To Walk With Lions

A true story about love; love for nature and for the wildlife. A story of a man who discovered his home in the most unlikely of places and his struggle to keep what is closest to him safe. Richard Harris gives an outstanding performance playing noted animal conservationist George Adamson, of the Born Free fame, during his last years at a Kenyan reserve in the film To Walk With Lions.

Some films shine for the stories they tell. This is one such film. It is a story about a man who gave up everything and devoted his life tendering for lions. He fought for the rights of animals claiming they are no different from humans and have an equal right to live freely on this very land we all call home. The film showcases his undying love for the beasts of the jungle and the extent he went to in order to give them a safe sanctuary which eventually led to his tragic end.

To Walk With Lions follows a British backpacker Tony Fitzjohn (John Michie) as he stumbles upon George Adamson's reserve where domesticated lions are taken in and prepared for a life in the wild. The film is also a story about Tony's journey of self discovery as he learns about nature and grows to love it and admire its inner beauty which only a few people truly appreciate. Besides the dangerous task of working with the most ferocious animal of all, it is the constant struggle against the government, rebels, poachers, and the changing face of a nation that eventually takes a toll on the lives of both George and Tony and eventually leads them to making life altering decisions.

A film about passion, obsession, devotion, and about the courage to stand ones ground, To Walk With Lions is a legacy to the extraordinary life of a man who gave voice to the creatures of the wild and in doing so fought for their survival without worrying about his own wellbeing. 

Rating 4/5

DVD Information:

Release Date: 28th January 2013

Cert: TBC

Running Time: 106 minutes

Language: English

The Casebook of Eddie Brewer

The best kind of horror is always the unseen, the mystery of the unknown, and to top it all, a sense of feeling that a foreign presence is somewhere near you. The Casebook of Eddie Brewer does exactly that as its protagonist Eddie Brewer, a paranormal expert, goes out and about attending to calls all the while being followed by a camera crew.

Ian Brooker as Eddie Brewer gives an outstanding performance as a man who not only has the task of figuring out whether the supernatural incidents he is called for are hoaxes or not, but also simultaneously has to continuously fight to explain his stand on the entire phenomenon as accusations are made on how genuine is the paranormal field.

The Casebook of Eddie Brewer places the audience in a much more knowing situation. They are able to see things that the character aren't, still the feeling of dread, suspense, and the slowly rising tension is good enough to give a few jumps and scares even to the ardent horror fan.

The filming is done primarily through handheld cameras, that of the camera crew, with instances when the view point changes to either stable cameras installed by the paranormal research teams or at times the scenes run just like a normal film. Although different techniques are used throughout the film be it in the editing, the cuts, the camera work, it all comes together smoothly with continuous transitions.

While the acting by almost the entire cast is the strongest aspect of the film, the story manages to remain complex enough to keep the audience interested. Unfortunately, the climax proves to be a huge let down as it comes rather close to imitating the Blair Witch Project's ending scenes, albeit in a somewhat modern setting.

The film is a wonderful approach to the horror genre with a complex character at the very core of the story that brings about a humane aspect to the entire paranormal proceedings. The Casebook of Eddie Brewer is especially recommended if you like your scares but want to avoid the blood and gore. It emphasizes more on the story and the sounds rather than the visuals when it comes to the frights, and that is where is succeeds.            

Rating 3.5/5

Premium Rush

Let's get one thing straight right off the bat; Premium Rush is not a premium film and nor did it fill me up with a feeling of rush. At best it's a mediocre film that pretty much drags, and thus henceforth shall be referred to as Mediocre Dragfor the remainder of this review.

Yes! I am a huge fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He's done some good stuff and is grooming himself well to step into the shoes of present day cinema nobility to the likes of George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Unfortunately, Mediocre Drag (and you thought I was joking about using a different title) just doesn't do much justice to his career or acting skills. All we get out of the whole hour and half is that JGL knows how to ride a bike and the special effects team did a good job of keeping him from hitting cars while he delivered messages in the rough and tough streets of New York. However, doing research on the film, which is basically reading IMDB, I did come across the fact that he actually had an accident on the sets, so all the more power to him for doing the stunts.  

The story of Mediocre Drag is pretty simple wherein Wilee (as in Cayote, Joseph Gordon-Levitt) , who is NY's best messenger for three years running, ends up delivering a document that is being hunted down by a dead-beat, deep in gambling loans, cop Bobby Monday (Michael Shannon). And yes, that's the best they could come up with in terms of cop names. There are a few flashbacks, and a slight romantic angle, which are just inclusions that take away from the main aspect of the film, which should be about riding the bike. 

Mediocre Drag would have been a great film had it not had too many loopholes in its plot, something I will avoid discussing because I do not want to giveaway anything, although there is nothing much to giveaway in the first place. What annoys me is that JGL's character doesn't really come across as a real hero. Well, he is one, no doubt, but take for example his continuous bragging about the fact that he rides a gear-less and break-less bike, to the extent that he tells others that having breaks will get them killed. So when he finally does have an accident on his gear-less and break-less bike, woooooo I know, I felt like shouting "Who's your Daddy now, Punk!".   

The other problem with Mediocre Drag is that it doesn't excite the audience. Events take place at a rather leisurely pace; even through there is a clock ticking every few minutes onscreen. A film like Premium Rush (since I am talking about what the film should be like, I figured I’d use the real title) should be high on cycling tricks, should make me want to leave my job and take up bike messaging or something on those lines. But is does nothing like that. I'd rather watch BMX Bandits wherein kids half the age of JGL did better bike tricks, and at least for a brief moment made me want to go and buy a BMX bike.  

So, if your idea of a movie is watching a bunch of people in spandex ride bicycles without too much excitement, then Premium Rush might be the right choice, but if you prefer some edge of the seat entertainment, good acting, death defying action sequences that seem real, then give Mediocre Drag a miss.

Rating 2/5  

By the Bluest of Seas (Russian)

By the Bluest of Seas packs in so many wonderful emotions into a mere 70 minutes running time, that I am in complete awe of director Boris Barnet. The story of two friends working, living, and falling in love on an island is just so charming that it makes for a perfect romantic-comedy.

Yusuf (Lev Sverdlin) and Alyosha (Nikolai Kruychkov) are both quick to fall in love with Masha (Yelena Kuzmina) when they arrive at a "collective farm" to work after being shipwrecked in a storm on the Caspian Sea.  What follows is a series of mini-adventures, slapstick comedy, musical interludes, and romantic moments as the love triangle moves towards an unpredictable end.  

Similar to his film Outskirts, Boris Barnet has a way to make the audience uneasy by merging tragedy with comedy in the most unexpected of times and places. While By the Bluest of Seas is not as politically driven or serious a film as Outskirts, the trademark tragicomedy is ever-present from the very beginning when Yusuf, being rescued after the shipwreck, is more concerned about feeling ticklish than getting to safety. Such emotional highs and lows run throughout the film keeping the viewer engrossed along with being fascinated by the wonderful film making techniques used by the director during the early sound period.

By the Bluest of Seas manages to romanticize the beauty of the sea by depicting it in its many forms; from high thunderous waves to the calm serene waters reflecting the suns rays, the sea follows the moods of the characters. Once again, as in his other films, Boris Barnet also manages to capture the most basic of human emotions such as jealousy, excitement, disgust, and betrayal in his portrayal of love found and lost. 

By the Bluest of Seas is a charming little early sound period film that stays away from the state of the nation at the time and focuses more on the human aspects of love, friendship, and the joy of enjoying life for what it is. 

For being one of the earliest perfect date movies I've ever seen, By the Bluest of Seas gets a 5/5 star rating and a spot in my list of films that are essential viewings.

DVD Information:

DVD:                     Mr. Bongo Films

Title:                    By the Bluest of Seas

Release Date:       12^th November 2012

Certificate:          12

Running Time:       69 minutes

Skyfall

Could high expectations be the reason for Skyfall's downfall? Maybe, but then the film does stand tall on its feet even though it isn't as great as the initial reviews suggested. Mind you, it's a solid film and one of the best Bond films we have had, just not the best. Personally, I still hold Casino Royale as the film that took Bond to an entirely new level and made it grittier and darker than its predecessors and Skyfall continues on the same theme with only minor changes thrown in to stir up the audience, which in all honesty is a good thing.

Talking about Skyfall in detail would be giving away too much. Just like any good spy thriller, it is laden with enough twists and turns that even disclosing one would result in the breakdown of the entire film. So, I’ll simply say that the story gets personal this time, as did Quantum of Solace, but with adjustments that make Skyfall a lot more enjoyable. The typical Bond-British humor is there, the Bond girls are there, the usual characters are almost all there, but what we do have in addition is a Bond villain after a long time that will stand the test of time and remain memorable. The credit for that goes to Javier Bardem who portrays the villainous Silva with such panache that by the last act even Craig's Bond ends up with a major complex as he comments on Silva's ability to make a somewhat grand entrance.

Where Skyfall succeeds is in cunningly holding a few Aces up its sleeves. What is does beautifully is make the audience nostalgic about the entire franchise highlighted even more with the classic theme song by Adele which is reminiscent of the earlier Bond films. There is enough exploration of the past, both in the films story and in the execution of the film by director Sam Medes, that any ardent fan of the series could not help but fall for this new Bond that is all business and much less talk than his earlier avatars. There is also a certain progressiveness to the entire character development of Bond to the extent the three films starring Daniel Craig come very close to being termed as a trilogy, and maybe that is why my personal favourite remains Casino Royale because it was responsible for kick-starting this new age of Bond.

Skyfall makes for recommended viewing even if you are not a Bond fan. The story, while it has its inside jokes, can be understood and enjoyed by a first timer. I have always believed that having a memorable villain means half the battle is won for any action film, and Skyfall ticks that box with a certain pride and a willingness to explore the boundaries of what the audience expects. With the promise that Bond will returnthings look promising for the future, and I have a slight inkling that the next Bond film will be even more back to the basics when it comes to those three Gs; Guns, Girls, and Gadgets.

Rating 4/5     

  

The Dark Knight Rises

It’s time I finally got down to writing something about one of the most anticipated and hence discussed movies of 2012. The Dark Knight Rises, like any good film, has divided the film watching world into two halves. There are those who adore it and those who were disappointed by it. There are fans that have seen the film countless times and then there are the people who rate it as the weakest in the trilogy.

All said and done I decided to skip reviewing the film early on. There was a part of me that was almost intimidated about writing a review. I felt that everything that needed to be written was already available on the web. The film had been studied under a microscope and while there might be loopholes and timeline issues or the discussion about a knife being able to go through the bat-suit (I recommend re-watching The Dark Knight to answer that question), for me The Dark Knight Rises was two hours forty minutes of pure entertainment, something we call in India as Paisa Vasool (money’s worth). It concluded the trilogy in the same brilliant manner Batman Begins started it.

So, since I had chickened out of a review, I decided to ask Twitter folk what they thought about the film. Although personally I do not feel there aren’t any SPOILERS in the answers, I would still recommend that if you have not watched the film as yet, please do avoid reading below till the time you have.   

And here we have the answers to the question "What is the first thing that comes to your mind when I say The Dark Knight Rises?" in 140 characters or less;

R. ‏@meetneo

Christian Bale

Tone ‏@ourmatetone

"NO. I came back to STTOPP YOUU!" (pretty much)

Med1c0 ‏@med1c0

the legacy of Ras Al Ghul

Dreamer/kim ‏@ByrneingUP 

The chess piece being lifted by a balloon..:{)

Sudha Ganapathi ‏@sudhagee

Not seen it yet and wondering whether I should !

Chris Rushworth ‏@chrisrus1

what an amazing story, just wow

Cristina ‏@christimoreano

the end of an era!

Film Samurai ‏@FilmSamurai

A satisfying conclusion to an epic trilogy. #TDKR

Goldilocks ‏@BeaBea66

Dracula getting out of his coffin :-) Haven't seen TDKR yet but will do soon.

Graham ‏@ukRedSaint

no spoilers ;)

NUTS4R2 ‏@nuts4r2

Batman hanging by his arms in issue 1 of Batman: The Cult.

Last Film Seen ‏@LastFilmSeen

I can't remember individual images as only read it once but I was also reminded of The Cult after watching#TDKR

Russell ‏@Russell_LDN

First fight between Batman and Bane in the sewer.

Darthbx ‏@Darthbx

Why such strong reactions to it on both sides?

Jubilympic Hobbit ‏@bilbobaggins2k

darkness

Maksim S. ‏@waynesayonara

Dey-shey bah-sur-rah :)

Jack Holt ‏@jackkholt

Sewer fight. Best fight scene in ages.

Jason Coyle ‏@JayCoyle

please don't make me see it again! Too long and weakest of the trilogy

Brian Dunn ‏@bpdreview

Unfortunately it's Aurora, Colorado

Stevee Taylor ‏@SteveeTaylor

I really really really want to see it again.

tracey thomas ‏@traceyjoa

Tom Hardy as Bane

AV ‏@Gora_Mallu

Hans Zimmer is the best!

There you have it folks… a perfectly mixed reaction to a film that has brought about “the end to an era”.

Enjoy!

Top 10 Modern Day Hollywood Film Directors

Hollywood has been at the forefront of world cinema since production first set up home there in the early 1900s. Unsurprisingly, it has seen some of the greatest filmmakers work in its warm and sunny Californian climate. A top 10 list of the best film directors of all time would surely include the likes of Alfred Hitchcock (you can see his top 10 films here), Stanley Kubrick, John Ford and Billy Wilder. But how does the new crop compare? In modern cinema, the period following the American New Wave of the 1970s, which directors are worthy of being spoken of with the same high esteem?

10. Judd Apatow

Judd Apatow quietly went about his business as a producer on many high profile, and enjoyable, comedies before his name became recognised thanks to The 40-Year-Old Virgin. He’s taken on the role vacated by the Farrelly brothers and run with it. Films such as Knocked Up, Funny People, and the Apatow-produced Bridemaids have dominated the mainstream comedy film market for several years.

9. David Fincher

David Fincher’s films Fight Club and Seven are two of the most popular films in best-of film polls made around the world. These films alone make him one of Hollywood’s best directors but he has achieved high-quality consistency throughout his films. Even the once derided Alien 3 has turned critics around as it has aged, becoming one of the best science-fiction films of the 1990s. He most recently brought Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s life to the big screen in The Social Network and adapted acclaimed novel The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

8. James Cameron

James Cameron announced his return to filmmaking with, what has quickly become, the most successful movie ever made – Avatar, which took over four years to make. With Titanic under his belt twelve years earlier, Cameron finally solidified himself as the most commercial filmmaker in the history of Hollywood. His other classics include The Terminator and The Terminator 2, The Abyss, and True Lies.

7. Peter Jackson

Peter Jackson is now known for his three-hour epic fantasy films – his remake of King Kong and the Lord of the Rings trilogy clock in at nearly fifteen hours of entertainment. Before he became a household name he did make quirky and often dark comedy-horror films such as The Frighteners and Braindead. He’ll next hit the big screen with The Hobbit.

6. Paul Thomas Anderson

Paul Thomas Anderson, is another, like Peter Jackson, who likes to make movies that break the three-hour mark. The difference is that Anderson sticks to less mainstream storylines, preferring to practice his art over commercial viability. He made the superb There Will Be Blood in 2007, but is more recognised for his ensemble films Boogie Nights and Magnolia.

5. Alexander Payne

Alexander Payne is the best character-driven director on this list. His films are beautifully constructed character pieces, usually concerning oddball or quirky men and women who seem alienated from their social circle. His greatest achievement is the brilliant Sideways, but he’s also made the equally impressive About Schmidt and Election. His most recent film, The Descendants, stars George Clooney as a father trying to keep the family together after his wife has a boating accident.

4. Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson (no relation to Paul) is a director of black comedies about strange but wonderful characters often in an almost surreal setting. His debut film Bottle Rocket became a huge cult hit while Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums earned him critical success. He has now achieved massive commercial success with George Clooney-starring stop-motion animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox.

3. Martin Scorsese

There’s no denying Martin Scorsese is one of the world’s best auteur directors. Since he burst onto Hollywood’s radar with the Robert De Niro/Harvey Keitel-starring Mean Streets, he has consistently turned out original and provocative work. Some of his most notable films include Goodfellas, The Departed, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Gangs of New York, and Casino.

2. Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan has become Hollywood’s most visionary yet commercial director. Memento, the film that introduced most people to his work, became a film critic’s darling and an audience favourite following its release depicting a unique, backwards narrated story. Nolan set the bar high. Other directors would have crumbled under the pressure to live up to the expectation. However, he has returned to the big screen with films that get better and better. The Prestige, about two warring magicians is still my favourite, yet Nolan really stamped his authority with his Batman trilogy. The Dark Knight, the second film of the series, is surely now one of the best sequels ever made. To also have the marvellous Inception in his filmography is testament to the amazing work of his fabulous filmmaker. 

1. Steven Spielberg

Commercial success and critical acceptance is something every filmmaker wants but few receive. Steven Spielberg achieved both. Learning his trade making television drama, he caught people’s attention with the TV movie Duel. The film was so well received it was given a theatrical release. This allowed him to make his first fully-fledged feature film The Sugarland Express. What followed was a string of commercial and critical successes – Jaws, Close Encounters of The Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, and War of the Worlds, among many others.

Daniel Stephens feeds his unhealthy obsession with the top 10 list by overseeing proceedings at Top10Films.co.uk as founder and editor.

Metropolis - My Tryst with a Silent Film.

It took a blogathon for me to truly appreciate and admire a silent film. Growing up, the only silent films I can remember watching are Mel Brooks' Silent Movie and an Indian film titled Pushpak. I have seen Chaplin as well, bits and bobs on TV, never in entirety. So, when Lesya from www.eternityofdream.blogspot.com decided to run a "Speechless Blogathon" I took on the challenge, one that also resulted in me searching all around for a couple of weeks to lay my hands on a silent film. 

As the title of the post suggests, Metropolis was the chosen one. It is a film that has been talked about in the film circuit on a regular basis. My first shock about the film was its length. This Frits Lang's masterpiece runs for a whooping two and a half hours plus (the restored version) which meant that I had to watch it in breaks over a couple of days. Nevertheless, the film stayed with me during the intermissions and its brilliance cannot be expressed, but I’m going to give it a shot anyways... 

Metropolis is the story of a modern futuristic city built on the sweat and blood of the working population who has been living in the depths of the earth, under the city they helped built. The film is as much a commentary on society and mankind as it is a love story between the son of the city's planner and a girl from the lower strata. 

As the playboy son (Gustav Fröhlich) of the city's planner (Alfred Abel) discovers the harsh realities of the how the city has stomped over the very people who built it, he begins a self imposed quest to become the "mediator" between the "head" (the rich who live a carefree life on the surface) and the "hand" (the workers). 

The city of Metropolis has become a place where machines have taken over, metaphorically. They have become so important that man needs to be at the beck and call of the machines at all times, if not, then it can only lead to death and despair. With a revolution in the horizon, the film beautifully forms a tapestry of subplots; mystery, secrets, power, and anticipation of things to come that run parallel to the main plot. 

A story about revenge, love, despair, hope, and the will to achieve, Metropolis relies, at times, on theatrical acting by the cast which makes dialogues unnecessary. Featuring gigantic set pieces and impressive special effects, it is understandable why Metropolis has stood the test of time and can be seen in a number of Top 10 lists of all time. 

Another aspect of the movie that stood out was the music which brought to life the mood of the scene being enacted and changed seamlessly as the scenes changed from that of despair to joy. 

Metropolis captivated me and kept me interested for its entire length. It glorifies the power of cinema in a form that we hardly see anymore, but one that is commendable and not easily achieved.
  

As the film finished I wondered what would happen if it was remade now, not as a silent film? Would it loose its point? Would the modern day special effects take away from the story? 

Here's hoping we never find out, because this is one film that should be appreciated in its original form. 

Rating 5/5 Stars

The Bourne Legacy

Was it really important to continue with the Bourne trilogy that has attained a certain fandom over the last decade? Not really. Not considering the main players were all going to change.

The Bourne Legacy is more enjoyable if you look at it as a completely separate film. True, it tries to bank on the name of Bourne by running its story parallel to the third installment of the trilogy, but that is just a ploy to not having to explain the intricacies of the complex story (of the earlier films) and also a way to cash in on the trilogy. The annoying aspect of this, for the audience, is that if Bourne Legacy was totally detached from the earlier films and released under a different name, it would probably be exactly the same movie it is now.

So, Bourne Legacy runs like an average thriller. Having realized that it is not at parity with the earlier films within the first 15 minutes, I was able to enjoy it a whole lot more. It does have a simpler plot and Jeremy Renner's Aaron Cross might not have the same impact as Matt Damon's Jason Bourne, but he does manage to prove himself as a commendable action hero who just might carry the franchise on his shoulders.

Negatives aside, the film does work well as an action thriller. It's not as smart as the Bourne Trilogy, but is intelligent enough to rise above the average run-of-the-mill action film. Edward Norton and Rachel Weisz provide the necessary acting support to Renner's agent on the run and on the lookout for answers about the organization he works for.

The highlight of the film remains the climatic 20 odd minute chase through Manila. If you look at the big picture, the entire film is a chase movie, but the climax surpasses the hour and a half gone by before it. It might not have the big explosions and car crashes that are ever so present in Hollywood action films, but does have a certain in-your-face living-on-the-edge attitude that makes it all the more fun to watch.

The Bourne Legacy fails because by linking itself to the Bourne Trilogy is draws unnecessary comparison. It also ends rather abruptly hinting towards a sequel, which is surely not going to be as highly anticipated as this film. Still, the film makes for an entertaining watch and with a story that is simple to follow it's easier to enjoy it without wrecking the brain too much.     

Rating 3/5

Iron Sky

The best thing about Iron Sky is that it is so out there in its concept, that the audience doesn’t have a choice but to take the entire film lightly. The bad thing about Iron Sky is that it is just too out there.

The story revolves around Nazis who after their loss in WWII moved to the dark side of the moon in 1945 and since then have colonized it for more than half a century. Surprisingly enough they didn't bump into the Decepticons during their time or else Earth would have had quite a war on its hand. On second thought Nazis and Decepticons Vs Earth and Autobots would make for an interesting watch.   

Coming back from my little tangent there, the new breed of Nazis have grown believing that the Swastika is a symbol of love and that Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator is a 10 minute short in which Charlie tries to imitate their beloved leader. I did warn you the film was out there. But wait, there is more...

The United States of America now has a female President, and one who has an uncanny resemblance to Sarah Palin. What follows is an attempt by the Nazis at world domination amidst a campaign manager, here on Earth, who will do anything to help the President get re-elected for another term.   

Leaving the story aside, the film isn't all that bad (which doesn’t mean it is good) and while it might seem like a parody at times, it doesn't always come across as funny or laugh-out-loud. The lowest point of the entire movie would have to be the cast and its somewhat wooden dialogue delivery and acting. The background score is pretty good and works well with the entire science-fiction theme of the film. Iron Sky makes for an entertaining watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon, but watch it with an open mind as it is a borderline B-Grade Hollywood sci-fi film.

Rating 2.5/5

Ice Age 4: Continental Drift

As some of you must be aware I have started making vLogs (Video Blogs) with my daughter for the films that she watches. As is the case with Ice Age 4, there are a number of films that I might not watch, but she does. So I figured that it might be best to get the viewpoint of the target audience for these films.

Fourth in the successful series, Ice Age 4: Continental Drift follows the adventures of Manny, Diego, Sid, and Squint as they work their way through changes in their lives and the environment.

Here is what Saanvi thought of the film which she viewed in 3D. (At the time of the "interview" she was suffering from a cold, so do keep that in mind :-)

WIN! A DVD and World Cinema Postcards

As promised here I am with my very first self funded (in a way) competition. Although I have followers from other countries, this competition is limited to participants from India only. It's a way for me to maybe gain more local followers and also it is cheaper considering the overseas postage charges.

So, just to start off, I am going to give away two prizes, yes I know I am very generous. They are somewhat unique and fun and not too expensive, yes I know I am very cheap.

First up is a DVD of the film DRAGON DYNASTY: Kingdom of the Fire Dragons. It's a bit of fantasy mixed with reality as a stone given to Marco Polo unleashes the gates to the dragon world releasing two dragons out to kill Marco. The film stars Federico Castelluccio, James Hong, and Stana Katic. The DVD is rated 15 for strong violence and is in Region 2 format.

The Second prize is a set of 6 HMV World Cinema Postcards. They make a great addition to your collection if you are a cinephile like me.

In order to win one of the above mentioned prizes you must guess the number of DVDs (and only DVDs) that I have in my collection? (Hint: If I wanted I could watch at least 1 movie each day for a year and a little bit more)

Once you have a number in your mind, you must also do only ONE of the following to be considered (if you already follow me, no need to do anything);

Follow my blog by clicking the FOLLOW button at the bottom right tab.

Follow TICKER on Facebook by clicking and liking HERE

Follow me on TWITTER by clicking HERE

Then simply EMAIL ME with your answer, SUBEJCT - Competition # 1, and which of the three Follows you have performed (Do let me know the ID you have used).

In case no one is able to guess the correct answer, I shall pick the closest number guessed. Also if more than one right answer is received, then I shall choose the two winners from those correct entries.

Now for some other T&Cs

This competition is valid in India only. The prizes will be delivered to an Indian address.

Incomplete entries will not be considered.

The final decision lies with the blog owner.

No cash alternatives will be given.

The prizes will be sent via post and we are not accountable for late/lost/damaged/stolen prizes.

The prizes cannot be substituted or refunded.

Only one entry per household will be considered.

The Competition ends on 6th August 2012 at 11:59 PM

Ticker Talks Film has the right to change/alter/cancel the above competition without notice.

The Winners will be contacted directly via email. 

10 Reasons Why I Like Sucker Punch

I have no shame in saying that I liked one of the most disliked films from last year. Since having watched it I have had a few conversations with other cinephiles as to the merits and demerits of the film and eventually I decided to sit and jot down the reasons why I actually enjoyed Sucker Punch, and here they are;

Jenna Malone - One of cinema's most underrated actresses, Jenna Malone shines in the film, despite having a support role, playing Rocket, an inmate in the mental asylum where Emily Browning's Babydoll is institutionalized. A look at her IMDB profile and her multi-talent in the arts can only lead to great things in the future. With news about her getting casted in the sequel of Hunger Games, hopefully we get to see more of her in the future.   

Special Effects - Let's face it, Zack Snyder knows how to visually impress the audience. He did it in 300 and then again in Watchmen (a little bit), and does so again in Sucker Punch which is a feast for the eyes in terms of special effects, colour, and overall picturization.

The Ending - Let's just say I didn't see it coming and I did leave the film with a smile on my face.

The Dumbness Amongst The Complexity - Okay I agree there are aspects of the film that are dumb. Why is the "list" which can easily be memorized written down in an obvious place? Why are some of the names given to the characters so obscure, I mean calling a dark haired Vanessa Hudgens, Blondie? But, there is also enough complexity as the story moves between reality and fantasy that maybe having a bit of simplistic non-reasonable aspects to the story aren't that bad. 

The Interpretations Behind It All - The movie leaves enough space for the audience to derive their own interpretations from the story. I for one didn't understand half of what happened, but that was a good thing. It actually made me wrack my brain a bit. Sometimes, a film has more of an impact when everything is not clear, rather than spoon-feeding the viewers with all the information, and this is one such movie.

The Mystery Of The Dance - Babydoll's dance is one of the most important elements in the story of the film, and we never get to see it. While watching, every time the dance would start, I anticipated that maybe, just maybe this time we will get to experience this mysterious act, but instead we are taken into a world of fantasy on each occasion. At the end of it, I am glad that the dance is left to the imagination of the audience, just as the audience gets a peek into Babydoll's imagination each time she dances.  

The Music - A great soundtrack, especially during the fight sequences. The film's music is amongst a few that I have liked in totality over the past few years.  

The Action - We saw it in 300 and we can see the brilliance of Zack Snyder's action sequences once again in Sucker Punch. OTT and dreamy, Snyder's action is probably the most entertaining aspect of the film. All the girls come across as professional arse-kickers during these action sequences. In fact, everything they do makes for a fun and, in some cases, enticing viewing.  

Over-The-Top Situations - Machine gun wielding samurais, killer robots, gas-masked/powered Nazis, sword fights, Dragons, the fantasy world created by Snyder through the imagination of the Babydoll is definitely over-the-top, but it is fantastical keeping in mind the theme of the film.   

Oh! and one more thing...

The Entertainment Factor - The sum of all the parts, mentioned above, make the film an entertaining watch that never gets boring, nor does it drag. It might have some loose ends, but they can be easily overlooked.

Now, dare I ask what you thought of the film or the points I make? Alright... go ahead and tell me.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

I am actually finding it hard on how to begin the review. Firstly, I haven't read the book the film is based on so you can expect no comparisons. It's also pertinent to know that I have enjoyed Timur Bekmambetov's previous works, Wanted & Night Watch, so although I was not at all impressed by the trailer of this film, I was still excited about it.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is the story about the President of USA who for the sake of fantasy and story and originality also happens to be a vampire hunter, or rather becomes one during the course of the film when his parents are killed by the living dead.

The film in totality was a major disappointment and for a change I decided to list my irritations one point at a time;

The Voiceover- Normally I am a big fan of voiceovers. It's a great way to fast forward a film and more so a technique to showcase a montage without using music, and who doesn't love montages. Unfortunately, the excessive voiceover in this particular film gets annoying around half time and doesn't stop till quite late in the film.

The Story- I am all for a bit of uniqueness in stories and by giving the real life events surrounding the American president an alternate twist is perfectly fine by me. The film however tries to stuff too much in its timeframe. From a revenge film, to saving mankind, to a political piece, to life history, almost all aspects of the real Lincoln's life is made to resemble situations in the film making it more and more disjointed.

Real vs Reel Life & The History - The other aspect of the story mentioned above which really irritated me was that the makers try desperately to link all the real life events with the fantasy aspect which after a while feels forced. Furthermore, due to the lack of America's historical knowledge I was unaware of most of these events and just had to view them as they happened. So while I am aware of the Civil War or the Gettysburg Battle, I had no knowledge about their background, and I understand this might be my own fault, but for me that made the film a bit more oblique. If you do know about American history, I am sure you would appreciate that the film does not go into details of the said events, so this aspect might just divide the audience in half.

The Special Effects- This one is more middle-of-the-road. There are scenes that are beautiful to look at, even though they mostly comprise of people getting axed and blood splattering all over, while there are others that are simply torture. Two important scenes, the horse fight and the climax, are both CGI laden to the amount that they shout FAKE! Both these scenes, the former more so than the latter, were probably the biggest disappointments for me. Well that and the excessive use of slow motion throughout the entire film to the point that I almost wished I had a fast forward remote control to move the character move/kill/splatter/and die faster.

Tim Burton- I would have hoped that having Tim Burton as the producer would have infused a bit of his dark humor in the film, but alas that is not the case. In fact, his style is so absent that had I not known of him having producer credits; I would not have linked him to this film at all.

And now for the good stuff...

I did like the premise of the story with adding the whole vampire element to the president's life. With Pride and Prejudice and Zombies being made, this could be the new trend in books and films and not something that I disapprove of. What the resulting features will be, it’s hard to tell, but after Abraham Lincoln studios might think twice about taking a step in this direction.

The acting was mediocre, but not bad, which in this case is good. The performances might not have been extraordinary, but the actors took their roles seriously and whatever little chance of characterization they are given (especially the supporting cast), they made the most of it.

The films does have enough action throughout that although there were all the above listed reasons why I did not enjoy the film, it still managed to keep me awake.

Oh wait... sorry that would be the large Latte I had during the film that kept me awake and I believe it even burnt my tongue and in fact that was probably more exciting than the film.

Rating 1.5/5