Happy Holidays!

First of all, let me wish you a merry Christmas! :) Unfortunately, I can't post the usual picture, but I hope your holidays will be as peaceful as it will be for the owner of this house: 

Really, all I want for Christmas is an infinite season of Homeland, with all the scenes being between Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin.

I watched these two over the years and their duo is one of the most powerful ones on television ever. In some ways, they are like Great Glenn and Rose Byrne were on Damages, a teacher and a faithful student, like a parent and a daughter.

I don't want to get into how brilliant these two actors are separately. Claire is a natural: many say she's been this brilliant since 1994, I'd say she's been this brilliant since 1979. Her talent and skills only compare to the greatest: she has such an overwhelming talent, like that of Great Glenn, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett or, of course, Jane Fonda. I hope she's winning an Oscar someday (she certainly gives Oscar-worthy performances week after week on Homeland). And then there's Mandy Patinkin, who's also insanely fantastic. His more subtle approach to his character is a wonderful counterpart to Claire Danes' untempered brilliance. His facial expressions speak volumes. It's an outrage that he didn't win the Emmy last year for The Weekend (he wasn't even nominated). The way he expresses Saul's almost unconditional acceptance of Carrie, his care is just outstanding and he amazingly underlines how Saul would be a lonely and bitter old man without the crazy and moody Carrie. His fear and desparation in the last scenes of the season (and his ultimate relief) is a testament to that (oh, his prayer in that brutal finale was harrowing). 

In my humble opinion, they are the engines of this fantastic shows. Many are celebrating Damian Lewis as the great discovery and while I admire his work a lot, too, for me it's all about Danes and Patinkin.

 

Since Christmas is also about being generous and unselfish, I'll probably give up on that infinite, private Homeland season and I'll just wish a Golden Globe for Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin, respectively because they are both, well...

HOLLA! 

Now you got a sneak peak of how my blog will change next year. It'll include more subjects, more topics, not only Best Actress reviews (I'll go on with those as well with sometimes radical changes in the old rankings). I guess I'm trying to just reinvent myself. :) But more on that later.

Happy Holidays everyone! :) I'll post in the evening as well. :)

Go On (TV Series)

When FRIENDS ended almost a decade ago, did it leave an empty spot in your heart? A spot that was reserved for Monica's eccentricities, Rachael & Ross' relationship, the Joey-isms, Chandler's sarcasm, and the craziness of Phoebe? If it did, and if that little empty hole is still there, you can fill 1/6th of it with the return of Chandler, well Matthew Perry, in Go On.

I do feel that the cast of FRIENDS has been cursed with the roles and characters they played in the series. Try as they might, their onscreen roles have almost always resulted in a hint of their FRIENDS avatars. I am not complaining, for I was an ardent fan of the series, and that is why I welcomed Go On with open arms.

Mathew Perry plays a recently widowed radio sports show host Ryan King who is forced to start with coping therapy and as a result comes in contact with an eccentric group that provides the writers of this sitcom with ample material to produce one comic episode after another. The makers of the Go On might try their level best to differentiate, but in the end they might as well have titled the series Chandler Goes To Group Therapy and the result would have been exactly the same. Still, if the character of Chandler did not annoy you in FRIENDS you are in for a treat with Go On. The supporting cast that consists of Laura Benanti, Julie White, Tyler James Williams, John Cho and Bill Cobbs amongst others is rather strong when it comes to comic-timing and helps the series stay fresh and interesting. Each character comes with their own individual dilemmas and that really builds up the sitcom especially since a number of life’s serious issues are tackled with a hint of sugar and a dash of salt.  

Go On is not a series that is likely to achieve cult status, but is a good enough 20 minutes each week that will make you laugh-out-loud at times and at others just make you wonder, what if there were to be a FREINDSre-union... how cool would that be? 

666 Park Avenue (TV Series)

As the saying goes, "never judge a book by its cover". Well, I say "never judge a TV series by its pilot". I almost gave up on 666 Park Avenue after its first episode. But, curiosity got the best of me and I decided to view the second and third episodes just so that I could cross it out completely from my viewing list without ever wondering what happened. How wrong was I, for I've just finished the fourth episode and the series is proving to be one of the most interesting mischievous TV dramas in a long time.

666 Park Avenue is about a couple moving into a residential building as caretakers and discovering different aspects of the building which has a proprietor that is probably the devil incarnated. The series is borderline horror with quite a few supernatural elements. Initially, after the first episode I figured that it was a good setup for a movie but to keep it engrossing enough as a series would require some seriously good writing skills. What I did not realize was that basing the series in a residential building gives the storytellers opportunity to introduce new characters often and with murder and mayhem round every corner there is further opportunity to get new tenants easily once things start getting stagnant.

The series succeeds in keeping the audience interested because it has enough episodic subplots that keep things afresh all the while carrying the main story forward in parts during each episode. It also mixes the supernatural element, which is the focus of the series, well with mysterious undertones from all the other subplots that are happening around the two main characters.

With good acting all around, a few jumps every now and then, mysterious elements to keep you on your toes, and so far, a strong storyline, 666 Park Avenue is a series not to be missed.  

Elementary (TV Series)

The new season has brought about a whole variety of TV shows to choose from. While former favourites like Dexter and Homeland are going great-guns with their latest installments, there is always that want to get addicted to something new and different. 

While it may not be different per say, but Elementary is probably the most awaited TV show of the present season. Taking inspiration from the British series Sherlock, Elementary places Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller), rehabilitating from a drug and alcohol addiction, in modern day New York. The conventional Watson gets a rather drastic change of the female kind in Lucy Liu's Dr. Joan Watson assigned to keep a lookout on Sherlock by his father. To make matters slightly different we get two detectives in place of the famous Lestrad, with Captain Toby Gregson (Aidian Quinn) and Marcus Bell (Jon Michael Hill) playing second fiddle to the famous detective.

Elementary deserves credit for trying hard, but try as it might it just doesn't have the same mind frame that Sherlockhas. While Jonny Lee Miller is made to look edgy with his antics and his tattooed body, it is Lucy Liu in a very subtle role that commands notice. Obviously unlike Sherlock, Elementary has the job of keeping the audience happy for at least 12 if not 20 odd episodes. If only it would stop trying so hard as it did in the third episode which resembles the film Primal Fear from the get go. Another aspect of Elementarythat makes it less dark is that so far there is no Moriarty like figure that would really keep Sherlock on his toes. A hint did present towards the end of the third episode, but that too was dumbed down because it seems at this time Sherlock must have the upper hand in all situations. Nor is there a Mycroft Holmes, brother to Sherlock, who I hope will be introduced later in the series as well.

Everything aside, Elementary is a good enough modern take on the character of Sherlock Holmes. Moreover, with his eccentricities and obsessions he somewhat fills the void left by Monk when that series ended a few years back. Having the option of more thank 3 to 6 episodes does give the series liberty to bring in characters at a later date and hopefully that would make it more interesting.      

     

Inspector Montalbano

Sun, food, women, and murder; four words that best describe the Italian detective series Inspector Montalbano based on the books by Andrea Camilleri. Primarily set in picturesque Sicily, the series takes a wickedly fun and sinister approach as Inspector Montalbano, played by Luca Zingaretti, and his team go about solving crimes in the region.  

Having viewed two episodes I found Inspector Montalbano to be exceptionally well crafted because it tackles humor, death, and mystery in just the right balance. The series in general can be a bit unnerving at times, in a positive manner, because it combines sporadic moments of comedy with that of misery, changing the mood from light to dark, and back again, instantly at the flip of a coin.  

Excursion to Tindariconsists of the inspector looking at a murder, a missing elderly couple, and a case of adultery amidst politics and mafia intrusions. What struck me most about this episode was the unconventional end, something that brings forth the extreme cunningness of the Inspector.

The Artist's Touchis a murder mystery with a storyline consisting of deductions that mirror Sherlock Holmes at times. Once again, as in the previous episode, there is always a lingering shadow of the "important" things in life; beautiful women and food, both of which usually bring about the humorous side of Inspector Montalbano. 

It's easy to be carried away and get comfortable with the number of subplots while watching Inspector Montalbano. After only a little while the transition into reading the subtitles became natural, but still, a number of times I was so engrossed in the episodes, admiring and enjoying the original language (Italian), that I would skip reading the subtitles having to actually rewind, in-order to understand what was being said.

While the title character of the series portrays a certain charisma and charm and is without doubt the "hero", it has to be the supporting cast and their mannerisms that truly make it special. Be it the regulars, with a special mention of Catarella, or the episodic cast, each member is so well developed that they form an integral part of the series with Inspector Montalbano serving as a head keeping everything and everyone under control. It is also this supporting cast that is primarily responsible for the subtle, almost Peter Seller-esq comedy that underlines the series throughout. The influence of Italian culture is abundant with the food and sun-kissed locations playing a prominent role along with a general flirting that takes place between a number of characters.

Inspector Montalbano brings about certain freshness amongst the barrage of detective series that are produced in the west. Making the most of its location, the series keeps itself unique by having strong characters that can't help but make the audience love them and their eccentricities.       

Inspector Montalbano is a series not to be missed, especially if you like your dinner served by the seaside with a hint of anguish, a dash of whimsy, and a sprinkle of personalities to bring about an explosion of taste. 

DVD Information:

Title - Inspector Montalbano Collection Two

Episodes - Excursion to Tindari, The Artist's Touch, The Sense of Touch, Montalbano's Croquettes, The Scent of the Night, The Goldfinch and the Cat.

Release Date - 3rd September 2012

Running Time - 611 minutes approx. on 3 discs

Certificate - 15

Language - Italian with English Subtitles

Release - Acorn Media UK

Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23

The new comedy series starring Krysten Ritter and Dreama Walker is a refreshing change from the usual barrage of comedies we have had in the recent past. Granted it resembles 2 Broke Girls on a number of levels, still there are enough elements to the story that keep it funny.

Focusing on city-life, Chloe (Krysten Ritter) is a cunning New York socialite who cons and troubles her new roommates to make them leave so she can keep their deposit. Unfortunately for her, sleeping with her new small-town roommate June's (Dreama Walker) boyfriends only results in her sticking around longer.

The comedy isn't laugh-out-loud funny, yet entertaining enough to want to wait for the next episode. As is the case with most sitcoms, the supporting cast plays an equally important role in the success of a series. Liza Lapira's Robin is Chloe's ex-roommates, living in the same building, and has a crush on Chloe which undoubtedly leads to a fun dynamic between the three girls. The surprise factor is James Ven Der Beek playing himself and bringing about a certain uniqueness to the plot that as much as I like FRIENDS, Matt Le Blac, playing himself, has been unable to do in Episodes. Michael Blaiklock playing Eli, the girls' next window-neighbor/pervert, is another character that raises the comic talent of the series.

It's still early to call the series a hit or a miss. I've managed to see the first 5 episodes and am yet to be bored by the situations or the plotline. Obviously the arc of the story over the season would be of most importance as right now the series can get away with some new content and some clichéd material, but in order to sustain they need to keep fresh. 

       

New Girl (TV) (Comedy)

There is something mesmerizing about Zooey Deschanel. Is it those big eyes, the womanly husky voice, or maybe just the fact that she can be a total girly girl, yet be one of the guys? I'm not sure, but what I do know is that she is the force behind the new TV comedy series New Girl and she also is responsible for me watching the show.

The set-up is quite simple. Three guys (Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, and Lamorne Morris) living together and add into that the New Girl which is the one factor that will bring about change in their lives and supposedly comedy in ours. Having watched close to 10 episodes, of the 13(?), unfortunately New Girl has a long way to go before it reaches the same comic timing of say Friends or How I Me Your Mother. What the New Girl has is heart and it seems to be in the right place.

Most comedies, as was the case with Community, take a while before they really lift off. The same holds true for New Girl which somewhat starts to get interesting around the 4th episode, once all the characters have been introduced and their mannerisms are somewhat known to the audience. The series works because even though Zooey's character Jess is the titled New Girl, the episodes give equal weight to the remaining three housemates. New Girl also entertains because although they have the now obligatory Indian character, but instead of a nerdy accented guy, they have the sexy CeCe (Hannah Simone) who is a model and pretty feisty and smart. In addition, with guest appearances from known faces like Justin Long and Rachel Harris, they seem to be on the right track and knowing the friendship Zooey Deschanel shares with Joseph Gordon-Levitt it's only a matter of time before we see him on the show, I Hope.

On the negative side, the most important issue I have with the show is the content. It is so far only moderately funny with a few laugh-out-loud moments. With the emphasis on sex related jokes, the show at times seems to be desperately trying to tap into the college audience rather than the slightly older 25+ one. Lastly, some of the plot lines seem to be old and rather Americanized and done to death. Case in point being the one where Jess's boyfriend says "I Love You" and she only says "Thank You" in return. I'm sorry, but this is such an old and now boring topic that it's no longer funny or sad or romantic.

The other thing that seems to be bothering me a little is that New Girl has certain similarities to Friends. Zooey’s Jess is an amalgamation of Rachel, Phoebe, and Monica. Jake’s Nick is somewhat on the lines of Ross. Schmidt played by Max Greenfield is Joey from another dimension, and lastly Lamorne’s Winston gives out a slight hint of Chandler. I’m taking into account a very broad generalization, but it is there for sure.     

Am I sticking with the series? Yes! The character development seems to be going in the right direction and Zooey Deschanel is charming as ever. I just hope that the comedy is less college humor and upped a notch.

Note: I have since writing the above viewed the remainder of the three episodes and I still stand by the statement that the plot line seems to be going in a clichéd and hence the wrong direction. At the present rate, I would give the series a maximum of three seasons, but I do hope we see something fresh soon and it can go one for a lot longer.   

What I'm Into Right Now

It's quite easy to paint me as a man woefully detached from the society in which I'm geographically inclined to operate. So much so that I often play up the role of being an angry curmudgeon just to help explain to people why I really don't care for the latest dealings in a certain celebrity's life or the latest reality show. All the same, I thought it would be fair game to bring you all up to speed on what I do spend my time on when I'm not purveying all your lovely blogs and a never battle against the oncoming waves of movies being release.

So, without further ado these are the various things I'm into right now:

 

Things People Have Recommended To Me That I'm Catching Up On:

So there you have it. Pretty much the gamut of my viewing/reading/playing catalog at the moment. Got any recommendations of your own? Or anything non-movie related you're checking out and really passionate about? Share it in the comments!

When You're Right, You're Right...

All too often in life do I find myself falling prey to the mindset that "if everyone loves it, then it must be bad." A sure fire excuse which allows me to avoid shows, no matter their appeal, that I'm not 100% convinced I want to get invested in. After all, once I get invested in a show I'm a rather dedicated soul unless the writers and producers manage to frustrate me to the point I simply can't stand to continue (case in point: this past season of True Blood). Though at this point you might be asking yourself, 'why continue maintaining that mindset at all?' Simply, sometimes it works.

You see, I find it much easier to judge whether or not I want to stick around with a show when I can watch a good bulk of the episodes in a row, rather than week by week. Something about those weekly breaks, it blinds me from the obvious flaws of the show and pulls me in to stick around clearly beyond the point of return. Not to mention a weekly viewing of the show puts me into a rhythm. It becomes commonplace for me to just watch that show at that time no matter how the actual quality on hand.

So I like to ere on the side of caution before getting invested in a show. Often times that involves gauging the public interest, and unfortunately determining how that interest affects me. That's not to say lots of people loving a show is more likely to engage me than not, but how people react to it does. For example, the show Mad Men. I spent a long time ignoring it because people spent so much time endlessly praising it. That might seem counter-intuitive to many of you - and I admit it is a bit - but it is my instinctual reaction, to buck the trend. Now one might argue that is built off a childhood of bullying and a predisposed hatred towards anything that is described consistently as being 'cool.'

And in some cases I happen to be right, at least for my own viewing preference. A couple years back when I finally did ante up and kick in to Mad Men overdrive, I got as far as the end of the first season before passing on the opportunity to view a second. A few years on now, and I still haven't felt the desire to go back and give it another whirl. Unfortunately I feel my initial reaction towards Mad Men - regardless of later being proven right - inadvertently veered me away from another AMC show that I ought to have given a second peak. Breaking Bad.

Now I won't say Breaking Bad is just my kind of show, but perhaps that's what makes it so appealing? I'm now at the half way point of the second season, and I honestly can't wait to view the next episode. In fact, I find myself at work a bit annoyed at times that I can't just bring up Netflix, pop on some headphones, and escape for a little while. It's an exciting, intense, at points hilarious, oddity of a show that I keep coming back to over and over again. Admittedly I wouldn't be too sorrowful if they dropped Walter Jr. because at this stage his only purpose is to provide emotional context for Walt, and any scene he's not doing that he's incredibly uninteresting.

Breaking Bad is a simply a refreshing viewing experience all around. Much in the same way that The Wire hooked me in despite the slow, calculated pace with which it approached its subject matter, Breaking Bad draws me in because of the carefully timed blend of frantic and calm scene transitions. The way the show goes to the edge of sanity and then in a flick snaps back to reality as if nothing happened at all is exhilarating and exciting. The kind of show I'm glad to have had my mindset proven wrong about.

Failing Experiments: Terra Nova

It's a sad day when I find myself ready to say farewell to a high production value science fiction television show. After sticking with Heroes, Lost, Dollhouse, V, Flashforward, Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles, and Fringe, I've shown time and time again I'm willing to stick around and run into a few brick walls for the sake of keeping studios interested in producing sci-fi shows for the TV. So, when I heard of Terra Nova coming to TV, my ears were perked and my eyes were ready to go. After all, many of those shows were born of the Fox mold and while they certainly had their problems, I'm willing to say they all delivered quality first seasons. So what would make Terra Nova any different? Apparently a whole hell of a lot.

For a channel that's never been afraid of a gamble, they certainly sprinted for the hills when they threw the dump truck of money behind Terra Nova. I honestly can't remember the last time I watched a show and thought "oh come on already." The show just has no willpower. No desire to push an envelope. No want to tackle any difficult territory. No desire to produce anything but the most cookie cutter characters in one of the least cookie cutter environments ever brought to the television format. It'd be like watching The Twilight Zone but all the characters were rather pleasant and in the end nothing really ever happened.

The show's first three episodes have tried to hide behind its general premise, a bit of generous lifting from a Hitchcock classic, and a potential 'big' mystery hiding in the wings. Unfortunately, all of these sit on the backburner as the core focal point - the family - are the medium through which we experience these and... well, they're flat-lined characters. Despite a few easy checkboxes marked on the "generic cinema family outline" they have no discernible features. The youngest daughter is ignored for pretty much the entire time except when a "where's Zoe" line can be snuck in for cheap dramatic effect. I could have sworn the middle daughter's character was copy and pasted right out of the script for Castle. The eldest son is "rebellious" and rebels by sulking, trying to hammer a point home about the girl who featured in the show for a cool minute that he left behind, and by piling on a heavy dose of ignorance.

Which leaves us with the parental figures, and the shows stars. Well, let's just say dynamic isn't in their vocabulary. The dad is the dad. An ex-cop who does some kind of cop things and then tries to rebuild his not well established disconnection with his family. The mom is smart, beautiful, and says smart things while looking beautiful. Oh, and she has an accent. So there's always that.

The only character with any fleshed out components, with a semblance of earnest complication is Commander Taylor. But he alone cannot outweigh the near 3/4ths of the runtime he's not in the picture. The Sixers -the show's only proper villains - have racked up a handful of minutes of screentime, so whether or not they'll ever rise to the occasion and become a reason to come back week after week is completely unknown. And when you factor in that they're woven wholly into the mystery of Terra Nova subplot, you find yourself questioning the move to keep them out of any episode entirely.

So the fourth episode will be a make or break for me. I've been burned enough on sci-fi shows - not to mention the countless Cable shows I want to get caught up on - so it's not in the cards for me anymore to support sci-fi for sci-fi's sake. Deep down I worry about the long term impact the failure of a show with this much money behind it will have on network produced high concept shows. For now, however, I'm thinking greener pastures lead away from this expensive, but unfortunately lifeless dud.

Cozy Up! ... a night in with some TV entertainment

Lately TV programs have been giving the movies a run for their money. Over the past decade series like 24, West Wing, Friends, How I Met Your Mother, House, Scrubs, Dexter, Simpsons, Family Guy and the like have day in and day out made it easier for the public to sit back in the comfort of their home and get entertained. So, it only seems fair that I do a feature on some of my ongoing favorite series on TV.

I have to admit I am a rather restless person when it comes to waiting for shows to air. The good thing is that they normally hit the Indian television market only after they are at least a season old. Otherwise, there is always the DVD sets which are perfect for me, because nothing was better than watching 24s seven seasons back to back. I even tried to do a 24 season in one day (over a period of 24 hours), and managed 18 hours (so close).

Community – A sitcom that after the few episodes I almost gave up. Thankfully a few friends on twitter encouraged me to carry on and boy am I indebted to them. Simply a genre defining sitcom, it has made community college and especially study grounds the new best thing. It’s a homage to movies, and it doesn’t in any way hide from the fact that it takes its inspiration from films. The comedy is all original once again proving the importance of good writers. If you haven’t caught the Community bug till now, trust me it’s a high you are missing out on BIG TIME!

Dexter – I have to confess that similarly to Community, I almost gave up on Dexter after the first few episodes. I found it to be slow, and lacking a certain thrill element that I had expected the series being based on a serial killer. Thankfully, I gave it a few more episodes, and now it is probably one of my most beloved series. Dexter follows the life of the title character who is a blood splatter expert in the police department, but moonlights as a serial killer, going after the evils of society. The cast is simply brilliant and Series 3 still stands as one of the best with an absolute shocking ending.    

The Big Bang Theory – “Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty

         Little Ball of Fur

         Happy Kitty, Sleepy Kitty

         Pur, Pur, Pur”

The last time a cat song became as popular as the one above it was part of a sitcom that had the whole world watching it. Yes, after Friends and its cat song “Smelly Cat”, if there is a show that has not only become extremely quotable but has also given How I Met Your Mother a run for their money, it has to be The Big Bang Theory. The sitcom responsible for making geek truly chic, TBBT is simply a must watch.

The Apprentice – Right, so I am aware that Donald Trump and his accusations about US President Obama has made him one of the most disliked people in the US, but that does not change the fact that The Apprentice is pure popcorn home entertainment. The fact that I am a business major and have my own business, it’s also interesting to see the tasks put forth each week and think what I would have done differently.

The Apprentice UK is an extension of the above and I have to say that over seasons I have actually found Lord Sugar to be quite entertaining as well, considering I had no clue who he was when I watched it the first time some 2 years back.  

Game of Thrones – A relatively new series, being only 5 episodes old, Games of Thrones is about seven noble families fighting and plotting to take over the throne of a fictional land, Westeros. The production value is huge and the cast immaculate. Following Spartacus, Games of Thrones keep the level of gore, blood, and sex quite high which will surely lead it to becoming a classic over time.  

Nikita – When I started to watch Nikita I did not expect much from it. A female assassin on the run has been done and Nikita is a brand that has been explored in almost all formats over the years. But this is where I was wrong. Besides having the pretty Maggie Q in the lead, Nikita’s strong point is the fast moving story and the twists that come up in almost every episode. Miss out on an episode and you are likely to feel confused unless you catch up. In fact, the series has progressed in such a manner, I am excited to see how series two will start off, as everything I had imagined has already been done. 

Entourage – Ever wondered how movie stars live, especially the younger, good looking, and single types? Or better yet how the business of movies goes about? Filming the last season, Entourage has been one of the most entertaining series ever. The cameo list over the seasons has been endless. Somewhat based on Mark Walberg’s life, catch up with the previous seasons before the final one hit the TV screens. 

So there, that is my little list of TV series that has been keeping me glued to the "idiot box" lately. I’m sure there are quite a few that you might want to add, and please do below. I have heard of series like Fringe, Justified, etc., but for one reason or another have not yet started watching them, but plan to soon… very soon!

Thank you

Raghav

Five Things You Need to Know: Game of Thrones

Ned Stark (center) and Arya Stark (left) in HBO's Game of Thrones

It is not very often that I find myself really anticipating something. The skeptic in me is far too cautious to let me be drawn in by hype, and as such I will seek the good and the bad about anything that appeals to me. But I can't help throwing caution to the wind as I prepare for the upcoming HBO Mini-Series Game of Thrones, based on the fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire written by George R.R. Martin.

I don't read nearly as much as I ought to, but this series has me hook line and sinker. I started reading the first book last year, and a few months and several thousand pages later I was done with the fourth and ready to throw in my hat to the waiting line for the fifth. But I know not everyone is familiar with this series, and those who enjoy fantasy have stayed clear given its penchant for death and Shakespearean tragedy upon Shakespearean tragedy. But I would caution those worried, to not be so. The tale is gripping, layered, and captivating beyond compare. And if HBO has the courage to see it through, even in a most minimal sense I can't imagine the series falling short.

So, with the episode one premier on its way this Sunday, I thought it timely of me to offer up to you all five bits of information that will help ease your transition into the world.

-------------

1. WESTEROS: The fictional continent in which all our stories interact, Westeros is home to two distinct landmarks: The Seven Kingdoms and the North. The Seven Kingdoms mark an ancient land where once seven kingdoms stood apart before all were united under the rule of the Targaryens centuries before our tale takes place. Esos, larger landmass just across the sea, is a free trade continent of wider variety in people than the Seven Kingdoms. Esos is home to the Dothraki horsemen tribe, slave ports, freemarket traders, and an assortment of mystical students.

Map of Westeros' Seven Kingdoms - click for larger version

2. FAMILIES: A Song of Ice and Fire concentrates itself on three specific families at the start: First, the Targaryens. The old royal line of Seven Kingdoms, who it is said rode dragons into battle. Now dethroned, the last remaining siblings found refuge in Esos using what remains of their name to rebuild an army. The Baratheons/Lannisters. Headed by usurper Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) and his wife, Cersei Lannister (Lena Heady), the Baratheon/Lannister household forms the new royal line of the Seven Kingdoms. However their relationship through marriage is not an amiable one. Above all else Baratheons value strength, while Lannisters seek only power. Robert Baratheon's eldest son Joffrey is heir to the kingdom. Then, there are the Starks to which my next point is dedicated. As the series branches out, we begin to learn more about the families that make up the four other old kingdoms in the land.

Daenerys Targaryen (left) one of the last two living Targaryens and Ser Jorah Mormont (right) her exiled knight guard

3. STARKS: The central family at the heart of much of Game of Thrones, the Starks are headed by Lord Eddard 'Ned' Stark (Sean Bean) of Winterfell, childhood friend of King Robert Baratheon and second in command during Robert's overtaking of the throne some years ago (14 in the novel - 17 it seems from commercials for the series, most likely an effort to avoid the touchy terrain of graphic teenage sex). Other prominent members of the Stark family are: Catelyn (Eddard's wife - strong willed but ladylike when needed), Robb (their first born and heir to Winterfall), Jon Snow (Eddard's bastard son of same age as Rob), Sansa (the eldest daughter), Arya (second eldest daughter), Bran (second heir to Winterfell), and Rickon (the youngest and wildest of the bunch). When Ned is asked to serve as Hand of the King (the right hand man whom acts as King when the King is not available for certain functions), the close-knit bunch are forced to separate, and their true colors will form. With the exception of Rob and Rickon, each member of the Stark household has been a POV character at some point in the books.

Jon Snow (left) along with Bran (center) and Robb (right) Stark. The three eldest male children of Ned Stark.

4. THE WALL: Standing 700 feet tall, and stretching across the entire northern border of the Seven Kingdoms, The Wall is as old as the men of Westeros themselves. An ancient defense guarding the realm of man from the mysterious 'Others' - an evil force not seen for thousands of years. Maintained by the Black Brothers, a group of ex-cons, bastards, and what few lords they could muster, each has surrendered all other possessions for this one last shot at life. Constantly at war with the wildlings, a small group of humans who have rejected the Seven Kingdom's feudal ways, the Black Brothers are out of sight and out of mind to many of those who sit and sleep far to the south. But an old evil is rising in the far north, and the Black Brothers' resolve will be tested.

New members of the Black Brothers, Jon Snow (left) and Samwell Tarly (center) take part in weapon training

5. The Game of Thrones: Quite simply the Game of Thrones is the all inclusive power struggle that has become the bane of Westeros. With the Targaryen's out of power and the fear of their return slowly subsiding, the Seven Kingdoms - which was only held together by that fear - finds all of its old rivalries returning to the world. The prize: The Iron Throne. Made of pure iron, the Iron Throne is an uncomfortable hulk covered with metal spikes as sharp now as the day they were borne, capable of slashing any who are unaware of their presence. From the barren desert of Dorne to islands of Pyke, every Lord now sees an opportunity for them to become King. An opportunity each of them is all too willing to take, irregardless of the cost. But as Cersei Lannister grimly notes "when you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die."

The Iron Throne of King's Landing

So there you have it. Five (not so quick) intro pieces to help ease your transition into the time of Westeros. I do have high hopes for the series, but I don't really see it lasting past three. Why? Budget. Game of Thrones spreads across continents and which each passing book becomes more and more grand, and more and more mystical. To the point which I'm just not convinced HBO will be able to, or want to, sustain the cash flow required to be as accurate to the book as the commercials for this first installment claim to be. Even still, the novels are an amazing read and I do encourage those of you who have not had the opportunity to check them out, to take it.

ZombiNation!

“Move over Vampires, there is a new Sheriff in town”, or so would be the tag line of this blog entry were it a movie. Right then, so what's interesting about back from the dead guys and girls who walk slow, smell, look repulsive and pretty much want only one thing from you. No, not for you to understand them and give them love, all they want is a taste of your BRAINS. Kind of like a non thinking Hannibal Lector with less talk and more groaning.

The whole zombie genre is nothing new. There have been numerous zombie movies, Dawn of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead, etc. in the past and it's one of those things that will continue once this fad grows old...again. What is new though is the sudden interest in all things zombie across different aspects of entertainment.

Before we get deeper into this it's important to know what started this. Till a few years back zombie movies were pure horror. They were categorized as horror, were always part of fright/horror festivals, and had a following that consisted mainly of horror fans. You would have the occasional non-horror fan dress up as a zombie for Halloween, but that was it. Then we had Shaun of the Dead. What it brilliantly did was make people realize that zombies can be a lot of fun. Yes! They are definitely after your brain, but that very fact makes killing them all the more entertaining. I mean they are dead already and you can't technically kill someone who is already dead. So there is that guilty pleasure in there somewhere. It opened up the whole genre to a new group of people. I was one of them. No longer were zombie movies only categorized under horror. This Zom-Com aspect was then further strengthened by the movie Zombieland.

A little before Shaun of the Dead changed everything, there was the much publicized and much stylized Resident Evil, which was based on a computer game. This one had style, action ... in slow motion, and was simply beautiful to look at. Okay the last part is due to Milla Jovovich. Mind you, the serious horror zombie flicks still continued to churn out with Dead Snow, Diary of the Dead, and the like. There were also the occasional Semi-Zoms, like I am Legend, which dealt with a post-apocalyptic world similar other zombie flicks like 28 Days Later and its sequel 28 Weeks Later.

Switching the entertainment medium from movies to TV, The Walking Dead based on a comic book is the latest to add fuel to the zombie craze. The comic has long been a success, but once again limited to a select few. With the start of the TV series a couple of weeks back, once again the genre has been thrown out to a wider audience. If numbers are to be believed the show is a success after just two episodes and has already been rewarded with the full 12 part season go ahead. Let's also not forget that this zombie craze is big enough to have ace director like Frank Darabont take interest as he developed The Walking Dead for TV.

So while Vampires have had their day, or rather night, it's time for the zombies to take over. The good thing about zombies (bad for humans) is that they can move around during day as well whereas Vampires are creatures of the night. Although, it is much easier to get rid of a Zombies 'cause all it takes is a blow to the head. Zombies after all are a simple race. It's simply all about the brains when it comes to zombies. They want yours and you want theirs knocked-out / damaged / blown / shot / badgered / harpooned... In fact maybe we will have an amalgamation of both the genres and soon will have a Vampires Vs Zombies movie (if one has not already been made?).

The one thing that has really triggered off this new trend is that zombies are no longer limited to the movies. There were apparently more people than ever who dressed up in characters from Shaun of the Dead this Halloween. Where Vampires only had maybe one game on Facebook that I came across and none others that I know of, zombies are taking over the gaming world slowly and steadily. Two games that I play on the iPad are so popular that one of them, Plants Vs Zombies, is under talks of being made into a movie. The other, Age of Zombies, has full potential of being made into a movie with a time travelling, zombie killing, badass hero as its central character. Of course the proof that this might happen is there with the recent release of Resident Evil 4: Afterlife. In fact zombies have taken over so much that my 3-year-old daughter wanted to go as a zombie for her school fancy dress party. We went with police officer this year. Figured we might get complaints from the school if a blood (Read: Red Color) dripping zombie walked in between a bunch of easily scared 3 year olds.

So there you have it. Zombies definitely are the flavor of the season. With a bunch of Zombie-esq movies soon to be released (Pride, Prejudice and Zombies – being one of the most sort after ones) we sure are seeing the re-birth of ZombiNation!

"A Nice Murder, That'll Cheer You Up"

So we have a Dr. Watson (Martin Freeman) who blogs and a Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) who is rather fast at texting and uses the Internet as much as he uses his mind. I have to say that it takes guts to re-re-invent Sherlock Holmes. Guy Richie recently made Sherlock Holmes cool again with his blockbuster movie starring Robert Downey Jr., so it was interesting that the makers of the BBC series Sherlock decided to take another shot at the master detective.

It has pretty much all the elements that you find in the books of Sir Arthur C. Doyle. The famous residence, the typical Sherlock wit, the seemingly impossible to crack cases, Lestrade, mobile phones, computers, nicotine patches ... Oi! Wait a minute. Yes we have our first modern Sherlock.

The camera work and direction is wonderful. If only someone in India invested a bit into making series like this rather than the family dramas. The scale of the production is pretty huge too. Okay, not exactly Hollywood blockbuster huge, but pretty good for a TV series. The modernity of the series not only lies in the use of gadgets, but it oozes out in the direction and the look as well. For example, a text received by a character is not read out, but is simply shown on the screen in text format on the side. Similarly, when Sherlock thinks, his thoughts are displayed for the audience, rather than having him speak them out loud. In some cases when he does speak, they are there to highlight the main points.

What interested me most was that unlike the earlier adaptations the characters are no longer pure. We saw a similar trend with the new Sherlock Holmes movie. Here too, Sherlock is not someone you are likely to admire at first. He has his flaws and they are prominent enough to make him look more like an anti-hero for everyone around him including the audience. It’s almost like everyone in the series has skeletons in their closets just waiting to come out. Maybe a price they pay for being part of a modern and more complex world?

The first series was rather short. 3 episodes and that's it. Obviously like any good series the real test is once the initial novelty value has worn out. Will the makers be able to capture audience interest in the second and hopefully third series considering the fact that the whole modern feel will be a bit old by then? I surely hope that BBC continues with this series and that the 3 episodes were just a method of testing audience reaction, which from what I know has been largely positive. More importantly the producers should somehow continue to re-invent it further. Nevertheless, make sure you get your hands on Series One through BBC iPlayer or iTunes or by any other legal means possible.