Smorgasbord Fantasia

I usually am selective about the movies that I watch, in the theaters. I'm usually more a fan of the DVD-genre, sleeper hits and the like. And so this, Watching Acham Yenbathu Madayamaida, has been one of the few epic mistakes that I'm going to look back on and rue. This movie, Acham Yenbathu Madayamaida (Roughly translated to Fear is Foolishness ) was something that a few of us had pretty high hopes about. Director Gautham Vasudev Menon , AR Rehman and Simbu coming back together - especially when the songs were released a while back, (just mind-blowing! Pure bliss, Rehman back in blistering form and touch.) So naturally, the hype and expectations went sky-rocketing stratospheric and we dutifully got our tickets for a late-night show yesterday, the first week of the release of AYM. The first half of the movie, soars. Literally - a self-indulgent exercise in vanity, a beautiful love-story unfolding over the course of that one hour. We even see the faint beginnings o...

I watch movies, mainly because of the escape it offers me. Rose tinted dreams away from the bustle of a daily trudge of a real life. But occasionally, I get to watch such gems rooted in dark reality and grim truths that I cannot help but sit up to applaud. Kammatipaadam was one such movie. Funnily, I had never really heard of the movie much, except for some of the folk songs in it that seemed to briefly sparkle on the media. Maybe I was living under a rock. All things said and done, Kammatipaadam is an absolutely riveting, gorgeously detailed gangster drama that unfolds slowly, drawing attention to the hidden truths behind the rise of city of Kochi as the real estate haven. A missing-persons mystery, a revenge saga or a chronicle of the unraveling lives of unfortunate youths caught in the bottomless spiral of a life made on violence and blood : The movie is treated at different levels and it works, oh so well at all these levels. Director Rajeev Ravi' s third outing, Kam...

Just finished the final episode of Daredevil Season 2 from Netflix . And I am in bit of a dilemma, as to whether I liked it better than the first season or not. After much deliberation with the magic of that brilliant finale fading from my memory, I decide, not. So, the Man who knows no fear, the masked vigilante who's  so in love with his city, Hell's Kitchen of New York is back cleaning up the streets at night, after having put his biggest nemesis, Wilson Fiske behind the bars in that stunning first season - that impressed the shit out of me, as a viewer. In fact, I remember I had binge-watched the same , back to back, night after night and couldn't wait for Season-2. Now, that I am finally done with it, though, I cannot say I feel the same level of breathless, frenetic enthusiasm for the franchise. This is not to say, that the Season 2 wasn't great. It was more of a see-saw for me - and the giant void left by the exit of Daredevil's biggest villain, Wils...

Well, the full trailer is finally out! What do you think? [ Personally, am disappointed with the casting, a little.]  While I went absolutely nuts about the book ( I had just discovered the wonderful genius of MR Carey and was trying to find out all books written by him! ) I am bit wary about the movie. It shouldn't end up being just another zombie movie - because, hey it is NOT about the zombies. And I hope it does justice to the mind-blowing and mind-fuck-of-an-ending in a book.

The jury is still out on whether it's better to be on Team Cap or Team Iron Man - but hey, I am a huge Steven Rogers ( Chris Evans ) fan and will stick by my idol! So yesterday, we caught Captain America: Civil War first day first show - and I put my neck on the line when I say, this must be the most intense, emotionally-draining but nevertheless, spectacular Marvel Comics Universe movie made till date. There, I said it. The movie franchise finally tackle the big question of collateral damage to the civilian life as our superheroes are locked in slugfests with aliens, ego-crazed robots and fanatic terrorists - Great Power comes with Great Responsibility ( And hell yeah - this is the like the perfect entry point for that superhero who came up with that maxim, Spiderman, into this franchise!! More on that in just a little while.) The government factions want to lock down the "vigilantes" who do not "respect the sovereign borders" in their quest to do t...

Now that The Force Awakens has officially been accepted by the fans worldwide, I would like to see how this one goes down with those purists. Mind you, I personally think this side-story has much more potential that the mash-up part-VII that pays homage to older movies and the story-telling. The first trailer is out and it's a feast for eyes. The movie releases in December 2016.

Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children is an intriguing title - and I confess that while I've heard of the book, I never really thought about checking it out. But yesterday, the trailer caught my attention and Tim Burton's artistic vision really brings out the mystery, adventure and creeping sense of unease that tinges the whole premise. I will get my hands on the book - but for now, feast on Eva Green!! and of course, the peculiar children.

So the snarkiest super-hero of the Marvel franchise, Dead Pool finally hits the big screen! And with a such a resoundingly loud bang! that catapults Ryan Reynolds into the pantheon of super-hero greatness wiping away all his previous bad luck outings - with Green Lantern/Blade Trinity/X-men Wolverine Origins stories. A mile-a-minute wise cracker who cannot keep it shut even in the most dire circumstances, Wade Wilson has been dealt too many rotten apples in life. So when Vanessa ( Morena Baccarin ) comes along waltzing into his life, the super cynical merc for hire knows its just a side-show in life. And reality comes slamming back with a fourth-stage cancer that threatens to take him away his dream-girl. To deal life one-up, Wade signs up with a medical camp where the patients are treated to bring out their mutant powers - and thus fight against any kinds of disease. However, this is where life really starts to spin away out of control for Wade. Little does he realize that...