Lumière Brothers, because it is so iconic. Also the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 at Trafalgar Square.

9. Dog or cat person?
Not an animal person, but I am absolutely terrified of dogs, so I will go with cat.

10. Whose movies have you seen the most of? (This can apply to actors and directors.)
Probably Woody Allen.

11. Name your guilty pleasure.

Tumblr. I have wasted away months of my life on that.

Alleyandthemovies's questions-

1. What made you want to start your blog?

I saw a friend's blog and decided to make one myself. For about a year I didn't know what I was doing and then I sort of got on track.

2. Is there anything else you love to do besides devour films?
See question 4 from Anna's questions

3. Choose out of the two: Magnolia vs. Memento, Forrest Gump vs. Catch Me If You Can, The Jerk vs. Blazing Saddles.
Memento. Forrest Gump. Unfortunately I have not seen either of the films from the last pair, so cannot choose.

4. If you had to choose one movie to watch for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, since I notice something new everytime.

5. Is there truly a difference between a movie and a film?
Yes. As my film studies teacher told us, a movie is the actual end product we see, and a film is the roll on which the movie is recorded.

6. What’s your favorite quote about life?

Wow, life... I'll choose two-

"I don't want to end up simply having visited this world."- Mary Oliver

"Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, and I'm going to be happy in it."- Groucho Marx

7. Explain the name of your blog. 
Norma Jeane is Marilyn Monroe's real name and she went from being an ordinary person to someone who will be remembered forever. And the "Being" part is from Being John Malkovich and Being Julia. I guess the name denotes the state of being someone who hasn't yet (hopefully) become what she is meant to be. Yeah, it's a bit sappy, but it does have a nice ring to it :)

8. Has Denzel Washington had his “movie” yet? Tom Hanks had Saving Private Ryan/Cast Away/Forrest Gump, Tim Robbins had Shawshank Redemption, Clint Eastwood had Dirty Harry, and Robert De Niro had Taxi Driver. What’s Denzel’s?
Okay I don't think I have actually seen any Denzel Washington movies except for The Bone Collector (so embarrassed) . But whatever I have seen of Training Day and Philadelphia, I really loved. And he is famous for things like Malcolm X, The Hurricane and American Gangster. So yeah, I do think he has had his movie.

9. Who’s the most important in the filmmaking process: the director, screenwriter, or main actor?

Director. It is his or hers vision. He/she can breathe life into the words of a screenwriter and bring out great performances from his or hers actors.

10. Do you have a Netflix account? If so, how many movies are in your queue?
Nope. No Netflix in India :'(

11. What’s Hitchhock’s best film and explain why.

Psycho. The sense of dread, the look, the lighting, the characters, the shower scene, the flushing toilet, the music. It is just such a masterful thriller, and I love the Hitchcock movies that have a restricted amount of space and what is scarier than the Bates Hotel?

Andy's questions-

1. What was the film that made you feel the most terrified watching?

No Country for Old Men, because of Anton Chigurh. The number of times I had to pause to calm my nerves...

2. Chaplin or Keaton?

Chaplin. I have only watched one Keaton film, which although was brilliant, but does not make me feel as warm and happy as the Chaplin films. Also I have grown up with them, though I would not know the names of many of them. 

3. What is the greatest shift/turnaround of opinion, either positive or negative, you have had after a repeat viewing?

American Beauty probably. The first time I saw it, I was about 13 or 14 and I found the character of Lester Burnham incredibly creepy. When I saw it again at 17, I was completely gobsmacked, and Burnham became one of my most favourite characters ever. I don't think I got past the fact that he fancied his daughter's friend the first time. But I really understood all the themes and motivations the second time.

4. What is your first memorable trip to the cinemas?

Titanic, as I said above. The film was huge in India, and the theatre was packed with people and everyone was so affected by the film. It was magnificent.

5. If you were to add one film to last year's Best Pic nominees to make up 10 what would it have been?

Can't I remove some (I am looking at you, War Horse, The Help and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close)? Anyways, I would add Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, because we deserved it damnit!

6. What is your single favourite performance ever?

See question 2 from Sati's lot.

7. What is you favourite animated film?

Ratatouille.

8. What is your favourite era (decade) of cinema?

I used to think the 60s, but I am growing really fond of the 70s. So 70s it is.

9. What is the best film you have seen in 2012 so far?

The Avengers from 2012. In the Mood for Love, My Dinner with Andre and Wild Strawberries in general.

10. Name an underrated television show you feel doesn't get the attention it deserves.

Black Books! Maybe then it can come back. Bernard Black, I love you.

11. Is there a film you feel completely alone in liking/disliking?

No, not really. I really hate Gone with the Wind, but I have friends who hate it too.

The 8 (remaining) bloggers I award the Liebster Award to:

1. Lesya at Eternity of Dream

2. Mette at Lime Reviews and Strawberry Confessions

3. Thaddeus at Net-flixation

4. Teri at Enid's Revenge

5. M. Hufstader at The Smoking Pen

6. SDG at U, Me and Films

7. Stevee at Cinematic Paradox

8. Sam at Duke & the Movies

My questions:

1. What was in Marsellus Wallace's briefcase?

2. Who's head will you go all "Being John Malkovich" in?

3. A cinema personality whose biopic you want to see, and who would play them?

4. A film you wish you lived in.

5. What do you think of when I say Bollywood?

6. Hero, villain or antihero? Also, who is your favourite from the chosen character type?

7. Favourite supporting role of all time.

8. Favourite music video.

9. Favourite cartoon show from your childhood.

10. A film you wish you had made and would have been remembered for.

11. Favourite joke.

Phew! Done. Even if I haven't tagged you, please do answer the questions in the comments.

The Critical Eye VS Eye Candy

How Do You Rate A Film Like This Means War? (sung to the tune of "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?")

               Ever since I had heard about this film on my regular IMDb rounds, I was really pumped to see a film in which Chris Pine and Tom Hardy fight over Reese Witherspoon. Partly because it sounded fun and the fact that these are good actors that I usually like, but mostly because I am one of those neanderthal women who gets a real kick out of watching two hot guys fight. Especially over a girl. Seriously. I mean I am uncontrollable during the goofy fight scene between Colin Firth and Hugh Grant in Bridget Jones's Diary. I hoot and cheer and well, act crazy, so you can imagine me during the trailer when Pine and Hardy, who are definitely the more badass opponents in every way, fighting with guns and tables and what not.


                And today, I watched the movie. Let me tell you that my cheeks are paining right now due to all the smiling I did throughout the movie. And I smiled a lot, and really big smiles too. I enjoyed every stupid element in it, just because they were being done by two unbelievably gorgeous men. And they were gorgeous! Especially Chris Pine with his sparkly blue eyes... okay I'm digressing. Anyways, all that was fine until I sat down to rate it. This is the thing- I don't know how. How can I think about a film like this in the same way I think about other films, since my brain was pretty much the last organ I was using while watching it. I was using even my facial muscles more, you know.


                So here's my question- should one always watch a film with a critical eye, or can we occasionally sit back and let the raging hormones and all that do the work and just enjoy all the eye candy? 

Look at that swag (can't believe I just wrote that).

Thoughts

          I'm going back to India tomorrow. Have to reemerge myself into college hunting. Hurrah! Not. The packing and shite made me late. Apologies.


1) Many films have released photos this week. First we have the new James Bond flick, Skyfall. Daniel Craig is at his broody best here. I'm excited about Ralph Fiennes and the whole film will be made for me if he out-Judi Dench-s Judy Dench. Also how much does his shot remind you of this one? 'Arry Waters forever! Then there are The Dark Knight Rises pictures. I like Anne Hathaway as Catwoman till now, and I like how pop art-esque this picture is. Finally there are Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom picitures. I'm already in love with this film. It's so beautiful to look at- that last picture is now my desktop background.


2) Speaking of beautiful-looking films, which 2012 releases do you think will join the list of The Tree of Life and Melancholia etc. from last year? There are the two (?) Terrence Malick films and Moonrise Kingdom for sure. Then just the thought of how Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity can possibly look like gives me the chills. Ang Lee's Life of Pi will most probably have a very interesting look, since it is essentially just on a lifeboat. The Hobbit will look awesome, no doubt. Prometheus has a very dark and cool look. Any other that I am forgetting?


3) Apparently in the Untitled Terrence Malick project with Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams, Jessica Chastain has totally been cut out. Haw. I am appalled! She is the personification grace, after all. Also I don't like Ben Affleck.


4) I watched my first Ingmar Bergman film yesterday! Wild Strawberries, which is just beautiful. I actually had a meaningful dream last night after that. I am definitely going to watch more of his films. I crossed the 100 new-to-me films mark for this year too. I hope I can reach the 300 films mark by the end of this year. It will be a bit more difficult in India now. And I absolutely have to start Satyajit Ray's and Werner Herzog's filmographies (little hesitant about the latter).


5) Anyone who reads this blog and watches Bollywood films, I want to ask a question that has been plaguing me for a while now. Is this the worst era of Bollywood? I think so, but in all honesty I barely watch Bollywood films anymore and so I know I am missing on the better ones. Therefore I don't want to sound presumptuous or condescending without knowing any facts.


6) Everyone see this NOW!! Best thing ever. I don't want to post any other trailers.


7) Okay no. There is the Brave featurette in which Princess Merida introduces herself. I love her. I love her hair. I want to marry her hair. Okay I'll stop now. And there is the Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis timey-wimey-wibbly-wobbly (quick Doctor Who reference for you) film Looper, in which JGL is a total badass. I like it. It has the adorable Emily Blunt too.


8) Finally, just after the announcement of Nicole Kidman as Grace Kelly, these photos of Charlize Theron, for British Vogue magazine came out- 

Speaking of me wanting to marry things...

I need to watch Monster. Young Adult has totally turned me around.

Thoughts

First this-

1) So I lost two followers within the last week... I totally understand why- I post really less and the quality of the posts aren't amazing, but to my remaining followers (and I sure hope you remain with this blog), I will honestly try to up the standards of Being Norma Jeane, including trying to post these Weekly Thoughts posts on time (sorry :-( ). I have been a little low on ideas lately, but I am optimistic about things changing for the better. Also the button in no way implies that anyone loves me; I just thought it was kind of funny.

2) On casting news, Ashton Kutcher will be playing young and hippy Steve Jobs in the biopic Jobs. I am not that against the idea. I'm certainly no Kutcher fan, but I don't think this project will be some big acting bonanza, so meh we'll see. But this article did make me chuckle quite a bit. Nicole Kidman will be playing Grace Kelly in a biopic about her trying to save Monaco from conflict with France in 1962. It will be called Grace of Monaco and it will be directed by Olivier Dahan, who made the lovely La Vie En Rose. It sounds fairly good and I love Kidman, but god January Jones was born to play Grace Kelly. Still the film is set later in her life, and Kidman is a solid choice. Lastly, we have an unfortunate un-casting news and that is Joseph-Gordon Levitt would not be starring in my most-anticipated film of this year, Django Unchained. I mean he is swamped with projects- The Dark Knight Rises, Looper, Lincoln and his directorial debut Don Jon's Addiction which has Scarlett Johannson and Julianne Moore (!). Still, it would have been great to see him in a Tarantino film. Let's hope Kill Bill Vol 3 will fulfill our wishes.

3) So I rewatched all of Pushing Daisies this week. That show was such utter brilliance. Why did they have to end it?! I want them to restart it. I don't care if Lee Pace is in Lincoln and The Hobbit and stuff! Please I need Ned the piemaker back into my life!!

4) Quick question- which shows do you wish were never cancelled?

5) Loads and loads of trailers- Chris Pine is on my mind as two of his upcoming films have released their trailers. First is People Like Us which looks nice and had a good cast. I still refuse to believe that Michelle Pfeiffer is playing Pine's mother. They should be playing lovers. But it's a family film and I'll mostly watch it because of Pine's sparkly eyes. The other is the second-best trailer of this week, Rise of the Guardians, which is made by the Oscar-winning director of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, William Joyce. It tells the story of how Santa Clause, Jack Frost, the Toothfairy, the Sandman and the Easter Bunny are the guardians of the children of the world, and they have to save them from the evil Bogeyman. It is a Dreamworks film, very evidently, and has a brilliant voice cast with the likes of Hugh Jackman and Jude Law. Then there is Safety Not Guaranteed which has my role model Aubrey Plaza in it. It looks really fun and quirky and different and I'm really excited about it. What To Expect When You're Expecting looks really awful. I'm not a big baby person. Also why is someone as hot as Rodrigo coming in a stupid dad movie? Take This Waltz has the wonderful Michelle Williams and it looks really sweet. She's like always on a role. The Giant Mechanical Man looks sort of awesome and I can already see me loving it. Also, so glad Topher Grace is still getting roles. There is Total Recall which has Colin Farrell as the big action lead. Speaking of whom, I was rewatching In Bruges day before yesterday and man I'M SO FRIGGIN' EXCITED FOR SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS! Anyways, it seems like a good enough action film though John Cho looks insane. And insane is also the ideal word for the trailer of High School. I kind of like Adrien Brody being crazy like this, but it makes me a tad morose too. So much talent being wasted! Also, the whole film is in the trailer, so big fat fail to the trailer people. The king of the trailers this week is The Dark Knight Rises Lego Trailer. Words cannot explain how awesome it is.

6) Finally, the BEST NEWS EVER of last week was that Anchorman 2 is definitely being made. Yaaayy! Here is some Anchorman math for you-

Things Brick loves.

Milk was a bad option and byee.

"I am to provide the public with beneficial shocks."- Alfred Hitchcock

Can films shock us into liking them?

            It is a thought that occurred after having seen two movies recently that left me completely shaken.

           The first was American History X, which is a film outpouring with hate, of the worst kind. It is sickening to think that actual people exist who are capable of so much unnecessary and inhumane hatred. Edward Norton's performance itself sends chills down one's spine. There are a few truly shocking moments in this film. I would like to talk about one in particular, which is the ending. I for one, am not the biggest fan of it. I think its main purpose, if not the sole one, is to shock us so much that we can't forget it. But is that the same as liking it? After reading another blogger's review of the film did I find any meaning in it. Otherwise I thought it was a good cinematic trick to make one remember the movie through the shock, and then maybe also because it follows the path of some truly great movies that have ended in a similar way.

          The second film that I saw was Saving Private Ryan. This too is a very violent film, and even though we can never truly understand what war feels like just by watching it, we are completely stunned and horrified by it nonetheless. The film is so ruthless and hard-hitting in this aspect, that the actual story sort of faded in comparison. It is only after I had started to recover from all of that, did the story began to sink in. And then just thinking about it, the whole mission shown in the film seemed futile to me. I don't think any good came out of it, even for the ones who survived. But then it is the shock element that saved the film for me and I got why it was so important. The truth is that there never is a logical or well thought-out reason for wars where so many men die and kill each other. But they do happen, and in the horror of it all people are so shaken and benumbed, that they do whatever they are told and don't really consider the reasons behind it. It is that alarming and terrifying a place to be and in this way I think the film gets us as close to real wars as films can possible get.

          Now this was one kind of shock that films provide us with, which are fortunately unknown to most of us in real life. The other kind that I will talk about is a whole another ball game. Okay so I am nineteen years old, as you may or may not know. The main bulk of the better movies that I have seen in my life have been watched within the last four or five years. Basically it was most of my teenage, which is considered by many as the "formative" years of a person's life. At the risk of sounding like a loser valedictorian in a terrible high school movie, these were the years when I basically found my voice and formed my ideas and thoughts and personality and whatnot. And since films play such a huge part in my life, they were crucial during this whole process too. So when a relatively prudish sixteen year old watches A Clockwork Orange for the first time, it is quite shocking a film to take it all in. Yes this film too is violent, or rather a bit "ultraviolent", but it honestly was all the nudity that astonished me. I did like the film immediately, but in retrospect I think a big reason for that was probably that I thought it was cool to like something this shocking. I think many a times, especially while growing up, we say that we like something because it is cool and bold and mad. It was only after I read the book and then watched it again that I truly loved it for all it was. 

          I guess I can club this experience with another film, one that I saw after some time, that is The Dreamers. This film had such an outrageous depiction of sexuality that I think I was a even bit scared of it originally. I think everyone must have gone through a phase like this during their adolescence. You may have undergone this phase before me but do keep in mind the huge cultural gap I have with most of you reading this. Anyways, the shocking nature of sex shown in films like these are kind of eye-openers, and I mean that in the cleanest sense. I would even go as far as to say that it helps us accept and understand the world and the kinds of people in it better. We grow up from being people who giggle at things or are "grossed out" by them to those who can perceive things as they are and just move on.

            Of course now both these films are among my absolute favourites.

            For obvious reasons, I will not talk about horror films in this context. But I will talk about the apparent "horror" movie, Antichrist. Now this is prime example, in my opinion, where the filmmaker intends to shock us so much that we may begin to think that we are watching something profound. It is the worst. The last half hour of this film is incredibly agonizing to sit through. Like how I spoke about the "cool" aspect of liking things above, this film feeds on a similar idea of showing something incredibly mundane and confusing that no one comprehends but then it gets accepted as a mind-blowing ballsy work of art, because people are oh so hip and deep. I am not trying to insult anyone who likes this film or their intelligence, but I think this film is one of the many that uses the element of shock to bewilder people into getting things that aren't really there to get.

         So in conclusion of what I hope is a slightly coherent article, I would just like to say that these are a few of my experiences with shocks in movies. If I had to answer my question, I think I would say that films do not necessarily shock us into liking them, but the shocks can almost guarantee a second watch that could lead us to forming better opinions of them, positive or negative. Except Antichrist. Never watching that again.

What do you think?

YOU DO NOT KILL KIDS IN FILMS

"Ken, if I had killed a little kid, accidentally or otherwise, I wouldn't have thought twice. I'd killed myself on the fucking spot. On the fucking spot. I would've stuck the gun in me mouth. On the fucking spot!"

- Harry, In Bruges

         I don't actually remember when it was exactly that I discovered this about myself, but I cannot watch films in which children die. And if I do, I tend to like them less for the same reason. Now In Bruges isn't really an exception to the rule as the characters feel the same way as I do.

              I guess it must have started when I was a little kid myself and I expected all kids movies to be like Home Alone and Baby's Day Out, in which the child is the father of the man in the sense that he kicks ass of the big bad guys. I cannot recall exactly which film it was that first affected me so; possibly a Bollywood film called Mr. India (who is the only Indian superhero in my opinion) where the death of a girl causes our hero to fight for the good. It was inconceivable that someone so young can be gone just like that. It frightened me then, it frightens me now. Also, things like Child's Play which freaked out the kid in me.

           Right now, I was catching up to what I thought was my long-overdue viewing of the Holocaust movie The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. For those who know me, I quite like Holocaust movies, but for me it is all about the hope that survives. *SPOILERS* So can you imagine having had watched this film almost till the end, only to be told by my friend that the children die?!!!! I mean, how can this be? I literally just sat throughout the film calling darling little Asa Butterfield my imaginary adopted child, and this! I am devastated. Why would they kill the children? In Sophie's Choice, it is all in the past tense, and we never really meet the children. But Asa Butterfield, with his big blue eyes and that way he says "Shmuel"? Ruined, traumatised, forever.

Do you have any strong feelings like this? Will I ever recover? Must see Hugo ASAP!

Modern Times- Is my generation being deprived?

      


          I read this news a while back, but from this year onwards, the major movie camera companies are ceasing production and will make digital movie cameras from now on. I am not knowledgeable enough to pinpoint the difference it will make, but I know it will. I love the idea of film reels, especially having seen Cinema Paradiso recently. There's something so unique and true cinema about them. I suppose the change is good, and everything will be in HD, but I don't know.


         It's not just this, but for about half a year now I have been trying to find a vinyl record player in my city, and there seem to be none left. We can get the really old gramophone ones, with the wind-y things, but not the nice electronic ones as no one makes them anymore. Also I desperately want a super 8 camera, but those are obsolete too.


          I know I can order them online, but it's just weird to think I can't find them in a place as metropolitan as Calcutta. I just feel it is sad many of these really cool things are not so common anymore. Then again, is it my golden age thinking getting in the way? Should I take a trip to Paris soon and get rid of all my obsession with the past, or would I miss these things even if I was around when they were in vogue? And do others my age feel similarly? 


        Also, to come around a full circle, is this the end of cinema as we know it, and what are the pros and cons?


So many questions.

FILM BAND NAME GENERATOR

        So I know it's my thoughts-posting time, but I seriously don't remember anything because my brain is full of useless crap for my college exams. There was something about Leo and J. Edgar and HOW FRIGGIN' MUCH I NEED TO SEE DRIVE GAHHHHHHH!!!!! (Is that even correct English? Meh, who cares?) Anyways I had this random idea a few weeks back and I'm just going to make a post out of it 'cuz I'm cool like that.


         I'm sure everyone has heard of Natalie Portman's Shaved Heads. It is a band who named themselves after Natalie Portman's shaved head in the film V For Vendetta (just heard them...they're terrible imo). Film inspire us in many ways and one of the ways can be to name fictional bands, which may become a reality in the future, you never know... I have thought of some random band names inspired by films:


1) Inanimate Fuckin' Objects
2) The Big Kahunas (I'll be surprised if this isn't a band already)
3) Rosemary's Babies
4) Vito and His Offers
5) The Marla Singer Support Group (because as awesome as the Narrator and Tyler Durden are, Marla is a kick-ass woman)
6) The Deadly Viper Assassination Squad or The Crazy 88s (not really any creativity put in my part)
7) Humperdinck
8) The Ilsa Lunds
9) My personal favourite and one band I would definitely listen to if they existed- You Go Glen Coco!


Now your turn. 

Suggestions please

I am suddenly in the mood to watch a romantic film. But I don't know what to watch, especially with my hard disk gone. Any suggestions? Preferably something not very sappy. 

Thoughts

Okay so lots of thoughts:


1) I literally just read this- Amitabh Bachchan will be in Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of The Great Gatsby. WHAAAT?!! What is Baz Luhrmann doing? I keep getting less and less impressed with this film. First of all, and worst of all (oh I'm such a poet!), it is in 3D, which makes no friggin' sense whatsoever. Then there is Leonardo Di Caprio in the titular role. See I have nothing against Leo, but it is a fact that Luhrmann does wonders with a truly romantic looking actors. Leo was like that during Romeo+Juliet times, but not so much anymore. Also, this was the one of the big flaws of Australia *shudders*. After that there is Carey Mulligan. Now I love Carey Mulligan; how can I not? But, I just cannot see her as Daisy. I still think Kirsten Dunst would have been the best choice. Dunst has a dream-like thing about her, which is how Daisy was. Mulligan is amazing, but she, in my opinion, has a sadder face. I mean she's adorable, but in a non-Daisy way. Gah I cannot explain it! I think the best casting choice so far has been Tobey Maguire as Nick Carrow. I, for one, was hot for Nick throughout the book, and I can see Maguire being really effortless with it. I suppose it is all cute that bffs Leo and Tobey are working together, but I don't know. Bachchan actually, now that I am thinking about it, might be good, but we shall see.


2) Eddie Murphy is gonna host the Oscars. Honestly, I am fine with it. Just as long as he doesn't bore us and stand there like a stoned idiot with an I-Phone. *cough*Franco*cough* Or if he must, he shouldn't post a huge number of deceiving promo videos. Also, Hugh Jackman and Neil Patrick Harris should host the Oscars together already. Dunno what they're waiting for. NPH was in Beastly, and is totally legit.


3) So I have a new film that I am dying to see now. Shame by Steve McQueen, starring Michael Fass(y)bender. I just saw Hunger, which was McQueen's directorial debut with Fassy himself. What a disturbing, brutal, no-holds-barred film! Fassy has rocked me to my core now, and I have to seriously start rethinking my favourite performances by an actor list.  Shame promises to be great and everyone in Venice seems to love it, and it might just win the Golden Lion. YESS! Especially with all this non-lovey-dovey-ness towards The Ides of March (O.o) and from what I can understand, little doubts about Carnage, A Dangerous Method and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, I do need a proper "The Social Network" film of the year.


4) Okay good week of Hollywood in Calcutta this week! Well sort of. Contagion and Friends with Benefits has released, neither of which I am remotely stoked to see. But I will, because such an opportunity will not present itself to me very often. I actually think I have become immune to Steven Soderbergh, which is like sacrilegious. I mean I have had it with films about viral infections or whatever, and Haywire doesn't appeal to me except for a very hot Ewan McGregor. Even Fassy dies, so what's the point? Soderbergh, I need an Ocean's Fourteen, I think.


5) Posters!- The Rum Diary has a delightful poster. I come from a family of teetotalers and alcohol just has a strange attraction for me (I hope my mother isn't reading this). I especially like the "Mix Well" part on the poster...rather cheeky. And Johnny Depp + Rum should logically mean brilliance, so... Young Adult has another hilarious poster, which is definitely more unique. I have a feeling that Charlize Theron's character is this is going to become my future role model, along with the dahlin' old Bridget Jones. Jason Reitman is one of my favourite filmmakers, so I definitely excited for this one.


6) Finally..has anyone seen this?

Pretty awesome right? Who would you cast in Inception-of-the-50s? William Holden as Cobb, and then?

Hope I have any thoughts for next week left :P

Death of a Fan

             So tomorrow is my 19th birthday, and I was completely ready to bunk my college and have the best birthday ever. But instead I was told today that I have to go to the college at friggin' 7:25 A.M. tomorrow morning for a debate tryout. And not only that; my topic is about social networking being bad. Me, Nikhat Zahra, who spent all of the last year championing The Social Network! Also, I needed something to watch tonight...for my last night ever as an eighteen year old.

          So I finally thought what better than the film itself- The Social Network...it will give me random debate points and also the fact that Mark Zuckerberg was 19 when he created Facebook might give me some sort of inspiration.

              I put in the DVD and am grinning like bloody Joker at the first scenes. Then suddenly I have this urge to watch that part of the Special Features DVD when they show David Fincher introducing the Jewish party hat-concept to Andrew Garfield. And I do...lol. And then I am all ready to resume the film, but something keeps stopping me. And I realise that I cannot watch The Social Network completely again...or atleast for a very long time from now.

         You may think that I am judging quite harshly, or over-exaggerating, but I am all too familiar with this feeling of mine. Generally it happens with songs I get obsessed with, and finally feel nauseous afterwards. I still cannot listen to "Incomplete" by The Backstreet Boys because that was the only song I heard all of the year it had come out. And yes I know what a terrible comparison that is, and it's making me all the more sad.

            I really love The Social Network, and it's definitely one of my most favourite films ever. But it is not the kind of films you watch too regularly, i.e., twice a month (not counting the first few months it came out in). And that is what has driven me to this state of non-fan-ness. I literally know the script by rote now, and as happy as it makes me, my brain is too full of it. Plus the Tumblr obsession with it is irritating.

(I can hear them chanting this in my head...like I will get sued for getting over it)

         

Has this ever happened to you? Have you watched a film you love so many times that you have grown sick of it? And how horrible did that feel?

  

Thoughts

Whatever thoughts I had has been wiped out from my mind by this THIS-

and THIS

          2011, as said in The Film Experience Blog, is truly the Year of the Goz. Just last week I was saying how I thought after watching Drive's trailer that Ryan Gosling has the anti-hero action movie star thing down, and now he looks perfect in a political drama scenario. He might just be the best actor out there at the moment, and this year will be historic because of his talent. And fuck! He looks so good too.


          Speaking of good looks, I also love the idea of George Clooney as President. This film definitely has a very strong support cast, and I have no idea where my loyalties lie at the moment- Giamatti or Hoffman? This is gonna hurt! The trailer gave me Social Network-esque chills, and that's just not because Max "Divya" Minghella is in this too.


       So this makes me ask the question...what will be the "The Social Network" film for me this year? I think the following might become the candidates-
1) Tree of Life
2) Midnight in Paris
3) A Dangerous Method
4) Ides of March
5) Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy
6) Drive
7) Carnage
8) Hugo
9) The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
10) Melancholia
11) The Artist
12) Tintin
13) We Bought a Zoo
14) The Descendants


         I haven't seen any of these. The only films thus far that I saw and thought were actually good were Hanna and Jane Eyre. I enjoyed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 2, X-Men: First Class, Captain America: The First Avenger and Bridesmaids also, but summer blockbusters and female-driven comedies don't get much love from AMPAs.


         Yes...random line of thought triggered by the AMAZING Ides of March trailer and poster over. What do you think will be your __________ film of the year? And HOW amazing will the Year of the Goz be?

Morality- No Thank You

       Now I really thought that I would be the last person, in the whole world, to take part in this blogathon by Filmplicity and Dirty With Class. Why? Because I don't really believe in morals.WHAAAT? Seriously, I have difficulty believing in this whole concept because I don't really understand it. And well, one of the biggest contributors behind this non-belief of mine are the films that I watch. Books are also to "blame", but I have watched way more films than I have read books. And though my film knowledge is still pretty deplorable, I am going to write what I know and think about this topic.


         Morality. The only conclusion that I have come to regarding morality is that it depends on a person's choice. And that's where it goes all hazy. Remember in Donnie Darko, when that freak of a teacher asks Donnie to answer a question by marking it on the lifeline and he says that life isn't that simple? That is me for everything deemed as morals. I have this slightly frowned-upon habit of looking beyond things that are "good" or things that are "bad". Even murderers or terrorists or sexual predators... I always want to know what made them that way. For instance, Lord Voldemort, who is so evil and love-less because he was born out of unnatural love. Or Clarice Starling who is always after justice because of her childhood. There is always a reason, and while I don't go as far as empathise with the characters, I do try somehow to understand why they are the way they are. And in this understanding, the morals go out of the window.


         Just a couple of days back I saw Lars Von Trier's Breaking the Waves. It is about a woman named Bess who starts having sex with other men because she believes that is the only way of making her nearly-paralysed husband better. The church in her little Scottish village condemn her to Hell, but we see that her Lord sends her to Heaven, bells and all. I have not stopped thinking about this film since I saw it. And luckily, it is the perfect film required for my morality argument. The Free Online Dictionary defines morality as "virtuous conduct". Here is a woman who has sex with lots of men like a prostitute, commits adultery, breaks the church's law, practically goes to her death willingly, with the total conviction that God is on her side. And her actions do, coincidentally or not, result in what she had wanted- her husband's recovery. Now I'm not suggesting that people should start sleeping around to save their loved ones, but the fact that Bess did exactly that does not make her a bad person. She's someone who is so full of love for her husband, that virtuous conduct or morality ceases to matter completely. What is right? What is wrong? There are more important things to consider.


           This is where I think I will answer the big question- Do Filmmakers have a Moral Responsibility? No, I don't think that they do. I do, however, think that it is their job to show the more important things, and it is the viewers' jobs to make their minds about them. We can revel at a bank heist gone right or a bride taking revenge. We can mourn the death of a godfather or a Guy Fawkes mask-wearing vigilante. It is our choice.

What lifts you up where you belong?

We all have our blue days. I had an exceptionally bad one today, and like everything else, the only way I cope with it is by watching a film. Sometimes I watch comedies, like for instance The Hangover before my Mathematics exams. Other times I watch films which make me feel good about my life, like Igby Goes Down. Today I watched both kinds- Hot Fuzz, but that was before the depressing thing actually occurred, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly after. I thought the latter would act like a catharsis, but it just made me feel more guilty. Ah well, c'est la vie.

What films do you watch when you want to feel better?