My small review of Repulsion (1965) movie

It is Polonski’s first English film. I started with his Rosemary baby & Chinatown. Both are Masterpieces. Afterwards, I watched many Roman Polanski's movies. Repulsion is one of them. Coming to Repulsion, May this movie is his most scariest & disturbing film in his carrier. Coming to plot it is story of a young woman, living with her elder sister, disturbed & terrified of men. Basically when her sister & his boy friend make love, next to her bedroom, it further disturbs & moves further in to isolation. When her elder sister goes on vacation, her isolation further drives in to crazy and sequence of bizarre events leads to murders. Polaink reused the same isolation in his later movies too but this one is the first. Extensive wide angle lens with deep focus in black & white images coupled with good music hunts you couple of days. A good movie for Polonski’s & old movie fans.
My rating 8/10
Not for kids:

My small review of Pulp Fiction (1994)movie

I watched Pulp fiction (PF), first time, nearly a decade back.
Confused a lot & fact is may be PF is my first nonlinear movie.
From Friday night onward, whole weekend, I watched it over & Over to get it right,

Pulp Fiction tells three mini stories on following characters:
Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson);
Vincent and Mia (Uma Thurman);
Butch (Bruce Willis) and Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames).

Plot:
Jules and Vincent are two hit men who are out to retrieve a suitcase stolen
from their employer Wallace. Also Wallace asks Vincent to take his wife Mia out a few days. Butch is an old boxer who is paid by Wallace to lose his next fight. But Butch has his own plans. The lives of these seemingly unrelated people are clubbed together comprising of a series of funny, bizarre and uncalled for incidents. Dialogs drives the whole plot. Most of characters end with redemption at the end.

Pulp Fiction was huge hit with its unique circular timeline screenplay at that time.
{Narration that stops and starts, shifts and rewinds, forcing the viewer to
construct the story - the trajectory of each character, their interrelation with
other characters and fictions, the "how", "what", "when" and "why" of the narrative.}

PT is the most influential movie of the decade. Lot of movies came with similar concept. (The usual suspects, Memento etc.)

After this movie, I never missed any QT movie.


My rating 10/10

Note: Not for kids

My small review of Pan's Labyrinth (2006) movie. A masterpiece

Watched because it was nominated for Oscars & won couple of awards + playing in the discount theater. Whole movie was subtitled right from the opening credit s to ending credits.
It is in dark & unique picture; part war-time drama and part fantasy (fairy tale story), set during a Civil War in Northern Spain, it tells a story about a 12-year-old girl, Ofelia (played wonderfully), who moves with her pregnant mother and new stepfather into a new home in the countryside. Her stepfather is Captain, truly evil in nature, has been sent to this remote area to rid it of a small Republican militia. Disliked by the sadistic Vidal, Ofelia buries herself in fairy tales, and discovers an immense and ancient labyrinth guarded by a faun named Pan. He tells her that she is the long-lost daughter of the king of a magical underworld, and to regain entry to her kingdom she must carry out three tasks. Rest of the movie on Ofelia carrying the tasks & her stepfather ruthless oppression of radicals. Movie ending was realistic {blends both elements of reality and fantasy together perfectly} & music was haunting.
I never thought a Mexican movie maker's can produce such a high quality movie with such perfection. Very soon, I will buy this DVD. Cast did very good job in particular, girl did magnificent job. Fact is she carried the whole movie. A true masterpiece & left stunned after end of the movie. Puzzled how come this not an Oscar winner in best foreign film category. I need to watch few other nominations.
My rating 10/10.

Note: Not for Kids

Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) Insightful, intelligent, deep, touching & fun movie.

“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is my “Ang Lee“ first movie. From that movie onwards, I am watching his movies regularly. "Eat Drink Man Woman" is one of them.

It is story of an old chef who lives with his three teenage daughters, three different personalities, where slowly all of them want to have their own life instead living with the old man. Movie begins with scenes set up a magnificent feast that Chu is preparing for the usual Sunday dinner he has with his three daughters. (They call it Sunday torture.) Food is the metaphor. He has been widowed early and now his daughters are fully grown. The elder has discovered Christianity and hasn't put much effort in trying to find a husband. She always think about his father. The middle daughter is a business executive in airlines whose real passion is in cooking, which she has to do outside her house. And the youngest is an employee of the local fast food restaurant. When they sit, they barely eat, preferring to throw jabs at each other over the meal. One of the daughters say"Our family communicates with food" but which isn't too far from the truth. Basically they use it to pass a surprise to others. Father doesn't know much more than cooking, which he a master of, the Sunday meal is his way of saying "I love you", which his daughters aren't really understanding. Rest of the movie revolves around as fathers health is starting to slip, who will stay with to take care of him? The screenplay is smart and insightful. Perfect balance between emotion & humor. The cinematography is simply great. A must DVD in personal DVD collection.

My small review of David Fincher's Zodiac (2007) movie

Hollywood was blessed with many new talented director in 90’s. David Fincher is one of them. I enjoyed his earlier movies like Seven, Fight Club, Panic room etc. After 5 years gap he came with Zodiac, an unsolved serial killer case in US. I am not going to write lot of about this movie because it was based on couple of books (One of them is NY best seller.) & there were some movies on this subject. Fincher uncanny ability to establish the right atmosphere for tension which drives most of his movies. This movie also starts with Zodiac killings. In particular killings next to lake chills the audience. His killings, letters to News magazines, police & other organizations chilled the SF bay area people in late 60’s & 70s. Though movie starts with killings, after 20 minutes, story revolves around the four people who dedicated their rest of their life to find the killer. In particular SF chronicle cartoonist & police inspector. Rest of the story revolves around analyzing the crime scenes, leads, investigations etc. This movie runs more then 2.1/2 hours time. But you never feel the length. Director did pretty good job in estlishing the right atmosphere for the tension with best possible dark beginning & maintained the same threw out the movie. They replicated the best possible 1970s atmosphere for the movie & the background music was pretty good & in particular opening credits one & cinematography matched correctly to the mood of movie. Following are few interesting one liners in the movie which comes in the correct time. “Before killing you, I am going to throw the baby out of the car” “sorry also comes under talking” “ I need gun” “ I draw the poster” “Give me gun, I am going to kill the son of bitch” “If not me, no one is going to find him” “Tonight is going the strangest date ever in my life”. After long gap, Fincher came with very good movie. If you like his earlier Seven, then you will like this one too. It is too early to predict the 07 Oscars, but I am predicting, this movie will get good no of nominations in the best supporting actor, background score, editing, cinematography etc.

My small review of Do The Right Thing (1989) movie

For some reasons, I always stayed away from movie based on racism. (May be because I often face this in my day to day life?)But after watching Crash, I felt I missed a lot on this subject. So I brought serious of movies DVDs on this subject. “DO the Right thing” is one of them. This movie was written, produced, acted and directed by Spike Lee. This movie is all about what happened in 15 hours timeframe on a hot summer day in a multi-ethnic community, dominated by black, where a small pizza center owned and operated by a white Italian American with his two sons. Mooke (Spike lee himself) acted as pizza deliver boy. Spike spend good amount time in establishing the black the community characters & sequence of stupid events leads to a death of a community member & complete destruction of the pizza restaurant. Mooke character goes threw lot of emotions (hopelessness, helplessness, anger and Stupidty etc.) Definitely an honest attempt by Spike Lee on a slice of American Society& it is very difficult to answers many of the question raised by this movie. I remember one quote before talking about cinematography “better is blessed” This movie was blessed with the best possible cinematography by “Ernest Dickerson”. I watched “The Criterion Collection” collection DVD. Spike's commentary on different characters & his thoughts gives more insights in to movie.

Movie ends with following two quotes.
Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral. It is impractical because it is a descending spiral ending in destruction for all. The old law of an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind. It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding; it seeks to annihilate rather than to convert. Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love. It destroys a community and makes brotherhood impossible. It leaves society in monologue rather than dialogue. Violence ends by defeating itself. It creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers.

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I think there are plenty of good people in America, but there are also plenty of bad people in America and the bad ones are the ones who seem to have all the power and be in these positions to block things that you and I need. Because this is the situation, you and I have to preserve the right to do what is necessary to bring an end to that situation, and it doesn't mean that I advocate violence, but at the same time I am not against using violence in self-defense. I don't even call it violence when it's self-defense, I call it intelligence.
- Malcolm X

I watched this movie last year. Dumping my notes now.

My take on movie "Crash" (2004)

Tag line: You think you know who you are.

Movie start with cars crash on LA suburbs.
Immediately movie goes back to last 24 hours of
people who met this crash and lives.
Movie got very smart & intelligent script showcases not only characters,
but real representation of real people.

Shot in the background of LA
(Where you will see white, black, Asian, spanic and French etc)
live together & their personalities and racist feeling w.r.t others & on the system.

Again movie has everything.
Right & brilliant script, good casting & apt locations & good photography etc.

Very worth watching. Dont miss it.

Note: I am moving things from my old blog ( sometim in 2004). I watched this movie in the first week of movie release. I enjoyed it a lot.

My small review of GRINDHOUSE(2007) movie

First, I have to say that I love Quentin Tarantino’s (QT) movies. Basically, Grindhouse is two mini-movies put togetherwith some fake previews so that to give a feel of early 70 double treat. ( i.e. two movies for one ticket.) Movie start with fake ”Machete” preview. It is too crazy.Nice quote from this preview is they fucked up the wrong Mexican” Next mini movie “Planet of terror” by Rodriquiz. A zombie flick.It just rocks. From blood to boobs, it simply hot. The heroine of the piece is just smoking hot with two/one/wooded/gun leg. There are many disgusting scenes. But come-on it is Zombie flick.
Once the zombie flick ended, there were more fake previews. I liked Roth’s “Thanksgiving” preview.
Now my favorite QT film "Death Proof". It is basically action thriller with some gore. Stunt man Mike (Kurt Russell) acts as the bad guy.Movie starts with three good looking girls meet up in a car and start talking. Then they go to a bar and keep talking & music & smoking & driniking & more talking etc. Typical QT movie conversations. There they meet Kurt. While everyone is going back , Kurt kills them all with his death proof. In the next scenes, again we will meet 4 more good looking girls & again they smoke & eat & talk a lot. Finally Kurt meets with these 4 girls. But these girls are different from first set. It is like in “Seinfeld “ TV serial, Jerry meets with Jerry. That chase part was pretty entertaining & ending was great. This is my first double treat movie for one ticket price & it was really great. Finally a unique movie experience for me. It is a must for QT fan.

Few dialogs {Kurt Russell introduction}

What's your name?
Stuntman Mike.
Stuntman Mike's your name?
Ask anybody.
Hey Warren, who is this guy?
Stuntman Mike.
And who the hell is Stuntman Mike?
He's a stuntman.

My small review of Annie Hall ( 1975) movie

One day, I saw one thread in a film forum citing
the best movie from Woody Allen is Annie Hall.
I liked his recent movie like Match point, Any thing else etc. So I brought Annie Hall DVD. Woody acted & wrote & directed this movie. Now coming to movie, it start with Woody talking to audience the following

There's an old joke.
Two elderly women are at a Catskills mountain resort, and one of them says: "Boy, the food at this place is really terrible."
The other one says, "Yeah, I know, and such... small portions."

Well, that's essentially how I feel about life.
Full of loneliness and misery and suffering and unhappiness,
and it's all over much too quickly.

Again another joke. Movie slowly shift to his latest girl friend Annie
& to his earlier girl friends in nonlinear way. Woody used lot of new techniques too.
In particular split screen technique concept was too good. He & Annie both talking to psychiatrist about sexual problems at the same time, (His family & ann’s family dinner scenes were very funny. Woody & Annie introduction scene dialogs were simply effective & natural & full of realism. Movie ends with following joke.

You know, this- this-this guy goes to a psychiatrist and says,
"Doc, my brother's crazy. He thinks he's a chicken."
And,the doctor says, "Well, why don't you turn him in?"
And the guy says, "I would, but I need the eggs."

Well, I guess that's pretty much how how I feel about relationships.
You know, they are totally irrational and crazy and absurd and...
but I guess we keep going through it because, most of us need the eggs.

Woody & Diane Keaton (Annie hall) performance was very good.
Watched same movie twice in two successive days. A must match movie.

I will put more quotes later.

Ghost Rider review

Seems to be I am getting addicted to MARVEL entertainment movies.
Marvel's special effects & good box-office success were the main reasons for watching the Ghost Rider on big screen. It got very simple story & amazing special effects & good action scenes. Story begins with a young motorcycle stuntman(cage) makes a pact with devil to save his father from the illness & in the process he losses his girl friend. Rest of the story revolves around dark force motives & internal conflict & winning his girl back etc. It is better not to write more than this about this movie. Movie is all about good special effects & amazing action scenes. Definitely WOW for few risky stunts. A great popcorn movie. Nicolas Cage performance is OK.Interesting quote from the movie is
"If you dont make a choice, choice will make you"

My take on The Ninth Gate

I brought this DVD because of director “Roman Polanski”
This is about a sleazy, corrupt book dealer Corso (Depp) is hired to authenticate a rare book “The Nine Gate” by his professor, business partner, rare book collector Balkan.
According to Balkan there are only three copies available & he needs to figure out the correct one. As Corso start reading the book, he will experience different things. A super natural girl always follows and helps him. As he starts the mission, he losts his best friend, but he continues with his mission & story revolves around finding the fine differences. In between, whenever he faces trouble, girl saves/helps his most of the time. Ending was interesting as Balkan dies and Corso enter in to ninth gate.
This movie needs more viewings. I need to watch Bonus features to get director thoughts.
More of physiological thriller. You will see nice cast & superb music & very interesting cinematography.
Very interesting quote from the movie is

“There’s no one more reliable than a man whose loyalty can be bought for hard cash.”

My top 10 B&W movies

1. M
2. Passion of John Arc(silent movie)
3. City Of Lights (Chaplin)
4. Citizen Kane
5. The Third Man
6. Ikiru
7. Touch of Evil
8. Andrei Rublev
9. The Apartment
10. Maya Bazaar (Telugu)

I will write about these movies later.

Blood diamond directed by Edward Zwick

I really loved earlier “Edward Zwick” movies. (The Last Samurai, Courage Under Fire, Seige etc.) He guarantees brilliant plot with tight screenplay. Based on the film title, posters one can guess blood diamond movie is about how diamonds are brought in to rich countries from poor third world countries. Script revolves around a journalist trying to get a real story to her employer, a diamond smuggler after valuable diamond and a fisherman after his displaced family. In the process director showed how kids are getting brain washed & pulled in to drugs, war lord soldiers etc. You will see awesome African landscape & it is really a bloody movie. Djimon Houndsu, Leornado both did brilliant job. Wow. Very good film. Worth watching on screen. (Not for small kids.)

My take on Ikiru” (To live)

For me “Akira Kirosawa’s” one of the greatest directors of all time. Nearly 5 years back, I watched his “Rashomon” and “Seven Samurai” Now this weekend “IKiru” (To live) It is story about a government bureaucrat (public relation department chief) who learns he has six months to live. After realizing has just another six months live, he tries to rediscover a life worth living -- from spending an evening with a drunken novelist, re-experiencing life through the girlish eyes of a young friend, and eventually dedicating himself to the building of a park for poor people. In the end, he finally proves he has something to show for a lifetime of labor. Again you will see Kurosawa authentic work in his movie. Movie progresses in one way up to his self realization and remaining half in flashbacks from different peoples prospective about his life. How tragic that man can never realize “How beautiful life is until he is face to face with death." Again this movie is for serious, drama lovers only. A++++++++++++.

My take on 3-IRON

A young drifter breaks into people’s houses while they’re away on vacation, but never steals a thing. Instead, he spends a couple of days in their house and then repays them by doing their laundry, fixing broken electronics, etc. But one day, everything changes when he meets a woman stuck in an abusive marriage. This is beginning of a new type of love between both of them and neither character ever speaks a word to each other. Rest of the characters surrounding talks. A stunning film with brilliant silent performances from its leading cast. Wonderfully written and directed by Ki-duk Kim, (my first South Korean movie.) Truly stunning movie & Worth owning a DVD in personal collection.