Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Across the Universe Podcast: Episode 10

Episode 10: I Want Candy

Hi guys! We apologise for being slightly late with our newest episode, but heyyy look! It's our 10th episode!! How quickly does time fly etc.? I'm kidding of course. This little podcast has taken a lot of effort and scheduling and whatnot but my fellow chicks with accents, Mette and Sofia, and all the support from the blogging community have made it an immensely fun and rewarding ride so far.

To celebrate, we discuss the career of one of our most favourite directors, the gorgeous Sofia Coppola. It's a bit long and messy, but it won't be Across the Universe Podcast without it! Enjoy!

Content:
00:27- Chick Chatter
02:45- Trailer
03:19- Interesting Movie of the Fortnight
21:37- Coppola Time
1:16:27- Plus and Goodbyes

Music: 

Bow Wow Wow "I Want Candy"
Azealia Banks feat. Lazy Jay "212"
Cilla Black "Across The Universe"

Follow us at: facebook.com/acrosstheuniversepodcast
Write to us at: acrosstheuniversepodcast@gmail.com
Find us on iTunes: search for Across the Universe Podcast

"Let's go shopping."

A teaser is finally here! I have been going crazy ever since it was announced that Emma Watson is to star in the new Sofia Coppola film because I thought they were a match made in girly heaven, and now I am sure of it.

I am loving the whole vibe of The Bling Ring. As much as I loved Somewhere, I did think it was a bit too malaise and slow and this feels like more fun. With Sleigh Bells' "Crown On The Ground" playing in the background, we see a group of young thieves who robbed the homes of Hollywood personalities living the high life and the repercussions thereof. It looks gorgeous and playful and reminds me of my two most favourite Coppola films, Marie Antoinette and The Virgin Suicides. The former because of all the indulgence and the latter due to the crime aspect.

Also, I must mention Watson. Just one question- Hermione who?

Can't bloody wait for this now. It's going to be awesome!

My Favourite Directors

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

15.

Tim Burton

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

Favourite films- Edward Scissorhands, Big Fish, Ed Wood

14.

Steven Spielberg

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

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

13.

John Hughes

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

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

12.

Martin Scorsese

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

Favourite films- Taxi Driver, Hugo, The Aviator

11.

Pedro Almodóvar

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

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

10.

Alfred Hitchcock

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

Favourite films- Psycho, Notorious, Rear Window

9.

Paul Thomas Anderson

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

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

8.

Billy Wilder

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

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

7.

Wes Anderson

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

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

6.

Edgar Wright

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

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

5.

Stanley Kubrick

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

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

4.

Sofia Coppola

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

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

3.

David Fincher

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

Favourite films- Fight Club, The Social Network, Se7en

2.

Quentin Tarantino

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

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

1.

Woody Allen

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

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

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

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

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

The Ultimate Sofia Coppola List

         
           It's Sofia Coppola's 41st birthday today. She is one of my most favourite directors, and definitely my favourite female director. Her films have this wonderfully romantic and lost aspect to them that make them endlessly dreamy. I just love it. The girls and women depicted in her films are exactly like that too, which is why I've always believed that no female can look prettier than in a Sofia Coppola movie.

            I was going to do a mini-reviews post on her films, but have now decided to do a sort of list with all of her directorial work, including short films, advertisements and music videos. This also makes it more interesting since a list with only the movies becomes redundant with a Favourite 100 Movies List like mine. I couldn't find her first short film Bed, Bath and Beyond anywhere. Also the music videos to "City Girl" by Kevin Shields and "Playground Love" by Air are basically just clips from the movies they were in- Lost in Translation and The Virgin Suicides respectively. The latter does include singing pieces of chewing gum, but yeah, I'm not considering that.

11) Shine by Walt Mink

This was all the way back in 1993. The video quality isn't very good, but one can see the theme of rich, bored, beautiful people that will be unique to her films later on. It was edited by her ex-husband Spike Jonze, who was apparently the basis for the Giovanni Ribisi's highly annoying character in Lost in Translation.

10) This Here Giraffe by The Flaming Lips

I'm not that well-acquainted with the music of The Flaming Lips, but I like the idea of these monochrome-clad rockstars visiting the zoo on a nice sunny day. Also the bed looks like it belongs to a very young girl. Also it has Leslie Hayman, who plays the Therese Lisbon in The Virgin Suicides- arguably the sister with the smallest role.

9) City of Light fragrance by Christian Dior, starring Natalie Portman

This has a kind of Audrey Hepburn-ish aura about it. Miss Portman looks gorgeous and I think Alden Ehrenreich is adorable, but still, the whole product ends up being a little bland.

8) Marni for H&M starring Imogene Poots

It is set in the beautiful Marrakesh, Morocco. I love the colours in this ad. Imogene Poots looks lovely.

7) Lick the Star

To explain this, I will use a set of quotes from another of Sofia's films- "What are you doing here, honey? You're not even old enough to know how bad life gets. - Obviously doctor, you've never been a thirteen year-old girl." While I've never experienced the "clique" system of an American high school, there are things even I find relatable in this short film. Also, I love the badassery of the lead character when we first see her. The second part is here.

6) I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself by the White Stripes

I'm not a Kate Moss fan, but even I can't deny the pure sexiness she exudes here. However it's not perverse... I think it's kind of sad. With the title of the song and how it is sung, it really feels like a lost soul trying to figure out her life in a most free sort of way. I really love it.

5) Somewhere

Many say this is the film that all of her other films were leading up to. As a star-child herself, Sofia's first-hand experience with all the loneliness and pointlessness that a Hollywood celebrity and their children face is an obvious basis for this film. It is a critical look at such a life, but her films ultimately look so gorgeous that it takes a while to get to that. Still, the malaise that her films are known for is most pronounced in this. I love Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning in it.

4) Lost in Translation

This is the most celebrated of all her films yet, and rightly so. I don't think the meeting of two kindred spirits has never been shown more beautifully than in this film. The performances by both the leads is excellent, though just the little subtleties in everything that Bill Murray does leave me speechless. He should have won that Oscar. Scarlett Johannson's Charlotte is the character most of us connect with the best. Also that inaudible whisper... sigh.

3) Miss Dior Chérie fragrance by Christian Dior, starring Maryna Linchuck

This is my most favourite commercial ever. I want to live in it, for real. It's so pretty and girly! I love the liveliness in it, and everything the enchanting Maryna Linchuck does.

2) The Virgin Suicides

Ugh the Lisbon sisters and their eternal mystery that will never cease to baffle and entice the narrators or us. It's a very ambiguous, dreamy film, but there is a certain magic to it. I wish I could make something like this. I also wish Sofia revisits this kind of a film, one that has a certain amount of enigma and cheekiness to it.

1) Marie Antoinette

My very unique opinion, but I can't help it. With all the grandeur and the anachronistic pop tunes and American accents and everything that is oh so pretty, I absolutely adore this film. Kirsten Dunst embodies the lavishness and the confusion of the young and doomed monarch. People say it is too shallow- it can be, but only because it was expected of someone like the titular character. Also one of my most favourite endings ever. I think every director does one film like this- plain ambitious and well, selfish in a way. This is Sofia Coppola's and I love every minute of it.

So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed it. 
Also, A Very Happy Birthday to Sofia Coppola. 
Can't wait for Bling Ring!

Thoughts

It's March already.


1) Personal rant- I am so utterly useless! I should stop planning posts, and I should really really stop posting about them. They never seem to happen. Not doing that anymore. No sir. Also I have been trying to start writing projects outside this blog, and my brain is just too dead to think of stuff. Kill me now!


2) Best movie news ever- Emma Watson will star in Sofia Coppola's next film called The Bling Ring which will be about a group of teenagers who robbed Hollywood houses. As my friend said, it's really not that surprising that Watson would star in a Coppola film as she is exactly her type. Oh this will be epic. And I like the slight badass quality of the project. I have been waiting for the next Coppola film forever. Also, after seeing Tom Ford's beautiful A Single Man last week, I feel he should really make another film already. There was a picture at the Vanity Fair Oscar party of Ford and Coppola together- too much beauty.


3) Oscars got over. I guess I am still a bit buzzed about it. First, I can't stop watching this. Emma Stone is the shit. I want her to make a film with Kristen Wiig. It shall be too funny. Also, please tell me that everyone has seen Jimmy Kimmel's Movie: The Movie. I can't be the only one who is thinking that he should host next year, right? Okay no, finished now.


4) So Star Trek 2 has started, boldly going where no man has ever gone before and whatnot. Benedict Cumberbatch is being an awesome villain. I want him play Alan Rickman's son in some film. They can be like an estranged father and son, and then it will be the battle of the baritone Brits. Ovaries shall explode and women everywhere will go mad!! Make it happen.


5) Trailers: Pixar's Brave released a small scene this week. It finally shows true promise! I have already declared that Princess Merida, with her feisty nature and the wild red hair, is my favourite Disney princess, and yes, I am falling more and more in love with her. Tim Burton is going back to his old days (when he was oh so unpredictable and awesome) with Frankenweenie. I like it, and I really want to see Edward Scissorhands now. 'Tis been too long. New comedy Neighbourhood Watch starring Ben Stiller, Jonah Hill, Vince Vaughn and Richard Ayoade (!) has a teaser trailer out. The inclusion of Ayoade makes it look interesting. Finally The Avengers released the official trailer. I am really excited about it- everyone looks awesome. Also, am I the only one who has a feeling that Jeremy Renner's character will die as no one is going to watch this because of him? 


6) Most relevant post of this week (I didn't make this as I am not smart enough, but just put them all together in one big picture).

It's a funny bandwagon to be on.

Byee.

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.

Thoughts

1) So first of all, I didn't write any posts this week because I have been down with, quite expectedly, what I call the Super Winter Lethargy which happens, you guessed it, every winter and basically consists of me not wanting to leave my cosy bed and doing anything that requires brains, which includes writing for this blog. This coincided with my college exams (I had four between the last Thoughts post and this one) and all that just got magnified. I am truly sorry. I can't promise next week to be any different, but that's mainly because I'll be travelling and meeting all my old school friends. YAAAAY! So excited :D

2) The big news this week has been the SAG nominations. Everyone is pretty pissed about things like snubs for Shame, Corey Stoll, Parks and Recreations etc. I don't really care yet. I do like how haphazardly, somewhat, the awards season is going, but personally, I'm not getting as blazed up about things like how I was last year. I have a feeling that The Social Network used up all the award-crazy flair in me, and now I might be beyond caring when it comes to these prizes. Odd. Also, I read somewhere about someone actually thinking that Daniel Radcliffe will get an Oscar nomination. I used to be like that 3 years ago. O children...

3) I'm skipping trailers this week, mostly. There was something about a musical starring Tom Cruise and Sacha Baron Cohen being something ridiculous. Oh and MIB3, of whose existence I was not aware of. I only saw the last one because I just cannot be deigned to watch the others, and it gave me No Country for Old Men flashbacks. And also how does Will Smith look so young? He's such a pageant mum; I wish he'd do more for his career.

4) There were two teaser posters this week- The Amazing Spiderman and Prometheus. I like the Spidey one, but it's trying to hard to look like a Nolan-esque Batman film. Speaking of, there was also the The Dark Knight Rises teaser poster last week. I think the rain is a bit excessive, but I do admire the awesome albeit insane idea of Batman dying. I like the Batman villains way more than the caped crusader, but then again, why must Bane be the one to do it? Sure he sounds horrific, but I don't really like someone as brawny as Bane to be the one to do the deed over someone as brilliant and brainy as the Joker. Personal preference of villains, people... About Prometheus, I dunno what it signifies as such. I really must watch the Alien movies. Also, pictures from The Great Gatsby have been released. I especially like this one because Leo, who was my first love à la Jack Dawson in Titanic, is looking like his handsome dreamy self again. I have no doubt that the film will look gorgeous, but I have doubts about Baz Luhrmann making it too much about the looks (don't forget the cursed 3D) and not enough about the beloved story. I still think someone like Sofia Coppola, would have a much more interesting take on it because she's so feminine. It would have been a different perspective, and would have looked brilliant too.

4) What Sofia Coppola is doing, according to TMZ (I'm not sure how reliable this is), is making a film on some group of thieves called the Burglar Bunch, who stole from Hollywood it seems. It sounds interesting, however novel when compared to her filmography. But she should do other kinds of projects. I am still hoping for her to make a horror film. Also, and I forgot to write about this earlier, a third part to the incredible Before Sunrise-Before Sunset films is apparently being made. I just hope it does justice to the other two. I will reserve judgements on that, unlike what I feel for the "modern" remake of American Psycho. WHY HOLLYWOOD WHY?! There are no videotapes around, no business cards around, no nothing like that around, hell noone like "Hip to be Square" Christian Bale around! I actually tried brainstorming for a present day equivalent for the business cards (videotape = Netfilx, except "I'm going to go check my Netflix" doesn't sound so impressive...) but the only thing people care about enough these days is like their IPhones and a new model comes out every year or so, and the whole reason why the business cards were so impactful were because they were so mundane and it was just outrageous to go psycho-murderer because of them. Not going to work Hollywood... go occupy something else.

5) Regarding awards and me: I saw Hugo this week. I loved it so freaking much! I think it has become my favourite film of this year, even though I do not think it is the best film of the year... this is going to create problems in my top 20 films list, whenever the hell I get to make it. Hugo was flawed, no doubt about it, but it was also very special. I am writing the review, promise. As far as its awards chances go, I think it'll get nominated for Best Picture, and maybe even Director, but it will win neither.

6) Finally, this mere mortals, THIS-

No words.

Byee.

Firsts Of All...

Oooh firsts. Saw this at Andy Buckle's Film Emporium, and it's a pretty cool idea.
These are some of my favourite firsts:

My Favourite Directorial Debut- Sofia Coppola (The Virgin Suicides)

Crazy film, beautiful and funny and dark.

My Favourite Acting Debut- Eva Green (The Dreamers)

She was gorgeous and moody, and overtly sexy and childishly innocent, all at the same time.

The First Movie Theatre Experience that Moved Me- Titanic 

The whole ending, and Jack ofcourse *sniff*.

The First Film Character I had the Hots for- Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe)

Okay I don't know if 'hots' is the right word for what I felt towards Harry as a kid, but I did wanna marry him for forever.

The First Film Character that Annoyed the Hell out of Me- Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst)

I wish she would have just died. Gah...so painful!

The First French Film I Saw- Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (Dir- Jean-Pierre Jeunet)

A friend persuaded me to see it. Changed my life forever.

The First Asian Film I Saw- (probably) Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (Dir- Aditya Chopra)

Okay I don't understand why people do not really count Indian stuff in Asian stuff. India is a part of Asia...a rather big part if you ask me, or any geographer. I am Indian, and my father watches a lot of Hindi films. I find it hard to believe that I was as old as 3 when I saw my first film in the cinema hall; it is very probable that my parents have forgotten what really was my first film, but I do clearly remember watching DDLJ so I'll just choose that.

The First Movie Poster on My Wall- (one of them) The Dark Knight

I was not really allowed to "mess up" the walls with posters, until very recently. So when I could put one, I chose to put like a collage of posters of some "culturally significant" films, which I had helped to design and sell in this school-sale thing. There is also Royal Tenenbaums, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Juno, Casablanca and Pulp Fiction in the one BIG poster.

The First Time I Thought that the Film was Better than the Book- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Gah I feel like such a fan-girl! But honestly, there are very few films which I do think are better than the books they are based on, and I've either read or watched them only after OoP.

The First Time I Realised that Robert De Niro is a Genius- as Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver

It was also the first time I realised how sexy he was.